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Spectacular Seven | 18. Threads of Friendship | Moondancer's heels clicked against the floor as she followed after Twilight. Why had she agreed to this tour of guilt? The easy answer was because Twilight had asked her to, and it would look cold-hearted if Moondancer had said no. She had slipped her way out of this visit for over week, but knew she couldn't avoid it forever.
Twilight opened the room door and led Moondancer in. Sunset's room was cheerfully decorated, appearing to belong to someone celebrating a birthday party. Yet the guest of honor lay comatose on her bed, head tilted down, eyes glazed over. Moondancer cringed at how familiar it looked.
"Hi, Sunset," Twilight said, straightening her pillow. "I brought Moondancer along today. I also brought a new book. This one's about an enchanted library."
While Twilight pulled two chairs to Sunset's bedside, Moondancer admired the ever-growing collection of flowers from well-wishers. They covered the table and filled the corner, and now a planter hung from the ceiling. She saw a vase of blue roses brought by her uncle and aunt. It was a colorful and fragrant arrangement that reminded Moondancer of her garden.
If I lost my soul, who would bring me flowers?
"Would you like a seat, Moony?"
"Hm? Oh, yes, of course." Moondancer sat next to Twilight, watching her pull a thick book from her bag. "This is quite the touching act. And to think that you do this everyday; Sunset is fortunate indeed."
"I know she'd do the same thing for me." Twilight opened the book and started reading aloud. She shook a little at the beginning but quickly found her voice. Moondancer tried to pretend that Twilight was reading just to her, but Sunset's eyes quickly destroyed the fantasy.
Don't look at me that way. You should be grateful your body wasn't tossed into a river.
Twilight read through two chapters of her book, every word spoken with love and a desire for Sunset's return. She paused occasionally to ask if Moondancer needed anything. Moondancer took it as a sign of Twilight's endearing compassion to make sure she didn't feel forgotten.
Halfway through the third chapter, Twilight bookmarked her spot and stood up. "I have to use the bathroom. You don't mind waiting here, do you?"
"Of course not, Twily. I'm sure Sunset and I shall have a great conversation while you're gone." The moment she made the remark, Moondancer realized how patronizing it sounded. Twilight either didn't notice or didn't mind. She smiled and left, closing the door behind her.
Moondancer watched the monitor track Sunset's heartbeats, following the sharp uprises that came with every beep. Her head bobbed with every slow, even breath.
"You're lucky, you know." Moondancer said quietly. "To have this much love and affection poured onto you, even while you lay, motionless and dead to the world. Even after they all saw the darkest shadow you carried in your soul. A demon. A literal, fire-throwing demon. I sensed darkness within you--I knew you were hiding something. But a demon?"
Moondancer shook her head. "And yet, she still looked for you. She still loves you. It's frustrating to no end! Part of me wishes I had left you alone to rot!" She heaved a sigh. "But, I can't stand to see Twilight so upset. The only reason you're here is because of my good graces."
Of course, Sunset didn't acknowledge her. She couldn't. A soul trapped in the Soul Lock had no connection to their body. Moondancer leaned back in her chair, a twinge of pity mixing with her cold anger.
"I'm not proud of the things I've done. But they've all been for a greater purpose. You losing your soul?" She dropped her voice to a soft whisper. "I won't lie, there was a certain level of catharsis to it. A girl like you, handed everything she's ever wanted on a silver platter--the world bending to your whim when you needed it the most. You get magic, you get to be with my aunt and uncle, you get Twilight."
Moondancer dug her nails into her palms. "I won't sit here and bemoan the way the roles have been cast. I suppose every great heroine needs a good rival, and you've performed admirably. Now, it's time for you to step down. You'll get your soul back when I've gotten what I've wanted. For now, rest here. With you in slumber, Twilight will devote her time to taking care of you, staying out of harm's way. Sadly, I can't promise the same for the rest of your friends."
She took one more deep breath and exhaled the negative energy trying to build in her. Her hand hovered around the Archon Amulet sitting beneath her blouse. More than once, it had tried to overtake her, but Moondancer was smarter than an ancient relic. Granted, she had been a little more lax in the last few days. It was probably best to take it off again soon.
Twilight returned a minute later. "Hey, how is she?"
"A perfect facsimile of Sleeping Beauty," Moondancer said with an airy wave of her hand.
Twilight sat down and sighed. "I wish that was the case. Then, a kiss would be enough to wake her up." She gazed longingly at Sunset.
Moondancer felt pity and anger surge through her again and crash near the surface. How could she want to hug Twilight and tell her it would all be okay, and bash Sunset over the head at the same time?
She blinked. How boorish. I've been wearing this amulet too long indeed. But she wouldn't deny the satisfaction at seeing Sunset's lifeless eyes, even as Twilight read another chapter. Well, if I can't have her, at least you can't properly enjoy her either, Sunset. For now, at least. A short-lived stalemate.
*******
It was amazing just how much Apalla resembled Artemis.
She laid in the air, clutching her side while she laughed up a storm, joyous tears running down her face. "A p-pony? Really? A unicorn from another world? Oh my goodness, that's amazing!"
Sunset sat on the invisible floor, fiddling with her thumbs. She remembered when she had told her origins to Artemis and received a very similar reaction. While she was glad to see Apalla in high spirits, she couldn't fathom what exactly was so hysterical.
Apalla eventually calmed down and wiped her tears away. "Oh, the world truly is a wondrous place. Of all the people I get to meet, it's the magical unicorn girl." She giggled again, then straightened her hat, which had become crooked during her fit.
"So, a magical pony from a dimension away." Apalla pressed her palms against her cheeks. "Tell me, what are you doing in our world?"
Sunset opened her mouth to answer. But the answer never came. She closed her eyes and tried to think, but it felt like sand slipping through her fingers. Why had she jumped through the mirror? She had an answer--she knew she did. But it eluded her, the memory staying just out of reach.
"I can't remember anymore," Sunset said glumly. "I think I had a fight with my teacher. But I can't remember why or over what."
Apalla gave a sympathetic smile. "When you can't remember why you started fighting, that's the best time to start forgiving instead."
Sunset bowed her head. "She has nothing to be forgiven for. I'm the one who messed up... I think? At any rate, I don't know if she's ready to forgive me yet."
"Teachers are never really mad at their students. Just disappointed, and a little sad when they've lost their way."
"Mmm." Sunset was still trying to draw upon her memories. They seemed messier than usual, scattered and disjointed in her head. Some of them popped out at her, clear as day: good times with her friends, quiet evenings with Twilight, fireworks with the Lulamoons. But others seemed blurry and muted. The Battle of the Bands, her departure from Equestria, and large portions of her sophomore and junior year. Maybe it was a side-effect of being in the Soul Lock.
"So, Sunset," Apalla said gingerly, "I am curious. Do you know Moondancer?"
Sunset took in a slow breath. "Yes, I know Moondancer. We don't get along very well, to be honest. She seems to think I stole her girlfriend. In general, she's... not a good match with me." Sunset said delicately. She couldn't meet Apalla's eye.
"Oh... well, I'm sorry for any trouble she may have caused you," Apalla said, crestfallen. "I don't know how her upbringing has been in my absence, but if Tempest is around, I'm sure it isn't pleasant. I can't make excuses for her, but please, try to understand."
Sunset merely nodded. She could have told Apalla all of the trouble Moondancer had caused; every attempt to get under Sunset's skin or undermine her relationship with Twilight. But, Sunset simply didn't feel like it.
Something told her she should be angrier at Moondancer than she currently was. Saying they didn't get along was like saying dogs and cats didn't play well together. Still, like with Tempest and Lamia, Sunset could only draw up a dull apathy for Moondancer.
"She's a good girl, truly," Apalla continued, a note of plea in her voice. "My deepest regret in choosing to stay here is not seeing her grow up. She was only eight when I was taken away."
"She's grown up very well," Sunset said, still unable to meet Apalla's eyes. "She's very beautiful."
"As long as she's healthy. I suppose that's all a mother can ask for in the end." Apalla clapped her hands, jolting Sunset upright to look at her. "Okay, Sunset. It's time to get you home! Or to heaven. Whichever comes first. Hopefully the former."
Sunset had rarely contemplated death before, at least, in the sense of what came after one died. Now that she was faced with the possibility, her whole body began to shake.
"I'm not so sure about this. It feels pretty risky."
Apalla shrugged. "The alternative is to stay here until the end of time, helping me free the souls Tirek sucks up and outrunning him whenever he gets close. I mean, I could use the company."
As bad as Sunset felt leaving Apalla all alone again, she yearned to see her friends again. They were probably worried sick.
Apalla smiled, though Sunset saw the gloss that coated her eyes. "I understand. I would leave too if I were in your position."
Sunset got to her feet. "We could leave together. You could go look for the Rainbow of Light."
"Alas..." Apalla took a strand of her long hair and coiled it around her finger. "I believe my fate has been decided for me. If I've been in here long enough that my little girl is not so little anymore, than I most likely don't even have a body to go home too. No, my place is here. Tirek will come again someday. And when he does, I will be here, doing my best to weaken him."
Her words were filled with conviction, but Sunset saw the longing in her eyes. But, Apalla was right: the Lulamoons had already declared her deceased and buried her.
"Thank you," Sunset said, "for everything you're doing."
Apalla waved her hand. "Nothing short of my family's duty. Now, no more stalling!" She gestured emphatically up to the swirling sky. "Sunset Shimmer, it is time you returned to waking world!"
At first, Sunset thought that was the command that would send her home. But no portal opened, no wave of light washed over her, nothing came to pull her away. She blinked.
"Umm... how exactly do I get back?"
Apalla put her hand down and twirled her hair again. "Mind you, this is all just theoretical speculation. But I've had a lot of time to think about souls and their connections, both before and after my own was taken. Ha! The soul researcher lost her own soul. Irony."
She cleared her throat. "Anyway, it's a bit of a two-step dance, if I'm correct. You see, I believe souls are connected. Tied together by invisible threads forged by the bonds we have with our friends and families. First, Sunset, you're going to have to want, with all your will--all your soul--to leave this place and return to where you belong. And second, if your friends care and love and miss you enough, I believe it will bridge that gap the Soul Lock has created between us and the outside world. After all, friendship and love transcend time and space."
Apalla paused. "Again, this is all just theory. I haven't had a chance to test it yet since the rest of you won't cooperate!" she shouted at a light speck passing by.
"But there aren't any physical dangers, right?" Sunset asked, her straight posture hunching slightly.
"Of course there are no physical dangers. You don't have a physical body anymore. Now, spiritual dangers..." Apalla waved a hand up and down. "Probably not?"
"I changed my mind, I think I want to stay in here."
Apalla pat her on the back. "Don't be silly. I'm almost one-hundred percent positive you can do this. Now close your eyes."
Doubt clouded Sunset's mind, but she forced it down into her stomach and closed her eyes. Her trembling had not resolved itself.
"Picture your friends, Sunset. Think of all the good times you had with them. Think of how much you want to go back and see them. Will yourself to leave this place. Let your spirit be free!"
Sunset squeezed her eyelids as she saw her friends in her mind's eye. They smiled and called to her, asking her to come home. Sunset saw the sleepovers they had shared, the trips to the mall, their victory at the Battle of the Bands. She saw the soccer games and baking sessions and violin practices. A light fluttering filled her stomach.
"That's it, Sunset. Hold onto that feeling. Let it guide you home."
Sunset latched onto it. It hurt in some ways, knowing she had been absent from their lives. Had it been days or months since she encountered Lamia? Did her friends miss her? Had they moved on? What if they had never stopped to mourn in the first place? What if they didn't care that she had disappeared or was a lifeless shell?
An ache spread through her, dissolving her strength. What if this didn't work, or she didn't have a body to go back to? Had she turned her life around enough to avoid going to Tartarus or the human world equivalent?
"No, no, Sunset! You're losing focus! Push out the negativity, pull in the positivity!"
Sunset heard, but her heart hesitated. She tried to grab ahold of her happy memories again, and while she could see them clear as day, the joy they brought her felt... duller. The fluttering in her stomach never evolved into anything more. She could remember the euphoria of ponying up with her friends against the Sirens, but couldn't draw up the emotion itself now. The harder she tried, the more tired she felt. Soon, the fluttering went away, and Sunset opened her eyes with a gasp.
"Hmm." Apalla held a hand to her chin. "You were doing well at the start. Perhaps we need a different approach. Sunset, choose one person as an anchor."
"An anchor?" Sunset asked after a few deep breaths.
"Yes. You can't really rank friends or family, but we all have that one person who means just a little bit more to us. Who changed our lives so drastically, we can't imagine them not being there. Someone we think about everyday. When they're gone, the world seems a little grayer."
"Twilight," Sunset whispered.
"Who?"
"She's my girlfriend."
Apalla threw her hands against her cheeks. "How adorable! Picture her, then. Focus on her and the rest should follow. Go on."
Sunset closed her eyes again, envisioning Twilight. She came into focus, a book clutched against her chest, her large glasses sliding down her button nose. She smiled and waved at Sunset.
And for a brief second, Sunset felt something spike in her heart. It had been a drastic shift compared to everything she had felt since waking up, like someone throwing hot water on her instead of just lukewarm. She squeezed her eyes in concentration. She wanted that feeling again--to know what it was that got her heart pumping. Like some of her memories, it hovered just out of reach.
"You're doing good, Sunset," Apalla said softly. "Hold onto it."
Hold onto what? She didn't have it yet. But she was close. She kept the image of Twilight clear in her head. Rarity appeared too, tossing her perfectly maintained hair with a flourish. Then there was Rainbow, mouthing something to Sunset and grinning. Fluttershy came next, looking at Sunset with her large, doe eyes. Applejack tipped her hat and winked. Pinkie jumped in the air and waved a pair of pom-poms around.
The feeling spiked through her again, something so sharp that, when it faded, everything else felt dull. Please don't go. Please, let me see my friends again. Let me see Twilight again.
"... handed out packets for our finals..."
"Twilight?" Sunset asked. It sounded like an echo from the end of a long hall, but she knew that voice anywhere.
"... wish you were here. I really miss studying with you. I miss doing anything with you."
I miss you too, Twilight. Sunset felt very lightheaded. In fact, her whole body felt weightless. She didn't dare open her eyes though, scared it would break the connection she had forged. She allowed whatever was happening to run its course. She felt herself floating upwards, only to be yanked back by a strong cord.
No... I want to go home... The cord began dragging her back.
"We really miss you, Sunset..." Another voice apart from Twilight. Rarity's.
"Come on, Sunset. You've been asleep long enough." Rainbow's.
Sunset could hear all their voices, cycling through her ears one at a time. Six more cords, stronger than the one pulling her down, took hold of her and lifted her up. Her mind grew hazy, her thoughts fading away until she could only hear her friends' voices.
"If you see Moondancer," a distant voice behind her said, "tell her, her mother loves her eternally."
*******
Rainbow came to the back turn of the track, keeping a steady pace. The evening wind felt refreshing against the sweat coating every inch her. She pushed herself down the stretch, taking long breaths and driving her arms until she crossed the finish line. Her sprint eased down to a bouncy jog, then to a walk. She put her hands over her head as she recovered her missing air.
Fluttershy clapped from her spot in the stands, giving a quiet, "Yaaay!" that, had the stadium not already been empty, Rainbow wouldn't have heard. The rest of the track team had already gone home, but Rainbow wasn't ready to call it a day.
She walked over to Fluttershy, accepting the towel she had been offered. "Thanks for staying with me, 'Shy. You know you didn't have to though."
"I know. But I wanted to keep you company. Plus, this is a nice spot to do homework." She held up her math notes. "I'm almost done for the day."
Rainbow groaned into her towel. She still had homework to finish when she was done running. Maybe she should have called it a day an hour ago. No, if she had gone home, she merely would have spent the last hour thinking about Sunset and whether or not she would ever wake up. Rainbow sighed, pulling the towel from her face. She could run from a lot of things, but not her thoughts.
Fluttershy abruptly stood, dropping her book to the ground. She stared out to the horizon, an astonished look on her face.
"Fluttershy, what is it?" Rainbow tried to see what she was looking at, but only saw the houses across the street. Then, a burst of soothing warmth flooded her body. All her fears and worries melted away completely for a second leaving only one word in her head.
Sunset.
The calming aura vanished as soon as it appeared, but Sunset stayed firmly in the forefront of Rainbow's mind. She could feel her friend.
"She's going to wake up," Fluttershy said softly.
Rainbow punched the air. "Hell yeah! Come on, 'Shy, we gotta be there when she does!"
Fluttershy put on a giant smile, then quickly pinched her nose. "Um, Rainbow... maybe you should take a shower first."
She looked down at her sweat stained shirt and shorts. "Oh yeah. Probably a good idea."
*******
"Here you are, Twinkleshine," Rarity said, handing the carefully wrapped dress over the counter.
Twinkleshine beamed. "Thank you so much, Rarity. I'm really going to miss getting all my dresses from you."
Rarity looked out the window with a dreamy expression. "That means a lot. But if all goes well, you'll see my designs in stores around the world."
"Looking forward to it." Twinkleshine gave a wave as she left the boutique.
The moment she did, Rarity's customer service smile fell to the wayside, and she heaved a loud sigh. Her feet carried her to the back room, now a constant mess all hours of the day as she grappled with order after order for prom. Dress designing under deadlines was always stressful, and was something Rarity had learned to live with. Designing under pressure while your best friend was in the hospital was something new.
She did her best to clean up some of the things she knew she wouldn't need for her next dress, then sat down at her work station. Hanging on the wall were seven dresses she had designed for her friends for prom. Rarity had never considered the fact that she might only be making six.
No, don't think like that. She could still wake up any day now. Rarity lifted her pencil and tapped the tip against the paper. She at least hoped Sunset would get to walk at graduation with everyone else. Her pencil continued to tap the page. There she went again, more distracted than usual. She sighed, letting the pencil fall from her hand. Double-Fudgy Delight was in order to lift her spirits again.
A warm wind brushed through her hair, and she twisted toward the door. "Sunset?"
An empty store answered her, but Rarity swore she heard Sunset's voice. She stood from her chair, placing a hand over her heart. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew. Today was the day. She ran to the front, flipped the 'open' sign to 'closed,' grabbed her keys, and ran to her car.
She clapped her hands and squeed as her engine warmed up. "Hold on, Sunset, we're on our way!"
*******
Applejack took her time wandering through the south orchard, passing by trees that were older than her. Taking walks between the trees and inhaling their springtime aroma helped clear her head from the mind-numbing math problems she had endured.
She wasn't quite sure where she was wandering to, choosing to allow her feet to take her wherever. She stepped over a tall root that had tripped her and Apple Bloom on more than one occasion, and circled around a younger tree that her cousin Braeburn had carved his name into.
Maybe it meant to be, or maybe she had come here subconsciously, but Applejack ended up in the most sacred spot of Sweet Apple Acres. A pear tree and an apple tree grew spiraling around each other, their very roots intertwined. Their boughs were indistinguishable from one another.
Applejack removed her hat and stepped up to the trees. She took a moment to swallow the lump in her throat. "Hey, Pa. Hey, Ma. Third time this week Ah've been here, huh? Y'all are probably sick of hearin' me talk. It's always nice to see you though."
She sighed. "Ah've been dancin' around the issue for awhile now, Ah know. It's just... hard to talk about. You know Ah don't handle situations like this well." She twirled her hat in her hands. "It's about mah friend Sunset. Ah told you about her, right? Used to be bad but she's a real good sort now. Helps keep R.D in her place." Applejack made a short chuckle.
"She's... well, she's out cold and hasn't moved in almost two weeks. Just seein' her like that breaks mah heart. That's why Ah've only been to see her one time. Ah can't take..." She swallowed another lump. "Ah can't handle losin' another family member. Ah want to believe she's gonna be okay, but.... So, Ah don't know how these comatose things work, but if you happen to see her up there, can you tell her we all really miss her? Especially Twilight. You should see the way Twi looks at her. It reminds me of you guys."
The trees rustled in a gentle wind that swept through Applejack. It warmed her very soul, bringing a smile to her face. She tossed her hat on, feeling more invigorated than she had in days.
"'Bout time." She broke into a jog, then quickly stopped and looked over her shoulder.
"Thanks, Ma. Thanks, Pa."
*******
"Pinkie, wait! Where are you going?" Mr. Cake called as Pinkie sprinted out the door.
"Sunset's gonna wake up!" She yelled back, bouncing high into the air. She just knew it with every fiber of her pink being. She rushed down the street, pulling her phone from her pocket and calling Rainbow.
"Hello?" Fluttershy answered.
"Fluttershy?"
"Oh, hi, Pinkie!"
"Why do you have Rainbow's phone?"
"She's taking a shower. We're about to go to the hospital; we think Sunset's about to wake up!"
Pinkie ducked and weaved past pedestrians. "No way, I had the exact same feeling! I'm on my way too!"
"Umm, how are you getting there?"
"Running!" If she kept this pace up, she'd be there in half an hour.
"You know we could pick you up if you wanted."
"No thanks," Pinkie said, starting to pant. "I already started. Betcha I get there before you do! I call first dibs on hugging Sunset! You know, after Twilight. See ya!" She shoved her phone back into her pocket. If Fluttershy and Rainbow had the same feeling, then Rarity and Applejack probably felt it too. They were all going to be together again!
Pinkie gave herself another bounce, letting out a loud, "Wheee!" She smiled at everyone she ran by, feeling more close to her old self than she had in days. Sure, she had kept her hopes up and tried her best to keep smiling, but she could only keep a party going so long.
Now, she didn't have to pretend anymore! She was going to see Sunset again and throw a real celebration!
By the time she got to the hospital, however, her enthusiastic run had been reduced to a slow and desperate jog. She kept pushing though, her smile widening when she saw her friends waiting for her at the front entrance.
Rainbow looked at her with a mix of impression and exasperation. "I can't believe you ran all the way here."
Pinkie slumped over her and took a dramatic gasp of air. "Anything for a friend!"
"Pinkie, get off! I just took a shower!"
"Come on, y'all," Applejack said, "let's not keep Sunset waitin'."
*******
Twilight's head drooped toward the book for a third time. She finally gave in and placed a bookmark against the page, then set it aside and rested her head on Sunset's bed. She slipped a hand into Sunset's and looked into her eyes.
Still nothing.
"Please come back," Twilight whispered, her eyes falling shut.
"Only because you asked so nicely."
Twilight's head shot up. She looked into Sunset's eyes again, but they remained vacant. She must have been drowsier than she realized, for Twilight could have sworn she heard Sunset's voice. Either way, the sleepiness had passed.
The clock on the wall told her it was a quarter to seven. Her mother's shift would be over soon, meaning it was time to wrap up and say goodbye.
"Well, there's always tomorrow," Twilight said. She gave Sunset's hand a light squeeze...
...And just as she slipped her fingers out, Sunset gave a squeeze back.
Every part of Twilight froze. She held her breath, trying to watch every part of Sunset for any additional movement.
A warm breeze passed through Twilight, making her hammering heart swell. She could suddenly smell strawberries, and hear a familiar laugh.
"Sunset," Twilight said in the smallest, trembling voice her throat would allow. She had felt something just now, similar to the night Sunset had disappeared. Yet it wasn't foreboding. It was almost comforting. Did she hope? Did she dare to hope?
A minute passed, Twilight's spirits sinking with every tick of the clock. Then, Sunset blinked.
With a loud gasp, she sat up in her bed, her hand desperately holding onto Twilight's. The heart monitor went wild, loud beeps ringing through the room as Twilight tried to calm Sunset down.
"It's okay!" she said, fighting to keep her voice level, even as tears poured from her eyes. "It's okay! I'm here! You're fine, Sunset! You're safe!"
Sunset looked about the room in a wild fashion, like she couldn't recognize anything within it. She found Twilight, and her breathing slowed a little, though her eyes remained wider than dinner plates. They gleamed with life once more.
"T-Twi--" She dissolved into loud, ragged coughs.
"Hold on, I have a water bottle!" Twilight reached down into her backpack and pulled it out, unscrewing the cap with only her free hand, and holding it up to Sunset's lips.
Sunset took slow sips at first, squeezing her eyes as the water trickled down her throat. Then she urged Twilight to tip the bottle forward more, and she took deeper gulps.
Twilight pulled back to give Sunset a chance to breathe. She saw Sunset's arm fidget upwards, raising a few inches off the bed, though it took considerable effort. Twilight caught on though, found a napkin in her bag, and wiped Sunset's mouth.
"Thank you," Sunset croaked.
Twilight nodded her head. She placed her other hand on top of Sunset's, then gingerly moved it up to hold it against her cheek.
"I'm not dreaming," Twilight said in an equally hoarse voice. "You're really awake."
Sunset gave a weak nod and an even weaker smile. "Yeah. I'm awake."
Twilight let out a sob and wrapped her arms around Sunset, being as gentle as possible. Sunset leaned into her and closed her eyes in contentment.
It's real. It's really real. Twilight's heart wanted to burst. Her whole body wracked with the force of her sobs and sniffles. She thought she had cried out everything when she had spoke with Cadence, but now, everything that had happened in the past month forced its way to the surface. The wild roller coaster that Twilight had been strapped into finally came to a stop.
Sunset was home. She was awake. And Twilight had been here to see it.
"I missed you," Twilight said in between her crying, "I missed you so much."
"I missed you, too," Sunset said, her voice frail. "I'm sorry if I made you worry."
Twilight wanted to hug her harder, but instead channeled her feelings into another wave of tears. "I looked for you. I looked everywhere I could for you! I never stopped looking for you!"
"Twilight--"
The door burst open, startling them apart. "Sunset!"
Their five friends rushed in and swarmed Sunset's bedside. Pinkie took Twilight's place and gave Sunset a strong hug, unaware of her discomfort.
After the initial babble of everyone gushing over Sunset and hugging her, Fluttershy asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Tired." Sunset opened her mouth to say more, but hesitated. Whatever she was going to say, she changed it to, "I think I just need some rest."
"We completely understand," Rarity said. "You've been through a lot."
"And we're totally stoked to see you," Rainbow said, "but, like, what happened to you? You just disappeared."
Rarity shook her head. "Rainbow she just woke up. Give her a little while before she has to relive her trauma."
"Oh, no, it's fine," Sunset said, trying to wave her hand. Twilight saw she had trouble lifting it higher than her chest. "It's kinda a long story though, and I have something really important to tell all of you and the Lulamoons."
She then doubled over and started coughing and wheezing. Twilight pushed past Pinkie and laid a hand on Sunset's shoulder, easing her back against the bed before returning the water bottle to her lips.
"It can wait until later," Twilight said firmly. "You need to recover. Your body hasn't been properly active in at least two weeks."
Sunset's eyes dimmed. "Two weeks? I... I've been gone that long?"
Rarity tapped her fingers together. "Well... you've been here that long. There was a whole week before that where we... weren't one-hundred percent sure where you were."
Twilight gave Rarity a warning glance, but the door opening again spared her from having to say anything. Velvet stepped in, gasping in delight upon seeing Sunset.
"You're awake! Goodness, this is great! I'm so happy to see you again, sweetie! How do you feel?"
"Tired," Sunset rasped. "Sore. And I think a little hungry?" She winced and moved an arm over her stomach. "Nevermind."
"That's all natural, dear. Your body needs time to adjust. Just hold on a moment, Sunset, I'll go get the doctor." She hurried back out the room, closing the door behind her.
When she left, Pinkie broke into a joyful sob and flung her arms around Sunset again. "We missed you so much, Sunny! We were so worried about you!"
Sunset squirmed but said, "I missed you girls, too. I'm so sorry for putting you through all this. I can't imagine what you went through."
"Forget what we went through," Applejack said, "you're the one who vanished. Pinkie, let go of the poor girl, she needs to take it easy."
Pinkie released Sunset and stepped back, looking abashed, but still wearing a bright smile. "Sorry. I'm just so happy! We're all together again!" She made a small jump, and confetti burst from her hair. "Once you get out of the hospital, I'm going to throw you the best party ever!"
Sunset smiled. "That sounds nice." She looked around at all of them. "I hope you guys didn't spend the whole time I was gone moping over me. You still went out and did stuff, right?"
There was a collective silence. Twilight looked away, feeling especially guilty.
"Oh no, girls, you didn't," Sunset said with a note of distress. "Please tell me you went out and had some kind of fun. What about grad night? I know how much you were looking forward to that, Rainbow. Wasn't that supposed to happen around now?"
"Yeah. Last week," Rainbow said, looking at the floor. "It felt wrong to go though. It wouldn't have been the same without you."
Sunset slid lower in her bed. "Oh. You should have..." She sighed deeply. "I'm sorry."
Rarity patted her hand. "Don't apologize, it isn't your fault. Besides, we still have time to make plenty of other memories together."
The door opened, and Velvet returned with Doctor Stables. "Sunset Shimmer!" he said briskly. "Good to see you awake! Your friends and family were worried sick." He looked at the rest of the girls. "I'm sure you all want to catch up and celebrate, but I have to make sure Sunset is healthy and can acclimate properly. You can all come back tomorrow to see her."
Twilight watched her friends gravitate closer to Sunset first, giving her pats on the shoulder or light hugs again. Pinkie asked, "What flavor cake do you want for your party?"
"After everything I've put you girls through, you don't have to..." Sunset faltered under the fierce glare she received from Pinkie. "Strawberry would be nice."
Pinkie smiled again. "One triple layered strawberry cake coming up!"
"We'll come over right after school," Fluttershy promised, leading her friends out. "We're so happy to see you again, Sunset!"
Velvet gestured for Twilight to follow, seeing her linger by Sunset's side. "That means you too, sweetie."
"Right, yeah. That's fair." The last thing Twilight wanted was to be separated from Sunset again. What if she was asleep again come tomorrow? Or what if someone took her away again?
Sunset smiled weakly at her. "I'll be here when you get back, Twilight."
Mouth dry, Twilight nodded and said, "Okay." She stooped down to give Sunset another hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then, steeling her nerves before they had a chance to falter, Twilight uttered three words desperate to be spoken.
"I love you."
Maybe her emotions hadn't completely settled. But if the worst came to pass, and Sunset was gone again come tomorrow, Twilight wanted Sunset to know how she really felt.
She didn't wait for Sunset's response, her nerves reaching their limits. She hurried out the door behind her mother, looking back briefly to see Sunset's eyes.
They were wide and awake. And very shocked.
*******
Twilight's three words played in Sunset's head all throughout the doctor's tests. He slowly worked all of Sunset's limbs, restoring their feeling and loosening the stiffness. He tested her general knowledge, then asked her some personal questions about what she could remember. Sunset ran into some trouble here. As within the Soul Lock, some of Sunset memories remained horribly fuzzy or completely missing.
"I love you."
Those words did nothing to help Sunset's concentration. She kept picturing Twilight's face as she spoke them. They had caught Sunset completely off guard. Twilight loves me?
Something stirred in her soul. It left as soon as it came, leaving a sort of empty space where Sunset felt something should have been. Twilight loved her. This should have been cause for euphoria, Sunset thought. Yet, all she could muster was a feeling of gratitude, a dull warmth where something hotter should have stoked.
"Miss Shimmer, did you hear what I said?"
Sunset blinked and turned her head toward Doctor Stables. "I'm sorry. I must have spaced out a little."
The doctor wrote a note on his clipboard. "I thought as much. Well, Miss Shimmer, you're generally healthy, though I have some concerns about your mental abilities. This struggle to recall certain memories could prove problematic. We'll keep monitoring you in between your physical therapy sessions."
"Okay," Sunset said politely. Her thoughts quickly turned back to Twilight. She loved Twilight back, didn't she? Yes, of course she did. She loved all her friends, Twilight most of all. Yet there was something missing every time the word ran through her head. Sunset expected to feel something. She used to feel something, didn't she?
Perhaps she was still just tired. Having your soul ripped out then placed back in your body couldn't have been a healthy experience. She just needed time to recover.
Doctor Stables left her room. Sunset felt guilty, having only heard half of his prognosis. She stared at the ceiling, trying not to look directly into the fluorescent lights.
She had made it back. She was safe, for now at least. There was so much she had to tell everyone. Sunset cringed at the thought of being the bearer of such cryptic news. Her friends were all breathing a sigh of relief now. Come tomorrow, they'd be worrying about how to stop Tirek from coming back.
Sunset looked around at the abundance of flowers and balloons decorating her room. The floral aroma masked the sterile smell Sunset had come to expect in a hospital. Piled on her bedside table were cards from well-wishers. Several of them were from Pinkie alone. Sunset's heart gave a little tremor at the sight of them. Once again, she felt like she should be experiencing something more. She was happy, wasn't she?
"I love you."
"I love you too, Twilight." The words didn't sound genuine. Sunset knew they were true, but they felt hollow. "I love you," she said again.
They still sounded paper thin. Sunset couldn't put emotion into them. Whatever passion was meant to be instilled felt locked up, unable to be expressed.
Sunset pulled the blankets higher and curled against her pillow. She was just tired, that was all. She was just shocked and dazed. She had been through a lot. Tomorrow would be better. She would get to see all her friends again. Her emotions would be in check, and she could tell Twilight how she felt.
Sunset remembered the butterflies that danced in her stomach whenever she thought about Twilight. She couldn't feel them anymore.
*******
Moondancer stared at her phone, trembling in her hand.
'Sunset's awake!'
Twilight's text bore into Moondancer's mind. Everything around her went hazy. There was a ringing in her ears. One-by-one, thoughts drifted out of the haze. Emotions tumbled after, turning the idle questions into demands for answers.
How? Why?
The phone dropped from Moondancer's hand and hit the carpet of her bedroom. This was wrong. This was all wrong. The Archon Amulet burned against her skin beneath her blouse, and the haze turned red.
How? she screamed in her mind. How did she get out? Escape is impossible without outside help! It has to be! Then how did Sunset Shimmer get free? Why did it have to be her? Why, why, why? Why didn't Mother escape!
Moondancer opened her mouth to scream these questions aloud, but held a hand over herself. If she screamed, someone might hear her. They would think something was wrong. No one could know anything was wrong. Especially Tempest.
The inferno of loathing froze over, replaced by a blizzard of fear. Moondancer's heart stopped. If Tempest found out...
But how could she? Tempest hadn't been down to check on the lab in days. She didn't know Sunset was no longer there. Moondancer had time. She had time to fix this mistake.
A stutterd laugh escaped from her. "Yes, I can fix this." Heat poured through her again, fueling her burning desire to see Sunset vanish. How could she do it though? Sunset was in the hospital still, protected by doctors and security.
"I'll send Scarlet!" Moondancer said, steepling her fingers together. "Yes, that'll do, haha! Burn it all down!"
Some of the red haze cleared. No, no she couldn't do that. She wouldn't stoop to claiming innocent lives. But how could she get Sunset alone and in the open? Her annoying friends would be circling her like over-protective hawks.
Moondancer paced the length of her room, muttering and gesticulating with her hands. A small voice in the back of her head told her to take off the amulet. The burning was starting to become irritating, and Moondancer was about to oblige, when a new thought struck her.
Sunset knows.
Moondancer didn't know how much Sunset knew, but if she had been into the Soul Lock and back, she knew about Tirek, potentially about Tempest, and maybe even about Moondancer herself. She went cold again.
"Oh no," she breathed, "Oh no, oh no, oh no!" If Sunset knew and she was awake, there was a high chance everybody knew now. Moondancer couldn't know how much they knew, but they knew.
Wait... Moondancer stopped pacing. They knew. Her aunt and uncle knew about Tirek, or would know very soon, and Moondancer hadn't said a word. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise. Yes, Tempest would have her hands full now. They could provide a great distraction!
Moondancer resumed her pacing. She still had to deal with Sunset. It would break Twilight's heart no doubt. A necessary sacrifice. Twilight was young, she would recover eventually. Maybe. Moondancer could help her heal. But she needed a plan for right now! Tempest would find out soon!
The door crashed open, and before Moondancer had time to yell, a cold hand gripped her by the throat, pulled her out the room, and flung her across the hall. Moondancer landed with an almighty crash, her shoulder aching from the impact. Dazed, she couldn't defend herself as the hand grabbed her throat again and reeled her in to face a wide-eyed Tempest, seething rage swirling behind her pressed lips.
"So apparently," she hissed, her mouth barely moving, "when I say one thing, your stupid brain translates it into something else."
Moondancer's windpipe was being crushed, but Tempest didn't care. When Moondancer grabbed the shadowy arm holding her up, Tempest just squeezed tighter.
"I went down to the lab yesterday, and guess what I didn't find?" Tempest eased her grip just enough for Moondancer to choke out a few words.
"Thought... didn't need... anymore... no use... gave back so... they would stop looking... wouldn't find anything... just in case." Every word hurt and brought tears to her eyes.
"You know, I'd almost be inclined to agree with that train of thought, Moondancer. But, do you want to know what happened today?"
Moondancer whimpered.
"Tempest, that's enough!"
Night Shade hurried down the hall. His face remained stoic, but his quivering eyes kept flickering to Moondancer.
Tempest dropped her to the floor with an irritable growl. Moondancer's hand jumped to her throat as she took in large gulps of air, coughing and spluttering every few breaths.
Night stopped and looked between them. "What's going on?"
"Your spoiled wretch of a daughter has made a grievous error that could cost us dearly," Tempest said, flexing her shadowy fingers. "Sunset Shimmer has escaped from the Soul Lock."
"But, her body is--"
"At the hospital," Tempest growled. "Someone thought it generous to return her body to her friends. Otherwise, we could have corrected this with little issue."
Night looked sharply at Moondancer. "What possessed you to--"
"Her misplaced affections for that useless girl." Tempest's shadow arm disappeared into wisps of black smoke. "I knew it was a bad idea to let her go out to school."
She reached into her shirt and pulled out the Soul Lock, the runes lighting up. "Frankly, I've grown tired of pretending she's useful to us."
Moondancer backed up against the wall, her eyes wide. "W-wait!"
Night cleared his throat, his stoicism starting to crack. "Tempest, don't you think that might be a bit much?"
Tempest ignored him, stepping closer to Moondancer. "We have to end this rebellious streak somehow."
"I can fix it!" Moondancer shouted, ignoring the pain in her throat. "I'll fix it! I'll get Sunset's soul back! I'll... I'll get all six of their souls! All the magic ones!"
Tempest regarded her, opal eyes searching for any deceit. She slipped the Soul Lock away. "Seven. I want all seven of them. Yes, Moondancer!" she said harshly as Moondancer opened her mouth to speak up. "I want Twilight Sparkle's soul too! Bring all of them to me, or I take yours! Are we clear?"
Moondancer closed her eyes and gave a tiny nod of her head.
"No. I want to hear you say it. What are you going to do, Moondancer?"
"I'm... going to bring you seven souls. Including Twilight's."
"Good girl. I know you can get work done. You just need the proper motivation." Tempest stalked off, her boots loud, even against the carpet.
Moondancer opened her eyes. Her father was still there, looking at her with pity. Before he could say anything, Moondancer got up and stormed back to her room, slamming the door behind her.
The amulet blazed against her chest again. The universe just loves to shine providence on you, doesn't it, Sunset? Well, not for long!
Moondancer gnashed her teeth together and raised her hand. A blood red aura sheathed it. "I'm going to put you in your place, once and for all." |
Spectacular Seven | 19. Hollow Heart | True to their word, her friends came back the next day, bringing the Lulamoons with them. To Sunset's surprise, Trixie gave her a hug almost as strong as Pinkie's. She quickly pulled herself off and cleared her throat.
"That was from all of us. Mostly Mom and Dad. Trixie is just glad you're not a useless vegetable anymore."
"How ya feelin' today, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.
"A little better. Still sore and tired, and I can't eat solid foods for a little while." Sunset smiled weakly. "But it could be worse. I'm just glad to be awake again."
"And we're so glad to have you back!" Artemis exclaimed. "It's like the clouds have lifted and the sun is smiling again! We must celebrate the moment you get out of this hospital!"
"I'm already on it!" Pinkie said. "One super-duper, 'Welcome Back, Sunset, We Missed You a Whole Lot' party complete with a triple layer strawberry cake and tons of red and yellow balloons, coming up!"
Artemis laughed. "I like this one!"
Sunset ran her fingers back and forth across the blanket Rarity and Fluttershy had made for her. "That sounds great, Pinkie. But, umm, I still have something I need to tell you guys."
"Yeah, like what happened to you," Rainbow said. Applejack elbowed her in the arm. "What? She offered!"
"You're right, I did." Sunset put her hands together. She really didn't want to bring down the mood, but they had to know. "It's long, and I don't really know why it all happened to me." She paused, gathering her thoughts.
"I was walking through the park on the way back from Twilight's house..." She paused, her memory slightly hazy. She remembered leaving in a bad mood, but couldn't recall why. She shook her head. "That's when I ran into Shimmer. Which reminds me, I forgot to tell you guys--"
"She's Lamia," Rainbow finished. "Yeah, Selena told us."
Sunset dropped her head lower. "Sorry. I didn't meant to keep it a secret. She--"
"Blackmailed you," Rainbow finished again. "It's cool, Sunset, seriously. Stop apologizing."
"Right, sorry. I mean... right. Shimmer and I fought, and she won. Then she called some woman named Tempest, who I guess has magic, because she can make portals from darkness or something. They took me to... somewhere, and tried to force me to use my dark magic. It's a little hazy, but I think they wanted me to turn back into a demon, but I refused."
She allowed herself a small smile. "I didn't give in, thanks to all of you." Her smile fell at the hesitant expressions her friends gave her. "What is it?"
"Nothing, darling!" Rarity said, her voice an octave too high for Sunset's comfort. "We're so proud of your effort!"
"We can't not tell her," Applejack said.
"Tell me what?"
Applejack ran a hand down her face. "Ah don't know to put it nicely, Sunset, but when you were gone... you're demon came around and attacked us."
The room fell so quiet, even the heart monitor stopped beeping. A quiet, "Oh," was all Sunset could muster. She didn't have control over her body during that time. She supposed Tempest could have done whatever she wanted with it, including forcing her to attack her friends.
"It wasn't you," Twilight said before Sunset's tears could start to fall. "I know it wasn't. You would never attack us, no matter what. So don't blame yourself."
Sunset wasn't one-hundred percent sold, but didn't have time to dwell on it and prove Twilight wrong. She took a deep breath and continued. "When I refused to cooperate, Tempest pulled out this amulet." She made a weak furrow of her brow. "This is where things get really weird. The amulet is called the Soul Lock, and it has--"
"The power to take people's souls," Artemis finished, all the blood gone from his face. "The instrument of Tirek."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rainbow made a T with her hands. "Time out. You had your soul taken? That's why you were in a coma?"
"And who the heck is Tirek?" Applejack asked.
"A dark sorcerer who tried to usurp the gods and become one himself," Artemis said. "Our ancestors stopped him twice before but... " He looked over at Sunset. "But how do you know all that?"
"Because when my soul was in there, I met Apalla," Sunset said gently. "She told me everything."
Selena caught Artemis as he staggered back, a hand against his chest. "You... you saw...? But she's dead. She died in a car accident. How is her soul in there?"
"Tempest wanted her husband's help. Apalla tried to warn him, but Tempest took her soul. I don't know if she's using it as leverage against him or not at this point."
Artemis slouched over like he had been kicked several times in the stomach. "I don't believe it. Trapped all this time and I didn't know. And Moondancer... maybe that's why she's been so distant ever since."
Rainbow held a hand up. "Okay, so the soul sucking thing I get is bad. But why does this Tirek guy want them?"
"Souls are the most powerful type of magic," Sunset said. "Tirek uses that amulet to make himself stronger by feeding on souls. Tempest wants to resurrect him somehow."
"And if she does, he will bring about the end of all," Selena said grimly.
"Unless we find the Rainbow of Light," Artemis added.
Rarity sat down in one of the spare chairs. "Goodness, that's a lot to take in. I never imagined Sunset going missing would snowball into all of this."
"Which begs the next question: how did you get out?" Selena asked.
"Apalla helped me," Sunset said simply. "Well, I guess all of you helped me. The strength of our friendship helped pull me out."
"Amazing," Artemis said with a watery smile. He wiped his eyes. "So simple... yet an idea that would easily be overlooked. Apalla would be the one to discover it. She was always more curious about the 'how' of magic."
"Okay. So, this crazy lady named Tempest wants to bring back this crazy sorcerer named Tirek," Rainbow said. "What do we do about it?"
Artemis straightened up. "We have to find the Rainbow of Light. It's the only thing capable of stopping him if he is brought back with his full power."
Pinkie folded her arms and frowned, looking more serious than Sunset was used to seeing from her. "Wait... so if this Tirek meany was here before, and his amulet is super scary and bad... why didn't you just destroy it? I hear volcanoes are good at stuff like that."
And in a rare moment of surliness that also caught Sunset off guard, Artemis said in almost a growl, "Contrary to what popular fiction would have you believe, you can't just destroy magical items you don't like."
"Why not? We did with the Sirens' pendant things," Rainbow said.
Artemis sighed. "Well, the magic you wield comes from another world entirely. Maybe it works differently there. But here, you can't just toss things in volcanoes and not expect consequences. The Soul Lock is an extremely complicated piece of magical enchantment. It's the culmination of hundreds of interweaving spells, and serves as a gate to a special pocket dimension. Trying to break it with raw force could creating a devastating backlash of magic!"
Rainbow gulped. "How devastating?"
"Nuclear bomb levels of devastating," Artemis said grimly. "Or, it'll force the pocket dimension to touch the physical plain, and potentially rip apart the surrounding space-time continuum."
"Okay, so no destroying the Soul Lock," Applejack said, rubbing the back of a hyperventilating Fluttershy. "Got it. Any idea where we can find that Rainbow of Light thing?"
Trixie shook her head. "It has been lost to our family for generations." She raised a hand to the ceiling, curling her fingers. "It has been the dream of every Lulamoon since to find it and reclaim our family's legacy!"
Rarity let out a distressed giggle. "Okay, so, no Rainbow of Light. Do we have a plan B?"
Artemis adjusted his hat. "Find this Tempest character before she can resurrect Tirek. Though, I'm not sure how she plans to go about it. There's not nearly enough magic to cast something so powerful."
Sunset saw Trixie's eyes double in size and her cheeks turn pale. It lasted a split second before she returned to looking like nothing was wrong. No one else seemed to have noticed, and Sunset wanted to inquire what Trixie had thought of, but a sharp glare told her to drop it.
Doctor Stables came in and told them all Sunset still needed plenty of rest. While Sunset did still feel exhausted, she would have preferred their company instead of being alone. They all bid her farewell, promising to return tomorrow, and Twilight kissed her on the cheek. She didn't say 'I love you' again, but Sunset could see it in her eyes. She wanted to say something, anything to Twilight, but her tongue was glued to the top of her mouth. Instead, she smiled and waved her out.
The room seemed impossibly small with everyone gone. It was also too quiet, save for the heart monitor still attached to her. The conversation hadn't been cheerful, but having all of her friends surround her almost made her feel normal. On her own, all she could think about was the hollow feeling her emotions brought. She had been wrong. A night's sleep had not made things better.
Perhaps this was just an adverse effect of coming out of the Soul Lock. Maybe Sunset just needed time to readjust. She told herself that was the case, having no other explanation for her stunted emotions or missing memory.
She yawned and flexed her arms. They were still stiff, but she could move them without too much difficulty. She still needed assistance walking down the hall, and her stomach could only handle soft foods like mashed potatoes and creamed corn. But, Doctor Stable said she would be out soon, and that brought a small smile to Sunset's face.
There was a knock on her door, and Doctor Stables poked his head in. "Sorry to bother you, Miss Shimmer, but you have one more visitor for the day."
Sunset blinked curiously at him. All of her friends had just left; who else could want to see her?
Opening the door wider, Doctor Stables let in Shining Armor, dressed in his suit and tie, and his detective badge pinned to his chest. The doctor smiled apologetically before closing the door and leaving them alone.
"Hey, Sunset," Shining said with a smile. He pulled a chair up to her bedside. "How are you?"
"I'm..." The words faded on her breath. She looked down at her hands and sighed. "I don't know."
Shining put one hand over hers. "It's okay. You've been through a lot. But you're a tough fighter. You'll pull through this too."
Sunset kept her head down. "Part of me feels like... I'm not really here. It's... hard to feel things. I should be happy I'm awake and have so many people to greet me. But, I'm just... okay."
"Maybe you're still in shock."
"Yeah. Maybe."
Shining rubbed a thumb against the back of her hand. "Just remember, all of us are here for you. Even me."
Sunset looked up and offered him a small smile of appreciation. "Thanks." She could remember his cold attitude toward her a few months ago and felt that, even if she wasn't in her current state, she wouldn't begrudge him for it. The relief in his eyes was very sincere.
He removed his hand from hers and sighed, looking away. "That was big brother Shining talking. Officer Shining came here for a more pressing reason."
Sunset nodded slowly. "You want to know about what happened."
"Anything you can tell me," Shining said, soft but firm. "It's not an interrogation. We just want to know."
There was a lot Sunset could tell him. But how much would he believe? She could vaguely remember the night she had told him of her origins. She couldn't remember the events that led up to her sitting in his car, but knew she had told him of her unicorn heritage. Still, this was another layer of strangeness entirely.
Sunset took a deep breath and said, "When I was going home, I.... Shining, even if I tell you, I don't think you'll be able to tell anyone else."
Shining put a hand to his temple. "Oh no. It's about to get weird, isn't it?"
"Yep."
He groaned. "Well, tell me anyways. I want to know out concern. I'll see what I can spin for the rest of the department."
"All right." And Sunset launched into an explanation of what had happened, telling him about Lamia being this world's version of her, Tempest Shadow, and the removal of her soul. She remained vague about Apalla and Tirek, feeling that was too much magic for him.
Shining interrupted occasionally to ask questions, but he remained focused the whole time. When Sunset finished, he let out a slow breath.
"That's quite the ordeal, Sunset. I'm sorry you had to go through all that. But, I'm even more relieved that you're okay now."
"Thank you." She leaned back in her bed. "So, what now?"
Shining hummed. "Well, I can't exactly tell everyone your evil twin kidnapped you. That'll lead to even more questions. No, I think I can pin all of this on Tempest. Sounds like she's the mastermind anyway."
Sunset frowned. Concern, easily recognizable cut through her. "Shining, be careful. She's dangerous. I just got back, I don't want to think about what would happen to Twilight if you lost your soul."
Shining stood and smiled appreciatively. "Come on, Sunset. We deal with dangerous criminals all the time." In a more serious voice he said, "I'll have them all know not to get to close to her if they spot her. But I figure tracking her down is going to be the hard part."
"I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you where they took me."
"Hey, no need to apologize. You've been through a lot, and gave me a lot of information."
"Sorry you can't use it all."
Shining put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Sunset, stop apologizing; it's fine."
"Sor--right." She cleared her throat. "Glad I could do something useful."
"A little better," Shining said slowly. "Get some rest, kiddo. I'll see you later."
Sunset waved as he left. With the police and Artemis tracking Tempest down, maybe Tirek would never get the chance to resurface. She then thought of Apalla, waiting in the Soul Lock. Would that mean her sacrifice was in vein?
"Tirek will come again someday."
Sunset reclined the bed, getting ready for sleep. If they prevented him from coming back now... who would stop him later? If the Soul Lock couldn't be destroyed, was this cycle endless?
Much like concern, fear made itself well known in Sunset's stomach.
*******
The hospital released Sunset on Sunday after she could walk up and down the halls without feeling exhausted and could process soft vegetables. True to her word, Pinkie had a party ready for her when she stepped back into the Lulamoon household. She looked up at herself; a large banner with her face on it surrounded by the words 'Welcome Home.'
Spot was the first to greet her, running around her legs and pawing nonstop while he made whines of joy. Sunset scooped him up and held him close, letting him lick her face nonstop. Twilight, of course, was next to greet Sunset, kissing her on the lips, the one place Spot hadn't gotten to.
Sunset still hadn't responded to Twilight's declaration of love, not only out of uncertainty about her current temperament, but also because there had not been a good time. They had not been alone since Sunset had first woken up.
Sunset wanted to tell Twilight she loved her, yet the way she felt now made it seem like a partial lie. Was idle contentment and half-hearted joy really love?
She snapped out of her thoughts when Twilight took her by the hand and led her deeper into the party. Red and gold streamers and balloons clashed against the blue walls of the house. In the kitchen, a spread of food had been laid out, most of them soft or squishy so Sunset could consume them. On the table sat Sunset's strawberry cake, pink with white frosting and topped with strawberries.
No one spoke of Tirek or Lamia or Tempest that night. They joked and laughed and danced and ate. Or rather, Sunset passively watched as her friends did most of those things. She ate and listened in on conversations, but didn't do much talking herself.
"Are you feeling okay?" Twilight asked, bringing her slice of cake.
Sunset took it and poked at the strawberry with her fork. She wanted to be honest, even if she couldn't put it into words. "I don't know. I feel... off? Maybe I was asleep too long."
Twilight rested against Sunset's shoulder. "You just need a little time to adjust. You'll get better soon."
"I hope so." She took a bite of her cake. The taste seemed a little duller than she remembered.
Flash, Shining, Cadence, and even Maud stopped by to celebrate for a little while, expressing their relief in different ways. Cadence gave Sunset a bone-crushing hug and a smile that one gave when they knew something. Shining also gave her a hug, albeit, much gentler. Flash played her a short song he had wrote. Maud gifted Sunset with rock.
"It's a sign of affection in many cultures," she said. She patted Sunset on the shoulder, waved to Pinkie, and left without another word.
Pinkie bounded over and gasped at the rock in Sunset's hand. "That's from her personal collection! She must really like you, Sunny!"
"Yaay?"
The party wore down around nine o'clock, with Selena reminding them they still had school in the morning. Sunset saw each of her friends out, receiving a hug from each of them. With Cadence and Shining watching, Twilight kept her kiss short.
"I'm so glad you're back," she said as she pulled away.
"I'm glad to be back. I'm actually looking forward to school tomorrow." Having a normal routine again would be a welcome change from sitting and doing nothing most of the day. As all her friends drove away, Sunset returned inside, finding all of the decorations had already vanished.
Artemis twirled his wand before sliding it into his pocket. "That was fun. We should host more parties in the future. Providing we have one."
"What are we going to do about Tirek?" Trixie asked.
"You--" Artemis pointed strictly at her "--are not going to do anything. Your mother and I will handle this."
Trixie crossed her arms and huffed. "That's what you said about the Sirens."
"Yes, and compared to what might come next, they're merely an opening act. There is no defense against the Soul Lock. I consider it a miracle Sunset escaped from it. I want you nowhere near this fight if I can help it! Besides, I'm not sure what course of action we have yet."
Trixie pouted and made a unsatisfactory croak in her throat, but said nothing else. Sunset nodded in agreement, however. She wanted nothing more to do with soul sucking warlocks and the end of the world. She had passed on Apalla's message, her job was done. Now all she had to worry about were the last weeks of school. She had a lot of homework to catch up on.
Sunset went up to her room, finding it neater than when she had left. Her clothes had been washed, her bed made, and all the dust had been cleared away. She gave a silent thanks to Selena and settled on her bed, Spot accompanying her. She looked over at the princess doll sitting on her dresser.
It looked at her like it wanted to say something. Sunset shook her head, finding the idea ridiculous. Why would a stuffed doll talk to her?
*******
Sunset ran, her heart battering against her chest in an effort to get free. She didn't know why she was running, or what from. She just knew she had to get away before it got her.
Thick gray fog surrounded Sunset on all sides. Shadows unregulated just beyond the fog: unrecognizable blobs of varying shapes and sizes. In the distance in front of her was a faint light. Sunset ran toward it. She had to reach it at all costs.
The fog grew denser, and the shadows moved closer, still formless. Sunset picked up her speed. It was getting closer. The road in front of her started to crumble, falling away in pieces and chunks. Sunset jumped from one safe spot to another, desperate to keep moving forward.
A faint laugh echoed behind her, but Sunset didn't dare look back. The light steadily grew nearer. Sunset stretched her hand out.
A hand grabbed the back of her neck and swung her around. Her own face looked back at her, grinning with twisted glee, malice glinting in her eyes. She lifted the golden medallion that was the Soul Lock, and Sunset writhed in pain.
She was being torn in half, splitting apart from her heart! The other her just laughed, growing louder over her screams. The ground fell away, and Sunset dropped into darkness, her body limp and useless. She watched it fall, then held up her soul, examining the cracks in it.
Then, she crushed it.
Sunset bolted upright, clutching her heart. Spot was by her side immediately, rubbing himself against her arm. She gulped down several breaths of air before lying back against the headboard.
"It's okay, Spot. It's okay," she croaked. "I'm..." She was far from okay. She knew she had experienced nightmares before, but not like that. The pain almost felt real, and it magnified the emptiness she felt.
She aimlessly stroked Spot and stared into the darkness. "What's wrong with me?"
*******
Students fell silent and stared as Sunset walked onto campus. Many of them at least waved and gave her a warm greeting, but the majority looked on in surprise or uncertainty, like they weren't sure how say hello to someone who had come back from a coma. Their stares got uncomfortable after a while, and Sunset squirmed as she sat down in her history class, feeling everyone's eyes on her.
"Welcome back, Miss Shimmer," Mr. Noteworthy said, sparring her only a short glance. "You've been gone for a while so see me after class to find out what you've missed. Now then..."
Sunset figured she'd be doing that for all of her classes. Rarity was kind enough to let Sunset read over her notes so she at least had an understanding of what they were talking about that day. English was a little easier to integrate back into, and Miss Cheerilee was more sympathetic and willing to help Sunset catch up.
Come lunch, people seemed to have gotten over their initial shock and walked up to the Spectacular Seven's lunch table to welcome back Sunset. It was touching, but Sunset wished she had something else to say other than 'thank you.'
She picked at her food with reluctance between interruptions, an action which did not go unnoticed by the rest of the table.
"Sugarcube, you okay?" Applejack asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm... you know... just readjusting."
Applejack looked far from convinced, but said nothing.
Static fizzled out of the intercom, preceding Principal Celestia's voice. "Would Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle please report to the principal's office? Thank you."
Rainbow snickered. "You've been back for a day. What did you two do?"
"Nothing!" Twilight said, looking panicked. "We haven't done anything! I haven't done anything! Sunset, did you do something?"
"I don't think so?"
Rarity waved a hand. "Relax, dears. I'm sure she just wants to personally welcome Sunset back."
Twilight stood up, taking a deep breath. "You're right. Sorry, I just never get called to the principal's office. Come on, Sunnykins."
Sunset rose as Rainbow let out a guffaw of laughter. She hoped Celestia just wanted to say hello. With her memory acting up, Sunset was worried she had done something to warrant punishment.
As they slipped out the cafeteria, Twilight took Sunset's hand and gave it a light squeeze. Sunset discovered she still knew what Twilight was trying to convey, even with the emptiness in her.
"I'll be okay," Sunset said. She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more.
Celestia's curtains were open as usual, letting light flood her room. She welcomed the girls with an equally radiant smile, her eyes fixating on Sunset. "Hello, girls. It's wonderful to see you again, Sunset. I'm so glad you're back home safe and sound."
"Thank you, Miss Celestia. It's really nice to be back." She gave a quick side glance to Twilight, seeing a faint tremble in her shoulders. "We're not in trouble, are we?"
"On the contrary. I have exciting news to share with both of you. Which means you can relax, Miss Sparkle."
Twilight dropped her shoulders and breathed.
"With graduation just around the corner, Vice Principal Luna and I have been going through the student gradebooks to decide who will be our valedictorian and salutatorian for the graduating class." Celestia focused her gaze on Twilight. "You've maintained a nearly straight A+ average since your freshman year at your previous school. It's safe to say that the title of valedictorian goes to you, Miss Sparkle."
"R-really?" A giddy smile broke out across Twilight's face. "I get to be valedictorian? Yes!" She jumped out her chair and started skipping back and forth.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" She quickly scrambled back into her seat and cleared her throat, cheeks burning red. "I mean, thank you. I humbly accept and pledge to keep my grades up all the way until the end."
Celestia made a soft chuckle before turning to Sunset. "And while you've been absent for a few weeks, you were consistently at the top of your class, Sunset. Until Twilight came along at least. More than your grades, you've also shown the biggest personal growth of a student I've seen in quite some time. If you can catch up in your classes before finals, the position of salutatorian is yours."
Sunset's heart made a weak flutter. "Wow, I don't know what to say. I'd be honored. I'll try my hardest to catch up on my work, but I completely understand if you give it to someone more deserving."
Twilight looped an arm around Sunset's. "Don't worry, I'll help her catch up."
Celestia laughed again. "I had a feeling you would. Both of you are required to give a speech. No longer than five minutes, please. You'll both get sashes to go with you robes, and you'll be at the head of the procession and sit at the front of crowd. This is all as long as you keep up your hard work."
"Don't worry, we will! Thank you so much for this honor!" Twilight said.
"And thank you for being exemplary students. I'm proud of both of you." Celestia waved them toward the door. "Now go finish enjoying your lunch." She looked forlornly at the stack of papers next to her. "I could use a break as well."
Sunset and Twilight waved as they left. Once in the halls, Twilight jumped as high as she could and shouted, "Yes!" again. "Can you believe it? Out of all the students here, I'm the valedictorian and you're the salutatorian! It couldn't be more perfect!"
Sunset cracked a small smile. "Yeah. It's pretty cool."
Twilight stopped her celebratory dance and frowned. "You don't sound that excited." Her eyes doubled in size. "You're not mad are you? I didn't mean to gloat or anything! I know you worked really hard--"
"Twilight, relax, I'm not mad," Sunset said softly. "I'm really happy for you, honest. You more than deserve this. I should be lucky I get to be salutatorian with all the things I've done." Sunset took one of Twilight's hands. "Honestly, you're a perfect choice."
"Thanks." Twilight opened her mouth to say more but froze, her eyes widening again. "I have to give a speech. In front of hundreds of people." Her cheeks turned a faint shade of green. "I change my mind, I don't want to be valedictorian."
Sunset paled as well. "Oh wow, almost forgot about that." She gave a nervous tug on her collar. Public speaking didn't use to scare her, did it? "I-I'm sure it'll be fine. We can worry about that later."
Twilight squeezed her hand. "Y-yeah, you're right. We have to make sure you pass all your classes first. And Prom is this Saturday, we can't forget that."
Only Sunset had. It was hard to conceptualize just how much time had elapsed between her kidnapping and her awakening. The end of the school year was upon them, bringing with it and extra helping of chaos for seniors.
"So... umm..." Twilight twisted back and forth, twirling the skirt she was wearing. "I know it's implied, but I just want to make sure so I don't assume anything, so..." She gave Sunset her cutest smile, cheeks painted pink. "Sunset, will you go to Prom with me?"
Sunset nodded, her mouth dry. "Of course I'll go with you."
Twilight squeed and flung her arms around Sunset. "It'll be so much fun! I can't wait!" She nuzzled Sunset's neck.
"Yeah. Me neither..."
*******
Their friends jumped at the news of their new honors, with Pinkie wanting to throw another celebration. Sunset politely declined this time, suggesting they save that for the actual graduation party. After school, Sunset followed Twilight home to begin her tutoring session. She had two history chapters to catch up on, an English paper to write, and all of their chemistry, physics, and trigonometry homework to work through. Though Twilight had most of the answers memorized, she made Sunset solve them the hard way. Sunset didn't complain. How else was she to learn?
Twilight would reward her with a kiss for every problem solved, and when Sunset finished a chapter in her history book, Twilight played Symphony of Angels, the song written just for Sunset, on her violin. Sunset nodded her head along to Twilight's melody. It didn't move her to tears like the first time she had heard it. It tried to stir something in Sunset's heart, but the feeling died before Sunset could fully grasp it. Still, she smiled and clapped when Twilight was done. Regardless of what she felt, it had been a beautiful and well-played piece.
Evening turned to night, and while Sunset was invited to stay for dinner, she chose not to intrude upon the Sparkle's family time.
"Are you sure?" Velvet asked, taking a casserole out of the oven. "We always have room for you, you know."
"Thank you, Mrs. Velvet, but I should get home before the Lulamoons worry."
Shining got up from the couch and grabbed his keys. "I'll give you a ride."
Sunset, who had not driven her motorcycle since she woke up, knew better than to argue. Walking home alone sounded like a poor idea anyhow. "Thank you," she said, following him to the door.
Twilight stopped her at the threshold and gave one last kiss for the day. "I love you," she said, quiet enough that Shining couldn't hear.
"I love you, too," Sunset said shakily, giving Twilight a lopsided smile. She backed off the porch, waving at a furiously blushing and smiling Twilight.
Sunset felt sick with herself. The flutter in her stomach whenever she saw Twilight, the electricity she felt when any part of them touched, the pounding in her heart when Twilight smiled and laughed and blushed. Sunset didn't feel any of that anymore.
Yet, she had told Twilight she loved her.
Her mind told her it was true. Sunset knew it was true. She just couldn't feel it. It felt like a cruel lie.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Sunset raised her head, unsure when she had actually got into Shining's car. He was the last person Sunset could explain this to. "No, I'm just... you know... recovering," she said weakly.
Shining didn't press the issue any further. He dropped her off at home and bade her good night, reminding her that things would get better soon. Sunset went inside, Spot's barking announcing her presence. She joined the Lulamoons just as they sat down for dinner.
"I hear someone is going to be the salutatorian," Artemis said, winking.
"Oh, yeah. It's nice." Sunset helped herself to a plate of salad.
Trixie raised an eyebrow at her. "Nice? That's all you have to say?"
"What else do you want me to say?"
"Trixie doesn't know. She just expected you to say more than 'it's nice.'"
Sunset shrugged. "I get to give a speech. Twilight's valedictorian, so that's pretty cool too. I'm happy about it. There's not much more to say." Sunset could have added that she didn't feel like she deserved it, but thought it best to leave that out.
They enjoyed a quiet family dinner together that Sunset wanted to say she enjoyed wholeheartedly. Yet, like with everything else, it felt stunted. She cleaned her plate off and excused herself to her room so she could get started on her current homework. At least her excitement for that had stayed the same, it being nonexistent.
Tuesday found Sunset feeling much the same. She practiced smiling to herself in the mirror. It looked genuine enough but it never reached her eyes.
Maybe I should talk to my friends about this. And tell them what exactly? She barely understood what was wrong with her. Either way, she couldn't tell Twilight. That would be admitting that she hadn't fully meant it when she said 'I love you.' And that would break Twilight's heart.
Her other friends would just tell her it would go away in time, though they would appreciate her opening up to them.
Sunset arrived at school just as a light rain began to fall. May in Canterlot loved to flip-flop between bright sunny skies and gray clouds that brought a quick shower before drifting away.
Today, Sunset got to share all her classes with Twilight. Instead of joy, barbs of guilt dug into her stomach as she remembered the three little words she had spoken. Sunset remembered how she had only wanted to say it when she was one hundred percent sure she meant it. Now, they were just words, thrown out in the same way every other teenager had tossed it so carelessly.
Sunset sighed. There was nothing she could do about it now. She put on her content smile and met Twilight by her locker before moving on to their chemistry class.
When Mr. Doodle wasn't looking, Twilight leaned into Sunset and said, "You know, whenever I'm near you, I undergo anaerobic respiration because you take my breath away."
Sunset paused her notetaking and looked up. "Um, thanks?" She realized it was supposed to be a pun and made a short giggle.
Twilight looked at her with mild concern, but went back to work, helping Sunset catch up in the areas she had missed. They repeated the group dynamic in physics only without any bad puns.
"I appreciate the help, Twilight," Sunset said on their way to lunch.
"Of course. I get to help you and do some extra studying at the same time. It's like solving two equations with one formula." She looked at Sunset expectantly while she held the cafeteria door open.
"Oh, I get. Good one, Twilight." Sunset walked through the doors, oblivious to Twilight's disappointed eyebrow. Sunset had only taken two steps into the cafeteria when someone crashed into her, sending her to the floor in a frenzy of mashed potatoes and salad complete with ranch dressing.
"Oh no! Sunset, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there! Are you okay? Here, let me help you up!" Ditzy pulled Sunset up by the arm, then grabbed a handful of napkins from the nearest table and started trying to clean her jacket off. "I'm so, so, so sorry!"
"Don't worry about it. It was just an accident," Sunset said, grabbing napkins to speed up the process.
Twilight looked on, her mouth slightly agape. "You're not mad?"
Sunset wiped a smear of ranch off her sleeve, frowning when it left a gray stain. "No. She didn't mean to do it. And it's nothing a little dry cleaning won't fix."
"But that's your..." Twilight snapped her mouth shut. "Right, of course." She directed Sunset back toward the door. "But I don't think dry napkins are going to get all of that off. You should go clean up in the bathroom while I help Ditzy clean all this up, okay?"
Sunset looked at herself. A little water would definitely expedite the process. "Yeah, that sounds good." She gave Twilight a wave and headed for the bathroom.
*******
Twilight kept her word and quickly helped Ditzy clean up the fallen food before rushing over to the table, where her friends had watched the whole debacle transpire. "Girls, I think there's something wrong with Sunset," she said in a frantic whisper.
"I'll say." Rainbow jerked her head toward Ditzy. "Someone spilled food all over her favorite jacket and she didn't even yell."
"She's certainly been a lot more reserved ever since she woke up," Rarity said.
"And Ah don't think Ah've heard one sarcastic or snarky comment come outta her mouth," Applejack added.
Twilight looked back at the door Sunset had walked out of. "She hasn't groaned at any of my puns, or called me Sparky. I'm starting to worry."
Rainbow shrugged. "I mean, she did just get her soul back. Maybe there's some side-effects to that?"
"Should we talk to her about it?" Fluttershy asked.
"It wouldn't hurt," Rarity said. "But we should choose our words carefully. So, Rainbow, don't say anything."
"What; why not?"
Rarity crossed her arms. "Because you have the sensitivity of a cactus and the subtlety of a brick."
Rainbow huffed and sulked in her chair while they waited for Sunset to return. Before Sunset came back, Trixie walked up to the table, her cheeks puckered in soured though.
She looked at Twilight. "Have you seen or heard from Moondancer recently?"
"No..." Twilight said in a surprised whisper. She hadn't heard from Moondancer since the night Sunset woke up. In fact, she hadn't seen her friend at school in the last two days. Twilight wilted in guilt. She had been so focused on Sunset, she had neglected Moondancer.
Trixie made a slight growl in the back of her throat and looked away, muttering under her breath.
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Why? Is somethin' wrong?"
"Maybe." Trixie leaned over the table and dropped her voice. "Remember when we told you Lamia had stolen something from our house?"
They nodded.
"Father remembered what it was: the Archon Amulet. It boosts the wearer's natural magic to dangerous levels at the cost of their sanity."
"But Lamia doesn't have any magic," Fluttershy said.
"Exactly." Trixie jabbed a finger against the table. "And there are only two keys that can get into the chest where the amulet was. My father has one, and Moondancer's mother had the other. Lamia is working with Tempest, and if Tempest is really working with Night Shade, then there's a high chance Moondancer is working with her too."
Rarity furrowed her brow in thought. "You think Lamia somehow got the key and stole the amulet for Moondancer? But why? Moondancer doesn't have magic either."
Twilight managed to stifle her gasp, but couldn't help bite down on her thumb knuckle.
"What's up, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked.
"N-nothing! I'm just worried about Moondancer!" Twilight said loudly. She cringed, caught between a rock and a hard place. If she told her friends about Moondancer's magic, she'd be breaking her promise. Not only that, but it would serve to incriminate Moondancer even further.
"Trixie is still putting the pieces together," Trixie said. "But Father said they would need a lot of magic to resurrect Tirek. The Archon Amulet can give a lot of magic. And Moondancer has been avoiding my family of late. Father has been trying to check in on her, but she won't respond, and the house appears deserted."
Twilight bit her knuckle harder. But Moondancer wouldn't. Unless she was forced to...
Trixie stood up tall. "Just thought you should all be aware. Trixie hopes she's wrong about all of it." She walked back to her table, leaving the girls in silence.
"I mean..." Rainbow shrugged. "Wouldn't surprise me if Moondancer was actually evil. She gives off that vibe, you know?"
Rarity shot her a withering look.
Rainbow blinked. "Okay, I see what you mean."
Twilight ignored both of them and pulled her phone out, texting Moondancer to ask how she was doing. Moondancer always responded to her texts posthaste.
Sunset walked back through the doors and took her seat next to Twilight. Her jacket still had food stains on it, but she didn't seem to mind.
"Sorry about that. I hope Ditzy didn't have to pay for a second lunch." She looked at the concerned frowns worn by everyone present. "What's wrong?"
A quick telepathic message jumped through the group's mind. One problem at a time.
"Sunset, dear," Rarity started slowly, "you know we love and care about you."
Sunset's cheeks turned red and her eyes drifted down toward her sack lunch. "I love you guys too."
"We know, dear. So we want you to be honest with us. Are you feeling all right?"
"Y-yeah." Sunset lifted her head and forged a smile, though Twilight could see the effort Sunset went through to keep it up. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you've been about as quiet as Fluttershy and didn't flip out when your jacket got ruined." Rainbow said, ignoring Rarity this time.
Sunset shifted in her seat. "Okay, maybe I haven't felt like a hundred percent. I'm not feeling bad, but I'm not feeling good either. I'm just..." She pressed her lips together. "It just feels like I'm missing something. Some of my memories are gone and I can't... I can't feel happy. I'm content. But that's as good as I can get."
Twilight watched her closely. Sunset was deliberately avoiding her eyes. Did that mean she, Twilight, didn't make her happy? Did that extend to the rest of Sunset's emotions?
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Fluttershy asked.
"I don't think so. Everyone says it'll just go away on its own, and maybe it will. Other than that..." Sunset gave a half-hearted shrug. "I don't know what else can be done."
Twilight put a hand on Sunset's arm, unsure of what else to do. She was sure Sunset didn't want to hear everything would be okay again, but she didn't have any solutions to offer.
"What you need," Pinkie said, "is something super spectacular to pull you out of your funk!"
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Let me guess: a party?"
"Not just a party. The party." Pinkie waved a hand through the air. "Rarity is right: Prom is the most magical night of the year! It's our last dance together! It's where true love is declared, friendships are reinforced, and memories are ingrained in our hearts and souls!"
Pinkie stood up on her seat. "And as the head of the Event Committee, and as your best friend, and as a natural born party-planner, I, Pinkamena Diane Pie vow to make Prom night the best night of our young lives! There will be music! There will be dancing! There will be laughter! Someone will probably spike the punch!" She pointed to Sunset. "And you, Sunset Shimmer, will find your flame again!"
Rarity blew her nose into a napkin. "Pinkie, that was beautiful!" she said, unaware of the pink glow surrounding Pinkie.
Applejack and Rainbow took notice, however, and yanked Pinkie off her stool just as she ponied up. They pressed against her from two sides, with Fluttershy backing them up from behind, blocking her from view.
"Heehee! It still tickles! Ooh, ooh, does this mean I get some cool power like Rainbow and Fluttershy? I wonder what it is! Maybe I get to shoot lasers from my eyes, or create giant cupcakes from nothing!"
Rainbow clapped a hand against Pinkie's mouth. "I almost hope you don't get a power. You're crazy enough as it is."
Twilight wanted to marvel at Pinkie's transformation, but she already had too many things to worry about. Sunset still looked put out, and Moondancer had not texted her. Still, she made a mental note to herself that, once school was over, she would devote the summer to studying magic.
Pinkie's transformation timed out and vanished in a burst of light. "Aww. Well, it was fun while it lasted. And I meant every word I said. You girls are gonna get the best Prom ever!"
Sunset smiled, looking a little more earnest than before. "I can't wait, Pinkie." |
Spectacular Seven | Phoenix Rising I: Angels and Demons | The days leading up to Prom passed in a whirlwind of activity. It served as a welcome distraction from the odd dreams and nightmares that plagued Sunset while she slept. On top of catching up with her school work, Sunset found herself doing something different everyday in preparation for the big dance. On Wednesday, she and Trixie went shoe shopping. Trixie offered to pay on the condition that Sunset's weren't as pretty as hers.
"Trixie was wondering," she began, looking over a pair of silver stilettos, "if perhaps she could come to Prom with you and your silly entourage?"
Taking off a pair of heels that were a size too small, Sunset said, "I mean, I think my friends would be okay with it. Why don't you want to go with your friends though?"
"Trixie just thought you could do with some enrichment to your poor social circle, so she will gladly volunteer her stupendous presence." She cleared her throat. "Also because Lavender and Fuchsia are ditching me for their boyfriends. Traitors."
Sunset smiled sympathetically. "Of course you can join us, Trixie."
On Thursday, Sunset went to Rarity's to get fitted for her dress. Despite the calamitous state the back room was in, what with sheets of fabrics thrown everywhere, the floor covered in sparkles and ribbons, and the wastebasket so overflowing with crumpled papers that a new mountain had formed next to it, Sunset felt relaxed here.
She had given a mere thumbs up at Rarity's design for her dress. Rarity, who had clearly been expecting more, took Sunset's measurements in silent poutines.
"I'm sorry, Rarity. I like it, I really do," Sunset said, trying her hardest to sound sincere.
"No, it's fine, darling, really. I know you mean it. Maybe seeing the real thing will spark something in you." She marked down Sunset's numbers and walked over to her workbench.
Sunset took a seat on the edge of the stage. "Rarity... what if I'm stuck like this forever? I... I want to feel things again. I know I love your dress... I just don't feel it."
Rarity swiveled around in her chair and looked at Sunset over her red glasses. "Don't worry, Sunset. I'm positive we can find a way to spark your fire again."
Sunset hoped so. If not, she was going to end up like Maud.
"It's not as if you don't feel anything, is it?" Rarity asked reaching for some black fabric.
"No. It's like... standing in the shallow end of a pool," Sunset said, using the first analogy that came to her head. "It goes deeper, I just can't seem to go that far. I know I can, I just... don't."
"Hmm. An emotional block? It could be some form of post traumatic stress. We just need to get you back into a comfortable environment where you can freely express yourself."
Sunset didn't know how many environments were left for that theory to work. If she couldn't express herself when her friends were around, or when she was alone with Twilight...
"Oh, yeah." Sunset remembered what Rarity had told her during their skiing trip. "Umm, Twilight told me... she loved me." She quickly covered her ears as Rarity let out a euphoric scream.
She was up and in Sunset's face, stars twinkling in her eyes. "Yes! And, and, and? What did you say?"
"I... I told her I loved her, too." She covered her ears again, though they still rang with Rarity's happy shriek.
"Yes, yes, yes! At last! Oh, Sunset, you have no idea how happy I am for you!"
"I think I have a good idea," Sunset muttered, rubbing her ears.
"And see? If you told Twilight that, you must be getting better!"
"That's the thing, Rarity. I... I know I love her but... when I say it, I don't feel anything. Being with her doesn't make me happier or anything. It's just something I do."
The jubilation on Rarity's face winked out of existence. "Oh. W-well, umm... y-you know that deep inside your heart you still love her. Maybe on the surface you don't feel it, but you still know."
Sunset stared into her lap. "I feel like I'm lying to her. Or not giving as much as she is."
Rarity sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulder. "Sometimes love isn't a fifty-fifty split. Sometimes, one partner has to give a little bit more because the other can't. You're still trying. That's all that matters. I know you're tired of hearing this, but you'll get better. Then, you can tell Twilight how much you love her in excruciating detail. And then, you can tell me."
Sunset almost laughed. "Thanks, Rarity."
*******
If Twilight had any concerns about their relationship, she didn't voice them. In fact, Sunset thought Rarity was right on the nose about Twilight giving more. She praised Sunset every time she got a question right, put more passion into her violin, and even more into her kisses. Something weak stirred in Sunset, and she thought maybe Twilight was starting to break through.
On Friday, Prom was the only thing on the seniors' mind. In a shocking move, Rarity had skipped classes to finish the last round of dresses, which included her own and Sunset's. Pinkie was also missing, presumably putting the finishing touches on the dance.
Sunset also realized she had not seen Moondancer the entire time she had been awake. When she told her remaining friends at lunch, they all gave conspiring looks toward one another.
"I know," Twilight said, pulling her phone out. "She texted yesterday saying she was fine, but nothing else. I'm really worried about her."
"I'm sure she has a good explanation," Sunset said consolingly.
The intercom came on, and Vice Principal Luna's voice echoed through the school. "A reminder to everyone attending Prom tomorrow night. Ballots for Prom King and Queen will be handed out in your last period. Be sure to vote. Prom officially begins at six o'clock at the Canterlot Castle hotel. We hope you all have a memorable experience."
"You know, Sunset," Applejack said after the feedback faded, "if you had run, you probably could have won Prom Queen. You know, if Rarity didn't kill you for it first."
"I'm fine. One crown is good enough." She remembered winning the Winter Ball and the surprise and happiness that had followed after the initial shock.
"One crown?" Rainbow looked at Sunset like she had sprouted a second head. "You mean like, eight crowns, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"Uhh, you've won nearly every dance since you've been here, remember?"
Sunset honestly couldn't. She furrowed her brow in concentration, but all that came was a light pressure on the front of her skull. She couldn't remember half of her high school experience up until the night of the Fall Formal, and even that was extremely hazy. She remembered, with regret, unleashing some dark magic and becoming something monstrous. She remembered crying. She remembered saving Twilight later in the night. Something told her she didn't want to remember the rest.
"Sorry, girls. I really don't. A lot of my memories are kind of scrambled."
They all looked at her with increasing concern. "What do you remember?" Applejack asked.
"Well... everything in the last couple of months... I think? Parts of the last three years. Mostly just what I learned in class. I can't remember much about spending time with you girls until around the Fall Formal."
Silence. Then Fluttershy said softly, "Oh... dear."
"Yeah, I know it's pretty bad."
Rainbow grimaced. "So, which one of us should tell her?"
Applejack sighed. "Sunset, we weren't exactly friends before the Fall Formal."
"O-oh." The hesitant look in Applejack's eye told her there was more to it than that. "Any particular reason why?"
"Aw, sugarcube. You're a great girl now. You're our best friend, and we love you. But... you weren't always the sweetest apple in the cart. Let's just say, you had a tough time making friends."
Sunset looked around the table. Everyone else was avoiding her eyes. She pressed a hand to forehead, trying to draw up a memory, any memory. She could see herself sitting in the factory, listening to music and relaxing, studying for tests, walking down the hall while students jumped out of her way. Her mind then skipped to her going to the mall with Twilight, her first sleepover with everyone, playing music against the Sirens.
"Bad memories," she whispered.
Twilight leaned in. "What?"
"I can't remember anything bad." She looked wide-eyed at Applejack. "But you're right. I was a bully. I don't remember it, but I know it." That almost explained the dark power she remembered from the Fall Formal.
"Do you think this has something to do with coming back from the Soul Lock?" Fluttershy asked.
"Maybe," Sunset said, dejected. "Maybe not all of me got out."
"Well..." Twilight began hesitantly. "If you can't remember the bad... that just means there's more room to make good memories, right?"
Sunset smiled at her. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was a good thing Sunset couldn't remember all of the terrible things she had done in the past. She could start fresh; build on the good memories of her friends.
Lunch came to an end, and the girls parted ways for their last period. Voting ballots were handed out as the lesson started, and Sunset recognized most of the names on the list. She voted for Flash in an instant, but hesitated when it came to Prom Queen. She had never interacted with half the girls on the list, at least, she couldn't remember interacting with them. In the end, she closed her eyes and jabbed her pencil down, landing on 'Wallflower Blush.' Sunset wasn't even sure if that was a real student, but since fate had chosen for her, she filled the bubble in.
*******
Sunset woke up early Saturday morning to go get her hair done. Admiring her new style in the mirror, Sunset had to admit she felt very pretty. Her hair coiled and spiraled down in thick red and gold curls that reminded her of pasta, complete with its own sauce. It bounced against her neck and face as she twisted her head left and right. Two thicker noodles perfectly framed her cheekbones.
After a quick shower, taking care not to get her hair too wet, Sunset slipped on her Rarity-made Prom dress. Silky and glossy, the black fabric glittered under her room light. It trailed down to her ankles, fanning out a little in the back. Red and orange flames danced around the hem trailing up her legs and vanishing around her waist. Black gloves ran up her arms, ending just below her naked shoulders. She put on a pair of emerald earrings and her cutie mark necklace to round off the ensemble.
Returning to the mirror, Sunset smiled at the beautiful girl looking back at her. Maybe tonight really was what she needed to feel okay again.
But beauty is so fleeting. Tomorrow, you'll go back to looking like your plain old self. Sunset watched her smile fall apart. The cynical voice had a point. And she couldn't dress up like this everyday. It would look shallow and conceited.
Please, just enjoy tonight for what it is. We can go back to self-loathing tomorrow. Sunset finished applying her lipstick and eye-shadow, then grabbed her purse and the crimson corsage for Twilight, and headed downstairs. A floating camera waited for her at the bottom step. Sunset looked around, seeing neither Artemis nor Trixie nearby. When she looked back at the lens, a bright flash left her stunned.
As she blinked the spots out of her eyes, Artemis appeared in his usual puff of smoke, eagerly grabbing the camera. "It's time already? Goodness, you don't take nearly as long as Selena to get dressed up."
"I heard that!"
Artemis looked at the picture then at the real Sunset, eyes glittering in delight. "You look so beautiful! And on fire! My compliments to the dress maker!"
Sunset smiled. "I'll pass that along to Rarity. And thank you." She heard footsteps descend behind her and saw Trixie coming down the stairs, holding the ends of her starry blue ball gown. Unlike Sunset, Trixie's dress had puffy shoulders and a tall collar, making her look like an old world aristocrat.
The camera snapped another photo when Trixie reached the bottom step. Artemis beamed at her, tears in his eyes. "I remember the day we brought you home from the hospital. Look at how much you've grown."
Trixie tilted her head up and closed her eyes. "Daddy, please. I just put my makeup on and I am in no hurry to do it again."
Selena walked in from the kitchen and clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh... look at my two girls. You both look amazing."
To Sunset's surprise, something stung the corners of her eyes. She followed Trixie's lead and tilted her head back to make sure her makeup didn't run. "We should probably get going. Don't want to be late for our dinner reservations."
"Hold on, I still have pictures to take." Artemis raised the camera and snapped a shot of both girls with their heads back. "Now come on, get together and smile!"
They spent fifteen minutes taking photos, alternating between singles, pairs, and family shots. At a quarter past four, Trixie finally opened up the front door and carefully stepped out to the car. The sun shone brightly overhead, but the ground was still wet from a sudden shower yesterday.
Trixie squeezed herself through the door of her car, then struggled some more with the seatbelt, quietly complaining that it would wrinkle her dress. Once she was all settled, she said, "Trixie thanks you again for allowing her to grace your meager friend group with her presence."
Sunset mentally removed the condescension from Trixie's words. "You're welcome."
They arrived in front of Rarity's house ten minutes later, spotting her posing while her mom and dad took pictures. The diamonds running down the trim of her slim silver dress shone in such a dazzling light, Sunset had to question if they were really fake. Rarity had gone with a simple elegance for Prom, the diamonds and a golden ribbon around her waist being the only features to her shoulderless dress. It hugged and emphasized all her best features though, and Sunset thought she resembled a Greek goddess.
"Hello, girls! Oh, goodness me, you both look so fabulous! Sunset, I love what you've done to your hair! Come take a few photos with me!"
Sunset and Trixie happily obliged, standing on either side of Rarity while the camera continued to flash. Sweetie Belle watched from the porch, cheeks puffed and arms crossed.
"It's not fair. I wanna go to the prom too!"
Rarity walked over and kissed her forehead, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the lipstick stain off. "Don't pout, Sweetie, you'll have your moment in a few years. Maybe even next year if some strapping senior asks you to accompany him."
"Over my dead body," her father mumbled.
Flash arrived next, wearing a black tuxedo with a silver tie to match Rarity's dress. He presented his corsage and slid it over her wrist, then stood with a goofy smile as Rarity pinned his boutonniere to his chest. They took a dozen pictures together, Flash trading his goofy smile for his trying-to-be-cool-one, which, incidentally, made him look goofier.
Rainbow and Fluttershy arrived next, wearing long dresses that almost touched the ground. Rainbow's dress matched her name, a vertical spectrum of colors starting with red on one end and transitioning to purple at the other. Puffy white clouds decorated the hem and a golden wreath sat in her curled and bouncy hair.
"This is a one time thing," she said flatly, catching Rarity's excited gleam.
Fluttershy wore a glossy green curtain decorated with small flowers and a blue sash that ran down her right shoulder. Her open-toed boots used vines instead of laces, and a blue butterfly sat pinned in her hair.
Applejack arrived not too long after them. Her dress was forest green with a folded collar decorated with a jeweled red apple. She had a brown corset that hugged her middle with a second apple placed at her navel. Her hair was done up in a braided ponytail, and without her stetson hat, Sunset thought she looked quite odd.
Twilight came next, bringing her whole family and Cadence with her. As she stepped out of the car, Sunset's heart tried to do a backflip, but landed on its face. Twilight wore a shoulderless dark blue dress with purple and white stars decorating the folded skirt. Beneath was a glittering light blue gown that trailed down to her ankles. She had purple bracelets and an orchid in her hair, which was rolled up into a large side bun.
When she stepped onto the sidewalk, she stopped and stared at Sunset, her face turning pink. While Sunset's face remained its normal color, she too could not take her eyes off Twilight, nor could she think of something to say.
Thankfully, Cadence poked Twilight in the back and said with a happy grin, "Don't you have something to give Sunset?"
Twilight underwent a quick restart, blinking furiously before clumsily stepping forward in her high heels. She opened her mouth, only to make a soft squeak. She tried again, this time hiding her mouth behind her corsage for Sunset. "You look really beautiful."
"So do you." Sunset offered up her own corsage, gently wrapping it around Twilight's wrist. She watched as Twilight did the same to her, feeling another faint flutter in her heart.
Cadence and Mrs. Velvet pulled their cameras out and began snapping photos of Sunset and Twilight together. Sunset found it easier to smile today.
Pinkie was the last to arrive, bringing their limousine with her. She hopped out with a somersault and threw her arms in the air. "Are you ready to party?" she shouted.
The main portion of her dress was yellow with darker yellow polka-dots. Underneath that were layered ruffles of purple and white that matched the corset and the bow in Pinkie's hair.
"You all look so wonderful!" Rarity cried, pressing her hands into her cheeks. "Okay, just a few group photos, then we're off to the night of our lives!"
She herded them onto the front steps and tried to arrange them by color, keeping Rainbow in the center. Sunset managed a genuine smile for the group shots, but with all the picture taking she had already endured, her cheeks were beginning to hurt.
They filed into the limo, finding comfortable positions despite their large number. Their parents cheered and waved them off as Pinkie directed the driver to the Tasty Treat, their restaurant of choice for Prom dinner. Excited chatter and laughter filled the car, their spirits already high before the fun had officially begun.
"So, R.D, what happened to Thunderlane?" Applejack asked.
Rainbow blew a raspberry. "He's an okay athlete, but we didn't really connect outside of that. Besides, I only asked him to the Winter Ball to prove a point." She pointed two fingers at the pairs of Twilight and Sunset, and Rarity and Flash. "You're not gonna catch me acting all doey-eyed over anyone."
Rarity paused in her act of feeding Flash a grape from the mini-fridge. "You say that now, darling, but don't be so sure you won't find that special someone."
"Please. There isn't a guy awesome enough to keep up with me." Rainbow grinned. "And I mean that literally now. I'm the fastest girl on the planet!"
Pinkie pressed her lips together and snorted, but lost control when Applejack tried and failed to contain her own laughter. Flash couldn't help but snicker either, while Fluttershy turned red as a beet.
"Immature children," Rarity said under her breath.
Twilight looked around at her laughing friends. "I don't get it."
The Tasty Treat was a family owned hole-in-the-wall restaurant in downtown Canterlot. Rarity had originally rejected it for not being reviewed in the dining column of The Canterlot Times, but after some hard reassurance from Pinkie, eventually gave in. The Indian themed restaurant was on the small side, but with so few guests already there, there was plenty of room to seat nine. Both the host and the head chef clearly had never had such a large party enter before, for their faces lit up in surprise and excitement.
The food proved excellent, sating a craving for spicy food Sunset didn't know she had. Trixie complained about the decor, but fell silent once their dishes had arrived. Even Rarity with her refined palette admitted that the food was exquisite. Just after six, they took their leave and moved onto the main event.
The Canterlot Castle Hotel stood proud in the center of downtown, spotlights lighting up its ivory body and gold turrets. A silver, three-tiered fountain bubbled in the center of the driveway, surrounded by purple and gold flowers. Palm trees lined the gold dusted walkway to the front entrance. Limo after limo rolled up to drop off students dressed in their absolute best. Even Ditzy looked like a princess in her cheery yellow ball gown, lending her arm to Bulk Biceps.
Pinkie led their party of nine through the polished lobby and up to the third floor. Sunset could feel the music vibrating against the violet carpet, sending a small thrum through her feet. The thumping bass grew stronger as the girls drew closer, and Sunset could feel the shadow of excitement building in her gut.
The doors to the grand ballroom were wide open, and the imposing crystal chandelier had been dimmed, allowing large braziers filled with blue fire to bathe the room in an eerie glow. They hung from the top of the pillars and matched the blue and gold ribbons spiraling below them. Against the back wall was the DJ table, shooting gold laser lights that bounced against the walls. Large tables circled the dance floor, where hundreds of bodies moved, twirled, and grinded against one another to the rhythm of the music.
"Canterlot High!" an unfamiliar voice boomed over the mic. "Make some noise!"
The room shook with their collective yells and hollers of delight. Sunset squinted her eyes at the turntables, finding a red-haired young man instead of Vinyl. As she brought her sights closer to home, she saw Vinyl dancing with Octavia in the middle of the crowd.
Rarity looked into the crowd and wrinkled her nose at some of the suggestive displays happening. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but I was hoping for a party with a little more class."
"Are you kidding?" Rainbow asked, her face split with glee. "This is gonna be awesome! Come on, 'Shy, let's dance!" Rainbow grabbed Fluttershy's arm and ran into the crowd, Fluttershy looking both pleased and terrified.
Pinkie put a hand on Sunset's back. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go out there and find your spark!" She gave Sunset a little shove. Sunset flailed her arms to keep her balance. She looked into the mob of people, her excitement dissolving into apprehension. She felt a hand slide around her arm and looked over to Twilight.
"It's not really my thing either, but we could give it a try." She smiled and pushed her glasses up.
Sunset nodded. "Sure. Why not?" She took Twilight by the hand and led her deeper onto the dance floor, but once they found a spot big enough for them to squeeze into, she was unsure what to do next. She watched Twilight give her shoulders alternating bobs in time with the music and followed suit, eventually adding her arms into the mix. The two fell in sync with one another, moving their arms and hips in a motion one could almost consider dancing. Sunset couldn't help but feel she was doing something wrong. Hadn't she been fairly good at this before?
A fine layer of sweat had built up on Sunset's brow and neck by the fourth song. She slowed the movement of her hips and pointed to the refreshment table off in the corner. "Do you want to get some punch?"
Twilight stopped her duck-footed dance and sighed in relief. "That sounds great."
It took a great deal of maneuvering to escape the writhing mass of dancers, but Sunset and Twilight eventually found their way out, inhaling a wave of cool air upon their escape. Twilight ladled two cups of punch and handed one to Sunset before taking a sip of hers. She quickly spat it back into her cup. "Ugh, Pinkie was right. Someone spiked it."
Curious, Sunset took a sip and swished it in her mouth. She swallowed and shrugged. "I don't taste much."
"Lucky you." Twilight dumped her punch into the nearest potted plant and got a cup of water instead.
Pinkie pulled herself from the crowd and twirled over, pressing herself against Sunset, an expectant grin on her face. "Soooo, are you having fuuuuun?"
"I'm enjoying myself, yeah. You know how to throw a good party, Pinkie."
Pinkie narrowed her eyes. "Not good enough. But just wait until the chocolate fondue fountain gets here. Then this party will really knock your socks off!"
Rarity emerged next from the mob, fanning herself with a hand. "Goodness, I can't believe I'm sweating this much." She sat down at the nearest empty table, gratefully accepting the cup of punch Sunset offered. She took a sip and frowned. "Of course someone spiked it."
"Told you," Twilight said.
Sunset took a seat next to Rarity, taking the weight off her sore feet. Who knew dancing in high-heeled sandals would hurt after a while? She felt a small vibration from the small satchel around her waist and pulled out the new phone the Lulamoons had bought for her. She had a text message from a number that looked familiar. It clicked a second later, and something crawled up her spine. It was the number of her old phone. She swiped the message open, and the crawling came again.
"Girls," she said, her voice lost in the music. "Girls!" It hadn't been much louder, but her moving mouth caught their attention. She showed the message to them, watching their faces turn pale.
"'If you value the lives of your friends, come to the terrace alone'," Rarity mouthed. She lifted her wide eyes to the others. "Do you think it's Lamia? Or Tempest?"
"I don't know." Sunset bit her lips. "What should I do? They... they could be bluffing. But if they aren't..." Sunset wildly shook her head, feeling her heart accelerate. "I can't go back to that place! I can't lose my soul again!"
Twilight pulled her into a protective hug. "We're not going to let that happen. Not again."
Rarity placed a hand on both their shoulders. "She's right. If they want one of us, they get all of us."
Pinkie put on a savage grin and punched a fist into her palm. "They'll get a full ballroom blitz! I'll go get the team!" She bounced into the crowd.
Sunset got control over her breathing and slipped her hand into Twilight's, a life preserver in the rising deluge of fear. Pinkie returned promptly, Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Trixie, and Flash in tow.
Rainbow rolled out her shoulders, an anxious grin on her face. "I hope it's Lamia up there so I can give her the butt whooping of a lifetime."
"Do you really think we can beat her? Or Tempest?" Fluttershy asked.
Applejack popped her knuckles. "It's nine against one, maybe two. Magic or no magic, Ah like our odds."
They formed a protective guard around Sunset and proceeded out of the grand ballroom and down the corridors. It was a tight squeeze, but they managed to fit into the elevator and ride it up to the twelfth floor. A narrow corridor and a short flight of stairs led them up to the rooftop courtyard. A stone path lined with marble columns split two square patches of grass and led to a balcony overlooking the city.
Sunset squinted her eyes at the skyline around them. The sky and buildings flickered and rippled, moving back and forth in a slow, hypnotic fashion. It was like someone was trying to adjust an old television set.
Sunset's eyes moved across the balcony. There, leaning against the last pillar, was Lamia.
"Of course you all came." Her words sounded slurred and forced. "Ask for one and they all come running. Predictable."
She pushed herself off the pillars and stumbled, hunching forward with her arms swinging lazily. Sunset gently pushed her way to the front of her friends to get a better look. Lamia's hair was disheveled, thick bags hung under her eyes, her skin was pale and clammy, and she shivered with an occasional violent twitch.
"This plan is stupid. You're all stupid," Lamia said, panting.
Applejack put an arm in front of Sunset. "What do you want? You got a lot of nerve showing up here tonight of all nights!"
"That's what I thought!" Lamia threw a hand up. "But she just loves being dramatic!" She let out a bark of laughter then tapped her temple. "Not right in the head, that one. None of them are right in the head. I'm not right in the head anymore!"
She gripped her skull. "I can't get her to stop. Somebody make her stop. She won't stop talking... won't stop hating everything!"
Sunset's soul shuddered. She felt a pull toward Lamia--a desire to touch, to connect. Was it some kind of empathy? Sunset could see the pain and confusion on Lamia's face. Something about the whole situation seemed peculiar. "Are you okay?"
Lamia's eye honed in on Sunset. "You! How did you deal with this? How did you handle this everyday?"
"What do you--"
"I don't want this anymore!" Lamia clawed at her chest as a sinister blue aura engulfed her body. "I don't want to be anyone's pawn! I don't want this magic! I don't want your soul! I--" Her rant was cut short as the blue light erupted into a pillar that reached into the night sky. A pained scream came from within, morphing into malicious laughter.
Sunset brought her arm down as the light began to fade, then stumbled back into Twilight's arms as her worst nightmare hovered overhead. Scarlet's shadow engulfed them, her wings blocking out the crescent moon.
"She put up one hell of a fight that time." Scarlet lifted her arms. "But I always win in the end. And oh look, everyone's here tonight! Boy, this brings back a lot of memories! Like the time you hit me with a rainbow and left me in a crater."
"Man, you really need to let that go," Pinkie said.
Scarlet showed off her fangs. "You're right. We should move on from the past and let bygones be bygones." She crafted a fireball in her hand. "So, this isn't for the Fall Formal. This is just because I don't like you."
"Scatter!" Applejack yelled. They broke across the terrace, narrowly avoiding the first attack.
Sunset thanked their lucky stars they all managed to move quick enough in their dresses and heels. Her friends were scattered about the courtyard, with Trixie battling Scarlet, firing small lightning bolts from her wand.
Applejack, who had landed across from Sunset, turned toward Flash. "You get outta here! Don't let anyone come up to rooftop, and if this fight looks like it's about to get messy, try to get everyone outta the building!"
Flash helped Rarity to her feet and cast an uneasy glance at Scarlet cackling in midair. "Y-yeah, I think I can handle that." He gave Rarity a quick peck on the lips. "Just be careful, okay?" He ran off before Rarity could respond, with Scarlet paying him no mind.
"You know," she said, batting Trixie's magic away with a wing, "as much as I'd love to turn you all to ash, there is a simple solution that will let you all walk away alive... for now."
Rainbow looked out from behind a pillar. "Yeah right!"
"It's true. I just want Sunset. Give her to me, and I'll leave the rest of you alone."
"Screw you!"
Sunset snuck behind a pillar and huddled against it, trembling uncontrollably. Come on, she willed her body. Do something. Yet her legs had frozen in place. If you give yourself up, your friends might live.
"Why do you even want Sunset?" Twilight shouted.
Scarlet created a ball of fire which morphed into a ring and spread out from around herself, forcing everyone to duck again under the heat wave. "Mostly, I'm just following orders. I've been promised the power of a god if I help these losers. But I have to admit, I'm getting real tired of all these rules and orders. I haven't gotten to run free in days!"
She curled her fingers, and several of the floors tiles ripped themselves from the ground, then flung themselves in Applejack's direction. "So forgive me if I indulge a little!"
Applejack dove for the ground, avoiding the stone projectiles, only to have them come back around for a divebomb. Sunset screamed, both at the oncoming assault, and at Rarity running to intercept it.
Rarity threw herself in front of Applejack and crossed her arms in front of her, like it might cushion the impact. Sunset threw an arm over her eyes and bit her lip, waiting to hear a scream and a crunch of bone. Instead, she heard the tiles collide with steel. Sunset lowered her arm and gasped in time with everyone else.
Before Rarity floated a diamond shaped shield, glittering like it was made from the actual precious gem. Rarity herself had ponied up, her horn glowing as bright as her diamond. "Oh... wow..." She lowered her arms, watching as the shield faded away.
"Thanks, Rarity," Applejack said.
Rarity looked back at her. "O-of course. I just... wasn't expecting to live through that."
"Yeah, that's a disappointment for all of us." Scarlet drifted closer, a dark energy ball in hand. "But, that problem can be easily corrected."
A rainbow blur crashed into her backside and sent her down into the grass, giving her a mouthful of dirt. The blur stopped in front of Applejack and Rarity, grabbed them both by the wrists, and before Sunset knew it, three of her friends stood before her.
Rainbow looked at Sunset, brow furrowed and eyes hard, but her voice held a note of desperation. "We need a plan, now."
"Why are you looking at me?"
"Because you're the leader! And because you have the most know-how on magical stuff, and--" Rainbow grabbed them all by the wrist and rushed to the other side of the courtyard. Sunset got a brief since of whiplash before she even knew what had happened. She looked back and saw a pile of cinders where they had all been standing a second ago.
Scarlet perched on the pillar across from them. "You twerps are really starting to piss me off!" Her hair billowed up like an erupting volcano. "Give me Sunset, and I might spare most of your lives!"
Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Twilight ran to stand next to their friends. Pinkie threw her arms out. "If you want her, you have to get through all of us!"
"Fine by me!" Scarlet lifted both hands over her head, conjuring a fire bomb. "Let Tempest throw her hissy fit! It's time to settle our score once and for all!" She pushed herself off the pillar and rose higher into the air.
"Think you can make another shield, Rarity?" Applejack asked as the group huddled together.
Rarity lifted her hands. "I don't know if I can make one big enough to block that."
"The last time this happened, all our pony powers turned on and we made a rainbow," Pinkie said. She made a weak optimistic smile. "Maybe it'll happen again?"
Behind Scarlet, Trixie created a lasso from the tip of her wand and flung it around Scarlet's middle. She gave a harsh tug, interrupting Scarlet's conjuring. With a loud hiss, the demon lowered one hand and released a pulse of black magic.
Trixie yelped and dodged out of the way, severing her rope's connection. She perfectly avoided the first shot. The second, however, caught her in its blast radius and swept her into the air. With a loud cry, she hit the railing of the roof and tumbled over it.
"Trixie!" Sunset screamed.
Scarlet sneered and threw the fire bomb toward them with a flick of her wrist. Sunset felt the intense heat against her face, a hundred fire ants biting her skin as the fire descended. She watched Rarity thrust her hands out, conjuring a larger shield than the first time, but far too small to block the fire.
Just like all my nightmares, Sunset thought, clutching tight against Twilight, the heat drying her tears out. This is how they die. By my hand.
A white outline drew itself around the conflagration, halting its fall. The fire shrank more and more until it was back down to the size of a baseball. The outline vanished, and the fire bounced harmlessly off Rarity's shield.
"Did I do that or...?"
"Moondancer!" Twilight shouted, pointing up to another pillar.
Everyone's head turned upward as a ray of light dropped from the sky and struck Scarlet in the chest, sending her crashing into the dirt. Moondancer touched down upon the pillar a second later. She wore her white dress with billowing sleeves that flapped in the wind. A pair of wings made from moonlight fanned out from her back, glowing under the night sky.
The smile she gave made the hairs on Sunset's neck stand up. It was strained, cracking almost, and the look in her eyes was one of fury hiding behind sadistic glee. It was, Sunset thought, rather insane.
"My sincerest apologies for the scare, everyone," Moondancer said, waving at them in a welcoming gesture. "Let me assure you that only one of you will die tonight. The rest will be kept nice and safe while your souls are sleeping."
The hopeful light in Twilight's eyes died. "M-Moondancer... what do you mean?"
Scarlet snarled as she pulled herself off the ground. "You ungrateful brat! What do you think you're doing?"
Moondancer gave her a sharp look. "You were not ordered to kill them."
"I'm doing you a favor, honestly. They're all more trouble than they're worth."
"You'll follow orders or suffer the consequences!"
"Moondancer!" Twilight shouted, drawing both hers and Scarlet's attention. "What's going on?"
The maniacal look in Moondancer's eye flickered and dimmed. She turned her head away.
Scarlet laughed. "Isn't it obvious? Moondancer's been playing for the bad guys the whole time, haven't you, Moony?"
She growled and clenched her fists.
"But, she's screwed up pretty bad this time. So, she's going to sacrifice all of you to save her own skin. Either she takes your souls, or Tempest takes hers. Of course, there is the easy way out of this and we just kill all of you here."
Moondancer hissed. "There's only one person who has to die tonight. That'll put an end to the universe's favoritism."
Twilight inched to the front of the group, every part of her shaking, even her voice. "She's... she's lying, right, Moony? This is some kind of joke, right? You... you would never kill anyone."
"And that's where you'd be wrong, Sparky," Scarlet said, rising into the air again. "She's the one who told Tempest about Sunset's magic. She's why they went after Sunset. That's why you were pretending to be friends with all of them, right? You wanted to see how their magic worked."
A red haze drifted over Moondancer's pupils. "Shut up, Scarlet," she said, clenching her jaw.
Scarlet put a finger against her bottom lip. "Oh, was that supposed to be a secret?"
"You bitch!" Rainbow shouted. She raced into the air, her fist aimed at Moondancer.
Moondancer angrily swatted her hand through the air, and a vicious gale funneled around Rainbow and threw her hard onto the ground. Sunset swore she heard a bone crack.
"Rainbow!" Fluttershy was ponied up and racing to Rainbow's side the second she hit the ground. Fluttershy didn't even notice the fireball aimed at her, and thanks to Rarity, never did.
Rarity snapped her wrist out, and a blue shield appeared in the air between Fluttershy and the fire, taking the blow.
"Stop trying to kill them!" Moondancer yelled at Scarlet.
"The thing is," Scarlet began with a sadistically amused grin, "they're like cockroaches. They never die when you want them to anyway."
"I told you, I need them alive! You can kill Sunset after I get her soul back!"
Sunset sucked in a shuddering gasp. She knew Moondancer didn't like her, maybe even hated her. But that she wanted Sunset dead? And she had already sold Sunset out once before? Sunset wiped a few tears away, but they were nothing compared to stream flowing down Twilight's face.
She had one hand clutched tightly onto Sunset's shoulder while the other made a trembling fist. "Moondancer," she choked out, "how could you?"
The red haze in Moondancer's eyes vanished. "I--"
"Moondancer!"
Every head turned to the edge of the roof, where Trixie had just climbed back over, the hem of her dress badly torn. "Take it off, Moondancer!" She thrust her hand out, like she was expecting something returned.
Moondancer clutched at her blouse protectively, her eyes turning red again. "Go home, Trixie! This does not concern you! Go home and forget what you saw!"
Trixie stepped forward tentatively. "Moondancer," she said pacifically, "I know what it's like to be forced to do something you don't want to do. Please, let me help."
"You can help by leaving! I appreciate the sentiment, cousin, but you cannot fathom my situation right now!" Moondancer's voice broke and she clapped a hand over her eyes, trying to stop a tear from falling. "You can't.... I have to do this. I have to take their souls, or she's going to take mine. I have to survive!"
"Moondancer--aaaah!" Trixie cut her sentence to deflect a stream of fire toward the balcony.
"Yeah, it's shame, really," Scarlet said, unleashing a second blazing inferno with her other hand. "Guess I'll settle for killing only one Lulamoon tonight!"
Moondancer struck Scarlet down with a pearl of light. It denoted against Scarlet's back and flung her toward the door.
"Curb your blood lust or else I add your souls to the delivery pile!" Moondancer bellowed. "The rest of you, stand still, and I will make this as painless as possible!" She raised both of her hands into the air, and a salvo of light flares fired into the air before raining back down upon the terrace.
Everyone snapped out of the trance created by the spectacle between the Lulamoon cousins and Scarlet. Rarity threw one hand up and crafted a shield above the remaining Spectacular Seven. Trixie created a half-bubble above her head. Rainbow and Fluttershy, however, were still in the open.
Rainbow scooped Fluttershy in her arms and zipped in between the light spheres. It almost looked like a high-speed choreographed dance with how Rainbow moved her feet and twirled about with Fluttershy. Despite Rainbow's surprising amount of grace, a sphere touched the tip of her wing, and she dropped to the ground, her body stiff as stone. Fluttershy rolled across the stone path and jumped to her feet, only to be hit as well and fall to the ground, eyes wide with horror but unable to so much as twitch.
Applejack let out a bellow like an enraged bull and charged out from under Rarity's protection. She ran to the pillar Moondancer was perched on and slammed her heel into it. It exploded in a shower of dust and rubble, dropping Moondancer to the ground just as Scarlet lobbed a mass of wildfire at her.
Moondancer's wings caught her, and she spiraled to the right, avoiding Applejack's fist and Scarlet's fire. After she gained some distance, Moondancer formed two balls of light tinged with a blood red aura and fired them at Applejack and Scarlet.
Scarlet met hers with a blast of fire. Applejack drew her fist back, but a small diamond shield appeared between her and the attack. Applejack punched it instead.
The shield flew forward, smashed through the light ball, and carried on to crash into Moondancer, throwing her back several yards.
"I don't know how long I can keep this up!" Rarity yelled, crafting another shield around Rainbow and Fluttershy as Scarlet turned her attention on them again.
Trixie brandished her wand and unleashed a bundle of ropes that lashed out and bound Moondancer's arms to her side. She thrashed against them, uttering a loud curse.
"Go!" Trixie called to Rarity and Applejack. "I'll help your friends! You handle the demon."
Applejack nodded to Rarity, then grabbed a chunk of the fallen pillar and hurled it at Scarlet. She blasted it to ash, then dived at Applejack, claws wreathed in flames. They collided against Rarity's shield, and just like before, Applejack punched it forward, throwing Scarlet into the wall.
Sunset watched the entire procession with her hands pressed against her mouth. This is all my fault. I'm the one Moondancer really wants. If I had come up here alone, they all wouldn't be in this mess. If... if I had stayed in the Soul Lock...
Beside her, Pinkie danced on her toes, looking like she desperately wanted to do something, but didn't know what. Twilight appeared to be watching, but there was a haunted look in her eyes, like she had just seen someone die. Her eyes widened quickly, and her head shot in Moondancer's direction. She had broken free of her bonds and was rushing toward them on her wings.
Applejack and Rarity were following up on their attack, and Trixie was waving her wand over Rainbow and Fluttershy. Pinkie ran up to meet Moondancer, her pony features coming to life. But before she could do anything, Moondancer cupped a silver orb in her hand and slammed it into Pinkie's stomach. She wheezed and wrapped her arms around her middle as she collapsed to the ground, whimpering in pain.
Moondancer advanced on Sunset and Twilight, a rapier appearing in her left hand. "Let the stars bear witness to the moon eclipsing the sun." Her jagged smile returned and a red mist gathered around her eyelids. "This world's spotlight shines for one."
Twilight stepped in front of Sunset and threw her arms out. "I won't let you do this!" Her voice shook, not with fear, but with a sadness Sunset could only barely begin to comprehend.
Moondancer stumbled back, as if seeing Twilight for the first time. She shook her head, then pointed her sword forward. "Step aside, little star."
"Don't call me that." Her voice grew tighter.
The mist around Moondancer's eyes faded. "Twilight," she said, her voice more controlled, "please move."
"Why?" The question rang not just in Sunset's ears, but across the whole terrace. It was so heavy that she felt the atmosphere shift, and saw Moondancer hunch her shoulders.
"Because she stole everything from me," Moondancer said in a breathless whisper. "She, a faceless background character, comes in and steals everything I was working toward. She gets magic, she gets my family, she gets you! I've been patient! I've done my waiting! It's time I took something! I don't care if it's hollow--I don't care if it's fleeting! I'll take revenge and the satisfaction of knowing that Sunset Shimmer can't beat me ever again!"
She slashed her sword through the air. "Now, move, Twilight! I wish no harm to fall upon you, but I will make you move if I must!"
Twilight stood her ground, arms still fanned out. "You're not getting to her, Moondancer. Not without a fight."
Something flickered in Sunset's heart. A quick spark before it faded away. But Sunset recognized it for what it was: deep, unfathomable affection and admiration.
Moondancer stared at the pair of them, her mouth drawing into a thin line. "Of course," she growled.
With a thrust of her hand, another gale whipped up and threw Twilight aside. Moondancer took a menacing step forward. "You won't die yet. I still need your soul. But I promise you, this will hurt."
A far away instinct, like a quiet voice in her ear, told Sunset to fight back. But she had no idea what to do. She put her fists up in defense, but where did she go from here?
A light so intense came from Sunset's feet that she had to shield her eyes. She heard a bang and several pops like a firework, and Moondancer shout in surprise. The light faded from behind Sunset's eyelids, and when she looked, Moondancer was back in the air, fanning the hem of her smoking dress.
Pinkie got to her feet. In one hand she held what looked like a compressed cluster of multicolored lights. They swirled around each other, never leaving Pinkie's palm.
Sunset didn't like the way Pinkie smiled. It was a smile of one who had just been given an unreasonable amount of power. "Leave my friends alone!" she shouted, and hurled the prismatic clump at Moondancer. It exploded and let off a burst of colors, just like a firework, lighting up the sky for a brief moment.
Moondancer had danced to the side to avoid it, but a different multichromatic blur streaked into the air and punched her across the face.
Rainbow continued on to rescue a struggling Rarity from Scarlet's onslaught of fire. She dropped her off in front of Sunset, then looped back around to grab Applejack before she could become Scarlet's next target.
Sunset hurried over to Twilight, who sat on the ground, looking dazed. She looked up at Sunset's approach.
"I'm sorry."
Sunset cocked her head. "For what?"
A jet of fire from one side, and a beam of light from the other stopped Twilight from responding. Rarity threw her arms up and encased them all in a massive forcefield, but the combined energy from both attacks shattered it upon impact.
Rarity swooned and fell to the ground, her ears and horn fading away. "I'm... at my limits," she panted. "I'm so sorry."
"Good effort, girls," Scarlet said, looking battered. Her frock was scuffed and torn along the waist. She brought her hands close together, generating a pulsing black sphere. "But, ultimately futile. There's no princess to save you. Tonight, you die!"
Moondancer let out a errant scream and flung a bolt of magic at Scarlet, disrupting her dark spell. "You savage, moronic animal! I need them alive!"
"And I don't care what you want! I'm going to kill all of them!" Scarlet pointed a claw at Moondancer. "Hell, you can join them! Nobody's going to miss you! Tempest can whine if she wants; I just want all of you to die!"
Scarlet rushed at Moondancer, balls of fire in her palms. Moondancer gracefully stepped to one side and slashed at Scarlet's arm, leaving a sizeable gash. In a fury, Scarlet brought her other arm around, and Moondancer ducked under it, raising her sword in an uppercut slash. Scarlet propelled herself backward with a flap of her wings, but still got a nick across her chin. She unleashed both her fireballs, snarling in fury when Moondancer repelled both of them with a protective bubble.
Perhaps it was Sunset's imagination, but it looked like Scarlet's fire was getting steadily weaker.
The rest of her friends regrouped, taking the opportunity to catch their breaths. Fluttershy had her hands over Rarity, bathing her in soothing waves of pink.
Pinkie watched the fight above them unfold, another firework in her hand. "So, are we rooting for Moondancer?"
Applejack crossed her arms. "Let's be honest. We're rooting against Scarlet."
"Perhaps it would be best for us to take our leave," Rarity suggested.
"And what happens when they're finished?" Applejack asked. "Scarlet wins, she'll come and burn down the whole ballroom. Moondancer wins... who knows what she'll do."
Twilight winced every time Moondancer's name came up. Sunset put a hand on Twilight's shoulder, feeling it shake under her touch. Twilight looked back at her, more pain than sadness in her eyes.
"Sunset, I'm sorry," she said again, her words almost inaudible.
"It's not your fault." It felt like a prerecorded message, but it was all Sunset could think to say. Her mind was trying to process eight different thoughts at once. On top of the adrenaline rushing through her veins, she still felt a pull inside her chest. A longing to be whole again.
She watched Scarlet rip a pillar from the ground with her magic and try to smash Moondancer. There was an intense fire in Scarlet's eye that seemed familiar. No...
Lamia's pained words before her transformation echoed back to Sunset. "I don't want your soul!"
Sunset pressed a hand to her heart. That was it, wasn't it? Scarlet was part of her. The missing piece--that was where it went. Scarlet had Sunset's flame. Now, how did Sunset get it back?
Do I want it back?
Scarlet threw the entire pillar at Moondancer and the hotel behind her. Moondancer caught it in her magical grip and used it as a shield against Scarlet's burst of fire.
Sunset could remember becoming that monster. Taking Scarlet back meant taking back all of the darkness. All of the anger and hatred that she had bottled up and carried with her for years.
The light around the pillar grew in intensity, and its shape split and narrowed. Golden chains danced where the pillar had been, and with a snap of Moondancer's fingers, they lunged at Scarlet. She disintegrated one with her burning palms, but the rest coiled around her, locking her arms against her sides and her wings against her back. She fell and hit the concrete with a mighty thud!
But if Sunset didn't take her back, she would never be whole again. She would never be able to truly feel. And Lamia... she was in tremendous pain taking on Sunset's darkness.
Moondancer aimed her palm at Scarlet. "Looks like this is farewell, treacherous beast. You shall not be missed." Light gathered at the center of her hand and exploded forth.
Scarlet raised her head and roared, a jet of fire spewing from her mouth. The two forces collided, lighting up the terrace with flashes of red and white.
Sunset saw Moondancer's light slowly overcoming Scarlet's fire, and felt conviction stir within her. "Girls, I know how this is going to sound, but we can't let Moondancer finish off Scarlet."
Rainbow looked at her like she was crazy. "Yeah, you better have a good reason."
Pinkie gasped and slapped a hand against her forehead. "Because Scarlet is part of Sunset! She needs her to be Sunset again!"
Rainbow frowned. "Okay, that's a pretty good reason," she said begrudgingly.
"And because Lamia is still in there," Sunset said. "You saw how she was before she transformed. She didn't want this. I know she kidnapped me but... we have to help her."
"Ah'm guessing you have a plan?" Applejack asked, watching the beam struggle turn in Moondancer's favor.
Sunset bit her lips. "I have... a hypothesis."
"Good enough," Rainbow said. "What's the plan?"
"Distract Moondancer, please."
Rainbow gave her wings a quick ruffle. "Oh, I'm all over that!" She took to the air, looping around the light beam and up to Moondancer, giving her a solid shoulder tackle to the side. The beam dissipated, leaving the fire to erupt through the air.
"Rainbow Dash, how dare you interrupt me! I'm about to rid the world of this darkness!"
"And then, you were gonna steal our souls!" Rainbow put her fists up. "Sorry if I'm not in a grateful mood!"
While Rainbow threw the first punch, Sunset approached Scarlet, still struggling in her chains. Sunset took baby steps, freezing for a second every time her feet matched up. I can do this. She took another step, froze again, gathered her courage, then took another step. Almost there.
Scarlet snapped her head toward her, and Sunset became no more than well-dressed stone.
"You. Maybe I can't beat Moondancer, but I can still beat you!" Scarlet opened her mouth, an orange glow rising in her throat.
"You need me!" Sunset blurted out.
The glow faded. "I need you?" Scarlet said with humorous disbelief.
Sunset inched closer. "You're only half complete. And so am I. We're two halves of the same person. We need each other to survive. Lamia is only human--she doesn't have any magic in her. You're feeding off the surrounding magic and it's fading. I can tell. And I bet you sharing a body isn't healthy for her either."
Scarlet made a resentful growl. "Her body is as weak as her will. But I just need her as a vessel. My own strength will come back in time. And then, I'll have the powers of a god! So no, I don't need you." She flexed her arms against the chains, straining their durability.
"You've done nothing but shoved me away and ignored me!" she grunted. "I won't be denied any longer! You're going to regret throwing away your past--your power!"
The chains snapped, and Sunset threw herself back into the protective arms of her friends as Scarlet stretched her wings and lifted herself up before them.
"This is where you die." Scarlet's hand glowed molten red. Rarity raised her arms and tried to conjure another shield, but Scarlet swiped her hand and shattered it like glass. "Sunset first, then the rest of you will follow."
Pinkie threw her firework, and the blast pushed Scarlet back, but otherwise only irritated her. She glided forward, hand outstretched.
Twilight stood in front of Sunset again. "I will not move this time! I will not lose her again!"
Scarlet drew her hand back. "Don't worry. The separation will be temporary!"
As Scarlet struck her claws forward, a fleeting inferno blazed through Sunset's soul. She shoved Twilight out of the way and raised her hand to meet Scarlet's. They connected, and before Sunset could feel the blistering pain, her world went white. |
Spectacular Seven | Phoenix Rising II: Crimson Waltz Under the Moon | Memories.
Dozens of memories rushed through Sunset. Painful ones. Things she wished she had forgotten. Broken promises, yells of accusation, rebellion, manipulation, underhanded and petty schemes, and a long fall from power.
They dragged on, one after the other with no respite. Sunset wanted to scream and cry and beg for them to end. She hated that part of herself: the selfish, arrogant, spiteful tyrant who thought the world was her birthright. Sunset tried to raise her arms to block the pour of memories, but it was like someone had strapped iron weights to her wrists.
A scream finally tore its way out of Sunset's throat as she relived putting on that fated crown and the painful transformation that followed. Her voice echoed back to her, rattling her eardrums, and she finally found the strength to raise her arms and cover her ears.
The memory faded, leaving only a black stain across Sunset's vision. She closed her eyes and willed the nightmare to end. When she opened them, the darkness remained, an empty void of nothing, save for Scarlet. She too had her claws pressed against her skull. Her eyes opened and she twisted about, flapping her wings to stay airborne, whereas Sunset found firm footing on an unseeable ground.
Scarlet threw her gaze upon Sunset. "Where are we? What did you do? Why did I see all those disgusting, happy memories?"
"Memories," Sunset said in a daze. "My memories." She looked at Scarlet, truly seeing her for the first time. So alike, yet so different. Two halves of the same whole. "I understand now."
"Understand what?" Scarlet lifted her hand, conjuring a fireball to light up the darkness. "Explain what's going on before I kill you!"
Sunset flinched back for a moment, but clenched her fists and squared her shoulders. "I don't know how I know, but we're in the space between the two halves of our souls." As she said it, Sunset could feel the other half of her emotions, the pieces of joy, excitement, and courage, along with all of her missing anger, guilt, and passion. It flowed from Scarlet's direction, hitting her like a warm wind. Scarlet winced and dropped the fire from her hand. Sunset could feel empathy, kindness, and love blowing against her back.
Scarlet shook off the emotional gale and flexed her claws. "So what? Is this your little ploy to get me to come back with you? It won't work! I hate you! And in case you've forgotten, you're terrified of me!" Two orbs of fire appeared over her outstretched palms. "This is finally where we say goodbye."
Sunset met Scarlet's advanced, slowly marching forward, feeling the wind bring back her confidence. "You're right," she said, the tremble leaving her voice. She forced herself not to look away from Scarlet. "I was terrified of you. I ran from you. I ignored you. I rejected you."
The orbs of fire dimmed and Scarlet froze, her malicious gleam and victorious smirk disappearing. "What are you doing?"
"Something I should have done a long time ago." Her voice found an even and confident rhythm. "I did a lot of terrible things in my past. Hurt a lot of people just to get to the top. Sometimes I hurt them just because I could. I'm not proud of it. I came to resent it, hate it. I wanted to bury it and leave it dead, but it always came back to haunt me, so I came to hate it even more." Sunset raised a hand.
Scarlet started gliding backwards, staying just out of Sunset's reach. Beads of sweat trickled across her forehead, and she refused to meet Sunset's eyes. The fireballs fizzled out and scattered into embers. She snapped her fingers, trying to reignite them, but gained only sparks.
"Sometimes I wished I could forget. I hid from you behind my friends, fending you off until I thought I could deal with you." Sunset moved with more confidence, her voice growing stronger with each step. "But the truth is, I never intended to deal with you. I was going to keep running. I didn't know if the path would take me anywhere. I still don't know. But anywhere was better than my past."
Sunset stopped moving, and so did Scarlet. "They say you should never look back, never look behind you. Just keep moving forward. But sometimes, you need to look behind you to see how far you've come--to gain a new perspective on where you are now, and where you need to go."
Scarlet snarled and lifted her claws, finally forming a writing bundle of flames. She hurled it down at Sunset, grinning maniacally when it made contact.
When the smoke cleared, Sunset still stood with the same determined expression.
"What?" Scarlet screeched. "What do you want from me?"
Sunset's eyes softened. "You're a part of me. And while I didn't want to admit it, you're a part I need. It's not what you need to do, it's what I need to do. Something I should have done when I learned I had friends who accepted me despite my past and wanted to help me grow. Something I should have done when I was on stage, and they told me I had nothing to fear from my magic. I want to accept you. My past."
A white light engulfed Scarlet's arms and spread its way across her body. She didn't scream, or yell, or cry in agony. She just stared at Sunset with wide eyes and an open mouth, until the light covered her completely. Her outline shrank and contorted, remolding itself within the light. The new form touched down on the invisible floor, and when the light faded away, what was left was a small unicorn with an amber coat and a curling mane of crimson and gold. Her eight rayed yellow and red cutie mark was printed on her flank.
The pony Sunset Shimmer sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "You're a real sap, you know that?"
Sunset smiled. "Yeah. The price of having friends, I guess. You get a little sentimental from time to time." She took a knee, keeping her hand extended. "What do you say? Think it's time we stopped fighting ourselves and become friends?"
The little pony turned her head away. "Maybe I like fighting. Maybe I like being alone."
"Yeah. Being alone is nice. But we both know we're happier when we're with someone. And don't worry. Rainbow and Trixie will give us plenty of fights." Sunset jerked her head to the side. "And there's a certain rich girl begging for a beatdown."
She slowly began to turn her head back to Sunset, hesitation still in her eyes. "What about the future?"
Sunset raised her other hand and made a fist. "We'll face it together. Once we stop worrying about the past, the future will be no problem. Promise."
Their eyes met, two sets of teal staring into two halves of their soul. Sunset saw the guilt of her past, the fear of her future, and the crushing loneliness within her pony's half. To balance it out, she filled her eyes with reassuring warmth, fiery confidence, and the promise of friendship.
The pony swallowed and nodded. She reached her hoof out, tears falling off her face as she did. "I'm sorry I made so much trouble for you."
Sunset shrugged. "It made me a stronger person. And hey, it's in the past now. A past I can accept."
A bright glow blossomed between them when their hoof and hand connected. Pony Sunset smiled and burst into hundreds of gold lights that floated into Sunset. An intense warmth spread throughout her body, like she was on fire from the inside. It was a pleasant fire, comforting like a hearth on a snowy day. She stood up straight and looked at her hands, watching a gold aura overcome her as the dark void became white.
"I accept my past and what I've done, and I won't run from it. But I won't let it define me..."
*******
Sunset opened her eyes in time to see Lamia fall to the ground, unconscious. Several things happened at once after that.
Her friends shouted her name, and a pair of arms wrapped around her middle, just as the fiery warmth bloomed through her body and burst free. A golden shimmer flowed around her, and the soothing fire now ran across her skin. There was a yelp behind her, and the pair of arms released themselves. Sunset swirled around, finding Twilight being held upright by Applejack. The two of them, along with the others, stared at Sunset with open mouthes.
"What?" Sunset asked.
"Did Sunset just go Super Saiyan and I missed it?" Rainbow yelled. Sunset looked up at her and Moondancer, still hovering in the air.
"The hell's a Super Saiyan?" Sunset asked, knowing it was probably another dumb pop culture thing.
"Sunset's back!" Pinkie cheered, jumping into the air. "And she's got her fire back! Literally!"
Sunset felt a nerve begin to twitch. "What are you talking about?"
Rarity pointed just over Sunset's shoulder. "Your wings and tail seem to be on fire. Your hair looks amazing though."
Sunset craned her neck to finally see what everyone was gaping at. Sprouting from her shoulder blades yet somehow not harming one thread on her dress were golden, fiery wings to match the long tail extending off her tailbone. They flickered and danced like flames in a bonfire, and with a single thought, her wings flapped.
"Celestia's golden horseshoes," Sunset said in awe. It wasn't just heat flowing through her--it was power. Similar to the rush she experienced at the Fall Formal, only this time, there was no pain to accompany it--no madness. Just the desire to protect everyone she loved.
A round of sarcastic clapping brought Sunset's attention back up to Moondancer. "Oh yes, bravo! Once again, the universe bends to your whim! Isn't she just so special!"
Rainbow balled a fist. "All right, I'm sick of--"
Moondancer struck her in the chest with a bolt of light, sending her back to ground with a look of incomprehension. "Full disclosure: I never liked you either, Rainbow."
"Rainbow!" Fluttershy ran to her side once again.
The fire around Sunset grew warmer, and with a single flap of her wings, she found herself at eye level with Moondancer. "You can rip my soul out as many times as you like," Sunset said, her voice hard as steel, "but you don't touch my friends."
"Such noble sentiments. But I know what you really are underneath that glamour of light," Moondancer spat.
"No, I don't think you do. Yeah, you've seen what I used to be. Maybe that's all you want to see." Sunset spread her arms and her wings. "But that isn't me anymore! My name is Sunset Shimmer, and on behalf of my friends, I'm gonna kick your ass!"
Moondancer rolled her eyes, which, Sunset noticed, were quite sunken. "I tried to give you a mercy. You should have stayed in the Soul Lock." Her mouth split into a maniacal smile. "But this is fine! I'll prove that your flashy show of power means nothing! I am the leading actress here!"
Light gathered around her open hand and she swiped it through the air, slicing it with a sickle of magic. "This is your last scene, Sunset!"
In hindsight, it might been a good idea to see if I even have powers right now. Sunset dropped herself a few feet to avoid her face getting cut, then frantically flapped her new wings to back away from Moondancer's rapier. She didn't think Rarity would forgive her a second time for ruining a dance dress.
Sunset gave a powerful stroke of her wings to open the gap between her and Moondancer. The hot blast of air her wings created forced Moondancer to cover her face, leaving Sunset more time to try out a hunch. She drew upon her unicorn instincts, only instead of channeling her focus to where her horn should be, she directed it to her outstretched hand. Sure enough, a ball of fire burst to life, bright as a miniature sun.
"Hey, Moondancer! Catch!" Sunset lobbed the fireball at her.
Moondancer struck with her rapier, only to have the ball explode upon contact. She fanned the smoke away with her white wings, coughing and covered with soot. Sunset flew through the remaining ash clouds, spun around, and drove her heel into Moondancer's stomach.
"That's for Rainbow!" Sunset yelled as Moondancer tumbled back, wheezing. Sunset watched her recover, not daring to look back at Twilight. Sunset could only imagine the range of emotions twisting through her.
Moondancer righted herself, a hateful gleam in her sunken eyes. "How touching. Do you know what happens to people I care about?" A ball of light appeared in her hand, crackling with excess energy. "They get taken away!" She hurled it at Sunset.
It flew too fast to dodge, so Sunset swung her hand out of desperation, watching three scarlet trails follow along a few inches out. Her brief moment of marvel was interrupted when her hand connected against the light ball and rippling static coursed through her body, leaving her numb and her hand singed.
"Let the light burn the darkness!" Moondancer raised her rapier to the crescent moon above, then leveled it at Sunset's heart. "Let this blade strike true!" She dove for Sunset and was jerked back by a multi-colored handkerchief tied around her ankle. Moondancer looked down. "Trixie, what are you doing?"
"Stopping you from making a mistake!" Trixie tugged on the rope extending out of her wand. "Moondancer, none of this makes any sense! Why are you working with someone who wants to revive Tirek?"
"That, dear cousin, is none of your concern!" Moondancer slashed at the handkerchief, cutting herself free.
Fortunately, Sunset had regained most of the felling in her body. She swung her hand out again, watching claws of fire extend from the space in front of her fingers. "This just keeps getting cooler." She looked down at her friends, who all looked ready to spring to action. "Don't worry, girls. I think I got this."
As Moondancer let out a derisive scoff, Sunset charged at her, forcing her on the defensive. She evaded Sunset's claws and struck back with her sword, glowing red against the fire.
Moondancer lunged, and Sunset weaved to the side, then swung her hand out, her fire claws missing Moondancer's head by mere inches. With a gust of her angel wings, Moondancer pushed Sunset back, then aimed her free hand skyward and unleashed another volley of the light flares.
Sunset threw herself back to get out of their range. Thrusting a hand forward, a burst of fire shot from her palm and hit one of the flares, vaporizing it. She alternated hands, throwing pitch after pitch of flame to stop Moondancer's attacks from reaching her friends. The fire never burned against her palms. Like her wings and tail, it felt pleasant as it left her.
Moondancer fired a quick lance of energy at Sunset during her target practice. Sunset tried to maneuver to the side, but the beam cut a hole through her right wing.
"Augh!" Sunset stumbled, but the hole was quickly covered by more fire and she righted herself. Okay, so I can feel pain with these. Good to know. Lots of learning happening tonight.
Moondancer rose higher in the sky and spread her arms wide. A dozen beads of light popped into existence around her, growing larger by the second. They formed wings and beaks and started to twitter with an otherworldly echo. With a sneer and a point of her blade, the ghostly birds dove at Sunset.
Sunset turned and flew as fast as she could, hearing their tiny wingbeats right behind her. She heard Moondancer give a mad cackle and looked back to see her directing them like a symphony conductor.
The twittering grew louder, and Sunset had to dive to avoid one bird from side-swiping her face. She banked hard left in front of the hotel, forcing two of them to crash into the building where they disintegrated. She was headed straight for the distorted skyline. Furrowing her brow, Sunset pulled herself into a sharp ascension as she got to the edge of the terrace. Three more birds kept going and vanished just over the balcony.
So that's how it is. Sunset brought herself into a backward loop, seeing the terrace float above her for a second before coming around and heading for the barrier again. This time, she kept going.
It was like passing through a thick veil of mist. Sunset felt wet for a moment, but that was either part of the illusion, or her wings dried her off with impressive speed. The bright lights of the real Canterlot spread out before her; glowing roads and sparkling towers of downtown teemed with life. The real moon glowed above, smiling down on the city. And here Sunset was, soaring above it all.
Her heart swelled. She threw her arms out and let out a whoop of delight. She was free! She was Sunset again! She felt elated and strong and loved and... she just felt!
A dive bombing bird broke her reverie. She spiraled to the left to avoid it and looped back around toward the hotel. From here, it looked like the terrace was dark and empty. She could remember where Moondancer had been floating before though. Rolling over another bird, she shot back toward the barrier, a scarlet trail behind her.
One second, the terrace was dark, then, there was the cool sensation of mist, and Moondancer and everyone else blinked back into existence. Sunset rushed toward Moondancer's back side then dropped into a steep dive. She heard Moondancer give a pained shout above her.
Moondancer gripped the back of her head while she kicked her legs about. Her remaining birds vanished into wisps of silvery air. She looked down at Sunset with narrowed eyes.
"I... grow... tired of this!" she said between her teeth.
"That makes two of us." Sunset blasted her with a short flame. Moondancer threw a hasty shield up that blocked only part of the blast. The remainder of it snuck through the cracks and set fire to the sleeves of Moondancer's dress. She wildly flapped and smacked at it until it went out, leaving a singed hole and an angry welt.
With a wild yell, Moondancer threw herself at Sunset again. Her lunge was lopsided and sluggish, evidently still dazed from her blow to the head. Sunset moved to the side, letting Moondancer stumble past her. She then grabbed Moondancer's arms and pulled them behind her back, giving them a sharp twist so she dropped her blade.
"You hate me, I get that," Sunset said. "But Trixie's right, siding with some soul-stealing warlock? He already took you mom."
Moondancer thrashed in her grip. "Don't talk about things you don't understand!"
Sunset gripped harder. "Listen, I saw her when you shoved me into the medallion. She wanted me to tell you--aaugh!" She released Moondancer and held a hand to her sore nose, finding blood.
"Don't you dare speak to me about my mother!" Red splotches covered Moondancer's wet cheeks. "How? How does filth like you crawl out of the darkest abyss, while my mother--who could escape anything--continues to languish there?" She threw a hand above her head and began gathering moonlight.
"She chose to stay! She chose to fight Tirek and stop him!"
"Liar!" The light gathered into another orb, quickly doubling in size. "She loves me! She wouldn't choose to stay in some dark pit! She would pick me! Somebody has to pick me!"
Sunset clenched a fist, feeling it heat up. "You're right, she loves you. That's why she chose to stay. She's trying to give you a better world."
"I'm trying to create a better world! And to do that, Tirek must be revived!" The sphere had reached the size of a car and looked like the full moon. "And you must die!" Moondancer flung her arm down, bringing the magic bomb with it.
Let no one say I didn't try to reason with her. Sunset pushed her hands out, releasing twin jets of fire against the light. They crashed against the surface, sending embers flying in every direction. Sunset could feel the weight of the ball trying to crash down on her and her friends.
"Here's the finale, Sunset Shimmer!" The glow and wind from the clashing powers cast a lighting across Moondancer's face that gave her a look of grinning insanity.
Sunset grunted under the magic's weight. Despite Moondancer's exhaustion, she still had quite a lot of magic left to throw at Sunset. Cheers floated up to her ears, and she looked over her shoulder to see her friends shouting her name.
"Ah've heard enough of her fancy talk!" Applejack said.
"Yes, show that drama queen what's what!" Rarity added.
Fluttershy let out an impassioned yell.
Sunset grinned. For you girls? Anything.
Her flamethrowers turned gold and pushed the orb in reverse. Moondancer held her position, eyes growing frantic. As the ball edged closer and closer, she finally released her grip on it, ducking as it sailed past her head and high into the sky, where it exploded like a gold and white firework.
Sunset blew the smoke off her hand. "Show's over, Moondancer."
Moondancer doubled over, clutching her arm. Her breaths came out in ragged gasps and her ethereal wings flickered, nearly dropping her. Her face contorted in concentration, getting them to fully manifest again, but Sunset knew she had reached her full extent. Around them, Sunset saw the illusion barrier flicker and fade out.
"How... how are you so much stronger than me?" Moondancer asked, her voice heavy with desperation.
Sunset balled her fists by her side as she drifted closer. "I could list a number of reasons. But I'll give it to you straight: you're drawing magic from a world still depleted of it. You're not like the other Lulamoons. Magic doesn't flow through your veins."
"Don't you--"
"So you had to gain it the hard way, didn't you?" Sunset asked over her. "You trained your soul to tap into this world's magic. But it's not enough to stand up to me. My magic comes from my homeworld. It still flows within me." She held a hand to her heart and grinned. "It doesn't hurt that I'm drawing on the strongest magic of all. Can you guess what that is?"
Moondancer didn't answer opting to bare her teeth instead.
"It's friendship. That's where I get my strength from." Sunset raised a hand over her head, a sheath of fire coating her fingers. "So, word of advice, Moondancer..." She brought her arm down, clawing the air and leaving ribbons of light behind.
"Don't screw with my friends!"
The cry of a phoenix covered Moondancer's scream and echoed across the night sky. Moondancer stumbled back through the air, her wings fading again until they were mere outlines. She dropped to the rooftop, her wings catching her one last time to break the fall. She pressed her hands against the left side of her face as she hunched over on her knees, shaking and sobbing.
Sunset touched the ground and quickly found herself surrounded by her friends, all trying to avoid her fiery wings. It was Pinkie who latched onto Sunset and gasped, not out of pain, but in satisfaction.
"Your wings make your hugs extra warm now!"
Rainbow ran a finger through Sunset's wings. "Wow, she's right. Doesn't burn."
With that, Sunset was promptly glomped by all of her friends in the warmest group hug to date. She made an exaggerated eye roll, but smiled.
"I missed you girls." She allowed herself to enjoy their embrace a moment longer until she could no longer ignore Moondancer's whimpering sobs. She fidgeted, giving her friends the hint, and was released from their hold.
Twilight kept herself by Sunset's shoulder as they approached Moondancer. The girl lifted her head, keeping a hand against her face. Sunset could see tips of the cauterized lacerations across the bridge of her nose and her neck.
"D-don't th-think you've b-bested me," Moondancer said, trying to swallow her tears. She pushed herself up, knees shaking. "This is far from o-over! I will--"
"That's enough, Moondancer," a cool voice said.
Sunset and Twilight whipped their heads around to the other end of the courtyard. Tempest stood in front of a swirling vortex of darkness, one arm behind her back while the other sleeve of her jacket wafted in the wind. A spike of fury shot through Sunset, and she hurled a crimson flare at Tempest.
She sidestepped it with a blase look. "I should thank you, Sunset. The magic generated here has been abundant, meaning Moondancer hasn't made this a complete failure. You continue to show extraordinary expectations." She looked past Sunset. "Now, Moondancer, return to headquarters before you embarrass yourself any more." She lifted her hand, and a portal appeared behind Moondancer.
A blue plume of smoke burst up next to Sunset, and out stepped Artemis, wand at the ready. He spun in a half circle, looking from Moondancer, to Sunset, to Trixie, then to Tempest. "What in magic's name is going on here?"
"Father?" Trixie ran up to him. "What are you doing here?"
"My magic senses suddenly started going haywire and I followed it to here. What is all this?"
"Moondancer," Tempest barked, "we're leaving." She backed into the portal. "Keep up the good work, Spectacular Seven." The portal faded into wisps behind her.
Artemis turned to Moondancer. "Sweetie, what's..."
Moondancer backed into her own portal, her visible eye wet with sorrow. "I won't ask for your forgiveness. But I ask you do not get involved." Her eye found Twilight, and a lump appeared in her throat. "You'll understand soon enough." The portal closed around her and vanished.
A hush fell over the terrace. Sunset looked around, surveying the damage they had caused. Broken columns and tiles, scorched grass, and Lamia laying unconscious.
"Before we go any further," Artemis said, "are you girls all right?"
Sunset wiped the blood from her nose. "A little bruised. But this is the best I've felt in a long time."
"And after seeing Moondancer get pummeled, I think we're all feeling pretty good," Rainbow said. "Ow!" She rubbed her ribs where Applejack had elbowed her. "No offense."
Twilight didn't respond. Her eyes rested on the spot where Moondancer had vanished.
The girls took turns explaining the night's events to Artemis, his expression growing more grim with every sentence. Trixie explained how Moondancer had been using the Archon Amulet Lamia had stolen to increase her magical abilities, and Twilight meekly confirmed that Moondancer had trained herself to be able to wield magic in the first place. Sunset had a grim satisfaction in the fact that she beat Moondancer even with her using magical enhancements.
Artemis let his head fall into an open palm and sighed. "I don't understand. Why, Moondancer? If you're in trouble, why didn't you tell me?"
"Maybe she couldn't," Twilight said softly. "Maybe she still can't."
"Perhaps. I intended to get to the bottom of this. It's already spiraling out of control." He smiled at them. "I'm glad to see all of you got out of this unharmed. Some of you got even stronger."
Sunset flapped her wings. "Brings up a few more questions than answers, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth."
"Yeah, the night could've turned out a lot worse than it did," Applejack said.
Artemis tipped his hat. "And you should enjoy what's left of it. I'll see all of you later."
"Wait!" Sunset pointed at Lamia. "Could you take her with you? I know she's the one who kidnapped me but... I think she might have been a victim in this, too."
He tugged on his goatee. "Selena isn't going to like this."
"Just for a little while. I just want to talk to her when she wakes up."
Artemis pulled his wand out. "All right. But that makes her your responsibility. I'm not cleaning up any mess she makes. Lulamoon!" And with another puff of smoke, he and Lamia were gone.
"We should probably get out of here," Applejack said. "Ah hate leavin' this place a mess, but there's no way we could explain what happened."
Rainbow waved it off. "Please, these people are rich enough to pay for it."
"And Artemis is right!" Pinkie said. "We still have an hour left before Prom is over! It'll double as our 'Sunset is really back and kicks butt' party!"
Rarity gasped. "And I need to tell Flash we're all right. Let's go, girls. If we hurry, we might see who the Prom King and Queen are."
They moved for the door, but Sunset noticed Twilight lagging behind, her eyes looking out over the horizon. "You girls go ahead. Twilight and I will be there soon," Sunset said. None of them gave any disagreements. They all just smiled knowingly.
I hate when they do that. She turned back toward Twilight, trying to think of a comforting word. "Hey--ooof!"
Twilight threw herself against Sunset burying her face into the crook of her neck. Sunset held her, feeling warm tears roll down the front of her dress. They stood in embrace on the rooftop, their silence broken only by Twilight's sniffles.
"I'm sorry," Twilight said, wiping her eyes.
"You keep saying that. What are you sorry for?"
"A lot of things. About Moondancer, about not being able to tell you were missing an actual part of yourself, about not being able to protect you."
Sunset ran a hand through Twilight's hair. "None of those things are your fault. So don't worry about them, okay? I should be apologizing to you about Moondancer. I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now."
Twilight squeezed her eyes closed and pressed her face against Sunset's neck again. "Confusion mostly. A little betrayal. A little stupid. I thought you were getting along. I had no idea she wanted to..."
"Neither did I. I guess I should apologize again. I kinda lied to you. Moondancer and I never really got along. She was jealous you were dating me, and I... just didn't like her. We tried to look past it for your sake though, but..."
Twilight shook her head, her hair tickling Sunset. "I guess it doesn't matter now." She hiccuped. "Did she really do all this out of jealousy?"
"I think it was only part of it." Sunset looked off toward the city, spotting Canterlot Tower, the lights turned off for the night. "I think something else is at play."
"Magic," Twilight said with a hint of bitterness. "I remember when everything made sense and had rationale. Now... it's all a confusing mess. Even what I'm feeling is confusing. I should be furious at her but I'm just... sad. And I feel so useless."
Sunset lifted Twilight's chin. "You're not useless. You're the furthest thing from useless as can be. I've told you before, Twilight, you're amazing. You're a rare kind of amazing. You don't have to have magic to be useful; your scientific brain has already done a lot for us."
She moved her hands down to Twilight's waist and began to slowly rock from side to side. "The fact that you stood up to Scarlet and Moondancer is amazing on its own. That took courage, and courage isn't useless." Sunset added a little foot movement to their rhythm. She moved one hand and placed it in Twilight's. "While my soul was away, it was dreaming. Do you want to know what my dream was?"
Twilight nodded.
"It was of you. Us being together." Sunset blushed. She couldn't give Twilight the full details. Not yet. She didn't want to get either of their hopes up that far. "And when I was trying to get out, your love for me was what helped me escape."
A goofy smile broke across Twilight's face, her cheeks burning brighter than Sunset's wings. "I just... I missed you."
"I missed you, too." Sunset guided Twilight through more decisive steps and a slow rotation. They moved to a song that played only in their heads. Sunset wanted to think it was Symphony of Angels. "Before when I said it, I couldn't fully mean it. My heart wasn't in the words. Or, my soul, really. But now..."
Sunset closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Twilight's. Twilight moved her arms around Sunset's neck and hung on like her life depended on it. It felt so similar yet so different from the first kiss they shared at the Winter Ball. That had been a kiss for understanding, for Twilight to know just how honest Sunset's blossoming feelings were.
This kiss shared that quality, but had its deep passion as well. Her fledgling feelings had evolved from that dance half a year ago. Sunset felt it now. She nibbled Twilight's lip and explored her mouth, then allowed her to do the same. A radiant heat bloomed in Sunset's chest as she wrapped her arms around Twilight's middle. They slowly pulled apart, both of them smiling.
"I love you," Sunset said breathlessly. Her heart danced in her chest.
Twilight leaned in for a second, shorter kiss then said, "I know." She laughed when Sunset pinched her side, then rested her head against Sunset's shoulder as they continued their slow dance.
"Are you scared of heights?" Sunset asked, looking up at the sky. A few light clouds had rolled in.
"Not particularly. Why?"
Sunset scooped Twilight up into her arms. "Hold on tight." Before Twilight could make any protests, Sunset leaped into the air, giving her wings a powerful beat. The terrace grew smaller and smaller as they headed up toward the moon.
"S-Sunset! Wait! What are we doing?" Twilight kept her arms fiercely locked around Sunset's neck. This time her life really did depend on it.
"Well, they were still around and I couldn't go back to the dance with them. I figured, why not have some fun?"
Canterlot stretched out below her, glittering lights of buildings and cars and neon signs. Multicolored stars of different shapes and sizes scattered over the land. Just maybe, this Canterlot had something over hers. Sunset flew higher still, the warmth of her wings keeping the chill away.
Twilight had her face pressed into Sunset's chest, her eyes squeezed shut. Sunset lowered her head and rubbed Twilight's cheek with her nose.
"Go ahead, look. I promise, you're safe."
Twilight took a chance and peeked down. Her gasp was lost on the wind, but she said, "It's so beautiful. I've never seen Canterlot like this."
"Yeah, it's pretty incredible." Sunset closed her eyes, savoring the wind on her face and the excited flutter in her stomach.
They stayed just below the cloud layer. Sunset hoped no one could see them this high, though if any one person did spot them, she felt they would have a hard time being believed. She flew Twilight over downtown, across the countryside, and all the way to the ocean's shore.
Sunset brought them a little lower so they could hear the waves. The moon glinted against the water, giving it glossy shine that proved hypnotic. As they flew along the coast, Sunset inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the sea.
Twilight looked up from the view and into Sunset's eyes. A few tears flew out, carried off by the wind. She leaned up and kissed Sunset passionately again.
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
********
Moondancer collapsed onto the bottom step in the entrance hall, still clutching her face. The blistering pain renewed itself every time Moondancer so much as twitched. It felt as if someone had pressed three strips of burning metal against her face and wouldn't move them, no matter how much she begged.
The rest of her didn't fare much better. Every muscle in her body was tired, and she had a splitting headache. Then, there was her heart, lying in a shattered pile back on the rooftop.
Tempest stood in front of her, something like triumph on her face. "Well, Moondancer, you utterly failed to bring any of the souls you promised."
Moondancer looked at the floor. This was it. All her plans were about to amount to nothing. At least she would see her mother again.
Tempest began to pace, gesturing lazily with her hand. "And we've lost Scarlet. Though I suppose you can't be blamed entirely for that one. All in all, this has not been a good night for you, has it?"
Moondancer didn't answer. The heat of the Archon Amulet burned against her skin, but she had expelled all her rage with her last attack.
"But..." Tempest halted. "Your little showdown did manage to generate an unexpected amount of magic. And seeing those girls develop their powers might have given me an idea..."
Moondancer inched her head up, wincing at the movement. Did she dare hope?
"As much as I'd love to do it... taking your soul isn't going to undo our problems. So yes, Moondancer, you get to live another day." She knelt before Moondancer, raised her hand, and pressed it against the hand Moondancer was using to cover her face.
She let out a short yell of pain at the pressure. It was what she imagined an animal being branded felt when the poker was pushed into them.
Tempest spoke in a low, smug voice. "Remember this pain next time you think of doing something foolish. Remember the humiliation you just suffered. Then, remember I can make it ten times worse." Tempest let go and straightened up. "You're not to have anymore contact with anyone. Period. Not that you have anyone left to talk to outside."
With a sweep of her cloak, she walked away, passing Night Shade as he stood at the mouth of a corridor. Moondancer paid him no mind. She couldn't with the tears blurring her eyes.
Night Shade cleared his throat. "Lemon Fresh," he said sorrowfully to one of the maids. "Fetch some ice and ointment for my daughter." He turned and followed after Tempest.
When Lemon Fresh bowed and hurried from the room, Moondancer reached into her blouse and ripped off the amulet. A rush of cool air washed over her, flooding her mind with calm thoughts... and regret. She leaned back against the stairs, fighting the sobs building in her throat.
She had been scarred. She had betrayed her family. And she had lost her only friend.
With a quivering sigh, she looked up to the ceiling. I'll get it all back soon. I just have to survive. |
Spectacular Seven | Phoenix Rising III: Pomp and Circumstance | Sunset and Twilight had returned to Prom just as the final song had ended. They weren't perturbed in the slightest. They had shared a dance over the ocean; what was the dance floor to them now?
Flash, of course, had been named Prom King, and in a pleasant surprise, Ditzy had been crowned Queen. Rarity had been a little put out, but Sunset assured her that, if she had run, Rarity would have won in a landslide.
The nine of them stayed out until well past midnight, taking the limo to a sweet shoppe not too far from the hotel. They spent half an hour recapping to Flash what had transpired on the roof, and when Sunset saw Twilight emotionally retreating, she changed the topic to their last two weeks of school.
After dessert, they were dropped off one by one, Twilight and Sunset sharing one more kiss while Trixie pretended to gag behind them.
"I'm sorry about Moondancer," Sunset said as the limo took them home.
Trixie looked out the window, her expression sullen. "So am I. I can't believe she would side with our mortal enemy. Though, maybe Twilight is right. Maybe she doesn't have a choice."
Lamia slept for two days following Prom. Like Artemis had said, Selena did not take immense pleasure in housing the thief, but did so out of kindness to Sunset. They kept her on a cot in the second spare bedroom, filled with a random assortment of extra clothes and other moving boxes that had been left in storage.
Sunset returned home after school on Monday, surprised when Spot was not waiting for her as she opened the front door, but was instead upstairs, barking at the closed door to her room. Sunset opened it and found Lamia lounging on her bed, reading one of her old science notebooks.
"Finally," she said exasperatedly. She sat up and tossed the notebook away. "Do you know how bored I was waiting for you? You don't even have a diary or porn magazines to read in here."
"Why would..." Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. "You could at least say thank you. I could have easily sent you to jail."
"I was getting to that." Lamia got off the bed and stretched, popping her shoulders. "Oh man, this is the best I've felt in a month." She let out a relieved sigh. "Okay, listen, kid. Your tattle-tailing is the reason I got wrapped up in all this, so in a way, this is all your fault."
Sunset grit her teeth, feeling a rush of expletives rising to her throat.
Lamia held a hand up. "But, I also admit, maybe I didn't make some of the best decisions along the way." She walked over to the window and gazed out it. "I got tired of fighting all these people with magical powers. My luck had turned real sour real fast. They said that if I took that magic you had, it would give me an even playing field. I was dumb enough to listen."
She turned an eye on Sunset. "They wanted to see if they could put a soul in another body, and I was their guinea pig. I don't know how you do it. They put that... demon thing inside me and I couldn't keep a lid on it. All I felt was hatred and jealousy and... it hurt."
Sunset eased her jaw. "Yeah... it takes a lot out of you. But I'm not fighting with it anymore. I've just come to accept it."
"Hmph. Sounds cheesy." Lamia crossed her arms. "But what I'm trying to say is yeah, I'm sorry for going a little too far with wanting revenge. And thanks for taking that demon out."
"You're welcome."
Lamia flopped back onto Sunset's bed. "So why didn't you send me to jail?"
Sunset picked up the notebook Lamia had tossed and put it away while looking for anything else Lamia had mishandled. "I wanted to hear your side of the story. You were in pain when we came up to the terrace. And I wanted to see what you knew about Tempest and what she's planning."
A tense silence fell between them. Sunset turned and saw Lamia had sat up, but was staring fixedly at the carpet, her mouth twisted in a grimace. She raised her hands and ran them down her face.
"I... I'm sorry. I didn't want to... but I lost control..."
Sunset walked over to her. She held a comforting hand out but was unsure if it was the right gesture. Lamia didn't notice. She continued on her own.
"Tempest took me around... as Scarlet. She... she would use her find other people with magic and... and take their souls like she took yours. Then..." Lamia's voice trembled. "Then... she... I... I killed them.... Burned their bodies to ash."
Sunset dropped her hand. "Oh..." She moved and collapsed onto the bed next to Lamia. Suddenly, she could see the fire in her mind's eye. It was hazy and distant, like how her memories had been when her soul had been fractured.
An aching sadness pierced Sunset. Mournful tears for the lives lost slid down her face. She dropped her head into her hands. She had committed... No!
She snapped her head up. No. It had not been her who had done that. She would not feel guilty for a crime she did not commit. Remorseful, yes, but not guilty. Sunset stood up and moved in front of Lamia again.
"You didn't kill those people," she said firmly.
Lamia looked up at her, eyes damp. "Yes I--"
"No, you didn't. Scarlet did. Tempest did. But not you. And not me. Scarlet was a force that belonged fully to neither of us. She had her own will, her own motivation. Yes, she spawned from me and my tampering with powers I didn't fully understand, and yes, she was used through you. But neither of us had control of her. She was her own entity. So I refuse to believe that I murdered those people. And you should too."
Lamia stared up at her, not looking as convinced as Sunset could have hoped. Still, she gave a weak nod and took in a composed breath. "Yeah... yeah, sure. All right."
Sunset didn't believe her, but left it alone. "What else can you tell me about Tempest and her plans?"
Lamia leaned back on the bed, still looking distracted. "Not much. They kept me in the dark about most things. Even their base. They met a lot in Moondancer's fancy house, but Tempest would take me somewhere else via her freaky portals. They've got like, a lab somewhere underground."
Cliche villains are cliche.
"And Tempest," Lamia continued, "man, she's changed a lot. When I met her, she was just some explorer. She was really frail though. Wheezed and coughed a lot. I don't know what happened, but whatever power she got is apparently pretty healthy for her. She got a freaky shadow arm out of it."
"You've met her before?" Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Met her in Brazil. She was hunting some super rare snake, and I thought it'd be fun to tag along. Well, we found it, and I thought to myself, 'this would make a really great pet.'"
"So you stole it," Sunset deadpanned.
"And named him Jórmangandr." Lamia folded her arms behind her head. "So yeah, she didn't take too kindly to that. Forced me to work for her after she caught me stealing stuff for Loony Moony."
"Yeah, that revenge street runs two ways."
"Hey, if it helps, I'm done trying to get revenge against you. Load of good it's done me so far."
Sunset sat down at her desk. "So, what are you going to do now?"
Lamia glared at the ceiling. "Tempest has my snake. I'm going to get him back, we're going to steal something, then I'm finally going to retire to Greece."
Sunset snorted. "Good luck with that."
"Also, can I crash here for a bit? I've got nowhere else to go, and I think Tempest might try to hunt me down in case I 'know too much.' I figure here's probably safest."
Before Sunset could respond, a voice from down the hall yelled, "Absolutely not!"
*******
The remainder of the semester passed without fanfare. Sunset caught up in all of her classes thanks to Twilight and several more study/violin/make-out sessions that were interrupted by Shining just checking if Sunset still needed anything after her 'harrowing incident.' Moondancer no longer showed up to school, and while Sunset wanted to say she didn't care, her absence left a forebodence.
Artemis tried several times to visit the manor but no one ever answered the door. He had even spied on the house two separate nights, yet neither Moondancer nor her father made an appearance.
With begrudging acceptance, Lamia was allowed to stay with the Lulamoons. Sunset vouched for her, using herself as an example.
"You took me in. And I did some pretty bad things, too."
"Yes, but you were sorry for it," Selena argued.
"Hey, I said I was sorry too," Lamia said. "I didn't want to get tangled up in all this magical shit."
"Plus, her manners are terrible," Selena growled.
Sunset shrugged. "You got me there."
Lamia made an annoyed sigh. "I promise, I'll be on my best behavior. I'll probably be in my room most of the time anyway."
"It's not your room," Selena said, her growl getting lower.
A full hour of negotiation later, and the Lulamoons had a new guest. Out of all the ways her life could have gone, Sunset would have never guessed she'd be sleeping under the same roof as her dimensional counterpart.
Finals week dawned on the seniors of Canterlot High. Accumulated tests of everything they had learned during the past semester stood between them and their caps and gowns. Like at the end of the semesters before, exam anxiety ran high, and nerves were tested.
"Sunset, quiz me!" Twilight shouted during lunch on Monday, shoving her chemistry notebook into Sunset's hands.
"Didn't we do this yesterday?"
"Quiz me again! I will not fail my tests and get stripped of my valedictorian status! I already told my parents!"
Rainbow looked up from her own notes, eyes red and bleary. "I'm pretty sure it's impossible for you to fail a test."
"You don't know that! What if I sit down and just forget everything?"
"Then wouldn't studying be ultimately pointless?" Pinkie asked.
Twilight began to hyperventilate.
Sunset smacked Pinkie on the head with the notebook. "Sparky, you're a genius. You're going to be fine. But if it helps you relax, yes, I'll quiz you again."
The exams began the next day, starting with history for Sunset. She looked at the four page, double-sided packet laying on her desk. The solace in this is that I'll never have to worry about history again.
She looked over at Rarity, gave her an encouraging thumbs up, and set to work. Of course Mr. Noteworthy couldn't make an easy test. Many of the questions were fill in the blanks or short answers with only a handful of multiple choice. Even with the two hours allotted, Sunset ran the clock down with her precise answers and need to triple check everything.
Her test in English wasn't as stressful. Two pages of multiple choice and true or false questions followed by a short essay. She finished it with time to spare and studied for her remaining tests after handing it in to Miss Cheerilee.
Wednesday brought the heavy science tests, starting with physics. Even with her abundant studying, the exam left Sunset chewing on the end of her pencil as she re-read each question before writing out an answer. She could feel an oncoming headache by the end of it, and still had chemistry to get through. Lunch would have been a welcome respite, but she spent half of it keeping Twilight calm.
"Fifteen percent of our grade. Fifteen!"
"And you already have a one-hundred," Sunset said reassuringly. "You're fine."
"Yeah, even if you completely tank it, you'd still pass the class," Rainbow said in a confident voice that told Sunset she was at least trying to be helpful.
After practically spoon feeding Twilight her lunch, it was time for chemistry. They sat next to each other, and Sunset gave Twilight a kiss for good luck before the tests were handed out. Mr. Cranky didn't pull his punches either. The sheer amount of numbers and letters crammed next to each other was enough to make one's head spin. The questions were multiple choice, but solving for each of them would take forever.
She took a quick peek at Twilight, seeing her pencil already flying across her scratch sheet of paper. Well, if she can do it, so can I. Sunset put her pencil to the page and got to work, hyperfocusing for the next two hours on the formulas and problems before her, stopping only to chew on her pencil, then pinch herself to get her to quit it.
When Mr. Cranky called time, Sunset dropped her pencil and her head against the desk. She could see Twilight leaning back in her chair, looking quite pleased with herself. When the bell released them for the day, the test was all Twilight could talk about.
"Number twenty-seven really threw me for a loop the way it was worded. Proof that critical reading skills are necessary in all fields, not just English. Oh, but what did you think about number thirty-one? I think a lot of people might get that wrong since you have to correct the formula before plugging it in."
"You did?" Sunset rubbed the side of her head. "Aw, horsefeathers."
Twilight patted her on the back. "I'm sure you still did great."
"Yeah, we'll see." She lightly punched Twilight's shoulder. "I told you you were panicking for nothing."
Twilight pushed up her glasses. "It was not for nothing. That was our hardest class and the test was worth fifteen percent of our final grade. I was panicking the right amount."
"Whatever you say, babe. So, how's the speech coming along?" Sunset should have known better than to ask. Twilight stopped walking and looked like a deer in headlights. "And here we go again."
They spent Wednesday night going over speech drafts for the graduation ceremony before cramming in one last study session for their final classes. By the time Thursday came to an end, and Sunset had finished her econ and trigonometry tests, she hoped she would never see another number in her life.
The halls on Friday were decorated with streamers and confetti in their school colors. Hanging in the rotunda was a banner reading 'Congratulations, Seniors!' Yearbooks were handed out in their first class, and the periods were spent trading them around and having them signed.
Sunset and Rarity sat side by side, flipping through the pages of memories. She found Rainbow in five of the sport teams shots, holding a trophy in each one.
"Goodness, look at my hair!" Rarity held the book away from herself. "I knew I should have ran a brush through it one more time! Oh, now I'm going to be haunted by this forever!"
Sunset leaned over and saw Rarity's picture with the fashion club. "Rarity, your hair looks fine."
"Do you not see it?" she hissed, shoving the book closer. If Sunset squinted, she could see one small fiber of hair sticking out in the back. "How could I have been so careless? And on picture day, too!" She swooned.
"Rarity, people are only going to know if you point it out to them," Sunset said, trying to keep from sounding too annoyed.
"But I will always know!"
Let it go, Sunset, you're fighting an unwinnable battle. She continued browsing the book, finding the page on the Fall Formal. There were several shots from the dance on one side, and on the other, a full picture of Princess Twilight wearing her crown.
Sunset chewed on the inside of her cheek. She let the feelings of guilt and shame run their course. Thinking on that night would always bring an unwelcome twinge. But, one deep breath later, and the thought of everything she had gained from that night, and Sunset was fine again.
Still, as she looked down at Princess Twilight's photo, lingering resentment still swirled inside her. Something about the princess's face still ticked her off. The girl who had taken everything from her, beaten her, then left. She went home to Celestia, with a crown and a kingdom to look forward to, while Sunset had to suffer and struggle in this world. Sure, half of her suffering was her own fault, but she had stood tall and cleaned up every mistake, no thanks to the princess. Even with everything she had gone through, Sunset's animosity toward Princess Twilight couldn't be snuffed out.
Mr. Noteworthy handed out their grades, pausing to give Sunset a rare, if tiny, smile. "Congratulations, Miss Shimmer. Perhaps you'll still make something of yourself."
Old Sunset would have said something snarky. Heck, Sunset from a month ago would have too. This Sunset just took the compliment and turned her paper over, finding an A+ in the box next to history. Rarity squealed beside her, showing off her own A.
Miss Cheerilee gave a short speech on how she would miss all of them before handing their grades back. Her smile to Sunset was much warmer as well, going nicely with her second A+. Before lunch arrived, Sunset had three perfect grades, tying her with Twilight.
"Maybe they'll switch us at the last second and I'll be valedictorian," Sunset said teasingly.
"You're forgetting that I took six AP classes. You only have five," Twilight said with a confident smile.
Rainbow waved her report card. "I'm just happy I passed. You know what they say, 'Cs get degrees.'"
"You're gonna do so great in college," Applejack said dryly, showing off her two Bs and an A.
They passed around their yearbooks, writing long, heartfelt messages to each other. In Pinkie's case, she took up a whole page, explaining in detail how much she loved each of them and what made them special. By the end, half the table was in tears and sharing long hugs.
"You guys are so sentimental it hurts sometimes," Sunset said, finding herself caught between a sobbing Pinkie and Fluttershy.
"Hello, pot, we're kettle," Rarity said, dabbing her eyes.
Sunset and Twilight received their grades from their final classes, A+s for both of them. As the final bell for their high school career rang, Canterlot High burst into jubilant cheers and cries of victory that sang through the halls. Papers and notebooks were tossed into the air, practice for the ceremony tomorrow.
As the girls convened in the rotunda, Sunset took one last look at the trophy case. "Hard to believe we never have to come back here again."
"It's very surreal," Rarity said. "Four years worth of memories are in these halls. Now we're on to bigger and better things."
"Yeah." An honest smile graced Sunset's lips. "Bigger and better."
*******
Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. "Artemis, come on. We're going to be late."
The camera flashed again. "Okay, okay, just one more for Trixie. Smile, baby girl!"
Trixie posed and smiled again. "You should enjoy this while it lasts, Sunset. After all, it's only going to happen once for you."
"Ha ha." Sunset smoothed out her blue graduation gown and adjusted the sash over her shoulders. "We can take more pictures after the ceremony. Remember, I have to help lead the procession and give one of the first speeches."
Selena opened the front door and pointed outside. "She's right. I'd hate for them to be late today of all days." She turned her head to the stairs and shouted, "Hurry up and get down here!"
Lamia descended, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and thick sunglasses. "I'm all happy for you, really, but why do I have to go? I didn't even go to my own graduation."
"Because I trust you here alone about as far as I can throw you," Selena said. "Now, march."
Thanks to Artemis' insistent picture taking, finding parking around Canterlot High was nearly impossible. They had to park two blocks away and walk at a brisk pace to make it one time. But, the sun was bright and the weather surprisingly cool for the last week of May.
Sunset hurried to the front of the line, waving at all her fellow graduates and watching them dance anxiously as they waited to enter the stadium.
"You're almost late," Twilight said. She had done her hair in a braided ponytail today. Her gown also looked a size too big for her, the sleeves completely covering her hands.
"You look like a child."
Twilight swatted her with her sleeves. "I told them small! Apparently, someone shoved a medium into a small bag, and I got this!" She groaned. "And I'm wearing heels. What if I trip? The whole stadium is going to laugh at me! Then, when I go up there to speak..." Her face paled.
Sunset reached for her hand, having to dig a little for it. "I'll be with you the whole time. So if you trip, we'll at least go down together."
At Twilight's giggle, the stadium speakers crackled, and Miss Celestia began to speak, welcoming family and friends. A wave of butterflies passed through Sunset's stomach. She had made it. She had ran out on her studies before she could finish at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. It wasn't a degree in magic, but the swell of accomplishment rising through her told her these years in the human world hadn't been completely in vain.
Celestia's speech ended, and 'Pomp and Circumstance' flared to life, uplifting and triumphant. Miss Luna opened the gates to the stadium and picked up the school flag. "Single file behind me," she said over the rising violins. "Best behavior, all of you."
Falling in step behind her, hands still locked together, Sunset and Twilight entered the stadium to a congratulatory roars and a storm of applause. The stands were packed to the brim, parents cheering and crying, friends whooping and blowing air horns, and cameras flashing everywhere. Sunset spotted Artemis and Selena, an easy feat with the miniature fireworks coming from Artemis' wand. Lamia sat next to them, looking bored even with her sunglasses on. She saw Pinkie's entire family sitting in the front row, all of them stone faced. Twilight's family sat not too far away, Velvet and Cadence already blowing their noses.
Rows of white chairs lined the football field with a stage set up at the home team's endzone. The students passed under an archway of balloons to get to their chairs, walking down a blue carpet that matched their gowns. Sunset and Twilight took their place at the front and looked back at their friends, two rows behind them. Pinkie waved enthusiastically and shouted, "Good luck!"
The music hit its crescendo as the last student walked onto the field and sat down. There were a few open chairs left, and doing another quick scan of the students, Sunset knew one of them had been meant for Moondancer.
"Welcome, this year's graduating class of Canterlot High School!" Celestia said, pausing to allow the students to cheer for themselves. "You have all worked so hard over the course of this interesting year, and that hard work is reflected in the diploma's you're about to receive. I am proud of each and every one of you, and know you will go on to create bright futures, not just for yourselves, but for the world around you. Now, to officially welcome you on this momentous day, please welcome your fellow classmate, who we are thrilled to have safe and healthy again, our salutatorian, Sunset Shimmer!"
Sunset rose from her seat to an enthusiastic applause. Twilight gave her hand an extra squeeze before letting go, and Celestia gave her a welcoming smile as she walked onto stage and up to the podium. Looking out at the sea of faces, her heart pounded. You can do this. Show how easy this is for Twilight.
"Fellow students, welcome to the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. The road to get here wasn't easy, and I know for many of you, I made sure it was even harder. I can never apologize enough for how I treated some of you, and I don't expect all of you to forgive me." She took a deep breath to ease her still fluttering heart. "It's a poor excuse, I know, but it's said that hardships make us stronger. We learn and grow more as people. Maybe the experiences you've had over the last four years have taught you something. Maybe you're stronger people for it. It's my hope that you are, and that you go out and use that strength for good."
Sunset raised an empowering fist. "In this last year, I've seen how strong you all can be when you come together. You guys are a force for good! You're Wondercolts! When you set your mind to something, there's nothing you can't accomplish!"
She paused and let them cheer again. "I know I'm late in showing it, but I'm thankful for sharing a class with you. There's a myriad of talent amongst you all, from music, to art, to baking, and more. Don't let anyone tell you your talents are useless, and don't let yourself think they're useless either. Any talent can be an instrument of change for the world. And like Miss Celestia said, you'll go on to make the world a brighter place." She let out an extended sigh of relief as the applause rolled in. "Thank you, Canterlot High! For everything!
She stepped off the stage, smiling at Celestia again, and sat down.
Twilight beamed at her. "You sounded so confident."
"Easy peasy. If I can do it, so can you."
Twilight looked away, biting her lip.
Celestia spoke a few more words, introduced the board of trustees, and allowed Luna to speak as well.
"And now," Luna said, gesturing down to the students, "please welcome your valedictorian, Twilight Sparkle!"
As Twilight rose, Sunset gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "You got this, Sparky."
Twilight let out a short, high-pitched giggle as she approached the microphone. "F-fellow students... I mean, dearest classmates! I'm very happy to see you all here today. Umm..."
Sunset saw her fidget. It's okay, Sparky. Just breathe. Come on, look at me and breathe. Like Twilight had heard her, their eyes met, and Sunset took a deep breath, prompting Twilight to do the same.
She cleared her throat. "While I've only attended Canterlot High this past year, having to say goodbye to all of you is still one of the hardest things I've ever done. Not just because I'm bad at public speaking." The audience laughed, and Sunset saw the last of the tension leave Twilight's shoulders. "In less than a year, I've met so many new and wonderful people, including five of the best friends anyone could ask for, and a partner who, while frustrating at times, is one of the strongest and most loving people I've ever met."
Sunset lowered her cap over her eyes, trying to hide her red face.
"There was something vastly different about this school compared to my previous one. I felt it when I first walked onto campus. It was friendship. The amount of friendship and compassion in this school is vast and deep. My previous institution was all about competition and reputation. While it isn't always perfect, here, students work together and are proud of each other's accomplishments. And as we move forward to the next part of our lives, I hope you'll all take that with you: the spirit of friendship. Bring it wherever you go. Continue to be honest, show everyone you meet kindness and generosity. Make someone laugh. And stay true to your friends and to yourself.
"The memories I've gained here are some of the best in my life. When we part ways and travel down our chosen paths, I'll look back on our shared time fondly, as I hope you will too. As Shakespeare wrote, 'parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be 'morrow.' While we have to say goodbye today, I'm sure many of us will cross paths again, and I look forward to sharing what we've learned in the meantime. Thank you all so much! Go, Wondercolts!"
The round of cheers Twilight got were louder than Sunset's, not that she minded much. Twilight hurried off the stage, stumbling when she hit the grass, but managing to stay upright. She collapsed into her chair and wiped the sweat off her brow. "I never want to do that again."
Sunset leaned against her. "You did great, Sparky."
Celestia returned to the podium, thanked all the speakers, then asked for the first row to stand and line up next to the stage. "With the power vested in me as principal of this institution, I will now confer upon these students who have met all the graduation requirements, proof of their hard work, determination, and perseverance. When I call your name, please step forth and receive your diploma. Twilight Sparkle!"
Twilight hurried up the steps, almost tripping again as she got to the top. She accepted the ribbon bound scroll and shook Celestia and Luna's hands, then walked across the stage, waving to the audience while the music played on in the background.
"Sunset Shimmer!"
Sunset stepped up and took her diploma, beaming back at Celestia as they shook hands. "Thanks for everything," she said.
Celestia let out a soft chuckle. "Don't thank me. You got this far on your own merits."
"Not completely on my own."
"Very true. I wish you nothing but happiness, Sunset."
Sunset bowed her head and moved on before the tears could surface. Luna gave her a friendly smile as well, congratulating her and wishing her the best. Sunset looked out to the crowd, seeing Artemis let loose another firework.
She returned to her seat and watched her friends walk across the stage, standing and cheering for each of them. Pinkie, in an act that surprised no one, shoved her diploma into her hair and cartwheeled off the stage.
"Nailed it!" she said, bouncing back to her seat.
When the last student received their diploma, the music died down once more, and everyone rose to their feet. Celestia stood before them for the last time. "Students, it is proper tradition that upon receiving your diplomas, you move the tassels on your cap from left to right, signifying the next change in your life."
Sunset and Twilight faced one another and moved the other's tassel. "You ready?" Sunset asked. Twilight gave an excited nod.
"I now present the graduating class of Canterlot High! Congratulations!"
As one, the students screamed in elation and extol, and threw their caps into the air. Sunset wrapped Twilight in a hug and swung her around, savoring her shriek of delight. Five others quickly latched onto their hug, and the Spectacular Seven jumped up and down in each others arms while Pinkie sang, "We did it, we did it, we did it!"
Families flooded the field, bringing with them flowers, balloons and more cameras. With the thrum of victory in the air and the jubilant laughter of her friends, Sunset couldn't wipe the smile off her face. All of their families herded them up to take pictures and hand them gifts of felicitations. Many a mother rained kisses down on their child's head.
"Mother stop, you're embarrassing me," Trixie bemoaned.
"I'm just so proud of you!"
Artemis hooked an arm around Sunset's neck and pulled her in for a hug. "And it's thanks to you we got to live to see this moment! You have my undying gratitude, Sunset!"
She still couldn't find the strength to frown. "Don't mention it. Just glad I could help."
"Come on now, let's get a picture with all your cute little friends!" Artemis released Sunset and ran off to collaborate with the other parents. They migrated to a less crowded space and pressed the girls together, Sunset standing in the middle.
Flash wandered over with a sheepish look. "Mind if I join?"
Rarity hooked him by the arm and pulled him in. "A gentleman for asking, but of course you can join us."
"All right now, squeeze in everyone," Artemis said, holding up his camera. "Big smiles! That means you, baby girl!"
Sunset felt Twilight wrap a hand around hers. She gave it a loving squeeze. I don't know what comes next. We'll all have to go our separate ways soon. But in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy every second I have!
"Say, 'graduates!'"
"Graduates!" they all cheered as the flash went off.
*******
Moondancer gave the mask a little bend, making sure it was flexible enough to her liking. Chafing was something she literally couldn't tolerate. Satisfied with its flexibility, she carefully slipped it onto the left side of her face, wincing at the contact. A few adjustments, and she finally lifted her head to look in the mirror.
A plain white mask with a narrow slit for her eye covered half her face. With its smooth paleness, it almost looked like she was whole again. A tear splashed down onto her vanity, and with a sweep of her arm, she knocked away her collection of makeup and hand mirrors.
She rested the good side of her face in her hand and sighed. Once again, she was a prisoner in her own house. Tempest said she had a mission for her soon, but in the meantime, Moondancer was to go nowhere.
Today would have been graduation day. She should have been on a grassy field, listening to thunderous applause at the completion of her high school career. Now, she didn't even get that luxury.
Moondancer sighed. She could see Twilight walking across the stage in her mind's eye. She was proud of her little star. Her thoughts then turned to Sunset, and she dug her nails into her palm. Her eye caught sight of her reflection.
You'll pay for this, Sunset.
But even that threat felt hollow now. Moondancer relaxed her hand and sighed again. Without the Archon Amulet twisting her thoughts, even her base level of animosity felt lower than usual.
"Does it still hurt?"
She swung around, her tense shoulders falling in disappointment. "Oh, it's you."
Night Shade stood in her door, something close to concern on his face. "You've been quiet the last few days."
"I've had nothing to say." Moondancer turned back to her vanity, loathing that she could still see him in the reflection.
He shifted nervously. "I'm... proud of you," he said slowly.
Moondancer cocked an eyebrow. "Are you now?"
"Today's graduation day, isn't it? You've finished high school."
Moondancer studied his reflection. She was surprised he had even been keeping track of such a thing. "It is. But in case you haven't noticed, I haven't gone to school in the past three weeks. I failed all of my finals. I did not graduate."
"It's the idea that counts," Night Shade said, more slowly.
Her irritation flared. Moondancer stood up and stormed toward him, practically shoving him out of the way. "No, it does not count. And if you must know, yes, it always hurts." She continued her march down the hall and turned toward the long flight of stairs leading up to the third floor.
When she got to the top, she looked back to make sure he hadn't followed. Not that he ever did. Moondancer faced the plain door at the end of the short hall. She smoothed out her dress, wanting to look presentable, and turned the silver knob.
The room beyond was beige and plain. The window was open, allowing the curtains to flutter in the breeze. A soft, rhythmic beep filled the quiet space.
Moondancer shut the door behind her. "Hello, Mother."
Apalla laid in a large bed, her head tilted toward the window. Her wrinkled hands were neatly laid on top of her lap, and an IV extended from her arm.
Moondancer walked around and pulled the only chair up to her mother's side, looking into her blue eyes. She lifted a hand and ran it through Apalla's wispy and dry hair. "The orchids are about to bloom again. I'll bring you some when they do," she said softly. She brought her hand down to her mother's sunken cheeks. "You'd like that, right?"
Apalla didn't answer.
"I... I know I haven't done the best things. But the end justifies the means. I'll make the world a better place. I will!" Moondancer's hand fell, and she looked down at the floor. "I just... I wish..." She clenched a fist.
"Sunset says you chose to stay in the Soul Lock, but she's wrong! You would have come to see me if you could have, right?" She wiped the tear coming out of her right eye. "Right. That horrible demon. She's never had to sacrifice anything. She's never lost anything like I have. Yet she thinks she can lecture and patronize me."
Moondancer looked up again. "But it's not over. I won't give up. I can't give up." She tightened her curled hand. "Tirek will be summoned, and when he arrives, I will slay him with my own two hands. The cycle will come to an end. Then, your soul will finally be free, Mother. We can be together again."
She laid a hand over her mother's, tears falling onto both of them. "You're all that's left for me now. But I'll fight for you until the very end."
Volume II End |
Spectacular Seven | Volume III: Limitless Love—1. The Calm | "Love, the oldest non-primordial magic. Platonic, familial, romantic; it has the power to do amazing things.
"It has the power to do terrible things as well.
"What is it? Where does it come from? Perhaps that's the beauty of love. It's incalculable, undefinable. It just is.
"And it's infinite."
Volume III
Limitless Love
Sunset Shimmer pulled herself onto the top of the boulder, taking a knee to catch her breath. She wiped the dust off on her jeans then stood and admired the view. To her left, the Unicorn Range fanned out below her. Hills colored in every shade of green rolled on for miles, a turquoise river snaking in between them. On the horizon, she could see a floating metropolis made of the fluffiest white clouds with a rainbow cascading off the side.
But Sunset's destination lay further ahead of her. Up the rocky slopes of the mountain. She was almost there now.
The purple spires and gold accents of Canterlot were radiant in the afternoon sun. Sunset could reach out and almost touch them, feel the warm, polished stones. It wouldn't be long now.
Sunset jumped off the boulder and landed on the mountain road. She broke into a run, following the zig zagging path. At this speed, she would be home by sundown.
"You're really leaving, aren't you?"
Sunset skidded to a halt and whirled around. Twilight stood in the middle of the road, wearing her prom dress. The stars on her skirt glowed with an ethereal light that made Sunset's eyes water.
"Twilight, I..." Sunset looked at her girlfriend, then at her home city.
"It's okay," Twilight said softly. She took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. "I... I always suspected you would want to go home."
Sunset took a step forward, squinting her eyes as the stars on Twilight's dress grew brighter. "You could come with me. I could show you all of Equestria. You could see all the magic you want!"
Twilight shook her head. "No. I'm human and you're not. This is where you belong."
"That's not--" But the light had become too intense now. Sunset raised an arm to block the intense glow. "Twilight?"
When the light faded, Twilight was gone.
Sunset ran to the spot where Twilight had stood. Nothing remained, not even the scent of lavender Twilight always wore.
*******
Sunset awoke with her right arm numb from being crushed under her side. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. Dreams about Equestria didn't visit her often, but every time they did, she seemed to get a little closer to home.
Home.
Sunset sat up in bed. Morning light peeked through the curtains of the window across from her. Spot was still curled up at the foot of her bed, ears up and alert. Resting against the headboard, Sunset took a look around what had become her room.
A long string of multicolored lights hung around the otherwise bare blue walls. Unlike most other teenage girls, Sunset didn't have posters of bands or television shows to put up. However, on the nightstand next to her was a framed photo of her and her friends. Before, it had been them adorned in their dresses from the Winter Ball. Now, everyone was dressed in their cap and gowns, diplomas in hand. Even Trixie and Flash were included.
On Sunset's desk was her laptop and another framed photo, this one of just her and Twilight. Sunset stood behind her, arms wrapped around Twilight's shoulder. Their cheeks were smooshed together, upsetting Twilight's glasses. Twilight, grinning from ear-to-ear, didn't seem to mind.
Across from the desk was Sunset's dresser. A potted plant and a pink unicorn plushie sat on top. Sunset hadn't talked to the stuffed toy in a while. The dresser, once containing a random assortment of clothes, either too small or never worn by anyone in the Lulamoon family, now contained clothes that were decisively Sunset's. Some of those clothes were even scattered on the carpet.
Yes, this had become her room. The Lulamoon house had become her home. Artemis doted on her, Selena made sure she was fed and had done her homework, Trixie was... Trixie. As loud and obnoxious as she was, Sunset considered her something akin to a sister. They had become as close to family as Sunset had ever had in this world.
Sunset slouched, her head almost touching her pillow again. She loved not living in a derelict old factory anymore. But living with the Lulamoons reminded her she had a family back in Equestria. A mom and dad who probably thought she was dead by now, if they weren't dead themselves.
Her insides turned to ice. That was a possibility she hadn't considered before. She could count on Celestia being there when she returned to Equestria. But if her parents had passed on during the time Sunset had been gone.... She tried to not think about it, but such an ugly thought wedged itself firmly at the center of her mind. All the time she missed out on with them. What had they thought of her disappearance? Had they moved on?
And what if they were alive? Could Sunset really just knock on the door of her childhood home and be embraced by loving hooves? Or would the door be slammed in her face?
Another reason to go home, Sunset thought. There were so many loose ends she needed to tie up. But, she had less than two years remaining before the portal opened again. When that time came, Sunset was going to have to make a choice. Stay here with the friends and pseudo-family she had made, or go home to the land of magic and ponies.
Of course, this world had magic now, too. Sunset had magic.
She lifted a hand over her head and slowly rolled her wrist. She had stolen magic, abused it, and paid the price. After that, when she found out this world had magic, she had wanted nothing to do with it. Magic meant power, and power was something she had desired.
Seeing her friends gain magical abilities only reinforced that fear, that uncertainty. If this hybrid magic of earth and Equestria brought out their best features, then it would only bring out Sunset's worst: the demon from the Fall Formal.
Now, it held no terror for her. No longer was it a warped and twisted version of herself, lying in the shadows of her heart, eager for her to tap into it and lose control. It no longer hid behind veils of self-doubt and uncertainty. It had taken staring down Sirens, Moondancer, and her own demon for Sunset to accept the fact that she was good. Inside and outside, she had changed for the better. At last, she had come to accept her past actions. Yes, she still felt guilty over what she had done in pursuit of revenge and power, but it no longer crippled her. She had learned her lessons, done her best to make up for them, and would strive to be better every chance she got.
Sunset lowered her arm but rose into a sitting position. She had magic again. The defining piece of herself lost when she had crossed worlds. It took on a new form now, a little more limited than her unicorn powers. But she still had it. She could pony up like the rest of her friends, and at prom, she had tapped into something even greater. Rainbow kept referring to it as 'Super Sayian' which irked Sunset to no end. Everyone else affectionately called it 'Phoenix Drive.' Whether she could do it again was still a mystery.
The idea had run through her head and heart plenty of times over the weeks since prom, but between finals, graduation, and the newest Lulamoon house guest, Lamia, Sunset never had time to really dwell on the ideas of magic. Sitting in bed, it settled over her like a cool wave. She had magic again! She no longer feared losing control! She even felt excited to see what she could do!
Closing her eyes, Sunset concentrated with all her might to pony up. All her friends had gained additional powers with their pony forms, maybe Sunset had too! Or maybe she'd jump straight to her Phoenix Drive.
Bzzt bzzt!
Her phone on her bedside table broke her concentration. Sighing, Sunset looked over and read the message on the screen, her heart giving a little flutter.
'Hey, would you like to hang out before we see the girls?'
Sunset picked her phone up, simply staring at the message as her dream played in her head again. She had tried to go home, and Twilight had vanished, even as Sunset begged her to come along.
Yes, both worlds had some form of magic now, eliminating one of the variables Sunset had to consider deciding between. But it still left the hardest deciding factor of her staying or going. She loved her friends, she loved the Lulamoons, and she would hate to say goodbye to any of them.
But she loved Twilight Sparkle.
A different Sunset Shimmer would have balked at the fantastical romance this Sunset had for Twilight. They hadn't been together a whole year! But it was Twilight who drove Sunset to become a better person. It was Twilight who wanted to be Sunset's friend without any interference from a certain princess.
It was Twilight's love that helped Sunset pull herself out of the Soul Lock.
The idea she had found her soulmate felt like a fairytale. But it was real to Sunset. And she was sure it was real for Twilight as well. Sunset had no idea if it would last. Twilight was college-bound, and after that, something even greater, world-changing probably. Sunset refused to get in the way of that. Even if they had to become just friends, Sunset would be happy having Twilight in her life. So that was always the deciding factor.
Could Sunset live in a world without Twilight?
She wanted to say 'no', but had a feeling that was her heart being overdramatic. She blamed Rarity. Sunset had a life before Twilight, and she was sure she would have one after. Sure, it would be dull, gray, uninspiring, and lacking terrible puns, but she would have one.
Sunset clapped her hands over her eyes and groaned. "Why does this have to be so hard?"
She texted back a quick 'sure, be over soon', and put her phone down. Her final decision could wait. She still had two years after all.
Rising out of bed woke Spot up. He stood and stretched himself out before walking to the edge of the mattress, tail wagging as he watched Sunset shamble over to her dresser to pick out clothes to wear for the day.
Today marked the official beginning of summer vacation. Pinkie demanded a group get-together to mark the occasion, though it wasn't as if any of the Spectacular Seven were going to say no.
Once her clothes were picked out, Sunset showered Spot with affection, petting him and letting him lick her face. She took the unicorn toy from atop her dresser and tossed it around for him, cheering whenever he gave it a hard shake.
When Spot was satisfied with his playtime, Sunset picked up her clothes and stepped into the hall. On the far end were two other bedrooms. The one with it's door open a crack belonged to Trixie. The other, completely shut, was the spare bedroom Lamia now took residence in. She mostly kept to herself, a relief for Selena who glared anytime Lamia walked into the same room as her.
Sunset couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive though. Lamia didn't eat with them (another relief for Selena), and any time she did come out, there were thick bags under her eyes.
With all their previous interactions, Sunset had expected Lamia to be, well, more of a nuisance; snarking whenever possible and seeing how many buttons she could push on everyone before they snapped. Sunset postulated that her talk about Scarlet's actions not being any fault of Lamia's had not fully convinced the thief.
Sunset made a mental note to try and check up on her later in the day. She moved on to the bathroom, showered, and got dressed. It was a rare morning when Trixie didn't bang on the bathroom door to coax Sunset to move faster.
Grabbing her phone and slipping her jacket and favorite necklace on, Sunset headed downstairs to the kitchen, finding Selena and Artemis sitting at the island table, speaking in hushed tones. They cut their conversation and straightened up when Sunset walked in.
"Good morning, Sunny!" Artemis said jovially. "What are you up to today?"
"I was heading to Twilight's for a bit, then going to hang out with the girls," Sunset said, reaching into the pantry for a granola bar while eyeing the two adults. "What's up?"
"Nothing." Artemis gave her a smile that stretched from ear-to-ear. He smiled so often, Sunset couldn't tell if this one was forced. "Just boring spouse talk. You'll understand when you and Twilight get married."
Sunset froze, her heart hammering in her chest. "I-I mean, th-that's making a lot of assumptions, isn't it?"
Selena gave her a rare smirk. "Is it though?"
Pushing away the cozy thoughts of sharing a house and bed with Twilight, Sunset backed out of the kitchen. "See you guys later."
When she shut the front door behind her, Sunset realized she had played into their ploy to get rid of her. She shrugged it off. If whatever they were talking about was important, they would tell her in time.
She mounted her motorcycle and started the ignition, revving the engine a few times just to hear her baby roar. Giving it a gentle pat, she pulled out of the driveway and onto the suburban streets.
Canterlot was awash with color under the late morning sun. Trees boasting their fully grown emerald leaves stood on either side of Sunset as she raced past them. She caught blurs of red roses and marigolds in gardens, and children wearing vibrant clothes played in front lawns. The sky above was clear and painted a forget-me-not blue. Sunset was tempted to take off her helmet to feel the wind rush against her face and truly appreciate the late spring air.
She parked in front of Twilight's house, the fountain burbling merrily in the front lawn. Two steps up the porch, the front door swung open, revealing a beaming Twilight.
"I heard your motorcycle from all the way down the street!" Her bright mood was complemented by her bright outfit. She wore a purple skirt decorated with pink starbursts and two little pockets on the front, and a blue and purple striped shirt with a pink ribbon tied into a bow around the collar.
"Someone looks cuter than normal," Sunset said, nodding in approval. She stepped forward and kissed Twilight on the nose.
Twilight gave a giddy giggle and pulled her inside. "New summer clothes. Mom bought them for me yesterday."
"You know you're going to have to shop for yourself eventually, right?"
Twilight looked back at her. "What, you think I can't pick out my own clothes?"
"Well, every time we've gone to the mall, either someone bought something for you, or Rarity had to beat your fashion choices out of your hand."
"That's... true... dang it."
As they crossed through the living room, Sunset noticed the number of boxes stacked in the corners and around the couch. Her stomach squirmed. "You're not... packing already, are you?"
"Hmm? Oh, no! Those are Shining's. He and Cadence are moving into a new apartment together after the wedding."
Sunset let out a discrete sigh of relief. "Right, of course." She had almost forgotten about the wedding. Cadence had handed her an invitation in January. Now, it was a month away.
Twilight turned to face Sunset, clasping her hands behind her back, and rocking back and forth on her toes. "Umm, I wanted to ask you a long time ago... but, you know... I wasn't sure if we'd still be..."
"Together?" Sunset finished.
"Yeah..." Twilight rubbed her arm. "Is that wrong? I never doubted our relationship! I just didn't want to plan something so far in advance when we'd only been dating a couple months! It's like the whole 'I love you' thing! I didn't want to say anything in case it was too soon, or you didn't feel as strong, or--"
"Sparky, sweetie, you're cute when you're babbling, but you're babbling."
Twilight cleared her throat. "Right. Um, I just wanted to ask if you were still coming to the wedding... with me... as my date?"
Sunset playfully rolled her eyes. She could have been snarky, but the hopeful light in Twilight's eyes was too pure to crush, even with playful barbs. "Yes, Twilight, I'm going to the wedding with you."
"Oh, yay!" It wasn't Twilight who spoke, but Cadence, coming downstairs. "I was hoping you would come! You and Twilight will be the cutest couple there! Next to me and Shining, of course."
"Hey, Cadence," Sunset said with a wave. "How's the wedding planning going?"
A tired shadow fell over Cadence's heart-shaped face. "It's been more work than I expected, and Shining can't help too much because he's been taking extra shifts to make sure we can pay for everything, so I've had to meet the florist and the photographer and two bands because the first one cancelled on me last month, all by myself; and I can't even eat my Double-Fudgey Chocolate Chip ice cream to relax because I need to make sure I fit in my wedding dress! Do I look like I'm gaining weight?"
Landmine.
Sunset gave Cadence--who had grown more frantic the more she spoke and now looked like she could break into tears at any moment--a calming smile. "Cadence, you look great. I'm sure everything is going to be fine."
Cadence took a deep breath, regaining some composure. "You're right. It's just a lot to deal with. But, it's almost over. In fact, I need to call Shining about the seating arrangement. You two have fun!" She hurried into the kitchen before Twilight or Sunset could say anything.
"I've been helping when I can," Twilight said. "I did research into some of the best florists and caterers in town, managed their budget, created their wedding website, but Cadence has been doing most of the work, on top of her job and handling hecklers who want her to marry them instead."
"Yikes, sounds like a lot." Sunset wondered if getting married was worth that much undue stress. Sunset made a mental note to discuss eloping with Twilight if they ever made it that far.
Her brain conjured up Twilight in a wedding dress at the top of an altar. Sunset had lived out that fantasy while trapped in the Soul Lock. Yes, it had been a lie, but it had been a lie based on Sunset's deepest desire.
Maybe a wedding wouldn't be so bad.
Twilight waved a hand over Sunset's face. "Sunnykins?"
"Huh? Sorry, just, uh, lost in thought. Did you say something?"
"I was asking if you wanted to come to the lab with me."
"You mean the garage?"
"Lab!" Twilight stomped her foot against the carpet. "I wanted your help on the inventions I'm making for my scholarships. We can be lab partners!"
"Garage partners." Sunset laughed as Twilight balled her fists and tried to look angry. "Twilight, break just started. Can't you just relax for a minute?"
Twilight shook her head. "Nope! I need to get as many scholarships as I can to offset the cost of school. Plus, there are so many ideas I have to work on, and now, I have the time to do it!"
Sunset rolled her neck and sighed. "Sparky, normally, I would share your enthusiasm, but with everything I've been through, I just want to enjoy my summer." Though she still had ideas of testing her magic.
Twilight clapped her hands together and fixed Sunset with wide, sparkling eyes. "Come on, Sunnykins, it'll be fun! I'll even do most of the work!"
"Twilight..."
"I do my best work when I'm with you. School may be out, but we still have great chemistry together."
Sunset gave her an blank stare. She then plucked Twilight's glasses off and stowed them in her pocket. "You can have these back when you behave."
"Sunset!"
"Nope!"
Twilight squinted at her. "Seriously, I need those."
"And I need to not hear bad puns."
"Sunset, give them back!"
"Mmm, nah." Sunset started to walk toward the garage.
Twilight put her arms out and felt the air in front of her. "Sunset!"
"Over here."
"Sunset, please!"
"No."
"I need those!"
"That's nice."
"You're a jerk!"
"And you're cute when you're floundering."
"Sunset!"
*******
Sunset returned Twilight's glasses, and to make it up to her, agreed to help with her projects. They spent an hour in the lab, Twilight explaining her first idea of a 'selfie gyrocopter' while Sunset, with her slightly better artistic skills, drew up a rough schematic.
Twilight rummaged through her boxes of spare parts to see what she had to work with so far. Her haul wasn't too bad. She found a decent base for the gyrocopter's body, and a few propellers.
"I'll write up a list of supplies for Dad to get me from the university labs," Twilight said as they walked out front. The girls were due to meet at Sugarcube Corner in ten minutes.
"Babe, not that it won't be amazing, but why are you building a selfie gyrocopter?" As narcissistic as Sunset had once been, she found the concept of selfies utterly dumb.
Twilight paused, looking lost in thought. "Well, no one else has made one. Besides..." She toed a crack in the sidewalk, looking abashed. "I like selfies."
"Of course you do." Sunset pulled her extra helmet from under her motorcycle seat and handed it over.
With Twilight clinging on for dear life, Sunset rode over to the sweet shop. They found many of their fellow Canterlot alumni inside, and were greeted with smiles and waves. The rest of the Spectacular Seven waited for the couple in their favorite corner, milkshakes already on the table.
Sunset and Twilight slid into the booth and took hold of their milkshakes, strawberry for Sunset and mint chocolate chip for Twilight.
"Told you they'd come together," Rainbow said, reclined in her seat.
"Great job," Applejack said, "Ah suppose next you'll tell me it's sunny outside."
Pinkie pulled a gavel from under the table and banged it on the surface. "Now that we are all gathered, I declare the first summer meeting of the Spectacular Seven to come to order! The first item on the docket..." Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she turned her head to Sunset. "What are we going to do for your birthday?"
Sunset inhaled sharply and snorted, feeling a rush of cold, frosty beverage shoot up her nose. She coughed and sputtered while Twilight patted her back. "Wh-what? H-how did you.... When did you--"
Dark glare never faltering, Pinkie said, "I know every birthday of every student in CHS." Her face lit up like the sun, her smile stretching from ear to ear. "And did you really think we weren't gonna celebrate your eighteenth birthday? Plus, your first birthday celebrated with us!"
Sunset could have told Pinkie that it wasn't technically her eighteenth birthday, but decided it was a moot point. She had hoped they could have snuck past her birthday without any fanfare, but leave it to Pinkie to know anyhow.
"When exactly is your birthday, Sunset?" Rarity asked.
"It's--"
"June 22nd!" Pinkie shouted, beating out Sunset.
It was Twilight's turn to choke on her milkshake. Sunset hit her hard on the back, getting her to dribble some of her mint chocolate chip shake from her nose. "It is? But, that's the wedding!"
"Wait a sec," Rainbow said, "you two have been dating this long, and you didn't know when Sunset's birthday was?"
Napkin pressed over over her face, Twilight stammered, "I-it never... she always... I thought..."
"I kinda made it a point not to tell her," Sunset said, sparing her girlfriend further humiliation. "Honestly, yes, I didn't want to celebrate my birthday. I..."
Nostalgia washed over her as her mind drifted back to Equestria. Small cakes. A card from her parents. Maybe an extra hour with them before bed if they weren't too tired. Then, there were the years with Celestia. Hours together in the garden. Extravagant cakes. New books and clothes. Sunset's stomach turned, nostalgia evolving into longing and sadness.
"My birthdays were never great. And the ones that were... hurt to think about." She turned in toward Twilight. "I was going to tell you eventually. But, you gave me the invitation to the wedding and I saw what day it was on. That's Cadence and Shining's day."
"But it's your day, too!" Twilight said, bordering on hysterics. "Now I have less than a month to find a present for you!"
Sunset squeezed Twilight's hand. "No you don't. You don't have to get me anything." She looked at the rest of her friends. "That goes for all of you. Really, my birthday isn't that big of a deal."
"Nothin' doin', sugarcube," Applejack said with a smirk. "Once Pinkie declares you're gettin' a party, you're gettin' a party. Besides, you're our best friend. And for everythin' you've done for us, it's the least we could do."
"I haven't done anything to warrant a party," Sunset said, half exasperated, half bemused. "Everything I did, I did because you all helped me."
"And we helped you because you mean the world to us," Rarity said with a leisurely smile. "So, yes, I believe some kind of celebration is warranted."
Sunset opened her mouth to protest, but one glare from Pinkie shut her up. She knew when she was beat. She wasn't sure why she tried to argue in the first place. "Fine. But seriously, you girls don't have to get me anything. Your company is all I need."
"And she calls us sappy," Pinkie said with a playful roll of her eyes. "All right, I'll take care of everything."
Twilight leaned into Sunset. "I'm going to get you a gift, whether you like it or not," she whispered.
"Out of everyone here, you're the last one who needs to get me a gift. And the last one I know I can convince otherwise."
"As long as you know."
Pinkie pulled a list from under the table and ticked off a box. "Okay, next on our docket..." A frown pulled at her face. "Should we be doing something about Tempest and Tirek?"
Sunset felt Twilight flinch, despite Pinkie leaving out Moondancer's name. Her friends' eyes fell onto her, and Sunset set her milkshake down.
"I think Artemis and Selena are planning something, but I've been told not to worry about it right now. I mean, without the Rainbow of Light, there isn't much we can do, right? We have no idea where Tempest is."
"Then let's go find her and lay a smackdown," Rainbow said, punching a fist into her open palm. "Or Moondancer. I'm not pick--ow!"
Applejack shook her hand out. "While Ah don't like the idea of sittin' on our haunches, that might be for the best. Let's not go lookin' for trouble we might not be able to handle."
"But we have superpowers!" Rainbow said with a whine. "Seriously, who could really beat us?"
"The woman with the soul stealing amulet," Sunset said dryly. "Just because we have magic doesn't mean we should flaunt it. We're strong, not invincible."
Rainbow slumped and crossed her arms. "Killjoys."
"Look, our presence alone might act as a deterrent. Tempest knows we have magic; that should keep her from trying to do anything drastic. Artemis and Selena can use that time to form a plan." Sunset leaned back in her seat. "Maybe we can do a little magic practice or something, but honestly, between the Sirens, finals, and having my own soul ripped out, I'm ready for a break."
Rainbow sat up, looking sheepish. "Yeah, right. You've more than earned a little rest."
"We all have," Rarity said. She raised her milkshake. "We all deserve a vacation! And it's the last time we'll all be together before college! So, let's forget about our troubles for a little bit and enjoy each other's company!"
"And if trouble rears its head..." Sunset allowed herself a cocky smirk. "We'll hit 'em with a rainbow."
The girls cheered and clinked their glasses together: the promise of a summer to remember. |
Spectacular Seven | 2. Goodbye and Hello | Sunset returned home as dusk settled over Canterlot. Shutting the front door, she could hear the Lulamoons speaking softly in the kitchen. When she approached the kitchen door, she saw they were all seated at the island counter; Trixie looked very excited, while Selena had her lips pressed tight. Artemis looked over his shoulder at Sunset's approach and smiled.
"Ah, there you are! Come in, come in!"
Sunset took the open seat next to him. "Am I going to learn what you guys were whispering about earlier?" A world map and a smaller map of Canterlot were laid out across the table.
"There's nothing left to discuss," Selena said firmly, glaring at Artemis.
"I care to disagree," Artemis said. He tapped a part of the Canterlot map, and a shimmery image of Moondancer's manor blossomed up, rendered in three dimensions. "To my confusion and... sadness, Moondancer, and possibly Night Shade, are working with Tempest. We cannot prove the latter, but we have no reason to doubt his involvement and many reasons to presume it. Either way, all attempts to contact him have failed."
He tapped another part of the map, and Canterlot Tower sprung up. "Surveillance on their place of business has shown nothing unusual. There's no trace of magic there. And while there are traces of magic around the manor, every time I go over, it appears to be deserted. And Selena won't let me go inside."
Selena held up a finger. "One, that's breaking and entering. Illegal if you get caught."
"If," Artemis said under his breath.
She held up another finger. "Two, have you already forgotten what happened the last time you tried to get information from the enemy?"
Artemis looked at his fingers and flexed them. "No, I haven't," he said, like a child who had been told he couldn't go outside. He perked up. "But, that leads me to my proposal!"
Selena groaned and cupped a hand over her face.
Artemis swept his wand across the table. Both the manor and the tower disappeared, replaced by a sparkling rainbow. "We don't know how yet, but Tempest wants to bring Tirek back. Our best, foolproof counter is the Rainbow of Light. And yes, it has been lost to the ages!" He twirled his wand in his fingers. "But I'm feeling lucky."
Selena moved her hand to her temple. "I'm not against looking for the Rainbow. I would just like to have a fall back plan in case you don't find it." Her eyes slid over to Trixie. "I also don't approve--"
"But, Moooom!" Trixie whined. "It's Trixie's birthright! Father even says so! I'm almost eighteen, and school's over! Trixie wants to go!"
Sunset looked between them. "Okay, I'm lost again."
Artemis held his wand high. "It is a right of passage for every Lulamoon to go out into the world and search for our lost treasure! I did it, my father did it, his mother did it, and her father before her! So on and so forth for a few generations."
"Right!" Sunset recalled what Apalla had said in the Soul Lock. Every Lulamoon had hoped to find the Rainbow that had been lost by their ancestor.
Selena sighed. "And I understand that. You know I do. I was with you for most of your own pilgrimage. I just... I don't want my baby girl out there in the middle of who knows what--"
"But I'll be with Father! And I'm getting better with my own magic! Mother, please!"
"Trixie--"
"I'm not a child anymore!"
"Well you still sound like one with all the whining you're doing!"
Artemis whispered to Sunset. "As you can see, we're at a bit of a crossroads here."
"Where would you even go anyway?" Selena asked, snapping her head toward Artemis. "We turned the world upside down when we searching."
"Not the whole world." Artemis tapped the world map with his wand, and several points across multiple continents lit up. "Here are a few places where I've heard of potential new leads. Rumors and murmurings, nothing more, but anything is good at this point."
Selena pressed her lips together until they were white. Sunset recognized the expression from her own mother, the first sign she was becoming aggravated.
"Fine, you have leads, as weak as they may be," she said stiffly. "But, you're still not offering another plan in the meantime. You know I hate putting all our eggs in one basket."
"I mean," Sunset said slowly, "my friends and I did summon some sort of powerful harmonic avatar at the Battle of the Bands. It shot a rainbow at the Sirens. Could that work?"
Artemis twirled his beard. "I considered that. But, what you have to understand, Sunset, is that the Rainbow of Light is divine magic. A gift from the gods themselves! If Tirek absorbs enough souls, the Rainbow of Light is the only thing that can stop him and set those souls free from their prison."
Sunset nodded solemnly. "Well, hopefully he never makes it that far. But even then, a blast from us is sure to do something, right?" She quickly wilted under Selena's heated glare, though Trixie's enthusiastic thumbs up soothed some of the burn.
"I--am--not--sending--six--teenagers!" Selena said between her teeth, emphasizing each word. "To fight a demigod warlock!"
"I mean, they're practically adults," Artemis said gingerly.
Selena fixed her now blistering glare on him and made a growl in her throat that reminded Sunset of an Ursa Major. Artemis quickly pulled the rim of his hat over his eyes.
"Selena, listen," Sunset said gently, making sure not to meet her eyes. "Outside of this room, my friends and I are the biggest source of magic around. Even if we didn't want to get involved, at some point, we probably would. And if the world's in trouble, and we have the power to make a difference, you bet we're going to try. You're not sending us to fight anything; we'd be doing it on our own."
Selena's voice softened. "Well, yes, but--"
"And this doesn't have to be the end-all solution. We have time, I know we do. Maybe we can come up with something better. But, if Artemis and Trixie can find the Rainbow of Light, then none of us really have to face Tirek, right? And would you rather have Trixie facing him, or finding the Rainbow?"
Selena snapped her mouth shut. She drummed a finger against the counter, lips still pursed and cheeks slightly puckered. After a full minute, she exhaled and said, "Fine. Fine! Go look for the Rainbow of Light. It is a family tradition."
"Yes!" Trixie leaped out of her chair and threw her hands in the air. "It begins! The Great and Powerful Trixie's first death-defying adventure! Watch and be amazed as she does what her ancestors could not, and finds the Rainbow of Light!"
Artemis lightly ruffled Sunset's hair. "I knew there was a reason we kept you."
Sunset affectionately brushed his hand away. "Hey, I'm just hoping you find it so my friends don't have to go up against him."
Trixie rushed around the table and jumped up and down in front of Artemis. "So? When are we leaving? Where are we going first?"
"Well, we have to pack a few things and make a few arrangements. Say, day after tomorrow?"
Trixie made an excited squee and ran out the kitchen, passing a disheveled looking Lamia on the way. Her pixie cut hair managed to look a mess, and there was a grease stain on her night shirt.
"I just wanted to know if dinner was ready," she said moodily.
Selena looked ready to unload any remaining animosity from the previous conversation onto Lamia. Sunset cut across the kitchen and took Lamia by the arm, making sure to only touch her sleeve.
"I'm sure it'll be ready soon. Why don't we give them some space?" She yanked Lamia out of the kitchen and halfway up the stairs before Lamia took her arm back.
"Oi, what's with you?"
"What's with you?" Sunset looked her up and down again, then scrunched her nose. At close proximity, it was evident Lamia hadn't showered in a few days.
"Nothin'," she said with a lazy shrug.
"This--" Sunset gestured at her "--does not look like nothing."
Lamia slapped Sunset's hand away, making sure to use her sleeve. "No one asked you."
"Do you remember what I told you a few weeks ago?"
"Yeah, some more junk about friendship and believing in yourself, or the heart of the cards or whatever."
Sunset shook her head. "I told you not to hold yourself responsible for Scarlet's actions. They weren't your fault."
Lamia glared at her. "Have you ever killed someone?"
Sunset recoiled sightly. "Well, no, but I--"
Lamia was in her face, sunken eyes narrowed. "Well, when you do burn someone to ash, and then get the mental image out of your head, I'll be all ears to anything you have to say." She turned and matched up the stairs, and a moment later, Sunset heard the door slam.
She stood on the landing, lost for words and thoughts. Maybe the universal law of suffering didn't apply just to her, but to every Sunset Shimmer. She carried onto her room, finding Spot asleep on her bed. He woke and wagged his tail at her approach.
"Hey, buddy. Have a nice, lazy day?" As she sat down, Spot climbed into her lap and reached up to lick her neck. Sunset idly scratched him behind the ear as she thought.
Maybe she had never killed anyone, but she had come close. She understood what Lamia was going through to a good extent, but if her doppelganger didn't want to hear it, there wasn't much Sunset could do. Maybe this was a hurt she wasn't equipped to heal. She was no therapist.
She looked down at Spot. "Pets are therapeutic..." Sunset gave him a tight squeeze and carried him down the hall, setting him in front of Lamia's door. "Be a good boy, okay?"
Spot looked at her, confused. Sunset pat him on the head, rapt on the door, then quickly retreated back to her own room. She heard the door open, a pause, the soft jingle of a collar, and the door close more softly this time.
She didn't see Spot for the rest of the evening.
*******
Sunset had rarely been inside Trixie's room. She would normally just knock on Trixie's door to fetch her for lunch or dinner. But, Tuesday found Sunset lounging on Trixie's bed as the latter prepared for her adventure.
Trixie's room resembled Twilight's, in that the walls were painted purple. But, instead of science posters and bookshelves, Trixie had posters of boy bands, famous magicians, and even one of herself giving a thumbs up with the caption, 'You're great!' The one shelf she did have was stuffed to the brim with CDs and old headphones.
Trixie stood in front of her closet, rifling through her clothes. She pulled out two sets of clothes and turned toward Sunset. "Which do you think makes Trixie look cooler?"
"Shouldn't you be packing, you know, practical clothing?"
"Trixie is! Looking cool while Trixie saves the day is completely practical!"
"I don't think you know what practical means."
"You're such a buzzkill." Trixie put the outfits away and rummaged some more. "Are you just mad because you don't get to go, too?"
Sunset raised her hands behind her head and fell back across the bed. "Nope. I love a good adventure as much as the next person, but I want just a few weeks where I don't have to worry about anything. Go have fun on your daddy-daughter adventure."
"Trixie intends to. Just try not to be jealous when we find the Rainbow of Light." Trixie pulled out a pair of worn jeans and a thick, wool shirt. She laid it on the bed next to Sunset, pulled out her wand, and cried, "Lulamoon!"
The articles of clothing wiggled and started to shrink down to a size for infants. Except, one of the shirt sleeves remained the same size, giving it a very lopsided appearance.
Trixie puckered her lips. "Lulamoon!"
The sleeve shrank down, but stopped at one size larger than the rest of the shirt.
"Hmph. Stupid shirt, how dare you make a mockery of the Great and Powerful Trixie! I'll deal with you later!" She shoved the shirt and pants into her backpack.
Sunset sat up. "You sure you're ready for this?"
Trixie put her hands on her hips and stuck her nose up. "Of course Trixie is! What do you take her for?"
Sunset could have said a lot of things, but decided she wanted her and Trixie to leave on good terms. "A great and powerful magician. Just, be careful out there, okay?
Trixie bent down and pinched Sunset's cheek. "It's cute that you're concerned. But Trixie will be just fine. Try not to miss her too much."
They spent the rest of the day together, and the family shared one last game night. Wednesday dawned, bright and sunny, and Sunset got dressed and headed downstairs. Two large backpacks sat next to the door, and Selena paced the living room, hands behind her back.
"Are you going to be okay?" Sunset asked.
"I..." Selena paused in her pacing. "I'm just..." She inhaled slowly. "They'll be fine. I know they will be. I just can't help worrying about them."
She looked over at Sunset. "I knew Trixie was going to leave the house someday. Go on some wild adventure. That's who she is. And I'm glad Artemis is going with her, but at the same time, when I pictured this day, he was staying here with me and... I'm glad you'll still be here, Sunset."
Sunset blushed and pushed a stray hair to the side.
Trixie and Artemis descended a few minutes later, dressed with their capes and hats. They slung their backpacks over their shoulders and lined up in front of the door, Artemis facing Selena, and Trixie facing Sunset.
A sudden lump formed in Sunset's throat. This was all happening so quickly. Ever since she had moved in, Trixie had been a constant in her home life. Someone to bicker with, to fight over the bathroom, to beat at board games. Same with Artemis, not counting his brief capture by the Sirens. He had been the one to take her in, give her a warm and loving home. Now, they were both leaving for who knew how long.
Trixie smirked when she saw Sunset's expression. "Aw, is Sunset going to miss the Great and Powerful Trixie? Yes, she does have that effect on people."
Sunset rubbed her eye. "Shut up. I... I just realized how much easier getting the bathroom will be, since Lamia never leaves her room."
"Well, don't get used to it. Trixie will be back before long. Then, you can bask in her triumph."
"Yeah, I can't wait." Sunset held an arm out, and to her surprise, Trixie flung both arms around her and squeezed affectionately.
Selena stepped forward and straightened Artemis' collar. "Promise me you'll be careful."
"Of course, turtle dove."
"You'll call when you can."
"Count on it."
"Remember, you're banned from Egypt."
"We're banned from Egypt."
She tugged on his hat. "I'm not the one traveling."
Sunset and Trixie broke apart. "What happened in Egypt?" Sunset asked.
"Nothing important," Artemis said with an airy wave. "I'm sure most of the people have forgotten."
"I sincerely doubt it." Selena kissed him on each cheek, then on the lips. "Please keep our daughter safe."
Artemis put a hand on Trixie's shoulder. "She'll be just fine."
Selena swooped over and kissed Trixie on each cheek, then on the forehead. "Mind your father. And, make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble."
"Yes, Mother." Trixie smiled and gave her an extra hug.
"Well, my little moon, it's time to get going!" Artemis opened to door and led Trixie out. "Farewell family, farewell Canterlot! We shall return as soon as we can, Rainbow of Light in tow!"
They stopped on the front lawn, wands in hand. Sunset and Selena watched from the doorway. With the sun still cresting over head, Artemis and Trixie raised their wands skyward.
"Ready, Trixie?"
"Ready, Father!"
"On the count of three then! One, two, three!"
"Lulamoon!"
With twin columns of blue smoke that coiled around each other, the two of them vanished. The wind pushed the smoke away, leaving the neighborhood clear and quiet. Sunset wondered where they had gone first. Wherever it was, she hoped they stayed safe.
Selena made a sigh only an empty-nesting mother could make. Her face brightened a little when she looked at Sunset. "Well, I guess it's our job to make sure things stay quiet around here. Come on, we'll make some breakfast, then I'll tell you what happened in Egypt."
*******
Rainbow dribbled the ball down the grass, maintaining perfect control as she came up to the halfway point of the field. The wind brushing across her sweat drenched forehead kept her cool. Even the evenings in Canterlot were growing steadily warmer.
She drew her right foot back and gave the soccer ball a solid kick, sending it straight into the net she had set up. Throwing her arms in the air, she cried, "Another goal made by the incredible Rainbow Dash! The crowd is going wild!" She cupped her hands to her mouth and made hoarse cheering noises.
The field she was practicing in wasn't very big. She hadn't gone to Canterlot Park, just to a smaller one up the street from her house. It had a nice field for practicing her foot work, and a large tree she and Fluttershy used to climb when they were little.
Rainbow walked the rest of the field, now covered in shadows, to collect her ball. Another half hour or so, and she'd be ready to call it quits. She tipped the ball onto her foot, kicked it into the air, then started bouncing it on her knees.
"Oooh, she makes it looks so easy!" she said in her announcer voice. "Just look at that control! That's a dedicated athlete right there!"
Bouncing it hard on her knee, she sent the ball skyward. She got on the other side of it, and when it came back down, she spun on her left foot and gave it a hard kick with her right. It shot straight into the net with such force, it looked like the fibers might snap.
"And she's done it! Rainbow Dash has won her team the World Cup!" she shouted.
"Nice to see your soccer skills are better than your snowboarding skills."
Rainbow jumped at the male voice behind her. She swung around, finding a familiar looking young man standing on the sidewalk, illuminated by the last light of day. He had blue skin two shades lighter than his blue hair, spiked and slicked back. His green eyes had a roguish twinkle in them.
"Wait a sec." Rainbow squinted at him. "You're that dork from the ski resort."
"Hey, that's harsh," he said, though with his smile and tone, he hardly looked offended. "Glad your arm healed up at least."
Rainbow gave her shoulder a roll. "Yeah, it's good as new," she said coldly. Deep down, she knew it wasn't directly his fault she had tried to prove she was just as awesome on a snowboard as he was, leading her to crash hard. But, he still had an indirect hand in it. If he hadn't been such a showoff, Rainbow wouldn't have had to one up him.
"It's Rainbow, right?" he asked, keeping his smooth and cordial voice.
"Rainbow Dash to you."
He grinned and pointed a thumb at himself. "Well, Rainbow Dash, I'm Soarin, in case you forgot."
"Forgot, yes. Care, no. I'd ask what you're doing here, but again, don't care."
"Yeesh, you're colder than the mountain," he said, finally frowning. "Look, I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, and I really am glad your arm is feeling better."
Rainbow turned to get her ball from the net. "Yeah? Well... thanks, I guess."
"You're pretty good at soccer."
"Pfft, I'm more than just good. I've got practically a full ride on scholarships thanks to my skills."
Soarin whistled. "That's actually really awesome. Congrats."
Rainbow tucked the soccer ball under her arm and looked at him with less scrutiny. "All right, seriously, what are you doing here?"
Soarin put his hands in his jean pockets and took a few steps onto the grass. "I'm staying with my aunt and uncle for the summer before I sign up for the air force."
"You wanna join the air force?"
"Yep. Wanted to fly ever since I was a kid."
"No kidding?" Rainbow broke into a grin. "I thought about joining the air force, too. Flying always seemed like the coolest thing ever! I mean, I wanted to be a stunt pilot first, but Dad said no."
"What changed your mind?"
Getting wings, Rainbow thought. "Dunno. Just decided it was better I keep my feet on the ground. How else am I gonna show the world my awesome abilities?"
Soarin chuckled. "I see you're not lacking in confidence. Why don't you show me more of these 'awesome abilities'?" He took his hands out of his pockets and bent his knees.
Rainbow snorted. "You serious? What does a snow boy like you know about soccer?"
"Put the ball down and find out."
Rainbow laughed. "Okay, ice pop. Let's see what you're made of." She tossed the ball up between them. Before it had fully touched the ground, both of them went at it, their ankles connecting with the ball. It smashed between them, but Rainbow, with her deft control, used her heel to pop it over Soarin's foot and carry it away.
Soarin proved quick on his feet though. As Rainbow ran the length of the field, he stayed right behind her, trying his best to wrest control of the ball. He found an opening as Rainbow turned to head toward the goal. With a slide of his foot, he kicked the ball off to the side, then spun around Rainbow and took control of it.
Rainbow gave an acknowledging "Hmph" as she ran after him, wresting control back and circling around him. Soarin pivoted on his heels and gave chase, running up to Rainbow's left side.
Pulling a little ahead of her, Soarin kicked out with the back of his heel, just as Rainbow tried to turn the ball away. It ricocheted off her foot and hit the park fence. Both players bolted after it as the ball lazily rolled along the grass.
Soarin reached it first, and paid the price of having Rainbow's foot collide against his shin. He dribbled the ball back toward the goal, a grin spreading across his face.
Rainbow made a full sliding tackle, knocking the ball clear from Soarin and using her arm to guard her face. Soarin stumbled over her and crashed face-first into the grass while Rainbow jumped to her feet to chase the ball down. She swiftly recovered it and returned to the goal, weaving around Soarin who was still getting up. With a swift kick, she sent the ball sailing into the goal.
"Well, you're not terrible," she said, scooping the ball up again.
"You're not bad yourself," Soarin said, wiping grass stains off his jeans. "Wasn't expecting that."
Rainbow tossed the ball up and began bouncing it on her knees again. "Trust me, you haven't seen half of my arsenal of awesome!"
Soarin crossed his arms and grinned. "Well, maybe you can show me sometime on a real soccer field."
Rainbow let the ball drop to the ground, then placed her foot on top of it. "Please, half field or full field, I could take you on. Name a time and place."
"How about I text you instead?" Soarin pulled a phone from his pocket.
She knew full well what this was, and a loud part of Rainbow's brain told her it would be better, and funnier, just to kick the ball into Soarin's groin and walk away. But, she had been issued a challenge, and the louder part of her brain told her to never back down from a challenge. Besides, she could totally cream him.
"Fine, dork." She snatched the phone out of his hand. "But just to warn you, on top of my soccer and track skills, I'm a red belt."
Soarin held a hand up. "I'm not up to anything nefarious, I promise. Heck, it doesn't even have to be a date if you don't want it to be."
"Mmhmm." She handed it back and crossed her arms. "Summer break just started, so I'm free most of the time. Unless I'm hanging out with my friends."
"Sweet." Then, quick as lighting, Soarin struck his foot out and snatched the ball out from underneath Rainbow. As she struggled to keep her balance, Soarin kicked the ball up onto his knees, juggled it a few times, then gave it some air. As it came back down, he spun on his left foot and kicked it with his right.
The ball whizzed past Rainbow and straight into the goal.
Soarin held up a peace sign. "See you later, Rainbow Dash." He turned and strolled out of the park, hands in his pockets.
Rainbow stared at the back of his head, looked to the ball sitting in the goal, then backed to Soarin. Something fluttered weakly in her chest.
"Awesome," she breathed. |
Spectacular Seven | 3. The Pen and the Sword | Twilight flipped through her English binder, fondly looking at every A+ marked on her papers. Sure, she had digital copies of most of them backed up on her computer, but she had still saved the hard copies; they were the original proof of her academic success! Though, she reasoned that the overall proof was engraved in her high school GPA and diploma.
She sighed, taking one last look at her critical analysis paper on The Odyssey before closing the binder and dropping it in the 'throw away' box.
Her mother had advised her to begin clearing out her old school things as a first step in preparation for her leavetaking. Twilight hadn't realized just how many notebooks and binders she had filled and hoarded through the years until she dug through her closest. She had things dating back to the sixth grade. While cute and sentimental, those had been easier to discard.
No, it was her materials accumulated from high school that proved harder to part with. Perhaps because she had put even more effort into every one of her assignments knowing that colleges would be looking at them. Or because, instead of working on everything alone, Twilight had begun to collaborate and talk through her ideas with friends. Namely Moondancer up until senior year.
Twilight's heart tightened. She pushed the thought aside and picked up the next notebook lying on the floor. Her AP Physics notes. That would surely come in handy her first few years in college. She placed it in the 'keep' box at the foot of her bed.
Spike wandered into her room, tail wagging as he began sniffing around. He put his paws up on the lip of the 'keep' box and stuck his head inside.
"No, Spike, there's nothing in there for you."
The box tipped forward, spilling books and binders onto the floor, and startling Spike so much, he jumped onto the bed and pressed himself into Twilight's side.
She giggled and stroked his head. "Silly puppy." She reached for a discarded notebook, tore out a piece of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the hall. "Go get it!"
Spike barked and leaped of the bed, chasing the makeshift ball, and chewing on it with fervor once he caught it.
With Spike occupied, Twilight reorganized her 'keep' box, then returned to sorting. She got rid of her tenth grade history notes, but kept her advanced chemistry notes from eleventh grade. Looking around at what she wanted to inspect next, Twilight saw a manila folder lying next to her desk. There was a French flag stamped on the front.
"Huh, I never took French," she said to herself as she picked it up. Thinking on it, she regretted not taking a second language. Opening the folder, she saw papers not written in French, but in English, but they weren't in her handwriting.
"Oh!" Twilight pulled one out and looked at the tidy signature at the bottom. "Oh..."
Moondancer had signed her name using hearts instead of 'o's. Twilight's throat constricted at the sight of it. She wanted to put the letters down, maybe even drop them in the discard box. She had been trying her hardest not to think about Moondancer. But thinking about Sunset led to thinking about Prom, and thinking about Prom led to...
She was on the second letter before she knew it. She and Moondancer had exchanged over a dozen while Moondancer had been abroad. Moondancer shared tales and descriptions of her time in Paris. From museums to cafes to the people she had met. Every letter included how much she missed Twilight.
"Every day spent without you, I feel as if the sun struggles to rise."
Twilight let out a bitter laugh. How could she have never seen it? Moondancer had been head-over-heels for her. Of course, Twilight hadn't realized she liked girls back then. She hadn't realized she was capable of being romantically interested in anyone.
But every letter penned by Moondancer seemed sincere, full of heart and friendship. It was a complete inverse to what Twilight had witnessed at Prom. Moondancer's words had been laced with venom, and a hateful fire burned in her eyes. From what Twilight understood, the Archon Amulet caused some amount of insanity. But was that really an excuse for Moondancer's actions?
Reading her words, Twilight wondered what was truth and what had been fabricated in their friendship. Twilight was only a quarter through the folder now, slowing down to take in Moondancer's words.
My dearest Little Star,
The tone of this letter must start off as mine usually do: tidings of nothing but happiness and well wishes to you! It's been only a month, yet my heart aches to see your face again. As lovely as France is, there are seldom people here I can talk to, and even fewer who can hold a conversation. I know you not to be a social butterfly, but your comments and observations on all things material and immaterial are always stimulating.
Now, for the matter at hand. First, pass on my congratulations to your father for his new position at the university. However, I must confess my most immediate distress upon hearing you will not be attending Crystal Prep for our final year! What am I to do without you, Twilight? I know it is for the sake of convenience, but do you truly have to move across town? Even upon my return, it will feel like a massive chasm has opened up between us!
You are my closest and dearest friend. If I am to open my heart completely, you're really the only friend I have at the academy. The other girls are nice, but I see it in their eyes. They only talk to me for my wealth. And no one in the theater club are truly friends. It is cutthroat, Twilight, cutthroat! With you gone, what catharsis will I have at the end of the day? Who will make me smile? Who will allow me to revel in my occasional dramatics? And who will take care of you in my absence? You are smart and talented--none know more than I, but you hide your face in the crowd (or rather, behind a book). Who will help you shine? Who will make sure you stop reading and eat?
Woe onto me! This will consume my every thought until I return! The most I can do is pray that the stars look after you.
Sigh. To end on brighter news, I shall be visiting the French countryside next week. I shall enclose pictures upon my next letter. I truly do miss you, Twilight, and I hope this new school will be to your liking. Enjoy the remainder of you summer holiday. I eagerly look forward to your next correspondence.
Love,
Moondancer
Sitting in front of the next letter were indeed the pictures Moondancer had promised. They were beautiful shots of valleys, vineyards, and small towns surrounded by green pastures.
Twilight read the letter again. Moondancer had missed her so much that she had transferred schools to follow after Twilight. That was a true mark of friendship, right? Or, had she done it to observe Twilight's magical friends?
"Who will take care of you in my absence? ... Who will help you shine?"
Twilight tightened her grip on the paper. Did Moondancer think she couldn't take care of herself? Her grip slackened. The truth was, she couldn't. The next letter reminded her so.
Dearest Twilight
I hope this letter arrives to you with the utmost haste and finds you in much better health than when you sent your last letter. It took me a full hour to compose myself before I could write a response.
Nearly assaulted! I am horrified at the thought! And furious! If I ever find the two culprits, hell shall have no fury! I am eternally thankful to this Sunset Shimmer for her timely intervention, though from how you describe her, I'm a little dubious to her character as well. Perhaps it's the leather jacket. That's never a sign of a character with high moral fiber. Still, I will not look this gift horse in the mouth.
Words cannot express how happy I am to know you are physically unharmed. I can only hope the shock isn't as bad either. Of course you know, I am always here to lend an ear.
I have enclosed pictures of the French countryside. Perhaps they will set your mind at ease if it need be.
Why do I have to be a whole ocean away? You need me to defend you from ruffians like that! I would come home right now if I could! But, alas, I have commitments. I can do nothing more than hope nothing else befalls you.
I miss you dearly. Please, continue sending me letters so I know you are safe. I hope the fall semester goes well for you, my dearest little star.
Love,
Moondancer
Twilight set the letter aside and stared at the floor. Every time she had been in trouble, someone had come to save her. Against those thugs, against Scarlet, against Moondancer. And every time her friends went to battle, Twilight had sit on the side and watch. Had she really helped during the Battle of the Bands? She certainly hadn't done anything when her magic powered friends were fighting Scarlet. All she had been was a liability.
Magic. In the end, it all came down to magic. Her lack of it... her friends' excess of it... Moondancer's loss of control over it.
Twilight stood and walked to her desk. She opened the bottom drawer and pulled out another binder: her notes on magic. Most of it was what Sunset had explained to her about Equestrian magic. She still only had speculation and hypotheses for how magic in this world worked. Twilight flipped through it, seeing question after question she had written down with no answer to follow. And she hadn't even updated it after the events at Prom. What was that new form Sunset had taken on? How had she acquired it? Had it really been as simple as accepting the events in her past? What gave the Archon Amulet its corrupting influence?
Twilight slammed the binder shut and shoved it away. She didn't have magic, she barely understood it. How was she supposed to help her friends if Tirek came back? How was she supposed to protect Sunset if Moondancer or Tempest attacked again? She didn't want to be the damsel in distress! She didn't want to be the useless sidekick!
Anger bubbled in her stomach. Anger at herself, at the confusing world around her, at Moondancer...
Her eyes fell on the letters again. Why, Moony? What did Sunset ever do to you? Twilight balled her fists. She didn't want to be angry at Moondancer. But amidst the confusion and sadness and frustration, it was there. She had lied about wanting to be friends with Sunset and tried to kill her.
Twilight picked up the folder again and read through the remaining letters. She had told Moondancer a lot about Sunset, and Moondancer had responded with interest and fond remarks.
"I'm glad you've found a new friend! ... How nice of her! Give her my thanks! ... I hope you and Sunset have a good time at the ball. Try not to have too good of a time though."
Where had the lie started? Where was the point where Moondancer came to hate Sunset enough to want her dead? Or had it been there since the beginning?
Twilight's insides tied themselves into knots. She wanted an explanation. She wanted to march to Moondancer's house and demand one. The way things were now, she doubted Moondancer would tell her anything, even if Twilight got that far.
Instead, Twilight sat at her desk and took out a pen and paper.
"Dear Moondancer,"
She paused. How did she start a letter like this? What did she say first? There were so many emotions swirling together, Twilight couldn't pick one that stood out the most. She just needed to vent.
So she did. Twilight just wrote. She wrote and wrote, forming run on sentences, using all capital letters, questioning, accusing, rambling until the page was full. Then, she grabbed another paper and filled that one, too. She wrote about things that weren't directly tied to Moondancer. Her frustrations with magic, with herself, even some about Sunset. Twilight just needed to get everything out.
After three pages of untidy, hastily written script, Twilight let the pen fall onto the desk. She leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. She felt a little lighter, a little more clear headed. Frustration still roiled within her, but it felt more manageable.
Twilight looked over what she had written. Some of it was illegible in her haste to write. She crumpled all of it up and threw it into the trash, then took a clean sheet of paper and started again. She wrote slowly, returning to her neat handwriting, and pausing frequently to put her thoughts in order. Twilight made sure she was clear and concise without being to hostile. After a half hour, she had a full page finished.
She read it and re-read it, and while it all sounded good, she actually had no idea if she really wanted to send this. Would Moondancer even get it? And what would it change? Nothing, she supposed, other than telling Moondancer her thoughts and feelings. Would that prompt Moondancer to respond in turn?
There was a soft rapt on her door. Twilight twisted in her seat to find her mother at the threshold. "Sunset's downstairs waiting for you. I thought I'd give you a heads up in case you weren't decent."
"Oh, right. Thanks, Mom." Twilight had forgotten she and Sunset were supposed to spend time together. She neatly folded the letter and tucked into into the top drawer. That was a decision she could make later, she supposed.
*******
Twilight poked at her mint chocolate chip ice cream. She had eaten half of it, and was now watching the other half slowly melt. The umbrella over their table kept it from becoming a complete puddle in the warm late spring air. She took a small nibble, though her appetite had for it had come and gone.
"It must be quiet without Artemis and Trixie at home," she said, trying to keep the conversation going.
Sunset, who had gotten a cone today, made a loud slurp on her double scoop of strawberry. "Yeah. Shimmer stays in her room most of the time, so it's just Selena and I. It's pretty cool though. She'll read parts of the newest novel she's working on and ask for my input. Then, I'll help her cook dinner. I'm learning how to make pizza from scratch."
Twilight nodded. "Sounds like fun," she said, missing her usual enthusiasm.
Sunset lowered her ice cream, revealing her pink stained mouth. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Twilight said, cracking a small smile at Sunset's mess. She took a napkin and reached over the table to wipe her face.
"Come on, that's the 'nothing' I give when it's something," Sunset said after Twilight had finished. "You know you can talk to me about anything."
"I know. It's just..." Twilight put down her spoon and wrung her wrists. "I... You told me I wasn't useless, but..."
Sunset gave her a doleful look. "Twilight..."
"I feel useless, okay?" Twilight blurted out. "You all have magic and can do these incredible things! And, every time I try to do something, someone has to rescue me! The one time I tried to protect you, you had to save me! I can't figure out how any of this magic stuff works! I'm just... I'm just kinda here."
She slumped back in her seat. Apparently, writing out her emotions hadn't helped as much as she thought. Now she felt frustrated and embarrassed.
Sunset stood up, tossed the rest of her ice cream into the trash, then walked around behind Twilight and wrapped her arms around her.
"First off," she said softly into Twilight's ear, "it's not fair to compare yourself to freakish magical pony girls."
Twilight didn't smile.
"Second, like I told you that night, the fact that you didn't back down from Scarlet, a fire-breathing demon, and Moondancer, your best friend is not the mark of someone useless. That took huge amounts of bravery. And, Sparky, if you hadn't rescued us from that locked room during the Battle of the Bands, the Sirens would have won. Pinkie's skull is thick, but I doubt we would have gotten that door open."
Twilight managed a tiny smile.
"I get it, it's hard to feel like you're contributing when you're surrounded by six girls who can fling magic around. But you're a genius, Twilight. We built an EMP and a hydroelectric generator out of spare parts. You're working on a gyrocopter for your scholarship to MIT! You're one of the few humans who even knows real magic exists!"
Sunset kissed her on the cheek. "And I don't care how many other Twilight Sparkles there might be out there. You're the only one for me."
Twilight leaned against her. Sunset's words warmed her like a fireplace on a rainy day. She wanted to believe all of it--she really did. But a small voice in her head kept asking, what was she doing here, amongst these superheroes?
"Hey!" Sunset grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up to her feet. "Come on, I've got an idea that might cheer you up!"
"R-really?" Twilight said, taken aback by Sunset's sudden enthusiasm. "What?"
"You'll see when we get there." Sunset moved her hand to to Twilight's and led her away from the ice cream shop. They got on her motorcycle, and with a quick ride through the suburbs, came to rest at Sunset's house.
Twilight took her helmet off and looked up at the blue abode, set apart from the other suburban houses by the wizard tower attached to the back. She followed Sunset up the driveway and through the door. Twilight always took a moment to admire the dozens upon dozens of pictures and tapestries coating every wall of the living room. Despite Trixie's egocentric nature, her home had a very welcoming atmosphere.
"Selena!" Sunset called.
Twilight heard footsteps come from upstairs, and Selena appeared at the balcony, a pencil tucked behind her ear.
"Is something wrong, Sunset?"
"Not 'wrong', no." She pulled Twilight close to her. "I was just wondering if you could talk to Twilight for a little bit. She's under the impression you need magic to be useful."
"Is that so?" Selena gave them a gentle smile as she descended the stairs. "I can see where you might get that idea. Come along, I'll make some tea for us."
Twilight and Sunset followed her to the kitchen and took a seat at the island counter while Selena put a pot on the stove. Twilight fidgeted in her seat while she waited. She had never engaged in a prolonged conversation with Selena before. Twilight knew her to be kind, yet something about her made her intimidating. It was similar to Sunset when Twilight had first met her.
Selena put a lid on the pot and faced the girls. "Sunset tells me you were the smartest girl in school, Twilight."
Cheeks warm, Twilight looked over to Sunset, who was trying to act as nonchalant as possible by looking at her phone.
"I don't know if I'd say the smartest..." Twilight said. Despite Sunset pretending to ignore her, she felt like she was on stage in front of dozens of people.
"You were the valedictorian," Selena said simply. "And you two won the science fair."
"I tried telling her that," Sunset said under her breath.
"Okay, maybe on paper, my intellect is above average. But, in practical situations, I'm just..."
"Practical?" Selena smiled as her eyebrow rose. "Sweetie, magic is a lot of things: convenient, amusing, and an easy way to cheat the laws of reality. But, practical? I would think not."
The teapot whistled, and Selena took it off the stove and poured three cups. "There's a reason I do all the cooking around here. It's because, despite the great feats Artemis is capable of, he can't just wave his wand and conjure up a meal."
Twilight took the warm cup. Despite the temperature outside, holding the hot beverage felt pleasant.
Selena blew the steam off the top of her cup and took a sip. "Magic is a crutch. While I love Artemis and his magic to death, I believe it's overrated sometimes. It's something I tried to instill in Trixie, but she was enamored with her father from day one."
Twilight looked up from her tea. "You're saying I should be glad I don't have magic?"
"Well, I don't know if glad is the word I would use. But you shouldn't mope about not having it. You have talents all your own that make you valuable."
"Maybe.... But, they're not helpful in situations like the Battle of the Bands. I just don't feel like I'm helping anyone with all these magical problems. I'm not like you. I can't fight or swing a sword."
Selena shook her head. "The only one you should be comparing yourself to is you. And from what Sunset tells us, you're already pretty great." She took another sip of tea. "That being said, I always believe there's room for improvement. Would you like me to teach you?"
An excited jolt ran through Twilight. "T-teach me? Like, how to fight?"
"Only if you'd like. Self-defense is always handy. We probably wouldn't be able to get very far, since you're setting off for college soon. But, I believe I could give you a strong foundation in swordplay and hand-to-hand that should prove helpful against non-magical threats at the very least."
The warmth Twilight's cup radiated had grown into a burn, but she barely registered it. "Yes! That would be wonderful! I mean, if it isn't an inconvenience. I wouldn't want to bother you."
Selena laughed. "It wouldn't be a bother. It'd be a welcome break from my usual routine of cleaning and writing all day." She looked over to Sunset. "You're more than welcome to join us."
"I might join in," Sunset said casually. "But, I think this is more for Twilight." She gave Twilight a wink.
Twilight smiled and looked down at the green tea in her hands. Thanks, Sunnykins. If this goes well, I'll be able to protect you, too. She blew the steam away and took a careful sip of her tea.
Selena finished her cup and set it aside. "Well, we can begin anytime you're ready. Just say the word."
Twilight felt the urge to start now, but held it off. She and Sunset were technically supposed to be on their date right now. "Is tomorrow good?"
"Tomorrow is perfect. I'll expect you here at noon."
*******
The rest of the day brightened for Twilight. Butterflies danced in her stomach. She couldn't wait to train and prove she wasn't useless in a crisis. Fantasies ran through her head of how she would look with a sword in her hand. She pictured herself fighting off the Sirens while her friends cheered her on.
Even when the sun set and the stars came out, Twilight found herself giddy with anticipation. Sure, she had never had the best hand-eye coordination, and maybe she couldn't run a lap without needing to sit down, but she was determined to do this!
She pushed her excitement for tomorrow down to focus on the present. To end their day together, Sunset and Twilight had retreated to Twilight's backyard. Twilight had brought out her telescope for them to look at the stars. They shone brightly tonight, as least, as brightly as suburban lights would allow.
Twilight would point out constellations to Sunset and educate her on their origin and history. Sunset played the part of a good student and nodded attentively, even asking questions from time to time.
"The weird thing is," Sunset said, looking into the telescope, "in Equestria, we have some of these constellations, too. Canis Major, Ursa Minor. Of course, some of them are also dangerous monsters, but I digress."
The feeling of jubilation began to flicker as Twilight felt a small headache come on. "But, that doesn't make any sense. If you can see some of these constellations, your world would have to be in some close proximity to Earth, right?"
Sunset straightened up. "Maybe? Remember, different dimensions, Twilight. Maybe our worlds share the same galaxy, just two different versions of it."
In place of jubilation, Twilight now had the urge to go to Equestria and study their night sky to compare it to her own. Trans-dimensional astronomy. She could start a whole new field of science!
"Portal's still closed," Sunset said, looking into the telescope again.
Twilight jumped. "What, can you read minds now?"
Sunset grinned. "Nah, it's just written all over your face."
Twilight huffed. "I can't help it if I get excited about the possibility of tremendous breakthroughs in the exploration of space."
"I'll add that to your list of turn ons then."
If her eye hadn't been pressed against the telescope, Twilight would have shoved Sunset. "Big, stupid, jerk," she grumbled.
"I love you too, Sparky." |
Spectacular Seven | 4. Quiet Contemplations | A bumblebee hovered by the windowsill, its buzzing wings filling in the pauses between Professor Quick Notes drones. It brought with it the refreshing aroma of springtime flowers in bloom.
Keeping her chin in her hand, Moondancer looked out the open window to the back garden. The sun and the smell of flowers tantalized Moondancer to go out and play, but there were two problems with that idea.
One, Professor Quick Note, while not mean, was strict, and never saw the point of holding any of Moondancer's lessons outside. She was perfectly capable of learning multiplication and division indoors.
Two, she had no one to play with anymore. Not since her mother had gone to sleep like a princess. Moondancer still didn't understand why. The scary lady did something, now her mother was asleep, her father didn't spend time with her anymore, and she couldn't go outside the house, except for the garden.
So, Moondancer had to go to school at home, and talk to the maid and her butler, and learn piano on her own. And yes, Moondancer got more breaks and better food than schools would give, and her maid and butler were nice and asked her how her day was, and she was getting good at piano, but, Moondancer felt like a princess trapped in a tower.
Eyes still on the myriad of flowers waving outside, Moondancer breathed a quiet sigh. It was enough for Professor Quick Note to take notice. He tapped his ruler against the desk, making Moondancer jump in her seat.
"Pay attention, Miss Moondancer. You'll be having a quiz tomorrow."
"Yes, sir." Her eyes returned to the blackboard, but her mind continued to wander.
She missed playing pretend with her mother, where her father would sometimes join and be the big, scary dragon or evil knight. She missed having sleepovers with kids from her private school. She missed going to plays and seeing people dressed up in costumes and saying funny words or singing on a stage. Sometimes, she would wrap her blanket over her shoulders and read lines from her Shakespeare book to pass the time.
Professor Quick Note released Moondancer from her math lesson an hour later so she could have lunch. She took her usual seat at the dining room table: the left side of the head. Looking down the long table at the empty seats, Moondancer wondered if they had ever been full. She would love to see that someday; every chair filled and the dining room noisy with laughter. Even before the scary lady came, it had just been her and her parents. Though Moondancer would be happy to eat with them again, too.
Lemon Fresh brought out her lunch and set it before Moondancer. "Here you are, My Lady. How is your day so far?"
Moondancer took a moment to stare at her food. She fixed her mouth into a smile and looked up at Lemon Fresh. "Just fine, thank you for asking," she lied.
She was getting good at that.
*******
Digging the spade through the soil was as easy as scooping out ice cream from a container. She scooped out a nice hole, set the spade aside, and gently lifted the chrysanthemums into their new home. They would look lovely growing next to the dahlias this summer.
Moondancer covered the roots with soil, then reached for her watering pail and dowsed the flowers in a generous sprinkle. She straightened up and wiped the right side of her face clear of sweat. The left side would just have to suffer, sweltering under her mask.
Summer loomed ever closer, sending warmer weather and clear skies ahead of it. While it was hotter than Moondancer had been prepared for, she remained in her garden, planting, trimming and rearranging the flowers. It was all she had to do at the moment.
It was quiet though. Moondancer had asked her servants not to bother her. She preferred to work in the garden alone. It gave her time to think, to reflect. Thoughts came clearer and easier now that she wasn't wearing the Archon Amulet anymore.
She got to her feet, wiping the excess dirt off her gloves and apron. She inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet aroma of pollen and freshly watered flowers. Just a little weeding, then she'd be done for the day. She adjusted her sun hat, picked up her flower basket, and moved onto the next section.
Moondancer knelt by the flowers sitting closest to the stream running through her backyard. She took her sheers from the basket and began carefully cutting at the weeds getting too close to her precious babies.
She paused, her hand starting to tremble. The scars on the left side of her face heated up again, magnified by their confinement. She resisted the urge to press a hand against them, knowing it would only make it worse. Instead, she closed her eyes and waited it out.
Sunset's furious glare awaited her in the darkness.
Moondancer's eyes snapped open, and she dropped her shears. After several short breaths, her scars' heat dwindled back to their normal irritating burn.
Why? Why won't you go away?
Thoughts may have come clearer and easier, but that didn't stop them from getting tangled or becoming unpleasant.
She had crossed lines. Many of them. She had broken the one solemn vow she had made to herself: never endanger Twilight. Yet, even for just a moment, Moondancer had been ready to sacrifice her to ensure her own survival.
But, that was what she had to do. She had to survive. She had to endure all of this until the day Tirek came back. She hadn't wanted to give up Twilight, but she didn't have a choice.
It didn't stop her from feeling disgusted with herself. She had been wearing the amulet for far too long. It was all moot now. Twilight no doubt hated her.
Moondancer moved her hand to her neck and pulled on the silver chain, fishing a silver heart-shaped locket from her shirt. After month of wearing the amulet, putting this around her neck felt like an old friend returning to embrace her. She kept it cupped in her hands for a moment, running a finger over the smooth facets.
Carefully, she flipped it open. Two photos were tucked inside, windows into the past. One showed a young Moondancer sitting on the shoulders of her mother. Apalla had her wand out and had summoned a stream of butterflies. Little Moondancer was trying her best to catch one.
The older Moondancer looked up to the window on the third floor. She couldn't see her mother from here, but knew her vacant eyes were on the garden. Returning her gaze to the locket, Moondancer focused on the other picture: Twilight from years past. Like most pictures taken of her, Twilight kept herself hunched trying to make herself as small as possible.
At least you're safe for now. Moondancer didn't know how, but one day, she would try to make it up to Twilight if she could.
She gently snapped the locket closed and placed it back in her shirt. While the day was hot, the warmth her jewelry brought was comfortable, pleasing even. Moondancer picked her sheers up, snipped a weed, and laid in the basket.
Of course, I don't think there's a gesture grand enough that makes up for trying to take your best friend's soul. She sighed. The best Moondancer could hope for was that, when it was all over, Twilight would at least understand why.
A bead of sweat trickled into Moondancer's left eye, and her hand instinctively jumped to her face, stopping just before she touched the mask. As much as it stung, she refused to rub it. Still, the gashes heated up again making Moondancer feel like her face was pressed against a fire.
She gnashed her teeth together, unable to do anything except wait for the flare up to die down. It took several long, agonizing minutes, but the heat reduced itself once more. It happened at random, her scars heating up until Moondancer wanted to cry out in pain.
Yes, she had crossed lines. She was wrong to try and kill Sunset. But this? This was completely unfair. This was additional torment on top of her isolation from the rest of the world and Tempest's cold threats.
But Sunset got to go home, perfectly happy at the end of the day.
Moondancer sat on her knees, lowering her sheers. "I hate you," she whispered. "Every time you win, I lose something."
She didn't want Sunset dead. No, there were only two people she wanted to die. Moondancer just wanted Sunset to know a loss. But, she also knew better. Even with the Archon Amulet, she had been unable to stand up to Sunset. Without it, Moondancer didn't stand a chance, and had no desire to try.
The best she could hope for was that someone, someday, would put her in her place.
"Keep winning in the meantime," Moondancer said, putting away her sheers. "I'll take any excuse to see Tempest frustrated."
*******
Sunset heard a knock on the front door half past eleven. She wasn't surprised in the slightest to find Twilight waiting outside, bouncing from one foot to the other. She had on a plain purple t-shirt and a pair of old jeans. Sunset couldn't help but smirk.
"You know you're here early, right?"
"I know! But, I couldn't really sleep that well because I was so excited and nervous and anxious, so I got up early and started doing some research online for helpful tips about swordplay. Of course, I don't know which discipline Selena is going to teach me, so I started reading through as many as I could, but I didn't want to be late so..."
Sunset escorted Twilight into the kitchen and gave her what remained of the egg scramble she and Selena had made. In between bites, Twilight continued to talk about what she had read online.
At a quarter to noon, Selena came downstairs dressed in a blue gi with an ankle length blue skirt. She had a notebook in one hand, and two training swords under her arm.
"Oh, you're here already," she said, pleasantly surprised. "Well, if you're ready, we can start early."
"Yes!" Twilight shoveled her last forkful of egg into her mouth and jumped to her feet. "I'm ready, sensei!"
Selena laughed. "Just Selena is fine. But..." She leaned forward and inclined her head toward the floor. "It is proper for a teacher and student to bow to one another before each lesson."
Twilight quickly imitated her, falling into a respectful bow.
"Come along, then. I've got our whole lesson planned out." Selena waved the notebook as she lead Twilight and Sunset to the backyard. Sunset intended to mostly observe. Selena had given her a few sword lessons months ago, but Sunset found she wasn't much of a sword girl.
Selena stepped off the patio and sat down in the grass, setting her things aside. She pointed to space in front of her, gesturing for Twilight to sit as well. "First, we'll begin with meditation. I know you're excited, but I want you to clear your mind. Empty it of all distractions and focus only on your inner self."
Twilight sat down and crossed her legs, but look at Selena with confusion. "My inner self?"
"The deepest part of yourself. What makes you, you. What you are when you remove all the layers and barriers you put up."
"Ummm...."
Selena let out a weak chuckle. "Okay, we'll work up to that. Just focus on your breathing and your heartbeat. Drown out the world until you can only hear those two things."
"Okay, I can do that."
Sunset sat down adjacent to them. Meditating was something she could do. She could remember those lessons with Princess Celestia like they were yesterday; the two of them out in the garden or on the balcony of the castle.. She closed her eyes, pushing the past out and trying to reach down to her center.
The world around her fell silent. She could only hear the synchronous breathing of Selena and Twilight, and the occasional gust of wind through her hair. She could feel the sun on her face and the grass on her legs. She breathed slowly, in through her nose, out through her mouth.
She couldn't remember the last time she had truly meditated. Slowly stripping her excess thoughts away brought a level of peace she didn't know she could get to. It felt like she was diving into herself, looking for enlightenment. She dove down, past her memories, past her insecurities, until there was only darkness. Not the foreboding or sinister kind. Just an empty space, waiting to be filled.
Sunset breathed again, willing herself deeper. There was something glittering in the darkness. She reached a hand out as she drew nearer. It was warm and familiar. It grew larger, filling the darkness with light.
The warmth blossomed forth, and Sunset felt her pony ears return and her hair lengthen. There was a subtle shift in weight on her forehead as something long poked out of it. A light golden aura enveloped her, shining through her eyelids. Unable to ignore what had just happened, Sunset opened her eyes to find Twilight gaping at her.
"How did you do that?"
Selena opened an eye, looking slightly irritated. It vanished when she saw what had caused Twilight's distraction. "Hmm.... Meditation is one way to become in tune with one's soul. Sunset must have reached deep within herself and channeled her magic."
Sunset looked down at herself, examining her glow. It wasn't as bright or as warm as her transformation at Prom. She wondered, if she found a way to keep going, could she power up to that again? She held a palm up, trying to conjure a ball of fire. Nothing happened.
Everyone else got powers. Why can't I do anything in this form?
Twilight stared fixedly at Sunset, then looked to Selena. "Moondancer said she got magic by training and meditating. Is it possible for someone like me to do that, too?"
Selena gave a hesitant nod. "It is. But, that requires years of dedicated training and focus. I would say Moondancer had an easier time because she came from a family of magic users. It's certainly not impossible though."
"I see." Twilight looked down in thought. She straightened up, closed her eyes, and began taking slow steady breaths.
As Selena closed her eyes and joined Twilight, Sunset quietly stood up and excused herself back into the kitchen. Her excitement at the idea of exploring her new magic had dimmed when she saw the self-conscious doubt Twilight carried about her lack of abilities. The last thing Sunset wanted was to look like she was showing off. She also hoped Twilight didn't have the ridiculous idea of meditating until she gained magic. But when Twilight put her mind to something, it was hard to stop her. Sunset didn't think it would be dangerous per se, but the thought still left her uneasy.
While Twilight and Selena meditated, Sunset took to cleaning up the kitchen. Curiosity compelled her to try to see if her telekinesis worked. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to get any magical power to manifest.
"What is the point of this then?" she grumbled as she washed out the frying pan. "There's only so many problems you can solve by shooting rainbows at them."
She reached up and ran a finger down her horn, feeling the familiar spiral grooves. She had a horn again. It didn't thrum with power as it had in Equestria, but still, just feeling its presence, Sunset felt complete in a way she hadn't since she had stepped through the portal.
Something shuffled into the kitchen behind her. Sunset turned around to find Lamia, hair a mess, clothes filthy, bags still under her eyes. They looked a little smaller though. Spot trailed behind her, wagging his tail as he spotted Sunset.
"Morning, sunshine," Sunset said as Lamia began rummaging through the cabinets.
Lamia gave an acknowledging grunt as she pulled out a box of cereal. When she turned to actually look at Sunset, she gave something close to a smile. "Nice ears, you look like a furry."
"Nice shirt, you look like a hobo."
Lamia held up her middle finger, then went to find milk and a bowl. She set her afternoon breakfast on the counter and looked out into the backyard. "What are housewife and purple smart doing?"
Sunset stacked the last of the dishes into the drying rack. "Selena is teaching Twilight how to use a sword."
"Oh good, maybe she'll finally contribute something to your little sentai squad."
Sunset balled a fist. "She contributes plenty already!"
"Please." Lamia took a spoonful of her cereal. "The most she does is believe in you guys. She's like the Heart of the Planeteers."
"I don't know what that is, but I feel like that's an insult."
Lamia took another bite. "It was."
"You know, I can still send you to jail."
"You know, I can still kick your ass."
Sunset used both her hands to massage her temples. She now knew what other people went through whenever they dealt with her. "Would it kill you to not act like a jerk for ten seconds?"
Lamia was silent for a while, slowly chewing on her cereal. She swallowed and said, "Huh, guess not. But it's really boring."
"I hate you."
"That's cool. I hate everyone." She looked outside again. Twilight and Selena were getting to their feet and starting stretching exercises. "So, like, have you banged her yet or what?"
Sunset, who had just poured herself a glass of lemonade, almost dropped the container. "What?"
Lamia looked at her, the corner of her lip curling up. "Have you banged your girlfriend? Genuinely curious. I'm betting yes because the only reason she was looking so hard for you must be because the sex is good."
Sunset's cheeks burned. From embarrassment or fury, she couldn't say. "No, I have not... slept with Twilight yet!"
"Damn, I owe myself ten bucks." Lamia lifted the bowl to her mouth and took a long slurp. "Nerdy girl like that? I bet she's into some real kinky shit."
"Stop," Sunset growled.
Lamia shrugged. "Just callin' it as I see it. You should check her computer files. Bet you'll find some really interesting hen--"
"Lalalalalalala!" Sunset shoved her hands over her ears. "Done listening! You're dumb and I'm done listening!"
Done with her breakfast, Lamia stood and dropped her bowl into the sink. She scooped up Spot and headed out the kitchen, flashing Sunset a raunchy grin as she left.
Sunset moved her hands from her ears and back to her temples. And here she thought only Pinkie could induce headaches just by talking.
Twilight is not some depraved sex maniac! Sunset thought as she turned to reluctantly clean Lamia's bowl.
"Tentacles!" Lamia yelled from the stairs.
"I hate you!"
*******
"So, I'm thinking, 'oh yeah, he's totally gonna come from the left,' but at the last second, he feints to the right, throwing me off, then kicks the ball so it curves from the left straight into the goal!"
"Mmmhmm."
"I mean, I'm awesome and all, but that was pretty cool! Anyway, I beat him 5-4 before we both decide we're too tired to keep going. So, we just sit and chill for a while. I mean, when he's not being a total tryhard, Soarin's actually really cool! I told you he wants to join the air force, right?"
"Yes."
"Yeah! He starts telling me about his grandfather! He flew for the army during the war! Oh man, I wish I could have met him! Soarin told me some of the intense stories he used to tell! I mean, if this soccer things doesn't work out, maybe I could still enlist!"
"You could."
"Anyways, we talked for like, three hours before I decided to call it quits. But, he asked me to the movies tomorrow, and like, I dunno, I couldn't say no! I mean, he's not my level of awesome, but he's pretty high up there. And, I dunno, maybe... maybe this is a date? Should I call it a date? He's not bad looking. And he's good at soccer! And whenever he drops the cool guy act, the way he looks at me... maybe he actually likes me and doesn't just want to get into my pants? What do you think, 'Shy?"
Fluttershy paused her knitting. She was halfway through making a kitten-sized sweater. Sure, winter was a long way off, but she wanted to be well stocked for the animal shelter this year. Plus, it gave her a minor distraction from any unwelcome thoughts. But, now that Rainbow had asked her a question, Fluttershy didn't have a choice but to think.
And did she tell Rainbow her honest thoughts? Fluttershy looked at the phone sitting on her bed. Rainbow was waiting patiently on the other side. Fluttershy wanted to say Rainbow should tell Soarin to go... to go... somewhere far away! But, that would be mean. Rainbow seemed really excited about this boy.
Instead, Fluttershy went with the safe answer. "I think you should do what feels right."
Rainbow was silent for a moment. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right! Okay, so it's not a date. We're just going to the movies together. Alone. Totally not a date though! No, if he wants this, he has to earn it! And that's even if I want him back!"
Fluttershy almost smiled. She had no reason to be worried really. Rainbow had too much pride and self-assurance to be wooed by some meany like Soarin.
"Anyway, what are you up to tonight?" Rainbow asked.
"Just a little bit of knitting. I don't know what my first semester of college is going to be like, so I'm getting my winter wear out of the way now."
"Smart. Don't worry about it too much though. I hear freshman year is pretty easy as long as you don't go out and party all the time. But, you're a party animal, so you might have trouble."
Fluttershy giggled. "You know me."
"Yeah. Oh, hey! Soarin just texted me! Hahaha! He sent me a meme of one of my favorite soccer players! Oh man, it's actually really hilarious! Hang on, I gotta send something back."
Fluttershy poked herself with the knitting needle. Her mouth fell to a thin line, and she felt something very peculiar stirring in her heart. Rainbow had never been excited about a boy before. When she had taken Thunderlane out for the Winter Ball, it had been a date of convenience--just to prove a point. Sure, it had stung Fluttershy in other ways, but not like what she was feeling now. It was like someone was slowly driving a nail into her heart, and that nail was dripping hot liquid into her stomach.
"Okay, I'm back," Rainbow announced. "What were we talking about?"
"College parties," Fluttershy said in a perfectly calm voice.
"Right. I mean, I'm definitely gonna go to at least one. Just to say I did, you know? I mean, being on the soccer team, we'll probably have plenty of parties, but I'm talking one of those huge fraternity parties! The kind you tell your kid not to go to! I wanna see someone running through the hall in nothing but a bedsheet shouting, 'toga!'"
"I don't know. Those parties are dangerous for girls."
"I know that. I'm not stupid. If someone offers me a cup of anything, I tell 'em, no. I'm only drinking stuff from cans, and they aren't leaving my sight once I open them. And if any guy gets too friendly, swift kick to the crotch."
"That's a good plan, but--"
"Hang on, Soarin's texting me again."
Fluttershy jerked her hand again and poked herself. The hot liquid made her stomach rumble very unpleasantly. She couldn't understand why. She knew this was a possibility. Maybe a slim one, but a possibility nonetheless. Still, hearing Soarin's name made her brow furrow. He was the reason Rainbow had hurt herself. Now, he had the gall to try and get close to her?
It made Fluttershy peeved at the very least.
But, if it had been any other boy, Fluttershy knew she'd probably still be feeling the same way. She didn't like it. And she couldn't understand why she felt it. Maybe because, until it actually happened, Fluttershy could pretend, could dream, could hope. Now, that dream was ending, and Fluttershy had no choice but to wake up to reality.
"Back again, sorry about that. Where were we?"
All of Fluttershy's insides squirmed. "Actually, Rainbow, it's almost nine. I should be getting ready for bed."
"Right, yeah. Man, you and Twilight are such early sleepers. All right, talk to you later, 'Shy."
"Good night, Rainbow." Fluttershy ended the call, then pushed her phone underneath her pillow. She set aside her half made sweater and stared out into space.
There was nothing she could do. Rainbow had all the obvious signs of having a crush on Soarin. Fluttershy couldn't intervene into something like that. Well... if she told Rainbow she really didn't like Soarin, maybe she would change her mind. But Fluttershy didn't have the heart. Rainbow seemed happy and excited. Fluttershy couldn't stand in the way of that.
Her heart fluttered sadly.
Besides, even if Fluttershy did something now, another boy would come along while Rainbow was at college. Or on tour with her soccer team. Fluttershy couldn't stop the inevitable.
She looked up to her dresser, where a picture of a younger her and Rainbow was framed. She had pigtails back then, and Rainbow's hair was shorter. Both of them were smiling. Rainbow had one of her bottom teeth missing.
Aside from their rocky two years apart, Fluttershy had always had Rainbow beside her. She was ready to let Rainbow go and be the awesome athlete Fluttershy knew she was. But, after all these years, Fluttershy still wasn't ready for this.
Rainbow was dating someone.
*******
Sunset kept a gentle hand on Twilight's shoulder as she shambled up Pinkie's driveway.
"Everything's sore," Twilight whined.
"I know, baby."
Two days of sword training had left Twilight visibly exhausted. From the way she limped and sagged, Sunset knew Twilight had used every muscle in her body. Given that Twilight's exercise routine prior to this was non-existent, Sunset was impressed she was even standing.
From what Sunset had observed, Selena was a kind, but firm instructor, having Twilight perfect her stance and the way she held her practice blade until it was ingrained in Twilight's muscle memory. She taught her own hybrid of sword techniques. She said the foundation was built on the practices of Kendo, but had mixes of several other types of swordplay she had learned over the years.
For someone with no athletic skill, Twilight kept up well enough. Though, with the way she clung to Sunset, maybe she needed to take the lessons even slower.
The Spectacular Seven were set to have a movie marathon, graciously hosted by Pinkie. While she would be providing homemade pizzas, the other girls pitched in by agreeing to bring snacks and sodas. Sunset carried a liter of root beer and a large bag of chips under her arms. They were the only thing stopping her from carrying Twilight the rest of the way.
"Sunnykins, can I have a massage when we're watching the movie?"
"Of course you can."
Twilight raised her arm to ring the doorbell, then dropped it like a limp noodle. "Ow."
The door swung open, and Pinkie popped her head out. "Yaay! Sunlight's here!"
"Come again?" Sunset asked.
"Sunlight! It's your ship name! See, because Sunset and Twilight make Sunlight! Isn't it cute?" Pinkie smiled wide.
Sunset gently pushed Twilight inside. "Sure it is, Pinkie," she said, just to placate her.
"I keep telling her it won't catch on," Rainbow said from the couch, already snacking on a bowl of popcorn.
Twilight collapsed onto the couch next to Rainbow and let out a sigh of relief.
"What's up with you?"
"Selena's teaching her how to use a sword," Sunset said, setting her party contributions down on the snack table.
"The egghead's finally getting some exercise? Cool."
Fluttershy walked in from the kitchen, holding two glasses of water. "Here, Twilight. You look like you need this more than I do." She handed one glass to her and the other to Rainbow.
Twilight took it and drank it all in one gulp. "Thank you, Fluttershy. I'm enjoying the lessons, really. I just forgot, having no previous physical conditioning makes this really hard."
"You'll get used to it." Rainbow tossed a kernel into the air and caught it with her mouth.
The doorbell rang again, announcing the arrival of Rarity and Applejack.
"Sorry we're late," Rarity said, helping to carry a case full of apple cider, "we had to help Granny Smith with some chores around the farm."
"Ah helped. You sat and watched."
"I provided morale and encouragement. And I daresay it worked. You finished your chores in record time."
Applejack rolled her eyes. "So, what do we wanna watch first?"
Rainbow looked over the spread of DVDs on the table in front of the television. "Well, it's not late enough to watch a horror flick."
Fluttershy, who was laying out a mass of blankets for everyone, pressed one against her mouth. "C-can we not do scary movies today?"
"So, how about an action movie?" Rainbow asked, not hearing Fluttershy. "Or a spy flick?"
Rarity took a pillow and got comfortable on the blankets. "I'll watch anything, so long as we see at least one romance before the night is over."
"Sci-fi," Twilight groaned from the couch. Sunset leaned over and started rubbing her shoulders.
"Well, there's no way we're gettin' through seven movies in one evenin'," Applejack reasoned, joining Rainbow at the DVD table. "So, we'll have to double up on some genres."
They picked one that promised action and comedy first, though they talked over the first half as they caught each other up on the weeks they had.
"So, Rainbow, tell us about your date with this Soarin," Rarity said with her cat-like smile.
"It wasn't a date," Rainbow said, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "We just went to the movies together."
"Mmhmm." Rarity smiled wider. "And how was it?"
Rainbow took a handful of popcorn and shoved it in her mouth. "Its wash aweshome."
Rarity squealed, hugging her pillow tight. "I never thought this day would come! Rainbow Dash has a boyfriend!"
"I do not!"
"Then who have you been texting the last two hours?" Pinkie asked, carrying a pizza from the kitchen.
"My dad!"
Applejack smirked. "Is your dad spelled 'Soarin' in your phone?"
"No one likes a screen peeker, A.J!"
"Rainbow's got a boyfriend! Rainbow's got a boyfriend!" Rarity, Pinkie, and Applejack sang.
Sunset, who was still massaging Twilight, saw Fluttershy shift uncomfortably and retreat into the nest of blankets she had built. "Yo, guys, can't hear the movie."
The girls quieted down some, thought Sunset could see Fluttershy had mentally checked out already. Her eyes were to the floor, and she hadn't touched her slice of pizza. Sunset had a hunch, but would have to wait until later to ask what was wrong.
They finished the first movie and took a quick break to refill the snack bowl and use the bathroom. Just as their romantic sci-fi movie started, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" Pinkie sang. She leapt over the huddle of blankets and landed with a pirouette before sliding across the wood floor to the front door.
"Hellooooo..." The 'o' dragged out, becoming quieter and quieter until Pinkie fell silent, her mouth still opened.
The silence spread to the rest of the girls as they turned to the front door, every eye wide with shock and horror at the three figures standing on Pinkie's porch. Applejack and Rainbow jumped to their feet, fists clenched tightly. Fluttershy made a squeal and dived under the blankets. Twilight clapped her hands over her ears, and Rarity helped by clapping her hands over Twilight's.
Sunset slowly rose as well, unsure of which she should be feeling first, shock or fury. Her whole body tingled warmly, and she had a feeling if she tried hard enough, she might be able to pony up, possibly go even beyond that.
"What the hell," she said slow and evenly, her eyes fixed on the girl in the front, "are you doing here?"
Adagio Dazzle rubbed her shoulder and looked away, her lips pressed tight. Aria stood with her arms crossed, torso turned away from the door. Sonata stood further back, holding her arm behind her back.
No one, neither the Sirens nor the Spectacular Seven, looked like they wanted to be there. |
Spectacular Seven | 5. Encore | Sunset watched Adagio suck on her teeth before slowly opening her mouth. "We..." Her whole face puckered.
"Either spit it out or get lost," Rainbow growled, a blue aura already shimmering around her.
Adagio narrowed her magenta eyes, sizing each of them up. Sunset stared her down, taking note of the hunger in her stare. Something else stirred in her eyes as well. Desperation?
Curling her nails into her palm, Adagio spoke, her throat convulsing as she choked the words out. "Fine. We... would like... your..." She shuddered. "Help."
Seven pairs of eyes stared against three as their owners tried to make sense of the situation unfolding. Sunset, struck dumb by the request, felt her initial surge of anger fade. The Sirens wanted help? From them?
No one moved. No one blinked. Even the movie seemed muted in the stunned silence.
Rarity, ever the diplomat, broke the tension with a simple, "What?"
Adagio clenched her teeth together. "We would like your help."
Silence. Shorter this time.
"And why the hell should we help you?" Rainbow asked.
"We're clearly desperate if we're asking you losers for help," Aria said.
"Yeah, calling us losers, off to a great start," Rainbow snapped back. "Get lost before we rainbow friendship laser you again."
Adagio clapped her hands together, a pained smile on her face. "Fine, you want us to acknowledge the elephant in the room? We will. We're sorry we tried to take over the world and turn everyone into our slaves. There, happy?"
"No!" Twilight and Rainbow shouted.
Their collective yell snapped Sunset out of her befuddlement. Instead of contemplating the best order in which to punch the Sirens like she had been before Adagio claimed they needed help, Sunset took a better look at them. Gone were their flashy clothes and jewelry. Instead, they were all dressed in sweatpants and baggy sweatshirts that looked a little worse for wear. None of them looked malnourished or hurt, though Sonata's eyes were red, like she had been crying.
Aria sneered like the seven were being unreasonable. "What do you want from us? We said sorry."
"You call that an apology?" Applejack said, outraged. "Do y'all have any idea what you put us all through? You expect us just to let it go 'cause you said 'sorry'? Ah bet y'all don't even mean it!"
"We're new to the whole apologizing thing, okay?" Adagio said. "That's why we came to you in the first place."
Sunset raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Adagio sucked on her teeth again. "Look, this is the third time we lost. Only this time, it's permanent," she growled.
"Yeah, no hard feelings there," Aria muttered.
Adagio shot her a dangerous look. "And we decided that, maybe there's some value to all that friendship and kindness junk people keep spouting at us."
"Plus, we're outta money and really hungry," Sonata whined.
Sunset's eyebrow rose higher, rivaling Applejack's. "So you came to us--the ones who beat you and took away your magic--to...?"
Adagio shrugged like even she wasn't wholly positive. "Teach us about friendship or something? I dunno! Look, we really don't have anywhere else to turn!"
"Our desperation should be obvious if we're coming to you guys," Aria said. "Really scraping the bottom of the barrel."
"Again, not helping yourselves!" Rainbow said.
Adagio groaned irritably. "What, do you want us to beg? Please. There, happy?"
Applejack's eyebrow took its rightful place as the highest in the room. "Y'all call that beggin'?"
"Pretty please?" Sonata tried.
"You don't get it, do you?" Rainbow threw a hand out, nearly smacking the blanket Fluttershy was peeking out of. "You really expect us to help you after what you did to us? You kidnapped our friend's dad, brainwashed the entire city, made us fight with each other, and to top it off, you turned into flying monsters and tried to kill us!"
A chord struck hard inside Sunset, reverberating through her entire body. The vibration sent her back to almost a year ago, where Rainbow had given an eerily similar speech to her in Sugarcube Corner. Sunset looked at the Sirens again, and it was as if someone had peeled away the curtain and showed her an old self-portrait.
"Sure, when you say it like that, anything can sound bad," Adagio said with a smile. Sunset thought it was supposed to be playful, but any smile Adagio gave looked predatory.
Several of the girls looked ready to yell, but Sunset put her hand up to stop them. "Look, give us a few minutes to really talk about this, okay? You're dropping a lot on us at once."
Aria rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever."
"Thanks," Sunset said flatly, already regretting what she was about to do. "Pinkie, shut the door."
Pinkie swung the door close and turned to her friends, eyes unfocused and a crooked smile on her face. "Girls, I think the Sirens are at the door," she said in an even higher pitched voice than usual.
"We noticed," Sunset said. "Now--"
"There is no blazin' way Ah'm makin' friends with those... those monsters!"
Sunset flinched. "I understand your anger, but--"
"They're up to something," Rainbow said, pointing an accusatory finger at the door. "I'm not buying their 'we're sorry' act for a second! The minute we let our guard down, bam! They hit us with something!"
"That's definitely a possibility. But--"
"I am not getting hypnotized by magic again!" Twilight yelled.
"You guys are right," Sunset said loudly before anyone else could add fuel to the fire. "They might be up to something and we probably shouldn't trust them."
Rainbow scowled. "Why do I feel like there's a 'but' coming?"
Sunset gave her a guilty smile. "I'm just playing devil's advocate here. Doesn't what they did sound... you know... familiar?"
Rarity moved to sit on the arm of the couch. "Darling, you can't compare yourself to them! You only... I mean, they... you were just... they tried to..." She grew quiet as her expression became distant. "Oh..."
"You were actually sorry for what you did," Applejack argued. "Look at them! They ain't sorry in the slightest."
"Girls, initially, I was only sorry I lost. Come on, let's all be real for a second. Minus Pinkie, if Princess Twilight hadn't asked you girls to help me, would you have tried to be my friend?" Just asking the question aloud made Sunset's stomach twist uncomfortably.
Twilight shot her hand in the air.
"You don't count either, Sparky."
Twilight lowered her hand.
Three of her remaining friends looked away, abashed. "Come on, Sunset," Rainbow said, "you really gotta put us on the spot like that?"
"All I'm saying is, if the princess hadn't asked you, you all would have said the same things about me if I had come to you asking for forgiveness. And remember, I didn't. You guys just decided to be annoyingly persistent--love you all, by the way, thank you for being so annoying."
Fluttershy lifted her head from her blanket. "What are you saying, Sunset?"
Sunset gestured to the front door. "I'm saying, yeah, they're bad at showing it. But what if they really are sorry? What if they want to turn over a new leaf?"
"Counterpoint!" Twilight said, shooting her hand into the air again. "Why us?"
"Because we're the bestest friends in existence?" Pinkie said.
"You're not supposed to help her!" Twilight fumed.
Sunset gave Pinkie a thumbs up. "Who else is going to take them in? Besides, if they are up to something, this will give us an excuse to keep an eye on them."
"Exactly," Applejack spoke up. "We've got magic! The thing they don't have anymore and are probably looking to get back! Rainbow's right--what if this is some kind of trap?"
"What if they're working for Tempest Shadow?" Fluttershy asked.
"I'll check!" Pinkie said. She opened the door, where the Sirens were still standing. "Are you guys working for Tempest Shadow?"
Adagio and Aria shared a look while Sonata stared into space. "No?" Adagio said, confused.
"Cool, thanks!" Pinkie slammed the door on them. "They don't know her!"
Applejack pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, Sunset. Stop playing devil's advocate and just tell us how you feel."
Sunset tapped her fingers together. There were a number of feelings swirling in her that she hadn't realized she had until a few minutes ago. She shifted her weight from one foot to the next while she tried to coax these feelings to manifest into words.
"Look, I just... I didn't want to be redeemed. Well... maybe deep, deep down I did. I didn't want to make friends. Making friends meant everything I had believed in, everything I had taught myself... every habit my teacher tried to get me to break... it was all wrong. When I agreed to be your friend at the beginning..." Sunset squeezed her fingers together.
"It was just to get rid of the penance the Elements had given me." She let go of her fingers and straightened her back. "But, I learned. I learned friendship wasn't so bad. And then, I learned to love it. I just feel like, if I got a second chance when I didn't even want one, shouldn't we give one to people who do? Even if they don't look like they mean it, shouldn't we at least give them the chance to prove they do?"
She opened her mouth to say more, but the rest of the words wouldn't come. Her friends looked on expectantly, Rainbow looking defiant with her hands still clenched. They all remained silent though, and Sunset felt herself wilting under the weight of her heart.
Rarity kept her eyes closed in contemplative thought. Once again, Sunset was reminded of their initial meeting at Sugarcube Corner. Her eyes opened, and she looked at Sunset, and in an instant, Sunset knew Rarity had read her like a book, pulling out the last emotions and words Sunset hadn't been able to voice.
She stood up, walked over and took Sunset's hands, their eyes remaining locked the entire time. With the same calm, even, and clear voice she had used in their first meeting, Rarity spoke.
"You asked us before if we wanted to be your friends out of our own volition or because of a promise with the princess. And we told you both. All of us saw you had the potential to become something better. Now, I never liked the idea of starting a friendship based on only a promise, but perhaps Princess Twilight vouching for you was the push we needed to try.
"You're right. The circumstances between you and the Sirens are similar. Parallels even. And I would be lying if I said I was enthusiastic about the idea. But to turn them away would be a double-standard, and I care too much to do that to you. So, if you really think we should help them, then I will try my best."
Sunset squeezed Rarity's hands. "Thank you," she said over the lump in her throat.
Applejack sighed. "Well, can't argue with a speech like that. If you really think they want to start over, Ah suppose we can at least see if there's some good in them."
Pinkie bounced and pumped her fist to the sky. "Whoohoo! Time to make some meanies into friends again!"
Fluttershy fully emerged from her soft cocoon. "Okay, Sunset, I trust you."
Rainbow shook her head. "I want it down on paper that I think this is a bad idea. Yeah, we reformed Sunset and it turns out, she's pretty awesome. There's no way we're gonna get lucky twice."
Everyone looked over to Twilight, huddled on the couch, her back to the group.
"I..." She slowly exhaled from her nose and looked over her shoulder to Sunset. Her eyes were glossy and couldn't hold focus.
"I love you, and yes, maybe this is some kind of double-standard, and I'm sorry! But we saw what they were capable of! We almost broke up because of them! I just don't see them turning good."
She turned away and pulled her knees to her chest. "But everyone else is on board, so I guess it doesn't matter."
Sunset walked over and knelt beside the couch, gently laying a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "I get it, you don't have any reason to trust them. I'm not asking you to; not yet. Trust me instead. I won't let them do anything to you. And again, if they're still evil, we'll just blast them with a rainbow laser."
Twilight didn't meet her eyes. She gave a slow nod, then rolled her shoulder, signaling Sunset to move away.
Sunset retracted her hand, already having second thoughts about this plan. "Well, I guess it's settled. I'm not saying to let your guard down. Just... keep an open mind. And remember how I acted when you started trying to be my friend."
Everyone took a moment to compose themselves, save for Rainbow and Twilight who remained scowling and curled in on themselves respectively.
"Let them in, Pinkie," Sunset said.
"Aye aye, captain!" Pinkie swung the door open. "Congratulations! You are hereby the newest friendship students of the Spectacular Seven!"
"'Friendship students'?" Aria shuddered. "I'm starting to wonder if this is worth it."
"That makes two of us!" Rainbow yelled across the room.
Sunset's shoulders fell. Off to a great start.
The Sirens stepped over the threshold, examining Pinkie's house with disinterest. Despite their moment of prep, no one looked genuinely happy to have them inside. Even Pinkie's smile gave the occasional nervous twitch. The closer the Sirens got to the living room, the thicker the tension became.
They stopped at the divide between the foyer and the living room. Pinkie retreated toward her friends, crossing from the wood floor to the carpet. There was a short standoff between the two parties before Sunset took a step forward, straddling the divide.
"Sooo... welcome," Sunset said, shifting awkwardly. It occurred to her that she had never before initiated the friendship process. Either she had been forced into it, or she had been trying to make amends for past mistakes. How were you supposed to start a friendship?
Adagio looked at her, unimpressed. "Yeah. What do we do now?"
Sunset looked back at her friends, receiving hapless shrugs. Great assist, guys! "Well, we were watching a movie. You wanna join us?"
Aria rolled her neck and sighed. "I guess. It better not be lame though."
The Sirens stepped into the living room, officially breaking the sanctuary of the Spectacular Seven. Everyone shuffled around to find their seats while trying to accommodate for their new guests. Aria dropped into the seat Rainbow had previously occupied, prompting Rainbow to glare at her, then at Sunset like it was her fault.
Sonata seated herself on the floor, close to the table. All the while she eyed the hot pizza, her hand twitching.
Pinkie sat down next to her. "You can have some if you want."
"Really?" Sonata looked like Pinkie had descended from heaven to offer manna. At a single nod from Pinkie, she took a slice of mushroom and basil pizza and shoved half of it into her mouth.
"Try not to choke," Aria said dully. "Circe forbid you make me happy."
Sonata stuck out her tongue, coated in processed food, at Aria.
Rarity fanned herself, looking like she was about to have a heart attack. "Clearly, etiquette lessons are also in order."
Adagio waved a lazy hand. "Don't mind them. They're idiots."
"Takes one to know one!" Sonata said, reaching for her second slice.
Rainbow turned her head to Sunset again, her expression now saying, 'This is definitely your fault.'
Sunset clapped her hands together. "Come on, let's all get cozy and finish the movie!"
Adagio settled for a seat on the blankets, getting uncomfortably close to Fluttershy. "What's wrong?" she asked in a false, simpering voice. "Sunset said we should get comfy, right?" She wiggled her eyebrows.
"Nope!" Rainbow yelled. She wedged herself in between Fluttershy and Adagio, giving the latter a vicious glare. "Don't you dare."
"What?" Adagio said with a sultry smile. "I was just trying to get to know her better."
"Keep trying and I'll introduce you to my fist."
"Oh my, take me on a date first."
"Movie!" Sunset yelled while Rainbow recoiled, mortified. "Where's the remote? We need to rewind!"
Twilight picked it up and roughly handed it to her, her lips drawn dangerously thin. Sunset tried to smile, but under Twilight's withering glare, it came out as a grimace.
With all ten girls situated, they started the movie again. Twilight sat on Sunset's lap, but kept herself hunched forward, withdrawn from any other physical contact. Everyone remained relatively quiet aside from Aria's frequent comments that the movie was dumb, and Sonata wondering where she could get a laser gun and a spaceship.
"For the last time, none of this is real, stupid," Aria said, slouched so far in her seat, she was staring at the ceiling.
"Oh yeah? Then why was the president in it?"
"He wasn't the real president."
Sonata gasped. "You mean they cloned him?"
The movie came to an end, and Sunset could still feel the tension in the room was as high as the rafters. She needed something better than a movie to break the ice. Of course, the ice she was attempting to break might as well have been an arctic sheet.
"How about we take a break from movies for a sec? Who's up for a game?"
"Oooh, I love games!" Sonata cheered.
"So do I!" said Pinkie.
"Ah don't think there's a game big enough for the ten of us," Applejack said.
"I have four controllers!" Pinkie said, leaping to her feet. "We can take turns playing Power Pony Pummel!"
Aria lifted herself into a proper sitting position. "Fighting games? I'm down."
Rainbow cracked her knuckles. "So am I."
Rarity pulled out her nail file and sighed. "Oh boy, here we go."
Pinkie set up the GameStationX in a matter of minutes, with her, Aria, Rainbow, and Applejack taking the first turn. Power Pony Pummel was one of the few games Sunset enjoyed watching and playing. The Power Ponies were a popular comic back in Equestria, and while she never read it, it was nice to see something so familiar in this world.
Of course, these masked superheroes weren't actually ponies, they were only called that because their powers came from a pantheon of horse gods. Sunset also enjoyed the chance to release any pent up aggression by knocking her friends off stages with overpowered moves.
Sunset knew Pinkie, Rainbow, and Applejack to be pretty good players, but Aria was making quick work of them, even when they tried to team up on her. Her character High Heel dodged behind Zapp and delivered a powerful kick, knocking her off the stage and taking Rainbow down to her last life.
Rainbow unleashed a murderous growl as her character respawned. "I will end you!"
"You'll die trying," Aria said, smiling for the first time since her arrival. And true to her word, she knocked Rainbow out of the game first before wiping the floor with Pinkie and Applejack.
"Whoo! Go, Ari!" Sonata cheered, throwing her hands into the air.
Aria shrugged casually. "Anyone here wanna give me a real challenge?"
"I wanna go again!" Rainbow said, selecting Zapp on the character screen.
Applejack held up her controller. "Ah know when Ah'm beat. Anyone else wanna take a crack at it?"
Sunset took the controller. With Twilight still on her lap, she had to play around her, craning her neck to see the screen. Pinkie handed her controller to Sonata, whose fingers were still covered in pizza grease.
While not expecting to win, Sunset had hoped she'd last longer than she did. As it turned out, Sonata was almost as good as Aria. Playing as the Mane-iac, Sunset got a few good hits in, but was ultimately the first to fall. Rainbow went next, losing to Sonata this time, leaving the two Sirens to duke it out. And like before, Aria took the match.
"Aaagh!" Rainbow tossed her controller to the side and crossed her arms in a huff. "This game is dumb."
"Way to show your maturity level, Dash," Sunset deadpanned.
Aria took a deep breath and grinned in satisfaction. "I don't know about you, but I feel much closer, friend."
"Can it!" Rainbow said, not bothering to look at her.
"It's getting late," Rarity said. "Perhaps we should wrap things up?"
"Aww, but I still have pizza dough left," Pinkie said.
"We can save it for the next party."
Adagio stood and stretched, sticking her chest out. "So, this party's over. Is this the part where we go out and get drinks?"
"None of us are twenty-one," Applejack said.
"So?"
"We're not going bar hopping," Sunset said flatly.
"You goodie-goodies are no fun. Fine, what are we going to do?"
Applejack stood up and started collecting bags of chips. "It's just as we said: we're wrapping things up and goin' home."
Adagio looked outside. "The sun is just setting, and you're all going home?"
"Because you three are a major drain on all of us," Rainbow said with venom. No one disagreed with her.
The corners of Adagio's mouth twitched upward. "Wow. And I thought you girls were the epitome of friendship or whatever."
"It's an adjustment," Rarity said calmly. "Making friends with your past enemies takes time."
Sunset smiled to herself, remembering all the activities she had gone through before she even considered calling the girls friends.
"So, what do we do in the meantime?" Aria asked.
"Go home," Rainbow said.
The Sirens exchanged an anxious look with each other. "Yeah, here's the thing..." Adagio began.
Sunset's shoulders tensed.
"We don't have anywhere to go. Our agent broke ties with us after we... lost our voices," Adagio said, her voice bordering on a growl.
"Then our money dried up, so they kicked us out of our mansion," Aria finished.
"Nope!" Rainbow sprung to her feet. "I know where this is going, and the answer is no! There's no way you're staying with any of us!"
"But it would be like a giant sleepover!" Sonata said.
"None of us have the time, room, or desire to host the three of you," Twilight said. Her cold look drifted from the Sirens to Sunset. "Right?"
Sunset flinched and looked away. "Yeah. I'm sure we can think of something though."
Sitting on her knees, Sonata looked up Sunset with huge purple eyes. "Please don't make us go back to the streets."
Applejack jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "There's a homeless shelter two towns over."
"We got kicked out of one because Aria was being be-lig-er-ent," Sonata said, stumbling over the last word.
A lightbulb went off in Sunset's head. "I know where they can stay for free."
Adagio crossed her arms. "As long as it has a shower."
*******
"You have to be joking."
The Spectacular Seven and the Sirens climbed out of their cars and stood in front of a familiar factory warehouse. Rust had built up along the edges of the garage door, and the high windows were still brown. The 'scheduled for demolition' sign had fallen to the ground.
"Nope," Rainbow said with a triumphant grin. "This is your new home. If Sunset can live here, so can you."
"You lived here?" Adagio asked. "First of all, why? Second of all, why don't you anymore?"
"I'll explain later," Sunset said breezily. She knew the Sirens knew about their Equestrian magic, but was sure they didn't know she was from Equestria. She'd hold onto that knowledge for a little while longer. "Come on, let's take a tour of your new place."
Aria crossed her arms. "I'm not taking a step in that dump."
Sunset shrugged. "Fine. Sleep on the street then." She sauntered toward the alleyway, seeing Aria's shadow clench a fist before moving behind her. There was a delicious irony in making the Sirens sleep in her old hovel. They had been proud, power-hungry, lavish living villains, laid low by a rainbow.
Sunset wanted to help them if they genuinely wanted help. But, she'd be lying to herself if she said she wasn't sore about the Battle of the Bands. Her friends had been right: the Sirens had made them all suffer for almost a month. A cynical part of Sunset thought even this was too good for them.
Just because she was giving the Sirens a second chance didn't mean she had to be nice about it all the time.
The blue door didn't stick like it had during winter, and the hall lights popped to life when Sunset flipped the switch. Good signs so far. Most of the girls stayed outside, leaving the Sirens to follow close behind Sunset, with Rainbow bringing up the rear. Sunset showed them the kitchen first.
"You've got a fridge, a microwave, and a sink. My old hot plate might still be in one of the cabinets." Sunset opened a few of the cabinet doors. "Aha! Here it is! Now, you can cook ramen."
"You're mocking us, aren't you?" Adagio asked.
"Of course not!" Sunset's smile didn't show her teeth.
Adagio lifted an eyebrow.
"Okay, maybe just a little bit. But, to be fair, you guys made our lives miserable and then tried to kill us."
"We said sorry," Aria grumbled.
"You said 'sorry'," Rainbow commented from the doorway. "Jury's out on whether or not you meant it."
Sunset showed them the factory floor, then brought them upstairs to the office. The television Lamia had installed during her tenure was still there.
"It might be a little cramped, but you'll make do. If it helps, my friends and I can buy you groceries and basic necessities," Sunset said. She ignored the groan Rainbow made behind her.
Adagio threw her arms out. "You can't seriously expect us to live like this! Do you know who we are?"
"Eighties rejects who came to us begging for help?" Rainbow said with an impish grin.
Aria rolled up a sleeve. "That's it!"
Adagio stepped in front of her, and Sunset stepped in front of Rainbow. "Look, it's the best we've got for you right now. You three literally showed up out of nowhere. If you behave, and if we can work out some arrangements, maybe you'll be able to graduate from this to something nicer."
Sonata flopped onto the dusty old mattress. "We get this whole place to ourselves! I'm not complaining!"
"Fine!" Adagio harrumphed. "We'll put up with this for now."
Sunset nodded. "Good. We'll be back to check up on you and get groceries tomorrow."
"Try not to burn the place down," Rainbow said. "Otherwise, you're sleeping on the streets."
Aria flipped her a finger, and Rainbow mirrored her. With that, she and Sunset took their leave. Outside, dusk had settled, leaving their friends in shadows.
"Welp, so much for having a relaxing summer," Applejack said. "We're gonna be babysittin' them the whole time."
"Do you think they'll be okay?" Fluttershy asked.
"Ain't them you should be worried about," Applejack said. "Ah know you've got the best intentions, Sunset, but Ah'm still uneasy about this."
"I know no one's happy about this. But it was like this with me too, right?"
Rainbow crossed her arms and kicked the dirt. "Maybe, but something about this feels different."
Rarity pushed her hand away as she exhaled. "How about we retire for the day? I think we all need time to sort out our thoughts and feelings."
And like that, the girls began to depart, traces of uncertainty lingering in the air. Sunset drove Twilight back home. Neither said anything until she pulled into the driveway.
Twilight hopped off the motorcycle and handed her helmet to Sunset. She kept her eyes averted, even when she spoke. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Sunset stowed the extra helmet away. "No, but someone has to do it. And I'll take full blame if this all goes wrong."
"That's not..." Twilight sighed. "Nevermind. I need time to think. See you tomorrow."
"Twilight?" Sunset watched her retreat into the house. With a tired groan, she started her motorcycle and turned out into the street.
Great, look what you've done. You should have just said no. She tilted her head left. But, everyone deserves a second chance, right? She tilted her head right. Not at the cost of your friends' happiness.
Sunset pulled into the Lulamoon driveway. "Well, it's already done. We're all just going to have to make the best of it." She took off her helmet.
"Now... how do I tell Selena?" |
Spectacular Seven | 6. Hypocrites and Handouts | "I'm sorry, what?"
Sunset was glad Selena had at least put down the cutlery knife before spinning to face her; her expression clearly said she had heard Sunset loud and clear, but was giving her one chance to say something else.
Sunset's survival instincts told her to take it, but...
"The Sirens showed up and... well, they asked for help? So, I thought my friends and I would, you know, help them?" The kitchen felt much smaller with Selena looming over her.
"They just 'showed up' and asked you for help?" Selena asked, her voice razor thin.
"Now, I know what you're thinking--"
"And you said yes?" Her voice cracked.
"I believe everyone deserves a second chance!" Sunset took a step back, the heat from Selena's eyes growing too intense for her.
Selena snapped them shut and took a deep breath. "Sunset, you sweet, sweet, altruistic girl. You have good intentions." Her eyes flew open again, and the inferno raged. "But the Sirens are monsters who can't be redeemed, and you're naive for thinking anything otherwise!"
"But, Selena--"
"If twenty years on an island didn't teach them anything, nothing will!"
"Not necessarily--"
"You girls have magic! They clearly want it! I don't know what game they're playing, but that is the end goal! Where are they, Sunset? I'm going to get my sword and gut them like the fishes they are!"
"Hang on!" Sunset threw her arms out. "Look, I get it, they did bad things, I was there! But, the ex-demon living in your house would like to remind you that... I'm an ex-demon living in your house."
The fire in Selena's eyes cooled a little. "Sunset..."
"Listen, my people believe in two things: banishment and friendship. We already tried banishment, so why don't we try friendship? Even if they are plotting something, maybe they'll change their minds if we treat them as friends instead of enemies and sweet Celestia, I sound like the stupid princess now!" Sunset stuck her tongue out.
"I'm sorry?"
Sunset waved a hand. "Not important. The point is, from personal experience, I've learned that people can change. I'm not asking you to do anything, just making you aware of what I'm trying to do."
"And as your somewhat legal guardian, veteran adventurer, magic amateur, and woman who cares about your well-being, I think this is a bad idea."
"You're not the only one." Sunset wrung her wrists. "But, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing I had turned away someone who was in the same position I was once in."
Selena turned back to the vegetables on the cutting board, but Sunset saw her hard expression melt like butter. "Like I said, you're a sweet child, Sunset. I sympathize with where you're coming from, truly. Just--"
"I'll be careful. I'll have all my friends to help me, too. We'll blast them with a rainbow alicorn if need be, and if that doesn't work, you can poke them with your sword."
With her back turned, it was impossible to make out Selena's expression, but Sunset felt there might have been a hint of a smile. Selena picked up the knife and resumed dicing. "Dinner will be ready in an hour."
Her tone was neither cold nor angry, but it gave a clear signal that the conversation was over. Sunset excused herself and made for the stairs.
"Be careful. Please."
Sunset tried to put on a casual grin. "You know me. I'm always careful." When Selena didn't answer, Sunset shoved her hands into her pockets and continued upstairs. "And now, I'm the only one with a sense of humor in this house."
*******
Sunset woke up early the next day. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, wondering how long it would be before the bags returned.
Was she doing the right thing? No, that wasn't the question; of course she was doing the right thing. Trying to help someone was always the right thing. She glared at Princess Twilight.
"A dimension away and you're rubbing off on me. I hate you."
"But it's nice being a good person! And it's only fair. Someone gave you a second chance, now do it for someone else!"
"I know!" Sunset pressed her palms against her eyes. She had to help them. It was only fair.
But did she want to be friends with them? Help them and show that being kind and honest was better than taking over the world, sure. But friends?
Had the girls felt similarly all those months ago?
She placed herself in the position of her friends at the end of the Fall Formal. They had to make friends with the girl who had made them miserable for the majority of their high school lives. But they did it because a friend asked. Of course, said friend never had to be directly involved; she got to go home and be a princess.
Sunset breathed in and breathed out her lingering resentment.
Rainbow certainly hadn't wanted to be friends with her. And Applejack and Fluttershy were wary. But Pinkie and Rarity put in an honest effort from the start.
And Sunset herself had no real intention of being their friends. They were a means to an end. Now, she couldn't imagine a world without them.
"Friendship is a process," Princess Twilight squeaked softly. "It starts at different places, but can always grow stronger and more true over time. Enemies can become friends. It will just take more effort. You're proof of that."
Sunset climbed out of bed. "I just hope my friends and I have the energy to put in that effort." Sunset couldn't deny the appeal of punching the Sirens in the face for the Battle of the Bands, even if it would set this prospective friendship back. She practiced a few of the meditative breathing exercises Selena had taught her.
"It's okay to still be mad," she said between breaths. "First, let them prove they're sorry. Then, forgive. Don't forget. But don't be your friends and keep reminding them every week. Tough love, Sunset. Give them some tough love."
Feeling lighter, Sunset picked up her phone and opened the group chat.
'Anyone want to help me get groceries for the Sirens?'
Rainbow responded first. 'Pass.'
'I'll help, sugarcube,' Applejack typed.
'Sure!' Pinkie replied.
'No thank you,' Fluttershy texted.
"Of course!" Rarity responded.
Sunset took a shower while waiting for Twilight to text back, but she never did. She was spared the trouble of messaging her again when a knock came from downstairs. Sunset hurried down and opened the door, finding Twilight dressed in comfortable clothes again, but with shoulders tense.
"Hey, Twilight." Sunset gave an awkward wave. "You, um, get the group text?"
She nodded. "Sorry, I can't go. I have practice with Selena today."
"Right, yeah." Sunset moved to the side to let her in. Twilight stepped across the threshold, gave Sunset a quick kiss, then proceeded to the kitchen. Sunset watched her go, wanting to go after her, but knew now wasn't the right time.
"Right... talk to you later then," she said after Twilight had left the living room. Sunset pressed a hand to her forehead. "Day one: already regretting this."
She took her motorcycle down to the factory. The fact that it wasn't on fire was a good sign. Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity joined her not long after, and the four of them knocked on the door in the alley.
Adagio wrenched it open and glared at them. "It's about time you showed up."
Applejack bristled and snorted. "Listen here, ya spoiled--"
"We're here now, so get your sisters and we can go," Sunset cut across. She took a deep breath and added, "Please."
Adagio turned her head and shouted down the hall. "Come on, losers, we're going shopping!"
Sonata and Aria slouched into view. None of them had changed clothes from yesterday, but they looked a little less disheveled.
"Why didn't you tell us this place had no hot water?" Aria growled.
"Slipped my mind." Sunset turned and gestured for them to follow. "You'll get used to it."
"Doubtful," Adagio said.
They broke into two separate cars. Applejack took Sunset, Aria, and Adagio, while Rarity drove Pinkie and Sonata. Sunset used the rear-view mirror to check on the two Sirens every other minute. Both of them just sat with their arms crossed, glaring moodily out the windows.
The plan had originally been to take the Sirens to a discount clothing store, but Rarity had showed rather strong opinions on the matter before they left.
"If we want to be cheap, let's at least take them to a thrift shop. There is style in 99c. Discount is just outmoded cloth retailers can't put to the fire!"
The nearest thrift store was unfortunately on the other side of town, so it was a long and silent drive for the four girls. Sunset had a feeling Rarity's car was a bit more lively.
Well, time to put what you've learned into practice. Sunset looked in the mirror again. "So, uhh... have you girls been in Canterlot this whole time after... you know... ?"
"The Battle of the Bands where you stripped us of our voices and magic?" Aria asked, slumping into her seat.
"Yeah, that."
"Our house was out-of-state," Adagio said, still glaring out the window. "Once we were evicted, we had to walk or hitchhike our way here. And since the media told the world we're hacks who tricked everyone, it wasn't an easy journey."
"Don't blame us for that," Applejack said. "Not our fault y'all sound like banshees without your magic."
Aria bolted upright, but Adagio gripped her shoulder and forced her to stay in her seat. While Aria fumed, Adagio said, "With all that country music I'm sure you listen to, you wouldn't know a good voice if it kicked you in the teeth."
Applejack gripped the wheel hard enough to turn her knuckles white. "Ah swear, if Ah weren't driving..."
Sunset placed a hand on Applejack's shoulder. "We get it, the battle is a sore spot for you. Literally everything leading up to it was a sore spot for us. So let's call it even."
Aria snorted but leaned back into her seat again. Her eyes bore into the back of Applejack's chair.
Sunset chewed on her tongue in thought. Casual conversation that won't lead to road rage.
"So, Aria, you're pretty good at Power Pony Pummel. Any other games you like to play?"
Aria gave a bored eye roll. "Horror, shooters. Anything with lots of gore."
"I think you and Rainbow would get along pretty well."
"Sure we would."
"How about you, Adagio?" Sunset moved on, trying to keep her voice peppy. "Do you have any hobbies or fun things you like?"
"Hair and make-up, making fun of people for their bad hair and make-up, poker, horse betting. Online shopping was fun while it lasted. And getting people to do what I want. Though that last one isn't so much a hobby as it is something that just happens." She gave that smile where Sunset thought she was trying to make a joke, but her sharp teeth made it dangerous.
"Well, maybe you should talk to Rarity. She has an eye for fashion and make-up."
Adagio snorted. "I saw what you were wearing during the tournament. If those were her designs, I can't wait to see them at the discount clothing stores."
Applejack hunched forward, her teeth furiously clenched. "Just wait till we get out the car," she grumbled.
"Be honest, A.J., "Sunset whispered. "Was I this bad?"
Applejack closed her mouth and mulled it over. "You were a different kind of frustrating. You just didn't want to hang out with us. This? I'd take five of you from back then over this."
Whether or not it was supposed to be a compliment, it did make Sunset feel a little better.
Thankfully, Applejack didn't pounce on either Siren when the group pulled up to the thrift store. As expected, Pinkie and Sonata approached, all smiles and talking like they had known each other for years.
"And to this day, I'm still hunting down that leprechaun!"
"I knew you couldn't trust short people with beards! I hope you find him, Pinkie! Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out, too!"
Rarity had a single hair out of place on her otherwise perfectly combed coiffure, and a lopsided smile. She slid over to Sunset and Applejack, not taking her eyes off her two passengers.
"I love Pinkie to death," she said in a light whisper, her voice cracking, "but I don't think I can handle two of them."
"You got the better deal," Applejack said, staring straight ahead at the store. "Trust me."
'Yesterday's Treasures' was fairly large. The front of the building was painted like a gilded treasure chest, and rhinestone dresses and beaded necklaces hung in the windows. The inside was well lit by lamps from every decade, including lava lamps sitting near a rack of tie-dye shirts.
"Remember, we're just here to get a few outfits for each of you," Sunset said firmly. "Nothing else."
"Awwww." Sonata climbed off the giant beanbag she had flopped onto.
"How do we know they ain't just tryin' to mooch off us?" Applejack asked as they moved toward the clothing aisles.
"We're making them live in a rundown factory with limited electricity and water, and buying them frozen dinners and cheap clothes. I'd hardly call this mooching."
"We're still the ones payin' for it."
"Didn't you guys buy me things when I explicitly told you not to?"
Applejack smiled for the first time that day. "That was 'cause we liked you by then. And it was just things to spruce up your livin' space."
Sunset couldn't help but smile too. "Don't worry; we'll find a way to make them pay it back somehow. Or, maybe we'll like them enough where it won't matter."
"Ah admire your optimism, sugarplum, but let's wait to see if these eggs even get laid before we start countin' chickens."
As Applejack turned down a different aisle, Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. Countryisms and puns. I wonder which will kill me first?
Sunset found Rarity and Aria in the 70s clothing section. Rarity held a black shirt with torn sleeves and a large skull on the front in one hand, and a pair of black pants with torn leggings and studded belt loops in the other.
"Hmm. You know, I've never really dabbled in the punk genre of fashion. I must say, there's a certain rebellious allure to it," Rarity said, appraising it with her fashionista eyes.
Aria gave a nonchalant shrug. "Yeah, it's cool, or whatever. Needs a vest to go with it." She noticed Sunset standing nearby and furrowed her brow. "Oh yeah. This is the only compliment you're getting from me, but that's a sick jacket."
Sunset straightened out her collar. "Thanks." She loved her jacket dearly, but with the warming weather, it was becoming harder to justify wearing it. Even in the air conditioned store, Sunset felt sweat building under her arms.
With Rarity aiding Aria, Sunset wandered through the store until she spotted Sonata and Pinkie marveling at a collection of old video games.
"Sunset, look!" Pinkie held up a thick, gray cartridge. "They have a copy of the original Pat, the Baker! In mint condition! It has the fabled thirteenth level that they removed from later versions because it was said to be impossible to beat!"
She grinned in a fiendish manner. "Challenge accepted!"
"Pinkie, we're getting clothes, not video games."
"Por que no lòs dos?"
Sunset groaned and pinched her nose again.
"I don't know what she said, but I agree with Pinkie!" Sonata said, waving another game in the air.
Sunset snatched the game from Sonata and set it back. "Clothes. Buy. Now." She pointed to the clothing aisles.
"Awww," both girls sighed. Hanging their heads, they started forward, until Pinkie pointed out a collection of large stuffed animals and ran toward them, Sonata right behind her.
Sunset cupped a hand over her eyes. "I'm babysitting. I'm babysitting children today." She pulled her hand down her face and carried on, running into Applejack and Adagio next. Sunset's only consolation was that they weren't trying to kill each other.
Yet.
"Everything in this shop is terrible at worst and mediocre at best." Adagio picked up a psychedelic shirt with a peace sign. "I can't believe I've gone from designer to this."
"Ah think it suits you," Applejack said with her smuggest grin. "It matches your hair."
Adagio lowered the shirt and looked at her with an equally contempt smile. "Like your accent matches your IQ?"
Applejack clenched a fist. "You know what, you poofy-haired snake?"
"Do tell, country hick."
Sunset stood between them and thrust her arms out. "Both of you knock it off before I dropkick you! Adagio, buy the stupid shirt. Applejack, stop antagonizing her if you can't take what she dishes back." She pointed at each of them in turn.
"Someone's snippy today," Adagio said, licking her lips. "For someone who wants to help us, you don't seem like you're enjoying it."
"You're not exactly making it easy for me."
"And you're making us live in a derelict factory and buy trash for clothes. So I guess we're all unhappy." Adagio crossed her arms.
Sunset's head tilted to one side, a sharp pop coming from her neck. She gave Adagio a crooked smile. "Well, once you adopt a better attitude, maybe we'll upgrade you to our deluxe factory suite."
Against her better judgement, she left Applejack and Adagio to check up on Rarity and Aria again. Rarity was squatting next to a display of trading cards, but Aria was nowhere in sight.
"Rarity?"
She looked over her shoulder and hopped to her feet at Sunset's approach. "Look, I think I found the perfect gift for Rainbow! It's a series of holographic player cards from the 1982 World Cup!" She fanned out seven soccer cards, each shimmering under the store lights.
Sunset jumped. "Ah, horsefeathers! I still need a present for her!" Rainbow's birthday was less than a week away, and Sunset still had no idea what to gift her. She seemed to hoard video games and soccer memorabilia.
She swatted the thought away. "Later! Rarity, where's Aria?"
"Oh, I let her pick out the rest of her wardrobe on her own. She has incredible taste really." Rarity returned to the card display while Sunset stalked off to find her query.
Two aisles over, said query was in a game of tug-a-war with an older woman over a spiked purple vest.
"Give it up, granny, I saw it first!"
"My granddaughter has wanted a vest like this all year!"
"Like I care! Do you know who I am?"
"No!"
Sunset ran over and helped the old woman pull the vest free from Aria's grasp. "I am so sorry about that, ma'am! She's uhh... just cranky without her coffee."
The old woman sniffed indignantly and walked off, leaving Aria to get in Sunset's face.
"The hell? I saw it first!"
Sunset stepped back and pressed her hands together in front of her mouth. "Okay, friendship lesson number one." She threw her arms out to her sides. "You don't pick fights with old ladies over clothes!"
Aria jabbed a thumb at herself. "But I saw it first. I was reaching for it when that old crone nabbed it from me."
"Then you should have politely told her that, not fought her for it!" Sunset pressed a hand to the side of her head, feeling a headache rapidly coming on. "Just go finish shopping."
Aria rolled her eyes and stormed off.
Sunset leaned against an armoire and continued nursing her headache. "This is going to be harder than I thought." It was especially difficult without Twilight here to keep her calm. She let out a longing sigh.
"I miss Twilight."
*******
Perspiration coated her face, particularly gathered on her forehead, acting as an adhesive for her bangs. An itchy and irritating adhesive. The positive was that it stopped most of the sweat from running into her eyes.
Teeth grit, shoulders tense, stance wide, Twilight held her wooden training sword out in front of her, awaiting Selena's next command. Every muscle in her anatomy burned. Her sleep had been restless, her breakfast had been light, and now she was exerting herself in an extreme she had not felt since sophomore year gym class.
Narrowed eyes focused on the tip of her blade. She wouldn't stop. She would learn how to fight. And if the Sirens tried to do anything to her friends...
"Strike!"
Twilight took a single step forward and brought her practice blade down in a decisive swing. She returned to her resting position, the sword out in front of her again. Her eyes found her focal point, locking her into concentrating.
"Again!"
She took another step and swung again in a perfect arc. Don't think about Sunset. Don't think about the Sirens. Don't think about the hypocrisy. Twilight lifted the sword again and saw the tip.
"Again!"
She stepped and swung again, letting out an empowered "Yah!"
Selena's expressionless face finally yielded a smile, the first one since Twilight had greeted her two hours ago. "Very good. You're a quick learner, Twilight. Let's take a break here."
Twilight shook her head, allowing a few beads of sweat to sneak past her bangs and run down her face. "I can keep going."
Soft fingers gripped her shoulder. "Your resolve is admirable. But ceaseless training will win you nothing but a broken body."
As Selena's grip slackened, so did Twilight's grip on her sword. Her shoulders sagged and she let out a loud gasp she hadn't known she was holding onto. Her body agreed with her teacher: rest was good. These muscles were new and very inexperienced. Her mind, however, wanted the distraction. Swordplay required focus, and Twilight needed focus.
But as Selena handed her a cold water bottle, Twilight heard the thoughts creeping back to the forefront of her mind. Why is Sunset trying to make friends with the Sirens? Does she not remember what they did to us? I want to trust her! I can't let anything bad happen to her! What if I get hypnotized again? Am I a bad person for holding a double-standard? What does Sunset think about me?
"You seem troubled, Twilight."
Twilight blinked. She had a tight grip on her water bottle and hadn't looked up since she lowered her sword. She looked at Selena, finding the same concern her own mother gave when Twilight was in a mood.
"It's... I'm just..."
"Thinking about the Sirens?"
She nodded.
Selena set her practice sword down on the patio, then moved to the grass and sat down, cross-legged. Twilight mimicked her, only instead of cross-legged, she pulled her knees up under her chin.
"I would be lying if I said I didn't have reservations about Sunset's decision as well. I've fought with the Sirens. I've seen what they can do. Twice now." Selena folded her hands in her lap. "Sunset's a good girl, but I think she's in over her head this time."
Twilight looked at her water bottle again. The cool dew against her hand was a welcome contrast to the warm sweat still on her face. 'Reservations' was an understatement. Twilight wanted to scream her frustration out. But the fact that she felt frustrated just made her feel guilty instead.
"Are we hypocrites then?" Twilight moved the cool bottle to her other hand. "Sunset was bad before but... when I met her, she saved my life. Then I found out about all the bad things she did. I didn't believe it at first. I couldn't believe she had turned into a demon, even if she did act sour and mean. I still wanted to be her friend. Now she wants to do it with the Sirens and I just... I can't let go of what they did to everyone!"
Twilight gripped the bottle, hearing the plastic crinkle. She could still remember what she felt under the Sirens' influence. The amplification of it to irrational levels. The spiteful words she had spat at her friends, at Sunset. Anger, inadequacy, inferiority to her friends and their powers.
All those emotions sitting in her heart. She didn't need the Sirens help to feel them.
Selena sat perfectly still, eyes closed in a meditative state. "Maybe we are hypocrites. But could anyone blame us? We've both been wronged by them. We both came close to losing people we care about."
"But Sunset did the same thing!" Twilight sucked in a shuddering breath. She focused on a particularly long blade of grass near the hem of her sock. "She did the same thing..."
Selena didn't give a response.
Twilight had heard the story several times. She had seen the monster Sunset had become. She thought she had reconciled that, added it to the list of quirks Sunset had and loved her anyway. So why, looking at it from this facet, did it bother her so much?
"After everything she did, the girls still wanted to help her and be her friend. And so did I."
Twilight had also seen the regret Sunset had for that night. The pain and fear and tears in her eyes. She had shown remorse, something the Sirens didn't have. Of course, Twilight hadn't really given them the chance. It had only been a day.
But did she want to give them a chance?
"We can't allow fear to rule us."
Twilight tore her eyes away from the blade of grass and looked at Selena, the picture of poise. She reminded Twilight of all the wise swordmasters from the animes Shining would watch.
"Let us accept the fact that we are being hypocritical in our treatment of the Sirens. Let's breath it in." She took a deep breath, and Twilight followed suit. "Now, breath it out."
They both exhaled. Twilight wouldn't say she felt better, but the knot in her chest did loosen.
"This hypocrisy only remains true if we don't give them a chance. I recall hearing Sunset was very rough around the edges during the first stages of her reformation. It will be harder for both of us, but we must at least allow them one chance to prove they're sincere."
Twilight inhaled and exhaled again. "I know you're right. But it's easier said than done. I'm scared they'll do something to Sunset... or me." She put one hand over her heart and the other against her forehead, mixing cool condensation with warm perspiration. "You don't know what it's like to feel all these negative emotions and not even know you're being manipulated until after it's gone."
"I do not. I'm blessed with a high mental fortitude to guard against their magic. However, I am confidant they've lost that power when their amulets broke."
"But what if they didn't?" Twilight clenched her chest, the knot tightening again. "I-I don't want to fight with my friends again! Not like that!" She whipped her head toward Selena.
"Teach me how to protect my mind! Please!"
Selena placed a hand over the one Twilight had against her chest. "Breathe, Twilight. Tranquility in, fear out."
Twilight did as she was told, the knot untying again.
"I can start your training, but it takes years of dedicated focus to reach that level."
"I'll do it. Whatever it takes."
Selena turned her body to fully face Twilight. "Very well. The process is very akin to meditating. You will need to focus your mind and soul and push out all distractions. First, close your eyes."
Twilight took one more deep breath before plunging into the darkness of her mind. The outlines of Selena and the rest of the backyard faded away, leaving only the fuzzy static and shapeless blobs that always danced inside her eyelids.
"Relax your mind. Push away all thoughts."
Easier said than done. Twilight immediately berated herself for already failing Selena's instructions. She focused on the darkness, trying to stop every errant thought that snuck into her head. The faster she mastered this, the sooner she could be sure the Sirens or anything else would never be able to control her again.
Still, she couldn't believe she was meditating to protect her mind against magical influence. She had never been against meditating per se; studies had shown that mental relaxation and calm stimulation actually boosted productivity and was good for a healthy lifestyle. But there were no studies proving it was effective for magical training. Of course there wasn't; magic wasn't supposed to exist!
Twilight wondered if she could lead the field in that. Meditation for magical gain. Of course, people would call her a crackpot at worst and psuedo-science at best. The entire scientific community would mock her.
She thought about all the notes on magic back in her room. She needed to continue that research. If she could find a way to measure it with available means, make magic work for someone like her, it could start a brand new branch of science entirely! She could develop tools and technology to help not just her friends, but the world at large! She could--
"You're not focusing, Twilight."
Twilight snapped her eyes open, wincing at the bright sun above them. Selena's eyes were still closed, but there was a knowing smirk on her lips. Twilight's cheeks reddened. "Right, sorry."
"I know it's hard for a mind like yours, but you need to put away your curiosity, your tangential thoughts, your fears. Just clear your mind and breathe."
"Okay." Twilight closed her eyes again, watching the sun splotches fade into the darkness. She listened to the wind, hearing it rustle the grass and shake a wind-chime two yards over. Thinking of the wind-chime made her think of windmills and designs for more efficient clean energy projects. But, she willed herself to focus. She listened to her heartbeat, calm again with her extended rest. She thought about Fluttershy's healing magic, and if it could be harnessed for far-reaching medical purposes. But, like the thought before it, Twilight breathed it out.
She thought about Sunset, she thought about her friends, she thought magic, she thought about the Sirens. Then, one by one, she let all of them drop away to the back of her mind. They tried to climb back up, and some of them succeeded for a short while, but Twilight gently pushed them away.
She would master this for her friends. She would not let the Sirens beat her again.
*******
Tempest snapped the laptop shut and massaged the spot above her eyes. Those stupid graphs and charts never made any sense. A map she could read just fine, but throw calculations and percentages on there...
She leaned back in her rolling chair, easing away from the desk and turning to the large window behind her. Out in the manor's garden was Moondancer, sitting under the gazebo, idly stirring a cup of tea. Tempest could see her sigh and rest the good side of her face in her hand.
Stop acting like you're in prison. I could only dream of living someplace like this when I was a child. Tempest turned the chair to the side and faced one of the walls of books. She slipped her hand into her pocket and produced her phone. With a mental sigh, she selected a number from her short list of contacts and waited.
On the third ring, Tempest heard the crackle of static before the loud clacking of keys filled the room. A mechanical hum filled the background, along with the faintest echo of jazz music. It continued for several seconds with no one saying anything.
Then, before Tempest could shout her name, a woman's jovial voice asked, "You still can't read my graphs?"
This time, Tempest outwardly sighed. "I was an archeologist, not a mathematician."
"I am not a mathematician," the woman said, the typing of keys halting. "I am a bio-engineer and physicist with a minor in psychology, thank you very much." The clacking continued.
Tempest gave her an extra second to cool down. "Just give me the facts."
"Well, I've got good news and bad news," she said, her voice upbeat again.
Tempest's stoic mask inched toward a frown. "Fine, let's get the bad news out of the way."
"Well..." The typing paused. "While the magical bursts from the battle with those Sirens and Moondancer's stint at the dance did generate a generous amount of magic, both bursts were only temporary. We gathered a lot but... we're still a long ways from our goal."
"How long?"
Heels clicked against metal tiles. "If that level of magic was being churned out continuously, we'd be done in a day. But as it stands, it'd take about... two years."
"Two years?" Tempest gripped the phone, feeling a surge of anger that wasn't quite all her own. Wisps of shadows gathered around her left shoulder.
"To be fair, that's half the time it would have taken without those... Spectacular Seven? Those girls that keep blasting magic everywhere."
Tempest flared her nostrils. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"Because I know you hate bad news and I wanted to be totally sure?"
Acceptable answers. "Why is it taking so long? Those weren't the numbers you gave when we first started."
The jazz music got a little louder, and Tempest could hear a pencil scratching against paper. "Well, like I already told Moondancer, the DNA samples she got in France weren't as sufficient as I had first thought. And despite these 'Spectacular Seven' girls running around with this new type of magic, it's still not producing enough residual magic for us to absorb and compensate for the lack of building material. So, we either need more DNA, or a lot more magic."
Even that girl's successes are still failures! Absolutely worthless! Tempest tucked the phone between her shoulder and cheek and used her free hand to pull at her eyelids. Perhaps she had been a bit too preemptive in having Scarlet get rid of the other magician families. Where was she supposed to get large quantities of magic? She supposed it would be easier to find more DNA samples, but the ones she had sent Moondancer to obtain had proved to be a hassle just to track down.
Tempest grit her teeth. Lord Tirek would not wait two years for his body to be restored. There had to be a way. "What about the idea I discussed with you earlier?"
"And that's where the good news comes in!" More heels against metal, and the clacking keys returned. "Like I said, if we could funnel the magic from these girls continuously, we'd be done in a day. You wanted to harness their powers, and I found a way to do it. Theoretically at least."
"Go on."
"The Staff of Sacanas!"
"... And?"
"It's an ancient relic that, in theory, has the ability to drain the magic from magical creatures or objects."
Tempest drummed her fingers against her armrest. "How is that different from the Mana Absorbers?"
"Those only attract ambient magic: the natural magic that flows through the world. Or, you know, what's left. This, ohoho, this drains the magic from its target and stores it in its central crystal! That magic can then be redirected! Think of it as a much more refined version of my Mana Absorbers."
Tempest felt herself starting to smile again. "So you're saying with this staff, we could drain the Spectacular Seven of their magic and feed it into Lord Tirek's revival pod?"
"Heck, drain enough magic, we might not even need the pod. We could complete the revival spell without any scientific augmentations. Although part of me still wants to try..."
Tempest smiled in earnest. "So, where is this staff?"
"Hm?"
"The staff. Where is it?"
"Oh! Right! No idea!"
Tempest facepalmed. She didn't know what else she had expected.
"Don't worry. Give me a few days to really do some digging and I'm sure I can find a few leads. You know, if it exists at all. Which I'm sure it does!" she added hastily, no doubt hearing the growl Tempest made.
"You have forty-eight hours."
"Done and done!" A chair cushion squeaked. "Now, on the tiny chance the staff doesn't exist or work, might I suggest the contingency plan I offered up? At least as a temporary solution. The experiment with Sunset and Scarlet proved to be... mostly successful."
Tempest rotated her chair and looked out the window again. Moondancer was still sitting in her woebegone state. "True. But Lord Tirek will not be pleased."
"Temporary. We need all the magic we can get, and that body has magic in it. The whole process would go faster if Lord Tirek were here with us."
The Soul Lock sitting against the base of Tempest's throat pulsed, and she placed her hand against it. I know, My Lord, but it would only be temporary. Your body shall be reconstructed, I promise.
She continued to eye Moondancer, watching her take a slow sip of her tea. Then, Tempest broke into a venomous smile.
"Very well, we'll set it up as a contingency plan. But I want information on this staff first, understood?"
"Completely! Magic staff and soul splicing, coming up!"
Tempest hung up and placed the phone back in her pocket. She turned her chair back to the front of the study and smiled calmly at Night Shade, standing on the other side of the desk.
"I did not give you permission to use my study." Beneath his tired voice and neutral facade, Tempest could hear traces of anger.
"You weren't here and the door was open. I thought I would make myself at home."
"This is not your home."
Tempest pressed a finger against the golden amulet and raised her chin. "Would you like to do something about it?"
Night Shade snorted and looked past her out the window. "You're only tough because of that dark magic you flaunt so much."
Is that the hint of a spine growing? Tempest smirked and raised her eyebrow. We can't have that, now can we?
She stood from her chair and raised her right arm to stretch.
Her shadow arm lunged from her left shoulder and grabbed Shade around the neck, pinning him to the wall. Tempest's smirk widened as the small ember of defiance in his eyes died.
"Well, it's a good thing I do have this 'dark magic,' isn't it?" Tempest released him, letting him fall to the carpet, rubbing his neck. She turned one last time to the garden.
"Go fetch your daughter. I have a task for her." |
Spectacular Seven | 7. The Great Laser Offensive | Sunset slammed the door behind her and leaned against the frame.
It's just day one. Remember your first day? Your jacket got eaten by a goat and you screamed at Fluttershy. All in all, this wasn't as bad as it could have been.
Sure, Aria had nearly fought an old lady, and yes, there was a near shoplifting incident at the grocery store. But, Sunset remembered that they had been evil a lot longer than she had. The Sirens had a longer hill to climb. That still didn't stop the headache pounding at the front of her skull.
"Hey."
Sunset looked down from the ceiling, delighted to find Twilight standing at the entrance to the kitchen. She gave an awkward smile and a wave.
"Hey." Sunset set down the bag she had been holding and moved toward her. Twilight met her halfway and they hugged, Twilight resting her head in the crook of Sunset's neck. Twilight was a lavender-scented balm, her touch instantly ebbing Sunset's headache.
"How was practice?"
"It was good." Twilight pulled out of Sunset's embrace but held onto her arms. She took a breath and held it for a few seconds before speaking. "Listen, I know I'm being a hypocrite in not wanting to give the Sirens a chance. I'm just... scared of what they could do to us... to me."
Sunset gave her arm a gentle squeeze. "No, I get it. I'm sorry I kinda guilt tripped you all into going along with this. I just couldn't turn away someone asking for help. They went through the same things I did. I guess I just wanted to stop myself from being a hypocrite. But, maybe that makes me selfish."
"It doesn't." Twilight sighed. "It makes you incredible. You can empathize with them. I can't. But I can empathize with you, wanting to help someone really sour and mean."
Sunset chuckled.
Twilight slid back into their embrace, resting her head against Sunset again. "I'm scared; I can admit that. And I'm not ready to forgive or trust them. But I trust you. So, if you think reforming them is the best thing to do, then I'll go along with it for now."
"That's all I'm asking. I won't make you do anything you aren't comfortable with." Sunset cleared her throat. "But, I did think of a good social activity that might help push things in the right direction."
Twilight looked up at her. "What?"
"We could invite them to Rainbow's birthday?"The look Twilight gave over her glasses already spoke volumes. "No?"
"Oh boy." Twilight closed her eyes, taking a moment for herself. "It's not up to me. It's her birthday, so if she says she's fine with it, then so am I."
Sunset kissed Twilight's forehead. "It's just laser tag. It should be fine. Maybe. But, if any of them personally hurt you, I'll snap their necks. I won't need a rainbow."
"Maybe don't snap their necks? You know I don't advocate for violence."
"Didn't you punch someone while I was unconscious? And you're learning swordplay."
Twilight's blushed. "That was a one-time, heat of the moment thing! And this is just for self-defense, or if some monster shows up!"
Sunset gave her a vixenish smile. "One-time, huh? Need I remind you about Lyra?"
Twilight turned even redder. "W-well, yeah, b-but..."
Sunset nipped at her nose. "I like it when you get fired up over me."
"Really?"
"Oh cool, are you two about to start making out?" a dry voice said from the top of the stairs. "Can I take pics? I'm sure I can sell them for a good price."
The bubble of mirth building inside Sunset popped instantly. Shimmer leaned against the banister, a phone raised in one hand.
"I'll call it 'lesbians in love'," she said with a bored smile.
Sunset gave her an aggravated glare. "You are literally the worst."
"Awww, you think I care about your opinion."
Twilight shuffled away from Sunset and toward the door. "I should probably head home; it's getting late. It was, uh... nice to see you again, Shimmer."
"No need to lie to spare my feelings." Shimmer turned back for her room. "See you around, Slippy."
Sunset cocked her head. "Slippy?"
Face pink again, Twilight mumbled, "Don't worry about it." She opened the front door, letting in a gust of cool evening air. Sunset walked her out, kissing her one more time on the porch.
"See you tomorrow?"
Twilight nodded eagerly. "We should do some more work on my scholarship projects. Oh, and don't forget to get Rainbow a birthday present!"
Sunset waved a hand. "Relax, I'll just get her a mirror. She loves herself enough, should be the perfect gift."
Twilight snorted and gave Sunset a light punch on the arm as she turned for home.
"You really like hitting people, don't you?"
"No, I just like hitting on you!" Twilight called over her shoulder.
Sunset thought for a second, then facepalmed.
*******
"Sooo... is this one a date?"
Rainbow bit into her churro and mulled it over, shifting the pastry from one side of her mouth to the other. She swallowed, licked up the cinnamon and sugar coating her lips, and said, "Nope."
Soarin gave a low whistle. "You are one tough customer." He bit into his own churro, trying not to smile with food in his mouth. "Guess that's another thing I like about you."
Rainbow snorted. "Don't think flattering me will get me to change my mind." She retraced their path from the mall's food court back to the corridors of shops. All around them were couples holding hands, leaning against one another, even kissing in public. Rainbow rolled her eyes at it all, shoving her free hand into her pocket.
Yes, Soarin was cool, and Rainbow was having a great time with him, and maybe she had thought about calling him her boyfriend. But she really didn't want to give her friends that satisfaction.
Not yet at least.
Soarin seemed understanding so far. The soccer match, the movies, now their trip to the mall. He would ask, but wouldn't press it when Rainbow said no, they weren't on date. His laid back personality seemed almost too laid back sometimes. Rainbow couldn't help but wonder if she was being lured into a false sense of security.
Well, she still had an ace up her sleeve if Soarin ever dared to try something funny.
She looked over to Soarin, finding him holding his churro to his mouth like a horn. He blew into it and made trumpeting noises, side-eyeing Rainbow all the while.
Rainbow tried to hold back her amusement, but it came out as a loud snort, then she doubled over, clutching her sides. "You're such a dork!"
"Not much fun being cool all the time. Gotta show I'm more than just a handsome face and awesome athlete."
Rainbow straightened up and punched his shoulder, still laughing. "Athletic and handsome, sure, but you're never cool."
Soarin smiled and wiggled his eyebrows. "So you think I'm handsome?"
"I never said that!" Rainbow felt her cheeks burn and shoved more of her pastry into her mouth. "You're average at best." A spray of cinnamon accompanied her words.
"Whatever you say, Dash." He brushed a hand through his spiky hair. "You're not the only one with an abundance of confidence. I know ladies sigh when I go by."
"Yeah, 'cause they're relieved you didn't stop and hit on them."
Soarin elbowed her in the arm, and they both shared another laugh. Their aimless wandering took them past all the clothing and perfume stores, places Rainbow only trode when she was with her group of friends and dragged inside by Rarity. Being with Soarin had the advantage of avoiding all those overly girly places in favor of cool stores like the comic shop or sporting outlets. Not that she couldn't go there with Applejack or Fluttershy. But there was something different about talking sports and superheroes with Soarin.
Rainbow's heart did that stupid fluttering thing again.
As they neared the arcade on the third floor, Rainbow cleared her throat. "Now, don't get the wrong idea or anything, but..." She looked away, hoping Soarin couldn't see the red in her cheeks.
"Iwantyoutocometomybirthdayparty."
Soarin chuckled. "Gonna have to run that by me one more time."
Rainbow stomped her foot. "I know you heard me. I want you to come to my birthday party. It's on Saturday at the laser tag arena."
Soarin opened his mouth, but Rainbow cut across him. "Don't get any ideas just yet! It's still not a date! If you do want to date me, you have to be cool with my friends!"
Truth be told, Rainbow did have another reason to invite Soarin to her party. Sunset really wanted to bring the Sirens along as part of her effort to 'reform' them. Rainbow needed as many cool people there to offset the negative vibes the three fish-girls were sure to bring.
She also had a feeling Soarin would be good in a fight if it came down to it.
Still, denying him a date for a fourth time? She looked his away, expecting him to look exasperated at the least.
Soarin popped the last of his churro into his mouth and tossed the wax paper into the nearest trash can. He slipped his hands into his pockets and relaxed his shoulders, looking like the textbook definition of nonchalant. "You know what, that sounds fair. Your friends seem pretty cool anyhow."
Rainbow crossed her arms. "All right, I gotta ask, what's up with you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Every time I tell you we're not on a date, you're just cool with it. You don't bug me about it, you don't get angry, you don't even make fun of me. I thought I would have had to flip you over my shoulder by now."
Soarin shrugged and gave a good-natured smile. "Hey, just because I'm a lady killer doesn't mean I don't know how to respect boundaries. No means no. The thing is, you haven't said no yet."
"Keep saying dumb things like 'lady killer' and I'll let my foot do the talking." Rainbow marched into the arcade, eager to kick his butt in something. Maybe she hadn't said no, but she certainly hadn't said yes.
Even if her heart was still doing that stupid flutter thing.
*******
The Great Laser Offensive, or GLO Arena, looked more like a refurbished warehouse than a respectable place of entertainment. It rested downtown, in the shadow of the larger skyscrapers and apartment highrises. The initials glowed a neon green, their frequent flickering telling customers they needed to be changed. The windows were covered in blackout curtains and the walls were the color of rust with occasional splotches of gray paint to cover the graffiti of the week.
Looks could be deceiving, as the Spectacular Seven well knew. Over their winter break, they had visited GLO several times and honed their laser tag skills. Now, they were set to do battle again after a long intermission.
Sunset and Twilight arrived to find Rainbow, her dad, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie already waiting. GLO's lobby was a complete 180 from the outside of the building. Though it smelled like cafeteria pizza, the silver carpets were vacuumed and spotless. Fake windows lined the chrome painted walls, giving out-of-this-world views of stars and distant planets. Futuristic diodes and nodules criss-crossed between the window panels. From the ceiling hung a silver spaceship that reminded Sunset of the fighters in Star Wars.
"Happy birthday, Dash!" Sunset said, setting her present down on the table next to the others. She had gotten Rainbow a full scale poster of the upcoming Power Ponies movie.
Rainbow, wearing a silver crown on her head, grinned. "Thanks! Today is gonna be so awesome!"
Twilight leaned toward Sunset and said behind her hand. "I can't wait until she opens my gift. I got her a word of the day calendar. Hopefully it'll improve her vocabulary."
"I still can't believe you wanted to spend your eighteenth birthday party playing laser tag," Rarity said. "I would have thought you wanted something bigger."
"Laser tag is great!" Rainbow said defensively. "Especially when I'm playing with you guys. Besides, we couldn't afford getting tickets for everyone to go to the amusement park. This is the next best thing."
Flash arrived next, surprising Sunset. As far as she knew, he and Rainbow didn't interact too much. But, they shared a fistbump and Flash handed her a giftbag before sitting down and kissing Rarity on the cheek.
Must be a guitarist thing.
Applejack arrived with the Sirens. All of them, save Sonata, wore aggravated expressions. Sunset thanked Celestia none of them had come to blows.
Yet.
Applejack marched up to Sunset and held her hand out. Sunset sighed and slapped a twenty dollar bill into Applejack's palm.
"I appreciate it!" Sunset said, giving Applejack a wide, gracious smile.
"Mmhmm," was her only retort as she turned away.
Adagio took her place. "Remind me again why we're here?"
Sunset crossed her arms. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you have something better to do today? I mean, other than stay cooped up in your room."
"Let me rephrase that then. What are we doing here?"
"It's Rainbow's birthday. We're here to celebrate it with her. You know, as friends? Pizza, cake, laser tag; it'll be fun."
Aria stepped over, looking as thoroughly unimpressed as always. Sunset wondered if her face was just stuck like that. "Yeah, Apple-bumpkin mentioned lasers on the way here--"
Sunset heard Applejack snort like a bull.
"--but no one's explained what this 'laser tag' is."
"Don't worry," Sunset said with a grin. "I'm sure it's something even you three will appreciate."
Adagio glanced around, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "I hope so. So far, this looks like a party place for eight-year olds. Which I guess is in character for you children."
Tempering her urge to hit Adagio upside the head, Sunset walked over to Rainbow, which proved to be a poor move. Rainbow looked at her, eyebrow raised and mouth thin.
"It'll be fine! Laser tag is a great way to get some aggression out and make some friends at the same time."
"Well, you're right about one of those things."
Soarin arrived last. Sunset hadn't seen him since their mountain vacation where he had either been dressed in a uniform to manage the ski lodge, or bundled up like the rest of them while skiing. Here, he was dressed in casual jeans and a gray short-sleeved shirt. He was much leaner than Sunset was expecting.
Two things happened when he entered the building. First, Rainbow ran over to greet him, face pink with an eager smile. The second she took Soarin by the hand, Fluttershy stood up and excused herself to the bathroom with a quiet mumble, her eyes to the floor the whole time.
No one else seemed to have notice her leave, they were all grinning and sniggering at Rainbow as she brought Soarin closer to the group.
It was easy to put two and two together. The answer it gave Sunset left her anxious, however. Before she could go check on Fluttershy, Rainbow Blaze called them all together.
"All right, gang, here's the plan. You've got two games before we break for lunch. After that, we have to beat it before a bunch of seven-year olds swarm the place."
Sunset heard Adagio snigger.
"You sure you don't want to play with us, Dad?" Rainbow asked. She was standing very close to Soarin.
Rainbow Blaze noticed as well. He gave Soarin a scowl that reminded Sunset of Twilight's dad. False intimidation, Sunset called it. "No, I'm just here to make sure you lot don't get into trouble. And to guard the presents."
He narrowed his eyes, transitioning from false intimidation to the true form Sunset was used to receiving from Shining. "So keep out of trouble."
Soarin tugged at his collar. "Yes, sir."
They were then herded off into the room designed to be an airlock. It was dimmer than the lobby, allowing the nodules on the walls to glow green and yellow. A holographic map of the arena shone on the wall next to a faintly glowing model of the vest and gun they would be using.
A lanky young man with hair the same shade and brightness as the sign outside jumped up onto a small podium next to the map.
"Hi, everyone! I'm Spectrum Shift!" He pointed to the neon name badge on his shirt. "Welcome to GLO Arena! So, who here has never done this before?"
Soarin and the Sirens raised their hands. Aria, of course, added an extra eye roll.
"Cool! Well, you're about to have a far-out time!"
Sunset now felt Aria's eye roll might have been justified.
"I'll go over the rules real quick, then you guys can get in there!" He picked up the vest and slipped it over his head. "So, this is your combat vest. There are four areas on the vest that the laser gun can shoot at: both shoulders, the front, and the back."
As he spoke, the four hit spots lit up and started to flash orange.
"If you get shot, your vest will power down for a few seconds, meaning you also cannot fire back. The best thing to do at this point is scope the area and wait." Spectrum unholstered the gun from the side of the vest and lifted it over his head. "This is your laser gun. It must be held with both hands at all times. If not, you won't be able to fire. Any questions?"
When no one said anything, he gave them a thumbs up and hopped off the podium. "Cool. Once inside, no running, no jumping, and no crawling on the ground. Remember, it is dark inside, so be careful." He pushed the next door open and led them into the arena's antechamber, where green vests were lined against the walls.
Everyone fanned out to select their laser vest, trying to find the one with the least amount of sweat absorbed into the straps. As Sunset picked one up, she saw Fluttershy quietly slide into the room, keeping to the back corner. Her eyes occasionally flickered toward Soarin and Rainbow, and Sunset was shocked and almost scared to see the closest thing to disdain Fluttershy had ever displayed.
Sunset slung her vest on and hung back toward Fluttershy. "Hey, you okay?"
Fluttershy looked at Sunset with a smile that showed off all of her teeth. She almost never smiled like that. "What do you mean? I'm fine."
"It's just..." She fidgeted under Fluttershy's unusual smile. "You seem a little..." Fluttershy smiled harder at her, making Sunset step back. "Okay. Just remember, I'm here if you want to talk."
"You're so nice, Sunset," Fluttershy said in an almost robotic tone. "But I'm fine. Really."
"Right then." Sunset buckled her vest and tightening the shoulder straps. She rejoined her friends congregating at the door to the arena, snatching looks at Fluttershy every few seconds. She was now glaring daggers at Soarin, who was helping Rainbow with her vest. Coming from Fluttershy, they were blunt daggers, but they pierced all the same.
"Good luck in there, you're gonna need it!"
Sunset snapped her head, finding Twilight watching her with a competitive grin. "Oh, uh, yeah, you too."
When everyone was geared up, Spectrum opened the door to the arena proper and ushered them into the darkness. A thin layer of fog covered the floor and laser rays flashed from above. The corridor split into two directions with multicolored lines running along the walls. The girls split up at the fork, scrabbling over each other to get to an optimal attack position in the arena. Sunset went left, sparing one last look over her shoulder at Fluttershy who had gone right.
"The game will begin in ten seconds."
Sunset shook her shoulders out and took a deep breath. Come on, Sunset. We're here to have fun. And make sure the Sirens don't burn the place down. We can talk to Fluttershy afterward. Maybe this'll make her feel better. A weight settled onto her chest. The Sirens, Twilight, now Fluttershy. Was it too much to ask that all her friends stayed happy?
The corridor widened into a large, open space with more corridors twisting deeper into the facility and a ramp leading to the second floor. Rainbow and Applejack power-walked upstairs, shoulders grinding against each other the entire time. Sunset ducked into another corridor, finally finding herself alone.
"Five... four... three..."
She took one more deep breath to steel herself. Head in the game. Sunset Shimmer is still a winner.
"Two... one... game start."
A chord on a synth guitar rang through the arena, followed by a steady base and a keytar. Their vests stopped flashing and settled on a solid neon green. Sunset gripped her gun, one hand on the trigger, the other holding the barrel.
Okay, Rainbow and Applejack will definitely deal the first blow to each other. Neither of them is going to retreat, so one of them is as good as gone. That takes care of one of the best players, and there's a good chance the winner will still be missing a stock. That just leaves Flash and Twilight as real major concerns.
There was also Pinkie to worry about. She, like in everything else she participated in, was an unpredictable wild card. Sunset usually just hoped someone got to her first.
It was hard to hear footsteps over the synth music, and impossible to see shadows in the darkness. Sunset moved slow, peered around every corner before taking them, and checked over her shoulder every five seconds. She exited a corridor and found herself in an open rectangular space full of low walls with holes cut into them and pillars scattered about. The closest exit was halfway down the room, perpendicular to her position.
Sunset had taken three steps in when she heard laser fire from the other end. She dropped into a crouch, hiding beneath one of the circular windows. The laser fire continued, and Sunset raised her head enough to see Soarin's pack go off.
"Player terminated," it droned.
Soarin gave a weak chuckle. "Heh, good job, Flutter... shy..."
Turning her head, Sunset saw Fluttershy already stalking off in the other direction. Well, that's disconcerting.
Sunset stood once Soarin left the room, only to duck again when another gun went off. She peeked around the corner this time, seeing a pair of studded boots retreat behind a wall.
Aria.
Sunset was sure Aria had never played laser tag before, but had a feeling any game with a gun would come naturally to the Siren. Sunset pointed her gun at the wall and fired a few probing shots. As she retreated, she heard Aria return a single blast.
Okay, she's after precision. Sunset looked straight ahead. Her nearest form of shelter was a narrow pillar a leap away. It was less cover, but the angle would allow her to see Aria. Sunset took a step back, breathed in, and ran for it, turning and taking a shot at Aria's position as she crossed the opening.
Aria leaned out from her cover and fired at Sunset as she passed. Both their shots missed. Sunset pressed herself against the pillar, hearing an extra laser shot. She leaned out and took a quick blast before hiding again, hearing the sweet sound of a laser pack powering down.
A curse and a shuffle of footsteps told Sunset Aria had changed positions, most likely to a spot she could retaliate from. Sunset swung around the pillar and moved forward, taking Aria's previous spot. Unfortunately, she had no idea where Aria was hiding now.
Best to just leave and finish her off later. Sunset turned toward the exiting corridor, in time to see Aria move into her peripheral vision. Sunset's pack was down before she could even contemplate retaliation. The lights went off, and cool voice droned, "Point lost."
Crap! Sunset broke left and hid behind another pillar, but Aria had her pinned now. As the footsteps closed in, Sunset's pack came back on. It was time to make a final stand.
Unsure of which side of the pillar Aria would be on, Sunset took a gamble and chose left. Her decision proved to be poor, as she pointed her gun at nothing. She pivoted left to find Aria, but the Siren's vest was already off.
"Player terminated."
Sunset moved back behind the pillar as several shots rang through the room. She heard a giggle and a scurry of footsteps before Aria spoke, sounding more disgruntled than usual.
"Thanks a lot, Sonata. I almost had Sunset out before you shot me."
"You're just mad 'cause I lasted longer than you!" Sonata chirped.
Sunset swung around the pillar, aiming over Aria's shoulder, and shot several times, hitting Sonata in the chest.
"Player terminated."
"Awwwwww!"
Aria snorted and rolled her eyes. "Way to give your position away, stupid."
"You're stupid!"
Sunset turned to leave them to their bickering, which echoed into the corridor she stepped into. Two Sirens down, Soarin, and either Applejack or Rainbow. There's still a lot of dangerous competition left. And I've only got one stock. Good odds.
Sunset paused at the threshold of the next room: another large area with half walls and alcoves set up. In addition, however, were several mirrors hanging on corners and in random parts of the ceiling.
Twilight's favorite territory.
Having aced her physics class, Sunset knew the power of light refraction. Twilight knew it as well, and loved to exploit it. From her current position, Sunset didn't think she was in any danger, but she couldn't stand in the threshold forever.
Footsteps behind her told Sunset she didn't have a choice. She broke left and ducked into an alcove, hoping she wasn't in Twilight's line of sight.
Flash walked into the room, gun held high. Before he could look left, Sunset shot and hit the sensor in his gun, shutting him down. He turned to retreat, jumped, then turned again and ran further into the room. Sunset's question was answered before she could ask it. Rarity jogged into the room, her gun trained on Flash.
Sunset grinned and blasted her too, savoring the sound of a disarmed vest.
Rarity looked in her direction and gasped before running to find a place to hide. Sunset knew she had to move too, before Rarity or Flash came back on the offensive. Though the fact that she hadn't been shot at by Twilight told her either she was in a safe position from the mirrors, or Twilight wasn't in the room.
Sunset moved out of her corner just as a storm of lasers went off. She pressed herself to the wall, keeping to the shadows as she crept closer to the battle being waged. Halfway down the room, she could see Rarity crouched behind a low wall, rising up to shoot wildly at Flash who was holed up in another corner. Meanwhile, Pinkie had entered the battle, leaning out of another adjacent hallway, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she fired haphazardly into the room.
She caught sight of Sunset and pointed her gun. Sunset leaped for cover as the lasers flew, narrowly avoiding the barrage. She pressed herself against a pillar, feeling a rush of deja vu. The hailstorm didn't let up, but Sunset wasn't sure if it was still aimed in her direction. She inched her neck out, but could no longer see Pinkie from her hiding spot.
"Oh, drat!" Rarity wailed.
One down. Sunset took the opportunity to swing out and take several shots at where she knew Pinkie was standing. Only, Pinkie was no longer there.
Sunset pressed herself against her pillar again, heart hammering. She looked right and left, finding no trace of the pink-haired one. With a deep breath, Sunset rolled around the pillar again, firing rapidly, but hitting nothing. As she moved her finger from the trigger, Pinkie popped up from behind the wall Rarity had used as refuge.
In the second it took for Pinkie to grin and shout, "Booyah!" Sunset swung her arm around and had her finger on the trigger again.
Two shots went off, and two computer voices said, "Player terminated."
Sunset's vest went dark, save for the center which continued to flash the message. She tilted her head back and groaned. "Dang it, Pinkie, I was on a roll."
Pinkie pointed to her own darkened vest. "So was I. I beat Fluttershy and Adagio."
Rarity lifted herself up and dusted her skirt off. "I suppose I'm just grateful I lasted as long as I did."
Flash walked out from a narrow alcove. "You all did good. But there's only room for one in the winner's circle." He gave his signature trying-to-be-cool smile.
"And it's not gonna be you," Sunset quipped.
"Wanna bet?" His pack powered down, leaving only the 'Player terminated' message illuminated in the darkness.
Sunset crossed her arms and grinned. "So, what do I win?"
Twilight jogged past them, a competitive glint in her eyes. "Never let your guard down," she said, moving into the next room.
Sunset couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at seeing her normally reserved girlfriend displaying her competitive spirit. "Bet you she wins this round."
"Nooooo!" Twilight cried from down the hall.
Flash copied Sunset's arm cross. "So, what do I win?"
"Shut up."
A buzzer sounded throughout the arena, and everyone's laser vest blinked orange. "The match is over." a voice droned from the overhead speakers. "All players, please walk toward the exit. Repeat, the match is over..."
Sunset clipped her gun to the vest and strolled back toward the equipment room with everyone else. Rainbow and Twilight were already there, looking triumphant and abashed respectively.
"The birthday girl wins!" Rainbow cheered, punching a fist into the air. "Poor Twi here never saw it coming."
Twilight pressed a hand against her eyes. "Right after I told Flash not to drop his guard. She was waiting right around the corner for me."
Sunset patted her shoulder. "Eh, let her have it. It's her birthday after all."
They rejoined the rest of their friends in the lobby. While the Dazzlings stood apart from everyone else, Sunset was surprised to see grins on their faces that weren't scheming or hostile. However, she also noticed that Fluttershy was missing again.
Rainbow strolled toward her dad, pointing her thumbs toward herself. "First victory of the day goes to me!"
Rainbow Blaze chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Way to go. I'm sure none of your friends intentionally threw the match because it was your birthday." He gave a wink to the rest of the group.
Rainbow whipped her head toward them, face pale. "You guys didn't... did you?"
Applejack smirked and tipped her hat back. "Guess you'll find out if you win the second round."
With a ten minute break, everyone took a moment to sit down or air themselves out. The low ventilation of the arena combined with the heft of their vests left everyone uncomfortably sweaty.
Twilight fanned her face and said to Sunset, "I'm going to get a drink and use the bathroom."
"Okay." Sunset tugged at her shirt collar. "Yeah, I think I'm going to step outside for a sec."
They traded a quick kiss and went their separate ways. Sunset passed Rainbow, Soarin, and Applejack, engrossed in a conversation. Applejack was grinning devilishly at the faint blush on Rainbow's cheeks. That only fueled Sunset's desire to talk to Fluttershy.
Lo and behold, she was sitting on the curb outside, chin resting on her knees. Sunset sat down next to her and followed her gaze. A ladybug was lazily hovering over the black tar.
"Fluttershy," Sunset said softly, "I know something's wrong. And I have a good feeling on what it is. I'm not going to pressure you to say anything, but I want you to know you can open up about anything. I'll understand, or at least, I'll try to."
Fluttershy didn't look away from the ladybug. It drifted closer and eventually landed on the back of her hand. She lifted it to eye level. "I'm..." Her voice faltered. She rotated her hand as the bug crawled over to her palm.
"I have... a..." Her voice dropped into an inaudible whisper, but Sunset had spent enough time around Fluttershy to hear her even at her quietest.
"How long?" Sunset asked.
Fluttershy lifted her hand up. The ladybug flew away. "Since we were kids."
Sunset frowned. "Fluttershy, why didn't you ever tell her?"
Fluttershy turned her head away. "I couldn't. I was always too scared. And when rumors started that she might... that maybe she liked girls... she was so adamant that she didn't."
"I see." Sunset mulled her words over. The only crush she had ever truly had was Twilight, and she had never been rejected before, even non-directly. To harbor feelings for someone for years only to see them in the arms of someone else...
Sunset blanched. She had heard this story before. She had lived this story, albeit from a different angle.
"You should still tell her how you feel, Fluttershy. If anything, just to get it off your chest."
Fluttershy shook her head.
"Listen, I've seen what happens if you just hold those feelings in." An image of Moondancer flashed in her mind. "And I've seen the way you've been glaring at Soarin."
"I have not!" Fluttershy said loudly, raising her head.
Sunset leaned a hand against her shoulder. "You have. It's fine. Trust me, I know a thing or two about jealousy. But that's why you need to tell Rainbow how you feel, before it turns into something... worse."
Fluttershy sank her head back onto her knees. "I can't. I don't want to mess up our friendship. Or her relationship. She deserves to be happy."
"You deserve to be happy too. And if you don't let go of this one way or the other, it will damage your friendship."
Fluttershy said nothing. She wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged herself. Sunset scooted a little closer.
"If you and Rainbow have been friends this long, then this won't tear you apart. You're not asking her to do anything; you're just telling her how you feel."
She shook her head.
Sunset sighed. "Okay. I'm not going to make you do anything you're not comfortable with. But, I think you'll feel better talking to Rainbow instead of keeping all this to yourself."
Fluttershy finally looked at Sunset, eyes wet with unfallen tears. "Thank you, Sunset."
"Yeah, anytime."
*******
Twilight ran her hands together under the faucet until all the soap suds were gone. She splashed a little on her face to wipe away the sweat built up.
The bathroom door opened, and Twilight startled seeing Adagio walk up behind her in the mirror's reflection. She appreciated herself in the mirror next to Twilight.
"This would pass as decent entertainment if it didn't make you sweat as much," Adagio said dryly.
Twilight rolled her eyes and reached for a paper towel. "So sorry this doesn't live up to your expectations."
"Relax," Adagio said, fluffing her hair. "I'm still having fun. A little. As much fun as one can have at a place for toddlers."
Twilight balled the paper up. "You have a terrible way of showing it."
"We all can't be as... perky as you," Adagio said, eyeing Twilight's figure in the mirror.
Twilight shuddered at Adagio's gaze. She felt like she was being judged. Just as Twilight turned away to leave, Adagio spoke again in a devil-may-care voice.
"So, have you slept with Sunset yet?"
Twilight jumped and fumbled with her paper. "What?"
Adagio spun and leaned against the sink, a smirk on her lips and a purr in her voice. "Have you had sex with Sunset?"
Twilight felt like she was back in the arena. "Th-that's none of your business!"
"Okay, so it's a no." Adagio's smile grew. "Better hurry up on that before she gets bored."
Glasses fogged from the heat radiating from her face, Twilight said, "Sunset isn't like that! Where we are in our relationship is perfectly fine!"
"Sure it is." Adagio examined the back of her nails. "I mean, you two are cute together, even I can admit that. But, face it, for someone like Sunset, you're a little... bland, don't you think?"
Twilight glanced down at her outfit. A simple, one-piece purple dress with a blue collar and cuffs. It was practical and comfortable, and... Twilight shook her head. "I am not bland!"
"Cute, schoolgirl nerd? Has never had sex before?" Adagio made a throaty chuckle. "There's an innocent purity to you that I'm sure other girls, and every guy, would love, but compared to the leather jacket wearing, motorcycle riding, firecracker, well.... Don't you think she deserves someone more her speed?"
"Her speed?"
Adagio leaned forward. "You know, someone more... relatable?" She wiggled her eyebrows.
Twilight was up in her face before she knew what was happening. "Don't you dare try anything with Sunset!"
"Oh my, it looks like there's a fighter behind those glasses! Guess you're more than just a cute face."
Twilight yanked her glasses off to give Adagio the full force of her glare, even if the Siren was an orange blurry blob. "I'm warning you, if you try anything with Sunset--"
Adagio threw her head back and laughed. "And you go right back to being cute. Don't think you can actually intimidate me, little girl. Magic or no magic, I promise you, you can't beat me. And I know you know it too."
Twilight's stomach knotted. She didn't want to give Adagio an inch, but she was right: if it came to it, this wasn't a battle Twilight could win. But that's why she was training. And even if she couldn't win, she refused to roll over!
Adagio continued to smile. "Oh, relax. I have no interest in your girlfriend. She's still too much of a goodie two-shoes for me, even if she does have a bite to her." She took a deep breath and strutted past Twilight. "But, I wasn't lying when I said she might like someone more her speed. Cute and nerdy is only fun for so long."
She left the bathroom, leaving Twilight to fume. Stop it! She's just trying to get under your skin! Sunset wouldn't leave you like that! Twilight closed her eyes, remembering the night of Prom, and the flight Sunset had taken her on after their love confession.
No, Sunset wouldn't dump her for someone like Adagio. Twilight looked down at her outfit again, picked out by her mother because Twilight still couldn't do it herself. Meanwhile, Sunset had great fashion sense and could pull off almost any look she wanted.
Sunset was cool and empathetic and brave and fierce and smart... and magical.
The familiar tendrils of insecurity crept up and strangled Twilight's self-confidence. Why did Sunset pick her? Twilight was... smart. That's it. That's all Twilight had to her identity: the smart girl surrounded by magical beings.
Twilight shook her head again. Stop! That's why you're studying magic. That's why you're learning swordplay. Adagio's wrong! Twilight marched out to the lobby, repeating to herself that Adagio was wrong about her. She wasn't boring, she wasn't just a cute nerd. She'd prove it by winning the next game!
*******
"All right, second verse, same as the first!" Rainbow said, grabbing a vest. "And none of you better go easy on me!"
That's not gonna happen, Twilight internally growled, unclipping her gun. She shot a glare in Adagio's direction. It was returned with a wink and a full-toothed smile. Twilight strangled her gun, turning her knuckles white.
Sunset walked up next to her, fumbling with the back strap. "Can you help me with this one? It's being dumb."
Twilight's body loosened up. "Sure thing." She gave the strap a hard tug and slipped it into the buckle. "There."
"Thanks, babe."
Babe.
Twilight could have told Sunset what transpired in the bathroom. Sunset would have been all over Adagio. But to what end? All that would prove was that Adagio had gotten under Twilight's skin and she couldn't fight her own battles. No, that was what Adagio wanted. She, Twilight, wasn't useless or afraid! She couldn't fight Adagio physically, but she could beat her in laser tag!
Spectrum opened the doors, and everyone filed into the arena once more. Twilight's eyes took their time adjusting to the sudden darkness. She went right at the fork, keeping pace with Sunset. With a wink and a nudge, they separated at the next corridor, Twilight heading up the ramp while Sunset banked into one of the open room.
"Three... two... one... Game start."
Twilight's vest lit up green, and the synth music played, masking all but the heaviest footsteps. Still, she knew the probability of her coming up the ramp alone was low. She twisted around and pointed her gun, waiting for her first opponent to show up, hoping it was Adagio.
Instead, Rarity rose up the ramp, letting out a yelp as Twilight shot and deactivated her. She turned tail and ran back down, letting out another yelp when she got to the bottom. Someone else had been waiting for her.
One down. Twilight retreated into a darker corner, away from the flashing neon lights. She held her breath, waiting for whoever had finished off Rarity to walk by. A minute went by, but no one came.
Either they're waiting for me to come to them, or they moved on. Twilight leaned out of her corner, making sure no one was about to pop around the corner before fully emerging.
The second floor rested mostly on the support structures of the first floor, leaving it with less walls to hide behind. Conversely, it made it harder to accidentally run into an opponent, and it was a quick way to get from one side of the arena to the other.
Twilight looked over the railing to one of the open rooms below. She could see the top of Pinkie's head, but none of her weak points.
Something moved in the corner of Twilight's eye. She turned and fired just as her pack shut down, but her shot hadn't been wasted. Across the floor, Rainbow cursed and hid behind one of the few walls. Twilight retreated back to her corner while she waited for her vest to power up.
More shots rang out, though whether it was across from her or below, Twilight couldn't tell. There were no mirrors for her to rely on in this section. She peeked around the corner to find Applejack backing up toward her, firing on the spot where Rainbow was hiding. Twilight took the easy opportunity, though she was surprised when she heard "player terminated."
"Dagnabbit!" Applejack cursed, spinning around to face Twilight. "Second time Ah'm out in the first five minutes!"
Rainbow popped up and took a shot at Twilight, no doubt thinking she would be distracted by Applejack's outburst, but Twilight was ready for her. She dodged right and pelleted Rainbow with return fire, hitting the sensor in her shoulder.
"Player terminated."
"Crap!" Rainbow threw her hands up and marched toward Twilight and Applejack.
"Well, does that answer your question of if we were goin' easy on ya?" Applejack asked smugly.
"Shut up, you lost, too."
Twilight scooted around them. "Excuse me, I've got a game to win!"
"Go get em, sugarcube!"
Twilight made her way across the floor and eased down a ramp, being extra cautious as got to the landing. She could hear the sounds of battle in the next room. Creeping a little further, she found one of the trusty mirrors hanging in a corner, reflecting the unfolding struggle.
Fluttershy was bombarding a single spot, stepping closer with every pull of her trigger. Twilight could make out a tuft of solid blue hair. It wasn't spikey enough to be Flash, leaving only Soarin as Fluttershy's prey.
I don't think I've ever seen her this aggressive.
Soarin tried to maneuver around the low wall he positioned himself behind, but Fluttershy was too quick for him.
"Player terminated."
"Heh, got me again," Soarin said, rising to full height. He made another uncomfortable chuckle as Fluttershy walked off. Twilight couldn't see her expression, but she had a feeling it wasn't positive.
Twilight entered the room as Soarin exited. It was the same room she had found Sunset and Flash in last game, and one of her favorites. Deciding to leave Fluttershy alone for now, Twilight positioned herself behind a pillar near the center of the room. Moving around it gave her access to both exits and the mirrors hanging in the corners.
She already found a target approaching on her first sweep: Sonata, creeping down the east corridor. Pointing her gun at the mirror over head, Twilight took a few steps to her right, leaned forward, and fired. A second later came the satisfying sound of Sonata's dying vest. Instead of retreating, Sonata ran into the room, giving Twilight only a split second to hide behind the pillar again.
Sonata ran passed her, only noticing Twilight when she checked over her shoulder. Her eyes widened with horror as her pack came back on just in time for Twilight to shoot her again.
"Player terminated."
"Awwwww," Sonata whined. "You guys are too good at this."
She clipped her gun and made her way to the exit, leaving Twilight alone again. With at least five people out, the odds of someone stumbling into her were diminishing. Staying in one place might be a good idea defensively, but Twilight wanted to the winner, not just the survivor. Sunset would find that much more impressive.
Twilight made to follow Sonata, but a reflection in the mirror made her pause. Instead of trying to discern the proper angle for a refraction shot, Twilight stood her ground and held her gun out.
Sunset turned the corner, unable to pull the trigger fast enough on Twilight. The lights on her vest flickered and dimmed, but didn't go out. "Point lost."
Unsurprisingly, Sunset didn't retreat. She moved counterclockwise, easing toward cover while keeping a bead on Twilight. Twilight moved with her, holding a steady gaze. Sunset flashed her notorious competitive grin.
With a light hum, Sunset's vest came back to life. She shot at Twilight and lunged right, taking shelter behind the pillar. Twilight ducked and returned fire as she ran behind a low wall. To her right was one of the mirrors, wherein she could see Sunset. Sunset could also see her, however, and was lining her gun up for the perfect shot.
Twilight frog hopped out of range as Sunset's laser went off. That left her exposed to Sunset's direct attacks, and Twilight narrowly avoided getting tagged out as she pressed herself against the wall again. She fired rapidly at the mirror, forgoing any sense of aim. She swung around to her other side in time to see Sunset come into her line of sight. They both fired and tried to lunge out of the way of the other's shots, Twilight hitting the floor with her shoulder.
"Player terminated."
But it wasn't Twilight who had been powered down. She brought herself into a sitting position, taking a hand off her gun to nurse her shoulder.
"You okay?" Sunset knelt next to her. "I'm glad you're into this, but I don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm fine. It's just a little bruise." Twilight stood up and rolled it out. "See?"
Sunset grinned. "Well, I think you're one of the last ones left. Snatch a win for me, okay?" She winked and headed out.
Twilight took the corridor opposite of her. She had personally seen to the defeat of four players. Rarity and Soarin were out. That left six players maximum, but Twilight had a feeling that number was much less. The last two players she had to be worried about were Pinkie and Flash.
Another large room. Twilight carefully navigated her way forward, but there didn't appear to be anyone else. Her nerves tightened. This was the worst part of the game: a hide-and-seek match in the dark with a handful of people. Before, Twilight knew she had a high chance of finding at least one person per room. She double-checked over her shoulder. Nothing.
Heart beating a little faster, she took the nearest ramp upstairs, staying in a low crouch. Perhaps it would be better to pick one spot and stay there. But, if her opponent did the same thing, the game would go nowhere.
The second floor was empty at first glance. Twilight thought to give a test shot to coax someone out, but that would also give her position away. She tugged on the collar of her shirt, despising the humidity of the arena.
Come on, just a few more targets and you win! That'll show Adagio you--
"Boo."
Zap!
"Player terminated."
Twilight's body locked up as her brain processed the sound of defeat, and the voice of her defeater. Slowly, she turned around, begging to see anyone other than who she expected.
Adagio looked down at her with her usual predatory grin. "I win."
"The match is over. All players, please proceed to the exit."
Still smiling, Adagio slid past Twilight. "You know, this game is pretty fun."
Twilight watched her go, body numb from shock. Second place again. To Adagio of all people. Rainbow she could stand, but Adagio? She had never played before today!
Don't be a sore loser. You're better than that, the rational half of her brain told her.
I'm not mad I lost, I'm mad I lost to Adagio! the emotional half yelled.
Twilight marched out of the arena, fists balled and lips pursed. Adagio was still in the equipment room, putting her vest up.
"Aww, you're not mad, are you, Sparky? It's just a game."
"Don't call me Sparky." Twilight slipped her vest off and walked into the lobby, savoring the blast of cool air that washed over her.
Sunset rushed up to her with a napkin and started dabbing away the sweat on Twilight's brow. "You almost had it, Sparky. You got the most hits though by a long shot."
There was some comfort to be had in that at least. She may have lost to Adagio, but she outperformed her. Twilight slid her eyes past Sunset to find the Sirens grouped together by the cake and pizza.
"Way to go, Dagi!" Sonata cheered.
"Yeah, I can't believe you beat those Lamebooms," Aria snarked with a grin.
Adagio examined her fingernails with a casual smile. "It was just pure talent."
Twilight's annoyment must have been written on her face, for Sunset gave her a kiss on the forehead and said, "Ignore them. You're the one with real talent."
It was cliche relationship talk, but Twilight took it nonetheless. After all, Sunset was wiping her forehead, not Adagio's.
Twilight exhaled, breathing out some of the inferiority building up inside her. Adagio was wrong: she, Twilight, wasn't boring. But she had a lot to do make sure she stayed interesting and relevant to Sunset and her friends.
I'll show Adagio there really is a fighter behind these glasses. |
Spectacular Seven | 8. On the Cusp of Summer | All in all, Sunset considered laser tag a moderate success. The Sirens weren't any closer to being friends with anyone per se, but everyone had managed to get through the day with minimal insults while having a relatively good time. Twilight continued to look put out after the match and she shot Adagio a heated glare every few minutes while everyone had pizza and cake.
Sunset scooped a fingerful of frosting and tapped Twilight's nose. "Don't let her get under your skin, Sparky. It was a lucky break, that's all."
Twilight went cross-eyed as she looked at her frosted nose. She wiped it off and forced a smile. "Yeah. You're right. I just..." She gave a small pout. "I really wanted to beat her."
"You're starting to sound like me," Sunset said with a chuckle.
Twilight leaned closer and smiled mischievously. "You are a bad influence."
Sunset poked her in the ribs, getting a laugh out of her. "Would some science cheer you up? We could go work on your little project after this."
"That would be fun. I think we're almost done with it, too."
Satisfied, Sunset returned to her cake. Near the end of the table, Fluttershy sat closed off to everyone else. She made herself as small as possible while she poked at her cake, her long bangs hiding her eyes. Sunset considered sitting next to her but decided against it. Ultimately, that was a battle Fluttershy had to fight for herself.
When everyone had eaten their fill of cake, Rainbow tore into her presents. She squeed over the poster Sunset had got her and gave a half-hearted 'yaay' over Twilight's word calender. With new running shoes, video games, and trading cards, Sunset thought Rainbow scored a pretty good haul.
A large flock of ten-year-olds and their parents signaled it was time for the teenagers to leave. They gathered up the presents and leftovers and shuffled out, being eyed with envy by the children as they departed.
"That was so much fun!" Pinkie said, bouncing away from the doors.
"You guys have a lame definition of fun," Aria said.
"And what exactly passes as fun for you?" Rainbow snapped.
"Death metal concerts, late night clubs, horror movies, video games..." Aria counted off on her fingers.
"Well, some of those things could be arranged," Rarity said civilly.
"So, what are we gonna do now?" Sonata asked.
"Go home," Applejack said.
Adagio threw her head back and groaned. "What is with you girls and going home so early? You just turned eighteen! Live it up a little!"
Rainbow crossed her arms. "Yeah? What did you have in mind?"
Adagio looked over Rainbow's shoulder where Blaze was putting things away in the car. She leaned closer and said in a hushed voice, "We know a club with a pretty lenient bouncer. A few fake IDs and you're in."
"And where would we even get fake IDs?"
Aria grinned. "I know a guy."
Rainbow shook her head. "We're not--
"Let's do it!" Pinkie said.
Rainbow snapped her head in Pinkie's direction. "What? Why?"
"Because I've always wanted to have a fake ID!" She thrust a hip to the side and put a peace sign up to her eye. "I'll be Gypsy Danger."
Sunset clapped a hand over Pinkie's mouth. "No one is getting fake IDs or sneaking into clubs. Look, I'm all for late-night fun, but we're not doing something illegal."
Adagio crossed her arms and tittered. "The most fun things in life are often illegal."
"They really aren't."
Adagio flashed a tiny smile. "That's because you don't know the meaning of the word. You girls are too afraid to stay out past your bedtimes."
"We are not!" Pinkie protested.
"Oh yeah?" Aria asked, raising a challenging eyebrow. "Prove it."
"How?" Applejack asked.
Aria grinned in a way that made Sunset feel they had played into her hands. "There's a rumor that there's an old chateau in the Everfree Forest. Been abandoned for years. I bet you're all too chicken to spend the night."
"One night in the Everfree Forest?" Rainbow blew a raspberry. "Please, that'll be easy."
"Wouldn't that be trespassing?" Twilight asked. Adagio gave her a smirk, like Twilight was proving her point. "B-but, we've already kinda trespassed before with the factory, so I guess it doesn't really matter in this case."
"Then it's settled," Adagio said. "A little camping trip this weekend. I can't wait." It was hard to miss the bite of sarcasm.
"Neither can I," Sunset said, matching Adagio's snark. "Come on, Sparky, let's go home. Happy birthday, Dash," she said with a little more bite than she meant to. She and Twilight retreated to her motorcycle and took off down the street.
Sunset could almost relate to Adagio and her sisters. Not too long ago, she would have found laser tag and simple friendly meet-ups dull and pointless. And half of her friends were eighteen now. Perhaps there was something more mature they could do that could meet the Sirens halfway. Something that didn't involve breaking the law.
But the old part of Sunset liked the idea of doing something she wasn't supposed to. She had forged a reputation of skirting, subverting and outright breaking the rules. It was the reason she was in this world to begin with. But, while the idea of participating in a little teenage rebellion for old times sake made her grin mischievously, she wasn't willing to drag her friends into it.
On the other hand, rule-bending and a semi-illegal camping trip might get the Sirens to open up a little.
Or, it'll encourage more of their bad habits.
All too soon, she and Twilight were back in the suburbs. The sun was just beginning to sink behind the houses, casting an orange tinge upon the world. Sunset parked in front of Twilight's house and dismounted, shaking her hair out after taking off her helmet.
"Are we really going to go out into the Everfree Forest? At night? With the Sirens?"
Hearing the plan out loud, Sunset could see the folly in it. Creepy old house in the middle of the forest at night with three former enemies. It practically screamed disaster zone. At the same time, Sunset couldn't imagine what kind of trap the Sirens could have laid out for them in two days. And it was still seven on three if push came to shove.
"Don't worry, Sparky. We'll leave when it's still light out and make sure they never leave our sights. And I seriously doubt they've rigged a trap in an old house just to try and get rid of us."
"I wouldn't put it past them." Twilight started up the driveway, arms crossed. "I just feel like we're walking a dangerous line. I know you want to help them, but they also have to want to help themselves."
Sunset followed after her, thinking of how to rebuttal. She wholly acknowledged Twilight's reluctance to this trip, but also felt giving the Sirens a little ground might loosen them up. If this wasn't some convoluted scheme.
"This is as long a leash I plan to give them. If they screw this up, we kick them to the curb."
Twilight heaved a sigh that told Sunset she would go along with this but was far from happy about it.
Spike waited beyond the front door to greet Twilight like always, and Mrs. Velvet sat on the living room couch, a bowl of popcorn beside her.
"Hello, girls." She paused to take a bite of popcorn, eyes glued to the T.V. screen. It was a cold case mystery about a whole family that had disappeared. "How was the party?"
"It was fine," Twilight said, taking her shoes off. "I got second place both times."
"You did better than me," Sunset said, trying to elevate herself back into Twilight's good graces.
"Sounds like fun," Mrs. Velvet said. "So, what are you two up to now?"
Twilight looked at Sunset, her features softening. "Well, you did say we could go to the lab--"
"Garage." Sunset couldn't help herself.
"Lab. And continue working on my gyrocopter." Twilight gave Sunset a little jab.
"Sure, Sparky. Sounds like fun."
Mrs. Velvet nodded, still enraptured by her program. "Just don't burn down the garage."
"Lab!"
"Sure it is, sweetie."
Twilight huffed and stomped toward the garage. The display of defiance lost most of its ferocity on account that she was in her socks.
*******
For the late afternoon and well into the evening, Sunset and Twilight sat at the workbench, wiring circuit boards and writing preliminary code. Spike kept them company, forcing them to take a break every fifteen minutes or so to give him belly rubs, lest he start barking.
The duo worked and toiled until at last...
"Bwahaha! It works!"
"Sparky, you built it. Of course it works."
Hovering before them, five propellers whirring simultaneously, was the preliminary version of Twilight's selfie gyro-drone. The main body was naked, showing off its mass of wires and circuit boards surrounding a central fan. It had four arms, each ending with a propeller. The camera lens was a little crooked, but the sensory lights blinked a positive green.
Twilight backed away from it, gasping in delight when the camera rotated to follow her movements. "Basic mobility appears functional." She leaned left and right, the camera following her every move. She then posed, sticking her hand out and making a victory sign.
The gyroscope made a little click then turned its camera toward Sunset. She stood from her stool and posed too, putting one hand on her hip and the other behind her head.
Click.
Twilight ran forward and gently took hold of it. Opposite of the camera was a small screen to check the photos. "Yes! It worked! Two successful selfies! We did it!"
Something sparked inside the circuitry, and an ember flickered to life.
"Gah!" Both girls cried. Sunset ran and grabbed the fire extinguisher by the door. She aimed the nozzle at the sparking gyrocopter and gave a quick squeeze, blasting a cover of foam over the device.
Twilight fanned the fumes and wiped the foam away. She pressed her face as close to her machine as possible without touching it. "It was working so well! One of the circuit boards must have overheated... or maybe the propeller is scraping against the inner plating and creating sparks from the friction. Ugh, this is gonna set me back a whole day!"
"Oh no, not a whole day! Heaven forbid!" Sunset set the extinguisher back and patted Twilight's shoulder. "Every great invention has a few setbacks. We built this in less than two days over the course of a week. Pretty sure that beats our previous feat of the hydroelectric generator; be happy about that."
Twilight reached for a screwdriver and pulled her magnifying goggles over her eyes. "I know. I just want this to be done as soon as possible. Not only am I going to enter it to the Young Robotics Scholarship, I want to have it up and running before our next outing. This is the first summer I get to spend with friends. Last summer, Moondancer--"
Twilight froze, slackening her grip on the screwdriver.
It was the first time the name 'Moondancer' had left Twilight's lips since graduation. Sunset never knew how to broach the topic, or even if she should. She had thoughts and feelings on Moondancer she was sure Twilight didn't want to hear, and wasn't sure she could engage that conversation without injecting some of those emotions even if they were justified. In the end, Sunset knew she had to let Twilight start the conversation and thereby dictate the direction it would go when she was ready.
All Sunset could do was remind Twilight that she was here, even if Twilight just wanted her to shut up and listen. She put a hand on Twilight's back and said softly, "It's okay, Twi."
She felt Twilight inhale and speak in a soft voice, "Last summer, Moondancer was in France. The summer before that, I went to space camp. One of us was always busy during the summer. And before her, I didn't have any friends."
Lifting her head and raising her goggles, Twilight revealed a determined smile. "But this year is going to be different. I'm going to learn swordplay, study magic, make new inventions, and hang out with you and the girls. I'm going to make as many summer memories as possible before college."
Sunset moved her arm around Twilight's waist, eager to talk about this rather than Moondancer. She rested her mouth near Twilight's ear. "Well, I know a good way to start." She kissed Twilight's neck.
Twilight pressed a hand to her mouth and giggled. "Your kisses are so electrifying."
Sunset moved her mouth away and groaned. "Why are you like this?"
"Don't you mean, wire you like this?"
"Twilight!"
"I love you!"
*******
After being subjected to several more bad puns as they cleaned up, Sunset and Twilight retreated out of the garage, enticed by a delectable smell wafting from the kitchen.
"Do you want to stay for dinner tonight?" Twilight asked, hanging onto Sunset's arm.
Sunset's stomach gave a short rumble. "Sure, I think I can hang around this time."
Twilight's happy smile broke when they walked into the dining room, finding Shining kneeling next to Cadence, who had her face planted into the table, shoulders shaking from her muffled sobs.
"What's wrong?" Twilight half-shouted.
Shining opened his mouth, but Cadence sat up from her defeated posture, mascara running down her face. "Everything!" she sobbed.
Shining rubbed the back of his neck. "The band kinda canceled on us."
"This close to the wedding?" Sunset asked, incredulous on Cadence's behalf.
"Apparently, they chose now of all times to have a falling out," Shining said.
"I don't know what to do!" Cadence wailed. "The wedding is in two weeks! I can't find a band in two weeks! And now, my dress is snug because I decided to have that last bit of Double-Fudgey Chocolate Chip ice cream, even though I told myself I shouldn't! I don't have time to work it off now! Who wants to watch a fat bride waddle down the aisle without music to distract them?"
She dropped her face against the table, unconsolable. Shining rubbed her back, and said, "Sweetheart, you're far from fat." But Cadence just made a loud sob. Shining gave the girls a look that pleaded for help.
Sunset couldn't bear the sight. If anyone deserved to have a nice wedding, it was Cadence. But finding a band in two weeks was a challenge--
A band... duh!
"Um, Cadence," Sunset said over the woman's crying. "I'd have to double-check with my friends first, but I don't see why they'd say no. We could play at your wedding."
Cadence snapped her head up and looked at Sunset like she was an angel who had spontaneously appeared in the room. "You have a band," she whispered like it was a revelation.
She was in Sunset's face before she could blink, her hands clasped in front of her. "You won the Battle of the Bands! You girls are pretty good! Oh, Sunset, please play at my wedding! I'll do anything! You girls can stay at the hotel! You're all friends of Twily anyway! Oh, please oh please oh please oh please!"
"Woah, Cadence, calm down!" Sunset said, holding her hands up and taking a step back to reclaim some personal space. "We'll do it! You don't have to do anything. I mean, the hotel thing sounds nice--"
Cadence swept her up into a suffocating hug. "Oh, thank you, Sunset! You're the best future-wife-of-my-sister-in-law I could have asked for!"
Sunset's blushed. "That's making a bit of an assumption, isn't it?"
Shining crossed his arms and smirked. "Is it though?"
Sunset declined to answer, trying not to get invested in the idea of sharing the rest of her life with Twilight. Cadence finally released her, and she stumbled back next to an equally red Twilight.
Cadence cleaned up her face, and dinner was served within the hour: roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans. Mrs. Velvet warmed up a can of cream of corn as well just for Sunset to substitute the chicken. Sunset had sat down for dinner with the Sparkles a number of times since that fateful Thanksgiving a year ago. None of them had been as awkward as that night, and Sunset silently thanked the family for never bringing it up.
"It's so sweet of you to offer your band for the wedding," Mrs. Velvet said.
"Seems you have a knack for helping this family when we really need it," Night Light said with a warm chuckle.
Sunset blushed again. "Well, that help goes two ways." She glanced at Twilight, looking down at her own plate and trying to hide a smile. "I wouldn't be the person I am today without her help."
I also wouldn't have my soul, but that's on a need to know basis.
Cadence, back to her peppy, romantic self, put her hands on her cheeks and d'aawwd. "Just the cutest!"
"We're going to miss having you over for dinner when Twilight's off at MIT," Mrs. Velvet said.
Sunset tried her hardest to not visibly deflate in front of them. "Heh, right."
Night Light looked at her. "Actually, I don't think you ever told us where you're going, Sunset."
"Oh, umm, I'm just gonna go to the community college for a bit," she lied. "I don't really know what I want to do with my life yet, so, no sense in wasting all that money on a university."
The last part was at least true. The future no longer scared Sunset as it had in the past, but it was still a cloud of uncertainty. She had two years to kill before having to choose between which world she would permanently reside in, and she had no idea how to fill that time. Even if she wanted to go to college, she couldn't with her convenient lack of legal documents. As much as she was going to miss her friends, she still envied they had options to consider for their futures.
Night smiled approvingly. "That sounds reasonable. Well, I partner with some of the other astronomy professors there, so maybe we'll see each other."
"Yeah, maybe," Sunset said, smiling through her deception. She hated it but felt it was better and easier than telling the truth. Shining was still warming up to the idea that Sunset hailed from another dimension.
Dinner concluded and the adults bade Sunset good night as Twilight walked her outside. Crickets chirped merrily in the night, to which Spike responded with a loud bark.
Twilight slipped a hand into Sunset's. "Thank you for helping Cadence. I just hope the girls agree, too."
Sunset scratched the side of her face. "Yeah, me too. I feel a little bad for volunteering them. But, I don't see why they would say no. It's just one encore performance."
Twilight used her free hand to play with one of her tresses. "Any room for a violin this time?"
Sunset pulled her close. "I think we can accommodate."
A smile. Then Twilight leaned up and pressed her lips to Sunset's. The cricket song fell away, and all Sunset heard was the delighted hum Twilight made in the back of her throat. It was moments like these that Sunset wished lasted forever. Where she didn't have to worry about Sirens or Moondancer or the future. Just her and Twilight, the best girlfriend she could have asked for.
Their soft kiss dragged on until neither of them could breathe. They pulled away, smiling as they both regained their lost oxygen.
"I should probably head home before Selena worries," Sunset said, adjust Twilight's crooked glasses.
"Yeah, probably. I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Yeah." They hesitated, neither one of them wanting to leave the other's embrace. Sunset leaned down and gave Twilight another kiss before pulling apart and walking away. She started her motorcycle and gave a final smile and wave before putting her helmet on and riding off.
A surreal image of Twilight in a wedding dress occupied Sunset's thoughts all the way home. Sunset didn't want to bet the entire aspect of staying in this world on it, but if there was a future where her and Twilight were married...
Would make the choice a lot easier.
Sunset arrived back at the Lulamoon house and was greeted by Spot the minute she stepped through the door. He circled her ankles and pawed at her legs until she picked him up. "Hello, my favorite puppy. How are you?"
Spot licked her nose.
Sunset made her way upstairs, tiptoeing past Shimmer's room. She was still riding the high from Twilight's kiss and didn't want her doppelganger to ruin it. Sunset had her hand on her bedroom door when a voice spoke behind her.
"So, I hear you're trying to make friends with those stupid divas. Do you try and help everyone who's tried to kill you?"
Heaving a sigh, Sunset turned around. Shimmer was at least wearing clean pajamas today. "It's called being a nice person."
"Didn't they try to cause the apocalypse or something?"
"Well, I wouldn't go that far, but yeah. They asked for a second chance, and I decided to give them one."
Shimmer shook her head. "You are way too forgiving. Not that I care, since I hate them for ruining my life, but how's this little reformation thing working out so far?"
Sunset wanted to stop and point out it was because she was so forgiving that Shimmer had a place to stay, but knew she wouldn't care much. "It's... progressing. I don't know. It's hard to get them to engage with my friends and the stuff we like to do."
"That makes sense. I imagine French braiding each other's hair and sharing compliments isn't the pinnacle of fun."
"That's not what we do!"
"Tea parties and knitting circles then."
Sunset set Spot on the carpet and crossed her arms. "Tell me, have you even had a friend before?"
Shimmer's devil-may-care look morphed into one of thoughtful confusion before transitioning back to nonchalance. "Nope, don't think so. Wouldn't call old gang members friends, and Tempest wants me dead. Though... I mean, if Jormungandr counts... I cared a lot about him... still do," she said, casting her eyes to the floor.
Resisting the urge to unleash a snarky comment about Shimmer actually caring about something, Sunset said, "I didn't have any friends either until last year. From the outside, yeah, it looks dumb and cheesy and a waste of time, but without them, that hate and resentment you had to experience--"
Shimmer dug her nails into her arm.
"--I never would have let go of that. I'd still be bitter, spiteful, and angry. Maybe even worse." Sunset took a short breath. "Look, I'll stop before I get preachy. Really trying to avoid that. I'm just saying, if you've never had a friend before, maybe give it a try. Life tends to suck less with them."
Leaning against the doorframe, Shimmer didn't respond immediately. One hand still dug into her arm, and she chewed the inside of her cheek. "Hypothetically," she said slowly, "if I did want to make friends, how would I do that? Lamia is a wanted criminal, and we have an uncanny resemblance, you and I."
Sunset pointed to Shimmer's pixie haircut. "I dunno, with that style, you might be able to pass as my cousin or something."
"Sure, sure. And then, who exactly would I be 'friends' with?"
"Well, you could start with my friends and I until you find some of your own."
Shimmer let out a bark of laughter. "Two problems with that idea. One: I'm too old and too cool to be hanging with you kiddies. Two: again, I hate the Sirens."
Sunset held her palms up. "I don't know what to tell you then. Go join a club or something. But, if I'm being honest, you and the Sirens have a lot in common."
"Sure we do. I'm not sharing the same room with the Sirens unless I get to deck one of them in the face." Shimmer turned on her heel and retreated into her room. The door shut softly, however, compared to the usual slam she gave it.
Likewise, Sunset finally got to claim some peace of mind in her own room. She kicked off her boots and laid on her bed, letting Spot lick her cheek. She had a strong feeling that if they could all drop their egos and mellow out just a little, Shimmer and the Sirens would make decent friends.
Which, in turn, could be bad for everyone else.
The idea of Adagio and Shimmer plotting together soured the idea of Sunset playing friendship matchmaker. For now, she'd just worry about her own friends getting along with them.
*******
Sunset started her morning with a group text. She pondered the best way to bring up her preemptive volunteering to her friends as she laid in bed, phone out in front of her.
'Hey, guys. Soooo...'
A minute later, Rainbow texted back, 'Oh no, what did you do now?'
'Nothing bad! Look, Cadence's wedding band canceled on her, so I might have kinda sorta volunteered us to play instead.'
An ellipsis bubble came up on screen from Rainbow and Applejack, but before Sunset could see what they wrote, her phoned buzzed and Rarity's picture took over the screen.
Sunset tapped the answer button. "Hello?"
"Sunset," Rarity said in a breathless whisper, "are you telling me we get to perform and attend a wedding? A celebrity wedding?"
"Umm..." Sunset held the phone away from her ear, dreading what was about to happen next. "Yes?"
Rarity's shrill shriek still managed to pierce Sunset's eardrum. It grew more distant until Sunset could just barely hear her in the background.
There was a crackle of static, then a younger but familiar voice came over the line. "Sunset, why is Rarity running in circles and screaming?"
"Hi, Sweetie Belle. I just told her we were going to be playing at a wedding."
"Awww, you guys have all the fun!"
The phone crackled again, and Rarity came back on. "Okay, okay, I'm fine! Everything is fine! Everything is fantastic! We're going to perform at a wedding! ... I need to make everyone outfits!"
The line went dead. Sunset shrugged and returned to reading the text messages.
'Heck yeah, we'll play at the wedding!' Rainbow replied.
'I'm guessing I still can't play my banjo?' Applejack asked.
Sunset typed a simple, 'No.'
As she got out of bed and grabbed her clothes, Pinke responded, 'OMG! A wedding! That's gonna be so much FUN! Of course we'll play!' She then sent a long line of emojis.
The conversation continued while Sunset took a shower and got dressed. Everyone was on board with the plan, though Fluttershy had only texted a simple, 'Okay,' and had been silent ever since.
While her friends chatted, Sunset fixed herself a bowl of cereal for breakfast, finishing just as Twilight rang the doorbell. Sunset let her in, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek.
"Looks like everyone's taking the news well," Twilight said. She had on a simple blue shirt and shorts.
"Told you it'd be fine." Sunset led her to the backyard where Selena was already waiting, two swords lying in the grass behind her.
Twilight bowed deeply and Selena mimicked her, smiling affectionately. "Welcome back, my pupil," Selena said. She took a seat on the grass and gestured for Twilight to sit down across from her.
"Let's begin with our usual meditation. Sunset, would you like to join us today?" Selena asked.
The last time Sunset meditated, she had ponied up. She wanted to do it again, but didn't want to distract Twilight. On the other hand, she did want to observe Twilight's training. Usually, she occupied herself with something else until Twilight was done.
"Sure, I can stick around." She'd just have to be careful to not pony up this time. She took a seat on a patch of grass between Selena and Twilight.
Selena folded her hands in her laps and closed her eyes. "Clear your mind, Twilight. Focus on your breathing."
"Yes, Ma'am." Twilight copied Selena and breathed slowly through her nose.
Sunset closed her eyes as well, focusing on the rhythmic beating of her heart. Okay, this is as deep as you need to go. No need to try and pony up right now. Even though I still have no idea what my powers are. Or how to get back to phoenix mode. But, you can do that on your own time.
She tried to let her mind wander from topic to topic, like their forest expedition the day after next, or the wedding and how she'd be dancing with Twilight at the reception. She fought the giddy smile creeping up on her, trying to at least keep her face neutral. But seeing Twilight in her prom dress as the two of them danced in a beautiful reception hall sparked a warmth in Sunset's heart. The reception hall turned into an altar, and Twilight's prom dress evolved into a wedding gown.
Stop it. It's way too early to be thinking about that. But the fantasy stayed firmly at the front of her mind. She supposed she couldn't blame herself. Deep down, she wanted so badly to stay with Twilight. Yet, she longed to return to Equestria as well.
Sunset's brain rewrote the scene so that both she and Twilight were ponies standing before Princess Celestia. It was ridiculous now. Twilight would never want to live in Equestria and leave the human world behind. But just being able to show Twilight Equestria's beauty and magic would be a dream come true. Taking her to Neighagra Falls or the royal palace or Cloudsdale. Sunset showing off her innate magical prowess! Twilight learning all about the wonders of magic!
The warmth from her heart spread through the rest of her body, and before Sunset could stop it, she felt her pony ears and horn sprout on top of her head and her hair lengthen into a ponytail.
Crap! She opened an eye, relieved to see Twilight was too deep in concentration to notice. Sunset thought to move, but that would be more distracting than waiting for the meditation session to end.
I was trying not to pony up! How did I do this? Sunset spent the rest of her time trying to piece the mystery together. The other girls ponied up when they felt in tune with their element. But Sunset didn't have an element. Did she?
A deep breath from Selena told Sunset the meditation session was over. "Very good, Twilight."
Twilight opened her eyes and caught sight of Sunset. She jumped to her feet and pointed. "When, how, why?"
"Five minutes ago, I don't know, and I don't know," Sunset responded. "I was trying not to be in tune with anything."
"Twilight, focus," Selena said, calm but firm. "Keep your mind on your training."
Twilight stopped her gaping and straightened her posture. "Right. Sorry." Her eyes flicked a few times in Sunset's direction before lasering in on Selena.
Sunset excused herself and moved onto the patio, taking a seat at the lawn table just outside Twilight's peripheral.
Selena clasped her hands behind her back and appraised Twilight with a critical look. "While your stamina and arm strength still need refining, you pick up on technique remarkably well. We still need to work on your foot placement and balance, but other than that, I think you're ready to begin practice with real blades."
Twilight let out a squee Sunset could hear from her seat.
"I thought about what type of sword would be best for you to get a handle on," Selena said. "Based on your arm and wrist strength, it would have to be something light." She gestured down to the swords lying on the grass. Both of them had intricately designed handguards: crossing strips of metal that looked like the weave of a basket. One was gold and the other was silver.
Selena picked up the gold sword and drew it from its sheath. "This is a basket-hilted sword, specifically a schiavona. While a rapier is primarily for thrusting, this is a cut and thrust sword. It has a little extra weight, but I think with proper conditioning, you can handle it." She turned away from Twilight and gave the schiavona a few quick slashes, then twirled it in her palm and sheathed it.
"We'll see how you do with transitioning from practice swords to this, then we'll work on endurance training." Selena gestured for Twilight to take up the silver-hilted sword.
Twilight took hold of it, running her fingers along the basket design. The hilt was so well protected, Sunset could hardly see it. Twilight withdrew the blade and held it in her hand, weighing the metal.
"What do you think?" Selena asked.
Twilight squared her shoulders. "I can do it."
"Good."
They stepped onto the patio, leaving the sheaths on the grass. Twilight took up her sword stance, holding the blade in front of her in her right hand and raising her left behind her head. She glanced back at Sunset for just a second before snapping forward again.
Selena walked around her, making adjustments to Twilight's arm height and foot posture. "Remember, just because the blade is heavier doesn't mean you have to squeeze it tighter. Keep your wrist loose. Now, let's start with your movements."
Twilight stepped forward, keeping her back straight and sword steady. She advanced forward, then backed up, occasionally inching her neck around to steal a glance at Sunset. She advanced again, then began to step from side-to-side, pausing to realign herself whenever her body fell out of synch.
Sunset noticed every time Twilight stepped, her feet tried to point inward toward each other. She chalked it up to Twilight's subconscious habit of standing pigeon-toed half the time.
"Not bad," Selena said after ten minutes of watching Twilight's footwork. "Let's work on your changes of engagement next."
Twilight had already worked up a layer of sweat on her forehead. She readjusted her grip and brought her arm across her chest, then rotated her wrist and pointed the sword down. Sunset could hear the sword give a light rattle, even after Twilight had finished moving.
"Focus, Twilight," Selena said.
The rattle stopped, and Twilight changed engagements again. Sunset didn't know much about swordplay, but thought Twilight looked impressive. She could see what little muscle Twilight had in her arm giving it their all. Twilight continued rotating her wrist and moving her arm, looking perfect in Sunset's eyes, until she tried to steal a glance Sunset. The rattling started again.
"Twilight, you're not breathing," Selena admonished.
Twilight took a sharp inhale of air. "Sorry."
Sunset creased her brow. She couldn't be sure, but with Twilight sneaking so many looks at her, Sunset had a feeling Twilight wasn't usually this unfocused during her training.
As they began to work on strikes and thrusts, Sunset quietly excused herself back into the kitchen. She could feel Twilight's eyes on her as she retreated inside. With a sigh, Sunset wandered to the fridge to look for a late morning snack.
Sorry, Sparky. You're probably better of if I'm not watching. Still, that left Sunset with several hours of free time she didn't know how to spend. She pulled an apple out of the fridge and closed the door, jumping when she found Shimmer just beyond it.
Shimmer raised an eyebrow. "Deja Vu," she said in a bored tone.
Sunset reached up and felt her pony ears. "Oh, right, they're still there." She stepped out of the way to let Shimmer grab the milk. "What, no snappy insult today?"
"Meh. I can only call you a furry so many times before it stops being funny." Shimmer grabbed a box of cereal from the cabinet and poured herself a bowl.
"Surprisingly mature of you."
"But I am curious. Are those unicorn parts a turn on for book girl out there? Because if so, I know what her fetish is."
"And I spoke too soon." Sunset sighed into her apple before taking a bite. "Do you have something against Twilight, or do you just enjoy being a jerk?"
Shimmer took a bite of her breakfast. "Not really. She's a textbook definition of a nerd; it's hard not to make fun of her." She took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. "But, credit where credit is due: at least she's trying to improve herself."
While she didn't like it, part of Sunset couldn't blame her doppelganger. If she had met Twilight before the Fall Formal, Sunset would have viciously mocked her and shoved her into lockers left and right. Still, only she was allowed to make fun of Twilight. Sunset was about to tell Shimmer as much when the back door slid open.
Twilight came inside, glistening with sweat and rolling her wrist. "I just came to get a drink of water."
"I'll get it for you!" Sunset said, setting her apple down. She could hear Shimmer's eye roll. Ignoring it, she fetched Twilight's water and handed it to her.
"Thanks. The weight difference between the practice sword and a real one isn't a lot, but I can really feel it." Twilight rolled her wrist again.
Sunset reached out and gently curled her fingers around Twilight's wrist. A line of heat raced up through her arm and straight into her heart--her soul. The line tugged, like she, Sunset, who she was and everything that made her, was connected to something. Before she could ponder or even let go of Twilight, the world vanished in a pool of white light before coming back into focus. Only, Sunset wasn't in the kitchen.
She stood on the patio, trying her hardest to keep her focus, but her curiosity kept spiking. Her head turned toward the right, but she gritted her teeth and focused on the sword in her hand. Practice now, magic later. She had to get better. Not just for her own sake, but for her friends. For Sunset!
She shifted her arm, her wrist trembling. Sunset was watching right now. She had to make sure she didn't make a fool out of herself. But she couldn't look like she was trying too hard! She wanted Sunset to leave. She wanted her to stay and watch.
Her head turned to the right again, just enough to see crimson and gold locks against a black jacket. Her heart hammered faster and her wrist trembled even more.
"Twilight, focus."
"Sunset!"
Sunset ripped her hand away from Twilight and staggered back. The blazing tether snapped, and Sunset felt her soul settle into place. A flash of light popped over her head, and she felt her ears and hair return to normal and her horn vanish.
"You okay, mini-me? Or should I call a priest?"
Sunset didn't register Shimmer's voice. She took in a shuddering breath. What she had seen... what she had felt. The whole experience left her feeling like an exposed nerve.
Determination. Self-consciousness. Conviction. Love.
So much love.
Her eyes found Twilight, staring back at her with that love Sunset had been fully embraced in--lived first hand through Twilight's eyes.
Twilight gingerly laid a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Sunset's thoughts started to line up. It had been a similar experience to when she and Shimmer made physical contact. Sunset had seen through her eyes, felt her feelings. But they hadn't been this... raw before. This direct. Part of her could still feel Twilight--her emotions, her desires.
She looked at Twilight. "Wait... did you see anything?"
"No? Sunset, what happened? Your eyes just started glowing white and you were frozen in place."
"Yeah, it was pretty freaky," Shimmer's usual disinterested tone had a slight edge to it.
Sunset ignored her and focused on Twilight. Why hadn't Twilight seen anything? The connection always went two ways. "I... I saw you practicing, just now. Except it was from your point of view. And I could... feel what you were feeling."
Twilight lifted a hand to her temple. "You... read my mind?" she asked, a note of betrayal in her voice.
"No." Sunset laid a hand over Twilight's. "I think I read your soul."
Twilight turned beet red. "Th-that's not much better! What did you read?"
"Well, I saw how much you want to get better for us." Sunset's own cheeks flushed and her heart hammered. "And... I felt how much you really care about me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to invade."
"O-oh. I... I mean, it's...okay?" Twilight's shoulders relaxed just a fraction. "And everything you felt is true. I love you."
"I love you too."
A bowl scraped against the table, and Shimmer walked out muttering, "Yuri anime bullshit," under her breath.
Both Sunset and Twilight quietly chuckled. Twilight finished her glass of water and set it aside. "I have so many questions. But, I have to get back to Selena."
Sunset kissed her on the forehead, not minding the sweat. "Go. We have all summer to figure it out."
Twilight gave a firm nod. "Right." She rolled her wrist again and took a deep breath before heading back to the backyard, leaving Sunset alone to ponder.
She had caught a glimpse of Twilight's soul. Was that her power? But she had done something similar with Shimmer and hadn't been in her ponied up form then. And what happened to her phoenix powers?
Sunset looked out the window, where Twilight and Selena were already positioning themselves to cross swords. Between magical mysteries, science projects, swordplay, and the Sirens, it was going to be a very busy summer. |
Spectacular Seven | 9. Everfree Expedition | Magical research, it seemed, would have to wait. Selena worked Twilight hard with conditioning exercises and sword routines, to the point where when they finally finished, Twilight could barely remember Sunset's pony up had happened only a few hours ago. The couple spent the rest of the evening on the couch watching movies until Twilight dozed off, head tucked into the crook of Sunset's neck.
Sunset poked her awake when the sun's light got low. "C'mon, Sparky. I need to take you home and I would rather have you awake when you're on my bike."
Twilight groaned and sat up. "My muscles hate me."
"Yeah, but just think, by the time summer ends, you'll be buffer than me." Sunset flexed, showing off the small amount of muscle definition she had.
Twilight stuck her tongue out. "I don't want to be buff. Do you know how hard it is to keep that muscle mass into your middle ages? It's just going to turn into extra fat."
"Not if you keep exercising."
"You and I both know I'll have more important things to do."
Sunset snickered. "Can't argue there, future Nobel Prize-winning president of NASA."
"Administrator," Twilight corrected before pecking Sunset on the cheek. She got to her feet, letting out a groan as she did. "I'm going to take a hot bath and go to bed. I have to do this again tomorrow."
"You could take a break, you know."
"Our little camping trip will be my break," Twilight said. The slight bitterness in her tone told Sunset she still wasn't thrilled at the idea.
Once Twilight had her shoes on, Sunset practically carried her to the motorcycle and drove her home. They kissed and waved goodnight and Sunset returned, spending the rest of her evening helping Selena cook dinner. Tonight was curry night.
"Twilight told me about the little excursion you girls are going on," Selena said, adding seasoning to the pot.
Sunset paused her dicing of potatoes, grateful she had the big knife this time. "Oh, uhh, yeah. I just thought, maybe if we did something the Dazzlings actually liked, they'd open up a little more."
"And that train of thought led you to think going into the Everfree Forest alone for a day would do the trick?"
Sunset flinched. Selena didn't have to raise her voice for her words to ring loudly in Sunset's ears. "There's seven of us against them, and they're out of magic. And like I told Twilight, I seriously doubt they ran into the forest to set up some convoluted trap just to get rid of us."
Selena stirred the pot. "That naivety is going to get you killed someday," she said bluntly.
Sunset flinched again, almost cutting her thumb off in the process. "Even if they are planning something, I know my friends and I can handle it."
As she brought the potatoes over to tip into the curry, Selena said, "I have half a mind to go with you. But, I know how young people are when there's an old person in the group."
"You're not that old, Selena," Sunset scoffed.
Selena cracked a smile. "You're sweet. But, I don't think the Sirens would 'open up' if I was around." She stirred the pot again, a savory and spicy aroma wafting through the kitchen. "If you're not home by noon on the dot on Sunday, I'm marching into that forest and I'm bringing swords."
"Understood."
Getting parental permission for everyone else proved easier than Sunset expected. Her friends just happened to forget including the part about staying in an abandoned house and had simplified it to camping. From what the girls told Sunset, there had been few objections, just warnings to take extra batteries for flashlights and stay near the trails.
Friday came, and despite her sore muscles, Twilight showed up for practice. Sunset watched from the window, tempted to meditate on her own and pony up again. She wanted to test her powers, but the hurt look Twilight had given her after finding out Sunset had been in her soul, delved into the most sacred part of a person, stopped her. It was the ultimate breach of privacy, no matter how much Twilight loved her. No doubt, Twilight would still want to test it to some capacity, but it would probably be a while before that happened.
There was also the feeling after, of being exposed to emotions and ideas that weren't her own, then snapping back to her own body. Disorienting was the best way Sunset could describe it, but even that seemed too simple to convey the sensation.
Instead of watching her girlfriend spar and distracting her when Twilight inevitably looked through the screen door, Sunset focused herself elsewhere. She packed her bag for tomorrow, chatted with Rarity over the phone, then played with Spot. At a quarter to three, she came downstairs to fix herself some lunch and found Twilight and Selena wrapping up their practice.
Selena wrapped Twilight's schiavona in a white cloth and held it in both hands. "You've only been practicing for two days now, and your form still needs some work. Normally, I wouldn't hand off a potentially lethal weapon to a teenager."
She took a step closer to Twilight, looking down at her with a look Sunset recognized from her countless interactions with Princess Celestia. Pride. Trust. And seeing potential no one else recognized.
"But, you're smart, you're responsible, and you're surrounded by untrustworthy creatures. I entrust this sword to you, Twilight Sparkle with the hope that you'll take it with you tomorrow, and the hope you won't have to use it." Selena handed the wrapped sword to Twilight.
She took it in her outstretched hands, pulling it in and hugging it to her chest. "I... I don't know what to say, Miss Selena," Twilight said, the wind taken from her. "Thank you. I promise I'll take good care of it, and be responsible!"
Selena smiled. "I am certain you will." She bowed, and Twilight bowed back, her glasses slipping off her sweaty nose.
"Here." Sunset reached down and slid them back onto her face. She beamed proudly and patted Twilight on the back. "Look at my girlfriend. She's a swordfighter now."
"Still in training," Twilight added. "I should probably go rest up for tomorrow. And find a place to hide this. I, umm, haven't exactly mentioned to my parents I'm taking sword lessons."
*******
Saturday arrived, and with her sleeping bag and pack of essentials slung over her back, Sunset headed downstairs. Both Shimmer and Selena sat at the kitchen table, and to Sunset's surprise, they weren't giving each other looks of disdain.
"Do everyone a favor and make sure those Dazzlings get eaten by something," Shimmer said, taking a sip of coffee. "Don't care by what, as long as they don't come back."
"Just be careful, Sunset," Selena said, giving Shimmer an unreadable look. "I'm not advocating for anyone dying, but if worse comes to worst, I advise you to practice the art of self-preservation."
"Geez, you guys are morbid. Everything's gonna be fine!" Sunset gave them a two-finger salute. "See ya later!"
She left the house and waited in the driveway until Rarity pulled up, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Twilight already piled in. Sunset could see Twilight's sword nestled between her legs. She perfectly understood the gesture Selena had made yesterday, but, and Celestia forbid it ever came to this, Sunset wasn't sure if Twilight had it in her to actually stab someone.
"Good morning, Sunset!" Rarity greeted.
Sunset slid into the car, sandwiching Pinkie between her and Twilight. "Morning, girls."
"Sunny, have you seen Twilight's sword? It's super cool!" Pinkie gushed.
"Let's just hope you don't have to use it," Rarity said, pulling back onto the street. "Carrying that around would clash with your entire aesthetic. Although, 'intelligent swordswoman' would be an interesting motif to work with. Hmmm..."
Pinkie spoke up again as Rarity lapsed into contemplative thought. "I did some internet reading on the chateau! Which, let me say, is a super fun word to say. Chateau, chateau, chateau! Anyway, they say it was built a hundred years ago by some rich family who wanted to live away from the city! But, by chopping down the trees in the forest, they angered the magic spirit living within! To appease it, they sacrificed a virgin maiden, but now, her ghost haunts the house and every full moon, she stalks the forest in search of victims to drag into the netherworld!"
Fluttershy made a quiet, "Eeep!" from the front seat.
Sunset kept her eyes on the passing scenery. "Pinkie, I think you've got a few stories crossed there."
They left behind the paved streets of the city and drove along the dusty, country road. A mile past Sweet Apple Acres, the road came to an end in a small dirt lot. Applejack was already waiting for them.
While Sunset had only packed her sleeping bag and a backpack half full of things she would need for the night, Rarity unloaded a large suitcase from the trunk of her car.
"Rarity, we're goin' in there for one day," Applejack moaned.
"Yes, that's why I brought the small suitcase."
Rainbow arrived twenty minutes later, bringing the Sirens and... Soarin with her. Sunset didn't remember inviting him. By the look on Fluttershy's face, she didn't remember either. As Soarin got out of the car, Fluttershy moved as close to the forest as she could get.
"Ah'm surprised y'all even suggested this," Applejack said to the singing sisters. "Ah didn't think fancy pop stars like you would want to sleep on the dirty ground."
"You forced us to live in a warehouse," Adagio said flatly. "We can't sink any lower."
Rainbow, meanwhile, walked up to Sunset and held out her hand. Sunset sighed and forked over a twenty into Rainbow's waiting palm.
This reformation thing is literally costing me now.
With everyone assembled, the group headed off into Everfree Forest, Rarity taking up the rear with her cumbersome suitcase. Despite being the middle of the afternoon, once they were under the thick canopy of the forest, light fell in short supply. With branches twisting tightly together and an abundance of thick leaves, only the strongest sun rays pierced through and made it down to the forest floor.
Applejack led them, single file down the closest thing one could consider a path. It was just worn enough to distinguish it from the rest of the loamy earth, but roots and holes still littered it, making it a cautious trek.
This was only Sunset's second time in Everfree. The first time, she had picked berries with Applejack and helped the CMC not fall to their deaths. From that one instance, she understood why people seldom came here. Even in this new region, it was still dark and tightly packed. Insects chittered all around them, and an occasional rustling bush told her there was always something bigger just waiting around the corner.
Twilight held her hand the entire time, her other hand gripping her sword. While Sunset didn't think anything life-threatening lived in the forest, it was still a nice reassurance that they had a bonafide weapon.
Everyone made small talk as they hiked. Soarin and Rainbow walked side-by-side, holding hands and snickering at something the other one had said. Fluttershy stayed near the front with Applejack, pausing once in a while to point out a bug or plant.
Pinkie and Sonata talked the most and the loudest, subjecting everyone to their game of 'I spy'. By the way they interacted, Sunset would have sworn they had known each other for years.
"I spy with my little eye... something blue!" Pinkie shouted.
"Hmmm... is it... Rainbow Dash?" Sonata asked.
"Nope!"
"Oh, is it that stream over there?"
"Hey, I didn't even see that! Good eye, Sonnie! But, nope!"
Aria growled. "Is it you once you run out of oxygen and die?"
"No threatening friends!" Sunset called back.
"Yeah, Aria, no threatening friends," Sonata said in a mocking tone.
"Then it's a good thing I hate all of you."
Sonata stuck her tongue out. "Ignore her; she's always a big grump."
"Because you're literally, the worst!"
"No, you are!"
Adagio pinched the bridge of her nose. "Great Leviathan, why was I stuck with them?"
"Excuse me!" Rarity yelled. Everyone turned to see she was still back quite a ways. "Could someone help me, please? My bag seems to be stuck."
Sonata pointed to Rarity's luggage. "Oh, is it her big bag?"
Pinkie shook her head. "Nope!"
"Then I give up. What is it?"
"It's you, silly!" Pinkie booped her on the nose.
"Awwww!"
Aria gripped the sides of her face and pulled. "I'll go back and help her just to get away from you two before I shoot myself!" She stomped back toward Rarity, who looked apprehensive. Sunset watched Aria heft her suitcase off from whatever had caught on it, then thrust it back into Rarity's hands and gestured her forward.
It was impossible to tell how much time had passed since they entered the forest, but Sunset felt they had been walking for an hour at least. Her legs were starting to feel the strain of trudging along the uneven path.
Who builds one house out here in the first place?
Sunset scooted up toward Applejack who had the map. "Are we almost there?"
"Should be close if this old map is tellin' the truth." Applejack folded it and slipped it away. "Otherwise, we walked out here for nothin'."
"Well, I wouldn't say for nothing." Sunset looked over her shoulder. Pinkie and Sonata were dueling each other with branches. "If only the other two were as easy to crack."
"If the other two were anything like Sonata, Ah don't think the Battle of the Bands would have even happened. Hard to believe they're sisters."
With twenty more minutes of walking, the ground started to slope upwards, the narrow, root-infested path widening up into a more discernible road. It wasn't by much, but it was enough to remove the claustrophobic feeling the forest constantly gave. Through gaps in the trees, Sunset could see a clearing and the first signs of a structure.
They broke through the tree line and entered the open space, a large hillside with a rolling field of grass. At the top stood a faded brown house, three stories tall with arched roofs and Victorian style windows and accents. It made Sunset think of Moondancer's manor if it had been left to rot for years on end.
Most of the windows were shuttered and boarded. Several panes had fallen from the roof. Moss grew up the sides of the house, giving it a more earthy feel. One of the steps leading up to the porch was broken, and the front door looked like it wasn't sitting on its hinges properly. Old police tape hung lazily in front of if.
Fluttershy backed up to stand behind Sunset. "Well, this was a fun nature hike. Maybe we should turn around and go back home now. The tape says keep out anyway."
Sunset patted Fluttershy's shoulder. "It's just one night, 'Shy. And we'll be here with you the entire time. Besides, you've faced scary things before."
"That doesn't mean I liked it," she whimpered.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy," Adagio said, stepping up behind her. "I'm sure the 'magic of friendship' will keep all the ghosts and zombies away." Adagio paused... then let out a short shriek.
Fluttershy screamed and jumped a foot into the air. "What? Where? Why?"
Adagio doubled-over laughing. "I can't believe how easy that was! Ow!" She rubbed her arm and gave Rainbow a venomous glare.
"Leave her alone," Rainbow growled.
Adagio said nothing, choosing to turn her nose up and march toward the house. Sunset was at least happy to note the pleasant blush on Fluttershy's face. The moment was ruined when Soarin stepped up beside her.
"You okay?" he asked in a completely cordial voice.
"Fine," Fluttershy said stiffly. She turned on her heel and followed after Adagio.
The sun was beginning to set as the group got to the top of the hill and climbed the steps of the old chateau. They groaned ominously under their weight, going so far as to make a few popping noises.
Sunset pulled the police tape away and gave the knob a turn and a push. It opened with the lightest of ease. What is with people abandoning places and not locking the door?
What was once a magnificent foyer was now a dark and dust-covered room. The green rug that had run from the entrance to the top of the stairs had been mostly consumed by rats and moths, leaving only tattered scraps behind. Potters that had once held plants were knocked over, the dirt they had contained spilled onto the floor, white and fossilized. Cobwebs hung in every corner, and Sunset could hear something scurrying around in the shadows.
The entire house carried the smell of mold and dirt. A cold draft blew in from parts unknown, perplexing Sunset since the weather outside was mild at worst.
Rarity hung in the threshold, scrunching her nose in a variety of ways. "We... have to stay in here? I knew you said it was abandoned, but I didn't think it would be this..." She gagged and fanned a hand in front of her face. "Fluttershy is right, we should go home."
Aria pushed past her. "No way, I did not put up with them--" She jerked a thumb at Sonata and Pinkie. "--just to turn around and go back."
"A little dirt ain't gonna kill ya, Rares," Applejack said, sitting her bag down in the middle of the room.
"Hmph." Rarity rolled her suitcase in. "It will ruin my clothes. And my sleeping bag. And woe betide you, Applejack if I wake up and it's in my hair. I'm holding you personally responsible!"
Twilight rubbed her nose. "Dirt or no, I at least wish it didn't smell so bad." She sneezed.
"If we leave the front door open for a while, it might air this place out a little," Soarin said.
"Hey, guys! We found the kitchen!" Pinkie called from a door on the right of the stairs. "And there's still cans of food in here!"
Applejack's eyes bugged out. "Wait, Pinkie, don't eat those!" She sprinted into the kitchen.
Sunset unrolled her sleeping bag close to the front wall and next to Twilight's. "Well, we're here. Feel free to go look around, but be careful, and make sure you go with someone. This place is a little dangerous."
"Whatever you say, mom," Aria said. She pointed to Rarity. "You, prissy princess. You're with me."
A bead of sweat ran down Rarity's forehead. "Er, why me?"
"You're the only one who hasn't annoyed me yet."
"Oh... I feel... flattered." Rarity shot a pleading look to Sunset, but Sunset just smiled and waved her off. The pleading look turned into a glower, but Rarity relented and followed Aria up the grand staircase.
"Bet you there's a library in a place like this," Sunset said to Twilight. "Wanna go look for it?"
Twilight made a tiny squee. "Yes! Hopefully they're not in too bad a condition."
Adagio strutted over to them. "Oh, that sounds like fun! I think I'll tag along." She smirked. "What? You said we shouldn't wander off on our own."
Sunset broke into a pained smile and said through her teeth, "Yes, I did. Sure, Adagio, you can come with."
Still smirking, Adagio turned for the stairs.
Sunset cupped a hand over her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"It's... fine," Twilight said in a tired voice. She took Sunset's hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "Just don't leave me alone with her."
"Never."
They grabbed flashlights from their bags and followed Adagio up the stairs, moving right at the landing, opposite from Aria and Rarity. Like the forest, the sun had a hard time penetrating the house through the wood boards and grime encrusted windows.
Old landscape portraits hung on the walls, some of them covered in graffiti from older intruders, others slashed to ribbons.
"I hear tell of an angry ghost that haunts this place," Adagio said airily. "It likes to prey on virgins."
"There's no such thing as--" Twilight snapped her lips shut and pursed.
"What? No such thing as ghosts? I assure you they're real. And they're usually quite vengeful. Good luck using your little sword on that."
Twilight had hooked the scabbard through a belt loop on her hiking shorts. She reflexively gripped the pommel.
Adagio clucked her tongue. "Odd you brought a weapon for a supposedly friendly sleepover. Someone might get the impression you don't trust me."
"I don't," Twilight said coldly.
"Hmmhmm. Probably wise."
Sunset gave Adagio a warning glance, then pushed open a random door. Inside was an old billiards table, its balls scattered around the room. There was a small bookshelf off to the side, and a cabinet full of empty liquor bottles across from it. A full body mirror stood in the corner, surprisingly still intact. An old decorative lamp was knocked over onto a faded rug. Portraits and paintings covered the walls, giving the room a crowded feeling.
Flashlights on, the girls spread out inside, Twilight moving toward the bookshelf. Dust and cobwebs coated the few books it held. She pulled one out, dusted the cover off, and shined her light on it. "'Economic Principles, First Edition'."
"Must have been a business family," Sunset said, searching for all of the billiard balls. She flinched at the unholy squeak the liquor cabinet made as Adagio forced it open.
"Oooh, look!" She pulled a perfectly preserved bottle out. "'1901'. You think it's still good?"
"Drink it and find out," Twilight mumbled, still picking through the books.
Adagio gave it a little shake. "Maybe I'll let Sonata try it. Besides, I brought my own booze."
Sunset snapped her head up. "You brought alcohol?"
"Just because you're not allowed to drink doesn't mean we have to limit ourselves."
"How did you afford drinks?"
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to," Adagio said casually.
Sunset groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe you."
"Oh please, don't act like you've never stolen something before. You're not as pure as the rest of those little snowflakes."
"Don't call them snowflakes," Sunset growled, unable to argue Adagio's other point.
Adagio held a hand up. "Fine, fine. I'm sorry. I'm just saying, you're so much more exciting; I don't know why you try to downplay it so much."
Sunset ignored her and joined Twilight by the bookshelf. She leaned in and said softly, "If you wanna give her a little poke, I won't say anything."
"She's making it really tempting." Twilight put the book up and moved over to the mirror. Sunset reached to pick another book, and froze when Twilight let out a short scream.
"What is it?"
Twilight stared at the open door. "I saw something move!"
"Adagio?" Sunset narrowed her eyes.
She was still picking through the cabinet. "It wasn't me."
Sunset made a note of skepticism in her throat and stepped outside the room. She looked right and left, but found nothing out of the ordinary. "Hello?" No answer from one of the others. With how dim the hallway was, she couldn't say it was a trick of the light. While she didn't subscribe to either Pinkie or Adagio's stories of vicious ghosts, perhaps there was something here.
"Come on," Sunset said with a wave of her hand. "Let's keep exploring."
*******
Rarity sighed. "It's a shame. This seems like it would have been a lovely home. For the time, at least." She stopped and ran a hand down one of the few curtains remaining to frame the windows. She would never have used velvet drapes of this thickness, even in a Victorian home. She then gagged at the amount of dust on her fingers and wiped them clean on the paper towel she held onto.
"Meh, I've seen better," Aria said, swinging her flashlight around. "It's less tacky than I expected though. Lots of dark colors. I prefer Neo-Gothic style."
"Oh! You know Gothic style architecture?"
Aria shrugged. "Well, I lived through it, so yeah."
Rarity froze mid-step. "You... lived through the Gothic Revival period?"
"Yeah. Got shoved into this stupid world like, halfway through the Georgian era. Got to feed off a lot of wars around then, so that was cool, I guess." She said all of this with such casual disinterest, Rarity couldn't tell if she was joking.
"Um, Aria, forgive me, I know how rude it is to ask someone their age, but... how old are you, exactly?"
"I dunno. Lost track around your first world war."
Rarity's mind was trying to comprehend several things at once. "So... you and your sisters are immortal?"
"I don't know. You broke our gemstones--the source of or magic and powers, so who knows what's gonna happen now!" Aria stomped into the next room.
Rarity flinched and hurried after her. Aria had entered a crowded bedroom. The bed took up most of the left wall, and the right was covered by a writing desk and a large armoire. Rarity's mind first went to how well the cherry red carpet complimented the cherrywood furniture. She pushed it away and focused on Aria, picking moodily through the desk drawers.
"Listen. I will not apologize for doing the right thing and stopping you and your sisters from brainwashing my friends and family and taking over the world," Rarity said firmly. "While it's never our intention to cut someone's lifespan short, I have a hard time drawing sympathy for someone who has yet to show remorse for their actions. If you are mortal now, suffice to say, you brought it upon yourselves."
Aria turned and gave her a burning look, and for a moment, Rarity was afraid she might have overstepped her bounds. She stood her ground, however, refusing to be intimidated, but inwardly prayed it wouldn't come to a fight.
Unfortunately, Aria slammed the drawer shut, forcing Rarity to flinch and put her hands up in a defensive position. However, instead of striking at Rarity's show of fear, Aria gave a rare, non-threatening smirk.
"Heh, for one of those frilly dress-makers, you're almost kinda cool."
Rarity lowered her hands. "Oh, well, thank--"
Aria was in her face, jabbing a finger into her collarbone. "But don't think I'm going to apologize for needing to eat. Sirens feed off negative emotion, it's what we do. And don't expect me to just get over not being immortal anymore. We were awesome and powerful until you and those Lulamoons came along."
Rarity took a step back. "Well then, I suppose we are at an impasse if neither of us is going to apologize. Though I will ask you to respect my personal boundaries."
Aria crossed her arms. "As long as we know where we stand." She pivoted on her heel and returned to investigate the armoire, while Rarity stood in thought.
It's going to be hard to make friends with them if they don't let go of that battle. Sunset didn't hold onto her loss that long. Not outwardly at least. Rarity wanted to mend this bridge so she could probe Aria's familiarity with old architecture. If the Siren really was hundreds of years old, she was a potential font of artistic knowledge.
"Woah, cool!"
Rarity snapped out of her doldrum and wandered over to Aria and the armoire. She peered in, seeing a collection of old, moth-eaten dresses pushed to both sides to reveal the back of the wardrobe where words were carved into the wood.
GET OUT.
Rarity screamed and jumped back.
Aria rolled her eyes. "Relax. Some dumb kid probably scratched that in as a prank."
"Not that!" Rarity reached in and pulled a silver gown out, lamenting at the torn ruffles and eaten hem. "This dress was once beautiful but now look at it!"
"You're more concerned about the dress than the cryptic words?"
"Well, like you said, it's probably just some childish prank," Rarity said, giving a closer examination of the dress. "Oh, look at the poor thing. Taken down in its prime. I bet you were only worn once before you were left to languish in here."
Aria shook her head and moved back to the desk. "You're really straddling the line between cool and dumb."
But Rarity was hardly listening. As she looked at the gown, designs began forming in her mind of modern renovations to the overall aesthetic. Rarity then looked up and stared at the paintings around the room, some of them depicting men and women in formal Victorian era clothing. What if she created a modern revival of these designs? Perhaps even sprinkle in a few Neo-Gothic elements?
A buzz of inspiration ran up her spine. "Aria, tell me: what would you think if I moved the drapery to the sides and gave the front a more silk sheek look?"
Aria side-eyed the dress. "I don't know, I hated the get-ups back then. They were too restricting and not dark enough."
Rarity drummed her fingers against her chin. "Hmmm, punk Victorian. I've never tried that before. It could be bold. It could be experimental. It could be Canterlot's next big thing! Aria, you're a genius!"
Aria straightened up and gave Rarity her full attention. "I am?"
"Yes! You just struck inspirational gold! Victorian style gowns and dresses with modern punk elements. It's not entirely new, but with my artistic flare, it could go places!" Rarity gave the dress a wave, scattering dust everywhere. "I would love to hear some of your opinions though! I don't know nearly enough about punk style as I could."
To Rarity's surprise, Aria was actually blushing. It was faint, but there. "You want my opinion?"
"Of course! You've got a great fashion sense."
Aria looked away and tugged on one of her pigtails. "Huh. No one's really asked for my opinion before."
Rarity lowered the dress. "What do you mean?"
Aria kicked a mothball and shoved her hands in her pockets. "Adagio's always been the leader. It's always been her ideas, her goals, her schemes. She gives orders, she never takes them. The only time she'll consider listening to me is when she's desperate."
"Oh, I see." Even with the little time Rarity had spent around Adagio, she could tell the head Siren was the kind of leader who didn't take input from her subordinates. Aria's gloomy and aggressive attitude began to make more sense.
Rarity cleared her throat. "Well, you don't have to worry about that from me. I promise to value your opinions."
"Don't make it sappy." Aria took her hands out of her pockets. "I guess I could help with your dumb fashion project. I don't have anything better to do. But I'm not wearing any dresses."
"You might change your mind once you see them!" Rarity jumped forward and took Aria by the arm. "Now come on! My sketchbook is downstairs!"
"Hey, woah! What happened to that personal space crap?" Aria yelled as Rarity dragged her forward.
"No time for that We must strike the iron while it's hot!"
*******
Rainbow flailed her arms, brushing more cobwebs away. "This place would be cooler if there weren't so many stupid webs around!"
Soarin chuckled. "Here, you missed a spot." He reached over and pulled some out of Rainbow's hair.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it." He and Rainbow stood side-by-side in the narrow hallway of the third floor. A single beam of sunlight shone down through a crack in the roof. Their flashlights still provided the majority of illumination.
Rainbow swatted yet another web as she reached to open one of the doors. She hesitated. "What are the odds it's booby-trapped?"
"Pfft. Who would booby trap a place like this?"
"Someone trying to hide a secret."
Soarin reached past her and opened the door. When nothing happened, he spread his arms and grinned. "See?"
"Hey, you never know." Rainbow walked into the room, swinging her flashlight around. Boxes, covered furniture, and miscellaneous objects were scattered about with no rhyme or reason.
Rainbow was about to write it off as a boring storage room when her eye spotted something in the corner. "Oh, awesome!" She navigated her way across the maze of objects.
Soarin followed close behind. "Is that a suit of armor?"
Rainbow approached it with an eager grin. Indeed, a full suit of gray medieval armor including a poleaxe as tall as Rainbow stood tucked away in the corner. Thin spider webs hung in its visor, and the plume on its helm was more gray than red now.
"Why is there medieval armor in a house built in the late 1800s?" Soarin asked.
"Who cares? It's awesome!" Rainbow reached up and grabbed the helmet. She twisted and turned it, trying to wrest it from its body. The whole suit made teeth grinding screeching and squealing sounds as Rainbow rattled it.
Soarin winced and clamped a hand over his ear. "Please be careful."
"Of what?" Rainbow popped the helmet off and began dusting it with her shirt. "I can't believe no one snagged this yet."
She froze and cocked her head toward the boarded window. A muffled sound came from somewhere on the grounds below. She swore it was a wolf howling. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Soarin asked, shifting his eyes left and right.
Rainbow strained her ears to hear it again, but all was silent. She brushed it away, finished cleaning the inside of the helmet, and shoved it onto her head.
"Geez, It's tighter than I thought." Her nose itched, and she let out a powerful sneeze. "Okay, that's enough."
She tried to pull the helmet off, finding it a tougher feat than she anticipated. She tugged harder, feeling the back get caught on her ponytail. With a grunt, she pulled it forward, stumbling back as she did. She felt the cold armor against her back shake unsteadily, and Soarin shouted before Rainbow felt herself tackled to the floor.
There was a mighty crash! Followed closely by a loud thunk of something blunt hitting and becoming embedded in the wooden floor.
Rainbow finally slid her head free of the dumb helm. She sat up, finding Soarin lying across her lap, a smear of dust across his shirt. Just behind him, the axe had swung down into the floor.
Soarin glanced at her. "Um, you okay?"
"Y-Yeah," Rainbow said, unsure why her cheeks were burning. "You realize the axe would have hit the helmet, right?"
"Better safe than sorry." Soarin rolled onto his butt and dusted off his front. "I'd hate to see a great athlete cut down in her prime. Literally."
Rainbow stood up and tossed the helmet away. "Admit it, you just used that as an excuse for some dumb romance cliche where you rescue me from getting hurt so I make out with you."
Soarin arched his eyebrows. "Did it work?"
She gave him a kick to the shins. It wasn't hard, but it was enough to make him flinch.
"Hey, hey, I was kidding! The only place I'm gonna tackle you is on the football field."
Rainbow turned away so he couldn't see the dirty smirk on her face. "Uh-huh. Sure." She navigated her way back to the door. Other than the armor, this room was just a collection of old junk. Rainbow didn't feel like digging through all of them in the vain attempt to find something else cool. That was for eggheads like Twilight and Sunset.
She waited for Soarin in the hall, impatiently tapping her foot as he dawdled, still wiping his shirt clean. When he finally joined her, Rainbow grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him in, kissing him on the lips. It wasn't for very long, just five, maybe seven seconds. Still, it was long enough for her heart to jump into overdrive, like she was on the last leg of a relay race.
Rainbow pushed him back and crossed her arms, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. "There. Next time you want a kiss, just ask."
Soarin, with a dazed and goofy expression, just nodded before breaking into a full smile. Rainbow walked past him before it spread to her. She didn't see what all the fuss was about. Sure, pressing her lips against Soarin's was nice, and his breath tasted like spearmint, which was refreshing. But she didn't get why couples loved doing it all the time, everywhere.
That wasn't to say she wasn't going to kiss him again.
*******
Dusk settled over the forest, and while Sunset hadn't thought it possible, the interior of the house managed to become even dimmer. She, Twilight, and Adagio descended the stairs, finding Applejack had set up a kerosene lamp in the middle of the foyer. While bright, it exaggerated their shadows to gangly giants that flickered and danced along the floor and walls.
Sunset was surprised to see Rarity and Aria huddled together over Rarity's sketchbook. Rarity scribbled furiously, then showed it to Aria who shrugged and murmured something, sending Rarity back into a drawing frenzy. Fluttershy kept close to Applejack, her eyes flickering up to the stairs every few seconds while she ran her hands through her hair.
"Find anythin' interestin'?" Applejack asked.
"Depends on your definition of 'interesting'," Adagio said, sitting down on her sleeping bag.
Twilight held a book up. "We found the library, but these books are a bit dry, even for me."
Sunset silently remarked how that hadn't stopped her from taking one. Either her face gave away more than she intended, or Twilight knew her so well that she could tell what Sunset was thinking. She gave Sunset a playful glower and nudged her with the book.
They settled on Sunset's sleeping bag, Twilight resting her head in Sunset's lap as she began to read. Sunset glanced toward the kitchen, hearing nothing from beyond the swinging door. "Where'd Pinkie and Sonata go?"
Applejack pointed down the opposite hall. "They went explorin' a little bit ago. Haven't seen 'em since."
"Given it's Sonata, I should probably be concerned," Adagio said, any trace of concern far from her voice.
"Eh, she'll be fine," Aria said.
Rainbow and Soarin came down a few minutes later, smudges of dust and dirt on their clothes. "For a big fancy house, there's not a lot here," Rainbow quipped. "Most of it's just boring junk. I mean, except for the armor we found, but it tried to drop an axe on me, sooo..."
"Me and Applejack explored the garden," Fluttershy said. "It was still really pretty, even with all the weeds growing. There's a lovely family of opossums living in one of the oak trees."
"Also found the door to the cellar," Applejack added. "Too bad it was locked tighter than a jar of Zap Apple Jam on the off season."
"That's probably where they're keeping the bodies," Aria said with a macabre smile. Rarity then held up her sketchbook and Aria chewed the inside of her cheek before giving an approving nod. "It's cool, I guess."
Rarity squeed with excitement and flipped the page over before racing her pen across it. Sunset wasn't one-hundred percent sure what had happened between them, but was delighted to see Aria connecting with someone.
Rainbow sat down on her sleeping bag next to Soarin. The two leaned against one another, their hands overlaid. The simple action got Rarity to look up from her drawings and give a silent squeal of delight. Fluttershy stared pointedly at her boots.
"Meh," Rainbow said, "I almost wish there was a ghost or something. I knew coming here would be easy."
"I don't know," Adagio said coyly, spinning a finger through her curls. "Twilight thought she saw a ghost in the billiard room. And Sunset jumped a foot when we were in the library."
Twilight turned a page in her book. "I don't know what I saw, but I doubt it was a ghost."
Sunset stroked Twilight's hair as she reflected. She had thought she had seen a large shadow in the corner of her eye while in the library, only for it to vanish when she tried looking directly at it. She knew better than to dismiss the idea of supernatural activities. Afterall, there had been the wolf spirit on the mountain during spring break. They had been told it was evil, only to be proven wrong. So, while a twinge of paranoia ran up Sunset's spine, she didn't buy into malicious ghosts just yet.
When the last orange glow of evening faded away from the gaps in the boarded windows, Sunset began to grow worried over Pinkie and Sonata. The house wasn't that big. She opened her mouth to ask Twilight's opinion, but looking down, she found the bookworm had her eyes closed, the book rising and falling slowly as it rested against her chest.
Waking Twilight felt like a capital crime, especially when she looked so cute. Eh, I'm sure those two are fine.
A bloodcurdling scream made the hairs on Sunset's neck shoot up and her heart miss several beats. It sounded distant but very much real. Fluttershy screamed in turn, jumping into Applejack's lap. Rainbow jumped to her feet and raised her fists, wildly looking around the room.
Twilight let out a loud yelp and shot up, flailing her arms and smacking Sunset in the nose. "Who--what--where? Ah, Sunset! I'm so sorry!"
Sunset rubbed her nose, thankful it wasn't bleeding. "It's fine."
Rarity fanned herself, managing to look paler than normal. "Good heavens, what on earth was that?"
"D-do you th-think it was P-Pinkie or Sonata? Maybe something got them!" Fluttershy asked, arms locked around Applejack.
"Relax," Soarin said, still lounging on his blanket. "I'm pretty sure nothing's got them."
"You don't know that!" Rainbow shouted. "We have to find Pinkie!"
Adagio raised an eyebrow. "And Sonata?"
"Yeah, sure."
Sunset got up. "We'll split into three teams, one for each floor. Rainbow, Soarin, Fluttershy, you get the first floor. Rarity, Applejack, and Aria, take the second. Me, Twilight, and Adagio will take the third. Stay together, and if you find anything, call me."
"Right!" Everyone else scrambled up and put their shoes back on and grabbed their flashlights. With Adagio and Twilight in tow, Sunset led them up the main stairs, around a corner, and up a narrower flight to the third floor. Thanks to the boarded windows and the warm evening, the air was hot and humid. Thin beams of orange light broke through the darkness, reflecting off brass ornaments and picture frames.
"What do you think could have happened?" Twilight whispered.
"I don't know," Sunset said, ignoring the nervous flutter in her stomach. "Hopefully, Pinkie just ran into a spider or something."
"Knowing Sonata, it's probably something inane," Adagio said, flicking her flashlight.
They pulled open one of the doors and poked into a spare bedroom. White cloth covered most of the furniture, startling Sunset into mistaking them for ghosts when she first shined her light on them.
"Pinkie? Sonata?" When neither responded, Sunset pulled out and carried on down the hall. "They can't have gotten far."
"Unless something got to them," Adagio said. There was the thinnest trace of unease in her voice.
Sunset said nothing. She, sadly, couldn't rule out that possibility. But why would a supernatural force be after them? Well, we are kinda trespassing. That'd do it.
They entered into the library once again, a large, circular room that took up most of the third floor. There were two stand-alone bookshelves in the center, then the entire back wall served as a third, curving one. Most of the books were gone or molding, filling the air with the scent of musty pages. Like everywhere else, the carpet had been eaten by rats and moths, and cobwebs filled the spaces between books. It was a sad sight to behold.
As Sunset stepped inside, she felt a slight chill in the air, just enough to get her attention. She was liking this place less and less by the second. "Pinkie," she called softly, afraid she could wake something else. "Sonata? Answer me, please!"
They fanned out, casting their light into the corners and behind the bookshelves. Nothing.
Thunk!
"Eeeep!"
Sunset turned around and ran to Twilight's side. "What, what is it?"
Twilight shook like a leaf. Her flashlight pointed down at a book that had fallen. It appeared to be some sort of fiction book. Ominously, it had landed on a page that read, Chapter X: Final Warning.
Adagio looked over their shoulders, her face unreadable. "So, I don't actually believe in ghosts... but, that's definitely a sign something in here doesn't like us."
Sunset pulled Twilight away. "Ghost or evil spirit, or whatever, we need to at least find Pinkie and Sonata before we think of trying to run back through the forest at night, which might be a worse idea than staying here."
Twilight gave her hand a nervous squeeze. "I don't know. Dealing with physical creatures we can at least hit seems like a better alternative than fighting spirits. From a completely scientific point of view."
They retreated from the library, but only had a storage room left to check, and it proved empty. Adagio took interest in the medieval axe on the floor. Feeling drastically unsafe with Adagio wielding any kind of weapon, Sunset ordered her to leave it.
"Well, they're not here," Sunset said, shutting the door after Adagio had skulked out. "Hopefully, one of the others--"
Another scream ripped through the night, making all of them jump. It seemed to come from everywhere, bouncing through the old corridor and off the wooden walls. Sunset couldn't say it sounded like Pinkie, and she had no idea how Sonata sounded when she screamed.
It subsided, leaving the floor hauntingly quiet.
"Back to the first floor, now!" Sunset commanded.
*******
Naturally, the kitchen was the first place Rainbow thought to check for clues of Pinkie's whereabouts. It was much colder here than the rest of the house, owing to the use of stone floors instead of wood. A wide brick countertop took up the center of the room. On one end was a brick oven that Rainbow thought would be awesome to use for cooking a pizza. On the other side of the room was an old cast iron stove and oven.
Several cabinets had been opened and rummaged through, probably from Pinkie and Sonata's earlier exploration. Aside from a bag of hardened sugar, Rainbow didn't see any trace of her hyperactive friend.
"So, uhh, what exactly is the deal with you girls and those three... sisters, are they?" Soarin asked as he peeked into one of the cabinets. "Between the laser tag match and today, it kinda feels like you guys don't like each other."
"We don't," Fluttershy said rather cooly. In fact, that was coolest Rainbow had ever heard her. She knew Fluttershy wasn't fond of the Sirens, but wow.
"Yeah, it's kinda hard to explain," Rainbow said. "They did some bad stuff in the past, but now they said they wanna make up for it and be our friends. Personally, I'm still leaning on it being total BS. But, Sunset thinks we should give them a chance."
Soarin whistled. "You girls lead some exciting lives, dontcha? What'd they do?"
"That's on a need to know basis," Fluttershy said, the coldness in her voice dropping to sub-zero. "And we have more important things to do right now."
She walked back into the foyer, leaving Rainbow to scratch her head in confusion. She could rarely recall Fluttershy being so grouchy. She must really be worried about Pinkie. Rainbow was right behind her, but Soarin caught her arm and held her just in front of the door.
Rainbow looked back at him. "Hey, I know I said if you wanted a kiss, just ask, but now isn't--"
Soarin shook his head. "Look, maybe I pried too far asking what happened between you girls and those three, but..." he dropped his voice to a whisper. "I'm starting to get the feeling Fluttershy doesn't like me."
"What?" Rainbow snorted. "You must be crazy, Fluttershy's just upset about what's going on, and I can't say I blame her. But I doubt she doesn't like you."
"I don't know, Dash. She seems to give me the evil eye every time I look at her. And I'm pretty sure she was targeting only me during laser tag."
"Fluttershy doesn't have a mean bone in her body." Rainbow tapped Soarin's skull. "Trust me, you're imagining it. Now come on."
They crossed back into the foyer. Fluttershy was waiting in the light of the lamp, arms crossed and foot tapping. Rainbow thought she might have seen a slight glower in their direction, but dismissed it as a trick of the bright light. The only person Fluttershy glowered at was her brother.
The garden was the next place to look. Overgrown with weeds and vines and rotting leaves, it gave off an overpowering odor, and made Rainbow feel she had walked back into the heart of the forest. Stone columns leading to the center had crumbled, and the fat cherubs that had perched on top had fallen to the ground. An empty basin sat in the back, filled with moss and dried up lily pads, evidence that it had once been a pool.
Off to the side was a cellar door, but a thick iron bolt and chain stopped Rainbow from opening it. "I swear, if they're down there..."
"But how?" Fluttershy asked.
"I dunno. Ghosts can do some pretty freaky things, right?"
Soarin shook his head. "There's no ghost."
Fluttershy gave him quite the skeptical eye. "How do you know?"
Soarin gave her a winning smile. "Just trust me. If there was something bad happening, I'd know. I'm pretty sure Pinkie and Sonata are both fine."
Fluttershy continued to look unimpressed.
Huh... maybe there is something up with her.
With the back gate rusted over and impossible to open, the trio walked back into the house. The parlor on the left-hand side of the stairs was empty, leaving just a bedroom, and the laundry room to explore. Rainbow doubted Pinkie was simply hiding in either location.
She was spared from having to check when a second horrid scream assaulted her ears. Fluttershy clamped down onto her arm, shaking like a leaf. Soarin looked unsettled, but far from panicked.
Fluttershy stammered, "Wh-where is that c-c-coming from?"
"I can't tell," Rainbow said, a nervous sweat running down the back of her neck. "Come on, we should check in with the others."
They doubled back to the entrance, and Rainbow pulled her phone out to call Sunset. Footsteps tromping down the stairs interrupted her. Rarity and Applejack came down, looking frazzled.
"We lost Aria!" Rarity cried.
"What? How?" Rainbow asked.
"We don't know," Applejack said, looking around wildly. "She was right behind us the whole time, Ah swear. The next thing we know, she's gone and someone's screaming again."
Sunset led Twilight and Adagio down the stairs. "We heard more screaming! Is everyone okay?" Sunset asked.
Fluttershy shook her head. "We lost Aria."
Adagio glared at them. "How did you lose Aria? Sonata I can understand, but Aria isn't dumb enough to wander off on her own!"
"Where could she even have gone?" Sunset asked, throwing her hands in the air. Everyone cast an uneasy glance around at each other. Sunset pressed a hand to her eye. "Don't tell me we're all on the ghost theory."
"I'm not," Soarin said.
"I was joking before," Adagio said. She furrowed her brow and glared upwards. "Now, I don't know what to believe."
Sunset tapped her foot. "We need to get to the bottom of this. Has anyone seen anything remotely useful or suspicious?"
"We've already searched most of the house," Applejack said. "The only place left is the cellar, but it's locked tight."
"There has to be another way in there," Rainbow said.
Twilight paced the floor. "Umm, well... a house this old might have a dumbwaiter somewhere that they used to move things between floors. It might link to the basement, if they have one, and if it still works."
"Well, it's the only thing we can do for now," Rarity said with uncertainty. "Has anyone seen anything that could be the dumbwaiter?"
"Well, we haven't checked the laundry room yet," Soarin said.
Without another word, everyone moved down the hall toward the laundry room. It was narrow, and consisted of a large wash basin and an old clothesline. A door was set into the wall near the back, but instead of a knob, it had a handle at the bottom to slide it up.
Rainbow, with some difficulty, pulled it open, dust spraying down upon her head. Beyond was a dark, brick shaft with two ropes hanging down into the darkness. Next to the opening was a lever. Rainbow pulled it and heard something clicking and whirring above her. The ropes shuddered, and something large started to grind its way up from the depths.
A small steel compartment, big enough for perhaps two of them to squeeze into rose up to greet them. It shuddered to a stop, giving a nervous creak.
"So..." Rarity tapped her fingers together. "Who wants to go into the creepy basement first?"
Sunset gripped her flashlight. "I'll go."
Twilight grabbed her hand. "Then I'm going with you."
Sunset smiled at her. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
Adagio stuck her tongue out. "We get it, you're a cute couple. Just go down there and see if the rest of our party is or isn't dead."
*******
Sunset climbed up and into the service cart, helping Twilight in after her. They gave a nod to Applejack, who lifted the lever and lowered them into the inky blackness. Their flashlights kept the small space lit, but there was nothing to see other than the brick shaft.
"Do you really think they're down here?" Twilight asked.
"Let's hope so. Otherwise, we're gonna have a real problem on our hands." Sunset had dealt with many things the people of this world would call supernatural, but she had no idea how to handle a ghost.
The cart shuddered to a stop. Breaking up the brick inlays was another wooden door. Sunset reached for the latch and pulled it open. Her eyes couldn't pierce the darkness beyond, but her flashlight could. She spotted the boiler in the back, behind broken furniture and moldy boxes.
Sunset climbed out, stretching her already cramped up legs. Twilight stretched her back, eliciting a small pop. "Pinkie?" she called, waving her flashlight around.
The boiler made a small hiss, making both girls jump into each other's arms. Sunset gave a nervous chuckle. "Kinda reminds me of the science fair, right?"
"Y-yeah. A little bit."
They pulled apart and stepped further in, eyes peeled for their friends. Nothing seemed to stir, but Sunset swore she could feel a presence down here. She and Twilight slowly crossed the room, stepping over shattered glass and splintered wood.
A shriek rang out behind them, paralyzing them with fear before Twilight swung around, pulling her sword free from its sheath and giving a wild swing, eyes closed.
Sunset jumped to the side to avoid getting cut to ribbons. She wasn't the only one. Standing behind them were three figures dressed with hideous, monstrous faces, mouths hanging open and full of sharp teeth. They kept a wide berth from Twilight's swings.
"Stay back!" Twilight yelled. "I'm warning you!"
One of the masks gave a very familiar chortle. "Okay, I think we scared them enough."
Sunset's eyes widened. "Pinkie?"
The three figures took off their faces, revealing Pinkie and the two missing Sirens. "Gotcha!" Pinkie said with a wide grin.
A sharp, needling pain burrowed into the front of Sunset's skull. "Are you telling me," she said, trying to keep her voice even, "this was all a prank?"
"Duh," Sonata said, putting a hand on her hip. "Like, a scary house in the middle of some spooky forest? How could we not prank you?"
"But, the screaming we heard--"
Aria pulled a tape recorder from her pocket and hit the play button. Sunset and Twilight flinched as the loud scream assaulted their ears again. "That dumbwaiter has some good acoustics. You can hear it all through the house."
Twilight sheathed her sword and stamped her foot. "I can't believe you would do that to us! Actually, I can believe it. At least, I can believe you two would!" She pointed accusingly at the Sirens. "Pinkie, how could you?"
Pinkie's smile wilted a little. "I thought it would be funny. An early Halloween prank."
"It's June!"
Pinkie's frown deepened. "Well, I thought it would be fun. It's fun to be scared sometimes, right?"
"Pinkie..." Sunset dug her fingers into her temple. "We were worried sick! We thought..."
Aria scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Do you seriously believe this place is haunted? Get real. And don't get mad at her, it was our idea. Sonata talked her into it."
Sunset gave her a curious appraisal. Aria standing up for Pinkie? Perhaps they were making some real progress. She took a deep breath to drive away her oncoming headache. "Look, let's just get out of here."
Twilight turned her flashlight toward the service elevator. "It's gonna take a few trips."
"You two go up first," Sunset growled, pointing to Aria and Sonata.
They shrugged and climbed into the dumbwaiter. Sunset pulled the lever and sent them on their way before rounding on Pinkie.
She looked at Sunset with her big blue eyes, lower lip sticking out just a fraction. "Come on, guys. It's not really that bad, is it?"
Sunset knew she was getting soft if that little pout was enough to cool some of her frustrations. She wondered if this was what it felt like to be a parent. "Pinkie, I'm glad you had fun, but--"
"What if you were really hurt or kidnapped!" Twilight yelled, throwing her hands in the air. "What if the Sirens had been tricking you and they brought you down here to... to..."
"But they didn't," Pinkie argued.
"But we didn't know that!"
Sunset wondered if their shouting carried up to the ground floor. Before she pondered it too long, the dumbwaiter returned, and Sunset sent Pinkie and Twilight up. Both girls had their arms folded over their chests, Twilight fuming and Pinkie looking like a reprimanded six-year-old. Sunset honestly couldn't decide if she was angry or relieved. Of course there hadn't been a ghost. She felt dumb for not evening thinking it could have all been a prank. But Twilight was right: what if something had gone wrong? But it hadn't.
The boiler hissed again, making Sunset jump. The twinge of paranoia returned as she cast her light around the room again. Old, broken furniture laid around in various heaps, turning what would be a wide space into a cluttered labyrinth. Large kegs stood off to one side, and a shelf of old wine bottles sat above them. Water dripped from the roof into puddles, creating a light rhythm of noise. Aside from the cellar entrance, there was another door across from Sunset made out of metal. It looked out of place among the wood and stone.
Nothing else seemed peculiar in any way. Yet, the hairs on Sunset's neck refused to go down. She jumped again when the dumbwaiter creaked its way back down to her. With one last uneasy glance, she climbed in and rapt on the ceiling. A second later, she was hoisted up. She rose to a round of arguing.
"... the least you two idiots could have done was told me about it!" Adagio yelled.
"It sold better if you weren't in the know," Aria said matter-of-factly. "Plus, you would have said it was dumb."
"That's because it was dumb!"
"Aww," Sonata cooed. "Were you worried about us?"
"Only because I need you two to pay rent if we ever get out of that stupid factory."
"See, Aria? I knew she loved us!"
The dumbwaiter creaked to a halt in time for Sunset to see Sonata open her arms and step toward Adagio. "Come on, Dagi, bring it in!"
"Touch me and I will rip off your arms and beat you with them," Adagio said coldly.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Adagio... about the prank, not... that." Twilight said. shuddering. "That was really dumb! What if you were actually in trouble, Pinkie?"
"But I wasn't! Come on, Dashie, you have to admit, it was pretty funny, right?" Pinkie said, a hint of desperation in her voice.
"No, it wasn't," Rainbow growled.
"It kinda was," Soarin said.
"Dude, whose side are you on?"
"Okay, okay, everyone just take a deep breath," Sunset said, fumbling out of the dumbwaiter and into the crowded laundry room. She dusted the dirt off her shirt. "Look, what the three of them did was irresponsible and they could have been hurt. But, creepy house in the middle of the woods? You guys have to admit, it was a pretty good prank."
Twilight crossed her arms and huffed. Fluttershy and Adagio did likewise, Adagio adding an additional eye roll. Everyone else relaxed their shoulders a tad, and Applejack even smiled.
"Ah mean, Ah don't like it. But it was pretty well done. Scared the tar outta me."
Rainbow blew her bangs out of her face. "Yeah, I guess." She punched Pinkie's shoulder and gave her a devilish grin. "You realize, this means war, right?"
Pinkie regained her smile and jumped up and down.
Fluttershy let out a pained whine. "Please, no more pranks tonight."
Sunset took a calm breath, feeling the tension slowly dissolve. Adagio still looked agitated, but it was hardly different from her usual expression. Twilight yielded a sigh, her facial features softening ever-so-slightly.
Putting a hand on Twilight's back, Sunset led the group out of the room. "Come on, let's get some food. This prank has left me starving." |
Spectacular Seven | 10. A Night in the Woods | Dinner consisted of pre-made sandwiches, canned ravioli, and chips. Having enjoyed Selena's cooking for the better part of seven months now, Sunset couldn't help but feel underwhelmed. It was also nostalgic since she had lived off of simple meals prior to moving in with the Lulamoons.
Twilight had defrosted more after eating, though she refused to find any amusement in Pinkie and the Sirens' antics. Likewise, Adagio still wore her sour expression as she sat alone on the bottom step of the grand staircase. Sunset wondered if she could get Twilight and Adagio to bond over their mutual disgruntlement, but knew better than to try and push that.
A few moths found their way to the kerosene lamp in the middle of the room. With the dim lighting and their own shadows creeping over them on the walls, Pinkie decided to double-down on her scare tactics and recount the full story of the chateau she had read online in her own Pinkie fashion.
"So! In the secret basement hidden beneath the normal basement, the family of this chateau sacrificed the young virgin on the altar to appease the spirit of the forest!" Pinkie raised her hands over her head, curling her fingers in dramatic fashion. "But, while the forest spirit left them alone, the virgin's spirit was left restless and angry! To get revenge on those who killed her, she drifted through these very halls, taking on different forms and tricking the family members in following her to their dooms! One-by-one, they were dragged screaming into the netherworld to be tormented for all eternity!"
Fluttershy had zipped herself shut in her sleeping bag. Sunset could see it trembling in the flickering light. Other than Sonata, who hung onto every word, no one else seemed particularly impressed by Pinkie. Still, the Spectacular Seven clapped in good nature, and Pinkie took a bow.
"They say she still haunts the forest in search of more victims," Pinkie concluded, dropping onto her sleeping bag.
"Particularly virgins," Adagio said. She looked in Sunset and Twilight's direction and wiggled her eyebrows.
Sunset rolled her eyes as hard as she could. "Can we drop the virgin thing? It's gotten old real fast."
Aria loudly bit into a potato chip. "Anyone else got any more lame scary stories?"
"Oooh, oooh, Sunset, tell the one about Nightmare Moon," Pinkie said.
Sonata cocked her head. "What's a Nightmare Moon?"
"Yes, Pinkie," Sunset said, giving her a steely look. "What's a Nightmare Moon?"
"It's that one story you told us on Halloween about Equestria and their spooky--ow! What?" She looked at Applejack who had jabbed her in the side.
Adagio pointed at Sunset. "I knew it was you! You're the one from Equestria!"
Sunset facepalmed. "Dammit, Pinkie."
"What's Equestria?" Soarin asked. Nobody answered him.
"How did you get here?" Adagio asked.
"And why are you here?" Aria asked.
"The how doesn't matter, because there's no way to get back," Sunset said. "As for the why, call it self-exile."
"You exiled yourself to this disgusting world of all places?" Adagio asked, unconvinced.
"I didn't know I was going to get sent here specifically when I left."
"No, seriously, what are we talking about?" Soarin asked, a little louder.
Rainbow patted his shoulder. "Heh, uh, it's really not important. Sunset's just from a really far away country."
Sunset didn't really care if Soarin knew about her identity, her focus was on Adagio. The two girls stared at each other from across the room, Adagio's face stoic and her eyes inscrutable. They may have been without magic, but Sunset still didn't trust the Sirens with the knowledge that she was also from Equestria. If the Sirens thought they had any chance of returning, they now knew Sunset was tied to it.
Adagio looked away first. "Whatever, it doesn't matter anyway. Who knows what going home would do to us without our gems."
Sunset wanted to ask what she meant, but Soarin looked vastly confused already and she didn't want any more interruptions from him.
"Maybe we should call it a night," Applejack said. "There's not much we can do now anyhow."
"Pffft, says you." Aria got up and grabbed her flashlight. "I'm gonna go explore some more. I bet the house is cooler at night."
No one stopped her from marching up the stairs. Sunset thought to give a cautionary warning, but if there was something there, Aria could probably handle it.
Everyone else changed into their pajamas and slipped into their sleeping bags. Tucked away in the corner, Twilight scooted her sleeping bag as close to Sunset as she could. Sunset was about to offer to just share one but realized it was far too warm for that.
"I still don't know what a Nightmare Moon is," Sonata commented from across the room.
"I'll tell you later," Sunset said, resting her head next to Twilight's. She also didn't think Fluttershy could handle another scary story. The poor girl had barely opened her sleeping bag, probably for air more than anything.
"G'night, y'all," Applejack said, turning the kerosene lamp down to a dull glow.
Sunset could just make out Twilight's starry eyes in the darkness. They were the last thing she saw before closing her own eyes and getting comfortable against her pillow. Her sleeping bag wasn't very thick, so she could feel the wood beneath her, hard and cold. It took a while, but she finally got into a position where she could fall asleep. Her mind wandered off, touching the neverland between reality and dreams.
She couldn't have been asleep long before her ears picked up the creaking of wood. Sunset thought it was Aria coming back downstairs, but when she opened an eye, she caught a shaft of silver light stretching across the floor before disappearing with another faint creak.
Sunset lifted her head and glanced about. She counted all of her friends tucked away safely, Applejack with her hat over her face, Rarity wearing a sleeping mask and snoring softly. Aria was still absent, and now, Adagio was gone as well.
Curiosity more than concern drove Sunset to shuffle from her sleeping bag and sneak toward the door. She looked over her shoulder, making sure Twilight hadn't been roused. She still slumbered, a hand stretched out, no doubt looking for Sunset's.
Sunset smiled to herself and slipped out the door. Adagio sat on the bottom porch step, a bottle of beer in her hand with another one resting beside her. Sunset approached, stepping carefully to avoid getting a splinter. Adagio didn't acknowledge Sunset's presence until she sat down beside her.
"Is this the part where you lecture me about drinking?" Adagio asked dryly. She kept her head tilted back, eyes up at the canvas of stars. With no city lights to drown them out, they glittered in abundance.
"No, I don't care as long as you don't do anything stupid. Though I will ask you don't go stealing anymore."
"I make no promises."
Sunset crossed her arms. "You know, for someone claiming they wanted to change, you have a funny way of showing it."
"Well, none of you are lying in a puddle of your own blood, so I would say I've already changed a lot." Adagio took a long sip of her drink.
Sunset breathed deep through her nose. "What exactly is your deal here? You say you want to be friends, yet you spend half the time antagonizing mine and the other half sulking." She breathed out again, already drawing parallels to herself.
Adagio took another sip. "It's not my fault your friends are thin-skinned and boring. This has been the most exciting thing that's happened with you girls and it was mostly due to Aria and Sonata being stupid."
"Maybe if you actually engaged with them instead of riling them up you might have a better time. Look at Sonata."
"Sonata will make conversation with homeless men on the streets, so forgive me if I don't follow her example."
Sunset chewed her tongue for a moment. "Okay, I'll level with you. When I first started learning friendship, I acted a lot like how you did."
Adagio raised an eyebrow. "You mean you weren't always pals with the goodie-two-shoes group?"
"No, I wasn't. I spent two years making their lives hell and one night trying to murder them." The usual feeling of guilt was still there, but it persisted for a far shorter time than it used to.
Adagio turned her body to Sunset, eyes wide with interest. "I mean, I pegged you for a rebel, but never to that extreme. You just get more interesting by the day. Though that begs the question of how and why you're friends with them." She jerked her head toward the door. "Or why you're dating the shut-in."
"She's not a shut-in!" Sunset winced and brought her voice back down. "It's a long story. But I used to be just like you and your sisters: power-hungry, vindictive, and not caring about who I hurt to get what I want. And, like you, I lost."
Sunset looked down and pressed her hands together. "I was furious at first. I was so close to getting what I wanted only for it to backfire and then get beaten by some sappy girls and their friendship powers. To add insult to injury, I had to be friends with them, or at least, become a better person, and they were the only ones willing to give me a chance. And yeah, I snarked and yelled and insulted them every chance I got, but it didn't help in the end."
"Well, you're buddy-buddy with them now, so clearly, something went right," Adagio said. She finished her beer, tossed the bottle aside, and reached for the second one.
"Yeah, I realized they were the only people in the world willing to put up with me, despite everything I did to them. It started off because of a promise they made to someone else, but they genuinely started to care about me. I thought it was pity at first, but I used to think anyone showing any sympathy to me was pity. I decided that, if they were going to try and be my friends, the least I could do was meet them halfway."
Adagio absently nodded her head. "Cute story. Real heartwarming. I'm guessing the moral here is you want me to try harder at friendship?"
"That would be a nice start." It was hard for Sunset to keep the bite out of her voice. "I get where you're coming from, it's hard to let go of your pride and adjust to a new way of thinking. But fighting it is just making it harder on yourself and wearing everyone's patience thin. I'm the one who vouched for you three because I see myself in you. I think the three of you can become better people. But if you keep making this more difficult than it needs to be, I'm not afraid to kick you to the curb for my friends' sake."
Adagio swished her bottle, an oddly bemused look on her face. "That sounds like an ultimatum."
"It is. I want to help you, Adagio, but you have to meet me halfway."
She tilted her head back to the stars, quiet as she mulled over Sunset's words. "I loathe having to rely on someone else for my survival. I was taught that the only thing creatures respect in the world is power. Either you had it and you ruled, or you didn't and you groveled. I was promised power and had it denied to me again and again. So yes, Sunset, adjusting to this disgusting new way of life is hard. You'll have to forgive me if I'm not chomping at the bit to get to know you and your ring of rainbow airheads."
Sunset narrowed her eyes and cleared her throat.
Adagio tilted her head toward her, nonplussed. "I just said it was hard. What do you want from me?"
"An effort!" Sunset shouted, clenching a fist.
Adagio inhaled deeply then let out an irritable sigh. "Fine, I'll try to play nice, if only so you won't lecture me again. Really killing my buzz." She took a long sip of her beer.
Sunset leaned back on her arms and looked at the line of trees surrounding them on all sides, stretching on into the dark of night. "Believe me, this isn't fun for either of us." Anytime Sunset had to get preachy, she remembered Princess Twilight standing over her in the crater, lecturing in that condescending tone. Friendship advocate she may be now, Sunset tried to take as few pages from the princess's book as possible.
"How long did it take for you to stop being a jerk to your friends?"
"About a month? I'm trying to speed up the process a little for everyone's sake."
Adagio scoffed. "I think--" She paused and straightened up, looking around and running her tongue over her lips. "There's magic..."
Sunset rolled her shoulders. "Well, yeah, my friends are sleeping in the--"
"No." Adagio stood up, leaving her bottle on the step. "Your magic tastes like sugar and rainbows. This is... different."
A scream tore through the night, making Sunset jump to her feet. But unlike the previous screams that faded out, this one was cut short after scant seconds.
Adagio spun toward the house. "Aria!" She sprinted up the steps and threw the door open, Sunset right on her heels. Everyone was up, looking groggy or annoyed.
"It wasn't funny the first time and it's not funny now!" Twilight shouted, groping for her glasses.
"Seriously, Pinkie, I wanna sleep," Rainbow said.
Pinkie put her hands up. "Don't look at me. I only knew about the first prank."
"Sonata?" Rarity asked with a warning tone.
"I mean, I was gonna put someone's hand in warm water so they'd wet themselves, but that's it."
"And I've been with Adagio this whole time," Sunset said, a knot of fear tightening in her stomach.
Twilight arched her eyebrows high. "Why were you with Adagio?"
"Oh, don't get your panties in a twist, we were just talking," Adagio snapped.
"What did I just say about antagonizing my friends?" Sunset snapped back.
"People, focus!" Applejack shouted. "If this isn't a prank, then Aria might be in serious trouble."
Soarin yawned. "Once again, I seriously doubt--"
The howl of a wolf drifted through the front doors, making Soarin pale. "Okay... we might have a problem."
Rainbow crossed her arms. "You're scared of a wolf but not blood-curdling screams?"
Sunset snapped her fingers. "Get your shoes on and grab your flashlights. We're only making two teams this time." Everyone broke away to grab their things. Sunset slipped her boots on and checked her phone, seeing it was just after midnight.
The two teams consisted of Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow, Soarin, and Fluttershy who would search the bottom level of the mansion and the grounds, and Sunset, Twilight, Adagio, Pinkie, and Sonata, who were tasked with the upper floors.
"Phones on at all times, don't stray from your group, watch your backs," Sunset said firmly. "Last chance to admit this is a prank, because if it is, Twilight gets to skewer you."
Twilight fidgeted with her schiavona, trying to clip it to her pajamas. In the end, she decided to just hold onto it. When no one spoke up, Sunset bid the other party farewell and led her group up into the shadows of the second floor.
Dejà freaking Vu. She flipped her flashlight on and roved it around the hall, four other lights mimicking her movements behind her. "Aria, come out or say something. Otherwise, if this is a prank--"
"I'm going to beat you within an inch of your life!" Adagio shouted down the corridor.
"Are you always violent with them?" Twilight asked, aghast.
"Fear and violence are the best way to keep subordinates in check," Adagio replied like it was an obvious fact.
Sunset held a hand up. "As much as I'd love to point out how wrong you are, stop talking. I think I hear something..."
The girls held their breath, embracing the eerie silence of the dark house. From just beyond the range of their lights came a rough shuffling noise, like something heavy was being dragged across the carpet. It carried on, growing fainter until it was replaced by the brief low hum of static.
Twilight huddled closer to Sunset, her flashlight hand trembling. "A-Aria... was that you?"
Nothing responded.
Sunset crept forward, Twilight glued to her side. The darkness continued to yield, but aside from the moth-eaten curtains and graffitied portraits, their lights revealed nothing that could have made that dragging and humming noise.
"Wait!" Sunset's flashlight shone over a silver object lying in the middle of the hall. She stepped closer to pick it up and held it out for everyone to see. "It's Aria's flashlight."
Adagio snatched it from her and examined it, then turned it on. The light shone up and illuminated the ceiling. "Well, it still works..."
"Umm, guys?" Pinkie asked in a higher-pitched voice than normal. "What do you call a male lamia?"
"You don't," Adagio said, casting her light deeper down the hall. "They don't exist."
"Oh....Well, you might want to tell him that."
A cold wind brushed the back of Sunset's neck, and she debated if it was worth turning around to see what Pinkie was talking about. An unintelligible babble from Sonata tipped the scales in curiosity's favor, and Sunset swiveled around and shone her flashlight forward.
Fear and confusion mingled together, creating static in Sunset's brain as she tried to make sense of the creature twenty paces from her. From the waist down, it was a black snake with white stripes and a smooth underbelly. The top half, however, was that of a well-toned man, completely bald and lacking ears. He had red reptilian eyes and sharp fangs protruding from his upper lip.
"Sn... sna.... sna..." Twilight shook like a leaf, her eyes fixated on the monster's lower half.
"I have... so many questions," Adagio said in a shaky whisper.
The snake man let out a cross between a hiss and a roar, jumpstarting everyone else's reaction of screaming. It propelled itself across the ground faster than Sunset would have thought possible, sliding its bottom half back and forth. As it drew near, Adagio's scream shot up several decibels, forcing the girls to cover their ears. Her voice cracked and warbled and distorted, becoming the antithesis of anything that could be considered pleasant sounding. Even with her hands squeezed against her skull, Sunset could still hear the wail piercing her eardrums and making her light-headed. At this point, she would take a drowning cat over Adagio's scream.
The caterwaul drew the snake man to a halt as well. It let out a hiss that was lost in the din before retreating and turning toward the outside wall. Its entire body became translucent, leaving only a white outline of its figure. With another silent hiss, it flew into the wall, vanishing like the wind.
Adagio took a breath and doubled-over, coughing and hacking. Sunset slowly removed her hands from her ears, thoughts swimming as fast as the room around her. She held onto Twilight, who looked equally stunned and terrified.
Sonata rubbed her ears like she was trying to get dirt free. "Ow. Dagi, why didn't you warn me you were gonna do that?"
Adagio straightened up and glared at her. "Why didn't you help?"
"Hold up!" Sunset said loudly, her ears still ringing. "What the hell just happened?"
"The house is haunted by a ghost snake man!" Pinkie yelled, her eyes slowly coming back into focus.
"Even by our logic, that doesn't make sense!"
"Yeah, well it still happened," Adagio snapped. "And I bet that thing did something to Aria!"
"Which means, we have to hunt it down. Great," Sunset said listlessly.
"We h-have to hunt d-down a sn-snake monster? At night?" Twilight asked in a mousy voice. Her face was unusually pale.
Adagio glared at her. "What, you bring a sword with you to fend us off, but now you're scared to fight a real monster?"
"N-no!" Twilight clenched a fist, but the show of determination didn't reach her eyes.
Sunset stepped between them. "Not the time, Adagio," she said with a cold warning. "And after we find Aria, we are going to talk about that scream of yours. For now, Pinkie, call Applejack and tell her we saw... whatever we just saw."
Pinkie nodded and pulled her cellphone out of her hair. As she dialed up the other party, Sunset scooted Twilight away a few paces and said in a hushed tone, "You okay? You seem a little more shaken than the rest of us."
Twilight tried to smile in a vain attempt to brush it off, but she quit halfway, slumping her shoulders instead and running a thumb over her sword hilt. "I... umm... I'm..." She mumbled something and looked down at her shoes.
"What?"
"I'm scared of snakes," she said louder, face pink.
Sunset blinked. "Oh. I mean, that makes sense. A lot of people are--"
"No, I'm terrified of them. It's... it's borderline phobia." Twilight's shoulders shook as she spoke, starting slow, but picking up into a breathless pace. "I... we went to the zoo for my sixth birthday and there was an incident in the reptile room--my mom told me not to lean on the glass but I didn't listen--it fell and the snake got out and jumped at me--"
Sunset put a gentle arm around Twilight as she hyperventilated, fanning her face. "Okay, it's okay. I get it. Seeing a half-snake monster must have been... uncomfortable at the least. But we won't let it get to you. We're all here, together." Sunset wasn't sure what else to say in a situation like this. Having fears was one thing; she didn't know what it was like to harbor a crippling phobia.
She disliked spiders. Vehemently. She did not have a phobia of them.
Twilight got her breathing under control and ran a hand across her eyes. "No, I can do this. It's... it's not even a full snake. I'm not going to let it scare me."
"Guys," Pinkie piped up. "Applejack's not answering."
Before her words could set in, a resounding bang could be heard from outside.
*******
Applejack opened the door from the kitchen to the garden and led her group out into a mild night. A light breeze wafted over them, keeping them cool as they searched the dark grounds. Crumbling marble pillars lined the middle of the garden, leading to a dried fountain filled with dead leaves. Broken cherub statues littered the grass, and whatever had been growing in the planters and dirt patches were now strangled by weeds. The door to the cellar sat tucked away adjacent to the back door, its dark green paint peeling.
"I swear, she better not be in the basement plotting something again," Rainbow grumbled.
They had searched all the rooms on the ground floor before stepping outside. Rarity called Aria's name, but no one responded. An old oak tree loomed over the group, blocking most of the moonlight. Even with their flashlights, there were plenty of tight, dark spaces for someone to lurk in.
Soarin approached an old, dilapidated shed. The wood was rotted and stained from being exposed to the elements. He reached out and grabbed the handle, hesitating and looking off to the distance before wrenching it open. The rotting wood made a teeth-grinding screech as it flew open, and Soarin let out a cough, waving his hand to clear the wood dust.
Rarity looked away from the thick bushes lining the garden walls. "Anything in there we should be worried about?"
"Nope," Soarin said, sticking his head in. "Just some old tools and fertilizer."
Applejack huffed and adjusted her hat. "Well, Ah hate to say it, but it looks like someone's gonna have to go into the basement again." She paused at the howl of a nearby wolf, which, when she thought about it, was odd. Wolves weren't known to live in Everfree Forest. Odder still was the way Soarin grew tense and frantically looked around.
Rainbow took notice as well and gave him an unimpressed look. "Dude, it's just a wolf. Calm down."
Soarin shoulders dropped a fraction of an inch. "Yeah... just, uh... be careful. Watch where you step."
Applejack was too tired to deliver her signature skeptical eyebrow raise. Even rolling her eyes felt like a chore. She knelt by the cellar door and gave the thick padlock binding the handles a tug. Despite the years, the metal and chains proved to be pretty sturdy. If she was in her ponied-up state, Applejack was sure she could tear the lock off. In the meantime, they'd have to retreat to the dumbwaiter.
An ear-splitting scream made everyone jump and Fluttershy shriek in turn, though hers was drowned out by the prolonged wail. It came from the upper floors of the old house, but even through the walls, it pounded against Applejack's head.
It finally petered out. Everyone stood rooted in place until Rainbow shouted, "The heck was that?"
Soarin rubbed his ears. "It sounded like someone trying to murder a drowning cat."
Applejack tightened her grip on her flashlight. She took a deep breath to settle her heart and shake out her nerves. "Come on, y'all," she said, moving back to the kitchen door, "let's check in with the others and--"
Her breath caught in her throat as she opened the door straight into a pair of bloody red eyes looking down at her. A forked tongue flicked out between a set of long, pointed teeth, dripping with a purple liquid. Applejack took in the humanoid top half and the serpentine bottom and decided, it didn't need to make sense, she just needed to get as far away as possible.
A ball-peen hammer flew past her head and struck the snake man in the chest. It barely flinched, letting out an annoyed hiss instead, but it allowed Applejack to restart her fight or flight commands and jump back with a cry of, "What in tarnation is that thing?"
It lunged at her, and Applejack threw herself out of the way, crashing onto the ground before scrambling next to Fluttershy, hiding behind one of the pillars. The snake man twisted its body toward them and rose to lunge again, but Soarin threw a rusty screwdriver at it, nailing it in the head. The beast hissed and changed directions, raising its clawed hands as it slithered toward Soarin.
A loud snarl preceded a glowing body of light as it leaped over the garden wall and straight into the snake monster. There was a short tussle before their new ally pinned the snake to the ground, and Applejack got a good look at it.
Its entire body shone a pearly white, like it was made from the purest snow. Its eyes were a piercing blue and narrowed at the monster pinned under its paw. The white wolf snarled, bristling its fur and keeping its teeth an inch from the snake man's neck.
Fluttershy and Applejack gasped at the same time. "It's the wolf from the mountains!" Fluttershy said in awe.
"The heck is it doin' here?" Applejack asked.
"Harbinger, its tail!" Soarin yelled.
Too late. The snake's tail reached up behind the wolf and grabbed its hind leg. Harbinger tried to snap its head forward to bite into the snake's neck, but its tail proved faster, yanking the wolf away and throwing it against a pillar.
Just as the snake man pulled itself up, a lightning blue blur smashed into its chest, sending it flying into the cellar door with a mighty crash. Amazingly, the lock was still intact. The snake got up again, hissed at the party, then sank through the door, turning a ghostly sheen as it melted away.
Rainbow hovered over the spot it had vanished, fists clenched. She spun in midair and looked at the group. "You guys okay?"
"I think so?" Rarity said, looking dazed. "I'm still trying to process what happened."
"I'm still hoping I'm in a really bad dream," Fluttershy whimpered.
Soarin knelt next to the white wolf, stroking its back as it got back to its feet. "You okay?" He smiled in relief when Harbinger let out a short bark and straightened its back.
Rainbow zipped over to him, pointing accusingly. "You have magic!"
Soarin whipped around and looked at her floating in the air. "You have magic! And wings!"
"You have a ghost wolf!"
Applejack walked between them. "Okay, there's clearly a lot goin' on here. And as curious as Ah am mahself, explanations can wait. We gotta find Aria, quick!"
"Wh-what if the snake man has her?" Fluttershy asked, eyeing the cellar door.
Soarin put a hand on Harbinger's head, and for a moment, his eyes glowed the same piercing blue as the wolf's. "She says Aria is somewhere below us. Alive, or she was when Harbinger saw her."
Applejack grit her teeth. She wouldn't lie: she still had a sore spot with the Sirens; they had nearly torn her friends and family apart.
None of them need to die for it though. 'Specially by some snake freak. Applejack squared her shoulders. Her grudge could wait until after Aria was safe.
A warmth blossomed in her chest and spread outward, engulfing her entire body. Her pony ears sprouted on top of her head, and her ponytail doubled in length. She also felt an amazing surge of strength flood her arms and legs. Without a word, she strolled over to the cellar door, grabbed the padlock, and yanked it off with a hearty tug, her fingers making indents in the metal.
She heard Soarin whistle behind her. "I know you said your friends were cool, but this is on a whole new level."
Applejack ignored him and reached for the phone in her pocket, hesitating as her finger brushed against it. She had just destroyed a metal lock with ease, who's to say she wouldn't accidentally crush her phone? This was only the third time she had used her super-strength. "Somebody call Sunset and make sure they're all right."
"No need," Sunset's voice came from the chateau door. She led her group of five out into the garden and stared at the shining wolf, Rainbow hovering in the air, and Applejack holding the manhandled lock. "What happened?"
"Some snake dude appeared and tried to kill us!" Rainbow shouted.
"You guys saw him too?" Sonata asked.
"What the hell is going on in this house?" Adagio yelled, turning her head skyward.
"Ah don't know, and Ah don't wanna stick around long enough to find out." Applejack pointed to the cellar. "Aria's somewhere down there. Let's find her and get the heck outta dodge."
*******
Nine girls, one boy, and a spirit wolf filed down the steps into the basement. With ten flashlights and a luminescent wolf, it was almost daytime in the crowded space. Even then, with all their lights and eyes, they saw no sign of Aria or the monster.
Sunset navigated them around the maze of discarded furniture and kegs. What the hell is going on? With all the questions buzzing in her head, that one made a prominent recurrence. Though they can wait until we get Aria back and get the heck out of here.
It didn't stop the tirade of questions, but having that singular goal made it easier to concentrate.
The group stopped in front of the metal door, sealed into the wall with thick rivets. "If Aria's down here, this is the only place left to check," Sunset said. She tried the handle, unsurprised to find it locked.
"'Scuse me, sugarcube," Applejack said, squeezing down the line that had formed. She stretched her leg out, raised her boot, then slammed it against the door, leaving a sizable dent. She shifted her feet and kicked again, letting out a loud, "Ha!" as she did.
The door weakly swung open, letting an eerily chilly draft brush over the group. Beyond the threshold was a dark and flat earthen tunnel.
"Does anyone else wanna ask why there's an underground tunnel beneath an old mansion in the middle of the woods?" Rainbow asked.
"I have an ever-growing list of questions to ask when this is over," Twilight said.
Sunset looked up and saw a string of mining lights hanging from the ceiling. Reaching just past the door, her hand found a light switch and she flicked it on. Several pops ran down the corridor, and only the lamp hanging over them flickered to life.
"These had to have been installed later than the rest of the house," Twilight mused. "These lights are more modern. Not by much, but still."
A warm tingle washed over Sunset's leg. She looked down to see Harbinger strut forward out of the ring of light. She looked back at the group with a scrutinizing glare, then resumed her stride.
"She wants us to follow," Soarin said.
"Yeah, I picked up on that," Sunset said, following after the wolf. The tunnel was narrow and dipped occasionally, forcing everyone to walk in a careful single-file. They followed Harbinger's glowing form down the twisting corridors, turning corner after corner. When they came to a branch in the pathway Harbinger continued on without hesitation.
"Who dug out these tunnels and why?" Rarity asked, keeping her voice to a hushed whisper.
"And where the heck do they lead?" Rainbow asked as they turned left at an intersection.
"You know," Pinkie said in her nervous, higher-pitch, "I was just kidding about the secret basement and the virgin sacrifices... but maybe this really leads to some dark altar to the netherworld."
Sunset would have told her to stop being ridiculous, but since they had all come in contact with a phantom snake hybrid, anything seemed possible at the moment. The chill down her spine and the goosebumps rising on her skin told Sunset their weird night was far from over.
While she needed everyone to be as quiet as possible to keep an ear out for anything suspicious, Sunset hated the smothering silence the tunnels gave. Even their shoes against the gravel sounded muffled. Though their abundance of light kept the darkness at bay, Sunset had to brace herself every time they turned a corner, half expecting to find the snake... or something worse.
Harbinger stopped and took an aggressive stance, a growl rising from her throat. Sunset looked ahead, trying to see beyond the range of her flashlight. When she squinted, she could faintly make out the outline of a man with an elongated torso. A single hiss was enough to make the hairs on Sunset's neck stand at attention.
With a snarl, Harbinger charged forward and pounced, slamming into her prey. Both her and the snake took on a translucent sheen and sunk into the floor, yet Sunset could still hear their barking and hissing.
Soarin ran to the spot Harbinger had vanished and tapped the ground. "Har?" He twisted around as a short howl came from within the walls.
Fluttershy yelped as a loud hiss came from the other wall. She pressed her fingers to her mouth and chattered her teeth. "Wh-what do we do now?"
"The wolf seemed to know where it was goin'," Applejack said. "Ah guess we keep followin' the path."
A task easier said than done. Sunset took two steps forward then jumped when her flashlight sputtered and died. Soarin's quickly followed suit, then one-by-one, every other light flickered and faded out, leaving only the soft, radiant glows from Rainbow and Applejack. It wasn't much, but it beat being plunged into darkness.
"Oh, this just keeps getting better!" Adagio snarked.
"No one panic," Sunset said, feeling Twilight tighten her grip on her arm. Another hiss and snarl came from the walls, and Sunset caught a glance of an incorporeal tail.
Rainbow moved up front, keeping an arm extended to give a few extra inches of illumination. Applejack took up the rear, constantly looking over her shoulder. The rest of the party packed themselves together, shuffling down the tunnel and flinching at every sound coming from just beyond their sight.
Harbinger dropped from the ceiling a few scant inches from Rainbow's face and fell through the floor, chased by the snake man with its fangs on full display. Sunset saw Soarin wince and move a hand over his heart.
"Augh!" Rainbow snorted. "I hate that we can't do anything! Stupid ghost... spirit... thing!"
"Ah just wanna get Aria and get out," Applejack said from the back. "Magic-powered humans Ah can handle. Ghosts are on a different level of weird."
Soarin took a sharp intake of breath and doubled over, putting his hands on his knees. Rainbow dropped to his side.
"Hey, you okay?"
He shook his head. "I'll be fine, but I think Harbinger is hurt." He saw the confused look on Rainbow's face and said, "Long story short, she's tied to my spirit. I feel her pain, but I don't think it physically hurts me."
Rarity made a nervous gulp. "But, if your wolf friend is hurt, that means..."
Soarin straightened up and continued forward. "We should get out of here as fast as--"
The lamia flew from the wall, turning solid just long enough to slam into Soarin before turning ghostly again and carrying him through the opposite wall, all before Soarin could even scream. Rainbow pounced and slammed her fist into the spot they had disappeared.
"Soarin!" she screeched over everyone else's gasps and swears.
Sunset saw a flash of light go off behind her, and a dome of interlocked diamond shields rose from the ground and encircled the girls. She turned and looked at Rarity, now sporting her pony ears and horn, and looking very nervous.
She looked at the wall of diamonds and poked her horn. "I... didn't intend to do that."
Rainbow punched the shimmering wall. "Turn it off! We have to save Soarin!"
"And Aria!" Adagio shouted, shooting Rainbow a venomous glare.
Rainbow ignored her, too busy pushing against the barrier. Rarity squeezed her eyes shut and thrust her hands out. One-by-one, the diamonds melted away, and Rainbow tore down the hall at supersonic speed.
"Rainbow, wait!" Sunset called after her. She got an impassioned yell in response. Muttering a curse under her breath, Sunset ran forward, tugging Twilight along. Through the darkness, Sunset could just make out Rainbow's glowing outline.
It grew brighter as Sunset ran closer, darting and weaving around a foe Sunset couldn't make out yet. The tunnel finally came to an end and opened up into a circular den that deepened the chill running through Sunset.
Melted candle wicks sat on rocks lining the perimeter of the room. Numerous faded spell circles were etched into the hard-packed dirt and filled with strange symbols and letters Sunset had never seen. What ominously looked like old bloodstains took up the center of many of the circles. In the back was a slightly raised dais of black stone, whereupon Aria sat slumped against the wall, eyes closed. Soarin sat next to her, still awake but teeth grit together in pain.
Rainbow threw a flurry of punches at the snake monster, yelling as her rapid-fire fists either went through it or missed entirely. The lamia snatched her by the wrists and flung her toward the wall. Rainbow hit it with a painful thud and slid down to the ground, but jumped back to her feet and charged again. The snake dove into the floor, and Rainbow, riding her momentum, sped into the opposite wall and collapsed to the floor.
"Rainbow!" Fluttershy sprinted toward her, sprouting ears and wings as she moved.
Sunset, meanwhile, ran over and knelt beside Soarin. "You all right?"
Soarin grimaced. "Thing... bit me. Poison numbed... everything. Can't move."
"Horsefeathers," Sunset said under her breath. She looked at Fluttershy, holding her hands over Rainbow, a pink glow enveloping both of them. Sunset chewed the inside of her cheek as she pondered. "Hang on, Soarin, I might have an idea."
Rainbow grunted as Fluttershy pulled her to her feet. "Thanks, 'Shy." She rubbed the blood off her nose and looked around. "Where'd that stupid ghost snake go?"
The rest of their friends had circled up in the center of the room, backs pressed tightly together. Beyond their collective breathing, the room was silent, devoid of any hissing or slithering.
"Let's get out of here before it decides to come back," Sunset said. "Fluttershy, I need you to heal Aria and Soarin of their poison."
"Oh, um, well..." Fluttershy looked at her hands. "I can try, but I don't know if it'll work."
Sunset watched her approach the two unconscious teenagers. Cuts and broken bones were one thing, but if Fluttershy couldn't neutralize the poison, Sunset didn't think they could make it back to civilization before the unthinkable happened.
Fluttershy looked between Aria and Soarin, biting her lip before turning and placing her hands on Aria. A pink glow emanated from her palms and flowed over the Siren until her entire body was bathed in the light. Fluttershy pulled her hands away; the glow lingered for a few seconds before absorbing into Aria's skin.
She remained still, her breath labored and uneven. Fluttershy clasped her hands to her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.
Then, Aria gave a wet cough. She rolled onto her side, lifted her head, and spat out a mouthful of purplish fluid. She coughed and spat some more before sitting up, and resting a hand against her head.
"That sucked."
"Aria!" Sonata cheered, breaking the circle to run toward her.
The lamia burst from the ground and loomed over Sonata, fangs bared. She froze, eyes wide as the snake struck at her.
Twilight shoved her out of the way and held her sword up in a parallel block. The snake clamped down on the blade and ripped it from Twilight's hands, tossing it toward the wall.
"Twilight!" Sunset yelled, feeling a warm wave roll through her body, and her pony ears sprout atop her head.
It was Twilight's turn to freeze up, eyes quivering in horror, failing to even blink. A small whimper escaped her open mouth. Yet, the snake didn't strike. It looked down at Twilight, drops of blood falling from the roof of its mouth.
Every muscle in the room tensed, waiting for a move to be made. Rainbow broke first, charging and leaping at the monster with her shoulder. She caught it in the side with enough force to bowl it over and snap Twilight out of her trance. She backpedaled into Rarity who held her up when her legs buckled.
The snake coiled up and glared at Rainbow. Undaunted, Rainbow raised her fists and widened her stance. The snake leaned back to strike, but Pinkie reacted first, bouncing into the air with her pony assets on display and a ball of swirling colors in her hand. With a powerful pitch, it whizzed through the air, whistling like a firecracker and detonating against the monster's head with a bang and a pop. There was a flash of colors, and the snake man collided against the wall, rolled onto the floor, and ceased to move.
The den fell silent again as everyone waited for the snake to move or sink into the floor. When it remained still for half a minute, Adagio let out a loud sigh and pressed a hand to her eyes. "I was not prepared for today."
"None of us were," Applejack said.
Soarin coughed and every eye fell on him. "Uhh, Fluttershy, could you do that healing thing, please?"
Fluttershy jumped and gasped. "Oh, um, right! S-sorry!" She knelt by his side and placed her hands on his shoulder. A pink glow washed over him and sank into his skin. Then, like Aria, he turned his head away and spat up the toxin.
Sunset walked over to Twilight, still being held by Rarity. "You okay?"
Twilight shook her head and pushed herself into Sunset's embrace, burying her face in Sunset's shoulder. The instant Sunset had wrapped her arms around Twilight, a burst of heat hit her chest then concentrated in her soul. It thrummed, and Sunset saw the cave disappear in a flash of white.
"Twily, please don't lean against the glass like that," her mother warned. But she couldn't help it! She couldn't see the northern water snake from all the way back there! The enclosure was so small and dark; she couldn't even find it with its camouflage.
She pressed her nose against the glass, fogging it and her glasses up with her breathing. She could still barely see the snake. If only she could get just a little closer--
There was a lurch and scraping noise, and the panel of glass fell forward into the small, marshy space. She heard an angry hiss as the snake slithered into view, rapidly flicking its tongue. She backed up a few paces, but that didn't stop the snake from rearing up and bearing its fangs. She turned on her heel to run just as the snake sprung out of its pen.
Then, she stood in front of the half-man, half-snake monstrosity, disarmed and now helpless to fight back. She couldn't decide which emotion had more control, fear or shame. All that training had been for nothing. She was going to get killed by her worst nightmare because she tried to save one of the people she hated the most.
Sunset blinked, tearing herself free of the vision. The heat in her chest vanished and her soul stopped thrumming. She was back in the cave, Twilight still pressed into her shoulder. Rarity and Adagio both stared at her, opening their mouths to pelt her with questions. Sunset threw a finger up to her lip. If Twilight hadn't noticed, it was better she stayed blissfully unaware for now.
Soarin climbed to his feet and dusted his pants off. "Okay, so I've got like, a million questions to ask. The first being, what should we do with that?" He nodded at the unmoving snake.
Adagio jerked a thumb to Twilight's discarded sword. "Stab it through the heart and hope it's not immortal."
Rainbow raised her hand. "I second that!"
"Thirded!" Applejack said.
"Dibs." Aria stood up and approached the sword. A loud bark froze her in place.
Sunset looked down the corridor. Harbinger padded forward, looking no worse for wear. Sunset wondered if it was because she was a spirit wolf or because Fluttershy had healed Soarin. She brushed past the group, leaving a trail of warm air in her wake.
Harbinger stopped at the body of the snake and sniffed it. Her ears flicked twice and she turned her head to fix Soarin with her piercing gaze.
"I mean, yeah, it's not normal, just look at it," he said.
Harbinger growled.
"Ooooh. That makes more sense. Kinda."
Sunset felt a burst of hot air as Twilight sighed into her. "He talks to a ghost wolf. Of course he can."
"She's a spirit, not a ghost," Soarin gently corrected. "And she says this thing isn't supposed to look like this. There's some serious black magic on it."
Applejack looked dubiously at it. "Ah mean, that's bad, but what does she want us to do about it?"
Soarin exchanged a look with Harbinger. "She says one of you can fix it."
Rainbow looked from Fluttershy to Sunset. "Uhh, can you heal black magic?"
Sunset creased her brow. "Well, first of all, that would open up the age-old topic of what is considered to be 'black magic', as opposed to just normal magic used for bad purposes. Secondly, if we did classify this as 'black magic', we'd be trying to purify it, not heal it--and Fluttershy already has her hands on it."
Fluttershy leaned over the creature, gingerly laying her fingers on its arm. She shuddered, but the pink glow spread from her fingertips and across the snake's form. She pulled away, watching with everyone on bated breath. The glow faded out. Seconds passed, but nothing seemed to happen.
Something tugged at Sunset's soul, a feeling not unlike when she had gone into her trances. When Fluttershy reached toward the creature and her hands began to glow again, Sunset felt the warmth in her chest pulse and swell.
She gently tapped Twilight's back and slowly pulled away from her. Behind her smudged glasses, Twilight's eyes were red and bleary.
"I'll be back in a sec, okay?" Sunset said softly. She pecked Twilight on the nose and backed away. Twilight didn't protest, but she looked far from okay with the idea.
Sunset spun on her heel as she approached Fluttershy. Standing before the snake, she could indeed feel a magical presence coming off it. It felt sickly and slimy, and made Sunset want to take a hot shower.
Fluttershy looked up at Sunset. "Harbinger is right. I... I felt something when I touched it. It's in pain. But, I don't know how to help."
Sunset placed a hand on Fluttershy's shoulder. "It's okay. Maybe we can--"
Fluttershy let out a gasp, and the magical aura surrounding her flared intensely, forcing Sunset to look away. When the light dimmed and the spots left her eyes, Sunset peeked them open to see... Fluttershy looking exactly the same. She had a look of awe on her face as she flexed her fingers.
"Sunset, I feel... really good! I don't know what you did, but I feel incredible!"
Sunset looked down at her own hand, still aglow from her own powers. "Umm, you're welcome? I don't think I did anything though."
But Fluttershy had turned her focus back to the snake. She placed both her hands on his arm and closed her eyes. The usual pink glow spread over him, brighter than before. Then, it turned a luminescent white, nearly blinding Sunset again. The light covered the snake's entire body, turning it into a white silhouette.
The entire room gasped as the monster began to shrink down. It's arms faded away, its torso shrank, its head reshaped itself. Fluttershy kept her hands on it the entire time, smiling as it returned to its original shape.
When the light faded away, gone was the hybrid ghost that had terrorized them. In its place was a sleeping snake, black with white stripes running across its back. It was still four feet long and looked like it could strangle any of them if it really wanted to, but it was a far cry from its previous monstrous form.
"I was gonna suggest we try the rainbow, but that works too," Sunset said.
"Oh, you poor thing," Fluttershy cooed. "Who would do this to you?"
"More importantly, why?" Sunset asked under her breath.
Aria leaned in, Twilight's sword hanging lazily in one hand. "Sonata, does that snake look familiar to you?"
Sonata eased forward and looked over Aria's shoulder. She gasped. "That's the snake that tried to bite us when we went to steal the Crystal Heart!"
Sunset's eyes flew open as she took a second look at the snake. She had only seen it once, but it had been coiled around the same heart the Sirens has desired. "Jormungandr!"
"Bless you!" Sonata said.
"You know this snake?" Aria asked.
"You could say I'm familiar with its owner."
Aria growled. "It's owner stopped us from getting the Crystal Heart."
"Which we can all agree was for the best," Applejack said loudly.
"More importantly," Rarity said even louder before Aria could retort, "why was it turned into some monster hiding under the chateau?"
"Maybe it was the spirit of the forest demanding more sacrifices, so it tried to kidnap us poor virgins to place on the altar of the netherworld!" Pinkie cried.
"Bold of you to assume we're all virgins," Adagio said.
Rainbow opened her mouth, no doubt to quip, but Sunset raised her voice over her. "Ignoring the fact that Pinkie's story might have some validity seeing as we're standing in some occult cave, I say we get the heck out of here before any more weird things happen."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Applejack said, turning for the tunnel. Harbinger overtook her, sparing a single glance over her shoulder before forging ahead.
Fluttershy gently picked up Jormungandr, draping him over her shoulders and supporting his head.
Aria gave her an incredulous stare. "You're seriously taking that thing with you?"
"It doesn't deserve to stay down here where it could starve. And I'm sure it's owner misses it terribly."
Actually, she does, Sunset wordlessly remarked. As Fluttershy moved to join the precession, Sunset plucked the sword from Aria's grasp. Aria shoved her hands into her pockets and sulked away.
Sunset handed the sword to Twilight who eyed it with dejection before taking and sheathing it. Sunset almost pulled Twilight into a hug but remembered her powers were still active and had no desire to breach Twilight's soul or do whatever she did to Fluttershy on her.
She settled for simply asking, "How are you doing?"
Twilight shook her head. "I just want to go home and sleep."
"Yeah, I understand." A flash of light came from atop Sunset's head, and a wave of exhaustion hit her, causing her to stagger. Twilight caught her by the arm and kept her upright. "Whoa... yeah, sleep sounds really good right now."
Twilight leaned on her arm as they followed everyone out of the cavern, taking up the rear and separating themselves from Fluttershy and Jormungandr by at least three people.
"All right, snow boy," Rainbow said, hovering next to Soarin. "How do you have magic?"
"I could be asking you that same question. More importantly, why do you have horse ears and bird wings?"
"They're pegasus wings, and I asked you first."
Soarin put his hands up in a nonchalant shrug. "Don't know if I'd call it magic, but Harbinger's been following my family around for generations. We all have some kinda connection to her. She looks out for us and makes sure we stay safe. I guess she was pretty worried about me if she followed me down the mountain."
"Aww, I wish I had a spirit animal," Pinkie whined. "I love Gummy, but he never fights evil ghosts to keep me safe. Or does he...?"
"All right, your turn," Soarin said. "There has to be a rad story behind the glowing and the superpowers."
Rainbow looked back at Sunset. Sunset rolled her eyes and nodded her head. No point in keeping secrets now.
"It's kinda a long story," Rainbow said. "Basically, Sunset came from another world and brought magic here, and now we all have it because we're awesome and represent the aspects of friendship! I mean, the superpowers are still kinda new. Before, we could just get together and shoot a super rainbow laser."
"Man, that has my story beat by a mile," Soarin said with a grin. "I'm guessing the monster attacks are new too?"
"Seriously, the hell was up with that?" Aria asked. "One second, I'm minding my own business, the next thing I know, snake boy has his fangs in me!"
"I don't know," Sunset said with a frown. "Someone with access to a lot of dark magic corrupted a snake of all things and left it here. More importantly, it's a snake some of us are familiar with."
"And didn't Tempest have it last?" Twilight asked. Her voice was low and tired, but everyone heard her question clear as day.
Rarity looked over her shoulder. "You think Tempest set this up as a sort of trap? How would she know we were going to be out here in the first place?"
Rainbow narrowed her eyes at the Sirens.
Adagio didn't bother looking back at her. "Get off our case! We told you before, we don't even know who Tempest is!"
"Call it a magical feeling," Applejack said, "but I'm near positive she's telling the truth."
Sunset slowly exhaled. If anything, that only concerned her more.
*******
Moondancer gently rolled the crystal sphere in the palm of her hand. It had gone dark after Pinkie Pie flung what looked like a firework straight into Jormungandr's face and cut the connection.
"Oh well," she sighed, idly kicking her feet against the chateau's chimney. She had done what she had been told. She had gathered data and more from this excursion. A boy with a spirit animal and the Sirens were now allied with the Spectacular Seven.
They certainly grew more interesting by the day. Their magic was not of earth's, so how was it steadily growing stronger? If they continued to grow, could they possibly...?
Moondancer shook her head. No, they were far too inexperienced. And if the Sirens were still walking about scot-free, the rainbow Moondancer has seen at the Battle of the Bands was no better than the fabled Rainbow of Light.
Besides, if they fought Tirek, Twilight would get involved, and Moondancer still wanted to believe she could avoid that future.
"I'm sorry to give you such a fright, Twily," she said, remembering the abject terror in Twilight's eyes when Jormungandr stared her down. "Though, you already hate me, don't you? What does it matter now?"
She looked up to the moon and stars twinkling overhead. "So, this is what I do now? Hide in the shadows and spy on would-be heroes?" She shook her head. At least she got to get some fresh air outside the manor. She supposed she ought to enjoy it. Who knew when Tempest would return. |
Spectacular Seven | 11. Fathers and Daughters | Trixie kept a tight grip on her hat as she sprinted through the underbrush, ducking and weaving through vines and low hanging branches. Her cape snagged on something sharp, but a hard tug set it free. The rancorous yells and jeers had become uncomfortably close in that short break. Trixie broke into a run again, fumbling her hand in her pocket to pull her wand out. Her sweaty fingers had a hard time getting a grip, and she nearly dropped it once it was finally free.
With a hop and a twirl, Trixie pointed her wand at the ground behind her and shouted, "Lulamoon!"
The ground rumbled and churned. Green tendrils began to spring up, growing as high as Trixie's ankle before halting and blossoming into tulips.
Trixie gave a frustrated shout and stomped her foot. "That was supposed to be a wall of vines and thorns!"
An iron spear whizzed dangerously close to her head and embedded itself in a nearby tree. She could see the silhouette of her pursuers in the green canopy rapidly drawing closer. Forgoing magic, Trixie broke into a run again, hating the amount of sweat this adventure had caused so far.
The humidity of the jungle didn't help. Trixie felt like she was trying to breathe underwater. Insects struck her as she ran, gluing themselves to her bare arms. She wasn't sure what made her angrier: the fact that her repellent spell hadn't worked, or that the bugs were still alive when they struck her and liked to bite!
Trixie wasn't sure how much longer she could keep running. Her lungs burned and her legs ached. She desperately wanted to pause and take a long draught from her canteen, even if the water was lukewarm. Her foot caught on a root and she stumbled and tottered before catching herself. Just as she righted her posture, something grabbed hold of her wrist and yanked her off course into a tree.
The trunk rippled like water as she fell through it and into her father's arms. Artemis pressed a finger to his lips, but Trixie didn't need to be told to keep quiet. She was too busy catching her breath in the cool space to bother with words anyhow.
The angry mob drew closer, shaking the ground with the force of their footsteps. Trixie tensed as the shouts surrounded them on both sides, English mixed in with the native tongue: cries to tie up the intruders and burn them at the stake. Trixie was too young and pretty to be burnt alive!
But the screams and stomps rolled past them with no one slipping into the tree to take hold of them. When the jungle fell silent, Artemis peeked his head out, then gestured for Trixie to follow after him.
She slipped out from the illusion, feeling the full humidity of the region again. Insects hummed and a warthog snorted somewhere in the distance, but the Lulamoons were alone.
"So..." Artemis put his hands on his hips and gave Trixie a stern look. "What have we learned today?"
Trixie took one more breath to refresh her lungs. "Don't assume the natives can't speak English when you insult their village?"
Artemis rubbed his temples. "Close enough. Let's go before they double back." He marched off through the greenery, a pep in his step like they hadn't just been chased.
Well, if her father wasn't worried about it, then neither was Trixie. She followed close behind, trying to rub the remaining bugs off her arms.
Aside from the bugs, angry natives, and less than favorable climates, Trixie had been enjoying her world tour. Sure, they still hadn't found the Rainbow of Light, but Trixie had got to see so many new cities and people! They had outrun an avalanche, fought off a tiger, and snuck into a forbidden temple of doom! Sure, it had already been emptied, but it was still cool.
And yet...
Trixie frowned as she scrubbed off the last mosquito. Every time they were in danger, her magic didn't want to cooperate, no matter how hard she tried. Even simple spells were an effort to cast. She didn't understand; her father made it look so easy. And she was his daughter, so it must be easy for her too, right? She was fine when they practiced, but here in the real world...
It couldn't be stage fright. She was the Great and Powerful Trixie! She wasn't scared of anything! She had absolute confidence in her powers!
She sighed. Perhaps she just wasn't trying hard enough. Yes, that was it. She just had to try harder. She had a great family name to live up to, after all. She would make her father and all her ancestors proud.
They continued their trek through the dense foliage, the sun reaching its zenith and the heat and humidity reaching a new record. With no path to follow, they had to tread lightly on the soft, loamy soil, watching for stray animals or quicksand. Artemis tried not to cut down any plant out of respect to the already furious indigenous people.
After an hour of walking and Trixie finally getting her insect repellent spell to work, the jungle thinned out to a short cliff face. Large roots jutted out from it thanks to the healthy trees above.
Artemis reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn scrap of parchment. "Judging by the map, there should be an opening somewhere close by." The jagged and jutting rocks made spotting any entrance difficult.
"It could also be magically concealed," Trixie said.
"Excellent point, little moon! We must keep an extra sharp eye out."
They stuck close to the wall, Artemis running his hand against the surface. Trixie tapped random parts of the wall with her wand, hoping for any kind of reaction. She begged for them to find it soon so they could escape this horrid heat.
As she dragged her wand against the rock, Trixie felt a jittery tingle run up her arm. She doubled back, feeling it again as she tapped around. "Haha! Father, Trixie has found it!"
Artemis hopped back over and poked the wall with his own wand. "Why yes, Trixie, you have! Brilliant as always!"
Trixie's ears turned pink.
Artemis stepped back and made a sweeping gesture with his wand. "Lulamoon!"
There was a mighty crack and a spray of dust as a fragment of the wall fell away, forming a narrow crevice for them to squeeze through.
"I'll go first," Artemis said, raising his wand. "Stay close behind me."
He slipped into the crevice, having to turn sideways to do so. Trixie tailed him, being just skinny enough to squeeze through normally.
The temperature dropped drastically, as did the lighting. It was near pitch black when the crevice opened up into a small cavern. Artemis lit his wand, tinting the room in a blue hue. Trixie did the same, her wand sparking and sputtering a few times before igniting.
"Do you think the Rainbow of Light is here?" Trixie asked just as she had at every cave, temple, and pawn shop they had come across.
"I'd be lying if I said I was confident," Artemis said. "But that skeleton was clutching this map desperately, and the one rune on here I can decipher is 'magic.' Something magical is in here."
Trixie didn't want to lose faith but was starting to wonder if this was a wild goose chase. What if the Rainbow of Light didn't even exist?
But Megan and Merlin had to have beaten Tirek with something.
Whether or not the rainbow existed, Trixie doubted they would find it in here. Water dripped down from sharp stalagmites into shallow pools, the only source of noise apart from the crunch of hers and her father's boots. The still air and silence made Trixie almost miss the buzz of insects in the jungle.
But, while the cave was devoid of life, it was also devoid of skeletons. Trixie had had enough of them back in the temple. She'd be perfectly happy going through the rest of her life never seeing another one again, including her own.
The path before them sloped downward, steadily at first, then into a steep drop. Twice, Trixie nearly lost her footing thanks to the runoff from the dripping water.
"Hmmm. This seems a bit too easy," Artemis said once the path had leveled out again. "Not that I'm complaining, but usually something tries to kill us by now."
"Does the angry mob not count?" Trixie asked, an edge of irritability in her voice. "Trixie prefers it being easy."
"So do I, but the fact that it is makes me nervous." Artemis continued forward, occasionally giving his wand an extra wave and distorting the blue light.
They were halfway down the last slope when the ground moaned behind them and a rumbling upset their footing. It grew louder, with loose gravel falling from the ceiling.
Trixie groaned. "Don't tell Trixie it's another boulder."
Sure enough, speeding toward them was an obsidian ball of stone, taking up the entire passageway. Artemis and Trixie gave long-standing sighs before Artemis grabbed Trixie by the shoulder.
"Lulamoon!" The world popped out of existence, throwing Trixie into a colorful void. It lasted for only a second before everything popped back. Artemis and Trixie stood in the same spot, but the boulder was now rolling away from them. They watched it disappear into the dark, carrying on for almost a minute before a terrifying smashing noise echoed back to them.
Artemis sighed again. "It's like every civilization got the same idea for a boulder at the same time. It's so cliche now."
Trixie couldn't help but snicker. Only her father would find a boulder run cliche.
They carried on down the tunnel, following the boulder's path. When they caught up to it, they found it had crashed into the entrance to the next room. Artemis pointed his wand at the rock. The blue light disappeared, leaving the tunnel to be illuminated only by Trixie. The light from his wand transferred around the rock in a soft glow. Slowly, it shrank down, diminishing from its massive size down to a marble over the course of a minute.
Artemis kicked it away and stepped into the room beyond. It was a large box made up of tiles in different shades of brown. They lined the floor, walls, and even the ceiling. Each tile had the same symbol on it: a wide eye with a tiny red pupil. The only panel in the room that didn't was the one Artemis currently stood on. Resting at the back of the room was a small plinth with long wooden staff standing upright. A glowing crystal sat nestled between two sharp branches.
Trixie slumped her shoulders. "Something tells Trixie that's not the Rainbow of Light."
"Correct," a cool voice said from behind.
Artemis and Trixie whipped around, wands pointed. Strutting down the tunnel, dressed in a dark traveling cloak was the woman from Prom, the one who had ordered Moondancer to leave. A triangular golden amulet hung from her neck. One look at it made Trixie's skin crawl and her soul shudder.
"You," Artemis growled. "You must be Tempest Shadow."
Tempest made a small mock bow. "It's an honor to meet the famous Artemis Lulamoon. I've heard so much about you."
"What did you do to my niece?" Artemis shouted.
"Nothing that she didn't bring onto herself." Tempest curled her lips into a smirk. "Everything she's done has been a free and conscious choice."
Artemis narrowed his eyes. "Funny enough, I don't believe you."
"Believe what you wish. Now, I will ask you once to step aside. I would like to take what's in that room."
Trixie brought herself to her fullest height. "Never! We found it first! Also, you're probably going to use it for something nefarious."
"I suppose that depends on your definition of 'nefarious.' Regardless, I expected such an answer."
A shadowy pressure descended upon the tunnel. Trixie felt the temperature drop even further, making her almost long for the heat outside. A wind whipped around Tempest's cloak, revealing a suit of light, thin armor plating. Trixie saw one of her arms was whole, albeit covered with scars and pockmarks. The other was missing from just below the shoulder, or it was until a rush of shadows swarmed down and formed a full functioning arm ending in sharp claws.
"Trixie, go get the staff," Artemis said, his voice absent of all his normal joviality.
"But--"
"Now!"
Trixie turned and entered the chamber. A flash of light from behind compelled Trixie to turn around and look. Artemis was holding off Tempest's shadow arm with a shield of light. He pushed her back and with a sweep of his wand, summoned bright doves to divebomb her. Tempest raked her claws through one, turning it to white dust before she was attacked by the others.
Turning her focus back to her given task, Trixie took her first step onto one of the tiles. She heard a short hum to her left and had a split second to duck and throw herself forward before a jet of red light blasted out from one of the tiles on the wall. When she hit the ground, three more hums sounded, and three more red lasers, one from the ceiling, one from the back wall, and one from the right, all blasted at her.
Trixie screamed and rolled up and out of the way before jumping back as another laser came from above, then another from the left, then from the right, then from the left again. No matter where she stepped, a laser blasted from one of the tile eyes.
She danced back and forth, desperate to not get fried. A laser shot down through her cape, leaving a gaping singe mark. She screamed again and threw herself back to the entrance, landing on the only safe square. The lasers stopped and Trixie doubled over, taking a large gasp of air.
Artemis flew over Trixie's head, tucking into a roll as he landed and springing to his feet just as seven lasers fired at him from all directions. He spun, ducked, and jumped, dodging most by the skin of his teeth. One fired through his hat, leaving a hole similar to the one in Trixie's cape. Another one brushed against his shoulder, and he yelled in pain as it seared his skin.
"Father!"
Artemis jumped again, waving his wand as he did. Before he landed, a blue sigil appeared beneath his feet, floating just above the ground. Instead of the tiles, he landed on the sigil, and the lasers stopped.
Trixie turned back toward the tunnel in time to see five shadowy claws reaching for her. She hopped backwards and thrust her wand forward, shooting a desperate beam of purple energy forward. It hit Tempest's shadow hand, forcing her to recoil, but Trixie was now left to the mercy of the laser blasts again.
"Trixie, bubble shield!" Artemis called.
She hopped to the left to avoid getting shot and frantically swung her wand, trying hard to think of a shield around herself.
A shield did pop up, but it formed around Tempest instead, who had been watching the chaos with a bemused expression up until that point. Her grin melted and she punched the bubble. It wobbled but stayed firm.
Thinking quick, Trixie ran forward and shoved Tempest back down the hall, Tempest turning and tumbling inside the dark blue sphere. It bounced against a sharp rock and popped, freeing Tempest and dropping her on her back. She rolled up and charged toward Trixie.
Trixie pointed her wand out, imagining the doves like her father had summoned and cried, "Lulamoon!"
A few motes of light drifted out and floated toward the ceiling.
"Eeep!" Trixie huddled as Tempest lobbed a ball of dark energy at her.
Artemis jumped in front of Trixie and swung his wand like a tennis racket, knocking the energy ball back. He then reached into his sleeve and pulled out a deck of cards. Like a Las Vegas dealer, he whipped the cards out onto the ground at breakneck speed, lining the space between them and Tempest.
Tempest smacked the energy ball into the wall where it left a deep singe mark, then stared blankly at the cards on the ground. "What kind of dumb trick is this?"
"I call it, solitaire!" Artemis flicked his wand upward. The cards crackled with electricity before arcs of lighting shot up to the ceiling. They spread out like a spiderweb, creating an electric curtain between Tempest and the Lulamoons.
Artemis turned with a flourish of his cape and ran back to the edge of the chamber. He pointed his wand at the staff in the back but it refused to move. "Figures." He looked over his shoulder to see Tempest reaching out with her shadow hand to grab the cards on the ground. Electricity arced up her arm, but she merely gritted her teeth and bared it, crushing the cards in her grasp.
"Trixie," Artemis said, "I need you to teleport over there and grab the staff. I'll hold Tempest off."
Trixie looked at the space between her and the staff. It couldn't have been more than twenty yards, but it felt like an entire football field to her. She gripped her wand and swallowed. "O-okay. Trixie can do that."
Artemis patted her shoulder before strolling forward. "Of course you can. You're a Lulamoon!"
Tempest swatted the cards away, canceling the electric wall. She rolled her neck and scowled. "If parlor tricks are the best you can do, perhaps I was wrong to be cautious of you."
"I find beauty in the simpler things in life." Artemis adjusted his hat and raised his wand over his head. "But if it's razzle-dazzle you want, I'm more than happy to provide! Lulamoon!"
Tempest's cloak fluttered and drifted upward before her entire body rocketed up to the ceiling and remained there. She growled and extended the claws on her black arm. Artemis stepped out of the way, watching them impale the hard dirt. Tempest fell to the floor, landing like a cat and lunging at Artemis. He spun out of her reach and ducked under her first swing before she caught him with a hard kick to the side. He stumbled back but let loose a fireball that grazed Tempest's armor.
Trixie tore her gaze away as her father found his footing again and leaped out of the way of Tempest's next punch, which left a crack in the wall. Her father could handle himself, Trixie had to believe in that. Just like how he believed she could get the staff.
"Just teleport," Trixie said to herself. "Just like Father. You've done it before. It's easy."
She stared at the plinth, etching it into her mind, then closed her eyes. Trixie imagined herself standing on it, the staff an inch away from her face. Holding her wand out in front of her, she let the magic flow through her veins into every part of her and whispered, "Lulamoon."
The world twisted around her, vanishing in a puff of smoke. Spacetime shoved her forward, and the cave reappeared before her eyes in a second puff. A hum rose to her ears, and Trixie realized the staff wasn't as close as she wanted it to be.
She twisted on her heel, a red beam of energy shooting up from the floor, grazing her cheek and singing her hair as she dodged out of the way. She ducked under a shot from the left wall, then frog-hopped onto the plinth as another shot burned a second hole in her cape. She grabbed the staff and held it like a life preserver. It was warm in her hands and she could feel magical energy running through it.
Trixie almost called out to her father, stopping herself when she saw the battle he was locked in.
Tempest had turned her shadow hand into a jagged blade and was trying her hardest to cut Artemis in half. Artemis, for his part, put on a display of incredible and artful dodges, staying just out of harm's way by the hairs on his chin. Though by the panicked murmurs of, "No, no, no, nope!" Trixie knew his oddly graceful display wasn't by choice.
Artemis finally got just enough distance to swing his wand and blast a gust of air to shove Tempest further down the tunnel. He then began to swing it in a wide circle, a thin trail of fire following his arc. The flame grew larger with each rotation until he moved it over his head, where it began to take form. Thin arms ending with clawed hands, a long snout with wide whiskers, and a narrow, serpentine body. The cavern glowed red from the fiery Chinese dragon making circles over Artemis. From her place in the back, Trixie had to hold a hand up to block the heat radiating from it. Artemis pointed his wand at Tempest, and the dragon let out a roar before surging forward.
Tempest took a knee and smashed her palm into the dirt. A black dome rose up and encased her as the dragon descended and engulfed everything in flames. The heat magnified, but Artemis didn't look away. He raised his hands, and the fire swirled into a towering inferno that hit the ceiling. He then clapped his hands together, and in a flash of white, the flames turned into ice.
It was beautiful; tendrils and swirls of fire perfectly frozen in time to create a swirling crystal pillar. Artemis made another wide circle with his wand, and the faint sheen of a forcefield rippled between him and the crystalline tower. He turned to face Trixie.
"That won't hold her forever. Come, let's get out of here while we can."
Trixie nodded. As she prepped herself to teleport back, Tempest smashed through the ice, eyes narrowed and brow creased as she charged full speed toward Artemis. She slammed into the forcefield instead and flew onto her back. Trixie could hear a muffled curse from the other side of the barrier. She snickered to herself before closing her eyes and shouting, "Lulamoon!"
In two puffs of smoke, she stood beside her father, the staff still in her hands. "Ha! I did it! Trixie is amazing!"
Tempest dropped from a black portal above them, slamming a boot into the side of Artemis' head as she fell. She landed, grabbed the staff with one hand, and backhanded Trixie with the other.
Trixie's face stung, both from the force of impact and from the shadowy burn Tempest had left on her. Trixie pointed her wand at Tempest, unsure of what exactly she wanted, but shouted, "Lulamoon!"
Brightly colored magnolias burst from the end.
Tempest smirked and lifted her shadow palm at Trixie's chest. A sphere of black energy burst to life, and Trixie tried to conjure her bubble shield, praying it would work this time.
Two strings of multicolored ribbons wrapped around both of Tempest's wrists. Her arms snapped behind her back, and Artemis swung her around and slammed her into the wall. He reached forward, ripped the staff from Tempest's grasp, and cut the ribbons extending from his sleeves. They continued to move on their own, trying Tempest's arms together.
Tempest's shadow arm faded out of existence, freeing up her real one. She spun around and shook the ribbons off before summoning her left arm back.
Artemis tapped his chin. "Hmm. Never really considered that flaw in my trick." He jumped back, avoiding Tempest's claws.
Trixie scrambled out of the way of her father, retreating up the tunnel to give him more room to fight. She bit her lip, watching as a blast missed him by inches. There had to be something else she could do to help. She pointed her wand at Tempest, trying to think of the most effective spell that wouldn't backfire. Tempest got dangerously close to hitting Artemis who was stuck on the backfoot, using quick shield spells and small blasts of magic.
With a wave of her wand, Trixie threw a fireball at Tempest, briefly giddy at how effortless it had been. Tempest batted it away, barely giving it a glance as she aimed a high kick at Artemis.
Stamping her foot and huffing, Trixie prepared to cast the spell again but paused as an idea struck her. Instead of hitting her, I'll just hinder her instead! She moved her wand to aim at her father. If there was one thing Trixie prided herself on, it was her illusion magic.
"Lulamoon!" she cried, a spark of energy shooting from her wand.
Artemis pivoted on his heel, twisting out of Tempest's slash and forcing her to overextend. The spell struck her instead, and in a flash of light, two Tempest Shadows stood in front of Artemis.
"Eeeep!" Trixie cried.
The two Tempests stared confused at each other. One leaned away, and the other mimicked her movement. They both raised a fist to strike each other, the one on the right passing through the other like it was smoke. Its figure disrupted for a moment, then formed back together. Both of them grinned maliciously and turned toward Artemis.
He was shoving the staff down his long sleeve, pushing the crystal just past the cuff when the twin Tempests returned their attention to him. The crystal vanished into the confines of his shirt, and he raised his arms. "Tada! Nothing up my sleeves!"
Both Tempests growled. They reared their fists back, but Trixie waved her wand again, forcing the illusion to fade into vapors. Down to one opponent, Artemis bloomed a venus flytrap looking flower from his wand that snapped onto Tempest's hand, drawing blood. Her fist kept going, however, and crashed into Artemis' chest, sending him to the ground.
Tempest planted a boot on his abdomen, ripped the flytrap off, and aimed a dark blast at his face. "Where did you send the staff?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Artemis said airly. "As long as you don't have it, it doesn't matter where it is now."
Before Tempest could retort, Trixie flung the strongest blast of raw magic she could muster. A bright ball of white energy surged down the tunnel, coalescing into a spinning sphere. Tempest brought her shadow hand to block it but it still flung her back. She stumbled but stayed on her feet, digging her heels into the dirt as the magic shoved her backwards. It pushed her right up to the threshold of the laser chamber, whereupon her claws dug into it and she blasted it back toward Trixie.
Artemis bounced to his feet and held his wand up. The magic sphere hit it and transformed into a swirling vortex, growing smaller as the wand absorbed it, leaving nothing behind.
Tempest rolled her shoulder and scoffed. "Well, it's good to know all those rumors weren't baseless. But if the staff is no longer here, I have no more business here either." A rush of cold air blew down the cavern and a black portal opened behind her.
"Oh no, you don't!" Artemis shouted. A golden lasso sprung from his wand.
Tempest smirked and jumped backwards, vanishing into the swirling darkness before the lasso could reach her. The portal closed on itself and melted away, leaving a few wisps of shadows behind.
"Dang it!" Artemis huffed before clutching his chest and dropping to one knee. "Ngh... maybe I am getting too old for this."
Trixie ran to his side and knelt next to him. "Are you okay?"
He gave her a full-toothed smile. "Just a few bruises. Nothing a veteran adventurer like me hasn't dealt with before." He looked at the burn on Trixie's face and frowned. "The question is, are you okay, little moon?"
Trixie huffed and turned her nose up. "Of course Trixie is fine. That Tempest Shadow barely laid a finger on me."
Because Father did all the work.
Her confidence deflated like a punctured balloon. Sure, her father had done most of the fighting, but she had gotten the staff like he asked... after almost getting fried by lasers. And she had used her illusion magic on Tempest instead of him. And her bubble shield had backfired...
Her haughty smirk faltered and her shoulder dropped half an inch. It wasn't much of a change from her proud presentation, but it was still enough for Artemis to notice.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?"
"Nothing!" Trixie said automatically. "Here, Trixie can heal your wounds!" That would make up for her lack of contributions! "Lulamoon!"
A soft light glowed from her wand tip. Artemis winced, grabbing his chest and sucking in a deep breath. The glow washed over him like a wave, and the bruise on the side of his head faded. The light dulled, and Artemis poked himself a few times in the gut, laughing nervously. "Well, sweetheart, you've definitely removed the pain... but, er... I think you may have removed my spleen by accident as well."
Trixie's hand fell limp and she bowed her head. "Oh..."
"Now, now, little moon, that's easily fixable! You still did a tremendous job!"
"No, I didn't," Trixie mumbled, tears starting to sting her eyes. "I've been messing up spells this entire adventure! I couldn't even get the insect repellent spell to work! I couldn't help you fight Tempest, I almost lost the staff. Maybe... maybe I'm not cut out to be a Lulamoon."
The solemn idea caught Trixie's heart in a vice. If she wasn't good at magic, then what was she good at?
Artemis cupped a hand to her face. "Trixie, don't say that. Of course you're a Lulamoon," he said gently.
"But, look at all the times I've messed up! I'm nowhere near as good as you are! I try to picture all my spells working like yours and they all backfire! Every time we're out doing real adventures, I just... panic. You make everything look so easy."
Artemis let out a soft chuckle. He moved into a sitting position and patted the dirt next to him. "You know... I used to compare myself to Apalla all the time," he said wistfully. "She was always the better one between the two of us. She learned spells quicker, she was more nimble, she had more friends. Of course, I inherited the best looks."
Trixie chuckled weakly, wiping her eyes.
"She was the older twin, so naturally, I looked up to her. I tried to do everything like she did. More often than not, my own spells would backfire on me. We would put on dual performances for our friends. Hers would always go off without a hitch. Mine would... not a lot of the time."
"Really?"
"But of course! Magic may run in our blood, but it needs refinement, just like any other skill. And what works for some may not work for others. I make everything look 'easy' because I've found my own rhythm, just like you will someday."
Trixie looked down at her wand sitting idly in her palm. Was that what she was doing wrong? Was she thinking too hard about what her father would do instead of doing what felt right? Her illusion spell had worked, it had just been misaligned. But the secret to success couldn't be that simple. Though, she reasoned, her spells worked better when she wasn't thinking too hard about them. Maybe it really was that easy.
She breathed deep and nodded her head. She had been mimicking her father for so long, it would be a hard habit to break. But if it meant being better at magic, she would try.
"Good," Artemis said. "And, more to the point..." He placed a finger under Trixie's chin and lifted her head up so she met his eyes.
"Being a Lulamoon isn't just about knowing spells and going on magical quests," he said in a soft but serious voice. "Yes, you come from a long line of witches and sorcerers, and we do have an important role in the world. But that's not what defines us, Trixie. I love that you love magic, but if you had wanted to be an accountant, I would have been just as happy. Being a Lulamoon means following your dreams, doing your best, and trying to leave the world a better place than you found it. Magic or not, you will always be a Lulamoon. And your mother and I will always be proud of you."
Trixie hiccuped and buried her face in her father's shirt. He wrapped his arms around her, and she cried harder. She hated sappy, cheesy monologues like that! Specifically because it led to tears and she hated crying! But her heart swelled at her father's words, of knowing that she was, in fact, making her ancestors and more importantly, her parents proud.
Though why on Earth would she ever want to be an accountant?
Once her tears had stopped falling, Trixie pulled herself away and got to her feet. She put her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out, holding her head up high. "Trixie is going to become the greatest magician in the world and find the Rainbow of Light! That is her dream! Then, everyone around the world will know of her amazing feats of magic and heroism!"
Artemis threw his head back and laughed heartily. "That's my girl! I can't wait to see your name up in lights!" He climbed to his feet as well, wincing and grabbing his side as he tried to straighten up. "Wait, one second. Lulamoon!"
He pointed his wand at his stomach and sighed. "All right, spleen's back. Now, let's get out of here. This cave is depressing."
"Agreed. Trixie can't believe she's saying this, but she actually misses the jungle." The two turned up the tunnel and started their hike. They were halfway up when Trixie paused. "Wait, Father... do you really not know where you sent the staff?"
Artemis laughed again. "Of course I do! Granted, I warped it in a hurry, but I sent it to one of the safest places on the planet!"
********
A soft thunk woke Selena up and forced her upright from the bed, hands raised in self-defense. The bedroom was still pitch black... save for a soft glow coming from near the door.
Cautiously, she grabbed the dagger behind the headboard and crept out of bed. She lowered her guard an inch when she saw it was just a wooden staff with a bright crystal on top. Her first thought was Artemis had sent it from wherever he and Trixie were. Her second thought was, how much trouble did they get into getting it?
Curiosity sated, Selena put the dagger back where it belonged and climbed into bed. The staff could wait until she was properly awake.
*******
Two birds chirping outside on her balcony roused Moondancer from her slumber. A groggy groan rose from the back of her throat. Thanks to last night's exploits, she couldn't have gotten more than six hours of sleep, and like most nights recently, it had been restless.
Morning light shone from her balcony door and across her bed. Combined with the chirping birds, Moondancer saw little point in trying to go back to sleep. She lifted herself into a sitting position and gently peeled off the wet washcloth from the burn on her face. She winced as the cool air brushed against it, letting the pain run its course before she got up from her bed.
She shuffled into the bathroom and began her morning routine, trying her hardest to not look at herself in the mirror. She freshened up, changed into a casual blouse and long skirt, and made her way back to her nightstand, where her mask and a bottle of aloe vera waited for her. Very, very gingerly, she rubbed the clear gel onto her burns, stifling her hisses of pain by clenching her jaw. When the aloe vera was applied, she carefully slipped the mask on, feeling the gel squish across the inside.
Moondancer sighed, then placed her hand against her chin. Today was like every other morning, even if she was starting a little earlier than usual. But she couldn't help but feel she had forgotten something.
Negligible, I suppose. If it was truly important, she'd remember eventually. She opened her room door and headed down the corridor. Breakfast first, then I'll see if the roses are in bloom. I'm sure Mother would love to see them.
That would take Moondancer to about noontime, then she would have to do the maddening task of finding something to occupy her time for the rest of the day. She was quickly running out of books to read, and the piano brought her less and less joy every time she played it. She pushed the thought away for now. There were still a few hours before she had to cross that bridge.
Moondancer made her way downstairs and into the dining room. A silver serving dish with a cloche resting on top waited for her on the massive table. The room was empty otherwise, as it usually was. She walked over and lifted the lid off, blinking hard at what laid beneath.
Pancakes coated in frosting and sprinkles greeted her, still warm. Planted into the top were a 1 and 8 candle, currently unlit.
"Oh," was all Moondancer could say. That was what she had forgotten.
She was eighteen today.
Which meant it had been almost ten years since her life had been upended.
"Happy birthday, Lady Moondancer!"
Moondancer didn't jump at Lemon Fresh's sudden voice. She was too transfixed by the candles. "Thank you," she said weakly.
If Lemon noticed the lack of energy in Moondancer, she didn't comment on it. She approached the birthday pancake with a lighter in hand and ignited the candles. "You're never too old to make a wish!" she said cheerily.
Moondancer took a seat and watched the tiny twin flames flicker. In years past, she had wished for one thing: Tirek's permanent death so her mother could wake up. Now, she was torn between that or wishing her face would stop burning.
She took a short breath and blew out the candles, deciding to keep with traditions. What was a little pain compared to the eradication of evil?
Lemon clapped her hands. "I hope you enjoy your birthday today! I'm making your favorite pasta for dinner as well!"
Moondancer managed a weak smile. Putting on her other mask took more effort than usual today. "As always, you spoil me, Lemon Fresh."
She gave Moondancer a sympathetic smile. "I just want your eighteenth birthday to be nice, My Lady. I know the last month hasn't been easy for you..."
"You're too kind." Moondancer pulled the candles out and set them aside. "After recent ordeals, I have to believe that things can only go up from here."
"That's the spirit, My Lady." Lemon Fresh took the candles and gave Moondancer a curtsey before retreating to the kitchen. Like all of the food she made, the pancakes were delicious; sweet and fluffy with an extra sugary layer thanks to the frosting. It was almost enough to lift Moondancer's spirits.
She cleared her plate and leaned back in her chair, taking in the hush of the dining room. Ten years ago, the room had been filled with her parents, her aunt and uncle and Trixie, and a few friends from school. Then she had gone six years sitting by herself.
Then Twilight walked into her life. Three perfect birthdays where she got to go out into the world and share everything with her best friend.
Moondancer stood from the table and made her way to the garden. There was little point dwelling on the past; she had to keep walking forward. She didn't have a choice.
Fair weather greeted Moondancer as she stepped outside, a surprise with how close summer was. A cool breeze blew over the mountains, keeping the morning heat down and wafting the scent of budding flowers through the air. Moondancer slipped her gardening gloves on, picked up her old wicker basket, and grabbed her shears.
The early spring flowers were beginning to wilt and drop their petals as the heat increased, while late bloomers stood proud and healthy. A large patch of dirt sat empty close to the gazebo, where Moondancer would plant her summer seeds when she found the energy to sneak out and buy them.
A beautiful batch of blue roses bloomed along the back wall. Taking her shears, Moondancer snipped off an even dozen and clipped their thorns before laying them neatly in her basket. Her main task done, Moondancer gave all of her flowers a generous sprinkle from the hose, creating a shimmering rainbow as the water caught the sun's light.
Back inside, Moondancer selected a vase from the glass cabinet, filled it with water, and neatly arranged the roses: six on the outside, five tucked behind them, and one in the very center. Flowers in hand, Moondancer ascended to the tower at the back of the mansion.
"Hello, Mother," she said, pushing the door open with her hip. "I brought your favorite... what are you doing here?"
Night Shade sat by Apalla's side, one hand resting atop hers. Despite his nice suit and clean-shaven face, he looked haggard and despondent, and his eyes held no light. He looked in Moondancer's direction as she entered. "Good morning, Moondancer. Happy birthday."
Moondancer was careful not to slam the vase on the bedside table. She took the time to make sure it was centered while she calmed her nerves. When the display was perfect, she turned on her heel and addressed her father. "Good morning. Why are you here?"
He looked at Apalla, her lidded eyes vacant as she stared out the window. "I came to see your mother. And I knew you would be up here today."
"There's only so many places I'm allowed to go." Moondancer crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Can I help you with something?"
Night Shade reached over and pushed a lock of hair out of Apalla's face. "You take good care of her."
"Someone has to." Moondancer chilled her words to the lowest temperature they could go. She could count on her hands the number of times she had run into her father up here, and none of them had been recent.
He moved his eyes to the window. "I saw you in the garden earlier. The flowers look lovely."
Moondancer pretended to swoon and held a hand over her heart. "Goodness, your approval has set me all atwitter. I should savor such praise; who knows when you'll give it out again."
"Moondancer--"
"What are you doing here?" she asked again.
"Am I not allowed to see my wife?"
"Well, I suppose it is time for your once a year check-up."
Night Shade narrowed his eyes, a rare heat filling them. "You shouldn't make baseless assertions like that."
"They're hardly baseless with the scant amount of times you've been up here."
The heat left her father's eyes, and he said in a guilt-laden voice, "I admit, I made it a point that our paths did not cross up here. I preferred to spend time with Apalla alone. As I'm sure you did."
Moondancer moved her hands to her hips, her foot still tapping erratically. While she couldn't fault him for that line of thought, it was still a point against him for largely ignoring her all these years. "So, you decided our paths should cross today? Is this the part where you give me my birthday money then go back to hiding in your office?"
Night Shade fixed his gaze on the blue roses. "I just thought... it's been a while since we've all been together as a family."
"Not at all helped by you," Moondancer said, the ice in her voice beginning to crack.
"I... admit, I've--"
"No," Moondancer said firmly, swiping a hand through the air. "Don't spend ten years avoiding me and then think showing up by Mother's side on my birthday is going to magically make everything better!"
"I wasn't--"
"Then why--are--you--here?"
"Because I'm trying to make up for it!" Night Shade yelled, jumping to his feet and finally looking Moondancer in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Moondancer! I'm sorry for pushing you away all these years! I'm sorry for letting Tempest barge her way into our lives!"
He turned toward the window. "That woman.... After she took Apalla's soul... she threatened to do the same to you if I still needed persuading, and I... I couldn't lose both of you. She kept holding it over me as a bargaining chip, and anytime that wasn't enough, she'd put the damn necklace near me and... all my strength just drained away. I thought, maybe if I just held you at arm's reach, pretended I didn't care..."
"What, she'd stop threatening to take my soul away?" Furious tears welled up in Moondancer's eyes. "You thought virtually abandoning me would spare me from Tempest's wrath?"
"Yes," he said quietly.
"Then you're a coward and you're stupid." She wiped the tears off her cheek. "Tell me, when did you finally realize your brilliant plan wasn't working? May I have a guess? Was it when I came home with half of my face?"
Her father, wisely, chose not to answer.
Moondancer gave a loud, slow applause. "Fantastic job protecting me. Father of the year, everyone!"
"I didn't expect you to join with Tempest!" Night yelled, spinning around to face Moondancer again. "I wanted you to stay out of all this!"
"She stole my mother's soul, has a hold over your company, and comes over to the house every other day! How was I supposed to not get involved!"
Night Shade pulled on his hair. "I don't know! I thought after I convinced her to let you go to school, you'd get to have a normal life!"
Moondancer balled her fists, digging her nails into her palm. "That's real hard to do with her hovering over me and constantly reminding me that if I breathe one word to anyone, she'll take mine and Twilight's soul!" She gave an incensed huff and looked down at her mother, completely unaware of the shouting match between her husband and daughter.
"I wish I couldn't care what Tempest is doing. But, I want my mother back. I had to do something."
"So you thought helping Tempest even more with this... this world domination scheme was the best way to do something?"
Moondancer raised her head, eyes burning. "Well, unlike you, I have a--" She bit her tongue.
Night Shade looked at her, bewildered. "What? You have a plan?"
"No," she said evenly.
"Moondancer--"
"Enough!" she yelled. The scars on her face flared, forcing her to press a hand to her mask. "I have no desire to continue this conversation!"
Night Shade reached a hand out. "But--"
Moondancer turned her back to him. "Your apology is just a touch too late, Father!" she spat, the burning getting worse. "If you're trying to make up for lost time, I'd advise you don't. You'll just waste more of it."
She stalked out the door, leaving her father to look dejectedly after her. |
Spectacular Seven | 12. Sworn to the Sword | It was early morning when Sunset and her friends trudged back through the Everfree Forest. It had been an uneasy night, even with Harbinger standing guard. But between sleeping huddled together in the haunted house and walking two miles through the forest at night, staying in the house won out only because they had a guardian now.
Packing up had been a quick and subdued affair, done as soon as the sun had risen over the trees. The second everyone had their stuff together, they hurried down the hill and into the forest, none of them sparing the old chateau a second glance.
Even with the subdued conversations and groggy attitudes everyone kept as they marched back home, Twilight's withdrawn nature was palpable. Head bowed and hand fidgeting against her sword, Twilight looked removed from the world. Her brow occasionally creased and her mouth moved wordlessly, but she made no interactions with the group.
Sunset wanted to reach out to her, even if it was just a gentle tap on the shoulder. But, the aura Twilight let off told Sunset she didn't even want the usual touches of affection. So, Sunset kept her peace but remained close to Twilight's side, hoping her storm cloud would evaporate soon.
They took up the front of the procession while Fluttershy volunteered to remain near the back, Jormungandr draped over her shoulders again. The snake was still asleep, having not stirred all night.
Applejack cleared her throat. "So, uhh, should we talk about what happened?"
"A magic snake tried to eat us, and you girls plus a spirit wolf stopped it," Adagio deadpanned. "There, recap over. Now, I personally never want to talk about last night ever again."
"Actually, that reminds me..." Sunset looked over her shoulder. "Mind explaining that wailing from last night?"
"Oh look, we're still talking about it." Adagio crossed her arms. "Well, since you broke our gemstones and destroyed our voices, we can't sing. However, we found our natural Siren abilities still have some use, even with our damaged vocal cords. We can make quite the racket when we scream."
"It's even worse if we do it at the same time," Aria said, doubling back to help Rarity, struggling again with her suitcase. "Seriously though, I don't wanna talk about last night for like, a week."
"Aww, it wasn't that bad," Sonata said. "We were like the stars in a horror movie! And none of us died! Oh, oh, we should like, totally tell Hollywood about what happened so they make a movie about us!"
Pinkie gasped. "That sounds super awesome! Sonnie, you're a genius!"
"For realsies?"
"Not by any stretch of the imagination," Adagio said under her breath.
Just behind her, Soarin and Rainbow were engrossed in conversation. Despite last night's exhausting events and marginal amount of sleep, Rainbow was full of energy.
"So, like, if you have an awesome spirit wolf that fights for you, why don't you go like, fight crime and stuff?"
Soarin shrugged. "I mean, she already patrols the mountain and has helped save people there. That counts right?"
"I mean, yeah, but like, go stop bank robbers or serial killers. Cool things like that!"
"I didn't even know Harbinger would follow me down here. She kinda does whatever she wants. I mean..." Soarin spread his arms and looked around. "I don't even know where she went."
While Harbinger had prowled the grounds while they slept, come morning, the white wolf had vanished. Soarin continued, "Besides, why don't you use your powers to stop crime."
Rainbow grinned and ran her knuckles against her chest. "Well, not to brag but, me and my friends have already saved the world twice."
Soarin grinned in interest. "Oh? Do tell."
"Don't," Sunset, Twilight, and Adagio all said in unison.
They finally reached the edge of the forest, their cars waiting for them just off the road. Everyone paused for a quick breather before packing their things. Living only a mile away, Applejack bid everyone farewell and trudged down the dirt road, bag slung over her shoulder.
Aria tossed her bag into the back of Rainbow's car. "Well, Rainbooms--"
"Spectacular Seven," Pinkie corrected.
Aria rolled her eyes. "Like it matters. Despite nearly dying, this trip wasn't awful."
"I had fun!" Sonata chirped.
This time, Adagio rolled her eyes but said nothing.
"Well, I'm glad someone enjoyed themselves," Rarity said. "Oh, and I'll call you about the dresses, Aria!"
"I don't have a phone."
"Oh. Well, we'll work something out!"
Adagio raised an eyebrow at Aria, who gave a bored shrug before climbing into her seat. Pinkie and Sonata hugged it out like they weren't going to see each other for months. Soarin jumped into the front seat while Rainbow cautiously approached Fluttershy, Jormungandr still snoozing around her.
"So, arts and crafts fair tomorrow, yeah?" Rainbow barely kept a lid on her lack of enthusiasm.
Fluttershy, however, looked the happiest Sunset had seen her days. She eagerly nodded her head. "One o'clock! I'm even participating in the yarn-off this year!"
Rainbow at least managed a genuine encouraging smile. "Awesome. See ya then."
She drove off with Soarin and the Sirens, while the remaining girls shoved their things around Rarity's suitcase and filed themselves into the car.
"Uhh, why don't you take the front seat, Twilight," Sunset said.
Twilight gave an unreadable look to Fluttershy and the snake but gave Sunset a glance that said, 'thank you,' before taking her seat. From her spot in the back, Sunset could see Twilight sitting rigid as stone the entire way home.
Rarity pulled up to Sunset's house first. Sunset got out, carefully taking Jormungandr from Fluttershy and praying he stayed asleep for five more minutes. Twilight also got out of the car, murmuring a thank you to Rarity before grabbing hers and Sunset's bags.
"Uhh, are you sure you want to come inside right now?" Sunset asked, keeping Jormungandr's head up.
Twilight only nodded before walking up to the front porch. Her demeanor wasn't cold, but it made Sunset shiver all the same. She bade the girls farewell and hurried to the front door.
"Selena, I'm home!" Sunset stepped into the living room and deposited Jormungandr onto the couch. "Shimmer, I've got something that belongs to you!"
Selena came downstairs first, still dressed in her pajamas and robe with Spot trotting behind her. She paused on the landing and raised an eyebrow at the snake on her sofa before finishing her descent and standing in front of Sunset and Twilight with her hands on her hips.
"You're home earlier than I expected. And I see you've brought a guest."
"Yeah, so, crazy story about what happened yesterday," Sunset began. "See--"
"Jorgey!"
Shimmer hustled down the stairs and dived next to the couch. She stared slack-jawed at Jormungandr who finally lifted his head up. He flicked his tongue at Shimmer and slid forward, coiling himself around her shoulders.
"How--when--why?" Shimmer shook her head, and Sunset caught a tear fly away from her eyes. "I don't care! Look at you, my wittle baby! Did that creepy bitch hurt you?"
"Hiissss."
Selena looked from the oddly heartwarming scene of a woman and her snake back to Sunset. "You brought the snake here?"
"I mean, it's hers."
"You brought the venomous snake here, to the thief living in my house," she deadpanned.
Sunset paused and frowned. "Okay, when you say it like that..."
"Oh, relax," Shimmer said, wearing her pet like a scarf. "We're not gonna do anything. To you guys, anyway. Now that I have my partner in crime back, we might go steal something to put money back in my account."
Selena gave Sunset a withering 'look-what-you've-done' glare. "You won't be stealing anything while you're under my roof."
Shimmer gave a noncommittal grunt, focusing more on scratching Jormungandr under the chin. "How the heck did you even find him?" she asked Sunset.
"Again, crazy story about our trip yesterday." Sunset sat down on the couch, joined by Twilight who had Spot curled in her arms. "So, good news first, the Sirens didn't try to kill us!"
"They did try to scare us half to death," Twilight muttered under her breath.
Sunset acknowledged her with a pause before continuing. "Bad news... we found a magically corrupted half-snake man that tried to kill us and may have been sent by Tempest Shadow."
"What?" Selena asked, her face caught between incredulous and dumbfounded.
Shimmer snorted. "Seriously, a half-snake man? Now you're just making shit up."
"I wish it was made up," Twilight said bitterly. "It attacked us and paralyzed Aria and Soarin."
Selena gave a concerned frown. "How did you beat it?"
"We had help from a wolf spirit."
Shimmer threw her hands up. "Seriously?"
Sunset ignored her. "Our magic also kicked in, so that helped. Fluttershy healed everyone, including the monster and, well, it reverted back to..." She gestured to Jormungandr.
Shimmer looked from her pet to Sunset and made a derisive snort. "You're telling me the supposed monster you fought was actually my Jorgey?"
Sunset crossed her arms. "You've seen magic before; why are you being so skeptical?"
"Half-snake man and spirit wolf," Shimmer enunciated slowly. "That's ridiculous, even by your standards."
"Believe me, I know. But, that's what happened. Give me a reason why I would make it up."
Shimmer pursed her lips, at a loss for words. She turned on her heel and marched upstairs. "I hate magic."
Selena steepled her fingers in front of her mouth. "I'm glad you're both all right, and... I'm glad I was wrong about the Sirens. However, this disturbs me even more. Tempest Shadow has enough magic to corrupt normal creatures, and either she knew you would be in the forest, or just released it there for simple chaos. Odds are, it's the first idea."
Sunset nodded. "She's spying on us."
"And until we figure out how, you all need to be more careful. No more unnecessary risks like forest expeditions just to make friends with the Sirens."
"Understood."
"Good." Selena's expression softened. "Now, are you sure you're both okay? You look unharmed, but I can't imagine running into a monster in the middle of a dark forest was pleasant."
Sunset looked over to Twilight. Her shoulders had loosened up when Jormungandr left the room, but her face remained forlorn. Sunset opened her mouth, ready to speak for her, but Twilight set Spot to the side and stood up, removing her sword from her belt loop.
Twilight spoke in a soft, reserved tone. "When we faced the monster... I froze up. I just stood there stammering. And the second time we found it... it disarmed me. I forgot everything you taught me." She wiped the tears from her eyes and held her sword out.
"I'm sorry, Miss Selena. I'm not ready to use this sword. I let you down."
Sunset stood up and put a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "Sparky, you're oversimplifying it. It only disarmed you because you saved Sonata. And you were staring down your worst nightmare; it's not your fault."
But Twilight kept her eyes forward and her arm extended. Selena looked back at her with a neutral gaze. She raised her hand and pressed her palm against the hilt of the sword, gently pushing it back toward Twilight and giving a small shake of her head.
"You haven't let me down, Twilight. If what Sunset said is true, then you've done the noblest thing a sword wielder can do: protect someone else. And you did it while facing a great fear. If anything, I'm proud of you, my student."
Twilight looked down at her sword. "But... I was still--"
"You've been practicing for less than a month, Twilight. No one is expecting you to be a master and start cutting off monster heads. You will keep that sword, and we'll keep practicing." Selena gave a wise smile Sunset knew all too well.
Gripping her sword tight, Twilight looked up into Selena's eyes. "Can we continue right now?"
"You're not tired?"
"No."
Sunset knew that was a lie, but Twilight had that burning look in her eyes whenever she was dead set on an objective. She watched Selena turn for the kitchen, gesturing at Twilight to follow. She took two steps, then turned back to Sunset.
"I'm sorry." Her determined gaze was replaced by desperation, and she fidgeted with her sword. "I just... that snake made me feel so... useless. I thought I was finally contributing something to the group, and then that thing shows up, and I just froze and start having flashbacks, and I didn't know what to do--"
Sunset closed the short gap between them and kissed Twilight on the lips, shutting her up. She held them together until Twilight's quick breathing slowed. Sunset pulled away and cupped a hand to Twilight's cheek. "I'll keep saying it until you believe me: you're not useless. You helped save someone's life. So please, stop thinking you don't contribute anything to this group."
Twilight leaned into her hand. "I'm trying, really."
"I know. If training with Selena makes you feel better in any way then go do it. Just, try not to push yourself too hard right now."
"Okay." Twilight leaned up and kissed Sunset again. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Just being you."
Sunset snorted and softly pushed Twilight away. "Get going, you sappy, sword-wielding dork."
Twilight smiled, the first genuine one in the last twenty-four hours. She hurried after Selena, leaving Sunset alone in the living room until Spot reminded her he was still on the couch. She scooped him into her arms and headed upstairs, eager to take a long shower.
Sunset had her hand on her bedroom door when Shimmer coughed behind her. She still had Jormungandr draped around her neck.
"Listen..." Shimmer sucked her teeth. "Magical weirdness aside... I guess I owe you a thanks. You brought back my Jorgey." She held her hands up. "And I don't wanna know any more details about what happened last night! Don't care how you did it, I'm just glad you did. So, you know... thanks."
Once again, Sunset resisted the urge to make a sarcastic remark about Shimmer showing compassion, and instead just smiled and nodded. "No problem. Just... promise you'll keep him away from my dog."
Shimmer scratched her snake under his chin. "Oh don't worry, Jorgey only eats bugs and rodents, don't you, sweet boy?" she cooed. "You don't have any rats around here, do you?"
"You're on your own for that."
*******
Twilight flinched from the force and the sound of Selena's sword clashing against hers. Despite switching to dulled practice blades, the metal still rang sharply against Twilight's eardrums. She eased a foot back and disengaged her attack before bringing her blade up on the other side of Selena's. She pushed against Twilight with superior force, knocking her sword back before striking.
Block! Backstep! Counter! Keep your eyes on her! Remember your foot placement!
Fifty thoughts and instructions simultaneously ran through Twilight's head as she dueled her mentor. She parried Selena's next attack and extended her arm for a lunge, but Selena sidestepped with grace and slapped the flat side of her sword against Twilight's waist.
"Ow!" Twilight scrambled back into a defensive stance, ignoring the sting of metal. She wiped the sweat from her brow and tightened the grip on her sword.
"You're thinking too hard, Twilight," Selena said, circling her. "Let your moves flow together."
Easy for you to say, she snarked inwardly. Twilight took a deep breath to relax her shoulders then advanced. She struck high, extending her blade near Selena's shoulder, but was quickly parried and countered by Selena moving under her guard and lunging. Twilight stepped back and blocked the strike, flinching again at the collision of their swords.
Parry! Go around her guard! Thrust! Back up! Foot placement! Wrist placement!
"Still thinking too hard, Twilight." Selena gracefully out stepped another of Twilight's thrusts then moved to catch Twilight on her right side. Twilight snapped her wrist down and caught the blade just before the blunted tip nicked her.
Selena smiled. "Better." She stepped back, allowing Twilight to press her attack.
Twilight squinted her eyes, trying to move on instinct instead of following the instructions of her hyper-focused thoughts. Yet the second she eased off her focus, Sunset would wander into her thoughts and she would fumble, or worse, the snake would slither in and she would tremble. Twilight didn't know how to not think about something. The best she could do was streamline her thoughts into quick commands and make desperate, improvised actions when she fell into a vulnerable position.
She and Selena danced back and forth across the backyard, Selena scoring hit after hit every time Twilight thought too hard or moved on the wrong instinct. With every hit from Selena, Twilight swung her sword a little harder, moving as fast as her sword would let her.
Selena smacked Twilight's left arm, and Twilight brought her sword across for a horizontal slash. Selena moved under her arm and stopped the strike before extending her wrist and poking Twilight in the chest. Twilight jumped back and prepared herself for another round, but Selena sheathed her sword and dusted her hands.
"That's enough for today."
Twilight's sword arm went limp, a relief for her aching shoulder. She shook it out and said, "I can keep going."
"That wasn't a suggestion," Selena said, calm but firm. "You're tired and you're growing frustrated, which both make for sloppy form and further irritation. Despite what you may tell yourself, you've reached your limit for today."
Before Twilight could argue a counterpoint, her biology betrayed her and a yawn forced its way out of her mouth. She followed up with a grumble and a curt sheathing of her sword. "Yes, Ma'am."
Selena handed her a water bottle. "As I said before, your resolve is admirable, but you need to learn to bend or else you'll break."
Twilight took a long drink instead of answering. She needed to get better as fast as possible. If Tempest could just make monsters now, who knew when they would be attacked again? Still, the burn in her muscles and the calluses forming on her palms told her a break would be wise.
"May I come back tomorrow?"
"Only if you promise to get some rest tonight," Selena said with a stern wag of her finger. "And make sure to do some meditation before bed."
Twilight bowed. "Yes, Ma'am. Thank you." She gathered her schiavona and headed inside, both relieved and disappointed Sunset hadn't been watching from the kitchen. Instead, Sunset lay strewn out on the couch, fast asleep with Spot curled on her stomach.
Biting down on her thumb, Twilight stifled a giggle. Even with a lock of hair over her face and her mouth slightly open, Sunset looked like an angel. Twilight wanted to wake her up, still feeling like she had more to say about last night, but Sunset looked at peace.
I have to get stronger. For you. So you won't have to keep protecting me.
Twilight gently brushed Sunset's hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. "See you tomorrow, Sunnykins," she whispered. She let herself out the door, closing it slowly and quietly.
Sword clutched at her side, Twilight made her way home. She could feel her arms stiffening and sore spots forming all over from being struck by Selena. A hot bath, then back at it tomorrow. She would train all summer if she had to. The next time she stared down a monster, she would not flinch!
It was only a twenty-minute walk home, but in that short span of time, the exhaustion from yesterday crept up and tackled her, adding to the weight of her weariness from practice. Her feet and knees ached from walking, and she yawned every other minute.
Instead of entering through the front door, Twilight opened the side gate and used her key to unlock the door to her lab. She carefully waded through the dark until she found the light switch, stinging her eyes with the quick transition. Twilight stowed her sword behind her workbench, where her fully completed selfie gyro-drone sat. She had finished up her video for the project yesterday morning and e-mailed it to the scholarship committee.
One down, a bunch to go! Twilight still had a full list of possible scholarships to apply to. She needed all the money she could get if she wanted her three master's degrees and doctorate.
Sword hidden away, Twilight retreated out the side door and circled back around to the front. Until she found a way to explain she was taking sword lessons to her parents, Twilight tried to keep any trace of it a secret, and no one but her ventured into the lab.
"I'm home!" she called as she stepped into the entryway. She had just enough time to slip her shoes off before Spike ran around the corner and jumped at her legs.
"Hi, buddy!" Twilight picked him up and held him close to her face, some of her weariness melting away as he licked her nose. "Hehehe! Were you good while I was gone?"
Spike wagged his tail and moved on to licking Twilight's cheek.
"There you are!" Velvet stuck her head out from the kitchen. "I was starting to get a little worried."
"Hi, Mom." Twilight set Spike down. "Sorry, I stopped by Sunset's house and, um, relaxed for a little bit."
Her mom dried her hands on a towel as she approached. "You could have called, you know. Ugh, you smell like the forest, too. I'm guessing you had a good time."
"It was... an experience," Twilight said, keeping her face as straight as she could. "But you're right, I could really use a wash." She scooted around her mother, eager to get upstairs before any more questions were asked.
She was halfway up the stairs when her mom called up to her. "Remember, your grandma is flying in on Thursday."
Twilight looked over her shoulder, eyebrow raised in concern. "Which one?"
Her mom's sigh was all the answer she needed. Grandma Golden Light, her dad's mother, was the most critical, judgemental person Twilight knew. Her default response to everything was, 'you can do better.' And Twilight would have to stand her for at least a week.
"Just remember," Velvet said, "no matter what she says or even implies, we still love and support you, sweetheart. You've done a great job so far."
Twilight smiled. "Thanks, Mom." She finished her climb upstairs, Spike on her heels. No one outside her parents and brother knew she was a lesbian, and while they had been open and supportive of her relationship with Sunset, Twilight knew she wouldn't be so lucky with her entire family. Her strategy was to subtly ease everyone into it. She was dead set on having Sunset attend the wedding with her, but wouldn't draw attention to the fact that Sunset was her partner. And everyone would be too distracted by Shining and Cadence's courtship, no one would ask too many questions anyway. The heteronormative standard could continue!
Twilight stepped into her room and closed the door. Was that too cowardly of a plan? Twilight didn't want to make Sunset feel ashamed to be dating her. But she couldn't just jump on a table and shout to the reception hall she was in love with another woman. One, her social anxiety would rather see her murdered before doing something like that. Announcing herself as a candidate for Princess of the Winter Ball had been nerve-wracking enough. And two, that would hog the spotlight from her brother and Cadence. It was their wedding day, not Twilight's coming out day.
"Ugh, Spike, what do I do? I can't just walk in there going, 'hey, everyone, this is my girlfriend!' But I don't want to not do that in case Sunset thinks I'm trying to hide us! But I invited her to the wedding, so she wouldn't think that anyway, right?" Twilight pulled on her collar, feeling her shirt constrict her breathing.
Spike rubbed his back on the carpet, pausing to listen to Twilight's rant before resuming his roll.
"Okay, if anyone asks, I'll tell them. And I'll hold Sunset's hand! We'll just act like it's a regular public date! Except it's my family. Who will be silently judging me." Twilight fanned her face. "It'll be fine! Everything will be fine!"
Hundreds of eyes narrowed in her direction as she stood next to the altar. They continued to stare as she and her friends played during the reception. Whispers and pointed fingers followed her as she clung to Sunset's arm.
Twilight desperately fanned her face, taking rapid, short breaths. "Deal with it later! Deal with it later! Everything will be fine! Science! Where's my idea list?" She dropped down into her desk chair and flung a drawer open. Lying on top was one of the numerous notepads she had around her room.
Flipping it over, Twilight read her own tidy scribbles. "Motorcycle repair kit, magnetic chessboard..." She smacked the pad to her head. She still needed to get Sunset a birthday gift!
"Deal with it later!" She tossed the list aside and kept digging, throwing things out haphazardly. She needed something to distract her from her anxiety, not cause her more! Her hand finally brushed against another notebook, and she pulled it out in triumph. "How did you get buried so far down?"
It didn't matter. Twilight flipped through it, looking at blueprints and simple blurbs of ideas, feeling her heart slow back to its normal bpm. So many potential ideas to work on! But where to start?
A rustling on the floor behind her pulled her out of her notes. Twilight turned around to see Spike chewing the corner of a neatly folded paper she had tossed away during her search.
"Spike, no, don't eat that!" She grabbed the other end and tried to pull it out, but Spike gave a playful growl and pulled back, wagging his tail. Twilight reached over and scratched behind his ear, causing him to thump his leg and let go of the paper.
Twilight unfolded it, curious to see what Spike had decided to chew on. "...Oh."
Just as her anxiety dipped, a new pain formed in her chest. Taking up sword practice with Selena had driven this letter from her mind. Twilight traced a finger around the heading and ran a thumb down the margin as she read her own words.
"Moondancer..." Twilight looked at the letter as a whole, still on the fence as to send it or not.
She gasped and jumped over to her calendar, pressing a finger against the day's date. She looked at the letter in a new light. Moondancer turned eighteen today. Twilight wondered how she was spending it. If things had been different, would they be spending it together?
In another universe, would she be having anxiety over taking Moondancer to the wedding instead of Sunset?
Twilight shook her head of what-ifs. Moondancer had made her choice. Twilight read her own letter again. Was that choice made completely of her own free will though? Perhaps Twilight would never know. But, if there was a chance...
She got up, scribbled an extra line onto the letter, and folded it up again before neatly placing it in an envelope.
Twilight had made her choice.
*******
Rainbow rolled the control stick and mashed the A button, grinning in satisfaction as High Heel flew across the stage. She bounced and punched a fist in the air when Zapp landed an aerial smash and knocked off High Heel's last life.
"Ha! Suck on that!" Rainbow shook her hand out as she watched the victory screen. Since the Sirens seemed to be hanging around for the foreseeable future, a Power Ponies rematch with Aria was inevitable, and Rainbow was determined to put her in her place. Second place.
Rainbow set the CPU to its highest difficulty and started the next match. She had just electrocuted High Heel when her phone started buzzing. She paused the game long enough to slip the phone between her ear and shoulder. "Hello?"
"Hey, Dash," Soarin said.
Rainbow's stomach gave a small flip. "Yo, whaddup?" she said, trying to keep casual.
"Nothing much. Whatcha up to?"
"I'm kicking High Heel's ass!" Rainbow grinned as said character flew across the screen.
"Power Ponies? Awesome! You'll have to play me some time."
"Sure, whenever you're in the mood for a whuppin'."
Soarin laughed. "We'll see. Anyway, you like medieval stuff, right?"
Rainbow shrugged. "Only the cool stuff. Knights, mutton, those giant catapults."
"What about jousting?"
"Oh yeah, that's pretty cool too! Oh. come on, that totally missed!" Rainbow grumbled as she lost a life thanks to one of High Heel's cheap stun moves.
Soarin laughed again. "Well, there's a jousting tournament happening and I thought, maybe we could go. Maybe as a date?"
Rainbow could hear his stupid eyebrow wiggle. Still, a jousting tournament? "I'm listening."
"It'll be fun. There's more than jousting there, too. They've got a blacksmith forging actual swords and lances, an archery range, and I'm pretty sure we can buy some turkey legs. It's not mutton, but it's the next best thing."
Rainbow scrunched her face. Talking with Soarin was throwing off her game. She had one stock left while the CPU still had all three. She could see the tournament laid out in her head, watching guys in armor charge at each other on horseback with awesome lances at the ready. And Twilight wouldn't be there to give some lecture about how any of it was 'supposed' to work.
"All right, I'm in! And fine, it can be a date."
"Sweetness! Tomorrow at Rockhoof Field. See you around noon?"
Rainbow nodded. "Sounds good. Just don't expect any mushy, couple-y stuff like holding hands."
"You held my hand in the forest," Soarin said, sounding supremely smug.
"Shut up, that didn't count!"
"Didn't it?"
"See you tomorrow!" Rainbow dropped the phone from her shoulder and quickly hit the 'end call' button before focusing on her game again.
Wait... Something itched in the back of Rainbow's brain. Rockhoof Field is at Six Pillar Park... and didn't I have something else--
"Fluttershy!" Rainbow was supposed to go to the arts and crafts fair at Meadowbrook Garden across from the field... tomorrow.
High Heel delivered a downward kick to Zapp and knocked her into the oblivion below the stage. Rainbow dropped her controller and pressed her hands to her eyes.
"Aw... crap..." |
Spectacular Seven | 13. Different Kinds of Love | Six Pillar Park was seven-hundred acres of fields, gardens, museums, and running trails situated on the western edge of Canterlot City. Rainbow loved to run the Flash Magnus trail on the weekends; a scenic and winding eight-mile tour that took her around the perimeter of the park. Other than that, she had never actually stepped foot onto its grounds.
She had a feeling she would get to see a lot of it today.
Rainbow pulled into a parking space near Rockhoof Field and leaned back in her seat. "Okay, Dash, you can do this. You just have to be in two places at once!" She slumped down and let out a slow groan.
She hadn't called Soarin back to cancel. Looking up the website, today was the last day of the fair, and who knew if Rainbow would be back in Canterlot next summer. Plus, she really wanted to see people get knocked off their horses. Getting to see it with Soarin would be even better.
But there was no way in hell she could cancel on Fluttershy. As boring as an arts and crafts fair sounded, Rainbow refused to bail, especially if Fluttershy was stepping out of her comfort zone and participating in a competition.
So, Rainbow decided she would do the best thing she could: do both at once! That way, she didn't have to choose!
"Okay, I have a whole hour to spend with Soarin before meeting Fluttershy at the crafts fair. I'll just say I need to go to the bathroom, hang with Fluttershy for a little bit, then switch back. I get to hang out with both of them and neither has to know about the other!"
Rainbow dug her palm into her forehead. "I hate sitcoms."
Taking a deep breath, she climbed out of the car and stretched her arms. The sooner this day was over, the better. A line of trees separated the parking lot from the field, and Rainbow could already hear the sounds of the fair on the far side. She shoved her hands in her pockets and strode onward.
Crossing the tree line, Rainbow rested her eyes on the coolest, lamest thing she had ever seen. Medieval tents were planted across the field, adding splashes of blue and yellow to a green and brown plain. People walked around dressed up in gowns and old leather armor. She could see a stone forge on the far side of the field, smoke puffing out of the chimney. The sound of a hammer hitting steel rang out over people playing lutes and harps. Adjacent to Rainbow was the jousting ring, a wide dirt arena split by a wooden fence running down the center, and encircled by wooden stands. Early arrivals were already picking seats as close to the fence as possible.
Someone walked by in poorly made knight armor, and Rainbow scoffed. "This is a step away from one of those nerd conventions."
"Didn't you go to a gaming convention once?"
"Gah!" Rainbow jumped and spun around, finding Soarin with his hands in his pockets and grinning like he was the coolest person at the fair. "Don't sneak up on me like that! And I meant like, those nerdy sci-fi conventions. Video games are cool."
He gave a humorous shrug. "Whatever you say, Dash."
Rainbow rolled her eyes and turned to go, until a thought struck her and she spun back, making a full 360. She punched Soarin's shoulder and said, "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? Today's the last day!"
Soarin held his hands up. "Hey, I didn't know about it until I got home yesterday. I definitely would have preferred this over the camping trip. Not that I didn't have fun! Just... you know."
"Yeah, yeah, come on," Rainbow grumbled. "You owe me a turkey leg."
A few roaming clouds kept the field from getting too hot as the couple wandered around. They passed by vendors and cosplayers trying their best to speak in Old English, which Rainbow and Soarin snickered at as they walked away.
"Didst thou hearest their accents?" Soarin asked in a posh noble's voice. "They art embarrassing thine selves."
"Not as much as thou art embarrassing thyself, dingus," Rainbow said with a grin. She laughed when Soarin elbowed her. "Look, there's the turkey legs!"
"Don't you mean, the turkey legs art there over yonder?"
"Shut up."
Seeing the humongous turkey legs up close, Rainbow decided it would be best to split one. The hickory-smoked hunks of meat were almost as big as her face. Rainbow bit into it and hummed in satisfaction. "Oh yeah, that's the stuff. If they ate like this all the time back then, medieval times couldn't have been that bad."
"Kings ate like that," Soarin pointed out. "We'd most likely be peasants, so we'd eat moldy bread and cheese or starve."
Rainbow narrowed her eyes. "Don't get all egghead on me. That's Twilight's job."
They wandered about the fair, trading off the turkey leg as they stopped at the more interesting stalls. Most of them were just shops peddling trinkets or other foods. Rainbow's eye caught sight of a tent with dragon-themed antiquities, including a skull mask.
"Ooh, this would look so sick hanging in my room!" She held it up to her face and examined the pointed teeth.
Soarin looked at the price tag hanging off one of the horns. "You got two-hundred dollars?"
Rainbow quickly put it down. "Seriously?" she asked the peddler.
"Hey, that's a discount price! It's a real dragon skull!" he said.
"Sure, and I'm a princess." Rainbow took a large bite of her turkey leg and moved on, trying to find anything else that wasn't jewelry or gemstones. Soarin, however, had stopped at a fancy metalwork stand selling silver accessories.
"Come take a look!" the shop keeper said. "Real silver! It'll look great on your girlfriend and protect her from werewolves."
"You guys really lean into this stuff, huh?" Rainbow asked.
Soarin picked up a pair of star-shaped earrings. "You think Fluttershy would like these?"
Rainbow's stomach turned and her shoulders tensed. "What? Why?"
"I don't know. I thought a present would maybe help get me on her good side."
Rainbow let out a quiet sigh and relaxed her shoulders. "You're still on that? Dude, I know she was a bit agitated, but we were kinda dealing with a situation. Why would she not like you?"
Soarin weighed the earrings in his hand, keeping his eyes on them instead of Rainbow. "I'm not... one-hundred percent sure. But, I've just got this feeling, okay? I just want to put out an olive branch."
"I still think you're crazy." Having known Fluttershy since first grade, Rainbow knew she was practically incapable of disliking someone. She was either friendly, polite, or afraid. Zephyr Breeze was the only person to cause her any actual irritation, and Fluttershy still loved him. For some reason.
And why would Fluttershy single out Soarin of all people? At best, she was just being protective of Rainbow. Rainbow would probably be even worse if Fluttershy had a boyfriend.
But, the concentrated look Soarin had told Rainbow he wasn't about to drop it. She sighed and started scanning the display of jewelry. "If you really want to get something nice for her, you can't go wrong with butterflies. It's kinda her thing."
"Yeah, I can see that." Soarin set the earrings down and picked up a silver bracelet. He turned it over in his hand and held it out to Rainbow. "What about this?"
Between the two steel bands was a woven vine pattern interspersed with butterflies. They had tiny, glimmering beads embroidered in their wings that sparkled in the sunlight.
Rainbow nodded in satisfaction. "That'll do. So, what are you going to get me?"
Soarin smirked as he walked over to the cash register. "I already got you that turkey leg; don't push it."
Rainbow stuck her tongue out before taking another bite of her meal. It was almost gone now, just a slab of bone and cartilage.
With the bracelet paid for (Soarin wouldn't say how much) and the turkey devoured, the two slowly made their way back toward the arena, aimlessly browsing more of the shop tents on the way there. Rainbow checked the time on her phone, 12:54. The jousting started at two, giving her the perfect window to sneak over and spend time with Fluttershy.
She cleared her throat to catch Soarin's attention. "Yo, I'm gonna go use the bathroom. Why don't you go grab us some seats?"
"Sure thing." Soarin gave her a thumbs up and walked off toward the stands. Rainbow headed toward the bathroom to at least keep up the pretense, and find a safe place to pony up.
She ran behind the bathroom building and double-checked to make sure the coast was clear. She closed her eyes and squared her shoulders, feeling the magic well up inside her.
Come on... loyalty, awesomeness, magic! Rainbow had taken to practicing trying to pony up just to see if she could on command. It wasn't easy, and sometimes left her with a headache. But being able to run back and forth across the part at super speed would make or break her plan.
A tingle ran across her skin, a good sign so far. She squeezed her eyelids, concentrating as hard as she could without resorting to screaming. The tingle rose into a warm breeze, and her wings sprouted from her back with a flash of blue sparks.
"Ha!" Rainbow punched the air. She bounced on her toes before dropping into a runner's start position. It was a straight, easy shot over the hill and across the parking lot. Rainbow dug her foot into the ground and shot off, kicking up a cloud of dirt in her wake.
The wind whipped her face but never proved to be a hindrance. The world was reduced to a spread of blurry images as Rainbow raced across the field and through the parking lot. This was freedom! Running at one-hundred miles-per-hour, the exhilaration and adrenaline flowing through her veins. Rainbow let out a quick, "Whoop!" of delight.
Her magical super speed must have also given her a sixth sense when it came to avoiding objects. She narrowly avoided colliding with a car backing up, leaping over it and clearing a hundred yards in a single bound.
Rainbow left the parking lot and tore down the sidewalk, grinding her heels to a stop behind a wide tree just off the path. A twenty minute walk reduced to a ten second run. Rainbow couldn't help but grin smugly. "All right, now here comes the hard part."
She closed her eyes and concentrated again, this time willing her pony features and powers to go away. She envisioned herself as back to normal and calmed her thoughts. Normal, lame, boring. Come on...
The warm wind blew over her again, this time removing all her magical accessories, leaving her with the exhaustion that always came after ponying up. Rainbow took a deep breath and shook it off. She could be tired later.
"Phase one, complete." She stepped out from behind the tree and followed the path toward the crafts fair. "Suck it, T.V.!"
The Meadowbrook Garden area of the park was a large thoroughfare flanked on both sides by winding paths decorated with an abundance of flowers and trees. The air held a constant fragrance of blooming flowers and palm leaves that made Rainbow's nose itch. The thoroughfare itself was lined with stalls occupied with a variety of arts and crafts supplies, from rolls of yarn to clay sculptures to canvases surrounded by buckets of paint. Being condensed onto one street instead of spread out across an entire field, the fair felt more packed than the medieval festival, and Rainbow had to dart and weave her way through the crowd.
She found Fluttershy just off the main road, sitting next to a patch of yellow and white chrysanthemums. Dressed in a blue sundress with a pink bag over her shoulder and a daffodil in her hair, Rainbow took a moment to take it in. She looked really nice today.
"Hey, 'Shy."
Fluttershy jumped up, her eyes shining with glee. "Rainbow, you're here!" She threw her arms around Rainbow's shoulders and gave an affectionate squeeze, hanging on for several seconds.
Rainbow gave an embarrassed laugh. "Uh, yeah, of course I am."
Fluttershy let go and brushed a lock of hair out of her face, her cheeks pink. "Sorry. I, um... I'm just happy to spend the day with you. It feels like we haven't spent time together in a while."
"Yeah, I guess it's always been as a group recently." Rainbow gave her a confident grin. "But, today's all about you! We can do whatever you want here!"
Lifting her head, there was unbridled joy in Fluttershy's eyes. Rainbow didn't think a simple arts and crafts festival had meant so much to Fluttershy. Her insides squirmed as she remembered Soarin waiting for her on the other side of the park. She shooed the thought away and smiled harder.
Everything's gonna be fine!
Fluttershy took her by the hand and pulled her back into the crowd. "Let's go! There's a really cute felt stand I want to look at!"
"Yeah, great!" Rainbow said between her teeth. Her boredom radar was already going crazy. But, she grinned and bore it, trying her hardest to pay attention as Fluttershy explained the use of felt in crafting. Next, she was dragged to a large tent stuffed to the brim with rolls of yarns.
Fluttershy squeed and picked up a bundle. "They have the perfect shade of red I needed for the Yarn-Off! It's bring your own yarn, so I was a little worried I wouldn't have the perfect materials. I'm making a very special project for the competition."
"Sounds awesome. So, is there a prize for winning?"
"A gold ribbon, and the satisfaction you made something!" Fluttershy smiled.
Rainbow shrugged. She couldn't see Fluttershy competing in anything for an actual prize anyway. "Well, like I said before, I'm real proud of you for doing this."
Fluttershy blushed again. "Thanks. I'm only doing it because you're here with me. Otherwise, I could never knit on stage with all those people watching me." She shuddered.
Rainbow clapped her on the back. "You'll do fine. So, what's this special project you're making?"
"Heehee." Fluttershy gave her a coy glance. "It's a secret."
By that teasing smile, Rainbow had a feeling whatever the secret was, it was probably for her. But, she didn't press Fluttershy any further. Once the yarn was purchased, they moved on to a line of how-to tables, where young kids were painting masks and learning to make figures from pipe cleaners.
Fluttershy looked at Rainbow expectantly, but Rainbow crossed her arms and turned her head away. "No way, 'Shy. I'm not seven."
"Please, Dashie?"
Rainbow closed her eyes and twisted her entire body away. Any time Fluttershy used the nickname 'Dashie' it was followed by an abuse of her huge and pleading blue eyes. Fluttershy hardly ever used it, but Rainbow lost every time she did.
"Just for a little bit?"
"Nuh-uh."
"You might enjoy it."
"Doubt it."
There was a pause before Fluttershy spoke again, the tiniest quiver in her voice. "But, you said we could do whatever I wanted today..."
Rainbow peeked an eye open. Fluttershy had stuck her lower lip out, turning her pleading look from effective to potent. Doubly so for using Rainbow's own words against her.
When did she learn to do that? Rainbow gave a relenting sigh and held her arm out, allowing Fluttershy to grab it and lead her to a table. Rainbow decided to work with the pipe cleaners; they were less messy than paint and Rainbow could half-ass the work by insisting she had no idea what she was doing, which wasn't a total lie.
Rainbow twisted a few pipes together and made a decent stick figure. To her left, Fluttershy was hunched over her work, carefully folding and weaving pipes to make a rose in bloom. On Rainbow's right, a young girl was making what appeared to be a dragonfly.
She caught sight of Rainbow staring and looked at the stick figure sitting on the table. She smiled in smug satisfaction. "Nice work, amateur."
"Can it, kid," Rainbow said out of the corner of her mouth. She scowled at her own creation. If a fifth-grader could make a dragonfly, then so could she!
Rainbow grabbed more pipes and started again, stealing glances at the other girl's dragonfly for a sense of direction. She pressed her teeth against her tongue as she bound the piping together as tight as she could and growled when some of them tried to unwind.
After forcing on the wings and gluing on the eyes, Rainbow leaned back from her new creation. It was an oblong and lumpy orange thing with uneven wings and eyes looking in different directions. Rainbow looked over to the young girl with her slender green dragonfly. She looked back at Rainbow's and snickered.
Rainbow stuck her tongue out.
"Here, Rainbow."
Rainbow turned to her other side to find Fluttershy holding out the rose she had made. If it wasn't for the velvet texture, it could have been mistaken for real. "Do you like it?"
"Uh, duh. That looks amazing!"
Fluttershy reached up and tucked it into Rainbow's hair. "I want you to have it."
Rainbow's cheeks burned. "Heh, thanks, 'Shy." Rainbow held up her lumpy dragonfly. "Uh, I made this. It's not great, but, um, you can have it if you want."
Fluttershy eagerly took it with both hands and cooed. "Awww! I think it's perfect, Rainbow!"
While Fluttershy carefully set it on her shoulder, Rainbow caught the little girl pretending to gag. She subtly kicked the back of the kid's chair before steering Fluttershy away. They resumed tent browsing, admiring paint pieces and wood carvings.
Rainbow found a moment to check the time while Fluttershy gushed over a raccoon statue. 1:05.
"Crap!" Rainbow shoved her phone back into her pocket. "Uhhh, I gotta go use the bathroom! Breakfast isn't agreeing with me anymore!"
Fluttershy reached for her handbag. "Do you need some medicine? I think I might have something in here that could help."
Rainbow waved a hand. "Nah, just gotta go take care of business. I'll be back soon." She shot a finger gun before hurrying back down the thoroughfare until she found a secluded spot off the path to pony up again.
Loyalty, friendship, yadda yadda, come on! The warm wind blew through her, and her magic burst forth, though it didn't energize her like it usually did. She took a deep breath and shook herself out before racing back across the parking lot and over the hill, coming to a stop behind the bathroom.
With another exertion of will, Rainbow powered down, and the exhaustion hit her like a brick. She stumbled against the wall and gasped for air. It was like the distance she ran caught up to her all at once.
"Okay, not a good sign. I can handle this though. No biggie." She pushed herself off the wall and marched across the fair, ignoring the wobble in her legs. Halfway to the jousting arena, she remembered the rose sitting in her hair and carefully moved it to her pocket.
The stands were full and rowdy by the time Rainbow arrived. Soarin waved her down from his spot in the third row. He handed her a bag of popcorn as she took her seat.
"Yeesh, what took so long?"
"Don't worry about it. Besides--" She scrunched her nose and said in her best Rarity impression, "It's impolite to ask a lady about her bathroom business."
Soarin opened his mouth, a smarmy grin on his face.
"You say I'm not a lady and I'll punch you in the throat."
Soarin snickered before quieting down and listening to the medieval emcee who was halfway through explaining the rules.
"Points are only awarded when the knights hit the grated shoulder pad of their opponent!" he shouted into the mic. "One point for a simple tap! Five points if the lance breaks! Ten points if the opponent is knocked off their horse!"
The crowd gave an excited cheer.
"Now, to introduce our contenders! Hailing from our own beautiful kingdom of Canterlot, defender of the weak, giver to the poor, one of the bravest knights to grace our land! Lords and ladies, please stand and cheer for the great Steel Heart!"
Rainbow and Soarin got to their feet and clapped with everyone else as a raven-haired man charged into the arena on a white horse. His purple and gold armor gleamed in the sunlight, matched only by the radiant smile he gave the crowd. He led his horse once around the perimeter before taking a spot on the right end of the arena.
"And now..." the announcer dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "hailing from parts unknown, this dreaded warrior preys on the weak and helpless and leaves chaos in his wake. He is the scourge of the surrounding kingdoms, here to bring ruin to our merriment. Can the brave Steel Heart put a stop to his nefarious plans? Enter, the Black Knight!"
The armor the Black Knight wore was as dark as the horse he rode in on. The crowd booed and jeered as he entered, his helmet already donned. He gave no acknowledgment of the crowd's dismissal.
"Is it bad I kinda want the Black Knight to win?" Rainbow asked.
"You would," Soarin said.
Steel Heart beat a fist against his armor. "You shall not have this day, Black Knight! I pledge that no harm shall befall this audience while I still draw breath!"
"I care not for your platitudes," the Black Knight said in a gravely deep voice. "Many a knight made the same pledge; they all ended up skewered on my lance."
"Then may the gods grant me favor today that I might be the one to finally strike you down!" Steel Heart put on his helmet and grabbed the lance his squire handed him.
Rainbow shoved a fistful of popcorn into her mouth. She hadn't expected jousting to be as cheesy as wrestling, but she loved it.
"Champions, there will be eight rounds! The knight with the most points at the end wins! Lances at the ready!"
Both knights lowered their weapons and adjusted the grip on their horses' reins.
"Charge!"
The horses let out a whinny as their riders drove them forward. They rode at each other from opposite sides of the fences, crossing the tips of their lances over. Steel Heart's lance made contact first, shattering against the grated padding on the Black Knight's shoulder. The Black Knight wobbled but remained upright.
The crowd stood and cheered as Steel Heart was awarded five points and the two riders reset their positions.
"Ready to surrender?" Steel Heart called.
"Please, tis but a flesh wound," the Black Knight said dismissively.
They charged again, with the Black Knight scoring a single touch. They reset and rode again, this time, the Black Knight broke his lance against Steel Heart's padding, putting him up one point.
Rainbow bounced on the edge of her seat as they charged at each other for the fourth round. With a racketing bash Steel Heart's wooden lance crashed again the Black Knight and tossed him down into the dirt. The crowd exploded with cheers and applause, while Rainbow groaned and sat back in her seat.
"Shouldn't you be cheering for the good guy, since, you know, you're a good guy?" Soarin asked.
"I would if he wasn't so stereotypical 'nice-guy-who-always-does-the-right-thing' white knight."
Soarin wiggled his eyebrow. "So you like bad boys?"
Rainbow gagged. "No! I just don't like guys that are cartoonishly nice and 'chivalrous'," she said in air quotes. She side-eyed Soarin. "You just barely avoid that category."
Soarin gave her a playful shove. "Gee, thanks."
Rainbow grinned and shoved him back.
The fifth and sixth rounds saw the Black Knight score five more points each, putting the score at fifteen to sixteen in the Black Knight's favor.
"Last chance to back away, knave!" the Black Knight said.
"And let you run amok? Never!" Steel Heart declared, lowering his lance to charge. His horse broke into a gallop, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. The Black Knight met him halfway down the track, their lances crossing over one another once again. Steel Heart missed, going under the Black Knight's arm. The Black Knight, however, struck true, his lance snapping in half against the shoulder pad. Steel Heart wobbled dangerously, leaning off the side of his horse.
Everyone sucked in a deep breath, watching as he desperately clung to his horse's reins. With a great heave, he righted himself, and everyone around Rainbow sighed in relief.
Rainbow grinned in triumph. "The only way he can win now is if he knocks the Black Knight off again."
"Totally possible," Soarin said, his fists clenched in excitement.
"You can do it, Steel Heart!" someone behind Rainbow yelled. The stands erupted in screams and chants of encouragement.
Steel Heart raised his lance to the crowd before facing his opponent for the last joust. The cheers faded as the knights squared off. The Black Knight weighed his new lance in his hand before leveling it in front of him.
Rainbow crossed her fingers and scooted to the edge of her seat. Her leg vibrated, and it took her a second to realize it was her phone, not the buzz of excitement. She pulled it from her pocket and checked the screen.
'Are you okay? The Yarn-Off is starting soon.'
A loud crash and an eruption of wild cheering forced Rainbow to snap her head up. Laying in the dirt was the Black Knight while Steel Heart did a victory lap. Rainbow groaned, more disappointed from having missed the finishing blow than the Black Knight losing.
"That was awesome!" Soarin punched the air. "Sorry your bad boy didn't win."
Rainbow shoved her phone away. "It's whatever. The whole thing is probably staged anyway."
"You mean like wrestling?"
She pressed a finger against his lips. "Oi, you're not supposed to say it out loud," she hissed.
Soarin kissed her finger. "My bad." He nodded his head toward the exit. "Come on, let's head out while he's making his wrap-up speech."
Indeed, Steel Heart was playing up his role and delivering a speech about justice and believing in yourself and other things Rainbow could read off the back of a cereal box.
As they walked away from the arena, Soarin asked, "So, what do you wanna do now? I kinda wanna go see the blacksmith."
"Yeah, that sounds awesome!" Rainbow took two steps before she remembered the text message. "Uhh, before that, bathroom's calling. Be back in a sec!"
She ran off before Soarin could respond. Compared to the high speeds she had been moving at before, her basic run was sluggish and awkward. She reached the bathroom and closed her eyes, drawing on her magic for a third time.
Her skin tingled, but did nothing else. She grunted and dug her shoes into the dirt, but still, nothing came up.
Come on! I can't miss the start of Fluttershy's competition!
In a weak fizzle of lights, her wings appeared, but Rainbow doubled-over, feeling the exhaustion that only came when she turned her magic off. Her muscles felt stiff and she struggled to get a decent breath in.
"All right, I get it. The lesson here is, don't abuse my magic powers. It's for a good reason though!" She gritted her teeth and broke into her super sprint.
Ten seconds later, she was back in the garden. It didn't take much to turn her powers off, but Rainbow stayed in place for a minute to get her strength back. When she deemed herself good enough, she pulled the flower Fluttershy had crafted and stuck it back on her head and made her way back to the thoroughfare, eyes roaming for Fluttershy.
Rainbow found her at the end of the road in front of a small stage that had been erected. Fluttershy's sigh of relief melted into a worried gasp as Rainbow drew near.
"Are you okay? You look pale! And you're out of breath!"
Rainbow gave an airy wave. "I'm fine. Trust me, it's nothing. What's important is how you're feeling."
Fluttershy didn't look wholly convinced but said, "I think I'm all right. There's m-more people here than I thought there would be though."
Rainbow looked around. Lawn chairs had been set up in front of the stage. While most of them were filled, the total still didn't look like even a third of the crowd from the joust. But three strangers could be as good as a thousand to Fluttershy on a bad day.
"Don't worry about them. In fact, pretend they're not even there. Just put all your attention into your knitting and you'll do great!"
Fluttershy gave a strong nod. "Complete focus. I can do that."
"Yeah, you can!" Rainbow gave her a thumbs-up.
Fluttershy flung her arms around Rainbow in a quick but tight hug. When she let go, her cheeks were flushed again. "Thanks for being here, Rainbow." She turned and hurried behind the stage.
Rainbow scratched her head. She's been acting... odd today. She shrugged it off and took a seat in the front row. Nine desks had been crammed onto the stage, a pair of knitting needles resting on each of them. An elderly woman walked onto the stage, her gray hair tied into a bun and held together by a pair of golden needles.
"Hello, everyone, and welcome to this year's Yarn-Off." Despite the mic in her hand, she sounded like a librarian using their indoor voice. She allowed the audience to give a polite applause before continuing. "Thank you. We have nine entrants this year competing for our grand prize: the golden stitch ribbon. The participants will have forty-five minutes to knit whatever they can. Our judges will determine the winner based on design, quality, and completion. Now, without further ado, here are our contestants."
The audience gave another round of polite applause as the knitters stepped onto stage. Rainbow had to restrain herself from cheering when Fluttershy came out. They took their seats, Fluttershy on the far right end. She had her new bundle of crimson red yard, a smaller bundle of white, and a bundle of multi-colored strings.
"If everyone is ready, you may begin when the bell goes off."
As soon as everyone was comfortable, a small bell chimed and they all grabbed their knitting needles and set to work. They stitched at a breakneck speed, their needle clicking the only sound across the venue. Fluttershy kept her eyes on her string, brows furrowed in concentration.
Unable to shout out words of encouragement, Rainbow could only watch. She turned her head, seeing the rest of the audience watching with utter intrigue. Some of them were even taking notes. Rainbow looked back at the stage. Other than their speed, she couldn't see anything impressive about this.
People come and watch this every year? She pushed down a bored sigh and slumped in her seat. She knew what she was signing up for when she agreed to come with Fluttershy, but she never could have expected something this boring.
Has it been forty-five minutes yet? She discreetly checked her phone. It had only been three. Uuuuggghhh!
If anyone else had asked Rainbow to come to an event like this, she would have bluntly said no. But as much as Rainbow loved Fluttershy, right now, Rainbow desperately wished to be back at the medieval fair. Or anywhere else really.
Time slowly chipped away. Rainbow's leg bounced and vibrated as she slouched in her chair, trying her hardest to not look at her phone again. With hardly anything to focus on, her mind wandered back across the park, where Soarin waited for her return. Her insides squirmed. She had already ditched him for an hour, now she had to add forty-five minutes on top of that.
Fluttershy hadn't looked up once from her project. Judging by the length and the tassels hanging off the end, Rainbow guessed it was a scarf. With that look of concentration in Fluttershy's eyes, Rainbow wondered if she would even notice someone leaving. Rainbow could sneak over to Soarin and spend a little more time with him. If her powers allowed it. Ponying up the last time had been quite the strain. And besides, even if she left now, she would only have thirty minutes before having to zip over to the garden again.
Rainbow bit her lip. No, it would be better to just wait it out. This was the main attraction for the arts and crafts thing anyway. Once it was over, Rainbow could just say she was ready to call it quits and head home.
She just had to survive half an hour of mind-crushing boredom.
Fluttershy began adding little multicolored rainbows to her scarf, cementing Rainbow's idea the project was meant for her. Fluttershy finally snuck a glance up from her work, and Rainbow flashed her a smile and a thumbs up. She smiled back and resumed her knitting, working faster than ever.
The minutes dragged on with Rainbow fidgeting in her chair, dreaming of video games and soccer and not sitting there watching people knit. Fluttershy set her needles down and folded her scarf, just as the bell went off. Rainbow bolted upright and let out a loud sigh of relief that was mostly drowned out by the applause around her.
"We will now begin the judging," the librarian announcer said as three more people walked onto the stage, clipboards in hand.
Fluttershy stood perfectly still, trying her best to imitate a rock. Rainbow could see her neck twitch every time she swallowed though. The judges held up her scarf and gently ran their finger against it, murmuring to themselves all the while. They set it down and moved onto the next in line. Fluttershy dropped her shoulders but still made little movement.
Finally, after ten minutes of judging, the announcer picked up her mic again. "We have the results! The winner of this year's Yarn-Off is..."
Rainbow locked eyes with Fluttershy and crossed her fingers. Fluttershy copied her.
"... Coco Pommel for her French beret!"
Two competitors down from Fluttershy, a young woman with a two-toned blue bob cut tried to hide her meek smile behind her perfectly woven purple and gold beret. The judges handed her the gold ribbon, forcing her to move her hands and show off her bright pink cheeks.
The other competitors took a moment to congratulate Coco before exiting the stage. Fluttershy climbed down from the front and met Rainbow in the stands.
Rainbow stood up and patted her shoulder. "Sorry you didn't win, 'Shy."
Fluttershy shook her head and smiled. "It's fine. She made a very lovely design. Besides, it was never about winning or losing. Like I said, it's about the satisfaction of knowing you made something." She held up one end of her scarf.
"Heh. Well, you've at least got a better attitude than me when it comes to competitions. Nice work up there."
"Yeah, you did some great work!"
Rainbow's blood ran cold at the new voice behind her. Her stomach writhed in terror as she turned around and found Soarin, looking far less angry than she imagined he would be in this scenario.
"Eh heh heh... Soarin! What are you doing here?" Rainbow asked, her voice cracking.
"Well, you ran off to the bathrooms, so I was gonna follow and wait outside, but I saw a very familiar blue streak run off over the hill, so I followed it. Why didn't you tell me Fluttershy was doing a thing today? I would have been more than happy to take a break to watch."
If Rainbow thought her blood was cold, the scowl on Fluttershy's face was colder. Teeth pressed together, she asked, "What do you mean, 'take a break'?"
Soarin's expression quickly fell from bemused to concerned. "Uh, me and Rainbow were on a date over at the medieval fair..." He trailed off at the sight of Fluttershy's scowl descending into a hateful leer.
"No you weren't," Fluttershy said in a calm voice that did not match her current expression. "Rainbow was spending the day with me. Weren't you, Dashie?"
Rainbow wanted to die. She wanted lightning to strike her and die. Caught between Fluttershy's burning gaze and Soarin's confused stare, all she could do was force a laugh out of her dry throat. "Ha haaaa! So, funny story! Like, hilarious! I, ummm, may have accidentally planned to hang out with both of you on the same day! So, I kinda... you know, hung out with both of you! See, funny!"
Soarin slowly exhaled and arched his eyebrows. "Really, Dash? That's the dumbest trick in the book."
"Well... you know... I just..."
Fluttershy looked at Rainbow like a puppy who had been kicked. Tears already began flowing down her cheeks. "B-but you said today was all about me. We... we planned this for weeks!"
Rainbow winced, a stabbing pain shooting through her heart. "Fluttershy, I--"
"You lied to me!" she yelled.
"No, I just--"
"I thought we could have at least one more day together, just the two of us! I could pretend just one more time it was only us!" Fluttershy sobbed. "But even when I think you picked me, you still picked him!"
Fluttershy's broken and pained expression hardened back to its fiery glower. She thrust a finger at Soarin and screeched. "This is all your fault you... you... homewrecker!"
Soarin reeled back. "Wait, what?"
Rainbow tried to lay a hand on Fluttershy's shoulder. "Fluttershy, calm down--"
"No! It's obvious you like him more than me! If you want him, fine, I won't stop you!" Face red and blotchy, hair frazzled, Fluttershy turned and ran. She paused and shouted, "I hope you two are very happy together!" By the break in her voice, Rainbow didn't think she meant it.
"Fluttershy, wait!" Rainbow tried to run after her, ignoring the remnants of the crowd staring and whispering at the commotion. She only made it twenty feet from the stage when she felt winded and rested her hands on her knees. Her legs felt like rubber and her heart tried to slam its way out of her chest.
Soarin walked up behind her as she stood tall again. Rainbow tried to meet his eyes, but Soarin looked away. "Rainbow... you uh... you two should really have a talk."
"Soarin..."
"Call me later, yeah?" He turned and walked off, devoid of his usual swagger.
Rainbow stood at the end of the thoroughfare, watching her best friend and her boyfriend walk off, while everyone else watched her. Now she knew how the characters in those sitcoms felt.
She placed a hand against her pounding heart and breathed in a deep sigh. "Aww... crap..."
*******
Fluttershy didn't realize how far up she was until she finally looked down. The grass was a bajillion miles away now. She pressed her tiny frame against the tree and squeezed her eyes shut. She shouldn't have followed that squirrel; no squirrel was worth this, no matter how cute.
How was she supposed to get down? Maybe if she yelled loud enough, her parents would hear her. She took a deep breath and squeaked at the top of her lungs.
"Help..."
She peeked an eye open, hoping to see her mom or dad running down the field. But no one appeared. Fluttershy didn't think she could yell any louder. What was she going to do now?
"Hey!"
Very carefully, Fluttershy moved her head and glanced down. Right below her was a blue girl with rainbow hair tied in a ponytail. She had bandages on her knee and cheek, like some of the bullies at school. Fluttershy dug her nails into the tree. Was the girl going to beat her up if she managed to get down?
"Do you need help?" the girl called up in a scratchy voice.
Fluttershy merely trembled against the tree. Even if she said yes, what was that girl going to do? She looked shorter than Fluttershy. Too nervous to move her head again, Fluttershy squeaked out a tiny, "No."
"Are you sure? You look kinda stuck."
"Umm..."
"Don't worry, I can help you get down!" The girl sounded really confident, and she had a reassuring smile that showed she was missing one of her bottom teeth.
Fluttershy raised her eyes to search the park. She couldn't see anyone else from this angle. If she ever wanted to get down, she supposed she had no choice but to trust the girl below her. "O-okay."
"Awesome! Okay, just move a little bit to your left. Just a little bit."
Fluttershy closed her eyes again and slowly shuffled against the tree, the bark scratching against her play clothes and her bare arms.
"Okay, now, there's a branch right below your left foot! You can reach it!"
Easing her left foot down, Fluttershy found there was indeed a sturdy branch below her. She brought her right foot down next, balancing herself on the branch while still hugging the tree.
"Now slide over and sit down."
Fluttershy did as she was told, dangling her legs over the side of the branch. She could finally look around without feeling like she was about to fall to her doom. The ground was still a long ways away though, but the other girl stood right beneath her, arms outstretched.
"Okay, I'm gonna need you to trust me. Just fall and I'll catch you."
A low, "Eeeep," escaped Fluttershy's throat. She'd die falling from this height! And how could she trust this stranger to catch her? They'd only just met!
But the girl remained firmly in her spot, still holding her arms out with a determined expression on her face. "I know it's scary, but I promise, I'll catch you."
Fluttershy trembled again, rocking back and forth against the branch. She still couldn't see her parents, and she didn't dare look behind her in case she lost her balance. Her nervous rocking and shaking threw her off balance anyway. She wildly flung her arms to try and right herself, but only propelled herself forward and fell off the branch.
Her scream only lasted two seconds before she fell onto something soft and rolled onto the grass. She sat up and looked around, seeing the other girl sit up and shake the grass out her hair. She flashed Fluttershy a toothy smile.
"See? That wasn't so bad! Oh!" She grabbed Fluttershy's arm and pulled it forward. A small cut was bleeding just below where her arm bent. "Hang on, I'll go get a band-aid from my dad!"
Before Fluttershy could say anything, the girl was up and sprinting across the park. She was really fast. Fluttershy looked back at the cut. It didn't hurt, in fact, she probably wouldn't have noticed it if the girl hadn't said anything.
Speaking of, the fast girl returned a short minute later with the promised band-aid. She unpeeled it and stuck it over the cut. It was pink and had a smiley face on it. "There you go! You feeling okay?"
Fluttershy nodded.
"Cool! Hey, what's your name anyway?"
"Umm... I'm Fluttershy," she said meekly.
"I'm Rainbow Dash! You wanna go play together?"
Fluttershy blinked. Usually, whenever someone asked her to play, she said no. But something about this girl, with her purple eyes and fun smile, compelled Fluttershy to say yes. And she had saved her from a tree after all.
"Okay," Fluttershy said.
Rainbow took hold of Fluttershy's arm and pulled her to her feet. "Awesome! C'mon, let's go!" She pulled Fluttershy along.
Fluttershy's longer legs were the reason she could keep up with Rainbow's quick pace. As they raced across the field, Rainbow listed off all the things they could do together. Fluttershy wasn't too keen on many of them, as they involved more swinging and climbing. But, she had never had a friend before. She smiled, thinking maybe, this Rainbow Dash could make things a little less scary.
*******
"So, let me see if I have this straight. Instead of trying to talk to either one of them like a normal person and reschedule, you decided to abuse your powers and try and be in two places at once?"
Rainbow groaned into her pillow.
"That is textbook levels of dumb!" Sunset said loudly. "Which is impressive for you; normally, your dumb ideas at least think outside the box!"
Rainbow lifted her face so she could at least see Sunset scowling at her, arms crossed and foot tapping against the carpet. The second she had thrust Rainbow's bedroom door open, Rainbow regretted texting her.
"You know, I was kinda hoping you were here to cheer me up a little," she said, words partially muffled by her pillow.
"Then I guess that's two times you've been wrong today," Sunset snapped. "I'm not going to coddle you, Dash. Despite what your grades may say, I know you're not this dumb. So spill it: why did you do it?"
Rainbow rolled onto her back and clasped her hands over her eyes. "I don't know, okay? I guess I didn't want to have to choose! I feel terrible every time I have to cancel something with Fluttershy because of practice! And I didn't want to cancel with Soarin! He's my..." She trailed off, moving her hands to cover her mouth.
Sunset rolled her eyes. "Your boyfriend. Yes, the mighty Rainbow Dash has fallen in love. So what?"
"So, I can't turn my best friend down for my boyfriend! That's not cool! But I couldn't turn down my boyfriend for Fluttershy either!" Rainbow groaned and sat up, running her hands through her messy hair. "I hated having to choose."
Sunset sighed, her head gaze softening a little. "Look, Rainbow, I get it. But they're both reasonable people. I'm sure they would have understood if you just talked to them."
Rainbow dropped her cheek into her palm. "Maybe. I don't know. Like, when Soarin found out, he just had that whole 'I'm disappointed in you' look and stuff. Fluttershy... she actually yelled at me and Soarin before running off. Like, she's sensitive, I know that better than anyone. But this felt... different."
She cringed, seeing Fluttershy's red cheeks and the tears running down her face as she raised her voice before turning and sprinting away. Rainbow could count on one hand the number of times Fluttershy had yelled at anything that wasn't a sports game, and none of them had been directed at her. She looked over at Sunset for an answer.
Sunset rubbed the back of her neck and looked out the window to the evening light. "I mean, she had the impression she was spending the whole day with you. She's obviously hurt."
"I know, but it's Fluttershy. She never yells." Rainbow shifted her cheek to her other hand. The confrontation replayed in her mind; Fluttershy screaming at her and Soarin. She had called him a homewrecker and accused Rainbow of picking him over Fluttershy. Maybe Soarin's feelings of Fluttershy disliking him hadn't been unfounded. Rainbow couldn't understand why though, or why Fluttershy had given such an extreme reaction.
"I could pretend just one more time it was only us!"
Rainbow blinked. Noooo... no way... The pieces were there... but it was too crazy to actually be true.
But what if... What if...
But why now? She's never been jealous of anyone else I hung out with!
Because you never called any of them your boyfriend, you dingus!
Rainbow snapped her head up. "Sunset, you're gay!"
"Bisexual," Sunset said, sharply raising her eyebrow. "What's your point?"
"Well, like, gay people can spot other gay people, right? That whole 'gaydar' thing!"
Sunset let out a long and low sigh as she rubbed the space between her eyes. "I'm going to pretend that sentence didn't happen. What exactly are you trying to say, Dash?"
Rainbow stood up, mind and heart racing. "Does... do you think Fluttershy like... likes me?"
"Uhh," Sunset's exasperation quickly jumped to surprise. She looked out the window again. "That's something you should ask her, not me."
That was all Rainbow needed to hear. She grabbed the sides of her head and paced in front of her bed. "Aw, crap! How did I not see that? I'm a freaking idiot!"
Sunset raised her hands placatingly. "Whoa, Dash. Maybe you're a little oblivious, but it's not like Fluttershy was making it obvious."
Rainbow ignored her, pacing faster. "All those times I ranted to her about Cloud Kicker hitting on me, and she just sat there and nodded! Why would she even like me? I... I ditched her for half of high school!"
"Well, you of all people should know how forgiving she is."
"That doesn't make it better!" Rainbow collapsed onto the side of her bed and buried her face in her hands. "I've really done it this time! Fluttershy's liked me for who knows how long, and I go and start dating Soarin right in front of her! Ugh! And this stupid double date thing I tried to pull! She must hate me now!"
Sunset sat down next to her. "As much as I'd love to grill you more about your stunt today, I think you've already learned your lesson. Look, I'm sure Fluttershy doesn't hate you. I don't know if that's possible for her."
"She clearly doesn't like Soarin."
"Maybe. But, I think she only doesn't like him because she hasn't been able to express her real feelings for you. You have to go talk to her, Dash, for everyone's sake."
Rainbow hunched her shoulders. "But I already hurt her. What if I just make it worse?"
"She's already in pain. And if you avoid her, that'll make it worse. Just talk to her and tell her the truth. At the very least, you'll give her closure." Sunset paused. "Do you have any feelings for her?"
Rainbow closed her eyes, trying to feel anything at the thought of Fluttershy. Happiness, confidence, the desire to punch anyone who made her cry. But none of the stomach tingling, heart-thumping emotions that came when she hung out with Soarin.
"I love her but... not in the way I think she wants me to."
Sunset put a hand on Rainbow's back. "Listen, it's probably going to hurt. But the longer you wait, the more its going to fester. Don't... don't let Fluttershy end up like Moondancer."
Rainbow's eyes widened and she hopped to her feet. It was probably a one in a million chance, but Rainbow wasn't about to risk it. "You're right. I'm off to talk to her right now. I just hope I'll know what to say."
"You know her best, Rainbow." Sunset gave an encouraging smile. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."
*******
Fluttershy's house was the easiest on the block to spot. It was a buttercream yellow in a sea of blues, grays, and whites, with a beautiful flowerbed in front of the porch, and planters hanging from the second-story windows.
Rainbow pulled into the driveway and took a deep breath. With all the games and races she had done, her stomach had never squirmed this badly before. She had thought hard about what she was going to say to Fluttershy, but none of it felt meaningful.
All right, I'll just wing it. A terrible plan probably, but Rainbow knew she wasn't good with mushy stuff. If she tried to think of a heartfelt speech, she'd be sitting there all evening.
She got out the car and stepped up onto the front porch, covered in bird feeders and more potted plants. She gave the doorbell a ring and hoped Fluttershy hadn't told her parents to keep her from ever coming inside again.
To Rainbow's dismay, it wasn't either of Fluttershy's parents who answered, but her thin and gangly younger brother, Zephyr Breeze. He had his long blonde hair pulled into a top knot, and a scraggly beard was starting to grow in.
He leaned against the door frame and turned his lips up into what Rainbow guessed was supposed to be a smolder. "Well, if it isn't Rainbow Dash," he said, bobbing his head back and forth with each syllable. "Here to grace me with your amazing presence?"
"You wish, dweeb. Is Fluttershy here?"
Zephyr frowned. "Yeah. She came home crying and shut herself in her room. Won't tell anyone why." He tried to smolder again. "Did she refuse to give you her blessing when you admitted you were head over heels for me."
"Ew! For the last time, me and you will never happen! Now, move!" Rainbow elbowed her way past him and headed straight for the stairs. She paused at the top to shake off the agitation Zephyr always managed to bring up in her before moving onto Fluttershy's door and knocking gently.
"Fluttershy, it's me. Can we talk, please?"
Rainbow heard a familiar, "Eeep!" before a rustle of blankets, a few footsteps, and a closet door slamming shut. She groaned and threw the room door open.
Fluttershy's room was a pink sanctuary of plants and animals. Her bunny Angel sat on the bed, nibbling a carrot and glaring at Rainbow. A cat was curled up on the pillow. Two gerbils were snoozing in a cage on Fluttershy's desk, and a parakeet hung from a perch over a large, potted sunflower. Miniature ferns grew from the top of the wardrobe, and if Fluttershy pushed her window open, she could reach the planters outside.
Rainbow shut the door behind her. Across from her was the closet, covered in posters of puppies and kittens. "Fluttershy, please come out and talk to me."
She heard a sniffle, but nothing more.
"Please don't make me say it," Rainbow groaned. Covering one of her eyes.
Silence.
"Fluttershy, please come out of the closet!"
"No."
"Fine, then I'm coming in there!" Rainbow marched over and pulled the closet door open. Fluttershy sat huddled against the back, the top of her head hidden by the bottoms of blouses and dresses. She pulled her long hair over her face, then pressed herself against her knees.
Rainbow took a seat opposite of her. "Fluttershy, I'm really, really sorry about today. I should have just told Soarin I had already made plans instead of trying to make both of you happy at once. I'll make it up to you somehow, okay?"
"Okay," Fluttershy mumbled into her knees.
A pregnant pause hung between them. "Just okay?" Rainbow asked.
"Mhmm."
"You forgive me?" Rainbow asked again, skepticism rising.
"Yes."
"... Could you look at me when you say that?"
Fluttershy shook her head.
"Please, talk to me! Heck, yell at me! I've earned it! Tell me I've been a crappy friend--I know I've been one! You deserve better than me!" Rainbow dug her nails into her palm. "Come on, just say it.... You shouldn't keep all that bottled up."
Fluttershy shook like a leaf and hugged herself as tight as she could.
"Fluttershy, please!"
"I like you, Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy screamed, throwing her head up. "I've liked you since middle school! You were always there for me! You always stood up for me! You always told me to just do my best! You made me want to be brave! You're the reason I can raise my voice and cheer at soccer matches and track meets! You're the reason I want to protect things that can't protect themselves! You're great and amazing and I've wanted to tell you for the longest time, but I couldn't because I knew! I always knew! But when it was just us, I could at least pretend sometimes! Pretend you liked me the way I... I..."
She broke into uncontrollable sobs and buried her face again. Rainbow could only watch, stunned into silence. Fluttershy had harbored a crush on her for six years. And all that time, Rainbow had been walking around, forcefully refuting she wasn't gay every time someone insinuated. She may as well have been slapping Fluttershy in the face.
Rainbow instinctively reached a hand out, but pulled it back. She waited for Fluttershy's sobs to calm down a little before speaking in a hoarse voice, "You're wrong. I wasn't always there for you. Halfway through freshman year, I started pushing you away. I don't have an excuse for it. I know you said you forgave me for it. But it just makes me think you should have someone who isn't just going to walk away from you."
"You came back."
"I should have never left in the first place!" Rainbow rubbed her eyes. She was deflecting from the real issue. "Fluttershy, it's so awesome to hear you say all that stuff about me, and that you... you feel all those things about me. But, I'm... I'm not--"
"Don't say it!" Fluttershy clapped her hands over her ears. "I know."
"No, you don't." Rainbow crawled over and squeezed next to Fluttershy, leaving an inch of space between them. "You've always been there for me, cheering me on and cheering me up. You're the nicest, sweetest person in the world. You make me want to be, you know, a little less abrasive to people. You make me want to be my best! I go into all my games with so much confidence because I know you're there cheering for me! You're great and amazing and I don't think I tell you that enough!"
Fluttershy turned her head, fixing Rainbow with her puffy red eyes. "Really?"
"Really. I'm sorry I never noticed your feelings before. And I'm sorry if I hurt you with anything I said. And I'm really sorry about today. It was supposed to be about you. Because you're my best friend. Heck, you're more than that! There's not a word cool enough to describe what you mean to me! Yeah, I like Soarin, but you mean more to me than any boy out there. If they want to be with me, they have to be cool with you."
Fluttershy leaned over and buried her face in Rainbow's shoulder. "That m-means a lot," she said, choking back more tears. "But that's not fair to you. I didn't want to come between you and Soarin because I saw how happy he made you. It's not fair for you to sacrifice your happiness for me."
"Yeah, but I'm not happy unless you are."
Fluttershy shook her head, brushing her hair against Rainbow's nose. "I can't do that. I'm just being a... a jealous meany-pants."
Rainbow snorted.
"I was just mad you were dating someone who wasn't me. I never gave him a chance. I... I promise to at least try and be his friend first."
Rainbow inwardly sighed in relief. She had hoped Fluttershy would at least try. But she meant what she said: she would pick Fluttershy over any boy, even Soarin.
"Thanks, Fluttershy." Rainbow wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tight. Fluttershy snuggled closer and sniffled. Gently, Rainbow gave her a kiss on the forehead. "How do you feel?"
Fluttershy took her time answering. "A little better. I'm still sad I can't be... with you. But, I'm happy I finally told you."
"Yeah. I'm sorry I don't love you... you know, like that. But I do love you, like, super crazy. Me and you are like this--" Rainbow held two fingers up and crossed them. "And I swear, I'm gonna be there for you, no matter what, till the end of time."
Fluttershy smiled, a pleasant blush on her cheeks. "Thank you, Dashie." She stayed in Rainbow's embrace for several minutes. Rainbow didn't mind; she was just happy to have the air between them cleared.
Eventually, Fluttershy got up and pulled Rainbow to her feet. She walked over to her bed and reached under her pillow, pulling out the crimson scarf from the Yarn-Off.
"Here," Fluttershy said, holding it out to Rainbow. "You probably guessed, but I made this for you."
Rainbow took it into her hands, awing at how soft it felt. Rainbow colored lightning bolts dropping from white clouds ran down the center, and the tassels alternated between red and white. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Rainbow swore she saw the entire thing shimmer and glow for a split second.
She wrapped it around her neck and beamed at Fluttershy. "I'm gonna wear it every day!"
Fluttershy gave a radiant smile. "Yay." |
Spectacular Seven | 14. The Letter | "So, Selena has no idea what the staff does?"
Sunset stretched her arms over her head. "Nope. Artemis just warped it over in the middle of the night while we were gone. He later sent a note telling her to keep it locked up in the study until he got back. Apparently, he and Trixie ran into Tempest when they found it."
Twilight made a concerned hum. "That is worrying. It can't be good if she wants it." She looked at Sunset from the corner of her eyes. "Any chance I could take a look at it?"
"How about we wait until after Artemis sees it first?"
The two of them walked back to Twilight's house after an early morning sword practice. Sunset held onto Twilight's sword while Twilight continuously tried to stretch out her shoulder.
"I guess that's reasonable," Twilight said, failing to hide her disappointment.
Sunset playfully rolled her eyes. "We can research some other magical phenomena. Would that make you happy?"
"Yes!" Twilight said with a skip, briefly wincing afterward. "We haven't done any magical research in a long time; I've really fallen behind."
Sunset was happy to slip back into a somewhat normal routine. Between graduation, the Sirens, and Rainbow being dumb, it had been hard to find a steady groove. Sure, she had to make a few concessions with Twilight's new sword practice, but at least they still had time to spend together. With the sky clear and the sun shining bright, Sunset personally wanted to spend the day outside. But, if Twilight wanted to study magic, Sunset could oblige.
They reached Twilight's house, and she made her usual routine of running to hide her sword in the garage before coming back around and entering through the front. "Dad, I'm back!" Twilight called, stepping into the front hall. She froze mid-step, and Sunset tumbled into her back.
"Hmph, is that how you announce yourself? Just barging in, hooting and hollering?" an old, husky voice said. "No respect, not even in your own house."
Sunset gathered herself and looked over Twilight's shoulder. A plump, elderly woman sat at the dining table, eyes narrowed in the girl's direction. She had her gray hair tied into a tight bun and her skin was the same shade of purple as Twilight.
"Grandma Golden Light," Twilight said, a nervous quiver in her voice. "Hi! How was your flight?"
"Terrible. Slow to take off and slow to pull in. And all these new security measures... in my day, you just showed your ID and walked through." Golden Light paused and honed her hawk-like eyes on Sunset. "Well, don't just stand in the doorway; it's impolite! Introduce yourself!"
Sunset scrambled forward and stood as straight as she could. "Uh, I'm Sunset Shimmer, Twilight's--"
"Friend! Best friend!" Twilight smiled widely and tapped her fingers together. Sunset raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Golden Light continued to glare at her. "You need to tie that hair up or cut it. It's not professional."
"Okay?" Sunset said slowly, disliking this woman more and more as the seconds wore on.
"And what's with that jacket? Are you in some kind of gang? Is she a bad influence on you, Twilight?"
Sunset narrowed her eyes. "I'm not in a gang, and I'll have you know, I was our class's salutatorian."
Golden Light sniffed. "Well, it's not like it was a private and prestigious school like Twilight's old one. I don't understand why you had to switch. It's only an hour bus ride from here, I checked. I used to walk an hour to school each day."
Sunset popped her jaw, ready to retort, but Shining hurried into the room, a bowl of spaghetti in his hand. "Here you are, Grandma." He set it on the placemat in front of her.
"Is it heated all the way through?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
Golden Light turned and began twirling her pasta onto her fork. "You're such a good boy, Shining. I can't believe you're settling for a disk jockey."
"She's the most popular radio show host in the city," Shining said, trying not to press his teeth together.
Golden Light sniffed again. "She plays music over the radio. There's plenty of far more respectable positions for a woman like her. I was a principal. At least you two are doing things worthwhile."
"Yep!" Twilight said loudly, grabbing Sunset by the arm. "In fact, I'm about to go do more worthwhile things right now. Gotta get those scholarships! We'll be in the lab, Shiny!"
As Twilight pulled Sunset forward, she caught the look in Shining's eye that said, 'please don't leave me alone.' Rounding the corner to the kitchen, Sunset heard Golden Light mutter, "Could have gone to Harvard."
They hurried into the garage, and Twilight shut the door behind them before sighing and leaning against it. "I forgot she'd be here today."
"She seems..." Sunset chewed on her tongue.
"Go ahead and say it."
"Twilight, I hate her."
Twilight massaged her temple. "She needs everything to be perfect, and even then, it's still never good enough. She's the most judgmental person in my entire family. And my great uncle Gavel is a judge!"
Sunset laid her arms atop one another. "Is that why you panicked and introduced me as your 'friend'?" She made sure not to sound accusatory.
"Sorry, I panicked." Twilight rubbed her shoulder. "No one outside my immediate family knows about my orientation, or that I have a girlfriend. I've been mentally readying myself to slowly come out at the wedding. I wasn't prepared for you to meet her here."
Sunset walked over and rested her hand over Twilight's. "I never really worried about presenting myself. Both because I don't care what anyone else thinks, and because in Equestria, gender norms are a lot more fluid than here. Go at your own pace, okay? The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable."
Twilight groaned and tilted her head back. "And that's why I want to tell everyone you're my girlfriend! You're just so... so..." She brought her head forward and kissed Sunset on the lips. "Perfect."
"You and I both know that's not true," Sunset said, unable to get the giddy smirk off her face.
"Well, you're close enough for me."
Sunset leaned forward and kissed her back. "Same to you, Sparky. Now, do you wanna make out, or study magic?"
"Who says we can't do both?"
*******
Moondancer reached and plucked a single piece of popcorn from the bowl before popping it into her mouth. Her eyes were fixated on the television screen before her. She still couldn't believe she had watched so much of this silly, low-budget, science fiction show. But, Twilight adored it, and Moondancer could understand why, even if it was dated.
As visually unimpressive as it was, Moondancer wasn't about to complain. She and Twilight sat on the couch, leaning against one another, a bowl of popcorn balanced between them.
"So these... Tarains...?"
"Tamarian," Twilight corrected.
"Yes, these Tamarians only speak in allegories?"
"Correct!"
Moondancer took another kernel. "Fascinating. But, I can see several flaws in this language, even if you did grow up with it. If you had never heard the story the allegory was from, you would have no idea what someone was saying to you. Conversely, even if you had, allegories can have many different meanings."
Twilight nodded, grabbing a handful and stuffing it into her mouth. She had enough manners to chew and swallow before speaking. "True, but I suppose it would be like someone using a word or phrase you haven't heard before in our world."
"Yes, but trying to learn the context behind it would take a considerable more amount of time."
"Touche."
Moondancer smiled and snuggled a little closer onto Twilight. She adored their time together, no matter what they did. Six years with no interaction with children her age, and now, she had been rewarded with this brilliant and adorable flower. She willed her fluttering heart to be still. Perhaps there would be time later to become something more. For now, Moondancer just wanted to savor this genuine friendship.
The episode ended, and the credits crawled across the screen. Twilight rested her head against the couch and looked up at the ceiling. "What do you think aliens are really like, Moony?"
Moondancer tilted her head back as well. "I know not. But, I'm certain that if anyone can find the answer, it is you, little star."
Twilight made a sad chuckle. "You know I can't ever be an astronaut."
"You don't have to leave our fair planet to make such discoveries. Perhaps you'll be the one to pick up long-distance frequencies." Moondancer sat up and splayed out her fingers. "Or, you shall be the lead designer of our first interstellar spaceship! They shall name it after you: the 'Twilight Voyager'! Your name shall live on forever, sung through the cosmos for the brilliant mind I know you to have!"
Twilight's laugh was more earnest this time. "Thanks, Moony."
"Think nothing of it. I speak only the truth."
They were five minutes into the next episode when Mrs. Velvet poked her head into the room. "Moondancer, your, er, driver is here to pick you up."
Moondancer stifled a sigh. "Very well. Thank you, Mrs. Velvet." She got to her feet and raised her arms over her head to stretch. "We will have to continue our Star Trekking another time."
Twilight paused the T.V. and got up as well. "Yeah. I wish you could stay longer. Oh, we should have another sleepover this weekend!"
"That sounds lovely! I shall ask my father if it's allowable." Moondancer slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bag before heading to the front door. Porter stood on the porch, greeting her with a polite smile and a tip of his hat. Moondancer turned and gave Twilight a goodbye hug.
"When Odysseus returns to Penelope in Ithaca," Moondancer said before releasing Twilight.
Twilight looked confused for a moment before her face broke into a wide, glowing smile. Moondancer gave a short curtsey and made her leave. Porter opened the door of the limo for her, and she settled in.
The warm bubble she had been carrying popped immediately when she saw who was sitting across from her.
Tempest had one leg crossed over the other, hand resting in her lap. "Having fun?" she asked in her usual, aloof tone.
"I was," Moondancer said coldly. "What do you want?"
"I'm here to make sure you aren't jeopardizing any of our plans. I still think it was a terrible idea to let you attend school, private or otherwise."
Moondancer crossed her arms. "I haven't breathed a word about your scheme to anyone. No one would believe me if I did."
Tempest remained stone-faced. "You're getting awfully close to that girl."
"I'm allowed to have a friend, aren't I?"
Tempest snorted. "Sure, keep your little playmate. Just remember..." She tapped a finger against the golden amulet around her neck. "If I find out you've said too much, she and you can go meet your dear mother."
Moondancer bared her teeth but said nothing. Tempest didn't need to threaten her; Moondancer had no intention of bringing Twilight into this conflict. She had finally found a friend, and she would do anything to keep Twilight safe.
*******
Laying on her bed, staring up at the canopy, Moondancer knew she could be making better use of her time. The garden had been tended to for the day. She didn't feel like practicing the piano. She could read a book. Or maybe see her mother.
Moondancer cringed at the last idea. Going upstairs meant chancing another encounter with her father, and she had no desire or energy to do that.
A sigh left her lips. Lying in her room with nothing to do and no one to talk to... it reminded her too much of the time before she met Twilight. Oh, how she wished she could go back to the golden era where she could see her little star whenever she wanted. Freedom; delicious, intoxicating freedom.
Knock knock knock. "Lady Moondacer?" an old voice called through her door.
Moondancer groaned and forced herself into a sitting position before rolling out of bed. It was unladylike, but she dragged her feet across the carpet and opened up the door. "Yes, Porter?"
He held an envelope in his hand. "This arrived in the mail for you. It had no name, however, so I must admit, I am wary of it. I thought I should inform you before I throw it out."
Moondancer gave the envelope a quick inspection. Her heart froze when she saw the handwriting on the front spelling out her name. She knew that penwork anywhere. "N-no! I will take the letter, Porter, thank you."
She practically snatched it from his hand, taking it into her own trembling ones. "Um, please, do not tell anyone else about this."
Porter gave her a confused look, but bowed.
"Thank you." She shut the door quickly, mentally apologizing to him for her curtness. She ran back to her bed and tore the letter open, heart drumming in her chest. Twilight had wrote to her? Given her correspondence after all these weeks?
She froze before reading it. What if it was a formal declaration of the end of their friendship? What if she had just written to tell Moondancer what she already knew: that Twilight would never forgive her, no matter what. What if Twilight had found out about Jormangandr and Moondancer's involvement?
Moondancer set the letter on the bedside table. She couldn't do it. Even if she already knew in her heart that Twilight was against her, she couldn't bear to see it written out.
I should just throw it away. I don't need another physical reminder of my treachery.
But it was a letter from Twilight, possibly the last letter she would ever receive. It had its own sweet sentimental value, even if the reasons why it was sent were grim. Twilight saw fit to write to her, that alone was cause for celebration, bittersweet as it was.
There was also the slim and meager chance that it wasn't a letter of rejection. Moondancer shook her head. There was nothing else that could be in that letter. Twilight was sweet and altruistic, seeing the best in people. But even she wasn't that pure-hearted.
Moondancer paced the floor, sparing a glance at the letter every time she turned. To read or not to read? She had nothing to lose. Of course, she had absolutely nothing to gain either. If she didn't count potential heartbreak.
Her blisters seared with heat, and she yelled, pressing her hand against her mask at the surprise pain. The angry, burning welts contextualized the dilemma for Moondancer, at least. Whatever was in the letter couldn't hurt more than this.
When the heat settled again, Moondancer took the letter into her shaking fingers. She sat on the edge of the bed, took a deep breath to settle her stomach, and began to read.
Dear Moondancer,
Writing this is... hard. I vented all of my feelings beforehand in a rough draft, and this is still hard. But I'm writing it anyway because I feel like I have to. I have things I need to say.
I'm hurt. That is the premise of my entire missive. Moondancer, you were my first friend, my best friend. You meant the world to me. So, seeing what you did, what you tried to do, what you're a part of... I'm confused and angry. I re-read all of the letters you wrote to me while you were in France, how you were happy someone had come to my aid when I needed it, and that I had a friend to talk to while you were gone.
That made what happened at Prom hurt even more. Seeing how much you hated Sunset, how much you wanted to hurt her. And not just her, the rest of my friends... even me. Did you hate Sunset from the beginning? How much of that was the Archon Amulet and how much was you?
How could you do such a thing? What did Sunset do to deserve so much hatred? I told you how much she meant to me. She helped me when I needed it the most. I know now you liked me, but I thought you would be happy for me. This can't just be jealousy--there has to be more here than that; something you won't or can't tell me. So, as angry and hurt as I am, I have to ask:
Are you okay?
That doesn't absolve you of anything you've done. But I've seen Tempest Shadow. I know what she wants to do. And I can't believe you would go along with it so willingly. You're in trouble, I know you are.
I'm not ready to forgive you. I don't know if I ever will be. But, in honor of our friendship, I still want to help you if I can. But you have to tell me what's wrong. No lies, no secrets, no half-truths. Of course, I don't know if you can. I don't know how much trouble you're in. I don't know if you'll even get this letter.
Even after writing this, I have so many emotions. I think, above all else, I'm sad. I'm sad that you resorted to such drastic and evil measures. I'm sad that I don't know if I can ever trust you again. I'm sad that you might be in trouble.
If you are, and if you can, tell me. I'll try to help you one more time.
Twilight Sparkle
P.S. Happy birthday.
The second half of the letter had been increasingly difficult to read due to the tears spilling from Moondancer's eyes. She had been wrong; Twilight's words hurt far more than the scars on her face, stinging now because of her tears.
Not a single exclamation point; just calm, collected anger. A quiet storm pulsing with electricity. Moondancer was left numb. She didn't know what to focus on first. Of course her actions had caused Twilight pain, but the way she had written it out... Moondancer felt ill. She had shattered the trust Twilight had placed in her. It didn't come as a surprise but it hurt all the same.
She cringed, seeing her actions at Prom replay in her head. Yes, Moondancer hadn't quite been in her right mind, but the emotions she felt that night still came from her, even if the amulet dredged them up and amplified them to unhealthy levels. Even if she had been under orders, a reasonable human being would have refused and taken the fall instead of turning on her friend.
But I had to survive.
That didn't excuse her actions, or wash away the grime of guilt covering her. Though the feeling of filth was why she still hadn't put on the Archon Amulet since that night. She needed to find other ways to achieve her goal; ones that didn't consist of her sinking even further into the mud.
It was too little too late though. The Spectacular Seven viewed her as an enemy. Perhaps it was better that way. Though, part of her regretted some of the potential friendships she had thrown away. Rarity seemed like a great girl. And Fluttershy had a gentle purity to her that Moondancer found attractive. She was also quite knowledgeable on plants and animals.
And then there was Sunset.
Moondancer clenched the letter, creating a deep crease. She regretted the parts she had played in stealing Sunset's soul. She regretted hurting Twilight as a result. But that regret couldn't drown out the hatred she felt for the succubus.
Sunset Shimmer. She had everything. She had come from virtually nowhere, stolen Twilight, moved in with Moondancer's family, wielded incredible magical power. Her entire existence mocked Moondancer. No, there wasn't a force on earth that could get Moondancer to change her mind about that. Perhaps Sunset wasn't evil like she first thought, but she was still an interloper who had no place here.
Moondancer's grip slackened. She raised the letter and read it through again.
Are you okay?
No. She wasn't. Moondancer hadn't been 'okay' in years. Nothing was okay. But she couldn't tell Twilight that. She had wanted to keep Twilight as far away from this as possible. She supposed that was impossible now. But the less people who knew about her plan, the less chance of Tempest finding out. And Moondancer refused to give Tempest any more reasons to target Twilight.
Moondancer kept her eyes on the last lines of the letter. The desire to respond in any capacity burned like a fever. How she longed to talk to Twilight again. Given her way, she would spill all of her secrets. She would do anything to get Twilight to trust her again. But that wasn't possible. Moondancer doubted it ever would be.
No, she wasn't okay. And no, Twilight couldn't help her. No one could.
She gave the letter one last glance, running a finger over the P.S. Twilight had scribbled in. Even after all of that, Twilight had remembered her birthday. Moondancer wanted to see that as a spark of hope, but she knew better.
She neatly folded the paper, flattening out the crease she had made, and tucked it under her pillow. Moondancer stood up to pace again. She was more restless than before now. Guilt would be eating at her heart for the rest of the day, and gloom sat heavy on her shoulders.
What was she to do now? She really wanted to write back to Twilight, even if it was just a simple hello, just to acknowledge that she had gotten the letter. But Twilight would be furious no doubt unless Moondancer wrote back something of substance; something that answered at least one of her questions.
What else could she do then? She had nothing to tend to, no one to talk to. She was trapped in this house, cut off from the outside world, with only her thoughts to accompany her.
The walls of her room loomed closer. She could hear the words of Twilight's letter from under her pillow. They were loud, and matched up with the hurt look Twilight had given her.
She, Moondancer had been a bad friend. She had been a terrible friend. She didn't need the letter yelling at her.
Maybe you do. Maybe you need another reminder of just how far down this slope you've fallen.
Moondancer's chest tightened. Breathing was becoming a hassle, and her head felt light. Everything I've done has been to save the world. To save my mother!
At the cost of what? Innocent lives? Friendship? Your face?
Her left cheek prickled. Moondancer pushed it all away. She needed air. She needed to get away. She wanted to go outside and be free, even for just a moment.
And Tempest wasn't here to stop her.
There was, of course, that nagging feeling that she somehow was watching Moondancer. But now, Moondancer didn't care. She could make it quick, just as long as she got away for a little bit. She needed to get new seeds for her garden anyway, that would be her excuse.
Moondancer inhaled deep, clearing the blockage in her chest. She slipped her shoes on and pushed her room door open. She found Porter in drawing room, dusting one of the bookshelves.
"Porter, I would like to go into town please."
Porter looked at her, a little unsure. "Is that, err, wise, My Lady?"
"It's just one errand. No one has to know as long as we're quick."
Porter put his duster away and bowed. "Very well, Lady Moondancer."
*******
They took the town car instead of the limo to be a little more discreet. Moondancer watched the elegant houses transition into more mundane living spaces. Sparkling fountains became tiny birdbaths, and four-car garages were reduced to just one.
The Upper Villa was primarily just real estate property for homes and condos. The closest shopping center was at the foot of the hill, but it lacked a quality flower store, meaning they had to drive a bit further into town.
Moondancer didn't mind. Just watching the scenery fly past took away the claustrophobic feeling her manor had been imposing on her over the last month. The last time she had snuck out, it had been under the cover of darkness to do Tempest's bidding. Right now, she could relax and enjoy herself.
Well, enjoy herself as much as she could with Twilight's barbed words still nettling her. She wanted to tell Porter to take her to Twilight's house, but the creeping idea that Tempest was somehow watching her gave her pause, even if she knew it was impossible. Furthermore, there was the likely possibility Twilight was with Sunset, and Moondancer had no desire to speak to her.
A simple drive would have to suffice. Canterlot was bathed in shades of green, from the emerald leaved trees, to the jade moss creeping up older buildings, to the yellowing lawns taking the brunt of the late spring sun.
The car pulled into the lot of a small shopping outlet on the edge of the middle-class suburbs. Moondancer had been here a few times with Twilight. There was a comic book store her brother would drag them into when he chaperoned them, and a candy store they would indulge in from time to time.
Moondancer stepped out, promising Porter she would return shortly. It was a warm day, but a pleasant breeze kept it from being uncomfortable. A few people stared at her as she passed, but Moondancer paid them little mind. She was used to the spotlight. Sure, it wasn't positive this time, but she knew no one was bold enough to actually approach her.
'Green Thumb' was a mom and pop shop next to a convenience store and the comic shop. Moondancer had come here ever since she was a little girl with her mother. Rows of seeds, fertilizers, and pots greeted her, with houseplants sitting on shelves in front of the windows. It smelled of freshly churned dirt and budding flowers.
"Moondancer!" a cheery older voice called from the cash register. "It's been a long-- oh sweetheart, what happened to you?"
Despite telling herself she didn't care what others thought and was prepared for the ogling and questions, Moondancer still reflexively put a hand against her mask. "Hello, Mrs. Flora. It's nothing, really, just a little mishap."
Mrs. Flora was the grandmother of the shop. She had flyaway gray hair that Moondancer could tell had once been a vibrant pink, and large eyes magnified buy her spectacles. She gave Moondancer a disapproving frown.
"That looks like more than just a 'little mishap.'
Moondancer stepped closer, as to not drag the rest of the store into the conversation. "I had a disastrous run-in with a very angry avian. I assure you though, all will be well."
Mrs. Flora narrowed her eyes. "Well... I at least hope whoever owned that bird is giving you some sort of compensation."
"We're working something out."
Expression softening, Mrs. Flora said, "Good. Well, birds aside, how are you, dear? You haven't come in in some time."
"I'm fine," Moondancer said, a lie so easy, she could tell it in her sleep. "School and work kept me busy, so I haven't had time to visit my favorite store."
"Oh that's right! You're all graduated now, aren't you? Oh, congratulations!"
Moondancer smiled, easier when she only had to use half her face. "Thank you."
Mrs. Flora clapped her hands. "So, what are you going to do next?"
"I'm going to take a year off to really think about what I want to do. Work for the family business for a while and earn my keep."
"That's a good plan," Flora said with a nod. "College is expensive, even for someone like you. But, that's future talk; what can I do for you today?"
Moondancer wandered toward the aisles. "Just seed hunting today. Whatever strikes my fancy."
"Well, if you need any help, you know where I am."
Moondancer nodded in gratitude before turning her attention to the rows and rows of seed packets. Summer was a week away, and she needed to finish rearranging the garden. Something to compliment the dahlias already growing. Perhaps even grow a few things on the balcony.
Gloriosas? Mmmm, a little bland. Oh, but zinnias have such a variety of colors. That could be fun. And I can never say no to a patch of sunflowers.
She pulled the packs from their shelves, genuinely smiling as she did. She could picture the arrangement in her head, seeing a palette of colors blooming in her backyard. Maybe she could grow some lavender near the gazebo.
Moondancer cringed sharply, dropping the bag of lavender seeds onto the floor. Twilight, and the delightful lavender scent she always wore burst into the forefront of Moondancer's mind, and thinking of Twilight brought about thoughts of her letter.
Her smile faded. The store felt smaller than Moondancer remembered. Her thoughts were getting loud again. She didn't deserve to plant lavenders after what she did to Twilight. More than that, as she looked down at the seeds, Moondancer knew she couldn't plant these. Not without feeling this guilt.
When her fingers stopped shaking, Moondancer scooped the bag up and tucked it back onto the shelf. What she had now would suffice. It would keep her busy for a day or two.
"Moondancer?" a gentle and confused voice said.
Moondancer stiffened. She turned her head, breath catching in her throat.
Fluttershy stood at the other end of the aisle, a basket full of fertilizer over her arm. Her doe eyes were wide, and Moondancer could see apprehension, confusion, and a little fear.
"Umm... hello, Fluttershy." Moondancer gave her a small wave.
"Umm... hi." Fluttershy shuffled in place. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
Moondancer held her seeds up. "I, um, come here for my gardening supplies. I wanted to finish my summer arrangement."
"Oh... I see."
It was Moondancer's turn to fidget. She could usually throw a guard up and establish some sort of performance, but she had never expected to run into any of Twilight's friends here. And Fluttershy's soft and fearful eyes made it harder.
"What brings you here?" Moondancer asked.
Fluttershy held her basket up. "Umm, I get my garden supplies from here, too."
"Oh, I remember. You like to garden as well."
"Yes, I help my mother with hers."
Moondancer gave herself a sad smile. "I see. I used to do the same thing with my mother."
Fluttershy gave a small nod. Both girls stood in place, occasionally fidgeting. Moondancer still couldn't pick up her persona. She really hadn't needed it since Prom.
Prom.
There was no doubt Prom was what Fluttershy had on her mind. She was sizing Moondancer up, deciding on whether to run and call her friends or not. She, Moondancer, was still the villain in Fluttershy's eyes, and for good reason. Though Moondancer had to admit, Fluttershy was remaining surprisingly composed for the situation she was in.
Deciding now would be the best time to leave while the air was thick with awkward apprehension, Moondacer turned toward the register. "Well... it was nice to see you, Fluttershy. Take care." A bit flippant, but it wasn't like Fluttershy expected anything else from her.
"Wait," Fluttershy said, quiet but surprisingly firm.
Moondancer turned back around. "Yes?"
Fluttershy bit her lip. "Why... why are you really here?"
Moondancer just held the seeds up.
"But, you're... you're..." Fluttershy fidgeted again, looking around like the words she wanted were printed on one of the fertilizer labels.
"I'm what?" Moondancer asked softly. "A villain? A monster? Even monsters have hobbies, sweet Fluttershy."
"N-no, that's not what I..." She straightened her back and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She exhaled and opened them, revealing a sudden confidence that beguiled Moondancer more than her simpering eyes had. "You tried to hurt us. You did hurt Sunset. Twilight trusted you."
Moondancer flinched hard, nearly dropping her items. It was like hearing the letter read out to her. She composed herself as best she could and said, "Yes, I did. I know."
Fluttershy looked away again, her eyes settling on the lavender seeds Moondancer had put away. She fidgeted again, and just before Moondancer could finally pivot and walk away, she said, "I... I, um... I know how you feel, a little."
"What do you mean?"
"I have a friend who I love very much but..." Fluttershy tapped her toe against the tiled floor. "She's with someone else now."
Moondancer clenched a fist and quickly released it. "I see. And how does that make you feel?"
Fluttershy wiped her eyes then looked back at Moondancer. "It hurt. A lot. I was even mean to the person she started dating... but that was wrong. Instead, I told her how I felt. It still hurts a little. Maybe I won't be okay today, but I will be someday. And we're going to keep being friends. I guess, in the end, I'm just happy she's happy."
Moondancer closed her eyes and eased into a smile. "You're a kind and altruistic soul, Fluttershy. I hope you never lose that. Far better to take the high road than to do what I did."
"But, why? Why did you do all of that? Do you really hate Sunset that much?"
Once again, Moondancer could hear Twilight's letter, those exact words. She kept her eyes closed and said, "That's not for you to know. I have my reasons, and though it means very little, I never intended for you to get caught in the crossfire."
"That doesn't excuse what you did." Fluttershy sounded more like a disappointed parent than someone who had personally been harmed.
It was enough to get Moondancer to open her eyes, only to look away, unable to withstand Fluttershy's withering glare. "I know. Of course, I wasn't quite... in the right state of mind... but you're right. It's a moot point." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm sorry."
Fluttershy didn't respond immediately. Moondancer was about to use the pause as an out to finally walk away, but Fluttershy spoke just as she turned her foot. "Would you do it again?"
"Come again?"
"If you could do it again, would you? A lot of people say they're sorry without meaning it. They're sorry they got in trouble. My mom says, if someone's really sorry, they would change their actions."
Would she change anything? A better question was could she change anything. The premise would still be the same: her soul or theirs. Moondancer had to survive. She hated to think that way, weighing her life against someone else's, but she was the only one who could defeat Tirek. It was all for a greater good.
If she could change things, she wouldn't have tried to kill Sunset. Moondancer's hatred of her ran deep, but death may have been a bit extreme, especially if it harmed Twilight in the process.
Moondancer clenched her free hand. She never would have attacked Twilight. Tempest's orders be damned.
A tear snuck out of the corner of her eye. She wiped it away and said, "Only parts. I guess... I'm not as sorry as I thought."
Yet, guilt and sorrow weighed her down like a lead balloon. It turned her stomach and sent goosebumps up her arms. The letter... this girl... today seemed fit to rub Moondancer's mistakes in her face. She couldn't stand to be in Fluttershy's presence any longer. Her aura, her eyes, all they did was amplify the negativity eating Moondancer.
She turned away again. "I should go." Fluttershy didn't stop her thankfully. Moondancer presented her purchases to Mrs. Flora.
"There you go, sweetheart," she said, putting everything into a paper bag. "You be sure to visit more often, okay?"
Moondancer gave her a small bow. "I will, I promise. Thank you for everything today." She turned to go, and had a hand on the door when Fluttershy called out to her.
"Moondancer, wait."
Against her better judgment, Moondancer paused and looked over her shoulder.
Gone was the burst of confidence Fluttershy had. Her shoulders were hunched, and she kept her hands pressed together in front of her chest. She looked like a flower in need of sunlight.
Eyes looking everywhere but at Moondancer, Fluttershy asked, "Do you... um... Moondancer, do you need help?"
Moondancer stiffened. Again, she could see Twilight's letter before her eyes. I'll try to help you one more time.
Twilight she could almost understand. Underneath her shy exterior was a compassionate soul. She still felt compelled by their friendship to at least offer a hand. But Fluttershy? Fluttershy hardly knew her. The last time Fluttershy had seen her, Moondancer tried to take her soul. Yet, she wanted to help?
It was hard, but Moondancer looked into Fluttershy's eyes. Indeed, she could see the same level of compassion she had come to love in Twilight. It was actually quite astonishing. But, why? Why would Fluttershy offer to help? Moondancer had burned her bridges. Yet Fluttershy, and Twilight... even her father to some extent...
Another tear streaked down her face, followed closely by another. Her heart constricted, and her shoulders shook. It was like when she had spent the day with her uncle. Moondancer nearly broke, wanting so bad to spill everything she had been keeping secret. All her hopes and plans and lies made in desperation.
She quickly wiped her eyes. Even if she said yes, what could they do? What could anyone do? Sure, Fluttershy and her friends had flashy powers. With some training, perhaps they could serve as a notable distraction. But the rainbow they had... it reminded Moondancer of the stories of the Rainbow of Light. If it was anything similar, she couldn't allow them to use it against Tirek. It would just be another seal, another stall until he found a way to come back again.
No, Moondancer had to end it. And she was the only one with that power.
Even still, a small part of her, the eight-year-old who had watched her mother fall to the floor, screaming as she stared into those lifeless eyes, she begged Moondancer to take the hand offered to her.
But she knew she couldn't do that. Not now, not after everything she had already sacrificed to get this far. But perhaps, she could find a small middle ground. A small atonement for her actions at Prom.
Moondancer took a step toward Fluttershy and said in a soft voice, "Did you know magic used to be prevalent in this world? Abundant even. Then, it all just disappeared. Now, you girls are one of the last great sources of magic. Every time you do your extraordinary feats, the world seems to resonate and put out a little magic of its own."
She dropped her voice even lower. "Imagine what someone could do if the world's magic returned. Or if they could harness a direct source... if they could take yours for their own. Such great and terrible spells could be cast."
Moondancer stepped back, watching Fluttershy rapidly blink her eyes. "You cannot help me, Fluttershy. I suggest you look after yourself and your friends." She turned and pushed the door open.
"Moondancer..."
"I do regret that I cannot count myself among them." Moondancer stepped into the afternoon air, leaving Fluttershy behind.
*******
She had just put on her sun hat and made it into the garden when she heard the whoosh of shadows gathering behind her. Moondancer braced herself and turned around, watching Tempest step out of her portal.
"Was your little excursion successful? You were gone a while," Moondancer said, feigning interest.
Tempest narrowed her eyes. "Unfortunately, your uncle and cousin interfered with my plans. They sent the staff off to some unknown location, though I'm beginning to suspect where it might actually be."
"Fascinating." Moondancer picked up her spade and seed packets, and moved over to one of the small plots of barren earth.
"Well? I gave you a task to complete while I was gone. Or are you so incompetent, you couldn't even do this simple thing?"
Moondancer stabbed the spade down and hauled up a larger chunk of earth than she intended. "I did your dirty work. 'Spy on the Spectacular Seven and see if their powers develop.' I even found an opportunity to test your little black magic experiment on them."
"And?" Tempest asked, tapping her boot.
"From what I've seen, their powers only manifest when they're in danger. The only development I saw was that they somehow managed to expel the magic you poured into that poor snake. And before you ask, no, I don't know how. The connection orb went dark before it happened."
Tempest growled. "No matter. As long as they're still outputting magic. Anything else?"
Moondancer tore open a packet of seeds and placed one in the freshly dug hole. "They made friends with a boy who has magic that manifests as a guardian wolf spirit, and the Sirens. Though, 'friends' might be a bit of a stretch with the latter three. So would 'allies' actually."
"Oh?" Tempest stepped through the dahlias, crushing them underfoot as she approached Moondancer, ignoring the outrage on her face. "Tell me more about this supposed alliance." |
Spectacular Seven | 15. Canterlot Chronicles | "Because love's in bloom!
"A beautiful bride, a handsome groom!
"I said love's in bloom!
"You're starting a life and making room
"For us!"
"For us!" six voices echoed after Sunset. Rainbow's guitar and Twilight's violin faded out, and the girls gave a celebratory cheer.
Sunset lowered her microphone and breathed deep to refill her lungs, taking in the rustic scent of hay and animal feed. "That was great, girls! I think we're ready for the wedding."
"Heck yeah, we are!" Rainbow cheered, pumping a fist.
Rarity fanned herself. "I still can't believe we get to play at a wedding! What a way to officially start summer! I can't wait to show you all the designs I've made for your outfits!"
Sunset took a seat on a hay bale, fidgeting to get comfortable against the straw. With the Sirens occupying the factory, the girls had to fall back to Sweet Apple Acres to practice. Sunset also had to put in a few calls to get a hold of Principal Celestia so they could borrow the keytar and bass guitar for their band. Despite not having played for months, everyone fell back into good form pretty quick, even more impressive with their new additions of Sunset on vocals and Twilight playing her violin.
Rainbow pulled her guitar over her head and adjusted her red scarf, then plopped down onto a hay bale. "I can't wait for all the food! Weddings always have awesome stuff to eat. Plus, we get to stay at a fancy hotel for free!"
"Make sure you thank Cadence for getting us rooms," Sunset said. "She could have just as easily made us carpool there. And don't do anything dumb, Dash."
"Why are you singling me out?"
"You know why."
Rainbow huffed and crossed her arms. She hadn't told anyone else what had transpired at Six Pillar Park a few days ago, so Sunset had kept her peace as well. But not even Sunset was privy to what happened between Rainbow and Fluttershy afterward. Judging by the new scarf Rainbow wore and the familiar look she and Fluttershy had shared when Applejack asked if Rainbow was too hot wearing it, Sunset suspected it had gone as well as it could have. Ultimately, she was just glad there weren't any rifts in their friendship circle.
Pinkie slouched over her drums, twirling her drumstick around her fingers. "So, what now?"
"Well, we've gone through our set, practiced the bridal chorus." Sunset shrugged. "I think we're good until the rehearsal."
"Sounds good to me," Applejack said, shaking out her hand. "Ah forgot how much sweat you can work up playin' an instrument. Y'all sit tight, Ah'll get us some ciders to cool off."
"You're the best, A.J.!" Rainbow shouted as Applejack left the barn.
She returned in short order with a box of cold Sweet Apple Cider and handed one out to everyone before relaxing on a hay bale and taking a long sip of her own. "Ahh, now this is what Ah imagined our summer being like."
"It has been pretty crazy so far, huh?" Pinkie said before finishing her drink in one gulp.
Sunset turned her face from the group and took a long sip of her cider.
Rarity cleared her throat. "Crazy or not, we've all had a good time for the most part. And we've done the right thing by helping the Sirens."
Pinkie jumped up from her seat. "Abso-posi-lutely! Me and Sonata have a whole day of funnerifc things planned out for tomorrow!"
Rainbow shrugged. "I guess it hasn't been the most egregious thing to happen to us."
Twilight straightened up and beamed at Rainbow. "You've been using my word of the day calendar!"
"You can't prove that!"
"Umm," Fluttershy's soft voice broke over the girls' amused snorts and snickers. She kept her eyes on her bottle and rolled it between her hands. "I'm happy the Sirens are starting to become our friends, but... I, um... I ran into Moondancer the other day."
Twilight dropped her bottle onto the ground, the amber liquid spilling out onto the dirt. "You saw her?"
Rainbow was on her feet. "Did she hurt you?"
"No, no, she didn't," Fluttershy said hastily. "We just talked. I met her at the local flower shop I go to. She was buying seeds for her garden."
Sunset watched Twilight's throat constrict as she no doubt fought the urge to shout a thousand questions at once. She took a quivering breath and asked, "How is she?"
Fluttershy moved her eyes to the floor. "I don't know. She seems... sad."
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Please, it's just more of her acting."
"I don't think it is," Fluttershy said with a little more confidence. "She... she told me something. She said..." Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut. "There used to be a lot of magic in the world. Then, it all disappeared, and now, we have the most magic. Every time we do something, the world creates more magic, too."
Applejack tilted her head. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know. But she also said if someone could harness the world's magic or take ours, they could do really bad things with it."
"She's trying to warn us!" Twilight said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"Yeah, real helpful warning that was," Rainbow said, crossing her arms. "We already know the bad guys wanna resurrect that Tirek dude. Obviously, they need magic for it. How else do you bring back a dead guy?"
Sunset was up from her seat now, making short paces between her friends. "Yes, we knew what they wanted, but we didn't know how they were going to get it."
"There was the Archon Amulet though," Twilight pointed out. "Trixie said it gave the user dangerous amounts of magic."
"Maybe." Sunset pressed a hand to her chin. "But we're talking about resurrection. Even back in Equestria, that kind of magic doesn't exist. Although, Tirek's soul is still on the mortal plane, it's just in the Soul Lock."
Rainbow held her hands up. "So, what, they just want to bring back his body?"
"That would be less difficult. But if the Archon Amulet was so powerful, why isn't Tirek walking around yet?"
Twilight stood up and began pacing opposite of Sunset. "You're thinking it wasn't enough magic?"
"Something along those lines," Sunset said. "It was strong, but I beat Moondancer with that phoenix form. It stands to reason Tempest would want the strongest magic she could possibly get, i.e., us."
"She wants to take your magic to bring back Tirek!"
"Yes, but the question is how? You can't just drain someone's magic."
"But what if you could? What if there was an artifact that did that?"
"You're thinking about that staff?"
"Artemis said Tempest wanted it--"
"And Selena hasn't figured out what it does yet--"
"But what if it can somehow take someone's magic--"
"It would be Tempest's weapon of choice in attacking us--"
"Only if our hypothesis is true--"
"It's not something I'm sure I want to test though--"
"Oi!" Rainbow shouted. "Would the two nerds care to fill the rest of us in?"
Sunset blinked. She and Twilight were a foot apart, Twilight's hands clenched in eagerness from their brain meld. The two of them blushed and faced the rest of the group, all of them looking bemused save for Rainbow who stared at them flatly.
"Sorry," Twilight said sheepishly.
"Artemis sent over a staff he and Trixie found and rescued from Tempest. If Moondancer really is giving us a hint and Tempest wants to steal our magic, there's a high chance this might be how she wants to do it," Sunset said.
"So then, should we test it?" Applejack asked.
Sunset shook her head. "Too risky. If it does absorb magic in some capacity, we don't know if it'll take a little or all of it, or if there's a possibility to get it back."
"Well, it's a good thing it's in our possession then," Rarity said.
Twilight folded an arm and rested her elbow on it, pressing her cheek into her hand. "I wish there was some way we could test our hypothesis though."
"Either way, we should tell Selena," Sunset said, pulling her phone out for a text. "I don't think Tempest is dumb enough to come after her in the middle of the suburbs, but better safe than sorry."
The mood slowly alleviated into lighter topics as the afternoon wore on. Sunset noted that the seven of them hadn't had a normal, jovial session like this since their movie night when the Sirens first showed up. Sunset remembered when she avowed she didn't care about making friends beyond her core group. While that stance had eroded a bit, and Sunset was glad to help others like her reform themselves, she enjoyed the close-knit circle the seven of them shared.
The sun melted into the horizon, bleeding shades of oranges and pinks across the sky. Packing up their instruments and sharing their goodbyes, the girls parted ways. Sunset and Twilight trudged down the dirt road to where Sunset had left her bike.
Twilight took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, a wistful smile on her face. "Moondancer tried to help us. Maybe she's still good after all. Maybe she..." She trailed off.
Sunset made herself busy by fishing their helmets from under the seat. Letting vague information slip didn't exactly absolve Moondancer of her crimes of conspiring to steal their souls and attempted murder. Sunset's shoulder gave a slight twitch.
Still, for the precarious situation Moondancer could be in, Sunset couldn't deny she had proven to be of some help. And in no way did she want to take away any belief Twilight still had in her friend.
Sunset held a helmet out to Twilight. "As much as I dislike her, I hope you're right."
Twilight continued to smile as she took the helmet and looked at her reflection. "Me too."
*******
Sunset was relieved to find that not all of Twilight's family was as belligerent as Golden Light. Picking Twilight up the next morning so they could spend the day together, Sunset met her maternal grandparents, Twilight Jazz and Orion.
Twilight Jazz was a faded gray with silver hair and highlights like Twilight's that had managed to keep most of their pink coloring despite her aging. Orion was a dull gold and balding, though he sported an impressive silver beard.
"Grandma, Grandpa, this is Sunset," Twilight said, leading Sunset into the living room.
Orion stood from the couch and gave Sunset a firm handshake. "Nice to meet you, Sunset."
Jazz followed suit, shaking with both hands. "It's nice to meet you!" She added in a whisper, "We know Twilight has a hard time making friends."
Twilight cupped a hand over her eyes.
"Nice to meet you both as well," Sunset said, smiling at Twilight's expense.
"I hear you and your little friends are going to be the wedding band?" Jazz asked.
Sunset nodded. "The old band dropped out last second, so we're here to help out."
"Aww, how sweet. Twilight and Cadence are lucky to have friends like you."
Orion sat down again. "So, what are you girls up to today?"
Twilight smiled brightly. "We're just going to hang out today. Get some ice cream, talk, stuff like that."
Jazz smiled, though to Sunset it looked more like a sly smirk. "Well, you girls have fun and enjoy yourselves."
"Thanks, Nana, we will!" Twilight gave a wave and ushered Sunset out of the room and back toward the front door. The second it closed behind them, she took Sunset's hand and gave it a warm squeeze. "I'm sorry--"
"Stop," Sunset cut over, squeezing back. "I already told you, go at your own pace. Besides, you can make it up by buying the ice cream today."
Twilight leaned against her. "Deal. Do you think we can walk there today? It's nice out."
Indeed, it was a picturesque day with not a cloud to be found. With the summer solstice only days away, it also meant the heat had turned up, forcing Sunset to finally retire her leather jacket to the closet. It had been a sad parting, placing it on a hanger and leaving it behind in the dark, but Sunset couldn't stand sweating through her clothes. Still, her arms felt bare and exposed without the comfort of leather embracing them.
She and Twilight walked down the block, hand in hand, dappled in leaf-shaped shadows from the flourishing trees overhead. The strong scent of pollen wafted through the air, tickling Sunset's nose. In between their chatter and tousle of leaves, birds made themselves known with a chorus of chirps.
Even with the threat of Tirek and Tempest hanging over their heads, Sunset walked with a content smile on her face. Fleeting as she knew it was, all of her friends were happy, and Twilight was beside her on a beautiful day. Things were as perfect as they could be.
Twilight gestured emphatically with her free hand as she spoke, her expression oscillating between excitement and frustration. "I keep running comparisons between the laws of magic you've explained to me from Equestria and the observations of magic I've seen here. While some things line up, others don't. The biggest example is yours and Rarity's magic. You said unicorns can be versed in various kinds of spells like levitation or even weather manipulation. But Rarity can only manifest hard-light force fields, and you... I'm still not sure if there's a technical term for what you can do."
"Some form of empathic soul connection," Sunset said breezily, relaxed by the warm air.
"And you told me that's pretty unheard of back in Equestria."
"From what I remember, yeah. I don't recall any unicorn tapping into another pony's soul. Not for positive reasons anyway."
"And then there's Artemis and Trixie who seemingly have magic in their veins as a genetic inheritance. They can cast a whole range of spells, but you're all limited to one ability. It doesn't make any sense! Equestrian magic seems to at least have laws it abides by! The magic here is wildly inconsistent!"
"Maybe there is a consistency, you just haven't found the pattern yet?"
Twilight pushed her hand against her chin. "Maybe. I am still short on sufficient data from this world's magic. If only Artemis or Trixie was still here."
Sunset reached over with her free hand and gave Twilight's hair a gentle stroke. "In the meantime, why don't you keep focusing on things that do make sense. I know you've still got some science projects to work on."
Twilight gave a giddy hop. "Actually yes! I'm currently developing code for a mobile hydraulic arm. It'll be like an extra assistant in the lab and can handle some of the more dangerous objects I could potentially be working with."
"Wow," Sunset said, eyes wide. "That sounds impressive."
"Thanks. It'll probably take a while though. The code is pretty complex. Plus, even with my dad's connections, it'll take forever to get all the parts I need."
"You know, there is the junkyard. Plenty of good finds there. It's where I got my bike."
Twilight stuck her tongue out. "I'm not going dumpster diving for machine parts... yet." She sighed wistfully. "Imagine if I had a professional lab to work in! With top of the line technology and equipment! The things I could build! Maybe then I could make some sort of magic reader, just to see the output of magic you girls release every time you pony up."
They approached familiar ground as they crossed the street and stepped onto Canterlot High's campus. Coming near the horse statue, both of them slowed their gait, their eyes drawn toward the marble base. Sunset stopped, eyes moving from the statue to the building itself.
"It's weird knowing I don't have to come back here anymore," Sunset said. "My entire time in this world revolved around this school."
"I think that's how a lot of teenagers feel when they graduate," Twilight said, half-joking.
Sunset cracked a smile, even as she slid her hand out from Twilight's. She walked around the statue to the front of its base and stared at her reflection, squinting her eyes to try and see past it. She pressed her hand against the cold, polished surface and closed her eyes. She could feel the magic the statue held; small, pulsing tingles that ran up her fingertips. Allowing that magic to flow through her, Sunset concentrated and tried to pierce the veil between dimensions.
Just the smallest peek. Just to know it's still there.
Try as she might, she couldn't see anything, not even the swirling rainbow vortex that served as the bridge. It made sense, she supposed. When she used to spy on Princess Celestia, it had always been at night on this side of the portal. Sunset opened her eyes, keeping her palm pressed to the marble. She wondered if there was even the smallest chance that Celestia was right on the other side, looking back at her.
A warm hand touched her shoulder, and Sunset looked back at Twilight. She pulled away from the statue and took Twilight's hand. "Sorry."
"You're homesick, I get it. I mean, I don't get it, but... you know what I mean," Twilight finished with a mumble, cheeks turning pink.
Sunset giggled. "I do." Her mirth evaporated just as quick as it came. Her eyes darted to the portal again. "I don't know why. I have everything I could want right here. But... I keep dreaming about Equestria. I keep thinking about my parents and Princess Celestia. It's still a long time before I'll even have a chance to see them again."
"You'll see them again," Twilight said, squeezing Sunset's hand before moving her arms down and hugging Sunset's waist. "Then, you can tell them everything you've accomplished here."
Sunset looked at the back of her hand. Had her accomplishments outweighed her failures yet? She had certainly come a very long way. And even if they didn't, her parents would at least be proud of the road she was on now.
She returned Twilight's hug, resting her chin on her girlfriend's forehead. "When I do, I hope you're there with me."
"Do you think they'd like me?"
"Trust me, they'd love you." Sunset kissed her on the nose. "Enough ruminating for the day. You still owe me ice cream."
Twilight broke their embrace and took her hand again, leading them away from the statue and the school. "You sure you're okay?" she asked, casting that caring and inquisitive look Sunset loved so much.
Sunset squeezed her hand. "When you're around, I'm always okay."
*******
Rarity waited with bated breath, clutching her fists near her chest and bobbing up and down on her toes.
Aria flipped through the sketchbook, her face locked in her usual disinterested gaze. Her eyes roved over the designs, the corners of her lips occasionally twitching, from approval or mockery, Rarity couldn't tell. Aria took her time, stretching the minutes into a painful eternity.
Finally, as Rarity was about to burst, Aria flipped the book shut and handed it back to her. "Not bad. You know, for frilly dresses."
Rarity took the sketchbook and squeezed it against her chest, squeeing in delight and relief. She had quickly learned that a 'not bad' from Aria translated to 'I like it, good job.'
Walking across her workshop to her desk, Rarity stored the notebook away. "I can't wait to get started on these Victorian-style dresses! They'll be all the rage here in Canterlot, I just know it! But first, I need to finish up all of our wedding dresses."
Aria took a seat on the fitting stage. "Right. So, why am I still here then?"
Rarity moved to the back of the room and pulled out a coat rack of half-finished gowns. "Well, I would still love to have your input. You have a very keen sense of fashion. Plus, I love having company while I work. And don't tell me you'd rather be sitting in that dank, dusty factory. Lord knows we tried our hardest to keep Sunset out of there."
Aria gave a noncommittal shrug. "I guess. It does beat having to put up with Sonata's blathering."
"You gave me some insight on why you have a... contentious relationship with Adagio, but you also don't seem to care much for Sonata either. I get she can be a little... spacy, but if I didn't know better, I would think you didn't like her."
"I only don't like her when she does and says stupid stuff... which is most of the time." Aria crossed her arms and kicked her boots against the stage. "Look, being stuck between the megalomaniac and the ditz leaves you with really little patience. But we're the last of our kind, so we kinda have to stick together."
Rarity had set Rainbow's wedding gown on her workbench, needle in hand, when she paused and looked over her shoulder. "You're the last of the Sirens?"
"Unfortunately. Though, you can barely call us Sirens since we can't even sing anymore."
Rarity winced at the acrid tone in Aria's voice. Part of her wanted to inquire more, but they were already in dangerous waters. She fit the needle through a seam and began to stitch it closed. "I know what it's like to deal with bothersome sisters. I can't tell you how many times Sweetie Belle has gotten under my skin. But at the end of the day, you're still family. Sonata was worried sick about you when you disappeared that night in the forest. So was Adagio, even if she tried to hide it."
She heard Aria huff. "It's not like I don't... you know... care about them. They just make it really hard sometimes. Especially Adagio. As annoying as Sonata is, at least she doesn't talk down to me."
"You know..." Rarity set her needle down and turned her chair to face Aria. "When I think I've gone too long being mad at Sweetie, I make a list of all the positive things she's done for me, or all the good times we've had together. It helps reaffirm the bond we share as sisters."
Aria rolled her eyes. "You guys really lean hard into this friendship and love stuff, don't you?"
"Perhaps because we don't feed off negativity and spite," Rarity said dryly.
"Hey, it's not like we want to, we just do. And Sirens aren't exactly the nurturing type."
"That doesn't mean you don't have it in you to try."
Aria pursed her lips. "Watch it, Rarity; you're starting to slide into the annoying category."
Rarity held her hands up. "All I'm trying to do is make life easier for you. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. And honestly, it takes more energy to hate something than to love it."
"I told you, I don't hate my sisters. Their existence just irritates me." Aria paused and furrowed her brow. "Okay fine, maybe you have a point. But you try living with the same two people for over six hundred years--twenty of those spent on a deserted island with no escape."
"That does sound challenging, yes." Rarity tugged at her collar. "But, consider this another benefit of making friends: you can spend time away from Sonata and Adagio and get to meet new people, change up your routine. It'll make you appreciate them more when you do spend time with them."
"Yeah, we'll see," Aria said, unconvinced.
The conversation lulled for a while as Rarity put the finishing touches on Rainbow's dress. She held it aloft and examined it, squinting her eyes with critical focus and turning it over several times. When it passed her inspection, she turned to Aria and held it out to her. "What do you think? I started with Rainbow's because I think you and her have similar tastes when it comes to desiring minimum frou-frou in your outfits."
Aria stood and crossed the room to get a better look. Rainbow's dress was a midnight blue, one-shoulder, form-fitting gown with sharp, angular ruffles that started from the midriff and moved down to the knees.
"I went for a more simplistic design and tried to keep it from looking too 'soft'. I think the ruffles compliment her sharp bangs. What do you think?"
Keeping one hand on her chin, Aria circled around it, showing a bit more active interest than when she had looked at the sketches. "You should add a black sash around the middle. Gives it another layer of boldness."
Rarity nodded, already envisioning the new addition. "She does like to be bold. Thank you, Aria. Once again, your eye for fashion is impeccable."
Aria flashed her an aloof smile. She coughed and said, "You think I could... I dunno, maybe add the sash in?"
An excited gleam in her eye, Rarity handed the dress over. "I would be delighted if you did!"
*******
Fluttershy inhaled one last time to calm the butterflies in her stomach. She tried to put on a smile, but couldn't muster the energy. Her eyes wandered to Rainbow walking beside her, wearing her own nervous smile.
Best behavior, Fluttershy. You're doing this for Rainbow.
She had meant what she said to Moondancer: she was happy for Rainbow. She only wanted the best for her oldest and closest friend. That didn't stop the unpleasant twists her stomach gave when she thought about Soarin. Jealousy didn't disappear overnight, she knew that. But the lingering feelings made it harder to do what she was about to do.
She and Rainbow walked down the street to the local movie theater. Rounding the corner, Fluttershy's eyes locked onto Soarin immediately. He leaned against a large stone planter, hands in his pockets, looking as cool and calm as he always did. Fluttershy puckered then quickly unpuckered her lips before Soarin noticed them and waved, hesitating a fraction when he spotted Fluttershy.
She stopped a good three feet away, while Rainbow marched forward sucking in a deep breath and coming to a halt half-a-foot from Soarin's face.
"Uh, hey," Soarin said, looking nervous. "I thought--"
"We are," Rainbow cut in. "But we need to, like, talk talk. First, I'm sorry I... you know, double-dipped, I guess. I shouldn't have tried to go on a date with you and hang out with Fluttershy at the same time. Neither of you deserved that. Just wanted to say it in person."
"I mean, it's cool, I guess, but--"
"Not done. Second, I really want to date you. I'll even call it dating from here on in. Boyfriend and girlfriend. But, you have to be cool with Fluttershy, too. We're like, a package deal." Rainbow sounded out of breath, and beads of sweat gathered on her forehead.
"I'm willing to do that, yeah, but..." Soarin's eye darted in Fluttershy's direction.
Fluttershy squared her shoulders and stepped forward. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. And was mean to you. It's really not like me. I was just... jealous." She exhaled and dropped her shoulders, gazing down at her boots. "And I didn't know how to express my feelings."
Soarin put a hand up. "Listen, you two are tight, I can see that. The last thing I want to do is come between you--"
"No," Fluttershy said firmly, lifting her head again. "The last thing I want to do is come between the two of you. Rainbow really likes you. And she's never liked any boy before. I don't want to be the reason that's taken away from her. So, while I maybe don't particularly enjoy spending time with you, I promise to not be mean or malicious. And I would like to try and become friends."
Her heart hammered in her chest, and her stomach clenched uncomfortably, but she didn't look away from Soarin. He, in turn, looked at her with awe that slowly shifted to admiration. Rainbow looked between them, visibly wound tight, lips pressed together.
Soarin reached into his back pocket and pulled out the silver bracelet he had purchased at the fair. "I got this for you as a sort of peace treaty 'cause I had a feeling you didn't like me a whole lot. I was gonna give it to Rainbow to give to you, but since you're here... maybe we can use this to symbolize starting over?"
Fluttershy took the bracelet in her hands, gingerly turning it over and admiring the vines and butterflies. "Thank you, Soarin," she said earnestly. "It's lovely."
She slid it on her wrist and raised it up to the sunlight. It even gave off a faint prismatic shimmer. A warm heat replaced the twisting knots in her stomach, and she beamed at Rainbow and Soarin.
Rainbow let out the breath she had been holding, her body loosening up. She then punched the air with a triumphant smile and wrapped her arms around Soarin and Fluttershy's shoulders. "Awesome! Totally awesome! Max awesomeness!"
Soarin chuckled. "One step at a time. You guys still up for a movie?"
"That sounds nice," Fluttershy said.
"Cool, I'll get the tickets. My treat." Soarin slid out from under Rainbow's embrace and made for the ticket line.
One arm still around Fluttershy's shoulder, Rainbow asked, "How are you feeling?"
"I'll be fine, I promise," Fluttershy said. "You and Soarin are happy; that's what matters."
"Stop that," Rainbow said, hugging her tighter. "Your happiness is just as important, I told you that. And you'll find someone. Whoever it is, they'll be lucky to have you."
"Thanks, Dashie."
"And when you do start dating someone, I'm gonna scrutinize the heck out of them."
Fluttershy first blinked at Rainbow's correct use of the word 'scrutinize', then giggled. "That's fair."
Soarin walked back over, waving the tickets. "All set. Shall we head in?"
Rainbow grinned and reached for his hand, grasping it tightly. "Totally!" She then looped her other arm through Fluttershy's and pulled her close.
Fluttershy's pulse quickened and heat rose to her cheeks. She tried to stare at the floor, but a gentle shake made her meet Rainbow's eyes and see the familial love within them. Her cheeks cooled and her heart returned to its normal speed.
The three of them walked toward the lobby, Rainbow talking excitedly about their upcoming movie. Soarin and Fluttershy shared a laugh at her excitement, exchanging their first mutually friendly glance.
Yes, Fluttershy thought, I think I'll be okay.
*******
Pinkie squinted through her binoculars, casting her gaze over the park from her treetop vantage point. Everything seemed peaceful and innocent. Children played on the playset while their parents watched from the nearby benches. A family of ducks made laps around the little pond. Pinkie watched them for a while, the smallest one struggling to keep up with its family. The momma always doubled-back for it though.
Super cute! No, Focus! Pinkie snapped her gaze back to the fields of grass and tall pine trees. Wherever there was laughter and merriment, they were surely somewhere nearby.
Focusing her center of balance so she didn't tumble off the branch again, Pinkie raised a walkie-talkie to her mouth. "This is Pink Ranger, suspect is still not found. How is your search going? Over."
A crackle of static came from the speaker. "This is Blue Ranger. Nothing on my end. Over... wait, why do we always have to say 'over'? Over."
Pinkie's eyebrows knit together. "You know, I don't know. It's what they do in all the movies. Over."
"Roger copy! Over."
Pinkie returned to her stakeout. It was a lot more fun now that she had someone to talk to. And it finally gave her an excuse to use her walkie-talkies! She guessed since everyone had a phone, they were kinda pointless, but they were so retro and spy-like! And since Sonata didn't have a phone--
"Oh, oh! Pinkie, code L! Over!"
"What, where?" Pinkie twisted and turned, wildly snapping her head trying to find their target. "I don't--whoa!" Her excited rocking sent her tumbling out of the tree. The fall wasn't too long, and her poofy hair stopped a possible concussion, but the impact still left her stunned.
"Pinkie, are you okay? What happened? ...Over!"
She rolled to her feet and shook herself out. "I'm fine! Where's code L? Over."
"On the park bench next to the pound! On your right... wait... my right? Uhh... hang on..." There came muffled rustling from over the speaker before Sonata returned. "My right!"
Pinkie lifted her binoculars in the appropriate direction. Sitting on a bench not far from the little duckies was a portly man with a short but bushy black beard and a bowler hat. She could see him speaking on his phone, waving a hand enthusiastically. Pinkie pressed her tongue between her lips as she appraised the man. Maaayybee... buuuut...
"I'm going in for a closer look," Pinkie whispered into her talkie. "Watch my six, over."
"Umm... what does that mean?"
"I think it means keep an eye on my booty."
"...Okay, if you say so!"
Stealth mode, activate! Pinkie dove and rolled across the grass, tumbling over herself until she infiltrated a thick bush. She poked her head out, spotting a child staring at her with wonder. She raised a finger to her lips and winked before ducking back into the bush and sprinting out, keeping low to the ground. With a slide, she took refuge behind a thick tree behind the bench where the man still sat. The hope in Pinkie's chest immediately dimmed when she heard him speak into his phone.
"Yeah, I told the man, I says to him, I says, buddy, ya work with me, and you'll get everything ya want an' more. Badda bing, he signs the deal."
Pinkie stuck her tongue out and lifted her walkie-talkie. "False alarm, Blue Ranger. He's from New York. No way he's a leprechaun."
"Awwww."
Leaving the ranting New Yorker behind, Pinkie walked around the pond and approached the bush Sonata was staked out in. She poked her head up and started pulling leaves from her hair.
Pinkie pulled her from the bush and assisted her. "Thanks for coming leprechaun hunting with me, Sonnie. Sunset never wants to help me, no matter how much I ask."
"But it's so much fun! Even if we didn't find one this time."
A low rumble interrupted their conversation, followed by another one... then another. Both girls looked down at their stomachs, Pinkie becoming acutely aware of how empty it was.
Sonata giggled. "They're talking to each other!"
Pinkie put her hands on her stomach and squished her belly button. "Pinkie, feeeeed meeee!" she said in a gravelly growl.
Sonata mimicked her, giving her tummy a slightly higher pitch. "We demand tribute! Bring us sushi!"
"Oooh, sushi sounds good! But there's no good sushi places around Canterlot."
"Awwww."
Pinkie tapped a finger to her lip. "Hmmm... I know a good taco place though!"
Sonata frowned. "I've never had a taco before. Are they good?"
A loud gasp jumped from Pinkie's throat. "You've never had a taco before?"
"Nope. We almost went one time, but the smell made Adagio nauseous, so we left before we even ordered."
Pinkie grabbed Sonata by the shoulders. "It's a life-changing experience! Imagine beef or chicken, dusted with spices that make your mouth tingle with flavor! Then, add lettuce and tomatoes freshly cut! The savory taste of pico de gallo! Sour cream, guacamole, topped off with a light layer of cheese! All stacked between a crunchy, hardshell tortilla! Or even a soft tortilla! Or even rolled into a burrito!"
Stars danced in Sonata's eyes and a thin line of drool hung from her lower lip. She grabbed Pinkie's shoulders in turn and shook them. "I want it, Pinkie! I want it so bad!"
"Then we're going to Taco Town!"
Both of them jumped in the air and screamed in delight before racing across the field, catching the eye of every other park-goer as they continued to laugh and squee. They made it back to Pinkie's car, buckled up, and peeled out of the parking lot.
"Taco Town! Taco Town!
"We got the best Mex all around!
"When you're here, you'll never frown!
"Come on down to Taco Town!" Pinkie sang, having memorized their commercial jingle. She switched on the radio, just in time to hear Coloratura start her newest single. Pinkie sang along, watching Sonata quietly bob her head from the corner of her eye.
Pinkie stopped singing halfway through the song. Was she being insensitive, belting out a pop song when Sonata couldn't sing at all anymore? She fell into a hum instead, trying not to think too hard about it. They were supposed to be having fun!
The sight of Taco Town a block ahead kept Pinkie in high spirits. It was a simple box with a large taco on top. Pinkie zoomed into the parking lot and screeched to a quick stop, lining up perfectly in the parking stall.
"I hope you're hungry, Sonnie, 'cause I'm thinking grande fiesta platter!" Pinkie hopped out of the car and shut the door with her hip. "It's got everything you need! Tacos, burritos, nachos!"
She bent her knees to spring for the door and was halfway through her jump when a thought dawned on her. With her momentum cut short, Pinkie flailed her arms to keep from falling onto her face. Saving herself from an embarrassing dive, Pinkie shoved her hands into her skirt pockets.
"Uh oh..."
She moved a hand to her wild mass of hair and rooted around, feeling many things, including Gummy who was snacking on some crackers, but nothing that felt like her wallet.
Sonata walked up beside her. "What's wrong?"
"I... maaay have forgotten my money at home." Pinkie gave her a sheepish grin.
Sonata shrugged. "It's okay. We can just take money from someone else."
Pinkie gasped. "Sonnie! That's bad! You can't just steal money from people!"
"But, like, we do it all the time."
"You can't! That's mean! And illegal!"
Sonata blinked at her like the idea had never crossed her mind. "I mean, I guess? But, Adagio said it's not really stealing since humans have so much of it anyway."
Pinkie flailed her arms. "Not everyone does! And that doesn't make it okay!" She took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "Sonnie, stealing is wrong and you shouldn't do it. You wouldn't like it if someone did that to you."
She cocked her head to the side. "I guess. You stole our voices and we weren't happy about that. But now, we steal money from people so we can survive, so it's kinda fair, right?" She said all of it with such casual air, like she was discussing the weather.
A cold sweat coated the back of Pinkie's neck. Her left shoulder pinched, and she felt slightly queasy: signs that only occurred when she was entering an uncomfortable conversation. She felt bad messing up Sonata's voice, but if they hadn't, the Sirens were going to take over the world! But she didn't want to drag that up again like they had with Sunset and her mean demon side. Plus, the Sirens were homeless and poor now, and it was kinda their fault...
Pinkie shook her head. "Two wrongs don't make a right," she said, gentle but firm.
Sonata rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll just use plan B, then."
"What's plan--?" But Sonata was already strolling into the fast-food joint. Pinkie lagged for a moment, feeling an odd tingle at the base of her spine. She followed after Sonata but lurked by the door, just in case they would need to make a quick escape.
With only a smattering of customers around, there was no line to wait in, allowing Sonata to saunter straight to the counter. The young man behind the register gave her a placid smile. "Welcome to Taco Town."
"Hi!" Sonata said, returning to her bubbly demeanor. "Can I have the grande fiesta platter? And a side of fish tacos! And a shrimp burrito!"
The cashier chuckled as he hit the buttons on the register. "That's a lot of food for one person."
"Are you saying someone like me can't finish it?" Sonata asked, a sudden edge to her voice.
"N-no," the young man said, his smile slipping. "I've seen plenty of girls your size eat that much."
"Girls of my size?" Sonata said louder, turning a few heads.
The boy was sweating now. "Y-you know, just... nice, slim, pretty girls."
Sonata gasped. "That's sexual harassment!"
He was red now. Pinkie felt her own cheeks blush from second-hand embarrassment. "N-no it isn't! I've seen... uhh... bigger girls eat that much, too!"
"And I bet you made mean comments to them!"
"I didn't it, I swear!"
Sonata leaned in close. "Maybe I should talk to your manager about how you treat your girl customers."
The cashier put his hands together. "Please don't!" he said in a desperate whisper. "I really need to keep this job! Uhh, here, the meal's free!"
Sonata immediately straightened up and said in her chipper voice, "Aww, really? Thank you! Make it a to-go order!"
After a money-less transaction and picking up the large bag of food, Sonata turned to Pinkie with a bright smile and headed out the door. Pinkie walked after her, mouth slightly ajar.
"Sonata, what was that?" she asked, sliding into the driver's seat.
"I learned it from Adagio! I didn't think it would be that easy though!" She reached into the greasy bag and pulled out her first taco, licking her lips as she unwrapped it.
Pinkie snatched it and the bag, a heavy frown weighing down her face. "Sonata, good people aren't supposed to do things like that."
"Why not?" Sonata asked, looking genuinely confused. "You told me not to steal, so I didn't. He gave it to me."
"After you lied and made him feel bad!"
"Well, duh!" Sonata splayed her arms out. "That's what we do. We're good at manipulating people to get stuff even without our magic. We have to be whenever our powers aren't strong enough to put people fully under our spell. Especially now since they're gone."
Pinkie's frown deepened as her nausea increased. Not even the alluring smell of tacos could settle her stomach. She tapped a finger against the side of her noggin. Sunset was better at these conversations. Any of her friends would be better here. Pinkie never had to scold people; her sisters were always well-behaved.
Looking at the steering wheel, Pinkie said slowly, "That was a really mean thing you did, Sonnie."
"But, like, we do it all the time," Sonata protested.
"That doesn't make it okay! You're supposed to be nice to people, not make them feel bad! How would you like it if someone said lies about you and made you feel bad?"
Sonata looked down at her lap, her nonchalant gaze dissolving into a thoughtful frown. Pinkie's heart sank in turn. She opened her mouth to say sorry but caught herself. This was supposed to be a teaching lesson.
The Siren inhaled and scrunched her nose before her frown deepened. "Aria and Adagio make me feel bad."
Pinkie turned her whole body toward Sonata. "They do?"
Sonata nodded. "Me and Aria fight all the time, and I think it's usually playful? But sometimes, she's really just mean to me. And both of them always call me stupid and yell at me. I know I'm not super smart, but I really don't like being called dumb. They're not as bad when we're all teaming up on someone else though."
Pinkie rubbed the tears from her eyes. "Sonnie, family isn't supposed to make you feel bad. Ever. They're supposed to encourage you and compliment you and make you laugh and feel safe and happy!"
"I guess." Sonata rubbed her arm. "But it's the only place I belong. Adagio says I would die on the street if I tried to leave. And they're still my family."
"They might be your family..." Pinkie reached over and pulled Sonata into a tight hug, mentally apologizing for the tears she spilled onto her back. "But you have friends now, too. And I won't treat you that way."
Warm tears slipped down the back of Pinkie's neck. Sonata made a soft hiccup. "Really?"
"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye."
Sonata wrapped her arms around Pinkie and squeezed back. "I don't get it. You were mad at me. But you're still being nice to me."
Pinkie smiled, mostly to herself. "That's what friends do. Just because I was mad doesn't mean I should be mean to you."
"Even after all that stuff we did to you and your friends?"
"Even after all that," Pinkie said, her chipper tone returning. "I believe in second chances."
Sonata gave a short sob and hugged Pinkie tighter. "Friends are really nice!"
They sat in each other's embrace until Sonata got all her tears out and pulled away. She wiped her eyes and looked at the bag of food still sitting in Pinkie's lap. "I should... go give that back, shouldn't I? Is that something good friends do?"
"Not just good friends, good people." Pinkie held the bag up. "But, uhh, I don't think fast-food people are allowed to take back the food."
"Soooo, does that mean we can keep it?" Sonata asked, flashing Pinkie large puppy-dog eyes.
"Nope," she said with a shake of her head. "It would only taste like guilt."
Sonata slowly reached a hand for the food. "But we can't just throw it away."
Pinkie hummed in thought. It would be an awful waste of food to just toss it. She snapped her fingers and set the bag on the back seat. "We'll take it to the homeless shelter! I'm sure someone there will appreciate it a whole bunch!"
Sonata sighed and slumped in her seat. "I guess that's the nice thing to do. But now, we don't get to have any tacos."
"Not exactly." Pinkie held out the partially unwrapped taco she had confiscated. "I don't think anyone will notice one taco missing. And being a good friend means doing small things to make another friend happy. Especially when they've learned a lesson."
Sonata's eyes sparkled. She sat up and took the taco, cradling it in her hands before taking a bite. She chewed slowly and methodically, filling the car with the sounds of a crunching tortilla. When she finished the first bite, Sonata turned to Pinkie, crumbs decorating her lips.
"Pinkie," she said in the most serious tone Pinkie had heard, "this is the greatest thing I have ever tasted."
Pinkie let out a small squee. "I knew you would love them! Oh, oh! I might have some taco supplies at my house! We can go and make them! Homemade tacos taste even better!"
"For realsies? Then what are we waiting for!"
Pinkie started her car and peeled out the parking lot. "Let's go make friendship tacos!"
"Friendship tacos!" Sonata cheered.
*******
The drive back to the farm was uncomfortable to say the least. Applejack wanted to play music but felt that would be a perfect opening for Adagio to bring up the Battle of the Bands again. Applejack was trying hard not to open old wounds. She thought maybe playing country music would be a happy medium, but quickly figured Adagio would just assault her with snarky comments. She got enough of that from Sunset.
So, the two women sat in silence from the factory all the way to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack had no idea what kind of small talk to engage in. Between the three Sirens, she felt like she had drawn the short stick in trying to help Adagio.
"Remind me what the point of this excursion is?" Adagio asked. She had an elbow propped up on the open window and stared at the dirt road before them, absolute boredom in her eyes.
"It's to get you outta that dusty factory. Gives you a chance to socialize more. You can spend some time with me and mah family."
"Joy. A day with the hillbillies."
Applejack pressed her lips together but said nothing. It was just another comment from a long line of people who loved to make fun of her family. Just because they owned a farm and had a little southern drawl. She wasn't going to let it get under her skin, especially when she had a feeling Adagio was doing it on purpose.
The truck turned onto the long stretch of road leading up to the farm. Applejack slowed to a stop near the house. "This'll go a lot smoother if you come out here with an open mind," she said, setting the breaks.
"Yeah, sure," Adagio said, opening the door.
"Ah mean it," Applejack warned. "Ah want to help you and your sisters, but Ah ain't afraid to kick you to the curb, neither."
"Fine, fine." Adagio put one hand over her heart and raised the other. "I promise to be a good little girl and stay on my best behavior."
Applejack couldn't help but be reminded of Sunset when she first tried to turn over a new leaf. Every other sentence the girl said dripped with sarcasm, and everything she did was done with reluctance. Applejack had had her doubts, but kept pursuing Sunset's friendship out of respect for the princess, and because she saw a decent person buried real deep in there.
The whole situation was an odd case of dejà vu. Sunset had vouched on the Siren's behalf, and as Sunset had pointed out, they had come to them for help. Still, Applejack wasn't quite sure if she could see a good person beneath Adagio's aloof exterior. She cared for her sisters to some extent, something Applejack could certainly respect. Whether that care was driven from love or a need to have someone to control was still up in the air.
Applejack got out of the truck and stretched her arms over her head, taking in the warm sunlight. With all of the trees in bloom across the orchard, the entire farm smelled fragrant and floral. It made Applejack want to dance.
"So, what's on the agenda, Apple Bumpkin?" Adagio asked, fanning herself. "Please tell me it involves shade."
Ignoring the bumpkin comment, Applejack said, "Ah was thinkin' at the very least, we could go down to the pond and do some fishin'. Nice chance to just relax and talk."
"Fishing?" Adagio asked, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
"Yeah." Applejack tugged on her ponytail. "Uuhhh, that ain't offensive or anythin' to you, is it?"
Adagio snorted. "Just because we lived in the water doesn't make us fish. Fishing just sounds like a waste of time."
Applejack huffed and moved her hands to her hips. "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. 'Sides, whatever we catch, Granny Smith can fry it up for some good old fashioned home cooking."
At the mention of fish fry, the briefest flash of interest shone in Adagio's eyes. She covered it up with a blink and a lazy roll of her shoulders. "Fine. I guess it barely beats out sitting in a dark room alone."
Lord almighty, she sounds just like Sunset used to. Applejack hoped the similarities between the two would make this easier. "Let me get the fishin' poles and tackle box from the house and we can skedaddle."
"Please never use the word 'skedaddle' ever again," Adagio grumbled, following Applejack up the patio steps and into the house.
The homely scent of old leather couches and wood polish hung in the air as Applejack led Adagio to the living room. The green walls were occupied by pictures of the Apple Family, interspersed with oil paintings of orchards and vineyards.
Apple Bloom was strewn out across the couch, holding her handheld gaming system over her face. Her eyes glanced over to the newcomers before shifting back to her game... before she scrambled up from the couch and pointed to Adagio.
"You're Adagio Dazzle!" she shouted. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Ah don't know if Ah like or hate you."
"If I had my way, you'd be adoring me right now."
Apple Bloom looked at her older sister. "Didn't you say her and her sisters were using some black magic to make people do whatever they wanted for them? Why is she in our house?"
Applejack rustled through the closest, pulling out an old box that had mud crusted into it. "Because, she and her sisters came to us lookin' for help, and we don't turn people away who are tryin' to change for the better."
"So, she's another charity case?"
Adagio flared her nostrils. "Excuse me?"
Applejack ran over and covered Apple Bloom's mouth. "What have Ah told you about usin' that term?" She looked at Adagio with an apologetic smile. "You're not a charity case. We honestly want to help you out."
"Mhmm." Adagio leaned against the door, eyes narrowed in Apple Bloom's direction.
When Apple Bloom had control of her mouth again, she asked, "So, is it true then? Y'all have freaky voodoo powers like Sunset Shimmer?"
Applejack facepalmed.
"Sunset has freaky voodoo powers?" Adagio asked, the corner of her lips lifting into a smile.
"Yeah, she turned into this demon-thing and brainwashed everyone at the school before mah sister and her friends stopped her. Most of the students try to just pretend it was a bad dream or someone spiked the punch at the dance." Apple Bloom noticed the furious glare Applejack leveled in her direction. "What?"
"That answers so many questions and yet raises a dozen more," Adagio said, her smile widening. Maybe it was because anytime she smiled, it looked like she was up to something, but Applejack founded it unnerving nonetheless.
"Sunset doesn't have those powers anymore and is a much better person," Applejack said pointedly. "Just like the Dazzlings don't have their powers anymore and are trying to be better people, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, friendship and magic and whatever," Adagio said, returning to her sour countenance.
As Applejack pulled two fishing poles from the closet, Apple Bloom took notice and said, "Hey, Ah wanna go fishin', too!"
"Are you gonna behave instead of runnin' your mouth the entire time?"
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Yes."
"Roll those eyes again and Ah'll change mah mind. Go find your pole."
Apple Bloom marched into the closet and started to rummage. Applejack was positive she had rolled her eyes again anyway, but let it slide. Once Apple Bloom had her pole, the three girls headed out, Adagio carrying the remaining two fishing poles while Applejack carried the tacklebox.
The sun's heat increased as they approached mid-afternoon, but once the group reached the winding path that led through the orchard, they found relief under the eaves of the blossoming apple trees. Applejack led the way, carrying the old tackle box on one shoulder while she hummed a country tune.
"So, your family owns this entire farm?" Adagio asked.
"Yep!" Applejack said proudly. "Fifty acres that's been in the family for five generations countin' me, A.B., and Big Mac."
"Sounds surprisingly lucrative for an apple farm."
"We grow more than just apples," Apple Bloom said in a far kinder tone than Applejack would have given. "That's just our main product. We got lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins around Halloween! But our apple cider is what we're really known for!"
"I see. And who's next in line to inherit such a profitable business?"
If Applejack didn't know any better, she would have sworn there was actual oil dripping from Adagio's voice. "Big Mac's the eldest, so he's in charge. But we're a family. We run it together."
"How sweet. Is that what you want to do, Apple Bloom? Be a farmer like your siblings?"
"Ah dunno yet. It's fun and all, but Ah'm not sure if Ah want to be here mah whole life."
"And that's fine," Applejack said. She glanced over her shoulder and gave Adagio a smug smile. "You can be whatever you want, s'long as you remember your roots. And it ain't illegal."
Adagio clicked her tongue but said nothing.
The dirt path rose and fell with the hills the trees planted themselves on. Eventually, it flattened out and wound into a cozy glade where the fishing pond took up most of the empty space. It looked wide enough to engulf the house and the main barn and deep enough to submerge them, too. A gap in the trees above cast a shaft of sunlight onto the water, making the ripples sparkle. A large, flat boulder sat on the banks closest to them, the perfect spot to sit and cast their lines.
Applejack walked up and set the box in the damp grass next to the rock. She heard insects buzzing nearby, tempting her to spring for live bait instead of just using the leftovers and lures in the tackle box. Perhaps if one came closer on its own. She didn't feel like expending the extra energy today.
They got their fishing poles set up and took a seat on the flat rock, Adagio trying to distance herself as much as she could. Applejack drew her arm back and cast her line, satisfied with how far she managed to fling it. The bobber bounced near the middle of the pond, riding the tiny waves its impact had created.
Apple Bloom and Adagio followed suit, the former getting close to Applejack while the latter landed closer to the shore. Adagio grunted and reeled her line back in before trying again, getting a little more distance.
Applejack kept a thumb on the reel and leaned back on her other hand, letting out a content sigh.
"So now what?" Adagio asked.
"Now, we just sit and talk until the fish bites."
"Absolutely riveting."
"C'mon, it ain't that bad," Apple Bloom said cheerily. "Lots of excitin' things happen while we're out here. Remember that one time a deer came up to us?"
Applejack smiled fondly. "We all stood so still, it came up and licked Big Mac's cheek."
"And then there was the time you almost caught Otto!"
"Who's Otto?" Adagio asked.
Applejack gave her line a little tug. "He's the biggest, oldest fish in this pond. Always seen, never caught. Broken our lines more times then we care to count."
Adagio rested an elbow on her knee and dropped her cheek into her palm. "So is this really all you guys do for fun?"
Apple Bloom shook her head. "We got horseback ridin', square dancin' hikin', archery..."
"Archery?"
Applejack snorted. "No offense, but Ah don't trust you enough yet to be around any sort of weapon."
"Probably wise. Although I think I'd shoot myself first out of boredom."
"Why is it so hard for you to just enjoy the simple things?"
"If by 'simple' you mean scraping to make a living or sitting and doing nothing, I'd say it's very hard." Adagio turned her head and fixed Applejack with an intense glare. "In case you forgot, I used to actually be somebody."
"Well, maybe you need this to teach you some humility."
Adagio hunched her shoulders. Her knuckles turned white from her grip on the fishing pole. "Don't talk to me about humility. I've been laid low more times than you can imagine. I was promised a kingdom, only to see it wiped out. I intended to have a feast, and instead, I get banished to a magicless dimension where I have to suck on scraps to survive."
She looked at Applejack again, fury blazing in her eyes. "I finally find a meal ticket that could sate the stabbing hunger I've felt for centuries, only to have it snatched away by three human morons, and then get stuck on an island with two bigger morons for two decades! And when the Crystal Heart is finally in our grasp, when I'm on the cusp of triumph, you girls pull off the biggest upset I've ever seen and beat us at our best!"
Now on her feet, Adagio looked down at Applejack, lips pulled back to bare all of her teeth. "I don't need these constant losses to be humble! Not when what should have been mine in the first place was ripped away from me! You may be content to wallow in the mud, but I have actual aspirations! Unlike most of your kind, I refuse to settle for second place!"
Applejack raised her voice. "Just because you think yourself so high and mighty doesn't mean the rest of us have to act like you are! Maybe if you actually showed a bit of respect and kindness instead of trying to rile everyone up, people might help you instead of havin' to knock you down a peg!"
Apple Bloom put a hand on Applejack's shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "Listen, Ah don't understand everythin' that's goin' on here, but--"
"No, you don't!" Adagio shouted. "So do me a favor, and keep your trap shut!"
"No one yells at mah little sister that way!" Applejack shouted, jumping to her feet.
Adagio's line gave a sharp tug, jerking her arm toward the pond. She cried in alarm, grabbing her pole with both hands and digging her shoes into the grass. Whatever she had caught gave another vicious tug, yanking her off her feet and down into the bank. She slid across the mud before having the sense to let go.
The pole flew into the water, vanishing below the surface. In its place rose the backside of large gray fish, spraying flecks of pond water everywhere as it breached before diving back into the depths.
Applejack reeled in her own line and set her pole aside. She kept her eyes on Adagio, still lying face-first in the mud. Applejack knew she should have felt bad, but seeing Adagio faceplant after her tirade was more cathartic than anything.
Apple Bloom, being the better person, stepped gingerly toward Adagio and knelt beside her. "Umm... are you all right? We got some towels back at the house if you wanna clean off."
Adagio pushed herself out of the mud and grass. Her glare was strong enough to send Apple Bloom peddling back behind her big sister. With the back of her hands, Adagio wiped as much mud off her face as she could, then walked past the two Apples.
"Adagio--" Apple Bloom began.
"Shut up!" she roared. "I don't want to hear another word from either of you two country hicks!" She stomped away, dripping mud with every step.
Applejack bit her tongue to stop herself from making any remark whatsoever. She was positive Adagio would come back swinging if she said something, and Applejack didn't want to expose her sister to any violence. She was also too enamored by the feeling of dejà vu running through her from Adagio storming off. Applejack remembered when Sunset had stormed off at the street fair after the goat had eaten part of her jacket. If Sunset could still be friends with them after that, hopefully history would repeat itself with Adagio.
"Did we mess somethin' up?" Apple Bloom asked.
"No." Applejack sighed. "She just has a lot of pride to let go of before she's ready to make some friends."
*******
Sonata shut the factory door behind her and skipped down the hall, humming a merry tune she and Pinkie had made up. Today had been one of the funnest days she had ever had! And she had only been mean to one person this time!
She hopped up the stairs, hearing her sisters' loud voices at the top. Her happy song petered out as she drew near, recognizing the serious, angry tones being used.
"--told you this wouldn't work, Adagio, but like always, you never listen!"
"It was working just fine until you had to start actually being friends with them!"
Sonata poked her head into their shared bedroom. It was just two sleeping bags and an old mattress, one wardrobe, and a desk. Adagio and Aria stood facing off under the only light bulb the room had to offer. Aria was scowling, Adagio was snarling, and Sonata could feel her stomach dropping.
"Well, the alternative was to do what you did and completely blow up at them! Now, we'll be lucky if they actually want to spend time with us again! Not that it matters!"
"Umm..." Sonata stepped into the room, flinching when both her sisters snapped their heads toward her, eyes narrowed in annoyance. "What's going on?"
"Oh nothing," Aria said with a wave of her hand. "Adagio just managed to botch her own plan!"
"It's not my fault I got stuck with the worst of those seven idiots!"
"Of course, because nothing is ever your fault."
Adagio bared her teeth. "Watch it, Aria."
Aria threw her hands up. "No! Don't get mad at me because your plan sucks! You want us to put on this balancing act of pretending to be friends with them and then feed off whatever negativity we can stir up, and then you go and screw yourself over!"
"Like you're doing a better job, making stupid dresses with that fashion has-been!"
"It doesn't matter anyway if I am doing a better job! We're feeding off the barest scraps of magic from them, and I'm freaking starving!"
"And you think I'm not?"
Sonata tilted her head and put a hand to her stomach. She wasn't sure when it had happened, but the constant ache that accompanied her wherever she went was gone. "I think I'm full," she said softly.
"Maybe you'd get some more magic out of them if you stopped playing nice with Rarity!" Adagio yelled.
Aria balled her fists. "I'm not 'playing nice' with her! It's not my fault their blood is literally filled with rainbows and puppies! It's hard to actually get them to stay mad at anything! Then again, you managed to do that pretty well!"
"Guys?" Sonata said, watching her sisters close the already thin gap between them until there was only an inch of space between their foreheads.
"I don't see you coming up with a better plan!" Adagio snapped.
"Because you never ask me for one!"
"Well then, here you go, Aria! Wow me with your brilliant scheme!"
"Guys!" Sonata yelled, stepping in the middle of them.
"What?" they yelled back, their glares fixed on her again.
Sonata flinched, and raised her hands, just in case one of them tried to thump her. When the open palm never came, she eased from her defensive stance. "I... um... I'm not hungry."
Aria stared blankly at her. "What?"
"Like, I'm not full full. But, I'm not starving anymore. And not just the physical hunger, 'cause me and Pinkie made tacos which were totally amazing! But, like, the magic hunger is really small now."
Adagio narrowed her eyes. "That's impossible."
"Unless she royally pissed off the dumb one," Aria said.
"Pinkie isn't dumb," Sonata said, stamping her foot. "And I only made her a little mad earlier. But, that tasted really bad. But now, I'm not hungry."
Aria flicked her on the forehead. It didn't hurt, but Sonata still recoiled. "You're just too dumb to realize you're hungry."
Sonata swatted Aria's hand away. "Stop calling me dumb!"
"Then stop acting like it! There's no way you're actually full!"
"How would you know?"
"If we're still starving of magic, there's no way you've found enough to be full," Adagio said heatedly.
Thump thump thump!
All three Sirens jumped at the pounding coming from downstairs. None of them made any noise. The sun had well set, and Sonata doubted any of the Spectacular Seven would visit them at night. The thumping came again, loud and demanding.
Adagio reached behind the mattress and drew out a metal pipe. She looked at the others and pressed a finger to her lips before gesturing for them to follow her down the stairs. Sonata stopped on the bottom step while Aria and Adagio continued to the door. Holding the pipe behind her back, Adagio wrenched it open.
Standing in the shadow of the doorway was a lean woman dressed in a blue suit with a dark coat draped over her shoulders. Her purple mohawk took up most of the space on her head. There was a bemused look in her hard blue eyes. As curious as the woman was, Sonata's gaze was drawn toward the golden triangular amulet around her neck.
"Good evening," the woman said in the same silky voice Sonata heard Adagio use when she wanted something from a stranger. "You must be the Sirens Sisters."
Sonata saw Adagio squeeze the pipe and say, "Who's asking?"
The woman gave a smirk that sent a chill down Sonata's spine. "My name is Tempest Shadow. I have it on good authority that the three of you are very hungry."
"What's it to you?" Aria spat.
Tempest continued to smirk. "What if I told you I could help you get your powers back and sate your magical hunger?"
Adagio gave a derisive snort. "And why the hell should we listen to some random cretin?"
"Because this 'cretin' has something that might interest you."
Sonata heard Tempest's cloak rustle, but from her position on the stairs, she couldn't see what was produced. Whatever it was, it got a sharp gasp from Aria, and Adagio dropped the pipe to the floor with a loud clatter.
Adagio reached a hand out, but Tempest snatched her arm away and stepped back. "Easy there. The magic of my lord can ensure you each get one. All I need from you are a few small favors."
Sonata stepped up to Adagio's shoulder and looked at whatever had captivated her sister's attention. She in turn sharply inhaled, holding a hand to the base of her neck.
Floating in Tempest's palm, flickering in and out like a projection, was a replica of their gemstones. |
Spectacular Seven | 16. Blood is Thicker | Even with all the strange things Sunset had done so far, sitting down for dinner with her dimensional counterpart still ranked high on her list.
While Shimmer still preferred to keep to herself and stay locked in the guest bedroom, now that she had Jormungandr, she popped out far more frequently and had a... slightly better attitude. Today seemed to be another step forward for her. While she had made herself scarce throughout most of the day, Shimmer appeared in the kitchen around dinnertime, dressed in sweatpants and a clean tank top.
Sunset had just set plates for herself and Selena and was pulling the lasagna out of the oven. "Need something?"
Hands in her pockets, Shimmer shrugged. "Not really? I was just kinda wondering if... you know, I could eat with you guys?"
Sunset deferred to Selena, who kept her eyes on the salad she was tossing. "None of your vulgarity or smart attitude at the dinner table."
Shimmer rolled her eyes. "Sounds just like my mom," she muttered.
"What did I just say?"
"Yes, ma'am." Shimmer took a seat and Sunset set an extra plate and utensils in front of her.
"Why the sudden change?" Sunset asked. "Usually, you just eat in your room."
Shimmer twirled her fork. "Boredom, I guess. And, you know... it's been a while since I actually sat down and had a meal with other people. A real long while. Thought it might be nice."
Selena set the food on the table and took a seat. "Perhaps if you weren't an international thief with a toxic attitude, you'd have more opportunities to have a family meal."
"Sorry, I stopped listening after 'international thief with a toxic attitude'. Sounds like the opening to a sick cartoon about me, and I'm all for it."
Sunset released a suffering sigh and cut herself a slice of lasagna. Without Artemis and Trixie, dinners were quiet affairs. Sunset and Selena made small talk or bounced ideas around for Selena's books, but their conversations lacked the energy their absent family members brought. She counted the seconds until Shimmer bemoaned how boring dinner was because of it.
They sat in silence, enjoying the meal. Sunset thought she had done a very good job this time seasoning her lasagna. It was vegetarian of course; spinach, tomatoes, artichokes, and olives with an extra layer of cheese. Selena gave her a nod of approval after eating a forkful.
Sunset shifted her eyes to Shimmer. She had gotten used to seeing a near mirror image of herself walking around the house, yet seeing her sitting at the dinner table gave Sunset an odd, almost out-of-body experience. Like she herself wasn't really here, she was just a spectator watching a version of herself with a pixie-cut eat lasagna. She could see the disappointment on Shimmer's face as she cut through her meal.
"I get it, you used to be a horse. Doesn't mean you have to deprive the rest of us of meat," Shimmer said sourly before biting into her piece of lasagna.
"Vegetarianism is a very healthy lifestyle choice," Selena said stiffly, keeping her eyes on her plate. "If it really bothers you so much, there's some chicken breasts in the freezer. You can cook them yourself."
"Meh. Too much work." Shimmer stabbed at an olive. "So, do you still crave hay and stuff?"
"No," Sunset lied, desperately craving a hay burger. "And I doubt my stomach would process it the same way I did as a pony."
Spot made himself known by pressing a paw against Sunset's chair and pushing his nose into her lap. She appeased him by giving a tiny piece of the lasagna noodle. He lapped it up, wagging his tail and eyeing for more.
"No, silly puppy, you have food in your bowl." She gently pushed him down, then watched as he moved on and tried the same ploy with Selena.
"How's making friends with the Dazzlings going?" Shimmer asked.
Sunset pulled her eyes away from Spot. "It's, uh..."
Yesterday evening, she had gotten a text from Applejack telling her Adagio's experience at the farm. Applejack seemed reasonably calm about the whole thing, leaving Sunset to worry more about Adagio, and just how far this had set her back. On the other hand, Rarity and Pinkie seemed to have had a good time with Aria and Sonata respectively. Sonata had erred a little, but Pinkie managed to set her straight.
"We're making progress with two out of three, so that's good. Right?" She looked at Selena.
"If you think what you're doing is right, then yes, so far so good," she said. It was the closest thing Sunset would get to validation for the night.
"Guess you've got a knack for turning enemies into friends," Shimmer said before finishing her plate.
"Maybe. My friends are doing most of the heavy lifting here. I'm kinda just the mediator between them and the Dazzlings."
Shimmer rolled her eyes and picked her plate up. "You're annoyingly humble sometimes. Thanks for dinner, I guess." She stood up and dropped her plate in the sink, then skulled back upstairs, hands in her pockets.
"Fascinating how you two are the same person but so radically different," Selena said, standing up as well.
"We weren't that different too long ago," Sunset said, her mind drifting back to older days again. "If I can change, then she can, too."
"If she wants to." Selena gave Sunset a loving pat on the head. "Dinner was excellent, by the way."
Sunset blushed. "Thanks."
Knock knock knock.
"I'll get it," Sunset said, pushing herself away from the table. She couldn't think of who would be calling on them so late in the evening. She had one foot across the threshold to the living room when Selena grabbed her shoulder, her eyes fixed on the kitchen window. "What?"
Her nose twitched. "I feel something. I don't know if it's bad or good, just be careful opening the door."
Sunset nodded and proceeded to the entryway, Selena's eyes on her back. She looked through the peephole, surprised to see all three Sirens crowded on the porch. Still, she took Selena's advice and opened the door slowly, poking her head from the gap. She felt an odd pressure on her ears, like someone was pressing earmuffs against them.
"What's up, guys?" Sunset asked. Her voice sounded normal, yet she couldn't shake the earmuff feeling. She also couldn't recall telling the Sirens where she lived.
All three of them looked dour, Sonata in particular. It was hard to tell in the dark, but her eyes looked red and puffy. Adagio said in a grim tone, "Can we talk? It's really important."
"Uhh..." Sunset looked over her shoulder to Selena, watching with sharp interest.
"We ran into Tempest Shadow."
Sunset snapped her head back. "What?"
"Well, more like, she found us," Aria said.
"Crap. Yeah, come inside." Sunset stepped aside and allowed them entry, gesturing them toward the couch. How had Tempest found the Sirens? Maybe Selena was right and they were being tracked. Were her friends in danger of being attacked at any moment?
She and Selena stood on the other side of the coffee table separating them from the Sirens. Sonata fidgeted, keeping her eyes on her hands.
"What did Tempest want with you?" Sunset asked. "Did she hurt you?"
Aria tensed and sucked in a short breath as Adagio spoke. "No, she didn't. She... she said..." Her eyes slid toward Sonata.
Sunset watched Sonata lift her face toward her sisters, something passing between them. She swallowed a lump in her throat and looked forward again. From the corner of Sunset's eye, she saw Selena shift like she was about to lunge.
She never got the chance.
All three Sirens opened their mouths, and a piercing wail rocked the house, three times worse than what Sunset heard in the chateau when Adagio had performed solo. The glass in the table shattered, spraying shards everywhere. Sunset's eardrums burst, filling her canals with warm liquid. She didn't have time to lift her hands to block out the wild cacophony. A splitting headache threatened to tear her brain in half. Her vision spiraled into darkness, and she crashed to the floor, feeling flecks of glass bite into her skin as she blacked out.
*******
Shimmer bobbed her head to the music blasting from her headphones. Back pressed against the headboard of her bed, laptop balanced on her knees, she clacked away at the keyboard, smiling as she mouthed the lyrics to herself. She occasionally took a break to stroke Jormungandr on his head. The snake was curled around her shoulders as usual, head resting in his mistress's lap.
"Oooh, triple encryption. They think that's going to keep us out. Isn't that cute, Jorgey?"
Jormungandr flicked his tongue.
With her partner in crime back, Shimmer felt inspired to steal again. She couldn't go rob any banks or museums without drawing attention to herself and possibly incurring Tempest's wrath. And she had to admit, it was nice having a roof over her head and people to bother when she got bored. So instead, she flexed her hacking skills, stealing information from people or corporations and selling it to the highest bidder. It was slow, tedious work, but it kept her entertained and would fill her account up eventually.
She thought about giving some of her earnings to the Lulamoons as thanks for letting her squat in their house. But Selena would ask where she had gotten it from and then have a cow if Shimmer told her.
Maybe I'll just buy them something expensive. If they really feel bad, they can just return it.
Concerns for another day. Right now, she had firewalls to tear down.
A shrill, echoing scream overrode Shimmer's music, drowning out the soft hip-hop and filling her ears with an agonizing high-note in stereo. Jormungandr thrashed around her neck, and Shimmer in turn writhed and knocked her laptop away. She pressed her headphones harder against her ears to make the caterwaul stop.
Eventually, it did, leaving Shimmer with a drum pounding on the front of her skull, and her music faded, like it was coming from the end of a long tunnel. She took off her headphones and snapped her fingers next to her ears. A dull thump rather than the sharp click she was used to.
She climbed off the bed and got to her feet, lurching as a wave of vertigo hit her. She slumped against the wall and breathed deeply while she waited for the room to stop spinning.
What the hell happened? Shimmer pushed herself upright and braced a hand against the door as the floor settled into place. Her headache dulled to a slow tapping, and she tried to process a few more coherent thoughts. That wasn't normal. And it didn't come from my headphones. Crap, are we under attack?
She glanced at her bed. Jorgey was tightly curled on himself, head whipping back and forth. Shimmer knew it was best to leave him alone in case he struck at her in panic.
Tightening her center of balance, Shimmer pulled her door open and poked her head outside. The hall was dark and her hearing remained muffled. She crept forward, using the shaft of light her bedroom cast across the floor as a guide. She poked her head around the corner and saw someone come out of the study. The intruder turned her head and locked eyes with Shimmer.
With her headache dwindling, Shimmer remembered the girl's name as Aria, one of those damn Dazzlings. In her hand was an odd staff with a white crystal at the top. Shimmer narrowed her eyes. She didn't care too much about the Lulamoons beyond them giving her bed and breakfast, but she'd be damned if she let the Dazzlings steal from them!
Aria's eyes widened and she shouted something that sounded like, "There's two of them?"
Shimmer charged at her. With two fingers, she jabbed at Aria's shoulder, missing by a hair when Aria twisted her body to the side. She then swung the staff into Shimmer's waist, but the thief wrapped a hand around the base and gave a sharp tug to wrench it from Aria's grasp.
Aria held fast. She pulled back while trying to kick Shimmer's shins. Shimmer got her other hand around the staff and jumped back, trying to pull Aria off balance. Like Shimmer, Aria held her ground. Instead of fruitlessly pulling, Shimmer shoved the staff forward toward Aria's throat.
The Dazzlings fell back, but turned the momentum into a backwards roll and jumped up to her feet. She turned and vaulted over the banister, dropping down to the first floor. Shimmer ran and looked over the railing, gasping at the sight of Sunset, Selena, and Spot all laying on the ground, unmoving. The other two Dazzlings loomed over them.
Shimmer felt her vocal cords vibrate as she shouted, "You're dead!" Her own voice still sounded distant. Like Aira, she vaulted over the stairs and landed in a crouch before striking at the closest target with a closed fist.
Sonata blocked Shimmer's punch with the side of her arm and retaliated with a strike of her own. Shimmer grabbed her arm, stepped and turned her back in toward Sonata, then lifted with all her might and flung the girl over her shoulder and onto the ground.
A hard kick to the head sent Shimmer stumbling backwards into the hallway next to the stairs. She got to her knees in time to see Adagio aiming another kick for her face. Shimmer arched her back, becoming almost parallel to the floor to avoid getting hit. She then rolled onto her side and struck her legs out, catching Adagio in the back of the shins and sending her to the ground while Shimmer spun and jumped back to her feet.
Adagio rolled back and hopped up from the ground, blocking Shimmer's fist with a surprisingly fast reaction time. She then threw a series of quick jabs, Shimmer blocking all of them before she found an opening and returned fire. Again, Adagio proved faster than she looked. She struck back, and their fists connected; the impact sent jolts of pain across Shimmer's knuckles. She disengaged as Adagio aimed a high kick for her jaw, and delivered her own roundhouse kick to Adagio's shoulder, knocking her into the wall.
Aria was right there to take her sister's place. She tossed the staff back to Sonata and swung her fist for Shimmer's face. Shimmer shoved it away but got cut across the cheek by the opposite fist. Aria followed up with a fast jab to Shimmer's nose.
Crick!
Shimmer staggered back, blood dribbling onto her lip. She flipped back to avoid getting sucker-punched again. Aria didn't close in after her. Instead, she sucked in a quick breath and let out a piercing wail, just like the one Shimmer heard upstairs. She dropped to her knees and clutched her ears, her headache making a resurgence.
The scream stopped, but the floor beneath Shimmer rocked like a boat on the ocean. She tried to get up, but a boot cracked against the side of her head and sent her into the wall, dropping a picture frame onto her.
"We're done here," a muffled Adagio said.
Shimmer cracked her eyes open to see them retreating for the door. With their backs turned, none of them noticed Selena pushing herself to her feet, blood dripping from her ears. She held a hand to her head and staggered, unfortunately catching Adagio's attention. The sisters fanned out around Selena.
Adagio attacked from the front and Aria from the left. Selena raised her arms and bore the brunt of their blows, weaving out of the way when she could. In quick succession, she ducked under Adagio's swing, palm struck her in the throat, and jabbed an elbow into Aria's chest. Selena took a half-step back and delivered a roundhouse kick to Adagio's shoulder, throwing her back toward the door. She returned her attention to Aria, but Sonata stepped up from behind and cracked the bottom of the staff against the back of Selena's head. She stumbled hard, but still blocked Aria from socking her in the face.
Shimmer grit her teeth and stood up. Her nose and head throbbed in pain, but she dashed and jumped over Sunset's prone body to land next to Sonata. Shimmer aimed a kick at Sonata's hand to get her to drop the staff. Sonata danced to the side and jabbed the crystal at Shimmer's stomach. She took the blow, feeling the crystal puncture her skin. Ignoring the pain, she hammered the side of her fist into Sonata's cheek. Sonata tumbled back onto the couch, and Shimmer ripped the staff from her hands.
Adagio tried to rush at her, but Selena intercepted by grabbing Adagio's arm and swinging her around into Aria. They both crashed into the wall, sending more pictures and portraits to the ground. Aria snatched one and flung it at Selena, who caught it and threw it over her shoulder, almost hitting Shimmer in the head. That brief distraction was all Aria and Adagio needed to close the distance to Selena and attack her in a joint flurry of blows.
Shimmer jumped over the ruins of the coffee table, but Sonata grabbed her ankle and pulled, forcing Shimmer to land on the metal base. The impact forced the staff from her hands, and it landed next to Sunset.
Sonata jumped over Shimmer and grabbed the staff. Shimmer grabbed her leg. With a firm hold, she pulled Sonata down and herself up. Sonata dropped to a knee and swung the staff back, whacking Shimmer on the arm. She ignored it and struck two fingers out to hit the back of Sonata's neck; a single strike to shut down her entire nervous system.
Adagio, appearing from nowhere, snapped her hand out and grabbed Shimmer's index and middle finger. With a violent twist, both of them snapped out of place. Lances of pain shot through her hand, amplified by the slightest twitch. Her scream was cut short by a decisive punch to the cheek, sending her to the floor, right on top of Sunset.
Selena delivered a firm kick to Aria's abdomen, shoving her toward the front door. Before she could put her leg down, Adagio swept the other one, dropping Selena onto her back. She tried to bounce up, but all three Dazzlings kicked her back down.
"Tell Sunset it's nothing personal," Adagio said, opening the front door.
Shimmer punched the ground and got to her feet, gnashing her teeth at the throbbing pain in her fingers. Selena was on her feet as well, rushing out the front door. The women ran out into the front yard, an eerie silence pressing on Shimmer's already damaged ears.
The Dazzlings were across the lawn and heading for a swirling black portal in the middle of the road. Selena slid to a stop at the edge of the grass. She reached down and wrenched up one of the little lanterns illuminating the front path. With a furious snarl, she hurled it, clocking Sonata in the back of the head just as she dove into the portal.
She looked back at Selena and Shimmer, tears in her eyes as the portal closed and vanished.
Shimmer backed up and slumped against the doorframe. With her adrenaline fading, the pain in her hand reached new heights. She pressed to her chest and used her other hand to pinch herself to try and draw some of the pain away.
Selena marched back into the house, eyes intense and brow creased. Shimmer shuddered as she passed by. Even if Selena probably couldn't hear right now, making a crack seemed ill-advised. Shimmer looked out across the neighborhood. Everything else seemed peaceful, with half of the houses already dark for the night. Had none of them heard the racket the fighting made?
Nose wrinkled, Shimmer turned inside and closed the door with her shoulder. Selena was lifting Sunset off the floor and resting her on the couch. Shimmer felt she should be furious with her little doppelganger. This was, ultimately, her fault. She had been dumb enough to try and help the Dazzlings. Yet, instead of anger, all Shimmer had was pity. Well, pity for Sunset. She was still flaming furious at those three bitches.
While Selena attended Sunset, Shimmer knelt beside Spot and pulled him into her lap. He was still breathing, though blood trickled from his ears as well.
Oh great. Is everyone in this house going to be deaf now? She looked over to Selena, now marching upstairs. "You can't hear me, can you?" Shimmer shouted.
Selena kept climbing.
"Just peachy." Shimmer scooted against the stairs. She let her crippled hand rest at her side while she stroked Spot with the other.
Selena returned a minute later with a small, plain bottle and a handful of cotton balls. She had two pieces stuffed into her ears.
She approached Sunset and tilted the girl's head. From the bottle, she poured a few drops of clear liquid into Sunset's ears, then stuffed a cotton ball in and turned her over to repeat the process. When Selena finished, she walked over and knelt beside Shimmer.
"Give me your hand," she said loudly.
Shimmer raised an eyebrow but did as she was told. Selena gently took her by the wrist and poured a few drops from the bottle onto Shimmer's two broken fingers. A warm tingle ran through her entire hand, concentrating at the knuckles currently out of place. Shimmer winced as the snapped back in, but pain evaporated instantly.
She sighed in relief. "Thanks."
Selena pulled the cotton from her ears. "You're welcome."
"Wait, you can hear again? What is this stuff?"
Selena dabbed the liquid onto her finger and brushed it against Shimmer's nose. "Water from a magic spring in the Himalayas. It can cure most injuries, including ruptured eardrums."
Like her fingers, Shimmer's nose popped back into place with a warm and soothing tingle. "Finally, magic has a good use."
Selena took Spot into her lap and dabbed his ears with the medicine as well. When she finished, she sat back and let out a long and tired sigh.
Shimmer nodded in agreement. "That royally sucked."
"That's surprisingly mild coming from you." Selena massaged her eyelids. "I can't believe those damn Sirens were working for Tempest."
"What?" Shimmer snapped her head toward the door. "So, Tempest knows where you live now?"
"I'd be surprised if she hadn't already known." Selena gave Shimmer a composed look. "Relax. She herself can't get to us here. Artemis has wards to keep out most black magic."
Shimmer gave a vague wave of her hand. "Then how did those freaks get in?"
"Probably because they themselves don't have magic anymore. Or at least, magic that would be detected as malicious. It's not a perfect system by any means."
Shimmer dropped her hand. Her eyes were still on the front door. Maybe it was time for her to vanish again. But Tempest lurked out there, and Shimmer needed protection. Even if they had been compromised, what place was safer than with the Lulamoons? And was she ready to be alone again?
The soulless black sclera and twisted laughter in the back of her head told her no.
"Thank you, by the way."
Pulling her eyes from the door, Shimmer looked at Selena. "Huh?"
"Thank you for trying to help. I honestly didn't expect something like that from you."
"Ye of little faith, give me some credit. I technically live here, too, might as well defend it." She snorted. "Fat lotta good it did."
Selena looked over to Sunset, resting on the couch. "At the very least, she was right about you being able to change."
Shimmer let out another sigh, watching her doppelganger sleep. "Can't win 'em all, kid."
*******
Sonata furiously tried to wipe away her tears as she and her sisters exited the swirling portal. Yes, the lamp had hurt, but the seething glare Selena had given them as they ran hurt way more. By tomorrow, Pinkie would know about what had happened, and she would look at Sonata with the same glare.
The portal dropped them out in a magnificent entrance hall. Polished marble floors greeted them, reflecting the enormous chandelier hanging above them. Watercolor portraits hung from the mahogany walls. In front of them rose a grand staircase with red velvet carpeting.
Aria rubbed the bruises on her arm. "I swear, Adagio, this had better be worth it."
Sonata looked at the staff in her hands. Their old voices back. Fans adoring them. A real house to sleep in. Was it worth throwing away her friendship with Pinkie?
Adagio roved her eyes around the hall. "Trust me, it will be."
It had to be, right? Because Adagio always knew what was best for them. Sonata had tried to plead her case on why they should turn down Tempest's offer. Even Aria had been highly skeptical. But Adagio won out like she always did. It would be best for all three of them. Sonata was so certain she had been full after playing with Pinkie. Yet, her sisters were starving. And she would be a bad Siren if she let the rest of her family starve.
Maybe she could convince Pinkie they could still be friends. Sonata shook her head. Pinkie had said firmly good people didn't steal. They had stolen and hurt another friend in the process. Pinkie probably wouldn't give a third chance to her.
Tempest walked into view at the top of the staircase. She looked down at them with a wry smile. "Very good, ladies. There wasn't too much trouble I hope."
"There was another Sunset there," Aria spat. "The heck was that about?"
Tempest scowled for a moment. "From what I understand, Sunset hails from another dimension. Everyone in this world has a counterpart over there. You encountered the native Sunset."
"Fascinating," Adagio said dryly. "We got what you wanted, now give us our reward."
With a wave of her hand, Tempest conjured a red gemstone from thin air. It floated down the stairs and came to hover in front of Adagio. She snatched it, eyes burning with hunger.
Aria looked longingly at it as well before addressing Tempest. "Well?"
"You'll get the others when your whole task is complete," Tempest said coolly. "You should know that these aren't as powerful as your original gems."
"It'll do for now." Adagio closed her hand around it and clutched it to the base of her throat. "So, all we have to do is stir up some trouble and get the Rainbooms to fight us?"
"Spectacular Seven," Sonata whispered.
"No one cares," Adagio snapped.
"Correct," Tempest said. "Bring out their magic, then steal as much as you can. Try not to kill them. Lord Tirek would still like their souls when this is all over."
Aria narrowed her eyes. "You expect us to go up against all of them at once?"
"Moondancer will be there to help break them up. And I'm sure you three can be creative. Just be sure to bring me back the staff." Tempest turned and headed back down the hall. "Feel free to take any of the spare bedrooms on the second floor."
As soon as Tempest was out of earshot, Aria grabbed Adagio's arm. "I don't like this. Are we seriously taking orders from some hag?"
"Better than starving and sleeping in a factory like peasants!" Adagio snapped. She held the gem between her fingers. "I don't trust her either, but look! She already gave us one. We do this, we can come out on top. We can still win!"
"You mean you can still win."
"I'm doing this for our sake!" Adagio walked over and snatched the staff from Sonata. "So both of you shut up and follow my lead." She stomped up the stairs.
Aria shoved her hands in her pockets. "Your lead is why we're in this mess in the first place," she grumbled before stalking up the stairs as well.
Sonata stood alone. She hugged her elbows and looked at her reflection on the polished floor. She had followed Adagio all these years. Every time it looked like they were about to win, something happened so they always lost. What was different about this time?
She felt a rumble of hunger. Not from her stomach, but from the core of her body. Maybe she had imagined being full. Had playing with Pinkie just been a big enough distraction that Sonata could ignore the usual emptiness?
"You can still leave."
Sonata jumped and whipped her head to the right. Coming from an adjacent hall was a young woman with half a mask on her face. The half that was visible looked really familiar. Perhaps she had been in the Battle of the Bands? She looked extremely bored.
"It's not too late. You're nothing but a pawn to Tempest. You can run, and she won't care."
Sonata looked at the massive front doors behind her. "I... I can't. They're my family. We're supposed to stick together. And... I don't have anywhere else to go. My friends probably hate me now."
"Sometimes, it's better to choose reason over family, though I understand wholeheartedly why you would choose the latter." The young woman headed up the grand stairs, keeping a hand on the banister. "Though, if your friends are the same girls I'm thinking of... don't discount them just yet. They're surprisingly loving."
She continued on her way, leaving Sonata alone again with her thoughts.
Friends? Or family? |
Spectacular Seven | 17. The Weight of Redemption | A soft weight on her stomach and several wet kisses against her cheek roused Sunset from her slumber. The last vestiges of a headache kept her from opening her eyes just yet. She reached a hand out and found Spot, giving him a loving scritch behind the ear.
A fluffy and itchy pressure in her ears drove her to crack her eyes open. She sat up and repositioned Spot into her lap, then reached for her ears and pulled a cotton ball free. She cringed at the sight of dried blood on one side.
How did... Sunset cringed again as her headache gave one last pound to the front of her brain before leaving. She remembered inviting the Sirens in... and then getting an earful of their horrid screaming.
She slumped against the couch and looked at the broken table in front of her. The glass had already been vacuumed up. Sunset could hear activity in the kitchen. Sunlight streamed through the windows. She had been knocked out for the entire night. Selena was probably cooking something, no doubt furious at Sunset.
She had been wrong. She thought she could help the Sirens. She thought they had wanted to change. She thought they were making good progress. And she had been wrong.
A chill ran through her body and her heart sank into her stomach. Her mind replayed last night over and over again. Adagio had mentioned Tempest Shadow, and Sunset could quickly surmise how that meeting had ended. Her brain then jumped to the hypothesis she and Twilight shared. If the Sirens had shown up here after talking to Tempest, Sunset knew what they had been after.
She dropped her face into her hands. This was all her fault. Selena had been right. Twilight had been right. The Sirens had just been using them. She dug her palms into her eyes. She didn't deserve to cry about this.
"Sunset?"
Sunset moved one hand and looked at Selena. She was drying her hands on a dishtowel, watching Sunset with far less scorn than she expected.
"How are you feeling? Can you hear me?"
"Yes," Sunset mumbled. She pulled the other cotton ball from her ear then returned her face to her hands. "Go on. Yell at me. I was wrong."
"I wish you weren't."
The couch shifted, and Sunset felt Selena wrap an arm around her shoulder. "You had the best intentions. But some people don't want to change."
Sunset frowned inside her hands. She hadn't wanted to change. She had been forced to change. If the Elements hadn't intervened, would she have ended up like the Sirens? The thought sunk her heart even deeper.
Selena pulled her into a full hug. "I'm not mad at you, Sunset. You tried to do a good thing."
"And it blew up in our faces," Sunset said bitterly. "They took the staff, didn't they?"
"I'm afraid so."
"Great. Perfect. Wonderful." Sunset pulled herself from Selena's embrace and scooped Spot into her arms. "I'll be upstairs in my room, regretting my life choices."
"Would you at least like some breakfast first?"
"Not hungry." Sunset stood and trudged up the stairs, shoulders hunched. Her stomach did feel empty, but she had no desire to fill it. She passed Shimmer's door, spotting the woman lounging on her bed, Jormungandr resting on her stomach.
Shimmer turned her head to Sunset. Surprisingly, she didn't look angry. She gave a short sigh and said, "Sorry, kiddo."
Sunset sighed in turn and retreated to her room. She set Spot on the bed and collapsed into her computer chair, resting her face on her desk. Her mind went through everything that had happened between the Sirens showing up on Pinkie's doorstep and last night.
Where had she gone wrong? Did she not spend enough time with them? Did she pawn the responsibility off on her friends? But Pinkie and Sonata had bonded so naturally. And Rarity chose to spend time with Aria. Maybe she, Sunset, should have spent her alone time with Adagio instead of running off with Twilight and leaving it to Applejack. Not that Applejack wasn't reliable! Maybe Sunset just would have been better suited. She felt like she had almost gotten through to her in the forest. Maybe?
What am I supposed to tell the others? What am I going to tell Twilight?
Twilight wasn't the 'I told you so' type, but for something this big, Sunset thought it would be justified. Then again, Selena and Shimmer hadn't called Sunset out, so she doubted Twilight would. She wished someone would yell at her though. She had let three villains walk into their lives, aggravate her friends, wreck her home, and steal from her foster family.
Sunset closed her eyes and groaned. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!" Just because the Sirens were in a similar situation didn't mean things would play out the same. There was one major variable that made all the difference.
Sunset huddled against her desk, riding wave after wave of emotion, oscillating between crushed and furious as her mind spiraled downward, treading ground she thought she had left behind.
A gentle knock came from the door, and Sunset cracked an eye open. Her wall clock told her she had been here an hour already. "Come in," she mumbled into the desk.
The door swung open and in came all of her friends. Her bedroom was sizable, but with six more girls and a dog, it was a tight fit, especially when said girls all looked like they wanted to pile Sunset in a group hug.
Sunset didn't bother lifting her head. "How did you find out?"
Rarity closed the door behind them. "Selena texted Twilight, and Twilight texted the rest of us. How are you feeling?"
"Well, I'm not dead. So you know, that's cool."
Twilight knelt beside Sunset and placed a hand on her leg. "I'm sorry, Sunset. I know--"
"Stop." Sunset squeezed her eyes closed and turned her head away. "Just stop. Half of you warned me this was a bad idea. Can someone please just chew me out? Go ahead, Rainbow. I know you're dying to do it."
She heard a light shuffle of feet before Rainbow said, "I mean, sure, I said that at the beginning. But, I dunno. It looked like they were being sincere somewhere down the road."
Pinkie sniffled. "I don't want to believe it. Tempest forced them to do it. She had to! There's no way Sonnie would go back to being bad! We made friendship tacos!"
Sunset considered the possibility they had been coerced. Tempest was pretty terrifying. But then why not ask for help? The Sirens had been on her doorstep, they had already mentioned Tempest's name. And they were already at rock bottom. Sunset doubted Tempest needed to twist their arm to comply.
"Maybe," Applejack said, beating Sunset to the punch. "But from the way Adagio talked when Ah was with her, Ah doubt Tempest is forcin' them to do anythin'. More like she has somethin' they really want and were willin' to sell us down the river for."
"What could be better than friendship?" Pinkie cried.
"Power," Sunset said reflexively. She stared vacantly out her window. "Who needs friends when you could have all your old power back?"
"I suppose..." Rarity said slowly. "I could see Tempest tempting them with something like that. But I do see Pinkie's point as well. Aria may have a hard exterior, but I really felt like we were starting to connect."
"You'd be surprised at how quick someone can change their mind if you offer something they really want," Sunset said.
Twilight moved her hand to rest on top of Sunset's. "Are you okay?"
"Just... thinking." Sunset lifted her head but continued to stare out the window. "If things had been a little different... would I have ended up like the Sirens?"
"Of course not," Rarity said. "You wanted to change."
"No," Sunset said with a bitter laugh. "No I didn't. I had to change. If the Elements hadn't put a penance on me, I never would have even put myself in a position to be better. I would have avoided you girls like the plague! And if by some miracle you girls did get me to start spending time with you and someone like Tempest came along, I would have stabbed you in the back in a heartbeat!"
Sunset spun in her chair to face her friends. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she had a pained smile plastered on her face. "Don't you see the difference here? The Sirens never had their free will subverted! I did! We're virtually the same! People like us don't change! Not unless we're forced to!"
Twilight slid her hand away but kept a pained gaze on Sunset. "That's not true. You did change. You became a better person."
"Yeah, at metaphorical gun point!" Sunset grabbed the sides of her hair and pulled. "This is why the Elements made me obedient! Because I was so terrible, I would have done exactly what the Sirens just did!"
"But you didn't," Applejack argued.
"Because I couldn't!" Sunset shot up from her chair and sent it tumbling back toward the wall. "I was forced into being a good person because I couldn't change on my own!"
"Sunset--" Fluttershy tried to interject.
"Sure, the princess asked you to be my friends, but I never would have said yes to any of your hangouts if the Elements hadn't forced me to do it!" Sunset said louder, heart pounding and chest tightening.
"Sunset--" Rarity tried to speak.
"The Sirens came to us of their own volition, and they still turned out evil! What does that say about me? All of my changes are based off a curse subverting my free will half the time! This entire friendship is based off that! I'm no better than the Sirens!"
"Sunset!" Twilight, back on her feet, grabbed Sunset by the hand and stared into her eyes. "Calm. Down."
"But--but I--everything--"
Twilight squeezed a little harder pressing her thumb into Sunset's palm. "Calm."
Sunset choked out a few broken sobs before managing to take a deep breath. She curled her hand around Twilight's and breathed again. Her heart and thoughts slowed. Fluttershy wheeled her chair back, and Sunset collapsed into it.
"R-right. Calm. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She blinked, as if coming out of a daze. "I... I lost it a little for a sec, huh?"
"It's understandable, dear," Rarity said. She stepped over and rubbed Sunset's shoulder. "We know how hard you were advocating for them."
Sunset rubbed her tears away. "It's just... if they failed... then that means I would have failed, too."
"That ain't true," Applejack said. "Think, what exactly did that curse make you do?"
"Tell the truth and help people when they said 'please' or 'do me a favor' or 'would you kindly.' Basically, the antithesis of how I used to treat people by lying and manipulating them."
"Exactly. There weren't anythin' there sayin' you had to be friends with us. Or even be nice to us. Sure, the Elements were a bit heavy-handed in punishin' you, but it was just to get you to let go of some of that pride and selfishness. You decided to change in the end."
Sunset looked down at the floor. "I guess."
Twilight took Sunset's other hand. "Sunset, really think: when did you decide to change? Forget about whether or not you were there because of the Elements. When did you decide you wanted to be a better person?"
Sunset lifted her head and looked at Twilight. The answer came instantly. "At Halloween. When we talked in the kitchen." As she said it, she remembered their conversation and all the emotions that came with it in vivid detail.
Twilight beamed at her and reached up to wipe away a few extra tears. "See? You felt remorse that night. You apologized for all those things you did. Applejack is right: the Elements just pushed you into a better place."
Fluttershy stepped over and put a hand next to Rarity's on Sunset's shoulder. "You didn't have to apologize to me at the animal shelter."
Applejack tipped her hat. "You didn't have to help me save Apple Bloom and her friends."
Rainbow grinned at her. "And you totally could have ditched me to fight Gilda alone."
Pinkie flopped from the bed and hugged Sunset's legs. "You had every chance to ruin the Winter Ball! But you didn't! You made it the best dance ever!"
Rarity nodded. "I know our friendship didn't start out in the most conventional fashion, but what matters is where we are now. Where you are now. You're a better person, Sunset. Don't doubt that for a second. Maybe you needed a little help, but we all do when we want to improve ourselves. And you made the conscious decision to do that."
Sunset wiped new tears falling from her eyes. "Man, I hate crying," she said with a wet laugh. "Thanks, you guys. I'm sorry I fell apart like that."
"That's why we're here," Fluttershy said, "to pick you back up."
Pinkie climbed higher and wrapped her arms around Sunset's waist. "Group hug!"
Sunset was well beyond the point of even pretending she didn't enjoy their group hugs. Her friends came in, awkwardly mashing themselves together around Sunset's chair. A delightful warmth bloomed in her heart, then spread throughout the rest of her body.
Several smaller lights flashed at once to create a blinding luminescence that Sunset had to shield her eyes from to avoid being blinded. Spot started barking, and Twilight wiggled her way free from the mass of hugging humans.
She put a hand on her chin and squinted her eyes. "Hmm. It is strange though, isn't it?"
The remaining six broke the hug, all of them glowing and showing off their pony features.
"What is?" Rainbow asked.
"Like Sunset said: the Elements gave her an extra punishment, but it doesn't seem to have done anything to the Sirens."
"Well, I'm not sure if what we used against the Sirens was actually the Elements." Sunset tilted her head toward the ceiling, remembering the astral alicorn that had appeared in the clouds. "Maybe it was? It was definitely harmonious. But, I digress. That blast took away their voices. Maybe that was their punishment?"
Rainbow jumped and hovered in the air. "Without their voices, maybe the Elements or whatever was hoping they'd treat people like equals instead of food."
Applejack crossed her arms. "Clearly, that didn't work."
"I would like to think it did, until someone interfered," Rarity said glumly.
"What are we going to do about them?" Pinkie asked, her hair losing some of its volume.
The group turned their eyes to Sunset. She rested her elbows on her knees and steepled her fingers. "I don't know. We have no way of knowing what their next move is. The best we can do is stay on guard."
Twilight gave a nervous fidget. "You don't think they'd attack the wedding, do you?"
Sunset furrowed her brow. "I didn't think I'd get attacked in my own home. I wouldn't put anything past Tempest now."
"But, your brother already has some police security there," Applejack said reassuringly. "Between them and us, what could the Sirens do without magic? Ah don't think they could take an entire security force."
"I hope you're right," Twilight said.
"Speaking of the wedding," Rarity said, forcing some pep into her voice, "we all have to get ready for the rehearsal tomorrow, don't we?"
"Yeah," Pinkie said, lacking her usual pep. "I just don't like the idea of possibly being attacked by Sonata."
Sunset stood up and gave Pinkie a tight hug. "I know how much it hurts. Let's just try and enjoy the wedding for now. Keep your guard up just in case. And afterward, we can worry about the Sirens."
"Okay," Pinke mumbled into Sunset's shoulder.
Twilight stepped up to Sunset once Pinkie had let go. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"
"Yeah, thanks to all of you. A little shaken, but I'll be fine."
"Rarity's right, we should probably get goin' so we're set for tomorrow," Applejack said. She took a look at Rainbow, still hovering in the air. "Er, after all our pony things disappear."
*******
Sunset came downstairs the next morning with a small bag packed. She found Selena pacing the length of the living room. Sunset set her bag on the bottom step and cleared her throat. "Everything okay?"
Selena stopped and looked at her. "I don't know. I'm thinking about this whole wedding situation. Part of me thinks the Sirens wouldn't be dumb enough to attack a hotel filled with people and police. Unless that's exactly what they intend to do. But I can't fathom why. And I can't tell you not to go."
"You could come with us. I don't think the whole hotel is booked."
"And leave Shimmer here unattended?"
"Hey, I thought we had shared a moment the other night!"
Both Sunset and Selena looked up to see Shimmer leaning on the balcony. Selena crossed her arms and said, "Just because I trust you more doesn't mean I trust you completely."
"Yeah, that's fair."
Selena looked back at Sunset. "And on the off chance that they want us to leave the house completely unguarded, I should stay here." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "Twilight has her sword, and you have your powers. Promise me you'll be careful. Never let your guard down. I know you're supposed to be having a good time but stay alert. And text me often."
Sunset leaned in and wrapped her arms around Selena. "Don't worry. We'll be fine."
"I can't help but worry; I'm a mother. To two magically gifted children. Who are magnets for trouble." Selena hugged Sunset back and laughed softly. "Oh, teenage me would be dumbfounded."
Sunset's heart skipped several beats at Selena's casual acceptance of Sunset as one of her children. Her brain failed to come up with an adequate response, so Sunset just hugged harder.
Selena patted her shoulder and pulled away. "All right. Off you go. Be careful."
"Promise." Sunset grabbed her back and headed for the front door.
"And remember," Shimmer shouted, "the bride and groom aren't the only ones allowed to have sex during the wedding!"
Sunset heard Selena give an exasperated groan as the door shut behind her. Rarity's car sat in the driveway. Sunset tossed her bag in the back and hopped into the passenger seat.
"Sunset, do me a favor and pinch me," Rarity said in a dreamy tone. Sunset did as she was told and pinched Rarity's arm. Rarity flinched, then yelled in delight and clapped her hands. "Yes! I'm not dreaming! We're going to a celebrity wedding! Sure, it's just a local celebrity, but it still counts!"
Rarity pulled onto the street and headed for the freeway. Their destination was the Crystal Lake Resort, almost two hours north of the city. They put on the radio to pass the time, and both girls jumped when they heard a familiar voice come from the speakers.
"Yo, Canterlot, it's Vinyl Scratch, still filling in for Cadence! It's almost time for her big day, so just gonna give a shout out to the coolest boss in the world! Hope your wedding day is great! Also, I've been asked, again to remind you guys that any party crashers will be arrested. She's already taken, guys, freakin' chill."
"You know, I think this is the most I've ever heard her speak," Rarity said.
It was an odd contrast, hearing Vinyl's rough and exuberant voice followed by slow, calming love ballads. Nonetheless, Sunset was glad one of their classmates had already found a position in their field of choice.
Rarity bounced through different stations when she got bored with the love songs. Sunset heard five Countess Coloratura hits across three stations on their trip.
"Sorry," Rarity said, catching Sunset's eye-roll after the latest one ended. "I'm just a really big fan. I've been trying for ages to get tickets for her upcoming show here in Canterlot."
Sunset waved a hand. "Don't mind me. I've never been a fan of mainstream music. I just don't see what all the fuss is about over her."
Rarity looked ready to launch into an explanation, but let out a little gasp when their exit came up. "We're almost there! Oooh, I can't wait to see it! I've heard the resort is five stars! And the lake is supposed to be crystal clear!"
"Hence the name," Sunset said with a dry smile.
The highway had taken them around the base of the mountains that bordered Canterlot, but their new road pulled them into a sea of evergreen trees. The sun flittered between the tall boughs, and the loamy scent of lichen and moss filled the car. The road snaked its way through the forest, devoid of the motor activity the freeway had displayed. They had passed only ten cars by Sunset's count.
Someone honked behind them, and Sunset turned in her seat to see Applejack's truck. Pinkie hung out the passenger window, waving.
The path opened up to a grassy field that sloped down to a massive lake, blue as the sky above. Trees and mountains bordered the opposite shore, turning the view into something from a still portrait.
A single structure stood on the lakeshore. The central building stretched twelve-stories high and had a front sloping roof. The rest of it curved out from the central tower to make a U-shape; the side buildings reached up to the seventh floor. Pointed spires rose up at both ends, level with the primary building.
The overall structure was a calm baby blue, matching the lake behind it; its purple roof and spires with gold accents gave it a storybook-like quality. The walls looked impossibly smooth, like they were made from marble or even crystal. The side facing the lake had balconies for every room on each floor, all of them with golden railings. Glass made up the front of the main building, allowing sunlight to flood the central atrium.
Rarity held her mouth open in a silent, joyous scream. Sunset couldn't imagine how much it cost to stay here for a night, let alone host a wedding. They pulled into the parking lot, Applejack pulling to a stop in the stall next to them.
Pinkie got out and gestured emphatically at the hotel. "It's so shiny! And huge! We get to have a wedding here!"
Rarity vocalized the scream she had held back. "I know! It's everything I could have dreamed of! Just look at that view!"
Applejack let out a long whistle. "Ah would love to wake up to this every mornin'."
Rainbow and Fluttershy arrived a minute later. The six of them stood and enjoyed the scenery and cool air that blew in from the lake.
"This is gonna be the best wedding ever until one of us gets married," Rainbow declared.
"My bet's on Rarity getting married first," Pinkie said as the group moved toward the front entrance.
"Really? I'm picking Sunset and Twilight," Rainbow said.
Sunset's stomach did a somersault and her cheeks burned.
Pinkie shook her head. "She and Twilight will be too busy getting like, a bajillion degrees to actually have a wedding."
Applejack bobbed her head. "Ah can see that. They'd be the type to be engaged forever but not actually hitched."
"You know, I'm standing right here," Sunset growled.
Rarity winked at her. "We know."
The girls walked through the hotel courtyard, following the smooth, granite path inlaid with blue cresting waves. Green leafy flamingos stretched their necks over the girls as they neared the central building. Large tropical flowers were planted between the topiary birds. Sunset might have thought she was on an island if she hadn't just seen the lake.
The glass doors to the lobby slid open. A cool blast from the AC hit everyone's face as they stepped onto the gold-flecked white marble floors. The ceiling was rather low, held up by Greek ionic columns spread out at wide intervals.
The reception counter sat off to the right, and Sunset could already see one of the well-dressed concierges wrinkle his nose at the appearance of six teenagers.
"Um, did Cadence say what name we check-in under?" Fluttershy asked.
"Oh, girls, over here!" Twilight entered the lobby from an adjacent hall, accompanied by Cadence. The two of them hurried over, Cadence looking especially haggard.
"Good, you're here. I was starting to get worried," she said, out-of-breath. "The rehearsal's in an hour. It shouldn't take long; it's really just a quick run through to make sure everyone knows their places and cues, so if you make a mistake here, it's really not important, as long as it's only here and not during the actual ceremony. Not that I'm expecting you to make a mistake! You girls did so well during the Battle of the Bands! Except for that one time! So, just... don't do that! Um, here, I'll go get your keys for your rooms!"
She hurried over to the reception desk. Sunset followed her with her eyes before looking at Twilight. "Is she going to be okay?"
Twilight gave a 'so-so' motion with her hand. "She's really been doing most of the wedding planning by herself. She wants it to be perfect. So, that on top of family on top of the paparazzi trying to sneak in on top of a few desperate fans still trying to woo her, she's a little... over-extended."
"Probably shouldn't mention the Sirens then," Rainbow said.
Twilight shook her head. "I warned Shining. He's already told the security detail to be on the lookout for anyone else looking extra-suspicious. Hopefully, that'll deter the Sirens."
Cadence returned and handed a key card to Sunset and Applejack. "The old band needed two rooms to accommodate all of them, so I just shifted it to be under your names. I'm sure you girls can figure out sleeping arrangements, okay?" She gave them a broad, slightly manic smile.
"Yep," Sunset said, trying to balance Cadence out by giving her a calm, reassuring smile of her own.
"Perfect! Super glad you're all here! Really, thank you so much for being my band! Now, get your instruments and meet my parents on the far side of the atrium," she said with a little more snippiness than Sunset was sure she meant to have.
Cadence turned and hurried away, calling for her mom. Twilight gave them an apologetic smile before hurrying after her.
"Well, let's try to make this as easy as possible for her," Applejack said.
"Agreed," Rarity said. "And remember, keep your magic under wraps. Rainbow."
"Quit singling me out!"
Applejack had carried all their instruments over in her truck. With the hotel staff carrying Pinkie's drum set, they returned to meet the rest of the wedding party. The front lobby opened up into the central atrium, stretching to the top of the hotel. The light coming from the front glass window gave everything an immaculate golden glitter. A massive fountain sat in the middle: a circular pool of water flanked by a dozen silver swans, necks raised and water flowing from their beaks. A golden three-tiered fountain rose from the center. Lily pads drifted on the surface, and Sunset saw small fish flitting under them as the group passed.
People stood on the inner balconies overlooking the atrium. Most looked like typical residents just trying to get a peek at the wedding-goers, but a few of them wore sunglasses and had a microphone on their shoulder.
Cadence's parents, Mr. Elm and Mrs. Rose waited by the back exit. Sunset had only met them once, when she spent an awkward Thanksgiving with Twilight's family. They, however, remembered her fondly and gave her a warm greeting.
"Thank you so much for helping Cadence," Rose said, generously shaking Sunset's hand. She stood a head taller than Sunset with a pale green complexion and her red hair tied into a neat bun.
Elm nodded. "She sounded so relieved when she told us she had found a new band on such short notice." He stood at Sunset's height and had mahogany-colored skin. His short green hair was neatly combed back and his beard was trimmed short.
Sunset gave off a few 'You're welcome's and 'no problem's as they headed down a hall to the backside of the hotel. Everyone stepped out onto a white granite balcony with curving steps that led down to a wide courtyard lined with more Greek colonnades. Streams of garland spiraled up the pillars and hung over the entablature. White and pink flowers bloomed along the large green leaves.
Rows of chairs were set up between the columns. A pink carpet ran down the center aisle and carried on over a small stretch of grass. It came to a stop at the foot of a gazebo, sitting on a short cliff that overlooked the lake. A small bandstand stood just off to the side.
Elm and Rose were kind enough to help the group set up their instruments and run through a soundcheck. Before returning upstairs, they explained the wedding procession and all the cues they would need.
"One of the hotel staff will be on the balcony to give you the signal to start," Rose said. "Thank you again so much for doing this."
"Believe me, it's our pleasure," Rarity said with a giddy smile.
Sunset stood off to the side, watching the balcony. Since the bridal march didn't have any lyrics, her job was easy until they played at the reception.
The rehearsal itself went smoothly. A few of the early arrivals took their seats; Twilight Jazz and Orion sitting on one side of the aisle, and Golden Light sitting alone on the other. The Spectacular Seven started to play when the officiant stepped out first, a middle-aged man with a kind smile and wrinkles under his eyes. Followed behind him was, Sunset assumed, the flower girl, a small five-year-old miming tossing flowers behind her.
Then came the actual wedding party, starting with Shining escorted by his mother and ending with Cadence on the arm of her father. Everyone took their places, and the officiant checked the microphones.
They worked through the recession next, Cadence and Shining leading the party out while the Spectacular Seven played. Sunset stayed with them until the last guest entered the hotel. The staff then hurried along to help move Pinkie's drums to the reception hall.
Said hall took up the ground floor of the left tower. It was a huge, circular room with a number of round tables taking up the front, leaving the back open as a dance floor. An empty buffet table took up one wall, and another bandstand stood across from it.
To Sunset's slight dismay, there was organized seating. She and her friends had a table to themselves near the bandstand, but Twilight sat at the main table at the front.
When everyone took their seats, Sunset saw Cadence give a deep sigh of relief. Shining leaned into her and whispered into her ear before kissing her forehead.
Cadence smiled. She stood and addressed the small crowd. "Thank you for bearing with that little rehearsal. I think we're all set for tomorrow. And as a treat for us, I've gotten the hotel to give us a little late lunch catering."
As she said it, the waitstaff came in with trays full of sandwiches, a large salad bowl, and pitchers of water and lemonade. Sunset's stomach growled, reminding her that she had accidentally forgone breakfast.
Twilight snuck over to join her friends once everyone had grabbed a plate of food. "You girls sounded really good out there!"
Rainbow took a huge bite of her sandwich. "We got dish inda bag!"
"Hmph. The least you could do while you're here is act like you aren't children," an old voice droned.
Sunset looked to her left, her spirits dropping like a rock at the sight of Golden Light. The older woman had her narrowed sights on Rainbow, particularly her hair.
"Beg pardon, but, who are you?" Applejack asked.
"Girls, this is my grandmother on my dad's side," Twilight said with a strained smile.
Golden Light shook her head. "I don't know how my grandson got convinced it was a good idea hiring a bunch of teenagers to play a wedding. I'll tell you right now, this is a respectable occasion, and you better treat it as such."
Rainbow dropped her sandwich and pressed her palms against the table. "Okay, lady, first of all--mmmph!"
Applejack covered Rainbow's face with her hat. "We promise to be on our best behavior, ma'am," she said, her own smile pulling tight against her face.
"I would expect so." Golden looked over at Sunset. Sunset had a feeling her default expression was disapproval. "You especially better be on your best behavior. Don't think I didn't see that motorcycle when you first stopped by our house." She turned and hobbled away, aided by her cane. "How Twilight got mixed up with hoodlums, I'll never understand."
Something hot stirred inside Sunset's chest. It rolled through her body like a wave of heat, different from when she normally ponied up. She didn't pay it too much mind, however; she was busy trying to melt Golden's back. She also wasn't aware of how hard she was clenching her jaw until Twilight tapped her shoulder.
"Sunset, stop! You're glowing!"
Sunset looked down at her arms, seeing the golden aura shimmering over them. She grabbed her cup of water and took a deep gulp before exhaling. The aura and heat faded away, and Sunset slumped in her seat.
"Wow," Pinkie said, "and I thought my parents could be strict sometimes."
"Hate her," Rainbow said flatly, having been released from Applejack's hat. "Hate her so much. No offense, Twi."
"No, it's..." Twilight rested an arm on the table and buried her face in it. "Uuugh, she's terrible. I don't know how my dad lived with it."
Sunset rubbed her back. "You'll get through this. It's just two more days."
"Two long days."
"Come now, let's not let one person stop our fun," Rarity said. "I say we finish our meals and go see the lake! Let's make the most of our time here!"
Pinkie raised her glass. "Yeah! Super fun wedding adventure!"
Twilight sat up and grabbed her glass. "You're right. We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves. Here's to a great weekend!"
The girls all clinked their glasses together and finished their meals. It was late in the evening when they left the hotel and trekked down the path to the lakefront. The sun had dipped behind the mountains, leaving behind a pink and orange glow to light the world before night completely took over. Sailboats and paddleboards were coming to dock at a small pier further west from the wedding courtyard.
The girls walked along the edge of the lake, between the thin sandbar and the slopes leading up to the forest. They found a cache of smooth rocks and started skipping stones across the surface of the water.
Twilight took her time in selecting hers, picking one up, sharply analyzing it and turning it over in her hand before adding it to her pile or dropping it back on the ground.
"There's actual science applied to skipping stones, you know," she said, selecting a flat one. "I didn't memorize the entire article because I never thought it would be relevant, but I do remember the key takeaways."
"Leave it to the egghead to take something like skipping stones and apply science to it," Rainbow said, juggling a rock in her hand.
Twilight either ignored her or didn't hear. She made an L with her hand and examined the lake. "Accounting for the uneven surface of the water and the size of the stone... assuming the velocity lies on a symmetry plane of the same stone... proportional to the surface of the moving object... mass density of fluid..."
Sunset could see the formulas running through Twilight's head. "I used to shove nerds like her into lockers. Now, this is the highlight of my day."
"And the magic angle is twenty degrees!" Twilight exclaimed. She stepped up to the edge of the water and shifted her arm back. "Now, set my shoulder, aim for two rotations per second, apply the right amount of torque, and..."
She threw her arm out and flicked her wrist. The stone caught air and sailed over the water, skipping the surface once before sinking to the bottom.
Twilight rubbed the top of her head. "Hmm... maybe I should read the paper again. I might still have it on my phone."
Rainbow slung her stone out, getting it to hit the water six times before being submerged. "Or, you could just be good at it."
Pinke snapped her wrist, and her rock shot out across the lake, skipping twelve times before disappearing.
"Or, you could just be Pinkie," Applejack said with a smug grin in Rainbow's direction.
"Maud taught me!"
They spent the next hour trying to beat Pinkie's record. Sunset applied some of Twilight's scientific method to her approach, accounting for the stone's rotation and the twenty-degree angle. The rest she left up to chance. She managed to get a good four skips in. When Twilight stopped trying to overthink things, she got her stone to skip three times.
A bright full moon reflected off the surface of the lake and guided the girls back to the hotel. Spotlights aimed at the building made the polished walls glow, furthering its crystal aesthetic. The girls grabbed their bags from their cars and made their way to their rooms. Cadence had gotten their rooms next to each other on the seventh floor.
Sunset, Rarity, and Pinkie took one room, while Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Applejack took the other. Twilight had a single down on the second floor near the rest of her family.
"Sunset, I'm so sorry to bug you," Rarity said as they got comfortable in their room, "but I think I left my makeup bag in the car. Could you run down and get it for me? I need to make sure all our outfits are nice and tucked away for tomorrow."
Nabbing Rarity's keys from the table, Sunset gave her a two-finger salute. "Sure, be back in a sec."
The view of the atrium from the seventh floor was just as amazing as the view from the ground. With the sun gone, large, sunflower shaped lamp posts hanging from the walls bathed the central building in a soft golden light. Someone was playing a grand piano, sending soft, jazzy notes through the open hallways. The elevator had a glass door, so Sunset could herself draw level with the bubbling fountain.
She was halfway around it when she saw Shining standing between two swans, staring into the rippling water. She made sure to clear her throat as she walked up behind him.
"Nervous?"
Shining turned around, hands stuffed into his pockets. His shaggy hair looked more ruffled than usual. Still, he smiled at her. "Nervous? The day before my wedding? Of course I am. But, it's a good kind of nervous, you know? I've wanted to be with Cadence since high school."
"I'm happy for both of you. And I hope things turn out well."
"Thanks." Shining took one of his hands and ran a sweaty palm down the side of his face. "It's exciting and terrifying and great and daunting all at the same time. But I guess that's life in a nutshell. Now, I get to share it with someone."
Twilight flashed through Sunset's mind. "Yeah..."
Shining took a breath and shook his hands out. "How are you doing?"
"Me?" Sunset blinked. "I'm fine. You know, just, happy to be here."
"Yeah. Who would have thought that the girl I pulled over on her motorcycle would save my wedding."
Sunset rolled her eyes. "You're over-exaggerating. We haven't saved anything, just lent a hand."
Shining stuck a hand out. "It's appreciated nonetheless."
Sunset reached out to take it, but Shining surprised her with a powerful hug. She couldn't help but laugh. "I like you a lot more when you're not doing the overprotective big brother bit."
Shining released her and coughed into his hand. "That, uh, reminds me."
"Crap, I had to say something, didn't I?"
"It's not bad or anything! I mean... well... it's just..." A pink tinge rose to his cheeks. "Listen, I know where we are and what's happening can lead to some... stuff going on. And you and Twilight seem pretty serious, so..."
Sunset's cheeks were aflame. She sputtered, "What? I--we--I wasn't--that hadn't even crossed my mind!"
"Oh! Um... good!" Shining's face was coated in sweat. "Great! I mean... it's not like I could stop you. I was just going... but if you weren't even... uh..."
"Good night, Shining!" Sunset said loudly. She turned on her heel and stalked toward the front entrance with long, quick strides. She let the night air cool her down as she tried to drive out fantasies involving Twilight.
That wasn't to say she didn't want to sleep with Twilight. She did. Badly. But she would never do anything she thought would make Twilight uncomfortable. And with everything else going on, plus the fact that they had never had the opportunity, that desire had laid dormant. Usually. Now, they were at a hotel and Twilight had a room all to herself and she was going to be dressed up tomorrow and--
Sunset swore loudly and stomped toward Rarity's car. She found the makeup bag in the backseat, slammed the door shut, and marched back to the hotel. She fanned herself one last time before returning to her room, trying to distract herself with any thought that wasn't Twilight laying on a bed.
"I'm taking a cold shower tonight," she said. She pressed her keycard to the door and pushed the handle in.
"Surprise!"
Sunset jumped back and took a fighting stance before her brain processed what was actually happening. All of her friends were gathered under a banner reading 'Happy Birthday, Sunset'. The same words were drawn on the red and orange birthday cake sitting on the coffee table in front of them. A small pile of brightly wrapped gifts sat on Sunset's bed.
"And you thought we forgot," Pinkie said with uncharacteristic smugness.
"Was kinda hoping, yeah," Sunset said breathlessly. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "I told you, you girls didn't have to do anything."
"And we told you we would anyway because you're our friend!" Pinkie said.
"Since we'll be so busy tomorrow, we decided to celebrate it tonight," Fluttershy said.
Applejack spread her arms out. "And we know you didn't want anything big, so this is it. Just food, games, and us."
Sunset looked at her friends, at the candles on this birthday cake, and at the presents. Several memories crowded her mind at once. From her parents giving her a tired 'happy birthday' and a single slice of cake before crawling into bed, to them having the energy to sing the entire song and gift her the book she had wanted all year. From Celestia leading her into the castle garden to present her with a whole mouthwatering cake and a new telescope, to the strained picnic they shared, where Sunset had the gall to bring up the damn mirror again.
To the three birthdays she had ignored in this world, treating them like any other day.
"Are you okay?" Twilight asked. She stepped around the table and put a hand on Sunset's arm.
Sunset cleared the lump in her throat. "Y-yeah. It's just... it's been a while since I had a good birthday, and..." She laughed, and a few tears leaked down her cheeks. "I hate you girls so much for this."
Applejack gave a cheeky grin. "Now that's a boldface lie if Ah've ever heard one."
Room service arrived with a large veggie pizza, and the girls sat down and played card and board games until a quarter to midnight. Sunset beat Rainbow in three rounds of Battleship, then lost to Twilight in a short game of chess.
Sunset ran her hands down her face. "Someday I'm going to beat you."
"Statistically, yes," Twilight said, still smiling in triumph. "But I'm going to make sure that day is far off."
With five minutes to Sunset's actual birthday, Pinkie lit the candles on the cake, and everyone gathered around to sing. Sunset kept her eyes close the entire time, a watery smile on her face.
I've gotten way too sentimental this past year.
She blew out the candles the moment the song was done, remembering only after the fact that she was supposed to make a wish. A few ideas ran through her head, but her heart settled on what it usually wished for: seeing Celestia one more time.
Once the cake had been cut and everyone had their take of chocolate and strawberry-filled slices of heaven, Sunset opened her presents.
Rainbow tossed Sunset her phone. "Happy birthday!"
Sunset stared at it, then at Rainbow, unaware she had taken it in the first place. "What did you do?"
"I downloaded three-hundred of the best rock songs of all time into your playlist. You're welcome."
Fluttershy got Sunset a pair of silver sun-shaped earrings to match her necklace. Pinkie got her a handmade mug painted red and gold with a large smiling sun on the front. Applejack gave her a hand-crafted binder full of an assortment of recipes, from casseroles to pasta to pies.
"Ah heard you've gotten into cookin'. That there's a collection of some of the Apple Family's best homemade foods. All vegetarian, of course."
Rarity went last, presenting a thin box to Sunset. She pressed her palms to her cheeks and squealed, "I bought this a month ago! You don't know how much agony I went through keeping it to myself!"
Sunset opened the box and pushed the tissue paper aside to find a new leather vest waiting for her. She lifted it out of the box, her mouth agape. "Rarity, this is..." She ran a finger over one of the gold spikes adorning the collar.
In one fluid motion, Sunset threw the vest over her shoulders and ran to examine herself in the mirror. "Hell yes! Rarity, it's perfect!"
Rarity sighed, looking pleased with herself. "I knew that jacket would be too hot for you, so I thought this would make a nice substitute."
Sunset hugged her new leather vest, then looked back at all her friends. "Thanks, girls. All of these gifts are amazing."
Fluttershy looked over to Twilight. "Wait, where's your gift?"
"It's, um, not ready yet," Twilight said, cheeks a faint pink. "I'm still working on it."
Sunset walked over and kissed her on the cheek. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be great."
Twilight blushed harder. "W-we should probably all get to bed. The wedding's in the afternoon, but there's still a lot of prep work to do."
"Twi's right," Applejack said. "Let's get some shut-eye before we bug any of our neighbors."
"Dibs on the couch!" Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing onto the sofa.
"Pinke, these are queen-sized beds. You know we can share them," Rarity said.
Sunset saw the rest of her friends make their exit. Twilight paused in the doorway and kissed Sunset on the lips.
"Do you want me to walk you down?" Sunset asked.
"N-no, it's fine," Twilight said, her cheeks still rosy. "I'll see you in the morning?"
"Yeah. Thanks for the birthday. It's the best one I've had in a while."
Twilight leaned up and kissed her again, longer and harder. Sunset lifted a hand and cupped Twilight's cheek as she pushed her tongue deeper into Twilight's mouth. She knew it probably wasn't a good idea to French kiss her girlfriend in the middle of the hall where anybody could see them, but Sunset didn't care. It was her birthday, after all.
Twilight pulled away first, glasses fogged. "Love you," she said in a breathless whisper.
"Love you, too." Sunset watched her turn and go, feeling the need for that cold shower again. She turned back into her room. Both Rarity and Pinkie looked at her with coquettish smiles.
"Shut up."
*******
Twilight closed her room door behind her, face still hot. She brought a hand to her chest and breathed in, then pushed it away and exhaled. She would need a good book to distract her before bed, otherwise, she'd never get to sleep with all the thoughts racing through her head. Among other places.
She knelt by her suitcase laid out at the foot of her bed. Even with a book, sleep might be impossible. Tomorrow was going to be huge. Her brother was getting married. She and Cadence were officially going to be sisters!
Twilight pulled her pajamas free, her hand brushing against the hilt of her sword buried beneath them. The dreamy smile on her face drooped. Today had gone well, but what if the Sirens were plotting something for tomorrow? Twilight couldn't see why they would, but couldn't shake the possibility.
She wished Sunset had been right, and the Sirens had changed for the better. Most of the signs pointed to their improvement. Twilight scowled. Adagio had seemed unwilling to budge though. At least Twilight had an excuse to pay her back for laser tag now.
Twilight stood and practiced her breathing exercise again. "You're letting her get under your skin, Twilight. That's exactly what she wants. You're better than that. Sunset picked you."
She knelt down and fished a book out. As she set it on the bed, something moved in the corner of her eye. She swiveled her head and jumped at the sight of a humanoid shadow sitting on her balcony railing. She immediately pulled her sword out and slowly moved toward the door.
It opened without a sound. Twilight's balcony looked over both the lake and the forest, giving her a panoramic view of everything the resort had to offer. The full moon illuminated the lake waves lapping against the shore. It would have been peaceful if not for the silhouetted figure before her.
Twilight's hand trembled as she grasped the hilt of her sword, edging it out of its scabbard. She stepped fully onto the balcony, the stranger's features becoming recognizable the longer she stared. Their long hair fluttered in the breeze, waving back and forth against the hem of their shirt. Twilight could see the red and purple coloring to it, and her hand trembled harder.
"Moondancer?" she asked, her voice hoarse.
Moondancer looked over her shoulder, one purple eye drinking Twilight in. She gave a small smile.
"Hello, little star." |
Spectacular Seven | The Longest Day I: Our Choices | Sunset woke with a start, the growl of a rabid beast besieging her otherwise pleasant dream. It snarled again as she opened her eyes and winced at the bright light pouring in from the window. She grabbed her phone for self-defense, sitting up and looking about for the monster.
The 'monster' made a gurgle and a snort before rolling over on the couch. Pinkie snored again, this time partially muffled by her pillow.
Sunset relaxed her shoulders. Pinkie must have been exhausted to snore this loudly. Rarity didn't seem perturbed. She was still fast asleep with her face-mask on. Sunset squinted her eyes. She could faintly see the earplugs through Rarity's hair.
Thanks for sharing!
Her phone told her it was close to ten. Sunset supposed she ought to get up now and start getting ready. Seven hours wasn't as long to prepare as some would think, especially with someone like Rarity who was a stickler for perfect presentation.
"Come on, girls, time to get up," Sunset said half-heartedly as she dragged herself from bed. Pinkie gave a startled snort, but Rarity didn't budge. Sunset gave her a firm nudge.
"Mmhmm, I'm up, I'm up," she said groggily.
Pinkie sat up, her hair messier than normal. "Is it breakfast time?"
"We have leftover cake," Sunset said. She fished her toothbrush from her bag and stepped into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, her hair was a knotted mess. It would take hours just to get it untangled. Toothbrush in one hand, comb in the other, she underwent the task of making herself presentable, wincing at every knot she yanked.
She had just gotten her hair to semi-presentable when someone knocked on their room door. Sunset stuck her head out of the bathroom and saw Pinkie open the door for Applejack. Loud murmurings drifted in from the hall behind her.
"Y'all might wanna get a move on and get dressed," Applejack said, wearing her clothes from yesterday. "Ah think we got ourselves a situation."
"What's going on?" Sunset asked.
"Ah think you need to hear it yourselves."
Sunset shared a worried look with Pinkie and Rarity, now up and fully awake. They scrambled and threw clothes on--Sunset slipping on her new leather vest--then followed Applejack to one of the balconies overlooking the indoor fountain.
Both families of the wedding party looked to be squaring off; cousins and other relatives Sunset wasn't familiar with yelled at one another with wild hand gesticulations. Night Light and Elm appeared to be trying to calm some of them down, while Velvet and Rose stood next to Shining. He was slouched in a chair, staring at something in his palm.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Sunset said. Fluttershy and Rainbow joined the group, and they all took the elevator down to the ground floor.
The commotion was much more pronounced in person. Sunset couldn't make out a single word being said with everyone shouting over each other. The hotel staff had stepped in, trying to mitigate the situation with little results.
Sunset pushed her way through the crowd to reach Shining and his mom. Rose had stepped off to the side; she held her phone to her ear and was biting hard on her thumb.
"What's going on?" Sunset asked, looking between Shining and Velvet.
Shining didn't respond. He didn't even look at her. His sunken eyes were locked on whatever was in his palm. Sunset tilted her head and saw it was a ring, and her heart dropped into her stomach.
Velvet had her eyes on the ring too. She swallowed hard before addressing the girls. "It, um... well Cadence appears to have, um... left."
"When you say, 'left'...?" Sunset dreaded the answer she knew she was about to hear.
"She called off the wedding," Shining said hoarsely. "She... she knocked on my door, told me about... every time I had messed up or disappointed her... why I wasn't a good match... dropped the ring on the floor... and left."
Fluttershy threw her hands over her mouth. "Shining, I'm so sorry!"
"I'm sure this is just one giant misunderstanding," Rarity said, forcing a short laugh, a strained smile plastered on her face. "I'm sure... you know people get cold feet before their big day... she just needs to collect herself."
Shining didn't acknowledge her. He hadn't so much as twitched since the girls had arrived. He was a statue, one that looked like it would crumble at the slightest touch. Sunset had never seen him so defeated.
Rose walked back over, wringing her hands. "I can't get a hold of her. We all drove together, so she can't have left, but... I have no idea where she could be." Her breathing quickened.
Velvet reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Just relax, Rose. We'll find her, then we can work this whole thing out."
Sunset looked at the amassed crowd. Standing within it, she could hear accusations, blames, and defenses being thrown every which way. There was a notable voice missing, however.
"Where's Twilight?"
Velvet stretched her neck to look for her daughter in the sea of faces. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen her all morning, actually. She didn't stay with you last night?"
The question had been asked innocently enough, but Sunset couldn't help but respond in a defensive tone, "No, she went back to her room."
Thankfully, Velvet didn't look phased. "I'm going to go check on her. I'll be right back, okay, sweetheart?" She gave Shining a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Yeah, okay." His eyes never left the ring.
"I'll go with you," Sunset said. She turned back to her friends and dropped her voice to a whisper. "You girls stay here and keep an eye out for anything suspicious."
"You think the Sirens did somethin'?" Applejack asked.
"I don't know at this point, but I find it hard to believe Cadence of all people would back out of her wedding at the last second." Sunset squeezed past them and fell into step next to Velvet.
"Cadence wasn't acting odd or anything yesterday, was she?" Velvet asked as they climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Sunset shook her head. "She seemed a little stressed, but that's natural, right?"
"Right. That's what I thought, too. Something doesn't add up."
No, it doesn't. Sunset's gut told her the Sirens were at work, but she had no proof. Why would they target Cadence in the first place? And how would they make her break-off the wedding? Blackmail? Unless Twilight and I were completely wrong about what the staff does...
They reached Twilight's room, and Velvet rapt her knuckles on the door. "Sweetie, it's me. We have a bit of an emergency. Can we talk?"
No one responded.
Sunset gave a few knocks. "Sparky, you in there?"
When no one came to the door, Velvet reached into her pocket and pulled out a keycard. "I kept the spare key, just in case of emergencies like this." She swiped it and pushed the door open.
The room was empty. Twilight's suitcase sat at the foot of her bed, most of its contents still neatly folded. A book and a pair of pajamas laid on the blanket which was otherwise untouched. In fact, nothing looked out of place, like Twilight had never been here to begin with.
"Twilight?" Velvet asked, concern creeping into her voice. She pulled open the closet door and poked into the bathroom. "Sweetheart?"
Sunset looked about, trying to keep her breathing even. The balcony door was open just a crack, and Sunset ran toward it, throwing it open and looking over the side of the gold railing. There was nothing but grass below her.
"Twilight!" Sunset yelled to the sky. She cupped a hand to her ears, but a response never came. She walked back into the room, where Velvet paced in front of the bed, fanning her face.
"Okay, Twilight is gone, Cadence is gone, but that's no reason to panic," she said hysterically. "If they're both gone, that means they're likely together, right?"
Sunset hoped that was a rhetorical question. She pulled out her phone and speed-dialed Twilight. It rang, getting Sunset's hopes up, then dropped them with each successive buzz. They hit rock bottom when her voicemail came on. Sunset stowed her phone away and leaned against the bed. If Twilight had run off with Cadence, Sunset was positive Twilight would have said something--left a note or a voicemail.
Where else could she be? The Sirens targeting Twilight made more sense, but there was no sign of a struggle. Aside from the book and pajamas, it was like Twilight had walked in, opened the balcony door, and vanished without a trace, leaving everything else undisturbed.
"Okay," Velvet said, taking in a few deep breaths. "Okay, I'm going to go check in with everyone else. Maybe someone has seen Twilight around. Let's just stay calm and think this through."
She appeared to be mostly talking to herself, but Sunset did her best to fight her own rising dread. But something wasn't adding up, and it was that inability to see a pattern that put Sunset on edge. She followed Velvet out of the room and back down to the fountain. Shining still had not moved.
"Where's Twilight?" Rarity asked, looking nervous.
Sunset bit her lip. "I... we're not sure."
"We lost Twilight, too?" Rainbow asked loudly. Several heads turned toward them, and the crowd's agitation began to flare.
"Twilight's gone, too?"
"What kind of wedding is this?"
"Has she been kidnapped?"
"We lost the bride and the maid of honor?"
Sunset wanted to be mad at Rainbow, but everyone was going to find out sooner or later anyway. "Yes, Twilight's gone. It looked like she barely touched her room," she said, keeping a bite of agitation in her voice.
Applejack made a low rumble in her throat. "Cadence broke-off the weddin' and walked away, and Twilight just plum vanished. Somethin' stinks worse here than a week-old pig pen."
"The question is, what?" Sunset held her hands out. "There's no signs of a fight in Twilight's room, and it sounds like Cadence left of her own volition. I seriously doubt it was cold feet though."
"Maybe the Sirens kidnapped Twilight and used her to blackmail Cadence?" Fluttershy offered.
"But why blackmail Cadence when they could blackmail us?" Rainbow asked.
"We're not going to get any answers standing around here," Rarity said firmly. "Let's check the area. Maybe we'll find clues, or even the girls themselves."
They all nodded and weaved their way through the crowd, currently being pacified by Velvet. Other occupants of the hotel ogled and gossiped at the quarreling families, looking on from the in-hotel restaurant or the balconies on the upper floors. Even the concierges at the front desk muttered behind their hands to one another. It reminded Sunset of the fights she orchestrated in the halls of Canterlot High. Two students yelling or even fighting it out, igniting the gossip circles and further dividing the school.
Guilt later. Twilight, now!
The morning sun shone brightly outside, given free reign by the unobstructed sky. The girls escaped the confines of the hotel courtyard and paused at the mouth of the parking lot. The forest stretched out to their left while the mountain range loomed up on their right.
"Where do we start looking?" Pinkie asked, standing on her tiptoes.
Sunset looked at the wide stretch of land the hotel occupied, then at the treeline. "We'll split up. One group can search around the hotel, the other can sweep through the forest."
"Are you sure that's wise?" Rarity asked. "The forest is big, and if the Sirens are around somewhere..."
"We won't be going too deep, not until we're sure the grounds are clear." Sunset rubbed her ear. "And if the Sirens do try and ambush us, their only method of attacking is screaming really loud. Better we have another group in reserve who could track that down."
Rarity pursed her lips but nodded. They broke into two teams: Sunset, Rainbow, and Fluttershy venturing off to the forest, while Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie would remain around the hotel.
"If you find anything suspicious, call," Sunset said, holding up her phone. "Check-in in an hour, even if you have nothing."
"Roger," Applejack said, tipping her hat.
Sunset turned for the forest, flanked by Rainbow and Fluttershy. Twilight has to be somewhere around here. And if the Sirens hurt her in any way...
A smoldering heat rose in Sunset's chest.
*******
Twilight wasn't sure what woke her up first, the twittering birds, or the itch on her legs. She moved her arm over to scratch it, bruising against soft blades of grass as she did. She opened her eyes and lifted her head, finding not her hotel room, but a tight clearing surrounded by tall pine trees.
She quickly climbed to her feet, breathing hard as she examined herself. She was still dressed in her clothes from yesterday. Nothing felt out of place or disturbed. She didn't feel nausea or pain. Looking about, Twilight found her schiavona laying by the base of the tree behind her.
Moondancer!
Twilight remembered seeing Moondancer on her balcony before everything went dark. Had she been kidnapped? If so, where was Moondancer?
"Hello?" Twilight eased her way to her sword and picked it up, keeping a hand on the hilt. "Moondancer?"
"Up here, little star."
Twilight turned her gaze to the branches above. Moondancer sat with her back resting on the trunk of the tree, one knee up to her chest. She kept her eyes on the forest beyond. A hundred emotions hit Twilight at once. Everything mashed together until it was all incomprehensible. Did she scream? Cry? Run for help? Tell Moondancer she missed her?
Instead, what tumbled out of her mouth was, "What are you doing up there?"
Moondancer gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "Darmok on the ocean. The beast at Tanagra."
Twilight's breath caught. The chaotic storm in her mind cleared into a vision of her and Moondancer on the couch, watching a marathon of Star Trek. "I'm surprised you remember that."
Moondancer's eye shifted toward Twilight, but the rest of her continued to face straight ahead. "You explained the significance of those allegories with such passion, how could I not? What's important to you is important to me, little star."
"Except Sunset," Twilight said automatically.
Moondancer frowned and turned her face away. "Yes, I..." She exhaled. "I should have told you how I felt a long time ago. You were the only true bright spot in my life. But you were so shy and reserved. I was afraid... if I told you the truth, you would flee. Then Sunset came along the moment I stepped away and... I let jealousy and bitterness overwhelm me."
Twilight tightened her grip on her sword. "That was more than just jealousy at Prom." She watched Moondancer cringe.
"Perhaps. But that was the basis for... most of my actions." She finally turned her face toward Twilight, half of it obscured by a porcelain white mask. Twilight could see the tail ends of blistered scar tissue on the bridge of her nose and the underside of her cheekbone. The exposed half of Moondancer's face lacked its usual makeup, exposing faint bags under her eye.
"I'm so sorry, Twilight," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Perhaps you'll find this a hollow apology. I regret my actions deeply, and I do not wish death upon Sunset. But I still loathe her with all of my being. You, however... I can never begin to apologize enough for what I almost did to you."
A second wave of emotions overtook Twilight. Like before, it was impossible to settle on just one or think of what to say next. How could Twilight accept Moondancer's apology when she still felt so much vitriol toward Sunset? Twilight squared her shoulders, her mouth set in a thin line.
"If you're really sorry, then tell me what's going on. Why would you side with Tempest? I... I still want to help you, Moondancer, because I know this isn't you. But you have to let me!"
"Ever the kind and compassionate soul," Moondancer said with a longing smile. She swung her legs over the branch and pushed herself out of the tree. She gently floated down, barely making a sound as she touched onto the grass. "I received your letter. I thought you would have outright hated me. Yet, you still care. Even now."
Twilight's fingers relaxed on her hilt. "You were my first real friend. My best friend. I don't know if we can ever go back to that. But like I wrote, in honor of our friendship, I want to help you if you'll let me."
Moondancer rubbed her eye. "It used to be that you just being my friend was enough. Just having you by my side, shining with your brilliant light was all I needed. You were never supposed to be dragged into all of this--this world of magic and monsters."
"Well, I'm here now, and I'm not going to run away. I'm going to help my friends stop Tempest and Tirek, even..." Twilight's throat constricted. "Even if it means fighting you."
"I know."
A soft breeze blew through the trees and rustled the pine needles over the girls' heads. Only a yard of grass separated them, but Twilight looked at Moondancer from the opposite side of a chasm. So much had changed in such a short span of time. Twilight wanted things to go back to normal. She wanted to return to a world where things made sense. A world where she and her friends weren't constantly in danger from magical mayhem. A world where she wasn't staring down Moondancer with a sword in hand.
"Twilight," she said, "I want to tell you everything. I really do. But I can't."
"Moondancer..."
"Unless..." Moondancer held her hand out, and a silver rapier materialized in a flash. "I know so many secrets, but I also value my life," she said in an aloof manner, eyes casually glancing around the glade. "Why, if I were forced into a life-threatening position and the only way out was to talk, I suppose I would have no choice but to let something slip."
Twilight tightened the grip on her sword hilt again. Was she really going to do this? Could she really do this? Twilight had less than a month of sword practice, and Moondancer had been training for who knows how long. And did she really want to raise a sword against her best friend?
What other choice do I have? It was either fight Moondancer with the slim hope of learning something useful, or sit here and wait to be rescued.
A bell went off in Twilight's mind at the thought. She was in danger again. Her friends were no doubt looking for her. If they found her now...
No! I refuse to be the damsel in distress this time! She pulled her sword free and tossed the sheath away. "Fine, Moondancer, I'll fight you! Then, you're going to tell me everything!"
Moondancer held her sword out in front of her. She eased a foot forward, raised her free hand over her head, and bent her knees. "I certainly hope so," she said with a flicker of a smile.
*******
Pinkie shoved her face through the hedge, ignoring the twigs and leaves scratching her cheeks. She popped through the other side, finding the tennis courts occupied by a single couple. She pulled her head back and picked the leaves from her hair.
"Nope. Nothing over there." They had only been searching for thirty minutes, and the hotel grounds were a big place. But Pinkie wasn't too optimistic about finding Twilight or Cadence. It had been hard to keep her optimism constantly up over the last few days.
She still held out hope that Sonata and her sisters were being forced into doing all these bad things--that they wanted to be good. But they had already hurt Sunset. If they had taken and hurt Twilight or Cadence too, Pinkie didn't know if she could keep excusing them.
But Sonata had been so happy when they were in the kitchen, cooking and laughing and eating together. It didn't make sense to throw it all away.
"Pinkie." Two fingers snapped next to her ear. She turned her head to see Applejack lower her hand and look at Pinkie with a frown. "You okay, sugarcube?"
Pinkie slumped her shoulders as she watched Rarity walk further down the path wrapping around the building. "I dunno. I want to find Twilight and Cadence, but I'm scared we'll also find Sonata."
Applejack gave a heavy sigh. "Ah know this ain't easy to hear, but not everyone is like Sunset. Some people don't wanna change."
"Maybe," Pinkie mumbled. She had met some really stubborn people, Sunset included. Maybe there were people out there worse than them, who didn't want to change and wanted to stay mean. But she was positive Sonata wanted to change--was changing.
She tailed Applejack and Rarity, moving from the tennis courts to the picnic field. They passed by other family members combing the area for any signs of the missing women. From a short hill in the middle of the field, they could see the lake docks and the people renting canoes and jet skis.
"You don't think Cadence rowed out to the other side of the lake, do you?" Pinkie asked.
"I hope not," Rarity said. "We'd never be able to find her."
"Come on," Applejack said, turning away from the lake. "There must be more places we haven't checked yet."
They followed the path back to the front side of the hotel. One of the security officers was pushing out someone who looked like a tabloid journalist. Pinkie could tell because he had that sleazy, 'I-want-to-know-people's-secrets-and-expose-them-for-money-even-if-half-of-them-aren't-true' smile. Pinkie hoped none of the paparazzi caught wind of what happened. Cadence would never be able to live it down.
"Maybe we should start looking in the forest as well," Rarity suggested. "I don't think we're going to find anything here."
Pinkie nodded. "Yeah. Let's--" Her hair vibrated, and something pulled her right shoulder forward. She snapped her eyes toward the edge of the forest, closer to the mountain range. That's where she saw them: Sonata pulling Cadence by the arm and vanishing into the trees.
Pinkie broke into a sprint, kicking up gravel as she crossed the parking lot. Rarity and Applejack's cries fell on deaf ears. She had to catch Sonata, had to know why--had to know if any of their time together meant anything.
Applejack caught up to her and said between breaths, "Pinkie, what did you see? Who are we chasin'?"
"Sonata and Cadence!" They broke into the forest, hard pavement giving way to soft dirt and grass. Pinkie had no idea where to go from here, but something kept her moving, guiding her through the trees. Dry pine needles crunched underfoot and heavy breathing filled the air. More than once, she almost lost her footing from the uneven ground or an exposed root.
"Pinkie, where are we even... going?" Rarity's voice petered out as Pinkie finally came to a stop at the mouth of a cave dug into the side of a tall hill.
Pinkie took a second to catch her breath, then pointed to the sloping tunnel. "There." She could feel it.
Applejack reached into her pocket. "Ah don't like this one bit. Let's get the others and--Pinkie, wait!"
But she was already sliding down the cave path, narrowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The tunnel opened to a rough, circular cavern. Rocky shelves protruded from the walls and long stalagmites rose from the uneven ground.
All three Sirens stood on a small ledge near the back. Aria held what Pinkie guessed was the Staff of Sacanas that Sunset and Twilight talked about. Sonata stood off to the side, holding an arm behind her back and trying not to meet Pinkie's eyes. Adagio stood between them, something red gleaming around her neck.
Pinkie jumped back, nearly crashing into Rarity. "Uh oh!"
"What--?" Rarity looked over Pinkie's shoulder and her eyes widened. "But... how?"
"A little gift from our new benefactor," Adagio said, stroking her gem with a finger.
Applejack grinded her teeth. "And all it took was stabbin' us in the back!"
"We do what we have to to survive in this world." Adagio balled her fists. "You don't know what it's like to be constantly starving. I'll take a meal over friendship any day."
"That's why you kidnapped Cadence, isn't it?" Rarity asked, pointing an accusatory finger. "To stir up negativity and then feed on it!"
Aria snapped her fingers. "Bingo."
"It wasn't easy getting past security and putting her under our control, but I'd say it was worth it," Adagio said. She inhaled and smiled in satisfaction.
Applejack flared her nostrils. "Where is she?"
Aria airily waved a hand. "Don't worry. She's just wandering around deeper in the cave. We didn't hurt her or anything."
Pinkie looked off to the side, seeing a narrow passage between two large rocks. She looked back at Sonata, staring at the floor. "Sonnie, you're really okay with this?"
She didn't answer immediately. She scuffed the tip of her shoe against the earth and bit her lip. "I... we already... they're my sisters, so--"
"Sisters don't force you to do things you don't want to do!" Pinkie yelled, tears dripping down her face. "They're not mean to you. They don't insult you! Sonata, please!"
"Leave her alone!" Adagio snapped. "Good sisters listen to their elders who know what's best for them. Otherwise, they get punished. Besides, Sonata knows she wouldn't last five minutes without us."
"You know that's not true!" Pinkie shouted to Sonata. "You're your own person! You're better than this!" She looked at all three Sirens. "You're all better than this!"
Aria shifted uncomfortably, but Adagio just sneered. "Enough of your high and mighty attitudes! You think everything can be solved by the 'magic of friendship'! Friendship isn't going to feed us!" She took a fighting stance.
"You took away our voices. You took away our means of survival. It's only fair we take something of yours now."
Applejack raised her fists. An orange glow enveloped her body, and pony ears sprouted from her head. "Fine, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get."
A horn sprouted from Rarity's forehead. She held her hands out and created two hexagonal shields. "Aria, you don't have to do this. Like Pinkie said: you're better than this."
Aria tightened her grip on the staff. "Sorry, Rarity. But we have to do what we have to do."
Pinkie's powers didn't manifest. There was no warm, tingling feeling that made her giggle. She didn't feel the urge to burst into song or dance with joy. There was only a rock sitting where her heart was supposed to be. "Sonnie, please don't make us do this."
Sonata wiped her eyes and finally looked up at Pinkie. She tried to glower, but it only came across as a grimace.
"Talk time's over. Let's get the show started." Adagio snapped her fingers.
Aria made a hard roll of her eyes but held the staff over her head. The white crystal took on a bright hue, illuminating the cave and forcing Pinkie to cup a hand over her eyes. The light dimmed, and Aria pointed the crystal at Applejack. It gave out a soft hum, then fired a beam of light straight for her chest.
*******
Twilight and Moondancer circled one another, sizing each other up. Twilight made a constant effort to make sure her heels remained perpendicularly aligned. She readjusted her fingers around her guard and rolled her shoulders. She would have to be flawless if she wanted to best Moondancer. Their swords hadn't even clashed, yet beads of sweat were forming on Twilight's forehead.
Moondancer was in striking distance. Twilight wondered if her best strategy would be to attack Moondancer's left side, where her view was more obstructed thanks to her mask. Or would that be too underhanded? Maybe she could--
Moondancer took a step and a swing. Twilight blocked it in the nick of time, the blade coming uncomfortably close to her shoulder. Moondancer disengaged and struck again, but Twilight was more prepared this time, deflecting the attack and pushing it away before following-up with a thrust of her own.
Living up to her name, Moondancer gracefully backpedaled away. She re-engaged on Twilight's right side, striking low. Twilight turned her wrist out and down to catch the blade, then flicked it away and swung horizontally. Moondancer's quick agility kept her out of harm's reach. She stepped back again and smiled in delight.
"Very good, Twilight. Aunt Selena is teaching you well. Of course, you've always excelled at anything you put your mind to."
"Don't compliment me when I'm mad at you." Twilight took a measured step forward and lunged again. Her blade bounced off Moondancer's, letting off a metallic ping that bounced between the trees. Both girls came back to en garde and circled each other again.
Twilight examined Moondancer closely. The way she carried herself, each step she took; all of it was done with little effort. Meanwhile, Twilight was still putting in a conscious effort not to trip over her own two feet. Selena told her to let her actions flow into each other. But how could she do that when she still needed to mentally break down her actions to make sure she did them right?
Moondancer stepped and swiped at Twilight's left side this time. Twilight weaved out of the way and countered with a slash of her own. Moondancer parried and rolled Twilight's sword to the side, then struck at her shoulder. Twilight surprised herself with how quickly she was able to swing her arm back and repel Moondancer's attack.
Follow-up!
Twilight pushed forward and attacked Moondancer's left side. She made an impressive block, then sidestepped and aimed her sword for Twilight's waist. Twilight watched the blade approach in slow motion. She lurched her sword arm with as much force as she could, knocking Moondancer's arm over her head. Twilight turned to the flat side of her blade and swung for Moondancer's hip.
Like a bolt of silver lightning, Moondancer brought her sword down and parried Twilight's blow, knocking the blade into the dirt. Twilight jumped back, heart-pounding after that burst of speed Moondancer displayed.
Moondancer stood at en garde, her rapier resting lazily in her hand. She watched Twilight with an amused smile.
Twilight tightened her grip and jumped forward, aiming for Moondancer's left side again. Moondancer parried and turned Twilight's blade down before extending into a thrust. Time slowed again as Twilight saw the tip of the blade aimed at her gut. She jumped to the side, escaping with only a tear in her shirt, and countered with a thrust of her own.
Moondancer's lightning reflexes kept her away again. She parried, disengaged, and waited for Twilight to make another move. With narrowed eyes and clenched teeth, Twilight struck again.
Attack in quarte! Parry! Move back! Parry! Under her guard! Thrust!
Twilight knew she was hyper-focusing. Her cognizance just below her surface thoughts told her she wasn't letting her attacks flow into each other. But breaking down her actions was how she moved from one move to the next. It may not have been as fluid as Selena had tried to instruct, but it was the only way she could keep pace with Moondancer.
The two duelists moved about the clearing in a semi-graceful dance. Twilight would initiate the attack, and Moondancer would block or redirect them before countering with a more elegant version of Twilight's moves. Every time she got close to getting hit, Twilight's reflexes would jump into high gear, and she would parry Moondancer at the last second.
They retreated from each other again and resumed their pacing. Twilight breathed hard, sweat running down her forehead and her arm trembling from her repeated clashes. She could see the rise and fall of Moondancer's chest, but she was otherwise taking their fight in stride.
She has the stamina. And the skill. But there has to be a way to win. Twilight looked past Moondancer. She stood near the edge of the clearing, a wide pine tree looming right behind her. Maybe if I can pin her...
Twilight pressed forward and brought her schiavona down vertically. Moondancer eased a foot back as she raised her rapier to block. The clash rang through the forest; the force of the vibration made Twilight wince. She wasn't sure how much more her arm could take.
Moondancer pushed Twilight's blade up and away and brought her arm back around for an upward strike. Twilight leveled her sword to block, but the impact force pushed her off balance. She teetered on her back foot, sword pointed skyward. Her eyes followed the point of Moondancer's blade, waiting for it to cut across her.
Instead of bringing her arm back down or transitioning into a lunge, Moondancer followed through and brought her arm all the way around again, giving ample time for Twilight to hastily recover and block the next swing.
Did she throw that attack?
Twilight pressed forward, slowly pushing Moondancer back toward the tree. That soft smile never left Moondancer's face, even as her heel came up on a root. Twilight narrowed her eyes and put as much force into her next swing as she could. The collision against Moondancer's sword rattled her bones, but it was worth it to see Moondancer's smile fade, even for a second.
Her back hit the tree, and she held her arms out as Twilight pointed her blade at her neck. Moondancer made a throaty giggle. "Tres magnifique, Twilight. You have me cornered."
"No, I don't," Twilight said between labored breaths. "You let me win."
Moondancer frowned, but her eyes looked over Twilight's head. "I certainly did n--"
"Yes, you did! You slowed down every time you were about to hit me! You deliberately missed!" Twilight yelled. Her eyes stung; from sweat or tears, she couldn't say. "You were never taking this seriously! You were never taking me seriously!"
"Twilight," Moondancer said in a weak voice, "I don't want to hurt you."
Twilight took three large steps back and came to en garde. "Fight me."
Moondancer eased off the tree, her sword limp in her hand. "Twilight--"
"I don't need you to coddle me!" Twilight said, raising her voice again. "I'm not some fragile flower! I'm not helpless!"
"Of course you aren't--"
"Then take this seriously and fight me!"
Moondancer breathed a quiet sigh from her nose. Mouth set in a thin line, she raised her sword to Twilight. "Fine."
Twilight blinked.
Moondancer was in her face, her sword coming from the left. Twilight, blocked it, but the sheer force of the blow numbed her hand. Moondancer struck again, her sword leaving a trail of silver as it sliced the air. Twilight barely fended it off, but Moondancer just came at her again. Twilight couldn't keep up--her brain couldn't even relay instructions to combat this lightning-fast offensive.
With a final swing, Moondancer knocked Twilight's blade from her hand. She slid forward, raised a palm, and unleashed a blast of white energy. It felt like a large fist had punched Twilight square in the chest. She flew and landed on her back, gasping for air as she stared at the blue sky between the trees.
Of course, she seethed. She knew that victory had been too easy. One month of training, and she actually thought she could stand on Moondancer's level? On any of her friends' level? Still, Twilight had hoped. Maybe through sheer determination and will, she could have won.
But, no. Sword prowess or not, Moondancer still had magic on her side. Twilight was simply beneath her. Ribs aching, Twilight sat up, making out Moondancer through her watery vision.
Moondancer's sword disappeared in a glitter of light. She turned her face away. "You put up a good fight, Twilight."
"Don't patronize me," she spat. "You could have won at any time."
"I didn't want to."
A cold chill ran down Twilight's spine. A whoosh of wind made her turn her head to the right to see a dark portal appear between two trees. From it emerged the woman she had seen at Prom, a black traveling cloak over her shoulders.
Tempest Shadow.
Moondancer's whole body froze. She stared wide-eyed at Tempest. The dark woman barely gave her a second glance. Her eyes were on Twilight.
"Hmm. I'm disappointed. I would have thought at least one of your friends would have come to save you by now."
"I don't need saving!" Twilight winced at her sore ribs.
Tempest smirked. "I'm starting to see why you like her, Moondancer. She's got a little fire in her eyes."
"Why are you here?" Moondancer asked, a faint quiver in her voice.
"I just came to make sure you were doing your job. And to see if those girls had shown up yet." Tempest tapped a golden amulet around her neck, odd lines etched into its surface. "I'm owed a few souls."
Twilight stared at Tempest, at the haughty smirk she wore: a smirk that oozed self-importance. This is all her fault! Sunset losing her soul! My friends being in danger! Moondancer betraying me!
With a surge of adrenaline, Twilight jumped to her feet and scooped up her sword. Tempest was unarmed. One good strike and Twilight could end this for good! She could make up for losing to Moondancer. She ran at Tempest, blade drawn back...
This time, the fist that connected with Twilight was made of iron. She flew across the clearing and crashed into a tree before crumpling into a heap.
"Twilight!" Moondancer shrieked.
Twilight propped herself up on her arms, gasping in pain as her ribs shifted. She raised her head to see Tempest looking down at her.
"Your bravery is sadly misplaced, girl," Tempest said with an amused smirk. She lifted up the gold amulet.
"Tempest, please," Moondancer said, holding her hands out. "Please, leave her alone."
"I'm not going to hurt her. I do need to get the others' attention though. Just one scream." The lines on the amulet lit up.
Twilight stared, transfixed. Her heart pulsed. No, not her heart. Her soul. The pulse reverberated through her entire being.
What is this?
A warm blanket settled over her as hundreds of memories flooded her mind. Playing with her big brother, staying up late and reading a book under the covers, her dad bringing home a new puppy for Christmas, drinking tea with Moondancer, sleeping over with her friends.
Every memory of Sunset.
Someone tore the blanket off, exposing Twilight to a bitter cold. A voice whispered in her head, growing louder every time it spoke, repeating the same word over and over again.
Useless.
What good was her academic record in a world full of magic? She was surrounded by super-powered humans and magic casters. What business did she have here other than being a liability?
"Aw, are you feeling a little inadequate, Twilight?" Tempest said from far away.
"N-no... I..."
The chill bit deeper, making her tremble. Twilight could see Sunset rising off the stage, embracing her harmonic magic and singing her heart out. This was what her friends had been working toward. And Twilight had almost ruined it because she had been entranced by the Sirens.
"Is that resentment I see buried deep in there?"
"No," Twilight moaned.
But it was true. She was stuck hiding in a stone culvert while her friends fought for their lives against a winged demon that called itself Sunset. She wanted to help. Instead, she was magicless and defenseless. Why couldn't she have even just a little magic so she could help?
"You let your friends do all the fighting for you? Tsk, tsk."
"I want to fight too!" Twilight sobbed. "I just can't!"
She had tried to stand up to Moondancer at Prom, only to be swatted away. And again, just now. Even with her sword training, she was still...
Useless.
Pointless inventions. Magical studies that went nowhere. What good was any of it? Spectacular Seven? What did she bring to the table other than encouragement and hypotheses?
"Face it, Twilight. Compared to all your friends, you're nothing," Tempest whispered. "I know how that feels. To be powerless, helpless. Treated and regarded as inferior. Lord Tirek promises power to humans like you and me."
"Tempest, stop it!" Moondancer screamed.
"I'm only telling her the truth."
The truth.
Twilight stared into the glowing lines. They waved hypnotically, making sigils and runes Twilight couldn't understand. But they spoke the truth. In a growing world of magic, she was useless. She was--
A golden blur delivered a haymaker straight into Tempest's jaw. She blasted through the clearing, bouncing against the dirt before coming to rest at the base of a tree.
The trance around Twilight broke, and she gulped down a lungful of air, ignoring the sharp pains in her center. The cold eating at her slowly ebbed away, though the echos of 'useless' still rang in her core. Blinking away her tears, she looked up at her rescuer.
Hair burning bright and curling over her shoulders like it was alive, wings and tail dancing with scarlet flames, and a golden aura shining brighter than ever before.
Sunset stood over her, eyes narrowed in Tempest's direction and filled with a wrathful fire. |
Spectacular Seven | The Longest Day II: Change | The white beam struck Applejack in her chest. She cried out in surprise and dropped to one knee, her pony features fading in and out of the world. The white beam turned orange and its flow pulled back toward the staff.
"Applejack!" Rarity cried. She threw a shield out between Applejack and the beam. The shield cut the laser off, but it violently flickered before dissolving like sugar in water, breaking into hundreds of tiny purple light particles. Pinkie watched as said particles drifted into the beam and were pulled into the staff.
Rarity swooned and held a hand to her forehead. "What... what was that?"
Applejack woozily climbed back to her feet. Her pony ears returned to a solid-state, but her aura was dimmer than before.
"What did you do to me?" she said, breathing hard.
Aria rolled her eyes. "I'm not some lame supervillain. If you can't figure it out, I'm not gonna tell you." She pointed the staff at Applejack again, but Rarity conjured another diamond shield and hurled it at Aria.
She ducked, but the shield bounced off the cave wall and slammed into the back of her head. She stumbled forward off the short ledge and onto her knees. Applejack ran forward, fist reared back.
Adagio opened her mouth in Applejack's direction and screamed. Pinkie could see the soundwaves ripple through the air. She covered her ears as the scream ricocheted around the cavern and drilled into her eardrums. Applejack took the full blast and was thrown onto the floor.
Aria got up and rubbed her ear, glaring briefly at Adagio before pointing the staff at Applejack again. Rarity threw her arms up, and a circle of interlocked diamonds rose around Aria, encasing her in a sparkling blue dome. Aria fired the staff anyway, and like before, Rarity's magical prison flickered and slowly fizzled out. Every hexagon broke down into pieces of light and was absorbed into the staff.
Rarity gasped and fell to her knees. "Are you... are you draining our magic?"
"Like we said..." Adagio smiled, showing all of her teeth. "You took something of ours. Now, we're taking something of yours."
Pinkie looked at Rarity and Applejack struggling to get back up. She then looked at Sonata, who had once again averted her gaze.
"Sonata, you have to stop this!" Pinkie shouted. A faint tingle ran through her body, like her pony features wanted to come forth.
Sonata weakly shook her head. "We... we'll all get our voices back--"
"What's the point? Why do all you bad guys want power if everyone hates you or is just brainwashed at the end? Pick a better life, please!"
Sonata huddled in on herself and looked back at her sisters. Adagio's eyes burned with vitriol, but Aria bit the inside of her cheek and looked at the staff in her hands.
Applejack used that moment to charge and swing a fist for Aria. The Siren ducked, yelping as Applejack's fist smashed into the cave wall, leaving an impressive indent.
Rarity hurled two hand-sized shields at Adagio. Adagio sidestepped and ducked out of their range, then let out a powerful wail at the third, larger one Rarity had conjured. The soundwave slowed it down but it still plowed into Adagio, throwing her back against the wall.
With all the commotion, no one heard the scrape of gravel or noticed a new shadow until a deep voice called, "Freeze!"
Applejack whipped her head back toward the mouth of the cave tunnel. "Shining?" Her momentary distraction allowed Aria to jab the staff into her abdomen and drain more magic, dropping Applejack to her knees again.
Shining pointed a gun at Aria, who immediately backed away and held her hands up, but kept her fingers curled around the staff.
"Drop the weapon!" Shining ordered.
"Aaah aaah ah. Aaa--"
Rarity lifted her hands and clapped them together, and another dome burst from the ground and encaged Adagio, cutting off her song. "Cadence is deeper in the cave! Go find her!"
Shining kept his gun trained on Aria but gave a concerned look to Rarity. "But--"
"Shining, this is just a bit out of your depth, I'm afraid!" Rarity cringed, feeling her shield starting to falter as Adagio screamed louder. "We will handle this! Go and save your bride!"
"I'm not just going to leave you girls unattended!"
Rarity's shield shattered and Adagio's wail reverberated through the whole cavern, the force slamming into everyone's ears. Aria recovered first. She pointed the staff at Shining, and instead of a beam of light, a ball of energy formed at the tip, growing to the size of an apple before firing.
Shining jumped and rolled to the side. He ended in a crouch and fired his gun at Aria. The shot missed but Aria still threw herself to the floor. She pointed the staff at Shining again, but Applejack rolled on top of her and pinned her arm down.
"Go!" she yelled, voice cracking.
"Sonata, do something, you moron!" Aria yelled.
Shining moved for the narrow passage, but Sonata moved from the ledge to block him. Pinkie jumped in front of her and threw her arms out.
"Sonata, don't, please!"
Sonata swallowed and slowly put her fists up. "Pinkie, I don't want to fight you."
"Then don't!"
"I have to!"
"No you don't!" Pinkie cried. "You can make the right choice!"
"Sonata!" Adagio bellowed as she ducked under Rarity's shield.
Sonata looked fearfully at her before looking back at Pinkie. Shining shuffled into the passage behind her. Sonata stepped forward, but Pinkie refused to budge.
"Sonnie..."
Sonata hiccuped. "I'm sorry!" She aimed a high kick at Pinkie.
*******
Anger.
Righteous, justified anger.
That was the trigger for Sunset's fire--what gave her burning wings and tail life. They exploded forth the second she saw Twilight at Tempest's mercy. She hadn't thought, she hadn't planned. She only desired to slam her fist into Tempest as hard as possible; a desire that her instincts fulfilled before she was fully cognizant of what happened.
She watched Tempest eat dirt and slam into a tree, pine needles raining down on her head. To her credit, she got back up almost instantly.
"Ah, there you are, Sunset," she said, wiping blood off her lip.
Sunset could see her own golden aura flare up as her anger continued to spike. The air around her shimmered from the heat waves she exuded. She turned her head. Twilight looked up at her in awe through the tears in her eyes.
"Everything's gonna be fine," Sunset said softly. As soon as she finished, a chromatic blur skidded to a stop beside her.
"Tempest?" Rainbow looked to the side. "Moondancer? The heck is going on here?"
Sunset hadn't even noticed Moondancer until now. She was slowly backing up toward the trees, a hand on her mask. She looked almost panicked. Sunset disregarded her. She had only one target.
Tempest finished dusting herself off, looking unperturbed. "You truly have some fascinating powers, Sunset. It's too bad you won't put them to better use."
Sunset widened her stance and lifted her fists.
"What? No witty retort or snarky comment? I hear tell you're full of them."
"Go to hell!"
Fire roaring through her veins, Sunset punched her fist forward. A ball of flames erupted from just beyond her knuckles and sped toward Tempest.
Her shadow hand whipped free from her cloak and slashed through it, reducing it to ribbons. She ran forward and reached her arm out, claws extended.
Sunset ran to meet her, eyes wide with fury. She raked a hand through the air and three burning talons followed right after, slashing Tempest's shadow arm and disrupting it. Tempest dragged her heels to a stop and hissed in pain as the shadows gathered themselves and reformed.
She snapped her gaze to Moondancer. "Don't just stand there, idiot!"
Sunset fixed a heated gaze on her. "Try it!"
Moondancer eased a foot back, her good eye looking wildly between Sunset and Tempest. Biting her lip, she slowly lifted a hand and produced an orb of light that struggled to stay in existence.
A rainbow smashed into her and sent her into the foliage between the trees. Rainbow stopped and gave Sunset a thumbs up. "I'll handle her. Fluttershy, get Twilight to safety!"
Fluttershy hovered down from the trees, looking angelic as she descended. She knelt beside Twilight and rested a hand on her back and bathed her in a soft pink glow.
Tempest aimed her palm toward them and fired an orb of dark energy. Sunset threw a fireball to intercept it. The projectiles collided and exploded, leaving behind a cloud of thick smoke. Sunset threw another one at Tempest, letting out a furious roar as it left her hand.
Tempest batted it down and caught the grass ablaze. She swung her arm horizontally and a black crescent sliced through the air toward Sunset.
She threw her arms up and felt her wings fold forward to defend her as well. The wave of energy struck against them and Sunset grimaced at the cold, electric sting she could actually feel, like her wings were a physical part of her. She uncurled them and held her hands out, unleashing a barrage of fireballs.
Tempest raised her hands and a black forcefield rose from the earth and encased her. Every fireball hit the shield and dissipated, but Sunset kept firing anyway. A section of the forcefield rippled, and a black tendril whipped out to strike Sunset.
She slashed at it with her flaming talons, rebuking it once before it lunged again and struck her across the face. Ignoring the sting, she jumped into the air and put her hands together. Fire streamed from her palms, completely engulfing Tempest's shadow dome. Embers leaped from the pillar and struck the surrounding brush, catching more of the clearing on fire.
Sunset quickly let up as the fire began to eat the trunk of a tree. As soon as she did, a dozen black needles broke from the earth to impale her. With a single flap of her wings, she rocketed up higher into the boughs of the trees. The needles stopped reaching for her, but Tempest emerged from her cocoon and fired a volley of dark blasts. Sunset narrowly weaved and spun around the projectiles, most of them coming within a hair's breadth. Her wings reacted to her every thought, but having wings was still a novel concept. She knew she was flailing more than flying half the time.
She conjured a ball of fire and hurled it toward the earth. A shadow ball intercepted it and created another explosion that threw smoke and embers through the treetops. Sunset rose higher and broke through the tree line, watching the smoke curl past her.
I'm going to set the whole forest on fire if I don't end this soon!
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Tempest had tried to steal Twilight's soul; Sunset had every right to be angry. But that didn't mean she had to be reckless.
Concentrate, Sunset. Don't let her outplay you.
Sunset opened her eyes and circled around the clearing, using the smoke as cover. She dove down and wreathed her hand in fire as she came behind Tempest.
Tempest turned at the last second and threw her shadow hand out to grab Sunset's. Sunset raised her other fist and slugged Tempest across the cheek. As she staggered back, Sunset twisted in the air and planted both her feet into Tempest's chest. Tempest hit the ground but used the momentum to roll backward and jump to her feet, just in time to block a fireball.
She spread her arms and the surrounding shadows of the trees pooled toward her, gathering beneath her boots. Several black tendrils rose from the darkness, whipping about wildly. With a thrust of her hand, two of them lunged at Sunset.
Sunset slashed at them with her phoenix claws, cutting them back for a moment before they struck again. Sunset burned one, but another coiled around her wrist. It squeezed with such force, Sunset's hand went numb and she could feel her wrist about to snap. Another tendril grabbed her other arm and pulled her down, pinning her to the ground. Sunset struggled to break free, feeling her joints pop and crack. She tried to conjure magic from her horn, only to realize she didn't have a horn in this form.
Twilight charged forward, brandishing her sword over her head. She brought it down and cleaved both tendrils in half, disrupting them long enough for Sunset to snatch her arms back. A black coil reached for Twilight, but Sunset blasted it with a gout of fire, roaring as she unleashed it.
"Twilight, get out of here!" Sunset shouted.
"No!" Twilight swung her blade through another shadow tendril. She pivoted on her heel and sliced another before a third grabbed her sword wrist and twisted it. Twilight dropped her weapon, and another tendril wrapped around her neck and held her aloft.
Sunset aimed a blast directly for Tempest, but the witch moved Twilight into the line of fire.
"I would think carefully about your next move," she said smugly, moving her arms to and fro to control the circle of shadows around her; the conductor of a dark orchestra.
Twilight scrabbled at the tangible shadow choking her, glaring defiantly at it. "Just... shoot her," she gasped.
Sunset held her attack. Twilight couldn't see the needlepoint tendril at the back of her head.
A shower of pine cones fell upon Tempest, momentarily distracting her as she gazed up at Fluttershy flying overhead.
Sunset stepped to the side and sliced the air with her hand, pushing out a sickle of fire that cut Twilight free. She grabbed her sword and jumped out of Tempest's reach.
Smoke swirled around them. What had once been small patches of fire had grown into conflagrations, burning bushes and rising up the trees.
"Twilight, why didn't you leave?" Sunset asked in a low voice.
"I am not going to run away while you fight for your life!"
Tempest curled her lips in a patronizing smirk. "How sickeningly cute. But, I'd suggest you listen to her, Twilight. You're not cut out for this."
Twilight bared her teeth in the most vicious snarl Sunset had ever seen on her. "Strong words for someone so dependent on magic!" she yelled.
"Oh? You think you could take me in a regular duel?"
"Yes!"
Tempest chuckled. "Sorry, but I'm not inclined to oblige. After being blessed with power, why would I stoop myself to your level?"
"Coward," Twilight spat.
"Pragmatist."
Sunset lobbed another ball of fire at Tempest while her eyes were on Twilight. Tempest turned her head and saw the flames at the last second. She threw her arm up as the fireball detonated, throwing her toward a tree. She rotated in midair and planted her boots against the trunk, then sprang off it and back toward Sunset, her shadow arm morphing into a serrated blade.
Sunset dropped to the ground and watched Tempest fly overhead, her blade taking a few hairs from Sunset's flaming mane. Sunset shot off two more projectiles as Tempest hit the ground in a crouch. A black shield popped up around her, repelling both blasts.
Twilight sprinted past Sunset and made a vertical slice at Tempest. She blocked it with her black blade and forced Twilight back, but Twilight swung and clashed with her again.
Sunset ran up beside Twilight and slashed at Tempest. Tempest raised her normal arm, and a small black shield appeared to take the blow. She then raked her hand through the air, and three shadow talons tried to swipe at Sunset. With another swipe of her hand, Sunset's fire claws met Tempest's and they canceled each other out.
Tempest jumped back, upsetting Twilight's balance. As she tried to right herself, Tempest thrust her palm at a burning bush beside herself. The fire reared up and lashed at Twilight.
Sunset stepped forward and slid her hands in front of the stream of fire, pushing it away and around Twilight before redirecting it back at Tempest.
As it rushed toward her face, Tempest thrust her hand skyward, and the fire followed suit, lighting the boughs of the trees ablaze.
Sunset had to shield her eyes from the soot raining down. An orange haze obscured the battlefield, and smoke plumed from the trees. Sunset didn't feel any of the heat. Twilight, on the other hand, was coughing and wiping sweat from her face.
Snap!
Sunset grabbed Twilight and pulled her back as a thick burning branch plummeted to the ground between them and Tempest. Twilight yanked herself free from Sunset's hold and ran at Tempest again.
Tempest sidestepped both of Twilight's frantic slashes, then slammed her boot into Twilight's abdomen. Twilight fell onto the burning branch, her clothes catching fire instantly. She screamed and rolled away, dropping her schiavona to pat out the flames.
"Twilight!" Sunset moved to help her, but an arc of black lightning cut past her, nicking her shoulder and numbing her left arm for a brief moment.
"You have more important things to worry about," Tempest said. Electricity crackled at her fingertips.
*******
Pinkie hopped, ducked, and evaded all of Sonata's swings. It wasn't particularly hard; they were telegraphed and slow. Pinkie still hadn't ponied up. She hadn't even swung back. She couldn't.
From the corner of her eye, she watched Rarity desperately block Adagio's lightning-quick, up-close attacks, and Applejack, whose aura was almost nonexistent, narrowly avoid the blasts from Aria's staff.
A rare, cynical part of Pinkie's mind wondered if all of this was pointless. The Sirens had already hurt her friends. Sonata had hurt her. Maybe they were all past the point of no return.
No! I can at least save Sonata! I know I can! A bubbling warmth tried to spread through her, but Pinkie pushed it down.
Face twisted with pain and regret, Sonata unleashed a flurry of fast punches. Pinkie took the brunt of them with her forearms, shrugging them off until Sonata surprised her with a kick to the side and a shove to the ground.
Sonata looked down at her, eyes wet. "Just let us take your magic and you don't have to get hurt," she said, voice trembling.
"You already hurt us!" Pinkie said. "We're supposed to be friends!"
Sonata kicked at Pinkie's head, but Pinkie grabbed her ankle and flipped her onto her back. "I know you don't really want this, Sonnie!"
"Shut up!" Sonata yanked her foot back and jumped back up. Pinkie rose to meet her, quickly ducking under a ferocious spin kick.
Rarity yelled, and Pinkie twisted around to see her fall to her knees. Aria and Adagio had switched targets: Applejack was fending Adagio off while Aria drained Rarity of her magic.
Pinkie ran toward Rarity, but Sonata hooked her boot around Pinkie's ankle and sent her toppling to the ground again. Her chin hit the earth hard, and she bit into the inside of her cheek, unleashing a gush of blood. She gagged and swallowed it down; she had bigger concerns. Rarity's ears and horn were quickly fading, and Rarity herself looked like she was about to faint.
Spotting a rock just within arms reach, Pinkie snatched it and hurled it at Aria, catching her right in the forehead.
With a curse, Aria dropped the staff and clasped her hands over the new wound. Rarity was freed from the beam's hold. She swooned, catching herself before she fell over. Spotting the staff a few feet from her, she made a wide lunge for it, but Aria stomped a boot onto the handle.
Pinkie tried to get up to help, but Sonata body-slammed her back to the floor. Fortunately, she wasn't all too heavy. Pinkie bucked Sonata off and got to her feet, but Sonata grabbed her by the arm, swung her around and slammed her against a stalagmite.
"Sonata..." Pinkie coughed, feeling a bruise against her spine. "Look at what you guys are doing!"
Adagio slammed a fist into Applejack's jaw. Applejack stood her ground and retaliated with an uppercut, managing to throw Adagio back despite her diminished strength. Adagio wiped the blood from her mouth, then cartwheeled forward to gain momentum and dropkick Applejack.
Rarity had pulled the staff from under Aria's boot and had gotten back to her feet. She twirled and jabbed the staff, keeping Aria at bay until the Siren let out a short, earsplitting scream. Rarity froze and cried out in pain, and Aria snatched the staff back and swept Rarity's legs.
Pinkie pushed herself off the stalagmite and threw an arm up as Sonata swung at her again. "Do you really wanna be the bad guys again?"
"No! Yes..." Sonata squeezed her fists and punched again. "I don't know!"
"Yes, you do!" Pinkie tumbled out of the way. "You're a good person--I know you are!"
"And they're my family!" Sonata leveled a kick at Pinkie's shin's, but Pinkie just shrugged it off. "We need food and they want their voices back and I'm supposed to help them!"
"You can find a better way to do it!" This time, when Sonata threw her fist forward, Pinkie caught it. "I told you: you have friends now! We can find a different way!"
Sonata let out an anguished cry as she punched with her free hand. "Stop!"
Pinkie caught it and slowly lowered her fists. "We don't have to fight."
Sonata's entire body shook. She sniffled and hiccuped, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Y-you're really not gonna give up on me, are you?"
Pinkie shook her head, scattering her own tears. "You can still change. I know you can. I believe in you."
And Sonata crumpled. A long wail rose from her throat as she threw herself fully into Pinkie's embrace and buried her face into the crook of Pinkie's neck.
"I'm sorry! I'm super, super, sorry! You're right, I don't wanna be the bad guy anymore! I wanna be your friend! But I don't wanna abandon my sisters! But I don't wanna do mean things anymore if it means we can't play together! I'm sorry, Pinkie! I really, really mean it this time!"
Pinkie let out a happy sob and rested her head on top of Sonata's. "It's okay. I believe in third chances, too."
"I can't believe this!" Adagio yelled, kicking Applejack in the stomach. "Actually, I can. Only you could be this much of an idiot, Sonata!"
"Stop calling her stupid!" Pinkie yelled back. She couldn't hold it back anymore. Her ears bloomed to life and her hair extended as the warmth of laughter lifted her heart up.
"I will when she stops acting like it!" Adagio stomped her boot onto Applejack's shoulder, pinning her to the dirt. "Are you really going to turn your back on your sisters?"
Sonata pulled herself from Pinkie and turned to look at Adagio. "I don't want to. But now, I'm super positive! When I was with Pinkie, I felt full! I don't know how, but they can feed us without us trying to make them miserable!"
"Enough of your prattle! Aria, take the pink one's magic."
Aria, digging a knee into Rarity's back, pointed the staff at Pinkie, but Sonata stood firm and held out her arms.
"Move, Sonata!"
"No! Pinkie's right: we don't have to do this! That creepy hag was probably gonna stab us in the back anyway!"
"Not if we stab her first!" Adagio said. "Sonata, move, or you're in for the beating of a lifetime!"
Sonata stomped her foot into the dirt and puffed her chest out.
Adagio grinded her teeth. "Aria, drain her magic, too!"
Aria lowered the staff an inch and tilted her head toward Adagio. "Seriously?"
"If she wants to defend these cretins, she deserves to suffer the consequences! More power for us!"
"We can make a better life, Aria!" Sonata pleaded. "We can change for realsies this time!"
"Aria, I gave you an order!"
Aria narrowed her eyes, pointing the staff toward Sonata for a few more seconds before she lowered her arm and looked Adagio in the eyes. "I'm not shooting Sonata."
A vein bulged in Adagio's temple. "What was that?"
"You can order me to do a lot of things, Adagio..." Aria took her knee of Rarity and stood up. "But I'm not going to shoot my own sister."
"Aww, Aria!" Sonata cooed.
"Don't read into that!"
Adagio dug her nails into her palm. Her face was so red, Pinkie thought there was a real chance she would explode. "So this is how you two repay me for guiding you for over half a millennium? You're both going to throw this away now? When we're about to win?"
"Yeah, for a second!" Aria shouted. "And then something will come along and make us lose like we always do! Every time you make a plan, it manages to backfire on us somewhere down the road, and we end up with less than what we had! We lost Equestria, we lost our freedom, we lost our voices! I'm sick of losing, Adagio!"
Adagio jabbed a finger at her. "Maybe if you two didn't screw up all the time and ruin my plans, we wouldn't have lost so many times!"
"And there it is!" Aria made a sweeping gesture with her arms. "It's always your plan, but the minute something goes wrong, it's always our fault! Me and Sonata do most of the work anyway, and all you do is give commands and reap the benefits! You've always been looking out for yourself! We're not a team! We're your servants!"
"Of course you're my servants! I'm your princess!"
Aria set her mouth in a thin line. "Not anymore." She spun the staff so the crystal pointed toward the hard ground, then raised it over her head.
Adagio took her boot off Applejack's shoulder and reached a hand out. "Wait, don't--"
Aria brought the staff down and smashed it into the earth.
*******
Sunset tucked her wings together and corkscrewed between two branches. They exploded a second later, throwing shrapnel onto Sunset's back. She banked around a tree and rose into a smoke plume. Covering her mouth with one arm, she dropped firebombs hoping one would hit Tempest.
Likewise, blasts of electricity erupted through the cloud, dancing close enough to where Sunset could feel the static against her skin. Lungs reaching their limit, Sunset dove out of the cloud, rolling to avoid a lance of solid shadow that jut from the earth below. She raised her hand for another attack, but Twilight charged at Tempest from the right.
Shirt and skirt badly burned and hair coming undone, Twilight thrust her sword for Tempest's throat. Tempest pivoted on her heel and met Twilight's sword with her own dark blade. She twisted Twilight's sword around and forced it from her hand. From her normal palm, Tempest fired a black beam; Twilight narrowly avoided it by spinning away on her back foot.
Sunset intervened, turning as she descended and planted her boot into Tempest's chest. She flew back, digging her claws into the earth to keep herself upright. Sunset pointed a finger at an already burning branch above Tempest's head and sent it falling with a single shot.
Tempest snatched it out of the air and hurled it at Twilight and Sunset. Twilight jumped behind Sunset, and Sunset cut the branch clean in half with her talons, revealing a bolt of black energy coming at her. It struck Sunset squarely in the chest, and she flew back into Twilight and sent them both hurdling against the dried-out grass.
Sunset gasped and tried to brace herself on one arm. Her chest fluctuated rapidly between blistering hot and freezing cold, and felt like someone was crushing her rib cage. Twilight struggled beneath her, but Sunset could barely move. She gritted her teeth as Tempest strutted toward them.
"Thank you for all your help, Sunset. But I think we're just about done here." She raised her hand. "You lose."
Sunset flexed her fingers. "You should know... despite me trying to be a better person... I'm a real sore loser!"
A ribbon of fire snaked out from her palm, across the grass, and around Tempest's ankle. With a disgruntled roar, Sunset jerked her entire body to the left, moving the fire whip and flinging Tempest into another tree. Burning pine cones dropped onto her, setting her hair and cloak on fire.
As Tempest tried to put the flames out, Sunset rolled off Twilight who then jumped up and helped Sunset back to her feet.
"Are you okay?" Twilight asked. She turned and coughed, waving off a cloud of smoke.
"No. This has gotten out of control."
Tempest put out the last ember on her shoulder just in time to have Rainbow shoulder tackle her as she ran by and slid to a stop in front of the two girls.
"Guys, this fire is getting real bad!" she said over the rising crackle of burning wood.
"We're aware," Twilight said sharply.
Moondancer stumbled out of a charred bush, mask askew and hair mussed up. She spotted Tempest and dashed to her boss's side. "I suggest we leave now! This fire is going to draw too much attention!"
Tempest glared at her but said, "I suppose you're right." She put a hand around the Soul Lock and lifted it toward the girls. "Time to end this."
Sunset could see the runes on the amulet begin to glow, could feel her soul shaking in fear. She threw her arms out to her sides, and a wall of fire erupted between the two parties. Sunset lifted her arms higher, and the flames climbed as well.
"Sunset, you're just making it worse!" Rainbow shouted.
Sunset ignored her. She pulled her arms back then thrust them forward, pushing the wall toward Moondancer and Tempest. She could no longer see them beyond the flames.
Despite the heat, a cold air rose the hairs on the back of her neck. Sunset whirled around and punched her fist forward, a stream of fire blasting between Twilight and Rainbow. The inferno hit Tempest in the shoulder just as she emerged from her portal. She let out a howl of pain and pressed her hand over the burn.
"Well played, Sunset," she said through gritted teeth. "You live for today." She stepped back into the swirling vortex and vanished.
Sunset dropped to one knee and clutched her chest, still feeling like she had been kicked by a mule. Twilight knelt by her side, coated in sweat and grime.
"Fluttershy!" Rainbow took to the air and zipped through the branches. "Fluttershy!"
She appeared a moment later, a bird nest in one hand and two chittering squirrels in the other. Her face was a mask of soot. "I can't save all these animals!" she said desperately. "We need to put the fire out!"
Sunset took a short inhale, trying not to breathe in the smoke. "I have an idea," she said, rising back to a standing position. "Stand back. Way back."
Twilight nodded. She leaped through a gap in the flames and exited the clearing. Sunset waited a moment, then closed her eyes. She thought of when she had guided the flames away from Twilight and back at Tempest.
If I can do that, maybe...
She raised her hands and furrowed her brow. The pain in her chest burned, but she fought through it and willed all of the fire toward herself. She had created these flames. They were hers to wield. They would yield to her.
Sunset opened her eyes. All around her, the fire swirled and pulled toward her outstretched hands. Thick ribbons of flames coiled around her body, weaving and dancing as they waited for instructions. The coils grew larger and longer as more fire coalesced, vacuumed off the trees and bushes. Ash and smoke wafted in the void left behind.
The clearing glowed an intense red and orange. Standing in the center of the burning maelstrom, Sunset had to squint her eyes. She couldn't see anything but the streams of her power, but she could still feel more fire gathering toward her. She lowered one hand and lifted the other above her head.
All of the fire raced up and condensed together into a single molten sphere. The last embers pulled away from the cindered forest and into the fireball. When the streams faded away, Sunset kicked off from the ground and rose through the gap in the trees. Clear of the forest, she served up the fireball and punched it as hard as she could.
It sailed higher and higher, growing smaller against the endless blue backdrop of sky until it detonated in a burning red ring. Sunset lifted an arm over her face as the heatwave washed over her and stung her eyes. She lowered herself back to the ground; the second she touched the grass, her wings and tail vanished and her hair fell back around her shoulders.
The pain in her chest magnified, and she fell to the ground with a shocked gasp. It was like Tempest had just blasted her again at point-blank range. She struggled to breathe, taking in short, shallow gasps instead.
Someone placed a hand on her back, and a soothing wave washed over her body. All of her exhaustion melted away, and the pain dulled until it was just an ache. Sunset gave a tired laugh. "I don't know where we'd be without you, Fluttershy."
"Dead," Rainbow said bluntly. "We'd be dead."
Fluttershy blushed as she moved to lay her hands on Twilight.
Sunset gazed upon the scorched forest around them. It wasn't as bad as it could have been; there were charred bushes, and entire swathes of undergrowth had been burned away, but the trees themselves remained mostly intact, just blackened at their trunks. Still, Sunset hung her head. Driving Tempest away by burning part of a forest wasn't what she'd call a victory.
I need training.
Twilight gathered up her sword and sheath and stood over Sunset. "We should leave. Someone had to have seen all the fire and smoke." She offered a hand down to Sunset.
"And if we were fighting Tempest and Moondancer, the others probably ran into the Sirens," Rainbow added.
"You're right." Sunset let Twilight pull her up. "Let's hope they can handle themselves. And that they found Cadence."
"I'll run ahead and see if they're anywhere nearby," Rainbow said before zipping away. Fluttershy remained behind, keeping just behind Sunset and Twilight.
They marched out of the burned section of the forest and returned to greener and livelier corridors. Twilight kept her head bowed as they walked, an easy sign something was wrong. One of her sleeves had been completely burned off. Sunset rested a hand on the pinker skin of Twilight's bare shoulder.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Twilight kept her eyes averted. She opened her mouth, almost starting a sentence before clenching her teeth. Sunset let her take her time. She moved a little closer and began tidying Twilight's hair, pulling it back into its ponytail.
"Moondancer..." Twilight said with both longing and resentment. "She promised to tell me everything if I beat her in a duel... but I lost. She had been holding back the entire time." Twilight gnashed her teeth again, bitterness oozing from her voice.
"I don't know why I thought I could beat her. And then Tempest showed up and..." Tears ran down her cheeks, wiping away some of the soot. "Even with a sword, I'm still useless."
"Twilight Sparkle, you are not useless or worthless or lacking in any way, and I never want to hear you say that ever again," Sunset said with a serious glare.
"Sunset, you had to come to my rescue again!"
"Because you went up against a soul-sucking psychopath with shadow magic!" Sunset stopped and took hold of Twilight's shoulders. "Twilight, you couldn't fight her alone. I couldn't fight her alone. We won because we worked together. There were several times where I would have died if you hadn't intervened."
She moved her hands down to Twilight's arms. "And I came to your rescue because I love you. Not because I think you're useless and can't take care of yourself. If that had been anyone else, you would have won."
Twilight looked away, eyebrows knitted. "You mean if it was anyone who didn't have magic."
"I... guess?" Sunset said slowly. She winced as Twilight twisted herself out of her grasp.
"I keep trying to keep up with everyone and their magic..." She looked down at her sword. "Maybe it's all just pointless."
"Twilight..." It wasn't Sunset who spoke, but Fluttershy. "You shouldn't give up now. You've only been practicing for a month. I know it seems unfair, I know it feels like you'll never catch up, but that's how it feels whenever you pick up any new skill. Our magic is temporary--"
Even as she said it, her ears and wings faded away. "--but what you're learning is permanent and practical."
"I suppose so," Twilight said.
Sunset put a gentle hand on her arm. Twilight didn't pull away, but she didn't look at Sunset either. "Come on, let's get back to the hotel. It's been a long day."
Twilight sighed. "And it's only noon."
*******
There was no release of magic upon impact. With a loud crack the crystal merely broke into large shards that scattered across the floor. Each piece of crystal still shone with the powers it had already absorbed.
At the same moment of impact, Applejack snatched Adagio's leg and from her spot on the floor, lifted the Siren overhead and slammed her against the hard earth. Still holding Adagio's ankle, Applejack got up and tossed Adagio into the back wall.
"Don't think that makes up for what y'all did," Applejack grunted. "But it's a good start."
Adagio rolled onto the floor, her hand coming to rest near one of the shard fragments. She pounced on it and climbed to her feet, pointing the shard at the group in front of her. "I can't believe you two would turn your backs on me after everything we've been through!"
Sonata lowered her arms at last. "You can come with us. We can still be together."
"And content myself with being some powerless nobody?" Adagio hissed, spit flying from her mouth. "I was meant to rule over lesser beings like them! We were meant to rule! You would forsake everything we are just to be friends with them?"
Sonata held her head up high. "Yes."
Aria rolled her neck. "'Friends' is a strong word..."
"Traitors," Adagio said with a dangerous growl. "Both of you. Miserable traitors!" The shard in her hand lit up, and a bolt of light shot toward Aria.
With a hot ball of energy forming in her hand, Pinkie leaned out from behind Sonata and chucked it at Adagio's attack. They collided in the air, leaving behind a brilliant pink and blue firework.
Adagio aimed at Pinkie and fired the draining beam.
There was a quick patter of shoes followed by a, "Hyyah!" as Cadence charged, jumped, and landed a flying kick into the side of Adagio's head. She skidded across the ground, and the absorption beam fizzled out before it touched Pinkie.
"That's for trying to turn me against my husband!" Cadence yelled. She turned her head to Sonata and Aria, shooting them a venomous stare.
Pinkie hugged Sonata. "They're on our side!"
"For now," Applejack murmured.
Shining ran up beside Cadence, keeping his gun homed on Adagio. "Drop... whatever that is and put your hands up."
Up on one knee, Adagio clutched the shard to her chest and growled. She glared at Shining before her eyes snapped to something behind him.
Pinkie followed her gaze, and a chill wind blew down her own spine. A black portal appeared from thin air on the ledge where the Sirens had once stood. Standing in its threshold was Tempest Shadow, covered in dust and ash, and an angry blister on her right shoulder.
Shining turned his gun on her, hesitating at the sight before him. He quickly regained his composure and shouted, "Freeze!"
Tempest paid him no mind. Her eyes moved from Adagio, to the other Sirens standing with the Spectacular Seven, to the crystal shards lying scattered about. Her calm demeanor melted with each passing second until her lips were pulled back in a silent snarl.
She looked about, spotting a shard a few feet from her portal. Pinkie spotted it, too. She lobbed a firework at Tempest as the shadow woman pointed a finger at the shard and it zipped toward her. Tempest caught the shard in one hand and raised another made of shifting shadows to block Pinkie's attack. The impact shoved her back into the portal, and it began closing around her.
"Wait!" Adagio shouted.
Tempest gave her one last glare. "Useless," she spat before vanishing.
Adagio stared absently at the spot the portal had been. Her hand fell limply to her side, but she kept her crystal piece clutched firmly between her fingers.
Shining turned back to her. "I said drop the object."
Adagio didn't hear him. Her absent stare was now one of disbelief. Pinkie could see a hundred thoughts racing behind her wide eyes.
"Dagi...?" Sonata said softly.
Adagio opened her mouth a fraction, sucking in a tiny breath.
An earth-shaking wail tore from her throat, dropping everyone to the ground and forcing them to cover their ears. Pinkie's eardrums thumped hard, threatening to burst. Her vision spun and a headache hammered her brain.
Adagio held her scream and backed toward the exit. Shining tried to reach for his gun, but couldn't tear his hands from his ears. When Adagio got to the bottom of the tunnel's slope, she raised her shard and fired a beam against the ceiling.
The cave trembled, dropping stalactites and debris down on everyone's head. Adagio's scream stopped, leaving only the sound of crumbling stone. She bolted for the entrance, sparing one last glance over her shoulder.
Shining tried to charge after her, but a rock dropped in front of him and nearly crushed his foot. "C'mon, we're getting out of here!"
The girls rallied behind him, and they pushed their way up the tunnel, but the thunder of falling stone drove them to a halt. In front of them, the mouth of the cave crumbled inward, and rolling boulders tumbled toward them.
Rarity jumped to the front and held her hands up, crafting a barrier, and stopping the rocks in their tracks. She dug her heels into the dirt, the rocks pressing against her. "I don't know how long I can hold it!"
"You won't have to!" Applejack shouted. She moved in front of Rarity and placed her hands on the shield. With a roar and a flash of her aura, she pushed forward, dragging the rocks back up the slope.
Cadence stared open-mouth at the two magical girls before her. "I now one-hundred percent believe everything you told me," she whispered to Shining.
"Honestly, I was still on the fence until today," he said.
Applejack and Rarity slowly cleared the path with their combined construct and strength acting as a human-made bulldozer. With a final punch from Applejack, the rocks cleared, and daylight reached their eyes once more.
Rarity put the shield down and fell against the grass, her magic extinguished. Applejack joined her, breathing hard. Pinkie planted herself between them, lifting them both into sitting positions to give them the strongest hug she could muster.
"Are you guys okay?"
Applejack gave a weary nod. "Just plum exhausted is all. Ah feel like Ah could sleep for a week."
"Make that two," Rarity said, laying down against the grass again when Pinkie let go.
Sonata slumped toward them, holding a hand behind her back. "I'm really, really sorry."
Aria pursed her lips and turned away. "Yeah... I'm sorry, too. Between Adagio and Tempest... it was just really hard to say no, you know?"
Cadence crossed her arms. "Your apology is noted, but it doesn't make up for the fact that you three kidnapped me and almost ruined my wedding!"
"And that's before we add breaking and entering, theft, possession of a dangerous weapon, and assault," Shining added.
Pinkie jumped over and wrapped her arms around his legs. "Please don't send them to jail! They're good people now, honest and for real this time! And Adagio made them do it, right?" She looked back at the duo.
Aria shrugged. "We could pin this all on her."
Shining gently tried to shake Pinkie off. "Even still--"
"Please, please, please, please, please!" Pinkie squeezed harder. "They can't prove that they've changed if you arrest them!"
"I--"
"Also, they did save your lives," Aria said. "You could do them a favor by not sending us to jail."
"That's not how the justice system works!"
Pinkie stuck her lower lip out and widened her eyes. "Please don't take away my new friend!"
Cadence uncrossed her arms and softened her expression. "Maybe there's something you could do for them, Shiny? They're banned from the wedding though!"
Shining rubbed his eyes. "Okay, okay. I can see if I can get away with just charging them as being accomplices. I still have to send them down to the station."
Aria rolled her eyes. "Figures. First time I decide to do something good and I get arrested."
"One good deed doesn't make up for everything else you did today," Applejack said.
Pinkie removed herself from Shining legs and rose up to hug his middle. "Thank you, Shining! Thank you, thank you!"
Sonata hugged him from the other side. "Yeah! Thank you so much!"
Shining squirmed. "Don't thank me just yet. You're still both under arrest."
Pinkie and Sonata let him go and instead embraced each other, holding on tight.
"Thanks for not giving up on me," Sonata whispered.
Pinkie smiled, tearing up again. "That's what friends are for." |
Spectacular Seven | The Longest Day III: Dearly Beloved | Sunset put one foot on the main road, then grabbed Twilight and jumped back behind a tree, nearly tripping over Fluttershy as she did.
"What is it?" Twilight asked.
Sunset poked her head around the trunk and pointed. A group of bystanders stood in the hotel parking lot, talking loudly and pointing toward the forest. Sunset could spot a few of Twilight's family members mixed in.
"It's gonna be real hard to sneak back into the hotel now," Sunset said.
Twilight looked down at her clothes. "We need to think of something. There's no way I can explain this to my parents."
Rainbow zoomed over to them, digging her heels into the dirt to come to a stop. "I haven't... found anyone else yet. Maybe... they're inside," she said between breaths. In a flash, her ears and wings were gone, and she doubled over with her hands on her knees.
"Whoa... guess I was more exhausted than I thought."
"Probably for the best. Sneaking inside is already gonna be tough. We don't need you in pony form and bringing more attention to us," Sunset said. She pointed to the other side of the road. "Maybe we can sneak the long way around. The crowd might disperse on the way."
"It's as good a plan as any," Twilight said, resigned. She followed Sunset's lead and quickly skirted across the main road, ducking behind more trees.
They kept themselves hidden in the foliage, sticking close to the leaf-covered slopes that preceded the mountains towering over them. Sunset paused and looked over her shoulder. Through a gap in the trees, she could see the last wisps of smoke curling off the scorched grove.
The hills and trees curved back toward the resort. The group followed the bend, passing through a small, rocky outcropping where they spotted--
"Shiny? Cadence?" Twilight ran toward a group of figures just ahead at the mouth of a cave.
"Twilight!" Shining ran toward her, slowing down as he got a closer look at the state of her attire. "What... what happened? Are you alright? ...Is that a sword?"
Twilight tried to hide her schiavona behind her back. "It's a long story?" She tried to smile.
"Girls, girls!" Pinkie emphatically waved her hand. "Guess what?"
Sunset saw Rarity and Applejack sitting on the ground, looking exhausted, then saw Aria sulking off to the side before spotting Sonata hiding behind Pinkie's hair. Sunset narrowed her eyes and felt her phoenix fire run through her again. "No..."
Pinkie's wave turned into a desperate flail of her arms as Sunset stomped toward her. "Wait, wait! Everything's fine now! We worked it all out!"
"I vouched for them, and they turn around and break my eardrums and steal from my adopted family!" Sunset's chest still ached, and while she could feel the heat of her powers, they weren't manifesting. That wasn't going to stop her from planting a boot in someone's teeth.
"I know they did bad things," Pinkie said frantically, "but they did good things, too! Aria broke the staff so Adagio couldn't take our magic anymore!"
Sunset stopped her march and glared at Aria.
Aria gave a noncommittal nod. "I just got tired of her bullshit."
"That doesn't make up for what you did!" Twilight shouted. "Sunset trusted you!"
Sonata stepped out from behind Pinkie. "We know! We're really sorry! We'll make up for it, we promise!"
Sunset raised a fist. "Yeah? I've got one way you can start!"
Shining slid over and put his hands on her shoulders. "You're angry, I get it. I've got a lot of feelings right now, too. But they've already agreed to turn themselves in."
"And you believe them?"
"They haven't run away yet."
"And trust me, the temptation is there," Aria snarked.
Sunset fixed her with a burning gaze. "So then, where's Adagio?"
Shining pinched the bridge of his nose and looked at the ground. "She got away."
"Of course she did!" Twilight shouted, throwing her hands up.
Rarity stood up and lifted her hands in a calming manner. "Look, a lot has happened and we're all a little frazzled."
"That's putting it mildly," Applejack muttered.
"The point," Rarity punctuated, "is that we all need to collect ourselves for a moment."
Silence descended upon the group. Sunset continued to glare at the two remaining Sirens throughout most of it. Neither of them returned her gaze. A piece of her wanted to believe Pinkie, that they had really turned over a new leaf this time. But she hadn't been there--she had no proof other than word of mouth. Another piece couldn't help but draw more comparisons to herself. How many times had she messed up on her road to redemption?
Of course, she had never assaulted anyone. Except Gilda, but she started it.
Sunset turned away. She exhaled and felt the fire in her blood cool. She didn't have the energy to process all of this right now; she would just have to trust her friends.
Cadence clapped her hands. "Okay! Introspection time is over! We're supposed to be having a wedding in a few hours!" Her face paled. "Oh god, how am I supposed to explain why I almost called it off? A bunch of singing monsters brainwashed me? And I got rescued by magical teenagers?"
Her eye twitched. "I'm surrounded by magical teenagers."
"If you could not mention the magic part, that would be great," Sunset said.
Shining walked over to Cadence and took her hand. "We'll figure out something. Together." He slipped his other hand into his pocket and pulled the ring out.
"That's what marriage is, right? Figuring it out together from now on," he said, sliding it onto her finger.
Sunset couldn't help but look in Twilight's direction. Twilight met her eyes. They both blushed and looked away.
Cadence sniffled and threw her arms around Shining's neck. "Yes! Together! For the rest of our lives!"
Aria made a gagging gesture and Rarity backhanded her shoulder, tears welling up in her eyes.
Applejack jumped to her feet. "Well, c'mon then! Let's get you two hitched!"
Arm in arm, Shining and Cadence led the group from the forest and back to the hotel. The crowd had dispersed from the parking lot, but now a small group stood right in the middle of the courtyard, blocking the main entrance.
So much for sneaking in, Sunset thought.
"Twilight!"
"Cadence!"
Velvet and Rose broke away from the group and sprinted forward to pull their respective daughters into an embrace. Velvet pulled away first, appraising Twilight with the worried look only a mother could give.
"Where were you? What happened? ... Is that a sword?"
Twilight squirmed, unable to look her mom in the eyes. "Ummm, you see..."
"Twilight tried to stop desperate fans in the forest!" Sunset blurted out. "They tried to start a fire... to stop the wedding?" She inwardly winced at her own questioning inflection.
Velvet looked between Sunset and Twilight. "She... you... that was horribly reckless! And it doesn't explain why you have a sword!"
"I knew it! I knew she had fallen into some bad influences!"
Sunset tightened her core, physically and mentally suppressing herself from powering up as Golden Light hobbled forward, looking even more ornery than usual.
"Riding motorcycles and carrying weapons! Look at what these hooligans have done to her!"
Cadence broke from her mother's arms and marched forward. "Hey! These 'hooligans' just saved my wedding!"
Rose held a hand to her heart and made a quiet sigh. "Oh thank god, there's still a wedding."
Golden pointed a sharp nail at Cadence. "You're no better than the rest of them! Breaking my grandson's heart the day of the wedding and trying to run away!"
Shining stepped forward. "That was just a giant misunderstanding influenced by... outside forces." He shifted his eyes to Sonata and Aria, standing off to the side.
"And how do you know these 'outside forces' aren't going to 'influence' her again? You deserve better than a disk jockey who might run out on you at the drop of a hat."
Cadence and Rose opened their mouths to retort, but Twilight beat both of them to the draw. "Just because you can't see the real value in people doesn't mean we all have to stoop to your level!"
Golden rounded on her. "Excuse you?"
"No, excuse you!" Twilight said loudly, her face red. "You've demeaned and made assumptions about everyone since you got here! Yes, this is a sword! I've been learning how to defend myself for situations like this! These 'hooligans' are not only my best friends, they're some of the best people in the world who accept me for who I am! Cadence is wise, caring, funny, loving and an all-around incredible person! She was the best babysitter and she's going to be an even better wife and sister-in-law!"
Twilight finally inhaled, but she wasn't finished. "We just risked our lives to save this wedding and everyone here, so now, we're going to go have a beautiful ceremony, Shining and Cadence are finally going to get married, I'm going to dance with my girlfriend, and we're all going to have a good time after this horrible morning! Either stop your nagging and enjoy the wedding, or leave!"
Everyone slowly panned from Twilight and her blotchy and tear-stricken face to Golden Light, with her lips pursed and her eyes wide. It would have been dead silent if Aria wasn't trying and failing to hold in snorts of laughter.
A few tense beats passed. Twilight looked ready to fall apart at the softest word, while Shining and Cadence had their focus lasered on Golden, ready to fight for Twilight at the drop of a pin.
Golden sniffed and turned on her heel, clicking her cane against the pavement. "Well, at least someone has a backbone in this family." She hobbled away, parting the crowd without a single word.
Twilight dropped her sword and collapsed into her mom's arms. "I just yelled at grandma," she said, dazed. Her chest rapidly rose and fell. "I just yelled at grandma!"
Velvet hugged her tight and ran a hand through her hair. "Sshh, sshh, it's fine. You're fine. I don't think your father is going to be mad. Everything you said was true."
Sunset stepped up and slid her hand into Twilight's. "You were real brave right there, Sparky."
"Yeah, way to put that old bat in her place--ow!" Rainbow glared at Applejack. "What? We're all thinking it."
Twilight gained control of her breathing, but her eyes were dilated and a fine layer of sweat coated her face. Velvet eased her upright but kept a hand on her shoulders.
"Let's get you inside so you can lay down for a little bit. I need to check you for injuries anyway."
Twilight squeezed Sunset's hand before she was pulled away. Her throat convulsed like she wanted to say something, but it couldn't reach her lips.
"It's okay," Sunset said. "Go get some rest. I'll see you in a bit." She watched Twilight nod before being steered into the hotel.
Rose wiped her brow. "Well, hopefully that's the last of the wedding drama. Come on, Cady, let's get you ready. We're behind schedule as is."
Cadence brightened immensely. "Yes! Let's go! Ugh, I can't believe the whole morning got wasted! But it's fine! Everything's fine now!" She brought a hand to her chest and inhaled, then pushed it away and exhaled. She spun on her heel and gave Shining a kiss on both cheeks.
"I'll see you at the altar."
Shining gave her a goofy smile. "Uh-huh."
Cadence then swooped over and gave Sunset a kiss on the cheek as well.
Sunset pressed a hand on where her lips had been. "What was that for?"
"For giving Twilight so much courage. She never would have done anything like that a year ago." Cadence looked at the rest of the Spectacular Seven. "That goes for all of you as well. You're the best thing to happen to her."
Applejack tipped her hat. "The least we could do for everythin' she's done for us."
Cadence flashed them one more grateful smile before grabbing hold of her mom and running back inside.
Shining picked up Twilight's fallen sword and turned it over in his hands. "How long has Twilight been practicing with a sword?"
His tone was more curious than accusatory. Still, Sunset couldn't help but remain apprehensive. "About a month. Selena's teaching her, and she's really good at it."
Shining didn't answer right away. He looked over his shoulder at the Sirens first, then locked eyes with Sunset. "How often do you guys run into all these... magical situations?"
"Less than you'd think, but more than I'd like."
"I see." Shining let out a long, tired breath and raised his head to the sky. "Every part of me wants to say no and find some way to forbid her from going on these... otherworldly adventures and facing potentially dangerous threats. But that would be counterproductive to everything that just happened here. And she's not my little sister anymore. She's grown."
He sighed again and handed the sword to Sunset. "Just promise me something? Promise me you'll keep her safe?"
Sunset held the sword firmly in her hands. "I swear on my life."
"I hope it never comes to that." He turned and addressed Sonata and Aria. "All right, let me find an officer to get you two out of here."
Aria put her hands on her hips. "You promise to try and get us off easy?"
"Only if you swear not to do anything funny."
Sonata hunched her shoulders. "Awww. Does that mean no knock-knock jokes?"
Aria slapped a palm against her face. "Can we have separate cells?"
Shining gave them a concerned look, then leaned toward Sunset. "Am I making a mistake here?"
"I honestly can't tell you anymore."
"Right. Uhh, just keep an eye on them for a sec. I'll be back."
As Shining walked away, Pinkie ran up to Sonata and took her by the hands. "Don't worry! I'm sure Shining will be super fair and make sure you guys get to go free! We'll get to play again real soon!"
"I know." Sonata used her shoulder to wipe away a tear. "I'm still gonna miss you."
"I'm gonna miss you, too," Pinkie said, tearing up.
Sonata took her hands back and slipped one of her spiked bracelets. It might have been a trick of the light, but Sunset thought it shimmered for a moment.
"I want you to have this. This one's my lucky one, so it's extra special." Sonata slipped it onto Pinkie's wrist. "Just so you have something to remember me by."
Pinkie looked at it in awe, then pressed it against her heart. "It's the bestest gift you could've given me."
Sonata tilted her head to one side. "Really?"
"I mean, any gift would have been the bestest because it came from you."
"Awww!" They embraced again.
As much as Sunset wanted to hold a grudge, seeing Pinkie this happy with Sonata brought a smile to her face.
Aria skulked up to Rarity, hands shoved deep in her pockets. "Again, sorry about... you know... trying to take your magic and stuff. And despite what you might think, I wasn't faking everything. Making dresses with you... wasn't the worst, I guess."
Rarity gave a good-natured smirk. "I had fun, too. And after the way you stood up to Adagio... I think I can say, apology accepted."
Aria rolled her eyes and turned away. "You girls are way too forgiving."
"Tell me about it," Rainbow said.
Shining returned with two officers. They handcuffed Aria and Sonata and led them to a squad car. Sonata waved enthusiastically to Pinkie one last time before getting in.
The police car drove off and Sunset relaxed her shoulders. "We beat Tempest, hopefully reformed two Sirens, and saved a wedding, all before lunch. Good job, team."
"You fought Tempest?" Rarity asked, aghast.
"And Moondancer," Rainbow added. She looked impressively at her knuckles. "I punched her in the face."
"Sounds like we got some stories to swap later," Applejack said.
"Yes, later." Rarity pointed a finger at the front door. "All of you, upstairs, now! Get showered and get ready to be blown away by your outfits!"
*******
Tempest sat down in a rolling chair, hissing at the slight movement her right shoulder made as she came down. She dropped the crystal shard into her lap then twisted her chair about. The office was empty, not including the houseplant sitting on the desk next to the open laptop. A window next to the closed door looked out to the laboratory beyond, where a handful of people in white coats bustled back and forth.
She looked down at the shard and clenched her jaw. Why was it so hard to find reliable help now? She gave those damn Sirens one job, and they managed to blow it! She'd be angrier if this burn didn't hurt so much.
There was a soft click as the door opened up. "Oh, what a coincidence! I just went to check our magical readings! I'm guessing that sudden spike was your doing?"
Tempest looked up at the newcomer. A sugary smile rested on her lilac face. Her purple and teal hair was pulled into a ponytail with bangs that fell across her forehead. A white lab coat hung loosely over her shoulders and a pair of goggles hung from her neck.
"Did that spike actually move the needle at all?"
Starlight Glimmer raised her arms in a hapless shrug. "Well, you maybe shaved off a month or two. But I told you, unless these magical outbursts can be maintained for a long period of time, there still isn't enough residual magic in the world to fuel something like this."
Tempest squeezed her fist, gasping and wincing at her burn. "I suppose that's better than nothing," she growled.
Starlight leaned over and examined the laceration marring Tempest's shoulder. "You should probably do something about that."
Tempest glared at her. "My healing magic isn't working. Do you have any spare vials of the rejuvenating liquid?"
"Of course I do." Starlight walked around to her desk and pressed a button on her personal intercom. "Party Favor?"
"Yes, Ma'am?" a voice responded a moment later.
"Could you bring up a vial of RL-IV to my office, please?"
"Right away!"
Starlight straightened up and folded her hands behind her back. "Tell me, how did you end up with such a burn? With Lord Tirek literally around your neck, I thought you were invincible."
With her tone the perfect blend of sweet and curious, it was hard to detect any sarcasm. Tempest clicked her tongue. "Sunset Shimmer has better reflexes than I expected."
"I see." Starlight's eyes drifted down to the shard in Tempest's lap, and she finally frowned. "Please don't tell me..."
"The Sirens managed to break the Staff of Sanacas!" Tempest seethed, then cringed as her shoulder burned. "This was as much as I could recover."
She gingerly picked it up and held it out to Starlight. The scientist took it and weighed it in her hand, pursing her lips. She paced back and forth around Tempest's chair, holding the crystal up to the light.
"There's still magic inside of it," she said, eyes widening in awe. "It still retained its functionality!"
"Truly?"
"Yes! Though, I doubt it could hold the same level of magic as it could if it were whole. But, I can still use this to some degree. At the very least, it gives me something to study!"
"So, what does this do for our timetable?"
Starlight looked past the crystal and gave Tempest a flat stare. "You just handed this to me. Could you be patient and let me actually do my work first?"
The door opened up before Tempest could snap back. A young man, presumably Party Favor, walked in with a tray, a vial of cerulean liquid resting on top.
"Here you are, Doctor Glimmer," he squeaked, presenting the tray.
Starlight took the vial and gave Party Favor a loving pat on the head. "Thank you very much. You may go." She ushered him out with a wave of her hand.
Tempest materialized her shadow arm and snatched the potion from Starlight, ignoring her grunt of displeasure. She twisted the cap off and poured the cool liquid over her shoulder. It sank into her skin, easing some of the constant burn. However, as the seconds passed, the blistered skin refused to heal or even scar over.
"Damnit, what did that girl do to me?"
"Fascinating," Starlight said. "Her fire must be magical in nature. Yet, neither your magic nor my science could fix it. It's almost like a curse."
Tempest snorted. As much as she hated to admit it, she could empathize with Moondancer and her burned face now. She rolled her shoulder. The pain was more tolerable but still stung considerably.
"Well, since that plan was a moderate failure," Tempest admitted, gripping the arm of her chair, "It's time to move on to our contingency plan. How soon can you be ready?"
Starlight curled her lips into a devious smile, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Very soon."
"Perfect." Tempest stood up and opened a portal. "I'll go get our subject ready. Lord Tirek will be revived."
*******
Sunset let Pinkie shower first. She chose to lay down on the bed and decompress for a moment. Her thoughts slowed and she closed her eyes. A pain still lingered in her chest, and now that she laid on her bed, a blanket of exhaustion fell over her.
Tempest, the Sirens, her growing powers. Everything flashed through her mind, but nothing stuck. Even Twilight was hazy in her thoughts, though Sunset's heart still went out to her.
Rarity bustled about, pulling out the garment bags from the closet and running back and forth between the rooms. She hummed in delight and spun around with her arms over her head.
"How do you have so much energy? Didn't Aria drain your magic?" Sunset asked.
"She could have drained me dry but she could never touch my excitement for today! Seeing you girls dressed in your best and getting to play the bride and groom down the aisle are what give me life!"
"Glad someone still has energy."
Sunset heard the bathroom door burst open and cracked an eye to see Pinkie wearing a sleek and glossy pink gown. It was sleeveless and had ruffles around the waist. Sunset wasn't used to seeing Pinkie wear something so form-fitting. Usually, her dresses were large and poofy. Speaking of poofy, Pinkie's hair was pulled back into a large ponytail with only a single, large tress left to hang over her face.
Pinkie spun into the center of the room. "Wheee! I feel super pretty, Rarity!"
"Just what I wanted to hear. Well, chop-chop, Sunset. Into the shower you go."
Sunset groaned but pulled herself off the bed, taking the garment bag with her. She peeled off her soot-covered clothes and hopped into the shower. The hot water fell over her shoulders and massaged some of the tension away. She lifted her face to the shower head to let the hot droplets rouse her from her groggy state.
Okay. Overthink and critically analyze things later. It's time to have fun and celebrate!
It then dawned on Sunset that her actual birthday was still today.
Meh. Still beats the last four.
She washed and rang her hair out, then pinned it up and stepped out from the shower. She brushed her teeth again, applied some lotion, then unzipped the black bag hiding her dress. Rarity had been insistent on keeping their wedding attire a secret until the day of. By this point, Sunset had full confidence in her. Or at least, she did until she opened the bag.
Sunset secured a towel around herself and stuck her head out the bathroom door. "Um, Rarity? I think you gave me the wrong bag."
"No, I didn't. That one is definitely yours," Rarity said in a singsong voice.
"Rarity--"
"Just trust me, darling and try it on. I really think you're going to like it."
Sunset looked back at the outfit and squinted her eyes. Rarity was good, but she wasn't that good. Still, she gave her best friend the benefit of the doubt and got dressed.
Ten minutes later, Sunset stepped out of the bathroom. Her black slacks hugged her waist perfectly, showing off her subtle curves. Her ivory shirt was buttoned up and tucked in, and a red bow tie sat around her neck. Sunset left her vest unbuttoned for now. It was just the lightest hint of burgundy, bringing out the vibrant crimson in her hair. The tails of her dress coat hung down to the back of her knees.
Sunset adjusted her white gloves and appraised herself in the full-body closest mirror. "Rarity, I don't know who's better: you for making this, or me for pulling it off."
Rarity swooned and fell back on her bed. "It's even better than I dreamed of!"
"Yeah, Sunny! You look amazing!" Pinkie said.
Sunset drank in her own image. Her soft cheekbones, round chin, and bust stopped her from striking a complete masculine figure, but damn if she didn't wear a suit better than most guys. "Where did you even get the idea to do this?"
"It was like a bolt of lightning," Rarity said dreamily. She waved her arm through the air. "A tuxedo to compliment Twilight's gown. Strong, sharp, dapper! Yet still accentuating your womanly features!"
Sunset played with her bow tie. "You know, this might also cushion the blow to the rest of Twilight's family about her dating another girl. The ones that didn't hear her shouting anyway."
"Mmm, yes, it does have that extra benefit, doesn't it?" Rarity said coyly.
Sunset looked over her shoulder. "No. There's no way you could have known that!"
Rarity got up and gathered her toothbrush and comb, an easygoing smile on her face. She grabbed her dress, winked, then locked herself in the bathroom.
"How does she do that?" Sunset asked. She blinked and looked down. Pinkie was playing with her coattails. "Stop that."
As they waited on Rarity, the other girls made their way over one by one. Applejack arrived first wearing an ankle-length evening gown. The front was beige and pleated with thick folds, while the sides were a golden delicious shade of red. Her hair was up in a braided ponytail like she had worn at Prom.
Rainbow joined not long after. Her dress was a single-shoulder and midnight blue. A black sash was wrapped around her waist, and starting just below it were angular ruffles that extended down to her knees. Crossing over her other shoulder was the red scarf she had taken to wearing everywhere.
Fluttershy arrived last and wore a long, layered teal cocktail dress that matched her eyes. The back hem almost touched the floor, but the front exposed Fluttershy's legs all the way up to her knees, showing off more skin than Sunset would have thought comfortable for her. The sleeves were twisted strands crisscrossing over each other to look like a woven basket and ended in silk, fingerless gloves. She had twisted her hair up into long ringlets that parted her face.
Everyone gawked and complemented each other, paying extra acclaim to Sunset in her tuxedo. She tied her hair into a long ponytail to finish off her debonair look.
Half an hour after Fluttershy arrived, Rarity emerged from the bathroom dressed in a smooth, shoulderless black gown. It glittered like it had been brushed with stardust and had ruffles similar to Rainbow's. They were softer and layered over one another, flowing down to her ankles. A blouse started at the base of her collar and was cut into a heart that sat in the middle of her chest. She had lacy diamond patterns stitched into her sleeves that extended down to the edge of her palms. Her hair was rolled up into a rounded updo, tightly packed together. A diamond-shaped pin sat to one side.
She took one look at the rest of her friends and hurriedly fanned her face. "Oh, I'm so glad I haven't put my make-up on yet. You all look so amazing!"
"We got you to thank for it, Rares," Applejack said. "You really outdid yourself this time."
Rarity blushed and giggled. "I don't like to toot my own horn too much but, you're right! This is some of my best work!"
With two hours until the wedding, the girls killed some time by playing some of the board games from last night while sharing their exploits from earlier.
"You guys should have been there!" Rainbow exclaimed, not even caring Pinkie had just won her third hand of cards. "Sunset just goes Super Saiyan all of a sudden and blasts through the trees and decks Tempest in the face! It was so awesome!"
"I told you, we're not calling it that!" Sunset took the deck and shuffled the cards back in. Her resentment toward the Sirens had cooled even more once she heard how Aria had told off Adagio and smashed the Staff of Sanacas of her own volition. Though the fact that Adagio had escaped left an uneasy feeling in her stomach.
After Fluttershy finally broke Pinkie's winning streak, Rarity brought an end to the games and pulled out her makeup bag.
"All right, let's get all dolled up and get down there!"
Lipstick, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and blush applied, the girls gave each other one last round of praise before migrating down to the first floor. Heads turned as they stepped out of the elevator, and Sunset couldn't help but strut through the atrium, feeling like she was the queen of Canterlot High again. It was made better by being surrounded by her friends.
Pockets of family members whispered as the girls passed. Everyone was sharply dressed, but thanks to Rarity's divine fashion skills, the six girls and their array of colors stood out. Though Sunset couldn't help but notice many an eye lingered on her.
Twilight Jazz and Orion stood near the door to the back courtyard. Jazz smiled fondly at Sunset, showing the laugh lines around her eyes. "Well, don't you clean up nice."
Sunset bowed cordially. "Thank you."
Orion chuckled. "You all look great. Just make sure you don't show up the bride and groom."
"We wouldn't dream of it," Rarity said.
One of the hotel staff opened the doors and led the wedding crowd outside. The sun was setting behind the mountains, casting an orange glow across the sky that the lake reflected. Everyone paraded down the steps and took their seats, Sunset sitting on the outside of the third row, while the rest of the girls got up onto the bandstand and readied their instruments.
Sunset caught sight of Golden Light on the other side of the aisle. Their gazes met, and Golden flared her nostrils. Sunset resisted the urge to stick her tongue out.
A silence lapsed over the crowd as the last person took their seat. Everyone fidgeted and twisted in their seat to look up at the balcony. Finally, a staff member held his hand up, and with a soft beat from Pinkie, the band started to play.
The audience rose as the officiant walked down the stairs, followed close behind by the flower girl, haphazardly tossing petals everywhere.
From the left staircase came Shining Armor adorned in an officer's uniform that was as red as his cheeks. A golden collar and cuffs accented it, and a blue sash ran over his left shoulder. It was all tucked into a pair of white dress pants, hemmed at the bottom. His hair was perfectly combed and slicked back. In fact, Sunset had never seen it so neat before.
Velvet hugged his arm, tears already flowing down her face. They broke apart at the top of the aisle, Velvet taking her place in the front row while Shining stepped up to the gazebo and faced the crowd. Night and Rose came down next from the right side of the stairs, arm in arm. When they got to the end of the carpet, Night took his place next to Velvet while Rose stood on the opposite side of the aisle and waited for her husband.
Then, Twilight stepped down the stairs. Sunset held her breath as she watched her girlfriend descend. Her dress was soothing pink with a white train that ran from the back of her knees to the ground, trailing a step behind her. A golden sash wrapped her waist, two pink bows hanging off the front. The sash matched the low golden collar, pinned in the center by a starburst clasp. Her hair was done up similar to how she wore it at Prom: a large side bun with an orchid tucked behind her ear.
She was on the arm of Gaffer, one of Shining's police buddies, and, Sunset guessed, his best man. He and Twilight led the procession of groomsmen and bridesmaids to take their place on either side of the gazebo.
Twilight's eyes searched the crowd until she found Sunset. She did a double-take, mouth flying open as she spotted Sunset in her tuxedo. Sunset smiled and winked at her, savoring the crimson hue her cheeks took.
The music swelled, and all eyes turned back to the top of the steps. Elm, with unfallen tears, held his arm out. Cadence stepped up and took it, bouquet in one hand, and the other holding the front of her dress as she walked down the steps and onto the carpet.
It was a lustrous white, like Princess Celestia's ivory fur. The back end was ruffled and layered, with each border a glittering gold, matching her gold, sleeveless vest. A large pink ribbon sat at the top of her train which extended three feet behind her and had to be held up by an additional bridesmaid. The front of Cadence's hair was curled up into two large bangs that hung over her ears, while the rest of it was woven into a flower-laden French braid.
She reached the bottom of the steps and took her time down the petal-strewn aisle. Her smile was radiant and contagious, infecting everyone as she passed. She and her father reached the end of the aisle. Elm gave her one last kiss on the cheek, then joined Rose. Cadence stepped up to the gazebo, taking her place next to Shining just as the music ended.
Everyone took their seats, and for a brief moment, there was only the lapping of the lake waves against the shore.
The officiant cleared his throat. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Shining Armor and Mi Amore Cadenza.
"Love is never easy. It's fraught with confusion and complications. This morning is a prime example. But, despite the chaos and misunderstanding, here these two stand, prepared to commit their lives to each other."
Sunset wasn't sure which one of them was trying harder not to cry. Cadence had lifted her bouquet up to hide her smile, but nothing could hide the glow she gave off.
"Now, I believe you have written your own vows?"
Cadence nodded and handed her bouquet over to Twilight before taking Shining's hands. She looked into his eyes and gave a wet giggle before composing herself.
"There is no love at first sight. You were a scrawny middle-schooler when we first walked by each other. It wasn't until freshman year when we got paired up in history that I got to know you. I thought you were going to be another wannabe macho jock. Instead, you were sweet, you were funny, you were honest, and you were a major comic book nerd!"
Shining laughed along with the crowd, the tips of his ears pink.
"But most of all, you cared. You cared about your friends, you cared about your family, and you cared about doing the right thing. The more time I spent with you, the more I grew to love you. It deepened with every little thing you did." Cadence's smile faltered, and her eyes drifted toward the lake. In a softer voice, she said, "I know I said some hurtful things earlier. Yes, you have your flaws; no one is perfect. But I love you, flaws and all. I can't see a life without you in it. I want to share everything with you, Shiny! Every accident, every triumph, every mistake! I want us to be together, forever!"
With a tear running from the corner of his eye, Shining leaned in and whispered with a comical grin, "That is not what we rehearsed." The audience laughed again, and Shining cleared his throat.
"You said there's no such thing as love at first sight, but I know I felt something the first time I saw you. You were beautiful, braces and all. I didn't know what to expect when I finally talked to you. I didn't know it would lead to so many amazing days and nights together. I didn't know it would lead to you being the one. I didn't know you would be so inspirational that I would do anything to better myself for you. Because you're right: no one is perfect. But when I look at you--your kindness, your empathy, your love, it makes me want to try harder and be a better person.
"Today, you've made me the happiest man alive. Knowing that from now on, I get to wake up every day and share everything with you is indescribable. No matter what happens, as long as we're together, we can get through it. I love you, Cadence. So very much."
Sunset wiped her eyes, drawing her gaze away from the couple. Twilight was staring straight at her. If there were any lingering frustrations from this morning, any anger or resentment, in that moment, they were completely gone.
Twilight's eyes sparkled with warmth. "I love you," she mouthed.
"I love you, too," Sunset mouthed back, her heart fit to burst.
"May we have the rings?" the officiant asked.
The ring bearer walked down the carpet, holding a throw pillow with the two rings laying on top. Shining took the first ring and held up Cadence's hand.
"Do you, Shining Armor, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"
"I do," Shining said, sliding the ring on.
"And do you, Mi Amore Cadenza, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? For richer or poor, for better or worse, 'till the end of your days?"
"I do," Cadence said, placing the ring on Shining's finger.
"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss!"
The officiant stepped back as Cadence grabbed Shining by the cheeks and pulled him into a deep kiss. Everyone jumped to their feet and clapped and cheered. Applejack let loose a loud whistle, and Pinkie threw out a handful of confetti. Even Golden Light applauded, the barest trace of a smile on her face.
Cadence and Shining broke apart and faced the crowd, hands clasped together. Twilight returned the bouquet, and the newlyweds strolled down the aisle as the band played them out.
*******
While the wedding party took their photos in the front courtyard, the rest of the crowd moved to the reception hall. Sunset sat at her designated table, waiting for her friends to join her. The waitstaff walked around and offered drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Sunset accepted some cheese on toasted crackers and was tempted to see if she could get away with getting a glass of wine. She settled for sparkling cider, not wanting to push her luck today.
The rest of the Spectacular Seven were the last to join, coming in with their instruments and setting up on the bandstand. They seated themselves around the table, and Rarity pressed her palms into her cheeks.
"Oh, that was the loveliest ceremony I've ever seen!"
"It was so romantic," Fluttershy said with a dreamy sigh.
"Someday, we're all gonna have weddings like that!" Pinkie threw her arms up. "I can't wait to throw you girls the biggest, greatest weddings ever!"
They chatted amongst themselves for half an hour, keeping their snacking to a minimum. Soon, the ballroom doors opened and the wedding party came in, Shining and Cadence at the front. The girls got up and took their places on the bandstand, Twilight hurrying to join them, violin in hand.
Night Light moved to the front of the room and grabbed a microphone. "Thank you, everyone, for being here on this special day. It was a long time coming, but I'm happy to finally see the union of our two families. I also want to thank our band, not only for providing the music, but for helping the bride and groom when they needed it the most."
Sunset looked over her shoulder and grinned at her friends.
"And now, the first dance of the newlyweds! Take it away, Spectacular Seven!"
Rarity started with a string of gentle notes on her keytar as Shining led Cadence to the dance floor. Twilight jumped in after Rarity, overlapping her keys with gentle strings.
The new couple revolved around each other, waltzing across the floor, holding each other close and gazing into one another's eyes. Pinkie tapped on her drums, picking the beat up, and Sunset stepped up to the mike.
"Love is in bloom!
"A beautiful bride, a handsome groom,
"Two hearts becoming one!
"A bond that cannot be undone because,
"Love's in bloom!
"A beautiful bride, a handsome groom!
"I said love's in bloom!
"You're starting a life and making room
"For us!
"For us!" her friends chorused.
Applejack and Rainbow pulled off a bass and electric guitar duet before they returned to the bridge. Twilight aided Rainbow in bringing the song to an end, capped off by another kiss between Cadence and Shining. Everyone applauded, and more couples took to join them on the ballroom floor.
The girls moved through their set, playing a few of their own songs and covers of others. Sunset worked up a fine sweat just from singing and swaying from side to side. The crowd was gracious though, smiling the entire time and clapping at the end of each song.
Perfectly timed, the kitchen staff marched in carrying trays and chafing dishes just as the Sunset got to the final lines of 'Shine Like Rainbows.' Sunset carried out the last note, then stepped back from the mike and sighed, tugging at her collar.
"Dinner is served, everyone!" Rose called over the ovation. The seven put their instruments down, released from their task by the music now playing from the speakers hanging in the corners of the room. They ended up near the back of the line for food, however.
Rainbow groaned loudly. "All the good stuff's gonna be taken! Shouldn't we get, like, VIP treatment? We've been working hard all day!"
"Calm down, Dash, there's plenty for everyone," Applejack scolded.
Sunset and Twilight stood at the very back. Up close, Twilight's scent of lavender was stronger than usual. Sunset could also see the glitter of makeup on her cheeks.
Twilight looked Sunset up and down. "That's not fair."
"What isn't?"
"You look good in a dress and a tuxedo."
Sunset snorted, getting Twilight to giggle as well. When their laughter subsided, Sunset's gaze turned affectionate. "How are you doing?"
Twilight's smile wilted and she looked out the window. Night was fast approaching. "I'm... better. I had to come up with three more lies to avoid talking about Moondancer or Tempest. And I know Shining or my parents are still going to have words about me using a sword. I'm probably out of my grandma's will. But, Nana Jazz slipped me fifty dollars, and my cousin Silver Dawn gave me a thumbs up."
She shook her head. "There's just... a lot happening right now. I don't want to think about it. Today's supposed to be great." Her hand moved to the collar of her dress. "Yet, my chest won't stop hurting."
Sunset took Twilight's hand, interlocking their fingers. "Is there anything I can do?"
Twilight turned her head back to her girlfriend. "No. You're already... perfect," she said with a defeated sigh.
"You and I both know that's not true."
"I know. But you... you're always... you just..." Twilight closed her eyes, on the verge of tears. She squeezed Sunset's hand hard. "I don't know why I feel mad. Why wouldn't I want you to come help me? I would do the same thing if the situation was reversed. But it wasn't. I needed protection again, and I just... I want to be able to stand up for myself. And I know I stood up to my own grandmother! But it's not... it just isn't..."
Twilight took her glasses off and furiously rubbed her eyes. "You must think I'm a mess."
"No, I think you've been through a lot and you've got a lot of emotions to process." Sunset patted her pockets and frowned.
An ivory hand appeared in her peripheral, holding a tissue. Sunset took it from Rarity, who was facing the front tables and humming softly to herself.
Sunset mentally thanked her and dabbed at Twilight's eyes, trying not to remove her makeup. "You know the last thing I ever want to do is belittle you. But like Fluttershy said: our magic is always a temporary thing. Your sword skills, and beyond that, your intelligence, your bravery, your compassion--all of the things that matter, those will last forever. And maybe you couldn't beat Moondancer today. Someday, you will. Because the Twilight I know doesn't quit."
Twilight let Sunset finish drying her face, then set her glasses back on. She took Sunset's other hand and said, "Dance with me."
Sunset ignored the growl in her stomach. An upbeat song was playing, and the dance floor was almost empty. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Twilight said firmly.
"Okay then." Sunset guided them from the carpet to the hardwood floor. She took the lead, moving her hips and shuffling her feet to the beat. Twilight kept up in a less graceful fashion, flailing her arms as she tried to imitate some of Sunset's moves. Sunset laughed and took her hands, spinning her around and dipping her low to the floor.
Twilight beamed with delight, squealing at every rotation. Her face was redder than a tomato, and every time Sunset took hold of Twilight's wrist, she could feel her pulse pounding. But she kept dancing. She held onto Sunset at the end of every song, the look in her eyes saying, 'let's keep going.'
The buffet line was almost empty when Twilight finally put her hands on her knees, her dress damp from sweat. Sunset leaned over her, resting a hand on her back.
"All right, babe, I'm starving," Sunset panted. "Let's get some--mmm!"
Twilight grabbed Sunset by the folds of her vest and pulled her into a kiss. Sunset almost lost her balance from the surprise attack but balanced herself by grabbing Twilight's waist. Her eyes darted about the room. Half of the guests were too engrossed in their meals to notice, but the other half had their eyes squarely on the two girls making out in the middle of the ballroom.
Face still red and breathing hard, Twilight pulled away. "Thank you."
Sunset gave her a softer kiss on the forehead. "Come on. You look like you need some water."
They gathered up plates of food and drink and settled themselves at the band table. Twilight had to steal an unoccupied chair again to make room for herself.
Rarity smiled at them. "You two certainly made quite the splash."
Rainbow snickered. "Yeah! Some old dude totally sprayed his drink all over his wife when you guys started making out."
Twilight shrank in on herself and stared at her plate. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make a scene. I was just in the moment. I hope I didn't take anything away from Shiny and Cady's big day."
"Ah don't think they'll mind," Applejack said, easing back in her chair. "They both looked awfully proud when y'all were dancin' together."
Twilight cracked a smile, but Sunset could tell whatever energy had seized Twilight during their dance had been extinguished entirely. She remained subdued throughout dinner, perking up slightly when the wedding toasts were given out.
All of the parents spoke, each of them gushing over their children and wishing them a long and happy marriage. The cake was brought out, a two-tiered marble white masterpiece with pink and blue frosting shaped into roses. Shining and Cadence cut it together and took the first two slices for themselves. A staff member cut the rest of it and handed a piece out to everyone.
The music started up again, playing louder, more festive songs. People left their tables to mingle and groove. A young man around their age walked up to Applejack and asked her to dance. Stammering, Applejack said yes and was led away.
After gobbling her second slice of cake, Pinkie was up and tearing across the ballroom, showing off her wildest moves.
Fluttershy tapped her fingers together. "Umm, Rainbow, do you want to dance? Just as--"
Rainbow hooked an arm around her neck and grinned. "Of course I do!" She pulled Fluttershy to her feet and took off.
Rarity wiped the cake crumbs from her face. "I believe I shall go burn this off. You two enjoy yourselves." She winked then got up and disappeared into the crowd.
Sunset looked from the moving mass of people to Twilight. "Do you wanna dance anymore?"
Twilight shook her head. "I'm done for the night." She stood up and gave one more look to her brother and new sister-in-law at the heart of the party. She then stooped and kissed Sunset on the cheek. "Um, could you come to my room before you go to sleep? Your birthday present should be ready by then."
"Yeah, of course."
Twilight kissed her again and headed out the door, leaving Sunset alone at the table. She took her glass of cider and turned in her chair, watching her friends dance. Part of her wanted to get up and join them, but Twilight had taken most of Sunset's enthusiasm with her. So, she was content to just watch Pinkie do an Irish jig.
A few family members walked past and said hi or complimented her singing voice. One even complimented her tuxedo. A few others glared at her but didn't say anything.
Shining and Cadence eventually made their way to Sunset's table. "I'm not overexaggerating this time. You really did save our wedding," Shining said.
"It was the least I could do. You helped give me a second chance."
Shining smiled. "I don't know if I believe in destiny or fate. But the day you ran into Twilight turned out to be one of the most fortunate days for all of us."
Cadence gave a quick scan of the room. "Where is Twilight?"
"She decided to head up to her room. She's had a long day," Sunset said, looking at the ballroom door.
"We all have." Cadence yawned. "Honestly, Twilight has the right idea. I can't wait to go to sleep. But, we have guests to entertain. Thank you again, Sunset. And happy birthday!"
Sunset waved them off. They mingled with some of the other wedding-goers, then Cadence picked up her bouquet and moved to the front of the room. All of the women scrambled to get closer, and Cadence tossed the bundle of flowers over her head. All the girls jumped up to grab it, scratching at each other's arms. It was Rarity who proved victorious, holding the bouquet above her head like a trophy.
Sunset stretched her arms out, feeling exhaustion settle over her. She finished her cider and took her leave. The atrium was silent compared to the ballroom, filled with only the bubble of the fountain and the soft buzz of scattered groups of people. She paused at the pool of water and watched the fish swim by.
A yawn rose from her throat, and she reminded herself she still needed to see Twilight before heading to bed. Sunset climbed the stairs to the second floor and knocked on her door.
"Sparky, it's me."
"O-oh! Umm... j-just give me a second!"
Sunset patiently waited, curious and eager to see what Twilight had made. She just hoped there weren't any puns involved. The door opened and Twilight appeared in a purple bathrobe, her hair down in a ponytail again. She quickly pulled Sunset inside and shut the door.
"You came sooner than I thought you would," Twilight said in a mousy voice. Her face was burning red again, and she stared at the floor instead of Sunset.
"Yeah, sorry if I threw you off. I was getting tired too, and I didn't really know what to do with myself."
"No, no, it's fine!" Twilight said hastily. "It just... means I get to give you your present earlier."
Sunset smirked. "Well, you've kept me in suspense. Hit me."
Twilight swallowed hard. "Okay."
Whatever Sunset was expecting, it wasn't what happened next. Twilight unfastened her robe's belt and let it fall to the floor. Hiding underneath it was black and lacey night lingerie that clung tightly to Twilight.
Sunset sucked in a quivering breath, her face aflame. It was the most skin Twilight had ever revealed; the lingerie hid almost nothing. Yes, Twilight was on the petite side, but to Sunset, she looked incredible. And yet, Sunset felt guilty drinking in her visage. She was red, flustered, and shaking like a leaf.
"D-do you like it?" Twilight asked. Her arms gravitated to her chest, like she wanted to cover herself, but she quickly dropped them to her sides.
"Y-yeah, you look... Sparky you're beautiful, but..." Sunset took in another breath to stop herself from becoming flustered too. "Are you okay?"
Twilight pressed her lips together and nodded stiffly.
Sunset crossed her arms. "Are you sure?"
"Yes! Today's not supposed to be about me!" she said, practically throwing up the words. "It's still your birthday!"
Sunset uncrossed her arms and took a step toward her. "Twilight--"
"I-it's your birthday! A-and, I was wondering for so long what I was going to get you! I-I thought, maybe a new jacket because it was getting warmer! Or, or maybe a motorcycle repair kit! B-but, people kept asking if we... if we had... you know... a-and I remembered the night on the mountain... and I-I thought for your birthday, I w-would give... myself... to you..."
Twilight's words tumbled out of her mouth and into Sunset's ears, stumbling over one another and slowly arranging themselves back into logical order within Sunset's brain. They brought with them a flurry of emotions, excitement, panic, anger, though not directed at Twilight.
Sunset realized she must have been silent for too long because Twilight was fidgeting more and looked close to tears. Sunset closed the gap between them and gently took Twilight into her embrace. She pressed her close, keeping one hand on the small of her back and the other atop her head.
"Twilight," Sunset whispered to her forehead, "I love you. And I'm... touched that you were willing to be this intimate with me." She moved a hand to cup Twilight's chin and raise her to eye level.
"But sex is a two-way street. And I love you way too much to just take it because you're offering it to me. I want you to enjoy it, too. I want our first time to mean something. Not because it's my birthday or because people keep asking us whether or not we've done it. Forget about all of that."
Sunset rubbed a thumb along Twilight's cheek, brushing away a tear. "I need you to answer me truthfully. After the day we've had, are you ready for this?"
Twilight trembled against her, her composure cracking more and more with every breath. "I-I wanted to!" A loud hiccup interrupted her. Her lower lip quivered, and she burst into a powerful sob, pressing her face into the crook of Sunset's neck.
"I was so n-nervous and worried a-and... but I wanted to! But then, M-Moond-dancer and Tempest and the S-Sirens happened and I felt so.... B-but then, we danced! I-I saw h-how beautiful you l-looked! I wanted to make your birthday s-special! But, I p-put this on and I started thinking about it! And I want to, but I don't want to, but I do with you, and, and, and..."
Sunset hugged her tight while Twilight let everything out. She understood how Twilight felt. Sunset would be lying if she said seeing Twilight in her lingerie and holding her this close didn't spark something. But actually stopping to think about it: sleeping with Twilight. It was terrifying as much as it was fascinating.
Ignoring the corner of her mind that told her to give in to her fantasies, Sunset gently guided Twilight to the edge of the bed and sat her down. Twilight's sobs slowed and she eventually pulled herself off from Sunset. Sunset got up and grabbed tissues from the vanity.
Twilight took them with silent thanks. "I keep crying today," she said miserably. "I don't even know why this time."
"Twilight, we had a long day. We almost died again--and the sad thing is, I'm already numb to that. You came out to your family, and you just fought Moondancer."
"And lost," Twilight muttered into her tissue.
"The point," Sunset said, putting a hand on her back, "is that you're exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. And sex takes all three things... I think. This is a first for both of us, so it's going to be scary and confusing. Of course you're a nervous wreck."
"Thanks."
Sunset flinched. "Sorry. Though, I'm surprised I'm not a nervous wreck after the way you just threw your clothes off and presented yourself to me like a purple goddess."
Twilight made a weak chuckle.
Sunset sat down next to her and placed a hand on her leg. "I will never pressure you to do something you don't want to do. And you shouldn't feel pressured into doing anything you're not comfortable with. Maybe someday soon, the stars will align, and we'll make each other scream in ecstasy."
Twilight laughed and gave her a gentle shove. She quickly fell back to a somber expression. "But... part of me still wants to though."
A strong part of Sunset still wanted to as well. "I'll tell you what, I'll sleep here tonight if that's okay with you. We can sleep together; destress, relax, get comfortable. And, if at any point in the night you truly feel ready, just tell me, okay?"
Twilight nibbled on her bottom lip. She looked into Sunset's eyes and nodded. "Okay."
Sunset got up and stepped into the bathroom to undress. She regretted she hadn't brought anything alluring to sleep in. Not that she wanted to entice Twilight! But if they did do it, she wanted it to be enticing. Instead, she simply stripped down to her bra and panties. She had a hand on the knob when she realized Twilight would be seeing her almost naked.
A nervous flutter, different from all the ones preceding it, passed through her. Sex or no sex, this would be the most they had seen of each other. And they'd be lying next to each other.
It was exciting.
It was horrifying.
Sunset turned and looked at herself in the mirror. Slim with a little bit of muscle definition. Tall, long flowing hair, and generous bust size.
Who am I kidding; I'm freaking gorgeous! Her reflection grinned back at her.
But, it wasn't about her. It was about Twilight. Sunset didn't want to add any extra pressure to her, so she slipped her dress shirt back on to give a small sense of modesty.
Back in the bedroom, Twilight had already slipped under the covers. Sunset turned off the lights, leaving only the moon to shine through the balcony bay doors. She climbed into bed, resting her head next to Twilight's.
Twilight smiled at her. There were still tears caught on her eyelashes. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."
Sunset raised a hand and stroked her hair. "You were you. Cute, annoyingly curious and persistent, and open-hearted. You're so amazing, Sparky. You just need to believe that more."
Twilight curled into herself, eyes hooded. "Y-yeah. I know. I'm going to get better. I'm going to keep fighting."
"That's my girl." Sunset leaned over and kissed Twilight's forehead.
Twilight's eyes lit up to their usual wondrous luminescence. She scooted closer and kissed Sunset on the lips, soft and gentle. They stayed pressed together for a whole minute, just enjoying each other's presence.
"I love you," Twilight whispered.
"I love you, too," Sunset said, her eyes falling shut.
Volume III End |
Spectacular Seven | Volume IV: Arcane Access—1. The Morning After | "We all want to believe what we're doing is right. That we're the heroes of our own stories. That we're destined for greatness.
"That what we're fighting for: our goals, our dreams, our desires; they're all possible. And they're for the best. For why else should we believe anything different? And it is true. We all have that potential.
"But, not everyone gets to achieve that greatness. Not everyone gets to be the hero. Not everyone gets to shine so brightly.
"And the ones that do... sometimes the brighter their light... the deeper the shadow they cast..."
Volume IV
Arcane Access
The gates opened without a sound, slowly revealing the architectural masterpiece hidden beyond. Cobblestone streets wound between perfectly sculpted marble buildings all painted in royal colors. Spires and turrets rose into the baby-blue sky, their flags catching the gentle mountain breeze. Water bubbled out of bronze fountains and sunlight glinted off polished glass. Verdant parks broke up the hoof-crafted structures; tall oak trees provided shade from the summer heat.
And towering over all of the city, its white walls and purple roof glowing in the light of day, was the pinnacle of Equestrian architecture and the seat of power for the country, overlooking it from its cliff-side perch. She had dreamed for years of issuing proclamations from its gilded halls, seating herself on the throne and knowing she had absolute control. She no longer entertained those thoughts. Now, she just wanted to walk through those corridors one more time, just to know it all hadn't been a dream.
Sunset sprinted through the gates, her hooves thundering against the cobblestone. She was so close now. She just had to get through the city.
Weaving between ponies and in and out of crowds, she tore through the marketplace and plazas, ignoring the tantalizing aroma of Canterlot's finest restaurants. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. She was almost home! She could finally tell Celestia she was sorry!
The road took Sunset through Canterlot's most opulent neighborhoods. Hedges and golden fences hid the majority of the manors and villas from view, but the glimpses she did catch were enough to momentarily distract her. She kept her hooves moving though, slowing her stride but never stopping.
Then, she stood in the courtyard. The castle doors stood at the top of the steps, encrusted with rainbow-colored jewels the size of Sunset's head. Celestia was behind those doors.
Sunset moved a hoof forward but heard something shuffle over her shoulder. She turned her head to see Twilight standing at the castle gates.
"Twilight..." Sunset started to rotate toward her.
"Sunset..." a voice said from on high.
Sunset turned her head back to the doors. They were opening, and a shaft of brilliant light poured out. Sunset's heart tugged her toward it, but she hesitated. She looked back at Twilight who had a hand stretched out. Sunset reached a hoof back, but the gap between them only seemed to grow, and the light radiating from the door began to eclipse the world..
Tears ran down Twilight's cheeks. "Don't leave me..."
"I won't! I promise! I--" But the light grew brighter still until Sunset could see nothing but a white void.
"Twilight!"
*******
Sunset opened her eyes, her arm still outstretched above her. The morning light shone through the bay doors to the balcony and lit up the already bright blue wallpaper of the hotel room. She lowered her hand onto the soft blanket draped over her, her fingertips brushing against the girl curled up against her side.
Twilight slept soundly, one arm looped around Sunset's. Instead of being tied up in its usual ponytail, her hair was splayed out over the pillow in a mess of purple and lavender streaks. She shuffled and murmured in her sleep, hugging Sunset's arm a little tighter.
Both girls were barely clothed. Sunset only had on her unbuttoned shirt and underwear on, while Twilight was still dressed (though Sunset used that term loosely) in the revealing lingerie she had shown off to Sunset the night before. Their bare legs rubbed against each other, making Sunset's heart and stomach flutter rapidly. Despite her breath hitching every time Twilight moved, Sunset didn't dare pull herself away.
The room was quiet, save for Twilight's soft breathing. It relaxed Sunset, though not to the point of falling back asleep. The sunlight was too strong. She contented herself with just looking at the ceiling and reflecting.
Yesterday--her birthday and the wedding of Shining and Cadence--had been long and hard-fought. She had fended off Tempest and learned a little more about her powers in the process. And while she had failed in redeeming Adagio, her friends, especially Pinkie, had managed to pick up her slack and get at least Sonata and Aria to change their ways for good.
Sunset frowned. Adagio was at large, and according to Rarity, she had a new necklace with which to manipulate people again. And Tempest still lurked in the shadows, no doubt scheming a new way to hurt Sunset and her friends. The knowledge Adagio and Tempest weren't working together anymore didn't make her feel better; it just meant it was more liable for them to both try something at once.
She hated playing defense. Tempest probably had some grand plan and all Sunset could do was react to any move made and hope for the best. She furrowed her brow, remembering the days where she was the one in control. She was the chess master and everyone else, her pawns moving along the board where she told them to go. Now, she was just a piece and had no idea what the enemy was plotting.
Well, they say the best offense is a good defense. If Sunset couldn't read the enemy's moves, the next best thing was preparing for any possibility. If yesterday had taught her anything, it was that she needed more practice with her powers, and she was willing to bet her friends could use some too.
Sunset turned her face to Twilight, still asleep. A stunning intellect, unwavering conviction, and burgeoning sword skills. Sunset couldn't understand why Twilight had so much self-doubt. Though her loss to Moondancer had hurt her confidence, it seemed to have also fueled her drive to improve.
"Don't leave me..."
The Twilight from her dream had looked so alone, so defeated at Sunset's desire to walk up those steps into Canterlot Castle. Sunset wanted to promise Twilight she would never leave her, but two years was a long time, and anything could happen. She loved Twilight with all her heart, but she missed Equestria dearly. And the more she dreamed about it, the more she wanted to go back.
Twilight smacked her lips and fluttered her eyes open. She yawned before smiling at Sunset. "Good morning."
Sunset wrinkled her nose at Twilight's morning breath. "Morning," she said, managing a crooked smile.
Twilight noticed she was gripping Sunset's arm and blushed, though she didn't let go. "Umm... so..."
"Soooo?"
She shuffled some more, her blush growing deeper as her leg rubbed against Sunset's. "We didn't... um... do anything last night?"
Sunset shook her head. "You fell asleep pretty fast and didn't wake me up at any point."
"Right." There was a small note of disappointment in Twilight's voice. She moved her sight to the gap between pillows. "Maybe it was for the best. I really was out of it, huh?"
"You were stressed out the wazoo, and for good reason. Makes sense you checked out early." Sunset reached a hand out and stroked Twilight's hair. "How are you feeling today?"
"Better, I think. I don't feel like I'm constantly about to have a panic attack." She looked contemplatively at the blue pillow casing. "But... I don't think... I don't feel like..."
"Having sex?" Sunset finished.
Twilight winced at the 's' word. "I'm sorry."
"Hey." Sunset pressed the back of her free hand against Twilight's cheek. "Don't apologize. I told you, I'm not gonna force you to do anything you're not comfortable with."
Twilight leaned into the gesture. "You're amazing."
"You're amazing."
They leaned toward one another at the same time, lips meeting in a gentle kiss. When they broke apart, Twilight placed her head in the crook of Sunset's neck. They remained motionless together, listening to the muffled activities of the other hotel occupants: footsteps and laughter and piano music drifting in from the atrium, and shouts and splashing rising up from the lake just below the window.
Here was another moment Sunset wished could last forever. But her arm was numb and her stomach, empty. She lifted herself up, carrying Twilight with her into an upright position.
"What time is it?" Twilight asked, finally releasing Sunset's arm.
Sunset grabbed her phone off the bedside table. Surprisingly, she had no missed messages from any of their friends. "A quarter after ten."
Twilight rubbed her eyes. "Checkout's at noon. We should probably get packed and ready to go."
Sunset swung her legs off the bed. "Which means I should get dressed and sneak back upstairs."
Twilight blushed again. "You don't think--"
"Oh, they know. At least they think they do." Sunset slipped her dress pants on. "But we don't have to tell them anything. And Rainbow will get bored in a day anyway."
Fully dressed save for her tie which she kept balled up in her pocket, Sunset kissed Twilight again, still laying in bed. "I'll see you in a little bit, yeah?"
Twilight smiled and nodded. "Love you."
"Love you, too." Sunset pulled the door open and slipped into the hallway. Over the railing, she could see some of the other wedding guests already lining up to check out. Dull chatter filled the open lobby as everyone went about their day, most of them dressed in swimwear. If any of them had any lingering concerns over yesterday's oddities, they didn't show it.
Sunset caught the elevator and rose to the seventh floor and made her way to her shared room. Approaching, she could already hear her friends talking on the other side. She sighed as she pulled out her keycard. "Let's get this over with."
With a press and a beep, Sunset pushed the door open, watching as the conversation quickly died and every eye turned toward her. The remaining five of the Spectacular Seven were gathered around the room, all of them grinning.
"What's up?" Sunset said casually, strolling into the room and letting the door swing close behind her.
"Nothin' much," Applejack said, leaning with a foot braced against the wall. "Just chattin'."
"Cool." Sunset knelt beside her overnight bag and rummaged for her spare set of clothes.
"Some party last night, huh?" Rainbow asked, instigation clear as day in her voice.
"Yeah, it was a great wedding." Sunset retrieved her clothes and stood up. "You girls all have fun?"
"Tons!" Pinkie said bouncing on the bed. "You missed the fondue fountain! And then we went out and skipped more rocks on the water! You can really see the stars out here!"
"Yeah, but I bet Sunset saw plenty of stars last night," Rainbow said, her grin turning raunchy.
Sunset rolled her eyes. "You're free to believe whatever you want."
"Please, we know you two did it."
"Have you girls really spent the entire morning contemplating whether or not Twilight and I had sex?" Sunset asked flatly.
"Some of them have, yes," Rarity answered with measured disappointment. She sat on the couch, filing her nails. "I told them it was none of our business one way or the other." She paused her filing and gave Sunset a once over. She smiled contently then resumed work on her nails.
Sunset had no idea what Rarity had gleaned but somehow, she knew it was the truth. With a shrug, Sunset passed by a disappointed looking Rainbow and stepped into the bathroom.
"It's a simple yes or no question: are you still a virgin?" Rainbow asked.
"Guess." Sunset shut the door.
*******
Moondancer opened an eye and saw the roof of her canopy bed.
Hm. Tempest didn't kill me in my sleep. Joy.
She pushed herself into a sitting position then slouched over, resting her hands in her lap. The washcloth over her face slowly folded off and fell onto her silk sheets. The scars on the left side of her face prickled, and the bruise on her right side throbbed. She inhaled slowly through her nose, feeling her chest constrict, then slowly exhaled. The tension didn't leave.
The weight in her chest made her hunch over. She interlocked her fingers and squeezed. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I tried. I..." Moondancer gave a soft shake of her head. She had no excuses. Now more than ever, she was certain Twilight hated her. And rightly so.
"But it'll all be worth it, right?" she asked, a bitter taste on her tongue. "Saving the world. Saving mother... it can't be done without sacrifice."
But to be scorned by her best friend and scarred by her worst enemy... and that sad look Fluttershy pierced her with. More and more, Moondancer was starting to wonder if her goal was worth the things she lost.
She tightened her grip on her fingers, turning her knuckles pink. She needed Tirek to die. She needed Tempest to fail. She needed to tell her mother how very sorry she was.
The path she was on was near its end; she could feel it. It was far too late to turn back now. Maybe someday she'd find a way to make up for it. For now, she just needed to survive. Destiny would be hers yet.
Chest still tight, Moondancer climbed out of bed and began her morning routine. With her teeth brushed, her hair combed, and her mask set carefully on her face, Moondancer put on a simple day gown and peeked her head out the door.
The hall was empty. Moondancer took a few tentative steps and strained her ears for any sudden noise. When the coast seemed clear, she carried on at a guarded pace. Tempest had been furious at her burn and subsequent betrayal from the Sirens. Moondancer was surprised she hadn't been the target of Tempest's aforementioned fury, though she supposed the day was still young.
The manor sat quiet, as it usually did. The smell of breakfast drifted through the halls and made Moondancer's stomach growl. She had been too tired and anxious to eat dinner yesterday.
Increasing her pace, Moondancer reached the ground floor and pushed the dining room door open. Her lips immediately pursed and her eyes narrowed.
Her father sat at the head of the dining table, a plate of food in front of him. Two seats down on his right was a second plate, untouched.
"So, what? Instead of ignoring me, you're going to ignore my words instead?" Moondancer asked brusquely. "I thought I made it clear I wasn't interested in your feeble attempts at reconciliation."
Night Shade gestured to the plate of food. "Please, Moondancer, I just want to have breakfast together," he said wearily.
"Give me one good reason why."
"Because Lemon made your favorite crêpes, and I've already sent her on errands for the day. She won't be back until lunchtime."
"I can wait that long." Moondancer's stomach gave a needy growl. Her eyes lingered on the two perfectly rolled crêpes drizzled with hollandaise sauce on a bed of hash browns. She balled her fists and marched over to her seat. "You are not to speak."
Moondancer's knife cut the tense silence by splitting her first crêpe in half and clinking against the plate. She pointedly kept her eyes on her food, watching the hollandaise sauce drizzle over some of the mushrooms and tomatoes that had spilled from her crêpe's center.
"You look nice today," Night said, pushing around a piece of his eggs benedict.
"Oh look, you're speaking."
He sighed. "Moondancer, you have every right to be angry with me--"
"Believe me, I am."
"--but I want to make up for it."
"And I want to eat my breakfast in peace." Moondancer lifted a piece of food to her lips. "The only reason I'm still here is because I would hate to spill this on the carpet and make a mess for Lemon Fresh."
"Please, Moondancer, I don't want this chasm between us anymore."
Food in her mouth, Moondancer bit down hard on her fork. She pulled it out, chewed methodically, then said evenly, "You don't get to ignore me one day, then decide you're tired of it the next."
Night tapped a finger against his fork. "It's been a long-time coming, really."
Moondancer kept her eyes down and took another bite of her breakfast.
"I was never sure if I was going to be a good father. I suppose I subjected myself to a self-fulfilling prophecy." He set his fork aside. "My parents were never great at showing affection. And I guess that carried on to me. That's one reason I fell in love with your mother. She was never afraid of her emotions. She always brought out the best in people."
Moondancer rolled her eyes. "Thank you for that cliche diatribe. I feel like we've bonded on a deeper level now." She dug her fork into a lone mushroom. "There's a difference between a lack of affection and ignoring your daughter."
"I thought I was protecting you."
"And I told you, you were a fool." Moondancer cut into another piece of her crêpe. "Though with some of the choices I've made, it's clear I inherited that unfortunate trait from you."
Night Shade sighed again. "And yet, I have no idea where you get that sharp tongue from."
She looked up and stared her father in the eyes. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me."
He stared back. "Your favorite color is pink, specifically fuchsia because you thought it was the funniest word to say when you were four. Your favorite flowers are carnations, specifically pink, and your favorite tea is lavender with one drop of honey. You have a soft spot for old school rock and roll. I can hear you play it late at night sometimes."
Night folded his hands on the table. "You got the leading role in every play you auditioned for except As You Like It, which is your favorite. You were absolutely amazing at the ballet recital you had when you were twelve. Porter recorded it for me. Whenever you're in the garden, you always tend to the roses first. As much as you'd love to act on Broadway someday, you also want to write your own screenplays. And... you're in love with that Twilight Sparkle girl."
Moondancer's cheeks flushed and she turned away. Her food no longer sat well in her stomach. "So you made a few notable observations."
"Just because I wasn't there doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention," he said softly.
"Hmph. That last one was hardly a secret anyway."
"She seems like a very nice girl."
"Yes, well, she loves someone else. And no doubt loathes me, so your approval means very little." Moondancer got up, pushing her chair back. Breakfast no longer appealed to her. "I've indulged you long enough. I'm going out to the garden. And no, that is not an invitation to follow."
She marched over to the door and put a hand on the knob. She cleared her throat. "How did you know I wanted to write?"
"You gave me a short play about a princess rescuing another princess from a dragon when you were five. I keep it in my desk drawer."
Moondancer looked over her shoulder. Her father had a small, nostalgic smile on his lips. Perhaps the first time she had seen one in a while. She let out a small huff and pushed the door open, her chest tighter than when she had woken up.
*******
Sunset and the girls stood in the hotel lobby, bags packed. With fifteen minutes to noon, the space was filled with all the overnight wedding guests who hadn't checked out yet. A few of them looked in Sunset's direction and whispered to one another behind their hands. Sunset popped the collar of her new leather vest and gave them a smug smile.
Rarity let out a forlorn sigh. "Say farewell to paradise, ladies. We shan't see it again until the next wedding we attend."
"It was nice while it lasted," Applejack said. "Aside from the ambush and kidnapping."
Rainbow slouched and shoved her hands into her pockets. "Seriously. Even on our vacations, we can't catch a break. Our powers are cool and stuff, but I'd like just one trip where something bad didn't happen."
"Yeah, we're gonna have to have a talk about that when we get back home," Sunset said, moving up a space in the checkout line.
Cadence and Shining picked their way across the atrium, stopping to thank and chat with family members before reaching the Spectacular Seven. Cadence hugged each of them in turn.
"We just wanted to say thanks again for everything you girls did."
Applejack waved a hand. "Don't mention it. We were happy to help."
"So, where are the newlyweds headed for their honeymoon?" Rarity asked coyly.
Both Shining and Cadence let out barks of laughter. Shining shook his head. "This is our honeymoon."
"I get paid well, but not that well," Cadence said, wiping the mirth from her eyes. "After buying our new apartment and paying for the wedding, we couldn't afford any sort of lavish getaway."
"So, we just booked our room for an extra night," Shining explained. "Maybe next year we can afford to go somewhere."
"Hawaii," Cadence said automatically.
"Apparently, that somewhere is Hawaii."
Twilight entered the lobby, wheeling her suitcase behind her. Like her brother and new sister-in-law, she was stopped by various family members. She stood in her awkward pigeon-toed stance for all of the brief encounters but had a smile on her face, albeit a shy one. When she finally reached the group, Cadence pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.
"Look at my new baby sister-in-law!" she squealed, showering Twilight's forehead with kisses. "I know we've already practically been sisters, but now, it's official!"
Twilight managed a giggle once Cadence eased up her grip. "It's great to have you as part of the family."
Sunset broke her attention away when the line moved forward again. A clerk waved her over, and she went through the rigamarole of signing out and returning the card keys. When she wrapped up and turned back toward Twilight, she saw Night Light and Velvet had joined the family circle.
"We're still going to talk about this sword-wielding business," Night Light said. He didn't sound angry, but Twilight still shuffled nervously.
"Okay."
He gave his daughter a hug. "But I am glad you're taking up some form of self-defense."
Twilight kissed each of her family members goodbye and joined her friends as they headed out. The Sparkles waved them as they went, shouting out one last round of thank yous.
The sun shone brightly, forcing Sunset to shield her eyes upon first stepping into the front courtyard. When they finished adjusting, they gravitated toward a lone figure sitting on a bench in front of a flamingo topiary. Golden Light watched them as they came up the path. Sunset turned her head and picked up her pace, taking Twilight's hand into her own. As the group crossed by, Golden cleared her throat, and Twilight slowed to a stop.
She faced her grandmother, shoulders shaking momentarily before she squared them and said with only a slight tremble, "I'm not going to apologize for anything I said or did yesterday."
"Hmph. I didn't expect you would." Golden looked over to Sunset. "I still don't like you."
"There's a long line of people who don't like me."
Golden sniffed and got to her feet. She eyed Sunset and Twilight's interlocked hands and shook her head before hobbling away on her cane. "Most men aren't worth the trouble anyway," she muttered.
The group stared after the old woman. Twilight broke the silence with a soft exhale and said, "That's the closest thing to a blessing I'm ever going to get."
"Who needs her?" Rainbow said, resuming the walk back to their cars. "Seriously, between her and everything that happened yesterday, I feel like we barely got to enjoy this place."
Laughter drifted up from the lakeshore, and Sunset heard the satisfying pop of a racket against a tennis ball in the courts nearby.
"You know what we need?" Rainbow continued. "A real vacation! No Sirens, no relationship drama, no villains trying to kill us! Just the seven of us having an awesome time!"
"That does sound nice," Applejack mused.
Sunset sighed. "It does. But, I've been thinking.... Yeah, we won yesterday, but it feels like it was by the skin of our teeth. I think we need to focus on honing our magic. Tempest is still out there and we have no idea what she's planning next or when she'll attack us."
Twilight nodded. "I agree. We need to train and prepare ourselves."
They reached the parking lot, the wheels on their bags kicking up gravel and making enough noise to mask their conversation.
"Like, I get it," Rainbow said, "I totally wanna get better so I can punch some more bad guys in the face! But this is our last summer vacation together! We should be hanging out and having fun!"
"I think defending ourselves and Canterlot is a little more important," Twilight said stiffly.
"Why can't we do both?"
"You both bring up good points," Rarity said calmly. "I would like to get better at my own magic and stop whatever machinations the villains have. But all work and no play makes your skin dull and gray. Surely one day of fun can't hurt?"
Twilight shook her head. "I thought we'd be safe here at the wedding, but Tempest attacked us almost in plain sight!" She sighed. "I'm not against having fun, but we have more important things to worry about now. What happens if we're on this vacation and we get attacked again?"
Rainbow punched a fist into her palm. "We hit 'em really hard!"
Twilight rolled her eyes.
"What? The only reason Tempest and the Sirens got so far is because they split us up! There's no way she can beat us if we're all together!"
"Dashie's right!" Pinkie chirped. "Put the seven of us together and we're invincible! We're like the Power Rangers! Or Sailor Moon! Or Voltron!"
Each reference flew over Sunset's head. "Look, I have confidence in us too, but I'd rather be safe than sorry."
"Please, Sunset!" Rainbow put her hands together. "One day! Then we can do all the training you want!"
"Rainbow--"
"Carps delerium!" she shouted.
"I--what?"
"You know, 'carps delerium'! 'Make the day awesome' or whatever!"
Twilight facepalmed. "First of all, it's 'carpe diem'. Second, it means 'seize the day'. Third, you have been using the word a day calendar I gave you!"
"Fine, I have," Rainbow grumbled. "It's actually kinda cool learning new words."
"Whenever you don't butcher 'em," Applejack said smugly.
"The point," Rainbow said loudly, "is, let's seize the day! Let's go to the beach! We'll surf, eat ice cream, build sand castles, play volleyball, and roast s'mores! Then, the day after, we get ready to fight some evil hag!"
They reached Rainbow's car first. Sunset leaned against the trunk, arms crossed and lips pressed together. What Rainbow asked wasn't unreasonable. A single day at the beach where they didn't have to worry about anything? Yet, she knew she would end up worrying anyway. If Tempest was bold enough to attack them at a hotel, a beach wasn't out of the realm of possibility. But, Pinkie was also correct about them being much harder to beat when they were together.
Sunset cast a look to Twilight. "A single day at the beach couldn't hurt, right?"
Twilight chewed her lip. "I mean... I want to, but... there's so many things that could go wrong."
"There's also so many things that could go right!" Pinkie said.
"And if we did do this beach day, when would it be?" Twilight asked.
"Tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow?"
Rainbow grinned. "Hey, the faster we do it, the sooner we can get to work. Plus, there's no way Tempest would attack us again so soon after we whupped her butt."
Twilight dropped her shoulders. "I don't like it. But, you all seem set on it."
Rainbow punched the air. "Yes! Carpe diem, here we come!"
Sunset put an arm around Twilight. "Don't worry. If anything happens, we can handle it."
"It's Rainbow's idea. I can't help but worry."
"Fair enough."
"Hey, I can hear you!"
*******
Twilight rode with Sunset and Rarity back to Canterlot proper. Sunset joined her in the back seat, letting Twilight lean on her shoulder. Rarity smiled the entire time.
The trip was mostly quiet. Sunset passed the time by watching the scenery shift from tall evergreen trees planted at the base of the mountains, to soft rolling hills turning yellow under the summer heat, to the suburban landscape she was used to, with downtown Canterlot in the near distance.
As Rarity drifted into the exit lane, she spoke up, "Sunset? While I'm all for training after our little beach day... how exactly are we going to do that? Most of our powers aren't exactly subtle."
Sunset thought of Pinkie's fireworks and her own phoenix powers. "Hmm. Maybe we can find somewhere remote? I'll ask Selena about it."
Stomachs growling with afternoon hunger, the girls stopped for fast-food before Rarity pulled in front of the Lulamoon house. She waved Sunset and Twilight out, promising to see them tomorrow.
Suitcases and lunches in hand, the couple walked up the front lawn to the porch. Sunset fumbled with her keys, placing her takeout bag in her mouth so she could unlock the door. "Selena, we're home," she said between her teeth.
Selena poked her head out from the kitchen, a pencil sticking out from her pulled-up hair. She always tied it into a ponytail when she was writing. A relieved smile eased the worry creases on her forehead. "Good. How was the wedding?"
Sunset set her lunch down and pressed the tips of her fingers together. "It was good! Mostly!"
The relieved smile fell and the worry lines deepened. "Oh no."
"Okay, I would like to lead with, we won and nobody was seriously hurt."
"Sunset," Selena said with a 'get-to-the-point' edge.
"Tempest and the Sirens attacked us," Twilight said, her narrowed eyes pointed toward the carpet. "Moondancer was there too."
Selena pressed her fingers to both sides of her temple. "I knew this was a bad idea."
Sunset raised her hand. "But if we hadn't been there, things would have gone a lot worse. We saved the wedding, and Sonata and Aria really reformed this time!"
Selena scoffed. "I'll believe that when I see it."
"Well, that'll be hard to do since they willingly let themselves be arrested."
"Hmph." Selena crossed her arms. "Well... that's surprising at the very least. But forgive me if I remain unconvinced." She heaved a sigh. "I'm glad you're both all right, but this just amplifies my concerns. What did Tempest even want at the wedding?"
"I don't really know?" Sunset wondered aloud. "The Sirens were there to steal our magic. I guess she was just there to make sure they did it? Oh, Aria broke the Staff of Sacanas."
Selena's expression softened. "That's... actually good."
"But Tempest and Adagio escaped with pieces of it," Twilight mumbled.
"And we're right back to bad news." Selena took a seat on the living room couch. "What do we do now?"
Twilight raised her head. "We need to prepare for whatever Tempest tries to do next. We need to practice. We need to be better."
Sunset heard the unspoken 'I' but left it alone. "She's right. We can't predict what Tempest's next move will be, but we can train to counter it. The only problem is, we're not sure where we can practice without being seen."
Selena rested her elbows on her knees and steepled her fingers. "I suppose that's the best plan we can make for now. As for where to train... we could use the backyard once Artemis returns and sets up a few illusion wards. I don't know how effective a training area it would be though."
"Do you know when he and Trixie are coming back?" Twilight asked.
"No. They sent me a letter a few days ago, but there wasn't any indication if they were coming home soon or not." Selena made a solemn frown. "I'm really starting to wonder if this Rainbow of Light isn't just a wild goose chase."
"Megan and Merlin stopped Tirek with something," Sunset said confidently. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll find it."
Selena stood and smiled at her. "Your optimism is appreciated."
Twilight wrung her hands. "Miss Selena? If it's not too much trouble, could we practice today?"
"Really? You don't want to rest after what sounds like a long day?"
"No. I feel like I really need the practice."
Selena faced Twilight, but her eyes glanced toward Sunset. Sunset gave a subtle nod, to which Selena arched her eyebrows in curiosity. Still, she nodded and said, "Very well."
"Thank you!" Twilight quickly opened her suitcase and pulled her sword. She kissed Sunset on the cheek and hurried for the backyard door, her lunch forgotten.
"She got her confidence shaken pretty bad," Sunset said, responding to Selena's inquisitive look. "She needs something to boost her self-esteem."
"I see." Selena looked to where Twilight had exited. "I would think she of all people would know success doesn't come instantly. But, I'll see what I can do."
Sunset bowed her head. "Thanks." She then pressed her index fingers together. "One more thing before you guys get to it."
"What's that?"
Sunset shifted from one foot to another and smiled sheepishly. "Can I go to the beach tomorrow?"
Selena groaned and facepalmed. |
Spectacular Seven | 2. Carpe Diem | "I still can't believe you didn't sleep with her."
Sunset rolled her eyes as she stuffed a towel into her knapsack. Shimmer laid across Sunset's bed, arms folded behind her head and eyes toward the ceiling. Sunset had gotten exactly five seconds of peace yesterday before Shimmer barged into her room to hear all the details about the wedding. All of them. Sunset tried to leave ambiguous what had or hadn't happened after the reception, but Shimmer refused to leave without a clear answer.
"What, do you need to preserve your virginity to use your magic?" Shimmer continued, a minx-like grin on her face.
Sunset dropped a bottle of sunscreen into her bag and pulled the strings, closing the top. "You seriously need to let this go, it's getting creepy. What do you care if me and Twilight did it or not?"
Shimmer sat up and picked up Spot, currently trying to press his nose into the knapsack. "Because you're technically me, and I'm too hot to still be a virgin. Just look at you."
Turning to the mirror on the back of her bedroom door, Sunset took in her own visage. Shimmer had a point. With a tight black swim top emblazoned with a yellow and white version of her cutie mark, and a fiery skirt that showed off plenty of leg, Sunset was a force to be reckoned with. She looked back at Shimmer who wiggled her eyebrows.
"Strut down the beach and you'll have every boy drooling after you. Hell, I'd steal that outfit and do it myself if I wasn't keeping a low profile."
Sunset picked her bag up and slung it over her shoulder. "Thanks for the confidence boost, but I don't need your help. What happens between me and Twilight and when it happens is seriously none of yours or anyone else's business."
Shimmer flopped onto her back again. "You're so boring."
"I'm also about to leave. Get out of my room."
With a raspberry, Shimmer rolled off the bed and carefully stepped around Sunset. She paused at the threshold and grinned over her shoulder. "You want money for booze?"
"Go!"
"Ugh, so boring." She skulked back to her room, slamming the door behind her.
Sunset pressed a hand to her forehead. "I can't believe we're counterparts." She knelt by the bed and reached out to scratch Spot behind the ears. "But you love me more, don't you?"
Spot eagerly licked her palm.
"Good boy!" She patted his head then turned to depart.
The sun sat just over the rooftops when Sunset stepped downstairs. Rainbow had been adamant about spending the whole day at the beach, and it was at least an hour's drive with good traffic. Sunset was surprised Rainbow was willing to wake up this early.
She was also surprised Selena allowed her to attend, albeit reluctantly. Sunset could still hear the cluck of her tongue and the exasperated mutter of, "Teenagers."
Was it irresponsible? Probably. But, Rainbow had a point: Tempest would have a hard time attacking them again two days after the wedding. Plus, the beach wasn't like the resort; it was a wide strip of public space. Sunset imagined Tempest would want to keep some discretion.
There was also the fact that Sunset had burned Tempest's shoulder. If the mask Moondancer sported was any indication, Sunset had left a considerable mark, enough that she hoped Tempest would be hesitant in attacking again.
Even with all these factors, Selena had been slow to agree. She only yielded with the condition that Sunset had to report in every hour and be home by midnight, otherwise, she was grounded for the rest of summer. Sunset had never been grounded before and had no plans to start now.
Her banishment/self-imposed exile didn't count.
Sunset walked into the kitchen, the smell of coffee wafting through the open room. On the counter next to the coffee machine was yesterday's newspaper. It wasn't the headline, but in the bottom corner of the front page, Sunset read:
Disaster Disrupts DJ's Big Day!
Canterlot's Goddess of Love and Fortune Mi Amore Cadenza aka Cadence had her wedding day interrupted by several mysterious circumstances. What at first appeared to be a case of cold feet soon revealed itself to actually be some sort of kidnapping attempt. A forest fire allegedly started by the same guilty party--
The article continued on a later page. Sunset made a mental note to finish reading it later. She was curious to see how much the media had dug up, though she doubted they knew anything about Tempest, Moondancer, or any of the magic.
Selena sat at the kitchen island. She switched between typing on her laptop and scribbling on a notepad, occasionally pausing to take a sip of coffee.
"One second past midnight and you're not leaving this house until the leaves fall. I don't care if you are an alien prodigy with magical superpowers--I'll find a way to keep you here," she said without looking over her shoulder. Her tone was serious, yet somehow, Sunset knew she was hiding a smile, as small as it probably was.
"You probably wouldn't have to try very hard." Sunset grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. "I'm off."
Selena looked over her shoulder. "And bring me back a soft pretzel, please."
Sunset gave her a thumbs up and departed. It was already a warm morning with wispy clouds stretching across the sky for brief moments before fading out of existence. To this day, Sunset couldn't decide which was more fantastical: the fact that the weather controlled itself in this world, or that ponies controlled it in hers.
She stood in the front driveway, waiting for her ride to show up. She didn't have to wait long. An old green microbus straight from the 1960s, complete with a peace symbol painted on its right side came rolling down the street. It shuddered to a stop in front of Sunset, and the tailpipe coughed up a thick smog cloud.
The door slid open, and Rainbow stuck her head out. "Get in, loser, we're going surfing!" Like Sunset, she was already dressed in her beach attire: a black shirt with colorful streaks of lightning on the front, pink and black swim trunks, and a pink hat with a sun and clouds.
Sunset clambered inside, squeezing past Rainbow to join Twilight in the back row. Rarity twiddled her fingers at them from the row ahead. She, too, was already dressed for the beach, wearing a purple vest and a sky blue skirt with fake diamonds hanging off the hem.
The van smelled like fertilizer and cats, and the leather on the seats was scratched and stained. While the front windshield looked to be in good condition, the other windows seemed permanently grimy and reduced the outside world to a sepia blur.
Applejack sat in the driver's seat while Fluttershy sat shotgun. "Welcome aboard, sugarcube!" Applejack said as she adjusted the overhead mirror.
"Is this your van, Applejack?" Sunset asked, fairly certain she had never seen it at the farm.
"It belongs to my parents actually," Fluttershy said. "They usually keep it in storage unless they're helping shuttle the residents at the retirement home."
"But, since they're done using it for the week, we decided to commandeer it for operation: Carpe Diem Beach Day!" Rainbow said loudly, dramatically pointing ahead.
"Putting 'day' at the end is redundant since diem means day," Twilight said, exasperated. Her cheek rested in her hand and she had a dull look in her eyes.
"You okay?" Sunset asked, taking her seat.
Twilight sighed. "Yeah, sorry. I still just think this is a bad... bad... uhh...." She had lifted her head and turned to look at Sunset when her sentence died in her throat and her cheeks took on a crimson hue.
Rarity turned and looked at them, her lips curling into an impish smile. "Oh my, first the tuxedo, now a swimsuit. We might be overloading poor Twilight."
In fairness, Twilight was also wearing what was, in Sunset's opinion, a very cute one-piece bathing suit. The main body was indigo with two sets of pink dots running up the front. The bra area was striped white and blue and held in place by a ribbon and pink star. She also had on a light blue beach cap that really pulled the ensemble together.
Twilight cleared her throat and pulled the hat down over her eyes, like it could hide her creeping blush. "You look great, Sunnykins."
"So do you, Sparky."
"Alright, let's pick up Pinkie and get this show on the road!" Applejack yelled, pulling onto the road. The van lurched and the engine sputtered before settling in. Sunset hoped this old car could take them to the beach and back in one piece. It would be a noisy ride at the very least. While not as loud as her motorcycle, the van could have been mistaken for a lawnmower the way it rumbled through the neighborhood.
Pinkie waited on the curb in front of her house, chugging a soda and frantically waving her hand as Applejack pulled up. She had a pink and white one-piece bathing suit with yellow bows running down the front. Beside her was a large red cooler.
"I've got snacks!" she sang as she hauled it into the van and squeezed herself between Rarity and Rainbow. "Who's ready for the greatest beach party ever?"
Rainbow threw her fists into the air. "Carpe diem day!"
"Again, redundant!" Twilight called from the back.
They powered onto the highway, sticking out like a sore thumb amidst the shiny and sleek cars. Applejack seemed to be flooring it, but the old van barely kept up with traffic in the slow lane.
Rainbow groaned and pressed her head into the back of her seat. "We're never gonna make it at this rate!"
"Have some patience, Dash," Applejack said. "Ah'm sure the old gal just needs a second to warm up."
"No, this is as fast as it goes," Fluttershy said simply.
"Oh, oh! I know a song that will help time fly by!" Pinkie said.
Rainbow clenched her teeth. "I swear, if you start singing--"
"Ninety-nine bottles of pop on the wall! Ninety-nine bottles of--mmmph!"
Rainbow took her cap and shoved it over Pinkie's face. "No! Stop!"
"We can try the radio," Applejack suggested, fiddling with the dial.
"The radio's a little broken," Fluttershy said. "It only gets the gospel and country music stations."
"Well, Ah'm fine with country--"
"Applejack, I will climb over these seats and rip the radio out," Sunset said, threateningly calm.
Applejack's hand dropped from the dial, and Sunset could see the annoyed pout on her face in the rearview mirror.
Rarity gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm sorry, did we or did we not just play our own musical set at a wedding?
Pinkie broke free of Rainbow's smothering and gasped with an infectious grin on her face. "'Perfect Day for Fun' on three! One, two, three!"
"Oh, aw aw oh, oh, oh, aw oh uh,
"Oh, aw aw oh, oh, oh!" the seven started, sitting up straight in their seats.
"Looking forward to some fun,
"Knowing all our friends will come,
"'Cause we're here to spend the day,
"Everybody come and play!"
Rainbow clapped her hands to keep the beat while they continued to sing.
"Let's all pick a meeting place,
"And we're gonna have to race,
"Everybody follow me,
"This is where we're gonna be!
Pinkie stretched her arms around Rainbow and Rarity's shoulders and pulled them in, squishing her cheeks against theirs.
"With my best friends, though we're different,
"We feel like we still belong,
"And every day it makes our friendship strong!"
Sunset grinned and leaned against Twilight as they sang. Twilight leaned back, earnestly smiling for the first time all morning.
"Let's go find some games to win,
"Everybody's joining in,
"'Cause we're having such a blast!
"No one ever comes in last!"
Sunset felt a familiar, warm tingle run through her, manifesting as her pony ears popped up on her head. One by one, the rest of her friends lit up and their pony features burst to life. Sunset saw Twilight's smile falter, even as she continued to sing with the group.
"Doesn't matter win or lose,
"When we always are amused,
"My friends stand out in a crowd,
"Having fun and laughing loud!
"With my best friends, we can depend
"They will always follow through,
"It's a perfect day for fun when I spend it with you!"
Pinkie let out a squeal of laughter. "Are we the best band ever or what?"
Rainbow leaned back in her seat, relaxing her hands behind her head. "That was so much better than that stupid soda song."
"We can still sing that one, too!" Pinkie offered.
"Don't you dare."
As the girls settled down, Twilight slouched to the side and cast her gaze out the dirty window. They passed by rolling hills dotted with leafy trees.
"You okay?" Sunset asked.
"Mm-hmm." Twilight didn't look at her.
Sunset lifted a hand to Twilight's shoulder. "Sparky--" Her fingers made contact against Twilight's skin, and a familiar arc of heat raced up her arm and into her chest, hitting her soul. The line connecting her to Twilight drew taught, and Sunset inhaled deeply as her vision changed.
She was on her elbows, staring up at the glowing runes on the medallion held before her. Her entire body trembled, no longer feeling the pain from her impact against the tree. Just a numbing cold that spread from her soul. In her mind's eye, she could see all her faults being laid bare, all of her failures and shortcomings.
Magic. All of her new friends had it. Moondancer had secretly had it for a while. How did she end up surrounded by so many extraordinary people? Where did she fit in in a world no longer governed by the laws and theories she had come to rely on?
"Aw, are you feeling a little inadequate, Twilight?" a smug voice asked somewhere in the distance.
"N-no... I..."
Sunset ripped her hand away, breathing hard. It was Twilight's memory, but the creeping chill of the Soul Lock resonated with Sunset's soul, dredging up her own memories of when she had been subjected to it. Goosebumps rose on her skin. She shook herself off and focused on the warmth her aura of magic provided.
"Did you... read my soul again?"
Twilight had a familiar look of betrayal in her eyes. She moved a hand to where Sunset had touched her.
"I'm so sorry! I forget that happens when I pony up!" Sunset said earnestly. "I don't know how to not do that!"
Twilight huffed and turned toward the window again. "This is why you all need training," she muttered. After a beat she asked, "What did you see?"
"What happened between you and Tempest before I showed up." It wasn't what Sunset saw that concerned her though--it was what she felt. Inferiority, longing, exclusion from her friends. Tempest had brought all of that to Twilight's surface and Sunset felt it lingering, reawakened again by everyone's impromptu pony up.
Sunset wanted to say something, but the mood already sat heavy. Today was supposed to be a day of fun and relaxation and she had already muddled it.
A pink hand holding a cupcake entered Sunset's peripheral. Pinkie held out the chocolate frosted pastry to Twilight, a gentle smile on her lips.
Twilight's dour expression softened and she took the cupcake into her hands. "Thank you, Pinkie. I'm sorry I'm being a buzzkill."
"You're not," Sunset said automatically. "It's my fault I intruded again." Her pony ears receded in a flash. She reached out for Twilight's shoulder, but stopped halfway and returned her hands to her lap.
"All right," Rainbow said, thumping her fist against the top of her seat, "no more sad faces and no more relationship drama! From here on out, only awesomeness!"
Twilight forced a small smile before nibbling on her cupcake. After a few bites, her smile became genuine.
The rest of the girls powered down and lapsed into light conversations as the van chugged along the highway. Rolling yellow hills dotted with tall, leafy trees surrounded them on both sides. Being late Monday morning, traffic was good leaving the city, though they were occasionally honked at by faster cars trying to get around them in the carpool lane.
Sunset listened in on her friends' idle chatter, fidgeting her hands and stealing glances at Twilight, also choosing to listen instead of engaging. She didn't look upset anymore, but Sunset felt a wall between them.
She glanced at her hand, lips pressed tight. Why is my magical ability the ultimate invasion of privacy? It was heavily ironic given the amount of harm Sunset could have done with it pre-reformation.
The hills around them rose higher and the smatter of trees turned into a dense canopy. The road twisted around the emerald slopes and reminded Sunset of the path to the resort.
After one more wide turn, the world opened up to them, presenting an endless horizon of blue water glittering under the afternoon sun. A strip of porcelain colored sand separated the land and sea and was already occupied by clusters of teenagers. The hills bordering the beach evolved into rocky cliffs coated in foliage, thick tree roots jutting out between the rocks.
The van passed by the road sign welcoming them to Horseshoe Beach. South of the road was a small cluster of houses and short buildings complete with a boardwalk. A Ferris wheel rose high above the squat, colorful collection.
Sunset remembered when she had flown out here with Twilight on her newly acquired phoenix wings. Under the cover of darkness, they had soared up and down the coast and danced just above the lapping waves.
Evidently, Twilight remembered too, for she slid her hand across the scratched leather seating and cupped it over Sunset's. She kept her gaze averted still, but Sunset felt a hole had been made in the wall.
Applejack found a parking space near the town, and the girls unloaded their beach equipment. The shore stretched out on either side of them, dotted with teenagers and lifeguard shacks. Frisbees flew, dogs chased off flocks of seagulls, and volleyball nets had been erected, yet there were still large swathes of open sand.
Surfboard in hand, Rainbow sprinted to the nearest open firepit and planted the butt of her board into the sand. "Perfect! And look at those waves!"
Rolling cerulean waves rose off the coast and glittered in the sun. Sunset could see surfers weaving across the rising tides and catching air off the waves' crests.
Rarity opened up her beach umbrella and set it into the sand. "Look at those boys," she said with a purr, eyeing a group of guys playing volleyball without their shirts on.
"Aren't you and Flash still datin'?" Applejack asked.
"That doesn't mean I can't enjoy the view."
"Speaking of views..." Twilight set down her duffle bag and pulled out a familiar piece of technology. Boasting a sleek silver shell instead of having its wires exposed, Twilight's selfie-drone gleamed in the sun.
"Ooh, what is it?" Pinkie asked, pressing her face against it.
"My own personal invention," Twilight said proudly. "A drone optimized to take the perfect selfie at the perfect moment. Behold, the Selfie Sensor! Name in progress, patent-pending!"
She set it on her towel, then pulled out what looked like a digital watch and strapped it to her wrist. She tapped a button, and a blue light on the selfie-drone blinked before its four propellers and central fan began to spin. It achieved lift-off and hovered between Twilight and Pinkie.
"Initial takeoff complete!" Twilight clicked another button on her watch, and her drone responded with a happy beep. She struck a pose as it turned its camera toward her and snapped a picture.
"Ack!"
"Agh!"
All of the girls covered their eyes, spots dancing over their vision. Sunset rubbed and blinked, eyes watering. "What the heck was that?"
Twilight gingerly groped the air in front of her until she got her hands around the drone. "Something must be overcharging the flash. I'm surprised it didn't short circuit everything."
"I'm surprised I'm not blind!" Rainbow said, still rubbing her eyes.
Twilight sat down on her towel and pulled a screwdriver from her bag. "It just needs a minor adjustment. I'll have it working in a sec."
Rainbow gave one head last shake. "You have fun with that. I'm gonna go catch some waves!" She grabbed her surfboard and sprinted toward the ocean.
Rarity put a dab of sunscreen on her nose, then put on a pair of sunglasses and a sun hat. "I'm just going to enjoy the view for a little while," she said coyly, settling into a beach chair that was angled toward the volleyball players.
"Sandcastles!" Pinkie yelled. She finished downing another soda and took off to the surf with a pail and shovel in hand.
Applejack sighed. "Guess I'll go with her. Make sure she doesn't bulldoze anyone."
Fluttershy held up snorkeling gear. "I'm going to go do a little diving."
Sunset watched her friends go their separate ways before looking down at Twilight. "You need any help?"
"No thanks. This should be simple enough." Twilight popped a panel open and pushed a wire over before poking a finger inside. There was a crackle of electricity, and Twilight yelped and snapped her finger free.
"Raggle fraggle, dumb wiring!" she muttered harshly, pressing her finger against her lips.
"We gotta work on your big girl words," Sunset said. She picked up the spare surfboard Rainbow had brought along. "Guess I'll go see if Dash has enough patience to teach me how to surf."
"Have fun," Twilight said, shaking her hand out before fiddling with her drone again.
*******
Moondancer's fingers danced across the ivory keys in a slow, somber waltz, reflective of the piece in front of her. Eyes closed, she gave her hands free rein of the piano, and from years of diligent training, they performed perfectly, following the path of notes her mind had committed to memory.
From the open grand piano, dulcet, melancholic notes rose into the air and filled the music room. They bounced off the oak furnished walls and hit Moondancer, drawing her lips into a perpetual frown. She had tried to play something more uplifting, more upbeat. She could not find the energy to move her hands to a fitting pace required for such songs. As perfect as they were, they only wanted to waltz today, not tango.
She supposed it was enough just to be playing; she hadn't touched her instrument in a month. Coming in to play again, she remembered why. The melancholy she invoked was becoming too much.
Still, she did her diligence as a musician and finished out the piece before letting her fingers rest. The melody continued to drift through her ears, soft and faint... and... off-key?
Moondancer opened her eyes. That wasn't her mind playing echos against her ears. She tilted her head toward the door. Somewhere beyond it, soft music, albeit poorly played, drifted through the house. Moondancer scrunched her nose and winced at the prickle her scars gave her.
She flipped the page of her scorebook, glanced at the piece, and began playing, drowning out the other piano. It was another slow piece, but Moondancer increased the speed, trying to drown out the other piano. Still, in between her notes, she could hear the uncertain keys brushing against the door. When she finished her song, the uneven notes of the other player tumbled against her ears.
"For goodness sake," she said under her breath. Moondancer stood up and slammed the lid of the piano keys shut. She wrenched open the door and stepped into the hallway, the piano notes rising in volume. She followed it up the stairs and down the west wing to a room opposite of her father's study. The door was open, and Night Shade sat in front of a black piano, not quite as large as the grand one in the music room, but loud enough to fill the whole house with its warble.
Moondancer stood at the threshold with her arms folded, waiting for her father to stop tapping the keys with uncertainty, his lips pursed in concentration.
"Whatever you're playing, it sounds terrible," she said flatly.
He hung his head and sighed. "I know. It's been a while since I played. And I was always better with the guitar." Both he and Moondancer glanced over to the acoustic guitar framed on the wall, a relic from her father's youth.
"What exactly were you trying to do?"
Night Shade tapped out a few more notes. "I was trying to remember the first song I taught you, see if I could go off my memory."
Moondancer raised an eyebrow. "What, 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'? It shouldn't be that hard to play."
He rolled his eyes. "I meant after you had learned the basics."
Moondancer tilted her head back in thought. She had learned a hundred different songs and movements since first taking up the piano. She played back the melody her father had attempted and tried to correct it. "'Prelude in C Major' by Bach?"
Night snapped his fingers. "That was it!" He repositioned his hands and tried playing again. It better resembled the original song, but several of the notes were still off and he played at infrequent speeds.
Moondancer winced at every off-key. "Is this your way of expressing your midlife crisis? Trying to recapture your vigor of youth by butchering innocent instruments?"
Night slowed, repeating a string of notes in his attempt to get them all correct. "I admit, I'm a tad rusty."
"Just a tad?"
"Everyone has to start from somewhere, Moondancer. I remember a little girl who banged on the keys and thought it was the greatest sound."
"Ah yes, compare yourself to a toddler. How humbling of you." She clenched her jaw at another errant chord. "Perhaps this is why your parents didn't let you join a band."
Night Shade turned his nose up. "I was quite good back in the day. I taught you the fundamentals, didn't I? Mother and Father just didn't believe a musician was a 'respectable career unless you're in the symphony.'"
You also handed me off to a tutor as you did with everything else. Moondancer didn't have the energy to vocalize her thoughts. She turned to leave just as Night neared the song's crescendo, though it sounded less like a rising swell and more like a cacophony of keys falling over each other.
"Stop! Stop!" she cried, whirling on her heel and marching toward the piano. "If you insist on playing music, the least you can do is play it right! Move over!"
Looking taken aback, Night shuffled to make room for Moondancer on the bench. She shook her hands out and hovered them over the keys.
"First of all, you're playing the wrong keys. It's C, E, G, C, E to start. You had your fingers in the wrong place and ruined the whole melody." Moondancer tapped the keys at an even pace and repeated the first bar a few times. "See?"
As she moved her hands back, Night leaned over and copied her movements, producing a more recognizable tune.
"Better. Now, just move a finger to play D instead of E. Just like that."
Night smiled. "Look at how far you've come since I taught you."
"No," Moondancer said strictly. "Don't turn this into a moment. I'm only doing this so no one has to put up with your racket."
He deflated a little but said, "Either way, it's nice to spend a little time with you."
"If you continue to speak, I will walk out of this room. I'd rather listen to your poor playing."
"Harsh but fair, I suppose."
Moondancer continued to instruct her father, showing how to position his hands and at what speed to play. Despite being only inches away from the man she detested, she didn't hate the experience. In fact, teaching someone else how to play the piano was enjoyable. Her reprimands were gentle and she gave a word of praise when her father did well.
After an hour of instruction, Night could play Prelude in a semi-decent fashion in Moondancer's opinion. It was much easier on her ears at any rate.
She stood and dusted her hands off. "Well, all that's left is for you to practice until it just comes naturally."
"Thank you, Moondancer." He nervously cleared his throat. "Perhaps you could teach me another song tomorrow?"
Moondancer strode toward the door. She paused at the threshold and nibbled the inside of her cheek. "Do not count on it." She flicked her hand and walked out.
*******
Sunset slowly raised her head from the ocean, eyes lidded in frustration. The cord tying her ankle to her surfboard tugged, showing her board was trying to drift away. She quickly grabbed it and threw her body across it.
Rainbow paddled toward her with a grin that managed to look both smug and apologetic. "Hey, you managed to hang on for a little while that time."
"Don't patronize me," Sunset said flatly. She climbed up and straddled her surfboard. She knew learning to surf wouldn't be easy, but she had still underestimated how hard it would be. Surfing wasn't quite like snowboarding. Even if Sunset had only done it once, it was enough for her muscle memory to kick in every time she got on her board. She wasn't sure yet what the difference was between the two sports, but whatever it was, it had her in the surf.
"What? It was a compliment." By the rouge grin on Rainbow's face, Sunset thought it was less a compliment and more a payback for her comments on Rainbow's snowboarding skills way back when.
Sunset grunted and paddled out to sea. She turned and faced the shoreline, watching the other beachgoers while she waited. Pinkie and Applejack had made good progress on their sandcastle; the outer wall and turrets were finished, rising up to Pinkie's neck. Twilight was posing in front of her drone again, and Rarity had a sketchbook out. Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen.
The waves bobbed harder beneath Sunset and the swell started pulling her back. Rainbow shouted beside her, "Ooh, I think this is a big one!"
Sunset leaned forward on her board and started paddling as the wave carried her up. Momentum gathered, Sunset shakily moved into a standing position, keeping her legs bent as she tried to find her center of gravity. Her board wobbled beneath her and her legs shook. She threw her arms out to the side to keep her balance.
The wave carried her until she was just under its crest, water raining upon her head. Most of her previous attempts had seen her wipeout here. Rainbow let out a whoop of delight beside her, then ripped down the wave, carving back and forth and spraying Sunset's face with salt water.
Sunset wiped some off, then flailed her arms again to maintain her balance. She gently leaned forward, willing her board down the wave. Her stomach dropped like she was riding a rollercoaster, and she let out a thrilled scream. She leaned to the left and tried to move her heel to turn her board. Instead, her foot slipped off the back, and the next thing Sunset knew, her face was toward the sky, watching the sun disappear behind a veil of water. She closed her eyes and pushed herself back to the surface, but a torrent of water punched her deeper under. Her ears nearly popped from the pressure and a stream of water found its way up her nose.
She breached the surface with a mighty gasp and spluttered out a lungful of water. Her board drifted by and she latched onto it.
Rainbow paddled up, real concern on her face. "You okay?"
Sunset coughed one more time. "Yeah. Just getting my recommended salt intake."
"You hung on pretty well that time. Next time, don't move your foot. Just turn."
"Easier said than done." Sunset climbed onto her surfboard and wrung some excess water from her hair. She only managed two squeezes when the water grew excited and a new wave rose. She and Rainbow turned their boards toward the shore and paddled, matching the current's speed.
The wave carried Sunset up again, and she jumped to her feet, steadying herself and making sure she had firm foot placement. She pushed her board forward and cut down the cascade of water, Rainbow shouting out a compliment somewhere off to the side. Sunset leaned to the left again, keeping her heel stationary this time. Her board responded, and she banked left as the wave completely crested over her, wrapping her in a cerulean funnel.
Sunset looked up in awe as she surfed through the swirling tube. The ocean roared all around her, cheering at her first successful wave. Sunset could see open water at the other end of the tube and the contrast between the softer turquoise waves, and the darker teals layered over her head.
"Wow," was all she managed to say before everything crashed down on her.
Spinning head over heel over and over again, Sunset lost all sense of direction. The waves battered her around like a piece of flotsam. Disoriented and desperate for breath, Sunset involuntarily gasped for air, receiving only another lungful of seawater. Her chest burned and her eyes stung and her arms thrashed.
Finally, the churning stopped, and though Sunset could hardly tell where she was, her surfboard leash pulled her ankle and guided her back to the surface. Sunset pushed through, spitting up water before taking in air. She latched onto her board and rested her head against it, switching between taking deep breaths and expelling more water.
A hand patted her back, helping her empty her lungs. "You caught your first wave and had your first wipeout. I think you're good for the day."
Sunset spat into the ocean. "Yeah, I've had enough," she croaked. She could also feel bruises forming from all the times she had crashed against the water. Tomorrow would be a great day to lay in bed.
Rainbow helped her back to shore, practically carrying Sunset across the beach. As they approached their camp, Twilight finally looked up from her tinkering and let out a strangled gasp.
"Sunset, are you okay? Did someone hurt you? Was it Tempest?"
Click!
"No, don't take a picture of her like that! Bad drone!"
Sunset untied herself from her board and collapsed onto her towel. "The only thing that attacked me was a wave, Sparky."
"I saw you ride into that funnel," Rarity said. "You looked like a natural... until you crashed at least. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Humans are usually seventy percent water. I'm now ninety-five," Sunset grumbled. "Other than that, I'm good." She angled her head just enough to see Twilight grab her drone around the middle. The camera flashed again, aimed at Rainbow setting down her board.
"You fixed the flash," Sunset observed.
"Yes, but now, the sensory apparatus apparently needs to be recalibrated. It's taking awful pictures!" Twilight wrestled the drone to the ground and switched it off. When the propellers stopped rotating, she retrieved her screwdriver and popped open a panel.
Rainbow opened the cooler Pinkie had brought and pulled out a soda. "Are you gonna be working on that all day?"
"No," Twilight said defensively. "I'll be done as soon as it's recalibrated."
Sunset sat up and tilted her head to the side, feeling a trickle of water drip from her ear. "You sure you don't want any help, babe?"
"Nope, I got this." Twilight pressed her tongue between her lips as she tweaked the drone's innards.
Pinkie and Applejack returned, covered in sand and mud, yet with triumphant smiles on their faces. "My kingdom of sand is complete!" Pinkie said, planting her shovel in the sand like a flag.
Sunset looked down the beach. Indeed, in the hour Sunset had been surfing, Pinkie had built a castle, a moat, and several sand buildings. They were currently under attack by a lone seagull.
"Leave my people alone, foul demon!" Pinkie shouted, running back to her kingdom.
"Ah'm gonna grab mah phone and snap a picture before it gets destroyed," Applejack said, reaching for her bag.
"No need!" Twilight slapped the open panel on her selfie-drone closed and jumped to her feet. "Gyro Selfie-Sensor version 1.1 is complete! It'll take the picture for us!"
She pressed a button on her watch, and the drone whirred back to life. It hovered in front of Twilight who stuck her fingers out in a victory pose and snapped a photo. Twilight quickly grabbed the drone and examined the screen on the back.
"Yes!" she jumped and spun around. "It's working perfectly!"
Sunset patted her on the head. "Good job, Sparky."
"Yeah, cool stuff," Rainbow said a bit flippantly, "let's go take the picture before it does something else crazy."
Twilight hugged her invention as best as she could and stuck her tongue out.
"Should someone go try and find Fluttershy first?" Rarity asked.
"No need." Sunset pointed down the beach. Seaweed in her hair and a starfish stuck to her shoulder, Fluttershy waddled down the beach, still wearing her scuba flippers.
She joined them in front of Pinkie's sandcastle. It looked more like a palace really, with domed roofs and a central tower as tall as Sunset. Pinkie had even drawn windows and doors onto it.
"My my, Pinkie, you've really outdone yourself with this," Rarity said, marveling at the wave patterns etched into the main structure.
Pinkie bowed. "I probably could have done more, but high tide is coming in soon and that seagull doesn't know when to back off!"
The seagull squawked as it circled overhead.
"Come down here and say that to my face!"
"All right, picture first, then Pinkie can have her deathmatch with a bird," Applejack said. Everyone gathered on either side of the sand palace and posed, Sunset and Twilight hanging on to each other. Twilight tapped her watch and the drone floated in front of them.
"Say cheese!" Twilight said.
"Cheese!"
The drone took the picture with a soft click and flash. It hovered in place... then flew down the beach at surprising speeds.
"Wait!" Twilight sprinted after it. "Stop! Bad drone!"
Sunset facepalmed. "Good grief."
"Where's it going?" Fluttershy asked.
The drone flew up to a group of surfers coming back from the water. It came up to their faces, took a picture, then flew off again, narrowly evading Twilight's wild grab.
"Come back here!" She mashed her finger against her watch, but the drone ignored whatever command she was issuing. It flew up to random people, took a picture, then sped off to the next closest target. Twilight finally managed to get her hands around it before it could enter a volleyball court. It struggled in her grasp, dragging her forward before she hit the off button.
"Told you it would do something crazy again," Rainbow said.
Sunset punched her shoulder before jogging over to Twilight. "Everything okay?"
Twilight stood hunched over, her drone tucked under one arm and a hand on her knee. "Aside from needing to tweak this dumb thing again and looking like some crazy beach stalker," she said between breaths, "I'm fine."
"Sparky, you've been tinkering with that thing all day. How about you take a break?"
"But I'm so close! If I can just rewire the--"
Sunset took her free hand and gave it a squeeze. "Genius scientists need to have a break. Remember why we came here in the first place?"
"To goof off?"
"To have fun!" Rainbow shouted behind them.
Twilight straightened up and looked at her drone. The sensor light blinked a blue light back at her. She sighed. "Maybe you're right. A little break can't hurt."
"Yeah. We'll grab a snack, sit down, and--"
"Volleyball!" Pinkie yelled, running past them with a white ball nestled on top of her hair.
Sunset shrugged. "Or we could play volleyball for a while."
Twilight scrunched her nose. "You know I'm not good at physical sports."
"Twilight, you fence. Fencing is a sport."
"Fair point."
Pinkie slid into one of the volleyball courts just as the previous party was leaving. She snatched the ball out of her hair and held it high above her head. "All right! Who's ready for the butt-whooping of their lives! Beach Queen Pinkie Pie is taking all challengers, but there will be no survivors!"
Rainbow punched a fist into her palm. "Get ready to get dethroned, beach queen!"
"Dash, don't encourage her," Applejack said. "She's already hyped up on sugar."
"I'm hyped up on life!"
The teams were divided three on four: Sunset, Twilight, Rainbow, and Fluttershy versus Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack. Rainbow stretched out, rolling her shoulders before shooting her team a confident grin.
"Don't worry, we got this in the bag. I took the volleyball team to the finals junior and senior year."
Sunset rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dash, we know of all your famous sports exploits. Just try not to hog the ball."
"When I'm through, you'll never want to see a volleyball again!" Pinkie shouted from the other side of the net. She wildly danced back and forth on her heels.
"Wow, she's really bringing the smack talk," Fluttershy said.
"Time to make her eat those words!" Rainbow yelled. "Serve it, Pinkie! Show me your worst!"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Even with seven girls playing, the testosterone level is still high."
Pinkie served the ball, sending it high into the air. Sunset put her hands together and stuck her wrists out. She had never played volleyball before, but she had observed the team enough to get an understanding of basic form. The ball fell toward her, and Sunset bumped it back over the net.
Applejack returned it with a solid hit and it came back toward Fluttershy in the back corner. She gave it a gentle bap, passing it to Twilight who floundered but managed to keep it airborne. Rainbow took over and sent it back across the net where Rarity was waiting to return it. As the ball came back up, Rainbow jumped and slapped the ball into the sand, tossing up a cloud of dirt.
"One, zip!" she cheered, throwing her arms up.
Pinkie scooped the ball up. "The enemy has struck the first blow! Prepare to return fire!" She delivered a powerful serve to the backfield, where Fluttershy threw her hands out to avoid getting hit in the face. The ball clumsily bounced out of her hands, and Rainbow tried to save it but hit it into the net instead.
"Haha!" Pinkie threw her arms up. "Score one for the beach queen!"
Rainbow grabbed the ball and squeezed it in between her hands. "Oh, it's on!"
What started as a friendly game slowly descended into a deathmatch between Rainbow and Pinkie, with the rest of the girls just doing their best to provide support. Sunset made some spectacular dives, and Fluttershy and Twilight helped keep the ball in the air, but it was Rainbow who returned it and made the scores. Pinkie's team kept an even pace, with Applejack running between the front and back positions and Rarity proving to be no slouch in the athletics department.
The score was ten to nine in Rainbow's favor. Applejack served the ball, aiming for the center of the court. Sunset backed up to catch, but Rainbow beat her, sliding back and kicking up a cloud of sand as she got underneath it and served it back.
Twilight coughed and took her glasses off. "Rainbow, be careful!" She pressed her hand against her eye to scrape the sand away.
Rarity tapped the ball up with her wrists and set Pinkie up for a spike. With a maniacal grin, Pinkie leaped into the air and slammed the ball back over the net with a loud thwap!
Sunset had one second to track its trajectory. She turned her head as the ball flew past her and opened her mouth, but it was too late.
Wham!
Twilight laid sprawled out in the sand, glasses in one hand, the other covering her right eye. Her hat had been knocked off and now rested next to the volleyball some feet away.
Sunset was by her side in a heartbeat. "Twi, are you okay?"
Twilight let out a slow and drawn out, "Owww."
Pinkie ran over, hands pressed against her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Rainbow sprinted to the cooler, grabbed a soda, and sprinted back, handing it off to Sunset. She gently sat Twilight up and pressed the cold can against her eye.
"I hate sports," Twilight said, disgruntled.
"I'm super duper mega sorry!" Pinkie cried.
Twilight took hold of the soda and got to her feet. "It's fine. I'm just gonna go sit down for a little bit." She trudged back to their camp.
Rainbow rubbed the back of her head. "I think we can just call this a tie."
Pinkie nodded. "Yeah. It's not fun anymore if someone gets hurt."
Sunset retrieved Twilight's hat and dusted the sand off. She carried it over to Twilight who had seated herself down in front of her Selfie-Sensor again and was reaching for her screwdriver. Sunset knelt next to her and held out the hat.
Twilight looked at it with her good eye. "Thanks." She put down her soda to take the hat, showing off the bright red mark the volleyball had left on her face.
"Does it hurt?"
"It stings. And my face feels swollen." Twilight sat her hat atop her head and picked up the soda again. "It's fine. You girls go back to the game."
Sunset shook her head. "Nah, game's over. Besides, no one needs to hear any more of Pinkie's smack talk."
"Yeah, I guess." Twilight kept her head down, unscrewing a panel of her drone and poking her screwdriver inside again.
"You're not seriously going to work on that thing again, are you?"
"What else am I going to do?" Twilight asked with an edge of agitation. "I already got hit by a ball; I don't feel like drowning in the ocean."
"Well, you shouldn't stay here working on something you can fix at home." Sunset stood up and held her hand down. "Come on, let's just walk around and enjoy the scenery."
Twilight looked up at her, squinting her good eye. "You want me to walk around like this."
"Please, Twilight, there are people with beer bellies and bad sunburns already bumming around. No one's gonna care."
She looked down at her drone, sighed, and closed the panel. "All right. A little walk can't hurt. Just let me grab my bag." She put her drink down and tenderly rubbed her eye before standing up and grabbing her duffle bag.
Sunset heard something metallic clink as Twilight tossed it over her shoulder. "Twilight... is your sword in that bag?"
Twilight pulled the bag a little tighter. "I wanted to be prepared, just in case."
"Leave the bag."
"But--"
"Leave. The. Bag," Sunset said pointing from the bag to the ground.
Twilight harrumphed but did as she was told. Sunset took her by the arm and led her away from the fire pit. "We're going for a walk!" she called to the others.
The sun was halfway through its slow descent, drawing out the first orange hues of the coming evening. Even in its decline, the sun delivered a summer heat upon the world, countered by the cool breeze of the ocean.
Sunset led Twilight toward the town and boardwalk, passing other couples and kids rushing down to the water with inner tubes around their waists. Twilight occasionally rubbed her bruised eye, and Sunset would kiss it whenever she finished.
Twilight sighed wistfully after the latest kiss. "Now would be a perfect time for a picture."
"You'll get it to work soon, Sparky. Besides, you still got a few good pictures out of it."
"I know. I just wanted it to work perfectly."
"Nothing ever works perfectly the first time. Do you know how many spells blew up in my face before I mastered them?"
Twilight made a small, throaty giggle before looking solemn again. "I know. I'm not usually this impatient with things."
They took a ramp off the beach and stepped onto the sidewalk. Tourist shops lined the streets, offering postcards, sunglasses, and swimwear. Twilight and Sunset popped into one of the small boutiques to try on hats and sunglasses and pose in front of the mirror. Sunset was tempted to buy a pair of sharp angular shades until she saw the price tag.
Instead, she spent her money on ice cream cones, strawberry for her and mint chocolate chip for Twilight. They slurped them while standing in line for the Ferris wheel. It stood on the lip of concrete bordering the sand. They watched the open carriages make two full rotations before the riders were let off one carriage at a time.
Sunset and Twilight stepped up into their booth and strapped themselves in. The wheel shuddered as it lifted them up one space so the next carriage could be filled. When all the spaces had been filled, the wheel began to rotate in earnest. It was a slow ascent but gave a fantastic, panoramic view of the horizon. The ocean stretched out like an endless sapphire blanket.
With an appreciative sigh, Sunset leaned against Twilight. "This is nice."
Twilight leaned back. "Yeah, it is."
The horizon shrank as their carriage descended and they drifted just above the ground before rising back up for a second loop. It was near the apex of their ascent when the wheel came to a forceful halt, sending their carriage swinging back and forth.
Twilight latched onto Sunset's arm until the swinging stopped. "What happened?"
Sunset looked over the edge, seeing other passengers doing the same. A voice echoed out from a megaphone somewhere on the ground. "We're experiencing technical difficulties with the Ferris wheel. We assure you you're all perfectly safe and we'll have you down momentarily. We apologize for the inconvenience."
Twilight made a growl in the back of her throat and slumped in her seat, crossing her arms.
"Relax, Twi, we'll be down soon," Sunset said. She looked over the side again. "Ironically enough, if we were down there, we could probably fix it in a heartbeat."
"I guess it's just good to know I'm not the only one having problems with technology today," she said with a bitter eye roll.
Sunset looked back at her. "You okay?"
Twilight uncrossed her arms and curled her fingers. "I'm just frustrated. This is another unfortunate incident in a day filled with unfortunate incidents on a trip I thought was a bad idea in the first place!"
Sunset turned her whole body toward Twilight. "Sparky, if I had everything go according to my old plan, I'd be lounging on a throne being hoof-fed strawberries. Instead, I'm stuck with my girlfriend on top of a Ferris wheel in a foreign world. Do you know what I call that?"
"You better not say 'carpe diem."
"Making the most of a bad situation." Sunset scooted closer but left a small gap between them. "I know you didn't like the idea of coming to the beach, but the point of it was to have fun. To forget we have a bigger problem to worry about and just be teenagers because it might be the last chance we get. Instead, you brought your sword with you and have been fussing over a science project the entire time."
Twilight tried to pull her hat over her face, cheeks turning red.
Sunset lifted a hand toward her. "I'm not saying that to scold you. I'm just saying, today may not have gone the way you wanted, but you can still make the best of it. You'll have plenty of time to work on your projects when summer's over and... you know... you leave," Sunset said, her voice fading.
Twilight lifted her hat up and looked at Sunset like she was seeing her for the first time that day. "Oh." She cupped a hand to her face and closed her eyes. "I can't believe I didn't think... I'm sorry, Sunset."
"Hey, you don't need to apologize." Sunset rested her hand on Twilight's shoulder. "I just want you to remember it's okay to have fun, even during times like this."
"I know. I was trying with the Selfie-Sensor, but then it started malfunctioning and I guess I got hyper-focused. And I have this constant nagging that something's going to go wrong." She made a vague gesture. "And I guess it has."
Sunset smiled and shrugged. "It could be worse."
Twilight smiled in return and snuggled up closer to Sunset. "Yeah. It could be worse." She kissed Sunset on the nose. "I'll try to be a little more flexible this summer."
"Glad to hear it." Sunset wrapped an arm around Twilight and looked out over the ocean again, watching the first stars appear in the dusky sky.
*******
Only a pink blush remained in the sky when Sunset and Twilight got off the Ferris wheel and made it back to their beach camp. The bonfire pit had been filled, and Applejack was trying to get it lit.
"There you two are," Rarity said, marching up to them with her hands on her hips. "We were starting to get worried about you."
Rainbow walked over with an armful of smores sticks, a familiar raunchy grin on her face. "Did you two sneak off to--"
"We got stuck on the Ferris wheel," Sunset said pointedly. She snatched two sticks from Rainbow and handed one to Twilight.
"I'm glad you're both all right," Fluttershy said, opening the marshmallow bag.
"It was actually kind of nice," Twilight said.
Applejack stepped back as orange flames flickered in between the piles of wood. "How's your eye, sugarcube?"
Twilight lifted her hand to her face. "A little swollen, but it's fine."
Pinkie ran over and smothered Twilight in a hug. "I'm super, super sorry again!"
"It's okay, Pinkie," Twilight said with a smile. "I told you, I'm fine."
Up and down the shore, bonfires ignited and filled the air with the smokey scent of burning wood. The Spectacular Seven sat in a half-circle around their pit, a blanket with a spread of graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate, and peanut butter in front of them.
Sunset speared a marshmallow on her stick and held it over the fire. She looked wistfully at the dancing embers. "I used to do this with Princess Celestia back in my world. We would sit in her room and roast s'mores in her fireplace. We could have asked the castle staff to just make some for us, but she always said they tasted better when you make them yourself."
"She's right!" Pinkie pulled her marshmallow from the fire and blew it out. It was a perfect golden brown. "Summer s'mores are the best friendship food!"
"And the best way to end an awesome day!" Rainbow cheered. She grinned at Twilight. "And you thought Tempest was going to attack us."
Twilight stared straight ahead at her toasting marshmallow. "I admit, I was a little paranoid. However, I believe a little paranoia is justified given what we've already gone through this year." She side-eyed Rainbow. "But, I'm glad we got to have fun today."
Fluttershy held her stick with both hands and looked at her lap. "Do you think we'll get to do this again?"
Rainbow waved a dismissive hand. "Of course we will. We can't be training all the time, right? We'll still find time to roast s'mores and stuff, even if it's just in the backyard."
"No, I mean... when we all go to college and start working." Fluttershy's eyes started to water. "Do you think we'll ever just get to be together again when we're all going in different directions?"
For a few seconds, only distant laughter and the snap of the fire could be heard. Fluttershy wiped her eyes and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--"
"No, it's all right, sweetheart," Rarity said. "It's hard not to think about it sometimes. I know there was a time where none of us really spoke to one another, but it feels like we've been friends forever. It's hard to believe once summer's over, we'll all be heading our separate ways."
"But that's not gonna stop us from being friends," Rainbow said, her eyes reflecting the fire. "Or hanging out!"
Applejack nodded. "It might be fewer and far between, but we'll make time for each other."
"Absolutely," Rarity said. "Things will change, we can't kid ourselves about that. Life is going to get in the way sometimes and we may not get to spend as much time as we'd like with each other. But that doesn't take away from our friendship. I know I'll be thinking of you girls every day."
"Yeah!" Pinkie jumped to her feet and pointed her stick at each of them. "And you can bet I'm gonna be there to celebrate every big accomplishment you guys get! Rarity opening her stores, Dashie going to the Olympics, Twilight getting a Nobel Peace Prize!"
Twilight blushed while Sunset playfully rolled her eyes. "Only a Peace Prize? I'm expecting her to win one in physics or chemistry. Probably both." She snorted when Twilight elbowed her.
Rainbow clenched a determined fist. "And not just the good times. We'll be there for each other when life really starts to suck. If any of you say the word, I'll come running, I swear it!"
"Agreed," Sunset said. "Doesn't matter how far I have to go. I'll be there for you guys."
"Hear hear!" Rarity cheered, raising her burnt marshmallow.
Twilight looked up at the stars. "Our lives may be unusual... in fact, they don't make sense a lot of the time. But, I should be thankful. I really lucked out by finding friends like you girls."
"Spectacular Seven forever!" Pinkie cried before shoving a s'more into her mouth.
The girls spent the next hour talking, laughing, and roasting copious amounts of s'mores. It was quarter to ten when they finished packing up, Sunset wrapping up Selena's pretzel and stowing it into her bag.
"Let's get a move on," she said, hoisting Pinkie's cooler into the back of the van. "If I'm not home by midnight, I'm grounded. That's never happened to me before and I'd like to not start now."
Rainbow paused, halfway into the van. "Aren't you, like, banished?"
"Self-exiled, doesn't count."
> 3. Inheritance
Sunset had made it home with ten minutes to spare. Twice on the journey back, Fluttershy's van had made ominous noises that sounded like the engine was about to give out. But, it had pulled through, though a thick cloud of black smog had lingered in the air when Applejack and Fluttershy dropped Sunset off.
Selena greeted Sunset with a tap of her watch and a quirked brow. Sunset appeased her by delivering the salted pretzel she had requested before retiring for the night. Spot had already been asleep on her bed, and cuddled up next to her when she slipped under the blanket.
Before she knew it, birds chirped outside her window and sunlight crept across the floor. She rolled over and groaned, feeling the bruises the ocean had given her yesterday. She pulled her pillow over her head and allowed sleep to carry her off again. It didn't last long. Spot pawed at her shoulder and tried to squeeze his snout under the pillow.
"Okay, okay," Sunset moaned. She raised herself up and stretched her arms over her head. Spot jumped off the bed and scratched at the door, barking at Sunset to hurry up.
Eyes bleary, Sunset got to her feet and winced at a bruise on her hip. She opened the door and watched Spot race down the hall to the stairs. Sunset took a detour to the bathroom, noting her mass of messy bedhead. She thought of brushing it out, but it was one of those mornings where it would take too much energy.
A few minutes later, Sunset wandered into the kitchen, still dressed in her pajamas. A stack of waffles and a bowl of strawberries sat on the counter. Sunset fixed herself a plate and took a seat at the island across from Selena.
"You're up earlier than I thought you'd be," Selena said while typing away at her computer.
"Spot needed to go out." Sunset bit into her waffles, still warm and fluffy. "Thanks for breakfast."
"My pleasure." Selena took a brief stretch and rolled her neck out before hunching over her keyboard again.
Spot climbed back inside through the doggy door and began his routine of circling the table, waiting for Sunset to drop or deliberately feed him scraps. Sunset gave him a tiny piece of waffle, just to see his tail wag.
With only Selena's typing and Spot's patter of paws, Sunset breathed in the calm morning. She made slow work of her waffles, watching the shadows shift in the backyard as the sun continued to climb. Her phone remained silent, and she wondered if it would be a rare day where she didn't see any of her friends.
Going back to sleep doesn't sound like a bad idea.
They had never said when they were going to start training, just that they would after their beach day. One more day of rest and rejuvenation couldn't hurt.
Breakfast finished, she got up and carried her dishes to the sink. There were a few dishes from last night, so as a courtesy to Selena, Sunset washed them too and set them on the drying rack.
"Could you do me a favor and take the garbage out while you're up," Selena asked.
"Yeah, no prob--"
"Lulamoon!"
"Aaah!" Sunset grabbed the frying pan on the drying rack and held it above her head as blue smoke poured into the kitchen. Selena was on her feet, hands raised in a defensive stance. She quickly dropped them into balled fists and stamped her foot.
"Artemis!"
The smoke cleared and standing in the middle of the kitchen, hands on their hips and triumphant smiles on their faces, were Trixie and Artemis. They both took a bow and Artemis said with his usual pompous flair, "Yes, the magical, father-daughter duo has returned!"
"Feel free to shower us with your applause!" Trixie added.
Selena instead glowered at them. "How many times have I told you, no magic in the kitchen! You could have set off the smoke alarm! Again!"
Artemis straightened up and flashed her a loving smile. "Come, turtle dove, who would I be if I didn't make a dramatic entrance? Especially after being gone for so long?"
"Reasonable. You'd be reasonable."
"And wouldn't that be boring!"
Sunset put the frying pan away. "A little warning would have been nice. I thought we were under attack."
"Aw, did we scare you?" Trixie asked, giving Sunset a smirk she didn't know she had missed.
"Yeah, and I was this close to wailing on you." Sunset held her index finger and thumb an inch apart.
Artemis laughed. "Then we've been gone too long if this is all it takes to frighten you!"
Selena sighed and cupped her eyes for a moment. "Well, you're right about one thing. You have been gone too long." She stepped forward and ducked under Artemis' outstretched arms to pull Trixie into a hug and shower her with kisses.
Trixie gave an embarrassed giggle. "I missed you too, Mom."
Selena gave her one more kiss on the head before turning and acknowledging Artemis, who still had his arms out. "And I suppose I can forgive magic in the kitchen this one time." She stepped into his embrace and kissed him on the mouth.
Sunset turned her head to give them a little privacy. "So, how was it?" she asked Trixie.
Trixie put one hand to her chest and raised the other to the sky. "How else could Trixie describe the world tour she and her father embarked on other than stupendous! There were perilous pitfalls, sinister snares, terrifying traps, and angry animals! But was Trixie ever afraid? Ha! Not once! She overcame every trial with her death-defying feats of magic, now new and improved! That's right, Trixie is now greater and even more powerfuler!"
Sunset stared, eyes-lidded as Trixie stood with both arms held triumphantly over her head. "'Powerfuler' isn't a word."
Trixie lowered her arms and rolled her eyes. "Why are you always such a buzzkill?"
"Someone has to keep your ego in check."
"Trixie's ego is just fine, thank you very much! You're just jealous you didn't have a life-changing adventure like Trixie did!"
"We've had enough excitement here that, trust me, I'm not jealous of your little adventure."
Artemis pulled away from Selena and sighed contently. "I missed this."
Trixie stuck her tongue out and Sunset smirked at her. She had missed this too, preferring to banter with Trixie than Shimmer.
Selena gestured to the remaining waffles. "You two must be starving. I can whip up some eggs and bacon too if you want."
"Turtle dove, you've no idea how much we longed for your cooking," Artemis said with a swoon.
"Trixie never wants to eat a root or berry ever again," she grumbled.
"I remember those days," Selena said fondly as she took the frying pan from the drying rack. "Trying to acquire a taste for squirrel because someone refused to cook rabbit."
"Rabbits are for pets and tricks only!" Artemis said defensively.
And I thought this family was weird before. Sunset returned to her seat at the table. "Food aside, how was it really? I mean, did you guys find the Rainbow of Light?"
Artemis coughed and fiddled with his shirt collar while Trixie crossed her arms and turned her nose up. "Well... not exactly," Artemis began.
Selena cracked an egg over the pan. "I knew this was a fool's errand."
"Hold on now, my love. We may not have found the Rainbow of Light, but we found unequivocal proof that it exists!" Artemis reached into his sleeve and rummaged around before pulling out the oldest, most disgusting journal Sunset had ever seen. The front half was completely gone, leaving the first exposed page brown, stiff, and moldy. The rest of it didn't look any better. It looked like the whole thing had been burnt at some point, then submerged in water.
Selena looked at it and pressed herself closer to the stove, her nose wrinkled. "What did you bring into my kitchen?" she asked, fighting a gag.
Artemis held it gingerly, laying it flat in the palm of his hand. "This," he said softly, like a louder voice would finish off what was left of the journal, "is something we discovered in the ruins of an old village. It appears to date back to the age of Arthur and Merlin, with its author claiming to know both of them. Most of it is blurred to the point of eligibility, but there are a few passages that are quite noteworthy. This one is exceedingly interesting."
He waved his hand over it, and the journal slowly opened and turned to one of its last pages. Artemis held it closer to his eyes and read,
"'--away the magic is foolhardy at best, but I could not dissuade them. The deed has been done. Already, the world feels... emptier. I had not reached attunement, but I can still feel it. To ensure to the highest possibility that nothing would ever be wielded for nefarious purposes again, they even locked away the Rainbow of Light. It at least remains on this plane. Only six pure hearts of virtue can unlock it again. Merlin's words. I know not what he means, I can only hope that if it is ever needed, those six will appear again.'"
Artemis looked up at his captive audience. "It's a rough translation from Middle Gaelic."
"You speak Gaelic?" Sunset asked.
Artemis flashed her a grin. "I'm a man of many talents. But that's neither here nor there." He gently closed the book and switched to a serious expression. "There is a lot to take away from the one passage alone, but what pops out to me is that the Rainbow of Light does in fact exist, it's still on this plane at the time of this writing, and that six virtuous hearts are required to get to it."
"Arty, if the author is telling the truth about knowing Merlin, then this book is almost a thousand years old," Selena argued. "For all we know, those six hearts came and went. The Rainbow of Light could still be anywhere."
"Yes, it could be anywhere, but we know now that it does exist!" Artemis threw his arms out. "That is all the hope I need to keep going!"
Elbow propped up on the table, Sunset rested her cheek in her hand. "Six pure hearts to use a weapon of light? Sounds kinda like the Elements of Harmony back in my world."
"Didn't you say it was those things that blasted you when you were a demon?" Trixie asked.
Sunset closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose. "Yes. They did do that."
"You don't think these Elements and the Rainbow are one and the same do you?" Artemis asked.
"I mean, probably not? Though they could be related somehow. What does the Rainbow of Light look like?"
Artemis held up a finger like he was about to launch into an explanation, but paused. He blinked. "Huh, you know, I don't know."
Sunset gave him a lidded stare. "You don't know what the thing you're looking for looks like?"
He sputtered. "Well, not exactly, I mean... it's never been described! But, I'm positive I would know it when I saw it. It's a Rainbow of Light! Hard to misidentify something like that."
"The more you talk, the more I think Selena's right: this is a fool's errand."
Artemis groaned, drowning out Selena's satisfactory titter. "Not you too. Come now, sunnybun, you're from a land of mystical and whimsy. Surely you know how to spot a world-changing artifact from a mile away?"
"No," Sunset said flatly. "Because my world has magic items out the wazoo, I wouldn't know which one could turn the world upside down or which one would just make me instant pancakes unless I knew exactly what I was looking for!"
"It's a Rainbow of Light!" Artemis said like it explained itself. "An ancient artifact handed down to my ancestors by the gods themselves! Our sole duty is to guard over it! If anything, my very soul would be able to point it out once I laid eyes on it."
Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. "If you ever actually see it! We don't even know if it's a metaphorical or a literal rainbow! Heck, the book just said they sealed it away! It could be behind a giant door for all we know!"
"A door that you apparently need six hearts to unlock," Selena muttered as she scrambled the eggs.
Artemis put on a confident grin. "Well if anything, that narrows our search down! We just need to find something with six holes or pedestals or..." His mouth froze in mid-word and his pupils shrunk to microscopic dots. "Locks."
Trixie leaned forward. "What?"
In a puff of smoke, Artemios vanished from the spot, leaving Selena to grab a drying towel and swat at the wisps of blue clouds left behind. The second she had gotten the room clear, another plume of smoke announced Artemis' return.
"Will you stop teleporting into the kitchen!" Selena yelled.
But Artemis wasn't paying her any mind. He had something large clutched against his chest and was giggling like a madman. "I'd already done it! Haha! I knew I was amazing, but even I didn't think I was this amazing! Hahahaha! I'm so amazing, I've done amazing things without even realizing it! Ha!"
Trixie leaned back in her seat, eyes wide. "Father, you're scaring Trixie."
"More than usual," Selena added.
Artemis hopped over to the kitchen island and slammed what he was cradling onto the counter. "Look! Look at it! I had it this whole time! It was just sitting in the emporium waiting to be sold because I thought it was just beautiful junk!"
Sunset recognized the object; she had seen it on her first day of work at the shop the Lulamoons owned. Sitting inches away from her was a crystalline blue chest shaped into a hexagon. On each of its six slanting faces was a keyhole.
Selena walked over, looking marginally less skeptical than before. "I don't even remember where you found that thing."
"Neither do I!" Artemis emphatically thrust his arms at it. "But I'm positive! This! Is! It!"
Trixie leaned forward, her reflection appearing against the chest's polished surface. "You really think it's in there?"
"Yes! Turtle dove, little moon, sunnybun!" Artemis put his hand on top of the box and gave the widest smile Sunset had seen on him. "Our family honor has been restored. We have the Rainbow of Light."
*******
Moondancer set the blue roses in the vase and arranged them so their faces were all turned outward. The six she had picked had all bloomed marvelously; their petals a wonderful sapphire, each one perfectly folded over another.
She took the glass vase in her hands and began her trek to her mother's secluded chamber. She hoped her father wasn't already waiting there. Between ignoring her and suddenly being interested in every aspect of her life, Moondancer almost preferred being ignored.
She ascended the steps of the north most tower and opened the door. "Good morning, Mother. I brought your favorite--" Moondancer dropped the vase. The silence and glass shattered, shooting shards of clear shrapnel across her legs and leaving the roses to lay in a pool of water. Moondancer couldn't feel the physical pain, only the roiling fluctuations of hope and terror in her soul.
The bed was empty.
The heart monitor was off, the IV drip dangled in the breeze, and the sheets were unmade. Moondancer struggled to breathe. She backed out of the room, her heart bursting at the seams as a hundred thoughts shoved themselves to the front of her mind. She spun on her heels and bounded down the stairs.
"Mother!" Air refilled her lungs, quickly spent as she sprinted down the corridors and screamed. "Mother! Mom!"
She ran out to the garden, eyes searching for silver amongst the floral rainbow. "Mom!" Moondancer shouted, her voice carrying over the mountain.
She... she would see me first, right? Unless... Moondancer's breathing constricted again. She dashed back inside and slid to a halt at an intersection. Her mother had to be here! Where else could she look? Where else could she go? The floor rotated under Moondancer. Why did this damn mansion have to be so big? Where was she?
"Moondancer?"
She twisted her head. Her father jogged down the hall, slipping something into his coat pocket as he drew near. He put a hand on her trembling shoulder. "Why are you running around and screaming like this? I thought we were being attacked."
"Mother!" she said breathlessly. "She's-she's not in her room! She has to be awake! I have to find her!"
"Okay, okay, just calm down," he said, though Moondancer could see the rising apprehension in his eyes. "We'll find her."
A single gulp of air was all Moondancer could manage. If her mom hadn't come to see her first after getting up... her mind could only conjure grim alternatives.
Keeping a hand on Moondancer's shoulder, Night Shade steered her down the corridor, opening every door along the way. Eventually, they were back in the entrance hall, and just when Moondancer believed her anxiety couldn't rise any higher, a black portal opened at the top of the stairs.
Tempest stepped out, and the smirk she wore made Moondancer ill. "Ah, just the two I was looking for."
Night Shade clenched his jaw. "Where's Apalla?"
"You see, we're really starting to run behind schedule," Tempest said casually, winding the cord of the Soul Lock around her finger. "Lord Tirek's true body may not be ready, but Starlight and I feel we would all benefit more if he was more... physically present. And we just happen to have an empty vessel lying around."
Moondancer's entire body shook. "No. You can't," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You've gone too far this time, Tempest!" Night roared. "This wasn't part of the deal! You can't use my wife like that!"
Tempest continued to smile casually. "The deal was: you help me revive Lord Tirek and I'll return Apalla's soul. As far as I see, I've not broken our accord yet. Once Tirek's body is ready, all we have to do is a little soul shuffle." She suddenly winced and rolled her right shoulder.
Moondancer's breathed in short, haggard gasps. Tears spilled down her cheeks. "Please! Please don't do this! Can't you use anyone else?"
"Oh, are you volunteering?"
"I--" Moondancer bit her bottom lip, puncturing it and drawing blood. If she was gone, there was no one else to execute her plan. But if she didn't stop this, her plan was in jeopardy regardless.
"What if I volunteer?" Night asked, balling his fists.
Tempest snorted. "Don't be silly, Shade. You still have a company to run. Unlike your daughter, you're important. It was rhetorical anyway; Starlight has already begun."
Moondancer clapped her hands over her mouth, bile rising in her throat. Her mother was going to play host to Tirek.
"I'm through with this!" Night yelled, reaching into his coat pocket. "Our deal is over!"
He drew out a silver revolver and shot three times at Tempest. The sound ricocheted through the large room, tearing across Moondancer's eardrums. She stared in shock, looking first at her father, then up the stairs to Tempest. Her shadow arm was out, fist clenched, but she looked just as surprised as Moondancer.
Tempest unclenched her fist and the bullets fell to the floor. In the absence of the echoing gunshots, the manor was deathly silent. All Moondancer could hear was the leftover ring in her ears.
"A very unwise move, Night Shade," Tempest said slowly, raising the Soul Lock. She aimed its center at Moondancer.
Moondancer's soul seized up. Her body's erratic shaking fell back to a meager tremble as a weightlessness fell over her. The tethers keeping her soul anchored snapped one by one.
This... this is how it ends? This is how my scene concludes? But... who will save the world? I don't want to go yet...
"Moondancer!"
Something rammed into her and threw her to the ground. All feeling returned to her body as she hit the tiles. The numbing fog that had begun clouding her head dissipated and her soul settled back into place. She looked at her reflection in the polished marble. A shell-shocked girl stared back at her.
Then, her father hit the floor.
Moondancer turned her head, finding his purple eyes, the same ones she had inherited. The light had already left them. Night Shade stared back at Moondancer, not truly seeing her. His lips were parted, and Moondancer could feel his breath faintly against her face, the only sign he was still alive.
Alive, but empty.
And Moondancer was eight again, kneeling over her mother who laid on the floor, eyes wide and mouth open. She was breathing, yet she wouldn't wake up, no matter how hard Moondancer shook.
She crawled to her knees and leaned over her father's body. Her quivering fingers hovered over his chest, afraid to physically confirm what her eyes saw.
"You... you idiot," Moondancer choked out. "Why?"
Tempest's boots thumped against the stairs as she descended. She held her shadow hand pressed against her shoulder and grit her teeth. "Every time I think you're on the hook, you find a way to wriggle off," she said, disgusted.
Moondancer barely heard her. The seams of her heart had come completely undone, flooding her with emotions she couldn't make sense of. She rested a hand on Night, feeling his faint heartbeat.
"I suppose we could reverse the situation. It would take a while though. And all things considered, this is much more entertaining. So congratulations, Moondancer. It looks like you're now in charge of Shade Enterprises."
The flood of emotions began pouring outward. Moondancer felt hot and cold at the same time. She was paralyzed, yet her body shivered like she was buried in snow.
"Why?" she asked weakly. "Why did you choose now to grow a spine? Why did you protect me?" She lifted her head to Tempest. "Why do you hate me so much?"
Tempest sneered. "Don't flatter yourself. It's not just you, it's everyone like you. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth while I was lucky to be born at all. Given everything you could want just by asking while I had to claw my way to make a living. People like you take everything for granted and waste your lives never understanding what it feels like to suffer or struggle. Well, here's a taste."
She stomped back up the stairs and into the portal. "I'll give you a few hours to get him settled into Apalla's old room. Then, it'll be time for Lord Tirek's homecoming." The portal closed behind her.
Moondancer looked back at her father. She wanted to slap him, to yell and rant. But his vacant eyes told her it would be pointless.
"Lady Moondancer."
She looked up across the entrance hall. Porter and Lemon Fresh stood at one of the doorways, grim-faced and apprehensive.
Moondancer opened her mouth, letting a hiccup escape. She wiped her eyes and tried again, but no sound came out. She moved a hand and dug her nails into her arm until she broke skin.
She hissed, jumpstarting her vocal cords again. "Is it true? Am I in charge of the company?"
Porter nodded. "Master Night Shade did leave a missive that you would legally be allowed to take over if something happened to him once you turned eighteen. All of his shares go to you."
"I see." Moondancer opened her mouth to say more but the train of thought ended there. She was the CEO now. "Porter, Lemon, could you please take Father and... and put him in... Mother's old room?"
"Of course, My Lady," Lemon said, matching Moondancer's hoarse whisper. "Is there... can we do anything else for you?"
Moondancer shook her head. "No, not now. I just..." She let her unspoken words hang in the air. Her maid and butler picked Night up and carried him away without a word, leaving Moondancer to kneel at the bottom of the stairs alone.
Her mind was a roulette wheel, spinning and landing on a topic that she could only process for two seconds before it spun again. Her father was gone. Her mother was to be a puppet. She was in charge of a global conglomerate.
Moondancer let out a single, strained, "Ha," at the absurdity of it all. She knew it was real, knew it wasn't a dream. Yet her mind couldn't quite process what had just happened.
Her husk of a heart on the other hand seemed completely aware of the situation. An iron fist held a grip on it, making Moondancer's chest ache. She placed both hands over her breast and doubled over. Her air passage tightened and the room started to spin.
Don't fall apart. Don't you dare.
But Moondancer wanted to scream, wanted to sob, wanted to throw a tantrum. Tempest was wrong. She knew what suffering felt like. She sniffled and hiccuped again.
Save your screams and tears for when it's over.
Moondancer used the banister to pull herself to her feet and leaned against it, chest still tight and head still spinning.
"And it's almost over, isn't it?"
*******
The crystal chest sat on the repaired coffee table in the living room. Ten faces stared at it expectantly.
"So... what now?" Rainbow asked.
Sunset sat on the arm of one of the living room chairs having given Twilight the seat. She leaned forward and pinched her chin. "Well, my theory was, since you girls represent the Elements of Harmony and the Rainbow of Light seems so similar, maybe the box would have a reaction. If the Rainbow really is in there."
Applejack put a hand against the chest and waited a few seconds. "Ah don't think it's doing anythin'."
Rarity tapped a finger against her cheek. "And while that's a good theory, dear, it comes with a snag. If you need the Elements of Harmony to open it, you would also need Princess Twilight."
Sunset sat perfectly still but felt the chair shift. "Not necessarily. We beat the Sirens without her. Maybe we don't need her for this either."
Fingers crossed.
"And we still have our Twilight!" Pinkie said. "Maybe she can take the Princess's place!"
The chair shifted again.
"Or, maybe it's Trixie's destiny to be a wielder of one of these mystical keys!" Trixie said loudly. "She is a descendant of Megan and Merlin!"
"But what if it's none of us?" Fluttershy asked. "Where would we start looking for the keys?"
Artemis tugged on his goatee. "We've already scoured the globe several times. I can search my inventory, but I don't think we'll get lucky six more times."
"Maybe we can trick it!" Pinkie reached into her hair and pulled out a bobby pin.
"Pinkie, this ain't a locked door; you're messin' with magic," Applejack warned.
Pinkie pressed her tongue against her lips as she twisted the pin into a lockpick and stuck it into a keyhole. She jiggled it around, keeping her ear close to the chest to hear the tumblers Sunset was certain didn't exist.
A soft pink glow shone from the keyhole. Pinkie gasped and jimmied the lock harder. "I think I got it!"
The bobby pin shot out of her hand and across the room where Selena caught it before it could puncture a picture.
Pinkie took a step back from the chest, smiling nervously. "Maybe I made it mad."
The pink light intensified and concentrated into a single beam that struck the spiked bracelet on Pinkie's wrist. It glowed in turn, and from it rose a small white ball that quickly grew and changed shape. When the light show finished, a golden key hovered in front of Pinkie. Its handle was shaped like a three-leaf clover, and the teeth looked like little balloons. It dropped into Pinkie's hands, glitter trailing off it.
"Oooo!" Pinkie held it up to her face. "It's so shiny!"
Twilight stood up and walked closer to examine it as well. "How did that happen? It had a reaction to Pinkie's bracelet, but why?"
"Isn't that the bracelet Sonata gave you?" Sunset asked.
Pinkie looked at it fondly. "Yep!"
Artemis narrowed his eyes. "Sonata? As in, one of the Sirens?"
"It's a long story," Selena said with a sigh. "Suffice to say, you and Trixie weren't the only ones on an adventure."
"But it ended with me and Sonnie becoming besties!" Pinkie chirped. "She gave me one of her bracelets to show we're BFFs!"
"Well, if Pinkie has a key, it backs up my theory that the rest of you are supposed to have them as well," Sunset said. "I'm just not sure what Sonata's wristband has to do with it."
"Artemis, sir, may I see that journal you mentioned?" Twilight asked.
Artemis reached into his sleeve and carefully pulled it out. "Most of it is illigible or outright destroyed." He levitated it over to Twilight's outstretched hands.
"Hmm..." Twilight set it on her lap and treated it with the gentleness of a librarian. "I might have the tools to restore the parts that are legible. I'm going to need some time though."
Artemis smiled. "By all means. I leave this in your capable hands."
"In the meantime, maybe we can get in contact with Sonata and see if her wrist band was already magical," Sunset suggested. "Though I have no idea why the Siren's magic of all things would help open a box of pure good."
"Hey, let's stay on the bright side," Rainbow said, adjusting the scarf around her waist. "One key down, five to go. We just gotta keep an eye out."
"But what happens when we get the Rainbow of Light?" Applejack asked.
"Find Tempest and that Soul Lock thing and blast 'em into next week!"
Rarity shook her head. "I doubt it will be that simple. Though that does bring to mind the idea of us training. We had our beach day. As per our agreement, it's time to get serious."
"Training?" A giddy smile crossed Artemis' face. "You girls want to hone those magic skills of yours?"
Sunset tentatively nodded, feeling an apprehensive bubble in her stomach. She could only imagine the whacky training regiments Artemis could cook up.
He clapped his hands and bounced up and down. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"
"Ugh, you guys are so loud!"
Every head turned toward the stairs. Shimmer leaned over the banister, still dressed in her nightclothes. "Can you keep your anime shenanigans down?"
"Oh right, she's still here," Trixie said flatly.
Shimmer looked from Trixie to Artemis. "Oh look, the wizards are back. What are you weirdos up to now?" She eyed the chest.
"We're gonna start training to be superheroes!" Pinkie said with a skip.
Shimmer rolled her eyes. "I was joking about the anime stuff."
"You're pretty good at hand-to-hand combat," Selena said. "Perhaps you could start to earn your keep around here and teach a few lessons."
"Me, a teacher?" Shimmer pursed her lips in thought. "Nah. I don't want anything to do with your supernatural crap unless the Sirens come knocking on the door again." She gave a two-finger salute and walked away.
Artemis lowered his head and looked at Selena. "Seriously, what is all this business with the Sirens?"
Selena simply gave a quick point to Sunset.
Sunset tugged on her shirt collar. "Okay, I would like to lead with, we won and nobody got seriously hurt..."
*******
Moondancer looked over her father. He stared past her with familiar empty eyes. She made a snort and turned away, casting her gaze out the window to the garden. She thought about getting flowers for her father. She had always brought her mother's favorites: blue roses, daisies, and lavender. She had no idea what flowers her father liked.
There were a lot of things she didn't know about her father.
She turned around and glared at him again, every part of her body trembling.
"Why? Why throw yourself in front of me? Do you think this self-sacrifice makes up for what you did?" She ground her teeth together before continuing in a louder voice, "Because it doesn't! I still loathe you, you stupid, stupid man!"
She clutched her heart, feeling it constrict. "I'll take care of you not out of love, but of obligation. Until you wake up and give me an answer. Until you truly make up for the decade I spent alone. Understood?"
Night Shade stared at the wall.
Moondancer swatted the tears from her cheeks. She refused to fall apart over him. She sucked in a shuddering breath and stepped out of the room, securing her mask.
Tempest waited for her at the bottom of the stairs. "Don't look so down, Moondancer. Do your job right, and you'll have both your parents back soon."
It took a surge of willpower to stop Moondancer from lunging at Tempest--from running her nails across Tempest's face and leaving her a gash as long as her own. While the scenario played out in her head, Moondancer kept her expression neutral and nodded.
Tempest lifted her arm, a subtle wince crossing her face. A portal sprung up before them, and Tempest ushered Moondancer inside. She always likened portal teleportation to jumping into the ocean at night. It was always cold and left her feeling wet for the briefest of moments. The portal let out into a dimly lit lab, a sub-level unit judging by the lack of windows. It was sparse, containing a few computers on a row of desks and thick cables running across the floor and disappearing into the wall. Sliding steel doors stood across from Moondancer, the biohazard symbol etched into the right panel.
Starlight Glimmer sat in front of one of the computer monitors, one leg crossed over the other. She idly tapped the keyboard with one hand while holding a coffee mug in the other.
"Hello, you two," she said, sparing a quick glance over her shoulder. "Lord Tirek will be out in a moment. He's getting... adjusted."
A spike of nausea hit Moondancer. She attempted to swallow, but her dry mouth made it immensely difficult. She tried to distract herself by digging her nails into her wrist.
Starlight stood up and moved next to Moondancer. She pretended to make herself busy by straightening her lab coat and said from the corner of her mouth, "I'm sorry about your dad."
"Shut up," Moondancer said, glaring at the floor. She came to regret that command. As the three of them waited, silence hung over them and made Moondancer fidget. Her heart thumped erratically and her body started to shake again.
It won't be her. It can't be her.
Half of Moondancer's mind tried to call Tempest's bluff; that she hadn't actually taken Apalla and just wanted to get a rise out of Moondancer. But the other half knew the truth. That side tried to mentally prepare for whoever--whatever walked through that door.
Because whoever it was, it wasn't her mother.
Finally, the metal panels on the door hissed and slid apart, and a cloaked figure loomed in the threshold.
Moondancer's breath hitched. Her mental preparation had done nothing for how her heart would react. It froze in her chest and the rest of her body followed suit, leaving her unable to look away from the horror drawing toward her.
Apalla Lulamoon didn't walk with the graceful gait Moondancer remembered. She instead stalked ahead with her shoulders hunched forward, giving her a domineering presence. Her movements were stiff, and her attention was drawn to her own hand as she flexed her fingers one by one. Her hair was still limp and brittle, and her skin looked clammy and pale.
She looked up and caught Moondancer's eye, and Moondancer's frozen heart shattered. This wasn't a phantom, a hallucination, a doppelganger. Moondancer saw the physical presence of her mother. But only the physical presence. The pride and love that had once shone in Apalla's eyes no longer existed. There was only a monster inside, and it drove Moondancer's fight or flight instinct haywire. Did she maul the creature wearing her mother's face, or run and hide in her room forever?
Apalla--no, Tirek, drew closer, his heavy boots thumping against the hard floor. Instead of the nightgown Moondancer had dressed her mother in, Tirek wore a black vest and trousers with a ragged cloak draped over his shoulders.
Tempest dropped to one knee and bowed her head. "Lord Tirek," she whispered with reverence.
Starlight took a knee as well, and Moondancer, finding some control of her body again, slowly got down and averted her eyes.
Tirek stopped in front of them. "Fizzlepop Berrytwist. Starlight Glimmer. ...Moondancer Lulamoon." It was Apalla's voice in all but delivery. Instead of the whimsical, life-loving cadence Moondancer remembered, it was cold, uninterested, detached.
Moondancer chanced a glance up. Tirek glared down at her, distaste and suspicion in his borrowed eyes. Tirek turned his attention on Tempest and held out her hand.
"My Soul Lock, if you would."
"Of course, My Lord." Tempest reached for the amulet around her neck, and for the first time in Moondancer's life, she saw fear on Tempest's face.
She slipped the cord over her head and handed it up to Tirek. The second it left her fingers, Tempest's face grew pale. She broke into a succession of ragged coughs interspersed with desperate gasps of air. Her hand scrambled into a pocket and pulled out an inhaler. Moondancer could see some wear on it but couldn't imagine when Tempest had ever used it.
Tempest took a puff then inhaled deep before regaining some composure. Tirek hadn't spared her a glance. His eyes only beheld the golden amulet resting in their palm.
"There are hardly any souls in here," Tirek said with motherly disappointment.
"It has been hard to gather them without drawing suspicion, My Lord," Tempest said weakly. "The world is quite different from when you were last here."
"Quite." Tirek raised his head and sniffed the air. "This world's magic has been nearly depleted... no... it's missing."
"We are doing our best efforts to recreate what magic we can in the meantime," Starlight said.
He nodded. "You were wise to give me this body in the meantime. Magic flows through her blood; a good stand-in for the lack of world magic to attune to. And more souls will help offset the balance." He slipped the Soul Lock over his neck and raised a palm. A blue flame burst to life and hovered before his face.
"I spent quite some time in my Soul Lock. Long enough to begin to question if I would ever be free again. Perhaps my ambitions would amount to naught. Perhaps humanity would continue to struggle and beg to gods who care nothing for mortals." Tirek smiled and looked down. "And then I stumbled upon you, Fizzlepop. You who had been dealt a terrible hand in life. You struggled and suffered, with no divine intervention to aid you whatsoever. You have blundered in the past, but you have remained steadfastly loyal. And for that, you will be rewarded."
The flame in Apalla's palm turned black and he brought it down on Tempest's head. Tempest's breathing became frantic as black lines arced down her face and neck and disappeared under the collar of her shirt. She grabbed the stump of her arm and screamed, thrashing under Tirek's hold.
Between her screams, Moondancer could hear the sickening crunch of bone and squelch of flesh. She closed her eyes, her urge to vomit rising ever higher. Tempest's scream reached a crescendo, then came to a stop. Moondancer cracked an eye open and gasped.
Extending out of Tempest's sleeve was a new arm, fully formed and the same mulberry color as the rest of her skin. Tempest flexed her fingers and made a fist. Sparks of black electricity danced over her knuckles. She took a deep breath and a cynical smile returned to her face.
Tirek took a step back. "Rise, Commander Tempest Shadow."
Tempest stood up and crossed her new arm over her chest before making another bow. "You honor me, Lord Tirek."
Tirek nodded and moved onto Starlight who looked up with hopeful expectation. "This 'science' you've brought along has been quite beneficial, Starlight. Continue your work and I promise, when I open the doors to the divine, you will have your reward."
Starlight nodded. "Thank you, Lord Tirek."
Finally, Tirek stepped in front of Moondancer. Their eyes met again, and Moondancer fought to not throw up. Every fiber of her soul told her the picture she was looking at was wrong. Yet she held her gaze with her mother's cold, indifferent eyes.
Tirek knelt down to be at level with her. "There's such pain and anger in your eyes," he said softly. "But that's to be expected. I'm in the body of someone you care about, aren't I?"
Moondancer said nothing, biting her tongue.
"Don't worry. I won't do anything to her. This is merely a temporary substitute until my body is back. But, I am curious..."
His hand struck out and grabbed Moondancer's neck, squeezing her windpipe.
"Spawn of Megan... descendant of Merlin... your bloodline has been a thorn in my side for countless generations. Why should I not kill you where you stand?"
A thin trickle of air passed through Moondancer's throat, and she wheezed out, "My ancestors... were wrong to... seal you away. I want... what's best for humanity."
Tempest cleared her throat. "As much as I would love to see you obliterate her, My Lord, she currently is an asset to us. For now, she owns the business that funds our research and endeavors."
Tirek looked over his shoulder then back to Moondancer. "So she's our patron? Hmph. Very well." He released his grip and Moondancer crumpled to the floor, gasping and holding her throat.
"But I warn you," her mother's lethal whisper dripped into her ears, "I can feel the resentment in your soul, the hatred. If I find any trace of treachery, any vain hope of stopping my machinations, you will never see your mother ever again."
Moondancer gave a weak nod.
"Good girl. Come, Tempest. I feel there is much you need to inform me about the ways of the modern world."
Moondancer brought herself to her hands and knees as Tirek and Tempest exited the room. A hand brushed her shoulder and she slapped it away.
"Why?" Moondancer asked in a raspy voice. "Why did you do it?"
"I didn't really have much of a choice," Starlight said simply. "And it's not like this changes your plan that much, right? There's just an extra step now."
"Shut up!" Moondancer balled her fists. "An extra step? You call having to watch that monster masquerade as... as my... my mom an extra step?"
"I never said it would be an easy step."
Moondancer glared up at Starlight. "Go. Just go."
"Eheh, right then." Starlight smiled awkwardly and backed off. She followed after Tirek and Tempest, exiting through another door. The silence after it closed was haunting.
Moondancer remained on the floor, her breathing still haggard, not by her sore throat but by her constricted chest. With each passing second, it grew tighter. And while the room was quiet, thousands of thoughts screamed in her head at once.
This time, she couldn't fight it. Her mind settled on the image of her mother's cold eyes looking down at her, and Moondancer let out a short, choked scream. She screamed again, just to clear her air passage. She inhaled...
And Moondancer screamed. |
Spectacular Seven | 4. Canterlot Tower | Sunset opened her bedroom door and yawned. She dug out as much sleep from her eyes as she could and walked toward the bathroom. As her vision cleared, she saw Trixie walking toward her.
Both girls paused in front of the bathroom door.
"Trixie has had to bathe in rivers and community showers for the last month. She demands to use the bathroom first."
Sunset rolled her eyes but took a step back and swept her arm toward the door. "Just for today."
Trixie raised her chin but smiled. "Your generosity is appreciated." She sauntered into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
Remembering how long Trixie could take in the mornings, Sunset decided to bide her time by heading downstairs. As she approached the kitchen, she could hear Artemis and Selena talking in hushed tones. She poked her head around the corner and found them hunched over something on the table.
"Morning," she said with a hesitant wave. "What's up?"
Artemis heaved a sigh and stepped out of the way. "I'm afraid this morning starts off with some rather ominous news."
"Great, just how I like to start my days," Sunset said with a playful smile. When it wasn't reciprocated, she approached the table and saw the morning newspaper. Moondancer looked up at her, half her face hidden by a mask and the other looking exhausted.
Corporate Transition: Shade Enterprises' sudden new CEO!
As dawn broke over Canterlot this morning, it was reported that Night Shade, president and CEO of Shade Enterprises, and the richest man in Canterlot, had fallen into a comatose state with no sign of awakening.
The company is estimated to be worth approximately eight hundred million dollars. In a missive penned by Night Shade, company operations and personal shareholdings have been signed over to his only daughter Moondancer. She has been named acting CEO until such time as Mr. Shade recovers, or the company's board of directors votes to appoint a new candidate to the position. However, Moondancer's inherited shareholdings total at fifty-five percent giving her majority ownership and the ability to override any decision made by the board.
Speaking from in front of the family manor in the Upper Villa, a seemingly shaken and hesitant Moondancer issued the following statement:
"We have opted to give my father in-home care, and it is my deepest wish that he awakens soon. As of now, the doctors are unsure of what caused his sudden collapse, though he has been under a lot of stress as of late."
Moondancer turned eighteen earlier this month, meaning she is legally allowed to assume this emergency inheritance. However, there is doubt of her ability to run an international, multi-million dollar company.
"There are some who assume I'm another airheaded heiress. I can assure you, while I'm no mogul, I fully understand the business model of my family's company and how to navigate the corporate world. My father left the company in a very lucrative state, and I plan on keeping it that way until he returns."
Rumors are already swirling regarding this sudden transition of power and Moondancer's capability. Moondancer transferred to Canterlot High--a public school that faced scrutiny last year over a sudden gas explosion that destroyed the front entrance--for her last semester of senior year, only to miss finals and subsequently leave her studies incomplete, essentially making her a high school dropout.
When asked about this matter, Moondancer gave the brusque response: "While I believe in transparency for our company, what occurs in my private life is frankly irrelevant to the press." Though the young heiress has spent her life up until now in relative obscurity, appearing only at corporate functions, Canterlot's business elites will have a sharp eye on her from now on.
The article went on to mention a drop in stocks, but Sunset hardly cared about the economics of the situation. She looked up at Selena and Artemis. "You think Night Shade got his soul taken?"
Selena gave a grim nod. "The timeline of Tempest's actions match too well for this to be a coincidence."
Artemis paced between the table and the stove. "First the Sirens are walking around again and now this. I just got home and already can't catch a break."
"What does this mean for us though?" Sunset asked.
"We're not sure," Selena said. "We had already assumed Night Shade was working with Tempest, or at least that he knew Moondancer was. Either way, why wait until now to remove him and put Moondancer in power?"
"Why put an eighteen-year-old in charge in the first place?" Sunset asked. "It can't be because she's easier to control. We've met Moondancer."
"Night must have done something egregious to upset Tempest," Selena remarked.
Artemis ran a finger over his goatee and stared out to the backyard. "Perhaps. Or... maybe..."
A rapid knocking at the door prevented Sunset from pressing him on his muttered musings. She hurried over and opened it to find Twilight doubled-over, sword in hand, chest heaving.
"Moondancer... CEO! I saw... newspaper!" she gasped.
Sunset took her by the arm and led her inside. "Yeah, I just found out. You know, you didn't have to run here."
Twilight straightened up. "I thought it would be a good pre-training workout. Plus, this is really big news! If Moondancer's in charge, that means--"
"Her dad probably lost his soul."
"Not just that. Moondancer's in charge of one of the largest businesses on the East Coast. She has direct access to money and resources now. If she really wanted to, she could make our lives extremely difficult."
Sunset pressed her lips together. "I wouldn't put it past her... but even if she wasn't directly in control of the company she's still been rich and powerful all along. What more can she do now that she couldn't have tried before?"
"Good point. But I still think we should be prepared for something. Moondancer's shown herself to be..." Twilight tightened her grip on her sword. "Impossible to read. The only person who knows what's going on inside her head right now is her."
"Yeah. Attacking us one day and feeding information to Fluttershy the next. She definitely has her own agenda."
Twilight slumped her shoulders and headed toward the kitchen. "I just wish she told me what it was."
*******
You don't have to do this.
Moondancer looked up from her compact mirror to admire the passing cityscape. The limo pulled off the freeway and into the bustling traffic of downtown Canterlot. The sky quickly became obscured by the glass skyscrapers and concrete towers looming overhead.
Her head tilted downward and she caught her reflection again. No amount of makeup could hide the despondent look in her red eyes. It covered up the bags underneath her visible one at least. No one needed to know she was running on two hours of sleep. Every time she had closed her eyes, she saw her mother--Tirek, looking back at her.
You could end all of this right now.
Moondancer snapped the compact shut and leaned back in her seat. She had spent hours pacing in her room last night, chasing that thought in circles. She didn't care how well reasoned the idea was, she didn't care if it made her complicit in any more chaos that occurred. The fact of the matter was she, Moondancer, was not ready for that, mentally or emotionally.
But you can put an end to this entire nightmare! the rational part of her brain screamed. Make up for everything you've done! Make up for the failure your ancestors made! All you have to do is...
Kill Mother.
Moondancer lurched forward, cupping a hand over her mouth. Every time those two words strung themselves together, she nearly vomited.
But it's true. You could end it all. Once Tirek dies a mortal death, this cycle ends and you can release all the souls from the Soul Lock.
Moondancer swallowed hard but kept her mouth covered, her stomach still roiling.
"All I have to do is sacrifice my mother and render years of toil and suffering pointless," Moondancer muttered into her palm. She let out a broken laugh then gagged again.
But it'd be a simple matter. His--Mother's--his body is still weak. I wouldn't even need my project.
She shuddered at the visual of overpowering him and pinning him to the ground.
Mother would want what was best for the world though. She'd... she would probably risk throwing her life away for the greater good. She would probably beg me to do it. But...
Moondancer bit her thumb knuckle and pulled her shoulders in. Every time she played the scene out in her head, it froze before the final blow. Even if it was just Tirek wearing her mother's face, it was still her mother's face.
Coward.
"Yes, I am," Moondancer said softly, lowering her hand.
Her limo pulled into the roundabout at the base of Canterlot Tower. Its black steel beams and glass absorbed the sun's rays, giving the sixty-story building an even more ominous appearance. The media were already gathered along the path to the front entrance, microphones out and cameras flashing.
"Are you ready, Miss?" Porter asked from the front.
Moondancer smoothed out her ruffled maroon blazer and wiped off any lingering lint from her black slacks. "As I'll ever be." A moment later, her door opened and a flood of questions washed over her. She took Porter's hand and stepped out of the car, keeping her expression neutral.
"Miss Moondancer, what will be your first act as CEO?"
"Do you think you're qualified to handle this position?"
"What is your relationship with the board of directors?"
"Is it true the scars on your face are from plastic surgery?"
Moondancer's eye twitched slightly at that last question before she tuned the rest of them out. Security guards kept the reporters at bay as Moondancer strode toward the sliding glass doors. She paused in front of them and turned toward the cameras. "I will follow whatever plan my father had in place. Thank you." She gave a simple wave and backed-stepped into the building.
Silence greeted her the second the doors slid closed. She took a moment to breathe in the quiet and look around the modest reception hall.
Moondancer couldn't count the number of times she had been here, usually just to smile, wave, and put on the appearance that she and her father were a normal, happy family. There was a different air walking in without her father leading in front of her. Normally, she was detached and uninterested. But she was in charge now; she had to pay attention.
A familiar red rug ran over the gray tiles to the reception desk where a young man typed away at his keyboard. A board with a list of the various departments and amenities occupying the floors of Canterlot Tower took up the wall to Moondancer's left. Though Shade Enterprises itself used up much of the building, they leased out several floors to their subsidiary companies.
On Moondancer's right was a small sitting area with black leather couches and a coffee table covered in magazines. Moondancer remembered the days she had to sit and wait, politely saying hi to all the passing employees while her father finished up a meeting. A woman with alabaster skin and jet black hair tied in a neat bun sat in the seat Moondancer had always chosen.
She looked up from her tablet and smiled at Moondancer before standing and adjusting her horn-rimmed glasses. In heels, she was almost Moondancer's height.
"Hello, Miss Moondancer, I don't know if we've ever properly been introduced," she said, reaching her hand out as she approached. "My name is Raven Inkwell. I was your father's personal secretary, and now yours, if you wish to have me stay on." Her voice was prim but pleasant, and she never broke eye contact.
Moondancer shook her hand and smiled back. "I remember you. Of course you can stay on. Having someone with such familiarity will make navigating through this much easier."
"Thank you, ma'am, I'm glad you feel that way. I do hope Mr. Shade gets well soon, but I look forward to working with you." Raven withdrew her hand and tapped on her tablet. "Before we get to business, I must ask, how would you prefer to be addressed? Miss Moondancer, Miss Lulamoon, Miss Shade?"
"Just 'Moondancer' will be fine," she said, suppressing a flinch.
"Very well, Miss Moondacner." Raven gave a polite nod. "If you'll follow me, we can go through a quick tour of the departments before heading to your office."
*******
Though Moondancer knew the building well enough from her past visits, she humored Raven and allowed her to be her tour guide. She already knew Sand Dollar in accounting and Sealight from international relations. Sparkler from communications had come over for dinner in the past, and Moondancer had once had a playdate with Sugar Sweet's son.
But meeting them as their new boss was different.
They no longer looked down at her with polite smiles and passive glances; they looked up to her with a cavalcade of emotions hidden behind affable greetings and condolences. Some of them looked at her with fear, others with expectation. But all of them held scrutiny: the judgment of fully grown adults who would now be expected to answer to a child.
Moondancer couldn't blame them. She'd be skeptical too if she was in their position. Only Raven seemed to withhold judgment, or at the very least, she was better at hiding it. They stood in the glass elevator on the side of the tower, watching the city grow smaller and smaller as they ascended to the top floor.
"You have a video call with the president of Firefly's Skydiving at two. They want to commission new parts for their airplanes. Then at four, you have your first meeting with the board of directors. I've already written up a few notes to help you review everything the company has been doing until now. They're on your desk along with the password to access your father's computer."
"Thank you, Miss Inkwell."
"My pleasure, ma'am." The elevator came to a smooth stop and opened to a large hallway with a set of grandiose doors at the other end. Another reception desk was positioned off to the side, opposite of a single security officer.
Raven walked at a brisk pace, but Moondancer took her time, admiring the potted plants and paintings on the wall. She paused at a watercolor of Canterlot's skyline, remembering the auction her father had bought it from. She had been six and very fidgety, bored of all the stuffy people holding up little signs just for pictures. She had been treated to ice cream afterward though for her patience. Looking at it now, Moondancer admitted it was a fine piece of artwork.
She carried herself down the velveteen carpet to the oak doors. Raven had seated herself at the desk and was already typing away at her computer. She paused and smiled at Moondancer again. "I will be right here if you need anything. Just press the intercom button on your desk."
"Right. Thank you, Miss Inkwell," Moondancer repeated. She took a quick breath and pushed open the door. Like the rest of the building, she had been here before when she was just the CEO's daughter. Stepping into the office as the CEO herself held a different atmosphere. She felt the urge to keep her shoulders straight and hold her head up as she crossed the threshold and swung the door shut.
She paused and let her heels sink into the plush white carpet. The office was brightly lit, due completely to the back wall being made entirely of glass. Moondancer walked past the couch and tea table set up in front of her father's desk to get a better appreciation of her new view. Far down below, she could see people scurrying down the street like ants or driving beetle-sized cars. To her left were the mountains, free of snow now that summer had arrived, and to her right, she could see the line of trees that marked the Everfree Forest. Straight in front of her, high-rises and skyscrapers dominated downtown Canterlot, towering over old brick and mortar shops and apartments. But they all bowed before Moondancer's tower, the next tallest building still several stories below her.
Moondancer felt tall and important. If only for a moment.
She looked back at the rest of the office. It made a U shape around the door. On one side was a small kitchenette with a fridge and microwave, and on the other was a door to the bathroom. Potted plants with large, round leaves sat close to the windows. They were so green and shiny, Moondancer doubted if they were real. A simple brush with her finger told her they indeed were. Her father had some competency with plants it seemed.
After admiring the succulents, Moondancer finally approached her father's desk. It was dark mahogany, a perfect contrast to the carpet, and curved along the surface. The computer came with two monitors that took up the left side. Moondancer took a seat in the office chair and scooted herself in, and for another brief moment, she felt important again.
A neat stack of papers and a pen sat in front of a picture frame. Moondancer nudged them aside and quickly cursed her curiosity. Her mother, father, and a younger Moondancer smiled at her from in front of the grand staircase back at home. They were all sharply dressed; Night Shade wore a silver business suit with a black tie to match Apalla's silver skirt and black blazer.
Moondancer squinted her eyes at her younger self. Little Moondancer's hair only fell to the nape of her neck and her bangs curled over her cheeks. The memories of that day sat somewhere in the fog of her mind. She recognized the sundress her mother had wrestled her into. It was fuchsia, her favorite color and her word of that year. She also recalled being squirmy that afternoon though she couldn't remember why.
The three of them smiled at the camera, Moondancer in between her parents and beaming like the happiest child in the world. They weren't painted, they weren't forced. They were genuine, happy smiles.
None of them knew. None of them had any idea of the tragedy that was to befall them. Her mother was to be a scapegoat, her father a pawn, and she, Moondancer, a vindictive fool.
Moondancer clenched her jaw and flipped the picture face down on the desk. On either side of her were a row of drawers. She picked the top one and opened it up, shoving the picture inside. Her hand reflexively snapped the drawer closed, but she kept her fingers curled around the handle, a conversation with her father springing to her mind.
Did he really keep it?
She opened the drawer again, nudging the picture aside to look at the other contents. Seeing only business folders, she closed it again and opened the one below it, finding more organized files. She opened another filled with spare pens, pencils, and highlighters. Moondancer tried the top drawer on her left and found a thin stack of unorganized papers. She leafed through them and found her query.
It was written in purple crayon by a child who had just discovered how to hold one. The letters slanted against one another and dipped below the lines. Some didn't look like letters at all. Still, Moondancer could make out the words 'princess' and 'tower' and 'save' along with a few other context clues.
"Why on earth would he keep this?" Moondancer flipped the paper over, finding more of her younger self's scribbles on the back. She wanted to be annoyed with her father, but something about him holding on to this trite, unintelligible screenplay touched her.
She puckered her lips and put the paper back in the drawer. It wasn't as though his sentimentality could help her now. Night Shade was gone and Moondancer found herself cursing his name.
Oaf. I told you not to waste either of our time trying to fix this relationship. I was perfectly fine without you. Why did you insist on trying? You just made it hurt more...
Moondancer swatted a tear away. I should probably start working. She tucked herself in a little tighter and turned the computer monitor on. On top of the stack of papers was a sticky note with the computer password. Moondancer punched it in and was greeted to a generic home screen with dozens of files plastered over it.
Mondancer edged her seat back an inch and tugged at her shirt collar. She pulled over the stack of papers and started leafing through them, finding project names and business associates with short summaries and important bullet points under each of them.
After a few pages, Moondancer's eyes began to gloss over. She pushed the papers back and returned to the computer, deciding to just click on the first file her mouse found. It opened to a ledger and a financial summary totaling in the low millions.
Moondancer found her mouth dry, and it was suddenly hard to swallow. She clicked open another file and found a memo filled with business jargon she barely understood.
Economics class did not prepare me for this.
She opened a file named 'quarterly reports' hoping to find a good place to jump in at. The graphs and summary were understandable at least but not what Moondancer would deem helpful. She opened another file and scanned through it, understanding some sections and being thoroughly confused by others. She opened another file, then another, and another, her breathing growing more labored with each one she opened.
Moondancer leaned back in her chair and placed her hands in front of her lips. I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't even know what I'm supposed to be doing.
A hysterical giggle broke free from her before she clamped her mouth down. "No, it's fine. I'm fine. Everything's fine."
She glanced at the door hiding partially behind her front monitor. Her eyes drifted to the intercom by the base of it; a simple brown box with a speaker and a red button. Moondancer tapped her index fingers together before leaning over and giving the button a quick poke.
A second later, the speaker crackled before Raven came through, clear as day. "Yes, Miss Moondancer, did you need something?"
"Oh! No, um... I was just testing to see if it worked."
"Very good, Miss Moondancer." It crackled again then went silent.
Moondancer watched the intercom for a few more seconds then looked back at the door. She couldn't ask for help on the first day. She already told the press she knew what she was doing. And the way all her new employees looked at her... like she was a child and they were expecting her to mess up. She couldn't take company ridicule on top of everything else.
"I can do this," she said, wiping a layer of sweat off her forehead. "I just need to... do it."
But what exactly did she do? And where did she start?
She pulled over the notes again. "Okay, Raven said I have a call with a skydiving company for plane parts. I'll just start there." The notes referred her to a computer folder labeled Celaeno Aviation. Finding it proved easier said than done, as the folders were not organized alphabetically but rather by acquisition date. Moondancer had to go down the exhaustive list of subsidiaries the company owned, several of which she had no clue existed. The more she read, the tighter the knot in her chest squeezed.
She wasn't just in charge of the employees of Shade Enterprise. She technically presided over thousands of people across half a dozen companies and had millions of dollars at her fingertips. And yet, she was just a pawn in someone else's game.
You don't have to be. You can put this to rest.
No, I can't!
All you have to do is kill--
Moondancer gagged, bile rising to her mouth. She forced it back with a shudder and coughed from the acid clinging to her throat. Legs trembling, she pushed herself away from the desk and stumbled over to the kitchenette. She poured herself a glass of water from the faucet and downed it in one gulp. The empty glass slipped out of her sweaty grasp and thudded against the countertop as Moondancer slid to her knees. She turned over and laid her back against the counter, pulling her legs up to her chest.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her hands shook on her knees and her breathing quickened. She stared blankly at the soft white carpet. "I can't do this... I'm not strong enough... I'm sorry. I thought, but... I can't. I can't do it. I can't do any of this. I can't do... I just can't..."
Her tears ran over her scars, making them prickle, and she lifted her mask and tossed it to the side. She had spent an hour in this position last night with similar thoughts screaming in her head. She didn't know why they kept crowding; she had one course of action. But the thought of sitting in this office day in and day out, putting on the facade she knew what she was doing and could direct an entire company while Tempest hovered in the shadows made her chest ache.
Is this what Father went through? But he actually knew what he was doing.
You have someone here who knows what she's doing.
Moondancer turned her head. She could see the intercom on the desk. She could ask Raven for assistance... but if word got out that she needed help with even the most basic of tasks--
Put your pride away for ten seconds!
Moondancer wasn't sure if she'd call it pride. It was hard to feel prideful when she was a puppet on a string. Whatever it was though, she did her best to swallow it down. She took another minute to breathe and put herself partially together before standing up.
Just... one thing at a time, Moondancer.
She wiped off her running mascara and slipped her mask back on before returning to her desk. Her finger hovered over the intercom button as she took another look at the folders and files open on the computer.
You don't have to do this.
Yes, I do. She sighed. But... I don't have to do all of it alone.
She held down the button. "Miss Inkwell..."
"Yes, Miss Moondancer?"
"Um... I... I just..." She cleared her throat. "Could you come in, please? I need your assistance with something."
*******
At a quarter to midnight, the Canterlot Art and History Museum should have been silent. Yet an eerie, hypnotic melody drifted through the dim corridors.
Adagio trailed behind the night guard, singing a few more notes as they crossed through the main exhibit hall. She ran a finger down her gemstone, savoring for the umpteenth time how smooth and warm it felt against her neck. She had the guard completely enthralled, but she sang again anyway, just to hear the soft melody of her voice.
Her voice! Sung in a rapturous solo! She didn't need her wretched sisters to provide back up. In fact, she had never needed them! She had offered them a chance at greatness out of the kindness of her heart and a sense of kinship. She had allowed them to ride on her coattails to greatness. But if they wanted to spurn her and throw their lot in with those disgusting girls, then so be it.
A rush of footsteps drew Adagio's eyes down an adjacent hallway. Here came another museum guard, hand near his baton.
"Iron Bar, what are you doing? Why is--"
"Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah."
The new guard slowed to a walk then came to a full stop. His eyes took on a green tint and his expression turned blank, just like the other three guards she had ensnared.
"Just go back to your position," Adagio said silkily. "There's nothing wrong here."
He nodded and turned around, stumbling back to wherever he had come from.
Adagio made a throaty chuckle and looked down at her leather glove. Stitched into the palm was the Sacanas shard. Sure, she could have blasted her way into the museum and taken what she wanted by force, but she didn't know how much power her shard had left.
And watching humans do her bidding was always satisfying.
Her escort led her to the back of the fine art section where all of the notable jewels were on display. In the center of the room sat Adagio's prize, the display light above it giving it a brilliant shine.
"Get it for me," she commanded.
The guard nodded and took out his keys, unlocking the glass case and reaching inside.
"I guess the old adage is true," Adagio said, holding her hands out. "If you want something done right..."
The guard placed the Crystal Heart in Adagio's palms. Its blue surface lit up her face, even in the dim light of the closed museum. She looked down at the dozens of reflections in the crystal's facets, all of them grinning hungrily at her.
"Do it yourself." |
Spectacular Seven | 5. As the Wheels Turn | Tirek looked down at his Soul Lock, slowly turning the golden amulet over fingers that weren't his own. They still felt stiff and slow to respond. It wasn't just this body's debilitation from being motionless for so long, he had fixed that with magic. It was more akin to the body trying to reject him. He could understand why--his host was also the spawn of his mortal enemy.
He let go of his Soul Lock and folded his arms behind his back. Another bluster of wind billowed his cloak out and pushed his long hair from in front of his face. He took a step forward and leaned over the edge of the tower. Canterlot City sprawled out beneath him, noisy with their automatic transports and construction and loud music. He wasn't sure what to make of this city of steel. It fascinated him how far humanity had advanced without the aid of magic, yet to see a world without marble temples and stone castles was strange.
"What do you think, My Lord?"
Tempest sat behind him on a metal box with grates that blew out hot air. She had spent the last two days informing him on the current state of the world. Technological advances, military powers, governing bodies. The world had grown even more chaotic and messy over the years. The gods had stopped even pretending to care.
Another gust of wind pushed Tirek's hair back into his face. He brushed it away and said, "Militaries boast powerful weapons, and this 'surveillance' technology allows them to observe things at all times." He despised the soft-sounding voice coming from his throat.
"The world has managed a great deal despite being robbed of magic," he continued. "But, that makes our job that much more difficult."
Tempest nodded. "That is why soul gathering has been slow-going. Large amounts of people dropping into comatose states would draw attention."
Tirek closed his eyes and growled. "A hindrance to be sure. I will need to borrow as many souls as possible to gain enough power to usurp the gods. What you've gathered is a start but is still just a mere pittance."
He raised a hand to his chin where his beard should have been. "But, if Starlight's research yields the results she promises, the threat of military interference will be of little consequence. No, we have something more immediate to concern ourselves with."
"The Rainbow of Light?"
Tirek turned and faced Tempest, the wind pushing his cloak against the back of his legs. "I had gathered countless souls and neared my ascension when Megan and her gaggle of minions stormed my castle. A decent witch in her own right, but nothing I could not handle, especially with the power I had gained. It would have been an inconsequential fight if not for divine intervention."
He clenched his jaw. "Too afraid to face me themselves, the gods picked her as their champion and handed her an instrument to match my powers. A 'light' to counter my so-called 'darkness'. Pure, concentrated Divine Magic. I could not have anticipated it, and in an instant, all of my work was undone.
"Years later, after I was brought back and resumed my conquest, I sent my followers to put down any magician they could find; anyone who might be able to wield the Rainbow. Yet Merlin and his friends outmaneuvered me and once again, I lost."
Tirek clenched a fist and looked up at the pale blue sky. "Twice I've been caught unprepared. It will not happen a third time."
"What do you propose, My Lord?" Tempest raised her recreated arm, and black electricity danced around her fingertips. "We could rip the flower out at the root."
"No." Tirek turned and looked out over the city again. "These girls you've quarreled with... you're certain they don't already have the Rainbow of Light in their position?"
"Positive. They bear a magic that is similar, but it doesn't appear Divine in nature."
"Hmmm, I see. All the more reason to spare them for now."
"My Lord?"
Tirek spread his arms from his sides. "In both ages that I was strong enough to threaten the divine order, the Rainbow of Light has also appeared. Even if I destroyed those who might be able to summon it, others would surely rise in time and attempt it again. It is godly power given to mortals. Particularly mortals who think it is their duty to stop me."
He dropped his left arm and in his right, a crackling blade made of angry red energy appeared. "Now, imagine, Commander, if I had control of such power. A divine weapon turned against its creators and the power of a legion of souls. Tearing down the pantheon of old would be child's play, and I would become the god humanity deserves."
Tirek slashed the air in front of him. It rippled like a red-tinged mirage and left red specks of magic to float on the wind.
After a beat of silence, Tempest spoke. "So, you want them to find the Rainbow of Light?"
"Indeed." The red sword disappeared in a burst of crimson embers. "Let us observe them. Even push when necessary. Allow their souls to grow, and when the Rainbow is within their grasp..."
Tirek looked over his shoulder and smiled. "We take it for ourselves."
*******
"So, here's where things stand. We have one key to the Rainbow of Light. Moondancer is in charge of Shade Enterprises. And now, Adagio Dazzle has the Crystal Heart in her grubby hands along with a shard that can absorb and recast magic."
Sunset watched Artemis pace back and forth in front of her and her friends. The six of them and Trixie were lined up in the Lulamoon backyard for the first day of magical training. Twilight sat off to the side with Selena, notebook and pencil at the ready.
"I'd ask how this situation could get worse," Artemis said, "but I know better than to tempt the universe."
"Why'd you give the crystal back to the museum in the first place?" Rainbow asked.
"What was I supposed to do with it?" Artemis asked, ceasing his pacing. "Its sole purpose is to amplify emotions, and the three creatures in the entire world who could use that for devious ends had been beaten! Forgive me for not being able to predict they'd find a way to get their powers back and come steal it again!"
"Hey, Adagio is the one that stole it," Pinkie clarified pointedly. "Sonata already called and told me she and Aria had nothing to do with it."
"She called you?" Applejack asked.
"Uh-huh! They get thirty minutes of phone time at the detention center."
Artemis crossed his arms. "Innocent until proven guilty, I suppose. Though you'll forgive me if I'm not unconvinced this isn't all a part of some grander scheme."
"It isn't!"
"Regardless! We have enemies moving about both in the open and in the shadows. You all need to be as prepared as possible for whatever happens next. So, to best find a way to hone your magical powers, I will need a proper demonstration first from each of you."
Twilight raised her hand.
"My dear Trixie and I have created an illusionary field around the backyard. To the outside world, it will seem as if nothing is amiss."
Twilight lowered her hand.
Artemis smirked. "Well, if there are no more questions, who wants to go first?"
"Dibs!" Rainbow called. She punched a fist into her open palm and instantly ponied up, taking a moment to bask in her own blue glow. She then phased into a chromatic blur that bounced from one side of the backyard to the other, creating a bluster of wind.
She skidded to a stop, hopped into the air, and pretended to take a seat while her wings kept her aloft. "So, how was that?"
"Super speed! Classic!" Artemis said jovially. "Alright, who's next?"
Pinkie waved her hand in the air. "Me, me!" She made a peace sign and held it to her eye while placing her other hand on her hip. "Pony power, maaaake up!"
In a burst of pink flare, Pinkie's pony ears popped out of her now extended hair. She cupped her hands in front of her face, a soft glow radiating from between her fingers. She then thrust her hands skyward and released a burst of light from her palms. It carried upward and exploded into hundreds of smaller lights, still visible despite the bright sunshine.
Pinke then made finger guns and pointed them at the sky, making, "Pew pew," noises as she shot off smaller fireworks.
Artemis stroked his goatee. "Interesting. Some form of pyrotechnic projectiles. Very good for offense."
"I just call 'em fireworks!" Pinkie threw another large one into the air. When it exploded, five smaller balls of light dropped down and exploded again in a rainbow of colors.
Trixie whistled. "Trixie approves of that one."
"Well, Ah ain't got anythin' fancy like that," Applejack said. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. It took a few seconds, but her orange aura blazed to life and her already impressive ponytail lengthened. She walked over to the lawn table, grabbed it with one hand, and lifted it over her head.
"Ah, super strength! Another classic! Hardly anything to be bashful about!" Artemis cheered.
Rarity ponied up next, having to close her eyes and concentrate like Applejack. When her purple aura manifested, she raised her hand and a palm-sized diamond shield materialized before her. She raised both her hands and the single diamond quickly multiplied into a wall. She then squeezed her eyes shut and threw her arms over her head, raising an entire dome of crystal around herself.
She dropped her arms down and doubled over as the shield fell. "Oh my, that still takes some effort to do on command."
"That's an interesting one," Artemis said. "Are they hard light shields or actual crystals? And how durable are they? We definitely have to test those later."
Fluttershy, already ponied up, walked over and put a hand on Rarity's back. A soothing pink light washed over Rarity and she straightened up.
"Thank you, sweetness, I feel much better!"
"Ah yes, you're the healer! Invaluable to any team!"
Fluttershy's cheek turned as pink as her magic.
Artemis turned his attention to Sunset. "Well, that just leaves you, Sunny."
Sunset inhaled. "Right. Just remember, I have two." She closed her eyes and focused on her center, meditating like she had in Equestria. The warmth of her magic radiated through her body, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a golden sheen hugging her arms. She reached up and ran a finger up her horn, feeling whole again.
"So, this is my ponied-up form. I guess I can look into people's souls." Sunset rubbed her arm. "It's kinda invasive honestly."
"Oh, oh, do me!" Pinkie ran over and hopped up and down in front of Sunset.
Sunset swallowed a nervous lump, wondering what sort of sugar-craziness resided in Pinkie's soul. She took Pinkie's hand and felt their souls connect. In a flash of light, the backyard disappeared.
Pinkie bounced as high as she could in the bounce house. The feeling of her stomach dropping as she came back down drew another laugh out of her. Her friends laughed as well, jumping and belly-flopping against the inflated plastic. She couldn't believe her friends had thrown this surprise birthday party for her. Actually, she could; they were the best friends she could have ever asked for!
Then she was on a swing set, kicking her legs as hard as she could to get as high as possible. Sonata sat in the swing next to her, trying to beat her height. They laughed in stereo, drawing the attention of the kids scattered around the playground.
Once she reached max height, Pinkie jumped from her swing and soared through the air, letting out a loud, "Wheeee!" She landed firmly on her feet and threw her arms in the air in celebration. Sonata landed next to her, stumbling a few steps before catching herself and straightening up like nothing had happened.
She turned and beamed at Pinkie. "Aria and Dagi never ride the swings with me! It's so much fun!"
Then, Pinkie sat on a beach towel watching another marshmallow turn a golden brown in the bonfire. She didn't say anything. She just looked around at her friends, talking and smiling. They were all happy. And that was all Pinkie wanted.
Sunset pulled her hand away as laughter bubbled up from her core. She wiped a tear away and smiled at Pinkie who beamed back at her.
"Whatcha see, whatcha see?"
"Just a lot of happy memories," Sunset said. "But I felt how much you love all of us and just want us to be happy."
"That's 'cause it's the truth!"
Artemis put his hands on his hips, looking mystified. "Soul reading? I don't think I've ever seen anything like it."
"I also did something to Fluttershy and made her stronger?" Sunset thought back to their trauma-inducing camping trip and how Fluttershy had removed the black magic infecting Jormungandr after Sunset had put a hand on her. "I still don't know how I did that one."
Pinkie leaned forward, smiling eagerly. "You wanna test it on me?"
"I just said I don't know how I did it."
"And you'll never learn unless you try!"
Sunset pursed her lips. "I hate when you make sense." She flexed her fingers and put a hand on Pinkie's shoulder. A warm thread tied their souls together, and Sunset found herself staring at more memories. A random birthday party, a trip to an amusement park, their Halloween sleepover from a year ago. As the pictures passed across her vision, Sunset felt embraced by a joyous euphoria. It was like a warm hug. She wanted to laugh and share that feeling with everyone she met.
Too saccharine!
Sunset pulled her hand off and shook her head. The coat of happiness fell away, though she could still feel it tickling her soul. She liked to be happy, but that was too much.
"I don't feel any different," Pinkie said, looking at her own hand.
"That's because I didn't do it right."
"Then come on! I know you can do it!"
Sunset set her jaw and reached for Pinkie again, forcing herself to try and give something instead of take. This time when she made contact, she wasn't drawn into Pinkie's soul. Instead, she felt her own soul pulse before Pinkie's aura blazed brighter and she let out a squeal of excitement.
"Holy flying cupcakes, I feel like I can do anything!" Pinkie turned her palms skyward and blasted out a firework twice as large as her last one. It zoomed high above the house, leaving a glittering trail behind it until it erupted into a mini Fourth of July display, unleashing a dozen small explosions in a spectrum of colors and star patterns. They crackled and fizzled as they faded from view.
"That was awesome!" Rainbow shouted. She zipped over to Sunset. "Do me next!"
Sunset sighed and pressed a hand against Rainbow's face, both to get Rainbow out of her personal space and to repeat what she had done for Pinkie. Sunset's soul pulsed again, and Rainbow's aura intensified.
"Heck yeah!" Rainbow twisted around and rocketed into the air.
In the next moment, Sunset was knocked off her feet and landed on her back as a great boom ripped across her ears. Her eardrums popped and she instantly became lightheaded as a high-pitched trill rang in her ears. While the ground spun beneath her, she could make out a tiny dot zipping about high in the sky.
"Dammit, Dash," Sunset moaned, her voice muffled to her damaged ears.
Rainbow dropped back to the ground with a superhero landing. Sunset felt a small tremor as Rainbow's fist hit the ground. She lifted her head, a jubilant grin on her face, and mouthed something.
Sunset sat up and cupped her ears. "I can't hear anything, Dash, you broke my eardrums!"
Two hands folded over hers and a gentle warmth spread through her ears. Car alarms and barking dogs were the first things Sunset heard.
"Thanks, Fluttershy," Sunset said as the girl removed her hands and moved onto Applejack.
Selena rubbed her temples. "I kindly ask you to refrain from doing that in close proximity to people."
Rainbow stood up and eased a hand behind her head. "Heh, sorry. Totally my bad. But did you see that? I went supersonic! It felt awesome! I lapped the entire city in like, two seconds!"
"Good for you, Rainbow," Twilight said with disgruntlement, holding up her cracked glasses.
Artemis flicked his wand at the lenses. The cracks sealed themselves up and the plastic took on a glossy sheen, good as new. He then proceeded to fix the kitchen door and the windows. "Yes well, as impressive as that was, my illusion barrier doesn't cover the whole city. No one probably saw you, but let's try to be a little more discreet."
"I never thought I'd see the day you ask for discretion," Selena said.
Artemis playfully rolled his eyes and turned to Sunset. "Well, you seem to be some sort of empath with the additional ability to boost other people's powers." He crossed his arms and gave his boyish grin. "I knew there was something special about you the moment we crossed paths."
"Must be. I still have another power to show."
"Yeah! Show them Super Saiyan!" Rainbow cheered.
"Phoenix form!" Sunset countered.
"Super Saiyan!"
"Uugh!" Sunset closed her eyes. Her agitation wouldn't be enough to get her into phoenix form. Instead, she reimagined Tempest looming over Twilight, Soul Lock in hand.
Her horn vanished, and a wave of surging heat spread through every fiber of her being. Her ponytail came apart and instead danced behind her in a solar wind. Blazing wings burst from her back, and a shimmering tail extended from the base of her spine. Sunset opened her eyes and exhaled, her very breath overheated.
"Incredible," Artemis whispered. "I've never seen magic like this."
"Yeah." Sunset gave her wings a flutter, scattering embers to the wind. "This is phoenix form--"
"Super Saiyan!"
"Phoenix form!" Sunset glared daggers at Rainbow who just snickered. "Anyway, after I literally confronted my demon side and accepted what I did in the past, this happened. Still not sure why, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak."
She held her hand up and a ball of fire ignited just over her palm. "This one's easier to understand. Basic fire powers."
"She's also super warm to hug!" Pinkie said, embracing Sunset from behind.
"I guess my wings and tail don't hurt people I like," Sunset said, watching Pinkie nuzzle one of her fiery wings.
Artemis smirked and stroked his goatee. "Well, this is quite the range of powers we have here. I'm going to have to think how best to train you, especially given our limited space. And with your specializations, I'll have to come up with a different training regiment than how I trained Trixie."
"How did you train Trixie?" Twilight asked, looking up from her notes.
"We started with the basics: just being able to feel the magic within her and drawing upon it. Then we went onto mental imaging: being able to see yourself casting the spell. Then we moved onto actual spellwork. You girls appear to be able to 'pony up' whenever you want to, so that completes step one."
Twilight held her pen up. "Well, instead of image training, the next step would be to test the limits of everyone's abilities while trying to see if there are any extra powers we're not yet aware of. We would also be able to monitor the duration of their power-ups and see if using their magic shortens the time they can be in that form, as well as examine if training can extend that time, like exercising a muscle. Then, I would propose we work on coordination between powers. Applejack and Rarity already demonstrated good chemistry with their powers at Prom."
Artemis coughed into his fist. "Er, yes! I was just about to propose the same thing! Good job, Twilight!"
"Agreed," Selena said. "However, we still have the space issue. It'll be hard to test their powers in such a limited area. Let's not forget how many fences Trixie broke while you were training her."
"It only happened twice!" Trixie said indignantly.
"Four times."
"What about Sweet Apple Acres?" Rarity asked.
"And give mah grannie a heart attack?" Applejack shook her head. "Besides, this magic training is gonna be messy business. Ah'd rather not have y'all mess up mah farm."
"I'm sure I'll come up with something," Artemis said, airily waving his hand. "I suppose that's it for today. Now that I know what you're all capable of, I can plan accordingly."
Rarity exhaled deeply and her pony accessories vanished. "I'm glad we made a little headway. If that's everything, then I must excuse myself."
"Where are you off to?" Rainbow asked.
Rarity straightened up to her full height, looking proud of herself. "I'm going to conduct a few interviews for my new boutique assistant."
Twilight closed her notebook and looked up. "An assistant? Why?"
"Two reasons." Rarity held a finger up. "One, I would like someone to carry on tending to the store while I'm away at school. I've put a lot of hard work into it these past years and would hate to just simply let it go. So, I would like an assistant I can train to become my successor."
She held up a second finger. "Second and more excitingly, the fashion institute has a design competition every year. The student who produces the best fall line gets an internship with Prim Hemline!" Rarity pressed her hands against her cheeks. "Do you know how badly I want to work with the Prim Hemline? An internship would set my career ahead by years!"
Moving her hands down, Rarity took on a determined expression. "No incoming freshman has ever won the competition, and I want to be the first. So, I'm enlisting a little extra help to make sure my designs get done on time."
"I'm doing something similar," Twilight said excitedly. "There's a research and development lab offering an internship for the best-designed invention. It'll look really good on my transcripts if I got in."
"Sparky, you already got accepted into MIT, you're fine," Sunset said with slight exasperation.
"But what if I wanted to transfer at some point? Besides, it'll look great on job applications. And it'll be fun!"
Rarity waved a hand. "Well then, I wish luck to the both of us. Toodles, girls!" She hurried off through the kitchen.
Selena stood up and grabbed her sword. "Magic training may be over, but sword practice is just getting started."
Twilight dropped her notebook and jumped to her feet. "Yes, ma'am!"
Artemis and the rest of the girls piled into the kitchen to give them space. Sunset took cups from the cabinets and began pouring everyone lemonade.
"So, what are we gonna do about Adagio?" Rainbow asked.
Artemis took a sip of his drink before speaking. "Unless we find out where she's hiding, we'll have to wait for her to make the first move. I don't like that she has her gemstone back, not to mention the Crystal Heart, but, I think it'll be harder for her to gain any sort of grip on the public after her embarrassment at the Battle of the Bands."
Sunset squeezed her glass and looked out the window. Twilight and Selena were engaged in a quick back and forth. Even if it was harder for Adagio to get a foothold, the idea she could hypnotize people again made Sunset uneasy.
Twilight's stronger now, Sunset thought as Twilight parried and riposted Selena's attack. She'll be fine.
*******
Rarity took another glance down at the application in front of her. The 'application' being mostly photos of homemade outfits and sketches of suits and dresses.
"I must say, Miss Pommel, these designs are marvelous. Simple yet elegant. Oooh, I really like the color palette of this one!"
The girl in the seat across from her blushed. "Thank you. And please, call me Coco."
Rarity nodded as she turned a page. "Oh, I love this beret!"
Coco managed to turn a brighter shade of pink. It contrasted perfectly with her cream-colored skin and her two-toned blue bob cut. "Thank you. I made that during this year's Yarn-Off."
"It's wonderful!" Rarity flipped through the remainder of the portfolio and gently closed it. "Your work is lovely, Coco. Now, let's talk about you. Why do you want to work at Carousel Boutique?"
Coco fidgeted with the red and orange clip in her hair. "Umm, I love fashion," she said lamely. "I mean, obviously or I wouldn't be here. What I mean to say is..."
She took a deep breath, and her cheeks finally returned to their normal color. "Even at Crystal Prep, we know that you make great designs. I've wanted to be in the fashion industry ever since I was little and I thought working for someone like you who's already so good at it would be a great opportunity."
Coco raised her hands and nervously rubbed her knuckles together. "Not only that but... the Midsummer Theater Revival is happening soon, or at least, it's trying to. It's been getting harder and harder to put on every year, and we're not sure how much longer it'll last. I've been going every year my entire life so this year, I want to contribute something that might make a difference. If I can design amazing costumes for the theater, it might help bring in an audience. So, I want as much practice as possible."
She dipped her head, the blush in her cheeks making a comeback. "It's silly, I know."
Rarity reached into her pocket and pulled out her handkerchief. "You're hired!" she cried, then dabbed her eyes.
Coco snapped her head up. "I am?"
"Of course! You're a wonderful designer with a beautiful dream! You're exactly the kind of assistant I want! And I promise, we'll make time for your theater designs! You'll be the woman who revived the Revival!"
"Really?" Coco pressed her hands against her mouth, tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much, Miss Rarity! You won't regret this!"
"I'm certain I won't." Rarity finished dabbing her eyes and reached over to shake Coco's hand. "I'll see you at nine o'clock, Monday morning."
*******
Applejack skimmed the surface of the wood with her knife, watching another sliver flutter onto the floor. She sat in her room, feet propped up on her desk, balancing her chair on its back two legs. Winona laid on her bed, legs twitching as she chased something in her dream.
Crickets and an occasional owl hoot broke the silence over the farm. From her window, Applejack could see the edge of the Everfree Forest. The full moon illuminated the tops of some of the evergreen trees. She breathed in the summer night air: pollen and leaves and tilled soil, and hummed in content.
She shaved off another piece of wood and turned the piece over in her hand. It was coming along nicely. She actually wasn't sure what it was yet, but it was looking smooth.
"Once... upon a time,
"You came into my world and made the stars align."
The sudden ringtone made Applejack drop her feet and sit up in her chair. Her phone buzzed on her desk, Rarity's face winking up at her. Applejack swiped to answer and pressed the speaker button.
"Hey, Rares."
"Good evening, Applejack," Rarity said in a polite yet excited voice. "How are you?"
"Ah'm fine. Just practicin' my whittlin'. How'd those interviews of yours go?"
"Oh, they were fantastic! I've found the perfect assistant named Coco Pommel! She's cute as a button and is already very talented. Can you believe it, Applejack? I have my own protege!" She gave a girlish squeal.
Applejack leaned back in her chair and began scraping off more wood shavings. "Yeah, bet that's excitin'. Try not to overload the girl on her first day."
"Pish posh, what do you take me for? I'm no slave-driver."
"Ah know. You just tend to get a little too excited about fashion is all."
"I also know how to handle people, so don't you worry your pretty little head. And speaking of that pretty head," Rarity said with a coyish tone.
Here it comes. Rarity only called this late when she wanted something.
"Are you busy this Saturday?"
Applejack looked at her calendar on the wall. Sadly, it looked like she was free. "Maybe. Why?"
"Oh no reason in particular..." The windup was all too easy to hear. "Just that I have two tickets to see Countess Coloratura! Backstage passes included!" She let out a scream of delight.
Applejack winced, glad she wasn't holding the phone to her ear. "Real happy for ya, Rares. But, uh, why don't you ask Flash?"
"Because he's out of town on a fishing trip with his father," she complained.
"Aw. Well, Ah'm flattered Ah was your next choice, but you know Ah'm not a big fan of all that pop music."
"You played in a pop band," Rarity deadpanned.
"Didn't mean Ah liked it."
"Applejack!"
"Ah'm mostly jokin'," Applejack said, cracking a brief smile. "It's fun when we're doin' it 'cause our music actually means somethin'. Most of that mainstream music is just stuff the industry churns out to make a quick dime. There's no soul in it."
"Have you heard any of Countess Coloratura's songs?" Rarity challenged.
"Uhh... probably? All that radio music sounds the same."
"A rather narrow view you have," Rarity said cooly. Her voice warmed slightly. "Which is why you should come with me to the concert. Broaden your horizons, Applejack. Plus, backstage passes! It'll be fun!"
Applejack sucked on her teeth. "Ah don't know, Rarity..."
"Fine, I understand," Rarity bemoaned. She gave a loud sigh. "I suppose I'll just go by myself. I'll sit next to an empty seat, haunted by the knowledge that my dear friend Applejack didn't want to spend time with me."
"Hold on now, Ah never said that!"
"So you'll come with me then?" Rarity's voice was immediately filled with pep.
"Ah mean Ah'll--"
"Oh, excellent! Thank you so much, Applejack! We'll have tons of fun, I promise! Pick you up at five! Ciao!"
Applejack's phone beeped twice before the screen went dark. She stared at it for a second before furrowing her brow. "Ah hate when she does that." |
Spectacular Seven | 6. Showtime! | Rarity held her word and pulled up to Sweet Apple Acres just before five o'clock Saturday evening. She had even brought Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo along so they could spend the night with Apple Bloom.
Applejack greeted them at the end of the dirt driveway, wearing her usual outfit of jeans and a t-shirt. Rarity wore a starry blue blouse with purple leggings. Applejack had no idea what the dress code was for concerts, but was sure Rarity would comment on it.
Sweetie and Scootaloo jumped out of the car and bounded up to the porch to see Apple Bloom, saying a quick hi to Applejack as they passed.
"Hey, girls," Apple Bloom said, greeting them with a three-way high-five. "Ah'm surprised you didn't want to go to the concert, Sweetie."
Sweetie Belle shrugged. "Eh. Coloratura is fine, but I prefer Sapphire Shores."
"Ah've got some of her albums in mah room. Y'all wanna listen to them?"
"Sounds awesome!" Scootaloo cheered.
Applejack watched the three of them race inside, then got into Rarity's car. She saw the look Rarity gave, and just before she opened her mouth, Applejack cut across her.
"Yes, this is what Ah'm wearing to the concert."
Rarity clicked her tongue. "Would you at least consider putting on some make-up? You're going to meet Coloratura herself. You could dress up a little bit."
Applejack crossed her arms. "Ah especially don't care what some fancy diva thinks about me."
She clucked her tongue again. "Fine, be your stubborn self. Luckily, I'm fabulous enough for the both of us." She put the car in reverse and backed out onto the main road. The early hours of dusk stretched the shadows of the trees across the road.
They exchanged few words during the drive, the radio filling the empty space instead. Applejack sat slumped to one side, resting her head in her palm.
Rarity glanced over and pursed her lips. "The least you could do is pretend to be excited."
Applejack sighed. "Ah told you this ain't really mah thing. Plus..." Applejack scratched the back of her neck. "Ah can't help but feel a little anxious. So far both times we've been to the colosseum, bad things happened to us."
"Darling, relax. It's just a Coloratura concert. They're far more tame than anything the Sirens put on. And she's not secretly some super villain plotting world domination through music. Probably."
"With our luck, she just might be," Applejack muttered.
Rarity sighed as they took the off-ramp into the city. "I'm going to get you to have fun tonight if it kills me."
They ran into traffic a mile out from Canterlot Colosseum. Applejack instantly knew it was related to the concert because the car in front of them had an 'I ♥ Coloratura' bumper sticker. Watching the sunset between the towering skyscrapers was a nice consolation at least. Applejack found the orange glow reflecting off the glass windows relaxing.
After a ten-minute crawl, they made it into the parking lot. Rarity took an extra minute to apply another layer of blush before exiting the car. "Are you sure you don't--"
"Eeyup."
"Fine. But you know you'll have to take your hat off when the show starts, yes?"
Applejack touched the brim of her stetson. Of course she knew that; it was common courtesy.
They moved up to the front entrance, and just like the traffic, they found themselves in a snaking line that wrapped around the front of the building. People were dressed in Coloratura shirts and jackets, had posters with her face on them, and even wore long purple and silver hair extensions or veils in front of their faces.
"Ah never understood how or why people get so worked up over one celebrity," Applejack said.
"Because they're inspiring!" Rarity said, spreading her fingers. "People love art and music. And when you find something that really moves you, you can't help but want to meet the artist in question. Even you have to have some musician or celebrity you admire."
"'Course Ah do," Applejack said, smiling fondly. "Dirk Thistleweed and the Barnyard Bunch."
Rarity blinked, looking mystified. "Dirk Thistleweed... and the Barnyard Bunch?"
"Yep! Best folk music from the South. Ah'd love to shake their hand at least once. So, that part Ah get. But, some people take this way too far." Applejack pointed to someone covered from head to toe in Coloratura merchandise and holding up a life-sized blow-up doll.
Rarity gave a quick shake of her head and came out of her stupor. "Well, there are always the more... let's say colorful fans out there. As long as they aren't hurting anyone, let them like what they like."
"Alright, alright," Applejack said, fanning a hand. "Ah still think it's weird but you're right."
The line moved at a slow but steady pace. Eventually, they reached security and Rarity presented their tickets. In return, Applejack and Rarity received a wristband that had 'Backstage' written across it, followed by a star encircled by multicolored music notes.
Their seats were in the east wing, center-left and high above the stage. Applejack had never been in the stands before; both times she and her friends were here, they were on the ground or on stage. Said stage took up one endzone of the field and had a long bridge jutting down the middle, making it look more like a catwalk. The rest of the field was awash with fans already snapping pictures with their cell phones. The stands were almost filled to max capacity as well, and Applejack could feel the excitement crackling in the air.
"I can't believe we're here!" Rarity said, her voice faint amongst the growing din. "A live Coloratura concert! I've been waiting all year for this!"
"Be straight with me, Rarity," Applejack said as she cast her eyes over the sea of screaming fans. "Why'd you invite me of all people to come with you?"
"Because I like to get people to try new things." Rarity smiled. "And because honestly, I feel like you and I have rarely ever spent any one on one time together."
Applejack mulled her words over. "Ah guess because you and Ah don't share a lot of common interests. Case in point." She gave a wide gesture to the stadium around them.
"And I was hoping this would bring us a little closer as friends. I want to make as many memories as possible before we head our separate ways."
Applejack returned her smile, though it wasn't as strong. "Well, Ah hope you're right about tonight."
The stadium lights dimmed, and the crowd volume rose to a crescendo. Applejack took her hat off and tucked it beneath her seat before pressing her hands against her ears. She didn't remember the stadium being this loud at the Sirens' concert.
A synth chord started, followed by a heavy drumbeat. A burst of light left stars in Applejack's eyes, then fog began to pour onto the stage. Her body tensed as she remembered the green fog from the Sirens' concerts. A gentle touch on her shoulder from Rarity only did so much to relax her.
"Canterlot!" a voice echoed throughout the colosseum. Applejack had to cover her ears again at the crowd's deafening response.
"It's good to be home!" A lone figure appeared in the center of the fog. Laser lights danced around her as she posed with a hand on her hip, her humongous ponytail waving in the breeze.
"La-a-ah-ah-ah!
"Roma-roma-ma!
"Rara, ooh la la!
"Time for some romance!"
Four pyrotechnic geysers exploded from the front of the stage and cleared the fog away. Countess Coloratura stood at the top of the catwalk, backed by four male dancers. She wore a tight-fitting cropped lavender jacket over an even tighter purple shirt, purple shorts, and black leggings. Her collar was popped and studded with diamonds that caught the lights of the laser effects. Her thick boots, wristbands, and belt were also studded with polished spikes that shone like the rainbow. Beneath the veil in front of her face, Applejack could see thick eyelashes and black mascara. She wasn't sure if Coloratura was supposed to be pop or punk.
Coloratura strutted forward, swinging one leg in front of the other and twiddling her fingers to the audience as she belted the first verse to her song. Half the stadium sang along with her while the other half continued to scream her name. She reached the end of the catwalk, spun on the tip of her boot, dropped into the splits, and quickly bounced back up, singing perfectly the entire time.
Applejack whistled. Even she could appreciate the choreography happening. And the song wasn't too bad either. It was just another love song, but the beat and melody were catchy. The crowd didn't seem to be hostile either, just passionate and excited. Perhaps it had all just been paranoia. Although, as Applejack listened, something in Coloratura's voice made her nostalgic.
"Rarity!" Applejack yelled over the chorus. "Is she known for anything other than pop?"
"I don't think so! Why?"
"Nothin', just, Ah feel like Ah might have heard her before!"
"Darling, she's all over the radio! Of course you've heard her before!" Rarity resumed singing along with the crowd.
Applejack made an unsatisfied grunt. Maybe it was all in her head.
Coloratura popped, locked, swooned, and shuffled while she sang, her every action and word devoured by the crowd. She ended her first song with a stomp, and more pyrotechnics exploded around her.
Applejack leaned back in her seat. "Ah gotta admit, that wasn't so bad. Had a nice beat to it at least."
"See? I knew you'd warm up to it!" Rarity said with a squee.
"Hello, Canterlot!" Coloratura yelled into her headset. The stadium yelled a greeting back to her. "How are you all doing tonight?"
Applejack had to cover her ears again, mostly to protect herself from Rarity's shrill scream alone.
"Are you ready for a spectacle?" Fog drifted onto the stage once more, and Coloratura strutted back toward the center. She became silhouetted in the mist, illuminated for brief seconds by flashes of intense light. She put a hand on her hip and cast a glance over her shoulder, tapping her boot to an electronic drumbeat.
"Time for the spectacle,
"Time for the show!
"The lights are bright and the colors glow!"
More laser lights and flashing bulbs danced in front of Applejack's eyes, leaving her dazed.
Coloratura flipped her hair and spread her arms, urging the audience to cheer harder. "I'm not just anybody,
"I think you know.
"The time is now, it's about to blow!"
Sparklers and fireworks burst into life over Coloratura's head, driving the fog away again. She and her backups danced vibrantly, waving their arms and rolling their hips as they paraded across the stage.
"Razzle dazzle!
"Glitz and glam!
"Turn it all up, it's a spectacle!" Coloratura belted out, her voice sounding more synthesized the longer she sang. She backed up to center stage again, and a platform rose from beneath, elevating her above her dancers.
"Hear the applause,
"Here to impress!
"Not just anybody, I am the Countess!" She punctuated the end with a fist in the air while more flares went off around her.
The crowd erupted in another storm of applause. Applejack stared nonplussed.
"Ah take back what Ah said. Ah hate it."
"What?" Rarity looked aghast. "Why?"
"That was all flash and no substance! The last song at least had some meaning to it! What the heck was this one even about?"
"That's a Coloratura classic! She always includes that at the top of her shows!" Rarity said hotly.
Applejack slumped in her chair and folded her arms over her stomach. She didn't understand how that synthetic mess could make anybody feel anything. She remained in that position for the remainder of the concert, occasionally tapping her foot to a song that was almost catchy.
Rarity either didn't notice Applejack's rankled state or had stopped caring. She was up and dancing and chatting with the group next to her.
After two hours and a double encore, Coloratura finally took a bow. "Thank you, Canterlot, you've been such a great audience! I love you all so much! It's great to be back in my hometown!"
Might be the first genuine thing she's said all night. Applejack sat up, popped her lower back, and grabbed her hat. "Alright, let's get outta here."
Rarity gave her a cross look. "Are you really going to be a grouch and tell me you didn't enjoy any of that?"
"Ah'm sorry, Rarity. This kinda music just isn't mah thing. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself though, honest."
Rarity's eyes softened and she gave a slow sigh. "Well, I'm sorry you didn't have a good time. I'm glad you at least gave it a shot." She held up her wrist and gave her band a shake. "We still have backstage passes, but I'd understand if you'd rather wait in the car."
Applejack mulled it over for a second then shook her head. "Ah'd hate to think you wasted it. Might as well see this through to the end."
Rarity did a little dance and clapped her hands. "Thank you, Applejack!"
It was slow going, getting out of the stands, wading through the departing crowd, and finding their way to the backstage line. It was shorter than Applejack imagined, with no more than twenty other people. Two burly security guards stood in front of the backstage door.
The wait was just as long as the security line before the show. Every time Applejack checked her watch, ten more minutes had passed. Everyone else seemed patient though.
"Coloratura always takes time to sign autographs after every show," Rarity explained.
"Glad she cares about her fans at least."
One of the guards pressed a hand to his earpiece and nodded. "Okay, remain in an orderly fashion. There will be no touching and cameras must have the flash turned off. Remember, you can be removed at any time." He opened the door and ushered them inside.
Purple carpets with golden accents decorated the back room. The support columns had portraits of other famous musicians and comedians that graced the colosseum. A table with a spread of fancy foods sat against one wall, while a plush sofa took up the opposite side. From the opposing door came two more security guards followed by Countess Coloratura herself.
She waved at the group as she strolled forward with less swagger than she had on stage. "Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the concert."
Applejack was surprised how much noise so few people could make. They all started talking over each other: complementing, asking questions, and holding out things to be signed. Coloratura didn't look phased in the slightest. Of course, it was a little hard to tell with the veil in the way.
She had an amicable conversation with a very excited fan who kept pulling things from her purse to sign. To close out their meeting, Coloratura pulled out a heart-shaped stamp and gently pressed it into the girl's cheek.
"Heartsies!"
The girl's face froze with joy as did the rest of her body. Her friend had to pull her away.
Coloratura giggled and looked at the remainder of the group. "Okay, who's--" Her gaze landed on Applejack and stayed there.
"Um, hi your countessness," Applejack said after a few awkward seconds.
Coloratura took a step toward her, and Applejack could see her mouth was slightly ajar. "Applejack?" she asked in a breathy whisper.
Everyone's eyes were now on Applejack. "Yeah. How'd you know?"
"It's me!" Coloratura lifted her veil up. "Rara!"
"Rara?" Rarity parroted.
"Rara?" Applejack stared at the girl's exposed face. The door to her childhood memories was thrown wide open, and her mind lined up the hazy image of an old friend with the girl in front of her now. "Oh mah stars, it is you!"
Coloratura--or Rara--let out a jubilant yell and pulled Applejack into a surprise hug. Once the initial shock wore off, Applejack gingerly returned it.
When Rara pulled away, there were tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you're here! How are you? It's been so long! Oh, no, we can't talk here! Umm, Stonewall!"
One of the security guards stepped forward. His gray skin and square shoulders indeed made him look like a stone wall.
"Could you escort Applejack back to my dressing room? You're okay with that, right? I promise I won't take too long."
Applejack blinked, her mind racing to keep up with what was happening. "Uh, yeah? Ah mean, as long as mah friend Rarity here can come, too."
"Of course! Stonewall, escort her too, please. I'll see you in a little bit!"
Stonewall stepped forward and gestured toward the door. With one more look at Rara, Applejack took Rarity by the arm and took off.
Rarity allowed herself to be led onward, looking less affronted but certainly just as confused as the crowd behind them. When they got into the hall, she started hyperventilating.
"Applejack! You know Countess Coloratura?"
"Uh... sorta? Ah'll explain in a sec."
Stonewall led them to Coloratura's dressing room, the door decorated with the same star surrounded by music notes that were on their wristbands. The dressing room was surprisingly tame; just a vanity table, a fainting couch, and a rack of outfits.
"Please do not touch anything," Stonewall said before leaving them alone inside.
Rarity took a few deep breaths, then rounded on Applejack. "All right, explain!"
"Well..." Applejack took her hat off and scratched the back of her head. "A long time ago, Ah had a friend named Rara. Well, Ah called her Rara because her full name was too hard to say. Ah called her that for so long, Ah plum forgot her full name was Coloratura.
"She always had an amazing singing voice. And now that Ah'm remembering, she was a good dancer too. And pretty. She was just overall super talented." Applejack sank down onto the couch. "Ah don't know why she hung out with me. Any time we were playing together, there was always a gang of kids tailin' somewhere behind."
Applejack closed her eyes and smiled. "Never did let any of that get to her head though. She was sweet and honest and down-to-earth. And she wasn't afraid to get dirty. Hah, Ah remember at camp, the day after it rained, we found this big ol' mud puddle. We splashed in it for hours and made mud pies. Made the counselors furious when we tracked it all inside the cabins."
Rarity took a seat next to her. "So, what happened between you two?"
"Nothin'. She moved away when we were about nine. We wrote to each other for a little while, but we just fell outta touch. She did say she wanted to be a singer someday though. And she really did have the prettiest voice." Applejack gave a snort. "Ah knew she sounded familiar up on that stage. All the signs were there, but she had to stand right in mah face before Ah recognized her."
"Goodness. I was hoping something extraordinary would happen tonight, but I never would have believed it would be this extraordinary. You're reuniting with your long-lost friend who happens to be Countess Coloratura!" Rarity fanned her face. "Sometimes it really feels like we're living in a storybook!"
"Keep your boots on, Rarity. Ah don't even know what Ah'm supposed to say to her. It's been almost ten years since we've spoken face-to-face. She's a bigshot diva now, and Ah'm just a farmer."
"I'm sure she's still the same girl you grew up with. She did recognize you right away, after all." Rarity slouched her shoulders. "Though, I don't know how she'll feel when she hears you don't like her music."
Applejack swallowed. "Right..."
The doorknob turned, and both girls got to their feet. Coloratura slipped inside, took her veil off, and rested against the door. After a deep breath, she locked eyes with Applejack again. "A.J., I can't believe it's really you!"
Applejack chuckled. "Ah could say the same thing."
Coloratura gave a guilty smile. She stepped over to her vanity and carefully removed what Applejack now knew was a wig. She set the silver and purple ponytail aside and unwrapped her natural blue ringlets. They fell over her shoulder, lighter around the tips than the base.
"Better?" Rara asked, running a hand down them.
"Ah think so." Applejack laughed nervously. "Sorry, Ah'm still piecin' this all together."
"I'm just as shocked as you are. When they booked Canterlot as a stop on my tour, I thought maybe, maybe I could see you again. If you even remembered who I was. But, I never dreamed you'd pop up backstage."
"Yeah, small world." Applejack took a step back and gave Rarity a gentle push forward. "Rara, this is Rarity. She's the one who got the tickets, so it's thanks to her we get to see each other again."
Rara stuck her hand out. "It's nice to meet you! Oh, I love your outfit! Who made it?"
Rarity limply extended her hand, forcing Rara to do the rest of the work. "I, uh, you, uh, music, uh, love..."
Applejack nudged her back.
Rarity underwent a quick reboot, letting out a quick, high-pitched giggle before speaking. "Yes! Hi! I'm a big fan of your music! It's all so wonderful! Actually, I made this dress myself. I'm a bit of a designer."
Rara circled around Rarity. "You made this yourself? Wow, it's gorgeous! I would love to wear a dress like this at some of my functions!"
"I can make more!" Rarity practically screamed. She cleared her throat. "I mean, I would be honored to make a dress or two for you."
"Would you? I would love, love that! All of my clothes are picked out from big-name labels, but I do what I can to support local businesses, especially from Canterlot."
Applejack tilted her head. "'Picked out'? What, you don't get to decide your own clothes?"
"Not really. It's fine because most of them look or feel great, but they have fit the 'industry standard'," Rara said using air quotes. She gave a slight huff and rolled her eyes. "Otherwise, the tabloids get to have a field day with me. But this looks so great, no one would be able to tell if it was designer brand or not."
"Not yet," Rarity amended. "I'm actually going to the New York Fashion Institute this fall."
Rara gave her a playful smirk. "I thought you were just a bit of a designer?" Both girls shared a fit of giggles.
Applejack fidgeted before sinking onto the couch again, an uncomfortable deja vu settling in.
"So, how did you enjoy the concert?" Rara asked.
"It was amazing!" Rarity gushed. "I absolutely loved it! Applejack--"
"Also loved it!" Applejack said, jumping to her feet again. "Yep, thought it was the bee's knees! You were really somethin' else!"
Rarity gave her a suspicious side-eye. Applejack ignored her.
Rara clapped her hands. "I'm so glad! I'm always so nervous right before a show; it never gets easier. But, hearing my fans loved it always makes it worth it. I'm really glad you had fun, A.J.!"
"Yep, me too!" Applejack smiled widely. She could feel sweat gathering at the nape of her neck.
Rara took a seat at her vanity. "But, that's enough about the concert. How have you been? We haven't written in so long! I wanna hear all the details!"
"Oh, well--"
A quick knock came from the door. "Coloratura, are you busy?"
"One sec, A.J., that's my manager." Rara hopped up and pulled the door open. A shorter but well-dressed man with wiry blue hair and perfectly round glasses walked in, eyes down on a clipboard.
"Wonderful, wonderful show as always, Coloratura. Network views were through the roof." He looked up and gave a startled hop. "Oh, I didn't know you had brought fans back here."
"Starstruck, this is my childhood friend Applejack and her friend Rarity," Rara said, beaming at the two of them. "I haven't seen Applejack in so long, I wanted to catch up in private."
Starstruck bowed his head. "It's nice to meet both of you. I hate to cut your reunion short, but you do have an early photoshoot tomorrow."
Rara sighed. "You're right. I got a little excited."
"I'm sure we can find time for you to catch up later," Starstruck said, flipping through his clipboard. "But right now, I strongly encourage you to get some rest. I'll let you say your goodbyes."
Once he stepped out of the room, Rara faced the two girls again, twirling her finger around her ringlets. "I'm sorry, Starstruck can be a stickler for schedules. Though he's much better than my last manager."
"We understand," Rarity said cordially. "He's probably right anyway; it's been a long night for you."
"This is nothing," Rara said, fighting a yawn. "Applejack and I used to stay up all night telling ghost stories."
"Not that they were ever scary," Applejack said fondly.
"But, I would hate to have bags under my eyes for tomorrow. We'll have to catch up a little bit later. And there will be a later. I'm taking a little break from my tour to spend some time in Canterlot." Rara reached into a drawer and pulled out a cell phone. "Let's exchange numbers and I'll call you the second I find free time. You're more than welcome to come too, Rarity."
Rarity let out a long squee as Applejack took Rara's number. When they were done, Rara flung her arms around Applejack one more time. "I promise, we'll hang out."
"Ah'm looking forward to it," Applejack said, something turning in her gut.
*******
"You get one sip."
"I know."
"Just a sip," Sunset emphasized again as she handed Twilight the coffee cup. "I still think this is a terrible idea."
"I just need a little stimulation to keep me going a few more hours." Twilight put her lips on the coffee lid and slowly tipped it back. A lump went down her throat, and she scrunched her nose as she pulled the lid away. "Blegh!"
Sunset took the coffee back and took a sip of her own. "Sorry, I like my coffee strong."
"Noted," Twilight said, sticking her tongue out. She swiveled in her desk chair and started clacking away on her computer. The two girls were in her garage (Sunset refused to call it a lab just to get an adorable rise out of Twilight) working on Twilight's latest project. Every time Sunset came down, she swore Twilight had acquired a new piece of technology. Tonight, she had a whole new computer tucked in a corner along with a high-definition scanner and a 3D printer.
Mounted next to Twilight's main computer was a robotic arm. It was the same length and width of a regular human arm, only this had three claw-like fingers, each with three movable joints. It had started out as a hydraulic model, but somewhere along the way, Twilight had dropped the water physics and opted for pure circuitry, most of which was still exposed. A USB cable ran from a port in its elbow joint to her computer.
Sunset returned to her seat in a nearby rolling chair. She had spent half the day acting as Twilight's dutiful assistant, helping attach the metal frame to the robot arm and playing with Spike as needed. After a long game of fetch, the puppy was currently curled up under Twilight's desk.
"So, how much longer is this code going to take?" Sunset asked. She took another sip of coffee and watched Twilight type lines of programming against a black dialogue box.
"For me to get it ready for the contest? Just a few more hours. I just need it to respond to basic voice commands like, 'pick up the screwdriver' or 'turn off the computer'. Then, as long as the sensors are working, it should be optimal. I would like to program it with more complex commands afterward, but that could take months."
Twilight repeatedly hit the backspace button. "But, if I do get the science internship, maybe they'll help me improve upon it. I would potentially have access to a real lab space and far more resources."
"A 'real' lab? So, you admit this is a garage?" Sunset asked, hiding her mouth behind her coffee cup.
Twilight looked over her shoulder and tried to glare. "I'm not going to get into a semantic argument with you about what counts as real and what doesn't."
"Hey, you said it, not me."
She blew a raspberry. Sunset took it as a proof of victory.
As Twilight turned back to work on her code, Sunset wheeled herself to the auxiliary computer. On the desk next to it in a glass case was the worn journal Artemis and Trixie had brought back. "How's the translation project going?"
"Pretty good," Twilight said, eyes fixed on her screen. "I'm scanning every page into the computer, then using a program to try and visually restore whatever possible before putting it through a translator. I should be done in a week or two."
Sunset looked between the scanner, the robot arm, and the selfie-sensor sitting on a shelf near the door. "I swear, you're getting smarter by the day. Where was all this when we were working on our science fair project?"
"I wanted to build a miniature particle accelerator, but someone said no."
"No, I said let's build something plausible!"
"It could have been plausible!" She added under her breath, "And I'd like to see Trixie try and steal that."
Sunset tried not to imagine what Trixie would have done with a miniature particle accelerator. She picked up a screwdriver and returned to her task of finishing the arm's outer shell.
Aside from Twilight muttering under her breath, the two girls worked in silence. Sunset glanced over at Twilight every few minutes, watching her leg bounce or her fingers fidget anytime she stopped typing. Sunset seriously hoped that one sip of caffeine didn't send her into a sugar rush. Though she had made it pretty strong.
After an hour or so of work, Twilight shouted, "Preliminary code done! Uploading now!" She clicked the computer mouse, then swung around to Sunset. "Are you finished?"
Sunset could see her pupils dilating. "Just about. Are you sure you don't want to wait until tomorrow to start testing it?"
"No time like the present!" Twilight said hastily.
"Oh boy." Sunset watched her mash a few more keys before getting up and standing over the mechanized arm.
"Initializing startup!" Twilight flicked a switch beneath its elbow, and a red light glowed on its boxy wrist. The arm gave a few simple, shaky motions as its innards began to whir.
Twilight picked up a pen and clipboard and scribbled notes down. "So far so good. Now, for the first test. M.A. 1.0, pick up screwdriver!"
"M.A.?" Sunset inquired.
"Mecha-Arm."
The Mecha-Arm swiveled its forearm from left to right like it was searching for something. It came to rest over the screwdriver Sunset had left on the table, and its claws unfolded and reached down to scoop it up.
"Yes! It worked! Another victory for science!"
Something sparked along the underside of its arm, and an ember flickered to life.
"Gah!" Both girls cried. Sunset ran and grabbed the fire extinguisher by the door and doused the M.A. in a layer of foam. The arm continued to whir and jitter before throwing the screwdriver at Sunset.
"Hey!" Sunset ducked and glared. "I was trying to help you out!"
Twilight reached behind it and flicked the switch down. The arm shuddered, then went limp. "Setbacks, setbacks, always setbacks," she grumbled and scribbled on her clipboard.
"How long do you think it'll take to fix it?"
Twilight sat down in front of her computer and bounced her leg again. "That depends on what the problem is. Now, I have to go through the entire code and triple check nothing is out of place--and I almost hope something is because that would be the easiest thing to fix--otherwise, we'll have to check and fix the wiring and sensory motors, and it's probably that because there's no code in there that tells it to throw objects!" Twilight huffed and began furiously typing.
Sunset retrieved the screwdriver and removed a panel from the arm's elbow, letting out a thin stream of smoke. "Yeah, looks like it's the latter, Sparky." She nudged a few wires aside to find the specific offender.
When Twilight didn't comment, Sunset looked over her shoulder and snorted with laughter. Twilight's head rested against the keyboard, her glasses askew.
"She lasted longer than I thought," Sunset amused aloud, moving to bring her upstairs.
*******
Rainbow pointed her gun at another zombie lumbering toward her and pulled the trigger. Its head exploded in a shower of blood and it fell over, only for two more to take its place.
"On your right!" Soarin shouted.
"I'm a little busy!" Rainbow yelled back, firing rapidly as another zombie dropped from the ceiling. Soarin shot it twice in the chest, and Rainbow finished it off before turning to the zombies climbing in through the window on her right side. She shot one in the head, then had to reload her shotgun.
"They're breaking down the front door!" Soarin finished reloading his own gun and took over for Rainbow, just as the door across from the burst open and unleashed a fresh wave of the undead.
"Aw, crap!" Rainbow moaned. She clicked her trigger as fast as she could, but even her and Soarin's combined efforts couldn't hold the tide.
Blood poured down the screen when both character's health points hit zero. 'Game Over' rose up in the center of the screen.
Rainbow groaned and stuck the light gun back in its holster. She stepped away from the arcade cabinet as the scoreboard popped up.
"Hey, we got the ninth top spot," Soarin said.
"Meh." Rainbow lifted her arms behind her head. "I don't know how anyone gets past the warehouse level. The way they throw enemies at you is so cheap."
Soarin caught up to her, wearing his optimistic grin. "Still, top ten. That's pretty good. And we killed thirty minutes."
"Yeah. Turns out, you're not an awful shot."
"Wish I could say the same thing about you."
Rainbow nudged him in the ribs and he laughed. They navigated their way out of the arcade and into the mall proper. It was well-populated on a Sunday; even more so now that everyone was on summer vacation. Rainbow could spot a tourist wearing a 'Ceep Cool Canterlot' t-shirt. She couldn't imagine why anyone would choose Canterlot as a vacation spot. It was cool but it wasn't that cool.
From the third-floor balcony, Rainbow could see the food court crowded with the afternoon rush. "Man, I want a hot dog, but I don't know if it's worth waiting in that line."
Soarin leaned next to her and whistled. "Hey, there's a pretty good place on 3rd and central. You wanna drive down there?"
Rainbow crossed her arms over the railing. "I dunno. Those dogs are kinda expensive. You gonna pay for it?" she asked expectantly.
Soarin smirked. "Tell you what, we play one game of air hockey. Loser has to pay for lunch."
"Oh, you're so on!" Rainbow turned and ran back toward the arcade. She stopped at the entrance when she noticed she wasn't being followed. "Soarin?"
Soarin was still at the balcony, head tilted up like he was listening for something.
"Yo!" Rainbow called, but Soarin didn't register her. She walked back over and waved a hand in front of his face. "Earth to boyfriend, you there?"
He blinked and looked down at her. "Yeah, sorry."
"You okay?"
Soarin looked around the mall, furrowing his brow. "Yeah, I just... I could have sworn I heard Harbinger."
Rainbow strained her own ears trying to hear a wolf above the incessant chatter and music playing over the speakers. Instead of a howl, shattering glass and screams broke the tranquility of the mall. People on the first floor began running, and Rainbow felt an unsettling chill run up her spine.
More glass shattered and the screams intensified. The mall's alarm went off, invoking panic from the onlookers gathered on the second and third floors. Rainbow's heart hammered, and her fight or flight instincts told her it was time to flee.
What? I'm no coward!
"Something's wrong," Soarin said between his teeth. He too looked like he was fighting the urge to make a break for it.
A white ray of energy shot across the ground floor and hit a table in the food court, blasting it into the hot dog stand. Adagio stepped into view, palm raised as she looked around at the fleeing shoppers.
Rainbow let out a string of swears, her anger shoving her fear aside. "We have to do something!"
"Harbinger!" Soarin called.
From thin air, Harbinger leaped onto the railing and vaulted down to the ground floor, teeth bared as she charged for Adagio. The Siren spun around and recoiled, throwing her hands up to defend herself. Just before Harbinger could sink her claws in, a hexagonal shield sprung out from Adagio's open palm and shoved the wolf away.
Adagio peeked between her arms at the red-tinted diamond standing between her and a snarling Harbinger. From the third floor, Rainbow could see the emotions flitting across her face: confusion, then realization, followed by a wicked grin.
"What the hell?" Rainbow breathed. Soarin grabbed her hand and pulled her down behind a planter. "Did you see that?"
"Yeah, nothing about any of this is making sense," Soarin said, his voice muffled by the ringing alarm. "Why is Adagio using magic in broad daylight?"
"I dunno, but she's begging for a beatdown!" Rainbow tried to get up but Soarin yanked her back down.
"We can't just go out there and start using magic too! The media and the government will be all over us; you've read the comic books!"
Rainbow clenched her fist. "I'm not just gonna sit here and let your wolf do all the fighting!"
Soarin winced and held his chest. They both snuck a peek over the balcony rail and saw Harbinger shaking off a blast of magic. Adagio formed another ball in her left palm, but instead of throwing it at Harbinger, she lobbed it at a group of bystanders scrambling to get out the front doors. Harbinger sped toward them and jumped in front of the projectile, howling in pain as she collapsed to the floor.
Soarin let out a gasp and doubled over. "That's low," he growled.
"See? We gotta get down there and fight!" Rainbow said, helping him sit up straight.
"I'm not saying we shouldn't, I'm saying we need to be smart about it."
Rainbow looked around them. Most of the third floor was empty, and those who remained were taking refuge in the arcade. She spotted a sports apparel store perpendicular to them and an idea popped into her head. "Come on!" She pulled Soarin to his feet.
The store clerk had disappeared, giving the couple the run of the place. They grabbed hoodies, football helmets, and hockey sticks. Once her hair was tucked away and the helmet was on, Rainbow ponied up and zoomed out to the atrium, landing behind Adagio. The Siren had a large backpack on, and her neck was crowded with stolen jewelry.
"Show's over, Adagio!"
Adagio took an eye off Harbinger and looked over her shoulder. "You look dumber than usual, Rainbow."
"No idea who that is," Rainbow said, pitching her voice down. She blitzed forward and slammed her hockey stick into Adagio's abdomen, sending her flying near the food court, to the cheers of the remaining bystanders.
She rolled up onto her feet and bared her teeth. "Don't think I'm going to just let you play the hero! You and this entire city are going to fear me!" She thrust her palm out, and Rainbow caught sight of a piece of crystal stitched into the palm of her glove.
Light gathered and another energy beam burst out of it. Rainbow zipped out of the way, and the beam carried on instead to shatter the sliding doors of the front entrance. The crowd's cheers quickly dissolved back into screams, and Rainbow felt another chill tickle her spine, suggesting she run.
Rainbow chose to run straight toward Adagio instead, only this time, she collided with a barrier and was thrown backward. Her head rattled inside her football helmet as she hit the floor.
So that's why dad didn't let me play football.
"Back off, banshee!" Soarin yelled. He jumped over Rainbow and swung his hockey stick. Instead of raising another shield, Adagio grabbed the stick with one hand and raised her jewel-embedded glove at Soarin's face. He ducked and hooked a leg behind Adagio's ankle, pulling it out from under her as she fired another beam. It went wide as she fell to the floor and hit the wall of the second floor, leaving a deep crack and a scorch mark.
Adagio kicked her leg out as she fell, hitting Soarin in the chest and pushing him away. She carried the momentum to roll backward and onto her feet and aim another blast at him, but Rainbow was back on her feet. She ran behind Adagio, grabbed both her arms, and pinned them behind her back.
Following a quick inhale, Adagio let out a piercing wail. Cracks spiderwebbed across the mall's immense glass windows until they resembled a mosaic art piece. Shards rained down from the central skylight, twinkling in the afternoon sun before bouncing harmlessly off Rainbow's protective padding. Her helmet couldn't stop Adagio's wail from assaulting her eardrums and leaving them ringing with pain. Another jolt of fear shot through her as the people outside screamed again, and she slackened her hold. Adagio broke free from Rainbow's weakened grip, and with a glowing red hand, punched her square in the chest.
Rainbow sailed across the entire food court and crashed into the ramen shop, dropping her hockey stick and smashing a table in two with her landing. The impact certainly left her bruised, and she admitted she was a little dazed. But as Rainbow stood up and looked at the broken table, she rolled her shoulders and wondered how none of her bones were broken. Her next question was how had Adagio managed to punch her that hard?
On the other side of the mall, Soarin exchanged blows with Adagio, striking at her throat any time she tried to open her mouth. Adagio blocked a high kick and struck Soarin with an open palm, sending him flying into the side of the escalator.
Harbinger leaped at Adagio, teeth and claws aimed at her neck. Adagio ducked and stuck her hand up as the wolf bore down on her, grabbing it by the throat with her jewel hand. She pinned Harbinger to the ground and cackled as Harbinger let out a whine, her translucent body flickering. Soarin, hugging his ribs as he climbed to his feet, let out a gasp and dropped back to one knee.
Rainbow flew through the broken window of the ramen shop and shoulder tackled Adagio onto the floor. They tumbled until Rainbow landed on top of Adagio. Cocking her arm back, Rainbow unleashed a flurry of rapid-fire punches onto Adagio's face.
White-hot energy struck Rainbow in the gut and blasted her into the air. Her wings caught her as she reached the third floor, and she wheezed. It felt like she had been kicked by a metal boot.
Adagio stood up and wiped the blood from her nose. "You're dead!" She aimed her palm at Rainbow.
A swarm of doves dove from the open ceiling and attacked Adagio, pecking and scratching any skin they could get at. Adagio screamed and swatted them until a shield popped to life around her and pushed the birds away. They circled around and returned to the skylight, and in their place, Artemis dropped down, unleashing a jet of fire from his wand at Adagio's shield.
Adagio pushed her arms out, sending the hexagonal patterns of her barrier flying in every direction. Artemis ducked and fired a blast of magic that grazed Adagio's cheek. From behind, Harbinger pinned Adagio onto her stomach.
Artemis pointed his wand down at the bridge of Adagio's nose. "Not so tough without your cronies, are you?"
"Big talk for someone who let two kids do most of the fighting," she said between her teeth.
"Someone will need to take over when I'm gone."
"Which should be very soon!" Adagio's hand pulsed, and a wolf identical to Harbinger, only translucent red instead of blue, tackled the guardian spirit off Adagio. She fired a blast at Artemis, who deflected it with his cape, then sprung a multi-colored handkerchief from his sleeve. It wrapped around her left wrist and tied itself into a knot. Adagio yanked it forward, dragging Artemis toward her. She twisted her hand around and grabbed his arm.
Artemis stiffened. "What are you--"
Rainbow swooped down and brought her fist across Adagio's cheek. Both she and Artemis went to the floor, but Adagio still had her claws in his arm.
Wincing with every step, Soarin ran over and smashed his heel onto Adagio's wrist, forcing her to let go. Artemis cut his handkerchief and got to his feet as Rainbow dove again and kicked Adagio in the ribs, sending her rolling into one of the clothing shops.
Rainbow, Soarin, and Artemis fanned out in front of the store's entrance. "You lose, Adagio!" Rainbow shouted.
Adagio pounded a fist on the carpet, raised her head, and let out another reverberating scream.
The three of them flinched; Rainbow was tempted to take her helmet off so she could plug her ears. Artemis set his jaw and bore through it, raising his wand and casting a bubble around Adagio, instantly silencing her. She shouted something and smacked her hand against the forcefield.
Artemis smirked. "I'm going to have great pleasure putting you in a new prison."
Adagio clenched her fist, her face turning red. It wasn't just her face, however. Her entire body took on a red shimmer before she slammed her fist down and brought up a cloud of smoke that filled the entire bubble.
"Did she just explode?" Soarin asked.
Artemis stepped closer, wand at the ready. Rainbow watched the smoke swirl about, unable to see anything beyond it, not even a shadow. Artemis snapped his fingers and the bubble disappeared, releasing all of the smoke. Adagio was nowhere to be seen.
"That little..." Artemis grumbled and held his arm where Adagio had grabbed him. "I can't believe she stole some of my magic! I mean, I can, but still!"
"Is that what she did?" Soarin asked with a gasp. "She grabbed Harbinger and I could feel her fading from me."
Rainbow dropped to the floor. "That doesn't explain how she teleported. Or made those shields. That Staff of Sasha--whatever shard is just supposed to absorb and blast magic."
"Apparently not. She made her own Harbinger," Soarin said as the original padded over, looking no worse for wear. Like Adagio, the red wolf had vanished.
Soarin kneeled in front of her. She pierced him with her deep stare, and he stroked her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a sore rib is all. As long as you're good."
Artemis turned his head to the crowd still huddled just beyond the broken glass of the front entrance. "If Adagio is truly gone, now would be a good time to make ourselves scarce too. We have a lot we need to discuss now."
Rainbow looked about the mall. People were just now crawling out of their hiding places and pulling out their cellphones. "Yeah, let's go." She was about to break into a run, but Artemis put a hand on her shoulder instead, and the world folded in on itself. |
Spectacular Seven | 7. Girls on the Go | Sunset jumped to her feet as soon as Artemis poofed back into the living room, only he wasn't alone. He had his hands on the shoulders of two individuals wearing Canterlot University sweatshirts and football helmets. One of them had familiar-looking blue wings.
"Uhh..."
They took their helmets off, and Sunset was relieved, but no less confused, to see Rainbow and Soarin. Rainbow wiped a line of sweat off her brow and collapsed onto the couch. "Hey, Sunset."
"Don't just 'hey, Sunset' me! What the heck is going on?" She glared at Artemis. "You just shouted something and vanished into thin air! Where were you?"
"The mall," Artemis said. "I felt Adagio's magic while I was meditating and rushed off to stop her. It just so happened I ran into two of your friends already holding her off."
Sunset looked back at Soarin and Rainbow. "You guys fought Adagio? In the middle of the mall?"
"She started it," Soarin said simply.
"Yeah! We were minding our business when she just showed up and started shooting magic at people!" Rainbow shuddered. "It was weird though. When we were fighting, there were points where I felt super afraid. Me! I don't even know why, I was just... scared."
"That wasn't even the worst part," Soarin added. "She drained our magic and used it against us."
Sunset growled. "Yeah. I heard that shard piece is dangerous--"
"No." Rainbow shook her head. "This isn't like what Rarity and Applejack described. Adagio didn't just shoot lasers, she made a shield! She chucked me halfway across the mall! She made a second Harbinger!"
"And then she teleported away," Artemis finished.
"What, you're telling me Adagio can absorb and copy our magic now?" Sunset watched the three of them nod their heads. She pressed a palm to her forehead. "Great. That's fantastic. And you guys just dueled her in public where everyone could see it?"
"We were wearing disguises," Rainbow said defensively, holding up her helmet. She looked at Artemis. "Well, some of us were."
Artemis put a hand on his chest and raised his chin. "I'm a world-renowned Vegas magician. No one's going to blink an eye if they see me doing magic."
"That's... surprisingly deceptive," Sunset said. "Still, that's not going to explain away everything. There's no way to know all of what people might have seen."
"Actually, there is," Artemis said. He waved his hand for the others to follow him into the den, where he turned the television on. It opened straight to the news, where a camera crew was on-site at Canterlot Mall.
"--confrontation seems to have ended and police are entering the building. As you can see, there is still quite a crowd gathered here. We currently have conflicting accounts of what transpired inside the mall."
Sunset recognized the correspondent as Inside Scoop, the woman who had interviewed her at the Battle of the Bands.
Inside Scoop approached a young man lingering on the edge of the crowd. "Excuse me, sir! Can you tell us what happened?"
The teen had a layer of perspiration on his face, and his eyes had trouble focusing. "I don't really know. I was just hanging out with my friends and then I heard glass breaking and people screaming. I just got... like, super terrified and made a break for it."
The next interviewee had a similar answer, having fled before seeing anything. On Inside Scoop's third try, she got something substantial.
"It was Adagio Dazzle, from the Dazzlings, I swear it was!" The woman exclaimed. "I was walking toward the little dress shop on the first floor when the glass exploded! All these people started running toward me, but I saw her! I swear, she was shooting lasers from her hand!"
"Lasers?" Scoop asked skeptically.
"I think so? I was so scared, I turned and ran like everyone else."
Artemis crossed his arms. "Mass fear. Adagio must be carrying the Crystal Heart in that backpack she had. By making fear the prevalent emotion in the area--"
"The heart amplified it!" Sunset finished. "That's why even you got scared, Dash."
"Yeah, for like, two seconds," Rainbow said hotly.
Scoop finally made her way to the broken entrance, where Shining Armor was emerging, dressed in his detective uniform. "Detective Armor, can you tell us what happened here? Was this a terrorist attack?"
Shining took a step back from the mic shoved in his face. "As of now, we are labeling this an incident of domestic terrorism incited by Adagio Dazzle. Judging by eyewitness reports, she may be wielding some sort of advanced firearm and is considered extremely dangerous."
"But who stopped her and where did she go? Eyewitnesses also state that she engaged with someone before the police got here." Scoop pushed the mic back under his nose.
Shining made a small grunt and stepped back again. "We are doing everything in our power to locate her. As for who stopped her, that remains unclear. However..." He looked directly at the camera. "While we appreciate the efforts of any good samaritan, we strongly urge no further displays of vigilante heroism. Please."
Sunset couldn't help but smirk. "It's like he doesn't know who he's talking to."
"Looks like we got away without exposing magic for now," Soarin said.
"Yeah, 'for now'," Rainbow emphasized. "What happens when Adagio attacks again? Or when someone snaps something on their phone?"
"Do you really think she'll try a stunt like this again?" Soarin asked.
"Yes," Sunset, Rainbow, and Artemis all answered.
"She wants the city to be in fear of her," Artemis said. "She'll likely do whatever it takes, attacking wherever she can."
Rainbow knitted her brow. "So, what are we gonna do about it? We can't not fight her."
"But if we do fight her and people catch us doing magic..." Soarin mimed a probe and an uncomfortable situation.
Artemis put his hands on his hips and sighed. "Personally, I think it's a shame we live in an age where people don't believe in real magic anymore. But you're right. Adagio getting taken in and experimented on is one thing. I won't allow you kids to be held captive."
The front door slammed open, and everyone took a defensive stance, relaxing when they saw it was Selena and Trixie marching in with groceries.
"I leave for twenty minutes and of course Adagio rears her ugly head." Selena dropped her bags onto the kitchen counter and stomped back over to Artemis. "And I bet my entire sword collection you went and fought her alone."
"Ha! You would technically lose that bet, turtle dove! I had help!"
Rainbow and Soarin waved.
Selena looked at them like she had just become aware her home had two extra guests. She returned her glare to Artemis. "You brought them along?"
"Nope, they were already there when I arrived."
"And I was rudely not invited," Sunset added.
Anger pacified, Selena took a step back. She made a distressed note in the back of her throat and said, "I know you girls are going to have to fight some supernatural threat, and I'm trying my best to make peace with that. But I still hate the idea of you going up against these monsters."
"It's no big deal," Rainbow said. She punched a fist into her palm. "We like beating up bad guys. Besides, that's why we're starting all that training."
Sunset looked at Selena. "I told you, remember? We were gonna get involved and fight back one way or another."
"Doesn't stop me from worrying."
Soarin looked at the helmet in his hand. "But, how are we gonna fight Adagio without giving ourselves away? We could wear disguises again, but she'd just yank off our masks or helmets or whatever we're wearing. If she figures out we're trying to be discreet, she'll do it on purpose, even."
Trixie, having been oddly quiet the entire time, let out an exuberant gasp. "Trixie has an idea! She'll be in her room!" And with that, she sprinted upstairs and slammed her door shut.
Sunset bit back a sarcastic remark, but couldn't help but feel dubious about whatever insane idea Trixie had conjured up.
"So, should we call the others over and tell them what happened?" Rainbow asked.
"No, we'll save it for tomorrow," Sunset said. "Pinkie's babysitting and I think Twilight is still asleep from her caffeine crash last night."
"Cool, cool." Rainbow fiddled with her ponytail as she looked back at Soarin. "So, you uh, still wanna go get those hot dogs? I know today's kinda been crazy."
Soarin grinned. "Of course I do. I'm even hungrier after all that." He frowned. "But, we're parked back at the mall."
"I can fix that!" Artemis said. He placed a hand atop both their heads. "Lulamoon!" And in a puff of smoke, all three of them vanished.
Selena went into the kitchen to put the groceries up, leaving Sunset to wander upstairs. Her phone vibrated in her pocket as she got to the top. She pulled it out and tapped the screen to find a message from Twilight.
'ADAGIO ATTACKED THE MALL!'
Sunset began typing back, unable to fight the smirk on her face. 'Did you just wake up?'
'No, I've been awake for hours. I was just in the lab the entire time. I fixed my project!'
'Congrats!'
'Thank you. Anyway, what are you gonna do about Adagio?'
'We'll talk about it tomorrow. Come over around one.'
'Okay.'
Sunset slipped her phone away. She was about to step into her room when she heard a muffled scream come from the guest room. Sunset ran over and put her ear to the door. She could hear deep panting and choked sobs on the other side.
"Shimmer, you okay?"
"Go away!"
Sunset did the exact opposite, opening the door and stepping inside. The light was off and the blinds were shut, leaving the room dim and dreary. Sunset realized she hadn't been inside the guest room since Shimmer had taken up residence. From what she could see in the dark, nothing looked out of place. There was a small pile of dirty clothes in one corner, and newspaper and woodchips in the other. An animalistic odor wafted through the air, tinged with organic decay. Squinting her eyes, Sunset could see small bones laying on the newspaper.
Shimmer sat upright in her bed, Jormungandr curled in her lap. She had a layer of sweat on her face and was glaring daggers at Sunset.
"I told you to go away!" she snapped. Her hands were clenched tightly against her blanket.
"Nightmare?" Sunset asked simply.
Shimmer held her glower for a few more seconds before slumping over and cupping a hand to her eyes. "They were gone for a while. I thought I was getting better..."
Sunset put a hand against the wall and fumbled for the light switch, flicking it on when she finally brushed against it. In the light, the room was messier than she realized. Shimmer had accumulated a stack of dirty plates on the dresser from her solitary meal times. There was a reddish stain near the foot of her bed next to a bottle of wine.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sunset asked, pushing away the mental image of the fit Selena would throw if she saw the mess.
Shimmer peeked at Sunset from between her fingers. "Just because you believe in friendship sharing circles doesn't mean I'm going to."
Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. "Believe me, talking it out actually helps, okay?" she said with a growl to her voice.
Shimmer crossed her arms and turned away. "There's nothing to talk about. They're just stupid dreams." She gave a humorless laugh. "So, maybe I have dreams about turning back into that demon and setting people on fire and their screams echo in my ears."
Her voice went up an octave and she spoke faster. "Maybe sometimes I see my parents and they tell me I'm a monster on top of being a disappointment and embarrassment. Maybe sometimes I don't dream about anything! Sometimes, I just float there in nothing and think about what my life has amounted to!"
She threw her arms over her head. "I used to be cool! I was the Snake Queen Lamia! One of the best thieves in the world! Now, I'm living with a bunch of wizards because I'm scared some demon-witches might kill me if they find me! I'm talking to a girl who looks like me back in high school!"
Shimmer slumped over again and buried her face in her hands. Jormungandr slithered out of her lap and coiled around her waist before rising up to rest his head on her shoulder.
"Life used to be... simple, you know?" Shimmer mumbled into her hands. "Then, all this magic happened. I don't know what to do anymore. Nothing is normal and I... I just don't know."
She snapped her head up and glared at Sunset again. "How did you make me do that? Did you use your magic powers?"
"I didn't do anything," Sunset said, unable to keep the smugness out of her voice. "You said all that on your own."
Shimmer's arms dropped like noodles. "Ugh... I'm becoming soft."
Sunset eased closer to the bed. "That's what I thought too when I started expressing my emotions more. It's not a bad thing, letting people in. It beats being alone."
"I prefer being alone," Shimmer said stubbornly.
"So did I. Shimmer, I've been exactly where you are: the nightmares, feeling lost, having to accept help. It's not fun, I know. But you don't have to go through it on your own. I know you're not down with the friend thing, but I'm still here to talk."
Shimmer stared at her sheets, rubbing the fabric between her fingers. She opened her mouth a few times and gave her head a small shake. "Man, I don't get you. I know why you forgave me, but, why?"
Sunset shrugged. "Guess I like giving second chances. And if anyone needs one, it's probably another version of me."
A quick smirk flashed across Shimmer's face. "Yeah. I guess you of all people would know." She looked up, her face solemn and eyes glistening. "How did you make the nightmares stop?"
Sunset looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "You have to get out of your own head. Find a hobby, talk to people. Just start living again. And then, you have to forgive yourself. What happened wasn't your fault. I know it's hard, but you have to believe that."
"Wasn't my fault," Shimmer said bitterly, turning her head away. "Yeah, it was. They told me I could have an even playing field, so I jumped at the chance. I didn't even think about the consequences. But the second they put that monster in me--the second I felt all that hatred and pain... I've never regretted anything in my life so much."
Sunset took a deep breath to slow her elevated heart. "The reason that monster even existed in the first place was because I was greedy and selfish and wanted power at any cost. I made a choice without thinking of the consequences too. The second I put that crown on... I regretted everything."
She took another breath, pushing out the claws and fire that had gripped her so long ago. "You played a part in this. You made a mistake. But it wasn't you who hurt those people. It was Tempest, it was Scarlet... it was me. But, I'm not going to dwell on something I couldn't control. They didn't tell you what would happen. They just used you. I know it's easier said than done, but you can't keep drowning in the idea that everything is your fault."
Shimmer kept her head turned away, though Sunset swore she heard the tiniest sniffle. She lifted a hand to reach for Shimmer's shoulder, but froze halfway and retracted it.
"If you really want to feel better, then be better. Stop hiding in here and find a way to make up for it," Sunset said firmly.
"...Yeah. Shimmer wiped her eyes and looked back at Sunset. "Listen, I... I know I'm not easy to get along with sometimes. I just... I'm... thanks. No one's really tried with me in a long time. And a lot of that is my own fault, but... thanks," she finished lamely.
Sunset smiled and held up a peace sign. "You're welcome."
Shimmer waved her toward the door. "Alright, leave. I'm going back to bed."
"It's two in the afternoon."
"Yep." Shimmer fell back and threw the sheets over herself and Jormungandr.
Sunset rolled her eyes and exited the room, making sure to switch the lights off on her way out.
*******
Rarity looked at the clock again and bit her lower lip. She had half an hour left before she had to excuse herself, and she still didn't know what she was going to say to Coco.
Her new assistant was everything Rarity hoped she would be. Diligent, personable, and had an eye for fashion. And she addressed Rarity as Miss Rarity every time! It made Rarity feel grown-up and important, and she loved it!
Coco was currently in the front end of the store, helping a young woman find a dress for an important date, leaving Rarity to draw up designs for the fall competition. So far, she only had a couple she liked, but not nearly enough for a whole line. She hoped to pick Coco's brain for ideas, but Sunset had called a meeting for today regarding Adagio's stint at the mall. Rarity knew she couldn't say no, but she felt awful running out on Coco on her first day.
It's just for a couple of hours. Besides, that's why you got an assistant in the first place. Rarity stood up from her workbench and walked over to the studio door. She peeked out into the front room. Coco was holding up an evening gown for the young woman to admire. Aside from the nervous blush in her cheeks and the occasional stammer, Coco was doing fine.
Still, Rarity couldn't quite shake the guilty feeling in her stomach. She would have to make it up to Coco. Ooh! We'll start on the designs for the Summer Revival when I get back! That should soften the blow.
She checked the clock again; 12:19 P.M. If she focused, she could sketch out one more design before taking off. If inspiration wanted to strike. She tapped her pen against the sketch pad, then began drawing a few simple lines before tearing the page out, crumpling it up, and throwing it in the trash like so many before it. These had to be perfect.
After she tossed out a third failed idea, Coco rushed into the studio and skidded to a stop in front of Rarity's desk. She clutched her hands in front of her chest and gave a triumphant, if still nervous, smile. "Miss Rarity, I did my first sale!"
Rarity beamed at her. "Well done, darling."
Coco blushed but didn't lose her victorious smile. "I was really nervous, but she looked so happy when she came out of the fitting room. Now I know why you love this job so much."
"That is one of the highlights, yes," Rarity said dreamily, thinking of all the happy customers she had waved out over the years.
"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Coco asked eagerly.
Rarity bit her lip again and cleared her throat. "Um, truth be told, Coco... I have a... very important meeting I have to attend soon. I shouldn't be gone too long, but I was hoping you could run the store while I'm out?"
"By-by-by myself?" Her triumphant grin had vanished and she tightly pressed her hands together.
"You've already managed the front counter; that's all I need you to do until I come back," Rarity said, sweet and calm.
Coco fanned her face before taking a deep breath and gaining a more steely resolve. The look in her eyes was still reminiscent of Fluttershy, but the determination was there. "Okay, Miss Rarity, I'll do it."
"And you'll do an excellent job," Rarity said with confidence. She looked at the clock and stood from her desk. "I suppose I should head out then. I'll be back soon, I promise."
With another breath, Coco gave a small salute. "Yes, Miss Rarity."
Rarity waved and took her leave, guilt still nibbling at her insides. I hope this is at least productive.
She made the short drive over to Sunset and the Lulamoon's household. Sunset greeted her at the door and led her into the living room where everyone else was already gathered, including Soarin to Rarity's mild surprise.
"May we keep this meeting short?" Rarity asked as she took a seat next to Fluttershy. "I left Coco in charge of the boutique on her first day and I feel awful about it."
Sunset nodded. "Sure." She stood in the middle of the room and addressed the whole group. "Basically, the shard that Adagio has doesn't just absorb magic and redirect it as raw energy. It copies whatever magic it took in."
Rainbow nodded. "She copied Applejack's super strength, Rarity's shield, and made a clone of Harbinger."
Rarity clucked her tongue. "While that is important information, you couldn't have relayed that over text?"
"Not done," Sunset said sharply. "Her main goal, as far as we know, is to inflict fear in the general populace and use the Crystal Heart to amplify that fear and feed off it. She's probably not afraid to attack in broad daylight again."
Twilight took over. "So, we're here to discuss a strategy for capturing her without being caught, and--"
"And Trixie has come up with the perfect solution to protect our identities!" Trixie shouted, jumping to her feet. "Prepare to be awed by her amazing feats!"
She snapped her fingers, and in a puff of smoke, a masquerade mask appeared in her hand. Trixie held it up and made a conspiratorial smirk.
The rest of the room stared blankly back at her. "Well, what is it?" Sunset asked.
Trixie slipped the mask between her fingers and tossed it toward Sunset. "Put it on and see for yourself!"
Sunset caught the mask and held it up for all to see. It was simple, purple with red swirls around the eye slits. Turning it over, there were no strings or elastic bands. She looked up at Trixie, who merely wiggled her eyebrows.
Rarity watched Sunset press the mask to her face. It stuck and looked completely secure, but that wasn't the magic part. Sunset's hair transitioned from crimson and gold to deep royal purple and a lighter plum, while her skin turned from amber to a grayish-silver.
"Goodness," Rarity said breathlessly, "Sunset, you look amazing! Those colors completely work for you!" She opened her purse to fetch her compact and handed it to Sunset.
Sunset flipped it open and held it at a distance, lips pressed in thought as she examined her reflection. "Well... I certainly can't recognize myself."
"Trixie's masks of illusion!" Trixie proclaimed. "Her greatest feat of glamor magic to date! As long as you wear these masks, your true selves shall remain hidden! It's brilliant, Trixie knows. You're welcome." She smirked and blew the back of her fingernails.
Rainbow made a light huff. "I hate to boost her already inflated ego--"
"Hey!"
"--but, gotta admit, this is a pretty cool idea."
"It's spectacular!" Pinkie said, jumping out of her seat. She ran over and pulled Sunset's mask off, restoring her true colors immediately. Pinkie then slapped the mask over her own eyes. A second later, all the pink left her skin, leaving her ivory white while her hair turned gold.
"We have secret identities now! We're literally superheroes!"
Sunset rubbed the space around her eye, glaring at Pinkie. "Yeah, I guess we're really committing to this hero thing."
"Super Spectacular Seven!"
Rarity shook her head. "We can't call ourselves that while we're out there; everyone already knows our band by that name."
Pinkie deflated only slightly. "Aw, you're right." She immediately perked up again. "We'll just have to come up with a new team name then!"
Sunset swiped the mask off Pinkie. "In the meantime, let's focus on the more important things. Rainbow, Soarin, and Artemis managed to beat Adagio last time, but the more magic and fear she absorbs, the stronger she gets."
"So, we need to think more strategically about how to confront her," Rarity said. "Any power she absorbs is a boon to her."
"You could just punch her."
Everyone turned to see Shimmer standing in the kitchen doorway, actually fully dressed for the first time in months. She had on a single-shoulder t-shirt, black jeans, and spiked wristbands.
"Oh wow, I forgot she was living with you guys," Rainbow said.
Shimmer rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm a hermit. This whacky shack isn't my first choice of residency either."
"Feel free to leave," Selena muttered.
If Shimmer heard, she didn't acknowledge it. Her eyes were on Sunset. It wasn't a menacing look, but one of resolve. Rarity looked to Sunset as well and saw something like satisfaction in her eyes. If Rarity had to guess, the two had shared an important conversation in the recent past. Of what, she couldn't say. It was a harder read than anytime Sunset and Twilight locked eyes.
Shimmer ran her fingers through her pixie-cut. "Listen, hanging with you kids isn't my first choice of activity but... you know, staying in my room all day isn't doing me any favors either." Her cavalier attitude wavered as her eyes started to wander about the room. "But, I heard you guys were training to be little superheroes and I thought I could help."
Selena arched an eyebrow. "You want to help?"
"Yeah," Shimmer said with a hesitant smile. "I'm good at hand-to-hand combat; you've seen it yourself. You guys can't rely on magic for everything, right? Sometimes, you gotta punch something in the face."
She fidgeted and messed with her hair again. "I just thought I'd offer, okay? Give you guys as many tools as you can. Look, it would just... really bum me out if I wake up one day and you guys got killed by Tempest. You're the best source of entertainment I have."
As Shimmer fidgeted again from one foot to the other, Rarity couldn't help but think of Sunset so many months ago, trying to stay aloof when it was clear she had grown attached to everyone. Rarity looked to her now, standing tall with a smirk on her face.
"We'd be glad to have your help," Sunset said.
"You'll finally be pulling your weight around here," Selena added.
Shimmer pulled her lips into a smirk. "Cool. Well then, line up, kiddies, I'm gonna teach you how to throw a punch."
Rarity made a small whine in the back of her throat. She hoped there was a crash course so she could get back to Coco.
Soarin, who had spent the last two minutes looking between Sunset and Shimmer, finally raised a hand. "Can someone please explain to me why there's two of them?"
*******
Applejack shut the door of her truck and gave her shoulders another roll, groaning at how stiff they still felt. Even with all her physical labor, two days of martial arts training with Shimmer had been harder on her than she thought. She massaged one of her new knots as she walked through the underground parking garage.
Rara had given her directions to one of the fancier restaurants in one of the fancier malls downtown. Applejack's insides squirmed again as she approached the elevator. She wished she had dragged Rarity along, though Rara had given her the impression that today was just a one-on-one affair.
She was excited to spend time with Rara again; she really was! Yet, she couldn't shake this unease eating away at her. It had been with her at dawn when she got up to feed the animals, during her drive through the city, and persisted as the elevator rose to the mall proper.
The inside of the elevator was dark mahogany and had a fancy-designed carpet and a small chandelier. The back of the door was polished enough for Applejack to get a perfect reflection. She adjusted her knee-length skirt and checkered blouse, hoping she was dressed up enough for whatever hoity-toity place Rara had picked. She patted her bare head, feeling exposed without her stetson.
She got off on the second floor of the mall, or as the directory corrected her, the City Galleria. It reminded her a lot of the mall back in the suburbs, just bigger--if that was even possible--and filled with fancier stores. Planters filled with blooming flowers and ivy sat at intervals along the balcony railings, and at the center of the galleria was a magnificent bronze fountain shooting a geyser of water that reached the third story.
Applejack found her destination on the map and took off, trying to ignore the shoppers around her with their bags filled with designer clothes and jewelry.
The Cantering Cook had two smaller fountains flanking its front entrance and a red carpet leading up to its door. Applejack pushed her way inside and was greeted with the scent of five-star dining and the sound of violins. The entire restaurant was lit by lanterns, giving it a dim yet sophisticated atmosphere. The host, dressed in a full suit, looked up from his desk and squinted his eyes at Applejack.
She nervously smoothed out her skirt. "Um, hi. Ah'm supposed to be meetin' a friend here?"
The host sniffed. "I see. May I have your name?"
"Applejack!" a voice called as she opened her mouth.
Applejack turned her head. Further in, she could see a girl with a headscarf and sunglasses waving her down. She gave a nervous chuckle. "Uh, that's her, Ah think." She stepped past him, trying to ignore the glare he gave.
Rara sat at a booth in a corner. Across from them was a small stage where a string band was set up and playing soft mood music. Before Applejack could sit down, Rara sprung up and gave her a surprisingly strong hug.
"I'm so glad you could make it! I know this place is a little ritzy, but a lot of my friends recommended it! And don't worry, I've got it all covered! Today is my treat!"
Applejack slid into her seat, her stomach squirming again. "Gosh, Rara, Ah'm not sure--"
"I insist!" Rara took her sunglasses off and gave Applejack an assured look. Applejack decided it wasn't worth fighting too hard anyway. She probably couldn't afford these prices.
"Alright then. What's with the getup if ya mind me askin'?"
Rara set her glasses aside. "Helps me keep a low profile from the paparazzi. I love my fans but I don't always want to be crowded by them, you know?"
Applejack didn't but she nodded her head.
A waiter, also dressed in a black suit and sporting white gloves stepped up to their table. Applejack looked from him to the designer blouse Rara was wearing and smoothed out her shirt.
"Hello, ladies," the waiter said with a fake French accent, "welcome to the Cantering Cook! May I interest you in some drinks before you order?"
Rara flipped open the menu. "Oooh, I'll try the speckled lemonade, please."
"Very good! And for you, madam?" He looked eagerly at Applejack.
Applejack looked down her own menu. There was ginger-infused tea, mint spritzers, and non-alcoholic cocktails, but no signs of soda or cider. Some of the drinks, she didn't even recognize the names of enough to guess what they contained. "Uh, Ah'll have what she's havin'."
"Excellent choices! I'll be right back!"
As he dashed off, Applejack's eyes wandered over to the rest of the menu. She saw steaks, lobster, steak and lobster, stuffed goose, ahi tuna, and something called foie gras. She knew this place must have been expensive because nothing had a price next to it.
"Does anything sound good?"
Applejack lifted the menu enough to hide her mouth. "Some things are jumpin' out. A lot to choose from."
"I know! The goose sounds really good, but I'd have to do extra cardio to make up for it. But, I'm on vacation! I'm allowed to splurge a little, right?"
"Of course," Applejack said, still keeping her eyes on the fancy font scribbled across the laminate. "Do what makes you happy."
Rara nodded. "You're right. Today's a special day, so I'm treating myself!" She folded her menu with a satisfied smile. Applejack copied her after glancing at the salad menu and picking one that sounded good.
Their server returned with their drinks and they gave their orders, Rara adding an appetizer of tuna tartare. Applejack was sure she had heard Rarity use the word 'tartare' before, but she had no idea what it meant, just that it sounded fancy.
With their menus taken away, Applejack turned her attention to the string band. The lead violinist reminded her of Twilight with the slow, elegant movements of his bow.
An excited sigh drew her attention back to Rara who was smiling broadly at her. "So, how have you been? Give me all of the updates!"
"Well, uh..." Applejack tried to think of something interesting that didn't involve magic.
A buzz derailed her thought and she watched Rara pull the latest smartphone from her pocket. "Sorry, a moment." She pouted her lip as she texted a lengthy response back then stowed her phone away. "Even on vacation, everyone still wants me to do something or other."
"Guess it comes with the territory. You're world-famous."
"Yeah. It's fun. But most of my days are vocal practice, dance practice, cardio workouts, and I'm still doing some school work on the side."
"Really? Whatcha studyin'?"
Rara's smile wilted a smidge. "Well, I know I can't be a performer forever. I love it but, either I'll fall out of style or get too old to perform healthily. But I love it! The whole industry! So, I'm taking coaching and business classes, so I can be a manager or producer someday."
Applejack straightened up. "That's some good forward-thinking. Pass on what you know to the next generation."
"Exactly! Hopefully, that's not for years to come though, because I can only take one class at a time." She gasped. "Wait... you graduated this year, right?"
"Oh yeah. High school's all wrapped up now."
Rara clapped her hands. "Congratulations, A.J.! That's so exciting!"
Applejack chuckled. "Thanks, but it ain't anything too huge." She scratched the back of her head, still missing her hat. "Uh, did you get to finish high school?"
Rara made a so-so motion with her hand. "I got my GED from some online classes. Every class I take is online now," she said, shoulders drooping. "I would have loved to go to an actual ceremony."
But you go to fan-filled stadiums all the time. Applejack brushed the thought away. "You're not missin' much. Just teachers talkin' one last time."
"Maybe. But you're finishing a big chapter in your life. I just wanted to celebrate that with my friends and family." She perked up. "Oh but speaking of, how are--"
"Pardon me, madams, but here is your appetizer." Their waiter set down two plates, one of round white crackers; on the other sat a lump of pink tuna meat mixed with avocado atop a bed of cucumber slices..
Applejack pulled back from it. "Rara, what am Ah lookin' at?"
"Tuna tartare! It's fresh fish mixed with veggies and spices! Trust me, it's really good!" She reached for a cracker and the spoon.
Applejack wanted to tell her it looked like compact vomit and that fish was supposed to be baked, fried, or put in a stew, but gave her old friend the benefit of the doubt and steeled her stomach. She spread the fish paste on a cracker and took a small bite.
Rara smiled at her expectantly as Applejack chewed. It still tasted like tuna. In fact, the avocado and spices really brought out the flavor. The texture was a little slimy, but the cracker helped even it out. Applejack took another bite and chewed thoughtfully before nodding her head.
"It ain't half-bad honestly."
Rara made a small squeal, her own mouth filled with tartare. The two dined on fish and crackers, Applejack enjoying it more with each bite. When the spread was nearly depleted, Rara dabbed her mouth with her napkin and said, "If you enjoy the food here, you should come with me to the Grand Gallant Gala. The food there is supposed to be marvelous!"
Applejack choked on her cracker and pounded her chest to help it go down. "The Gala? That's Canterlot's biggest shindig of the year!"
"Mmhmm. They asked me to host the charity auction this year. I've never been before or hosted an auction, so I thought it would be fun. I got a plus one ticket and was hoping you'd wanna come. If you're not already busy."
"Uhh..." Applejack snapped her mouth shut before any food could fall out of it. An entire night surrounded by celebrities and rich people in fancy outfits? That was a hard pass for her. But Rara looked at her with bright opal eyes and a hopeful smile. Applejack wanted to say 'no thank you'. She wanted to say even sitting in this five-star restaurant made her uncomfortable.
Maybe it was because Rara had been her first real friend. Maybe it was because Applejack wanted to spend time with her again. Maybe it was because some part of her was curious to see how the upper half partied. Whatever the reason, Applejack blurted out, "Yeah, sounds like fun!"
Rara clenched her fists to her chest and almost jumped out of her seat. "Yaay! I promise, we'll have such a good time! Oh, do you think your friend Rarity would mind making an outfit for the event? I'll pay her very well for it."
"Ah'll ask her," Applejack said, her voice a higher pitch than usual.
"Thanks, A.J. Oh, also tell her she's invited to come hang out with us next time. I just wanted it to be the two of us today so we could catch up."
Their waiter returned with their meals: a plate of well-cooked goose surrounded by herbs and vegetables for Rara, and a huge salad bowl for Applejack. She didn't know how they managed it but even the salad looked fancy, the top layer of leaves arranged in a spiral pattern with a halo of tomatoes on top.
They took a few minutes to enjoy their meals in silence. As far as salads went, Applejack had to admit it was the best one she ever had. She speared some lettuce and an olive on her fork and glanced at the string band again before taking a bite.
"Do you still play music, A.J.?" Rara asked.
"'Course Ah do," Applejack said with lettuce still in her mouth. "Still got mah old banjo. Though Ah play bass in mah friends' band."
Rara's eyes sparkled. "You're in a band?"
Applejack gave a sheepish smile. "Kinda. We're not official. We only did it to compete in the Battle of the Bands."
"The Battle of the Bands?" Rara tapped her fork against her plate as she thought. She nearly jumped out of her seat. "The Canterlot Battle of the Bands? I heard all about that! Applejack, you played with the.. the..." She snapped her fingers. "The Rainbooms!"
"Actually, we go by Spectacular Seven now. But, like Ah said, it's nothin' official. We've only played one event since then."
"That's still amazing! You won a music competition! But, that's not surprising. I remember you being great on the banjo!"
Applejack blushed and took a sip of her lemonade. Similar to her salad, it was the best lemonade she ever had. She and Rara lapsed back into silence as they finished their meals. Despite the huge portion, Applejack devoured the entirety of her salad. She was glad to see Rara had kept her appetite from when they were young as well. There were hardly any scraps left on her plate.
She wiped her mouth clean and gave a content sigh. "That was delicious. And high in calories. What do you say we go walk it off in the park?"
Applejack stretched her arms over her head. "That sounds like a good plan. Get up and movin' before the food coma sets in."
Rara waved their waiter over and asked for the check. When he returned and set the checkbook between the two girls, Rara snatched it before Applejack could even consider asking to split it. Rara barely glanced at the inside before putting in her credit card and sliding it to the front of the table.
Applejack shifted in her seat. "Are you sure about this, Rara?"
"Applejack, please, this is nothing. And like I said, it's my treat!" Rara's smile was kind but firm, putting an end to any potential argument.
With their lunch paid for, Rara slipped her sunglasses on, readjusted her headscarf, and led Applejack out of the Cantering Cook. The galleria wasn't as crowded as the Canterlot Mall on the weekends, but Applejack suspected they made up for it by the amount of money its frequenters spent.
"Let me know if you want to stop and browse any of the shops!" Rara said.
Applejack nodded but kept her eyes straight ahead. She had no intention of letting anyone buy anything from these highfalutin shops for her. Rara ended up pulling her into a jewelry shop anyway to look at a necklace. She tried it on herself first before draping the emerald necklace over Applejack's neck.
"Oooh, it matches your eyes! Doesn't it look great?"
Staring at the fat jewel on her neck in the mirror, Applejack forced a smile. "It's certainly shiny. But, Ah try not to wear anything flashy, especially when Ah'm working. Don't want anythin' to catch."
Rara nodded. "You always were practical. Okay, I'll just have to find some practical jewelry for you!"
Thankfully, she didn't spend too much time looking, quickly deeming the rest of the finery to be 'not it.' They finally reached the back entrance of the mall, where the glass doors led them out to a sprawling park in the middle of downtown. Rolling fields dotted with trees broken up by dirt trails and random decorations of oddly sculpted granite Applejack assumed was supposed to be 'modern art'.
They picked a path and starting walking. The glass buildings and steel highrises looming around the park were a sharp contrast to the green grass and tall trees around them. A loud engine or car horn would break the tranquility every few seconds. Despite that, Applejack found peace in the smell of pollen on the wind and the calmer sounds of kids playing frisbee in one of the nearby fields.
Under a long stretch of trees, Rara looked up at the leaves, their shadows dancing over her face. She giggled to herself and said, "Do you remember when we tried to play hide n' seek in your orchard?"
Applejack looked up too, watching the sun flit between the leaves. "Which time?"
"The first time, when your dad told us we were too young to go out by ourselves."
"Oh yeah!" Applejack chuckled. "Ah got lost tryin' to find a good hidin' place and then got spooked by somethin' in the bushes."
"And I felt like I was looking for hours and started panicking that something had happened to you. And then we both started screaming."
"And ran straight into each other!" They finished at the same time. Their chuckles and giggles melded into full-blown laughter.
Applejack wiped a tear from her eye. "Then Pa came and found us and took us back to the house."
"Weren't we like, only a hill over?"
"If that. He sure was steamed though."
"I think that's the only time I ever saw your dad mad." Rara looked over to Applejack. "How is everyone? I would love to come over and see your parents and sister again. She must be so big now."
The joviality drained out of Applejack, replaced by an all too familiar crushing weight. A weight she had learned to carry, but one that hurt all the same. She licked her dry lips and kept her eyes on the ground. "Um... Rara... mah parents are... they're..."
Applejack chomped down on the inside of her cheek, drawing a fraction of the pain away from her heart. "They're dead."
Rara's heels stopped crunching in the dirt. Applejack braced herself further and stopped and looked back. Sunglasses removed, Rara stared at Applejack in glossy-eyed disbelief.
"What?"
Applejack clenched her hands at her sides. "They died. About a year after you moved away." A familiar lump rose in her throat, but she forced it down and kept talking.
"They dropped me off at school that mornin'. Pa promised he'd pick me up later. He and Ma were going into town to do some errands. Ah was halfway through lunch when Ah got called to the principal's office. And there was Granny, and Ah... Ah had never seen her so... broken before. Holdin' it together just enough so she could see straight and get us home. They had been on the freeway. A semi tried to change lanes and... he just didn't see them."
Applejack unclenched her fists and slacked her shoulders. "Both of them were gone. Just like that."
Rara threw her arms around Applejack and squeezed. "I... I'm so, so, so sorry, Applejack. I don't know what to say. I can't imagine what that must have been like."
Applejack could hear the tears in Rara's quivering voice. She didn't hug back. Telling the story always left her too tired to do much. "It was... hard."
"Is... is that why you stopped writing to me?"
She paused to reflect. She had cut herself off from the world for a while, barely talking to anyone outside her family and therapist. She recalled getting a letter from Rara, and telling herself she'd respond later. Later never happened.
"Yeah, that might have been a big part of it."
Rara squeezed harder before pulling away and moving her hands to Applejack's shoulders. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I understand why you didn't, but I wish you had talked to me, just so I could have been there for you."
"Ah'm sorry," Applejack said, not meeting Rara's eyes.
"No, don't be. I know it's late but, is there anything I can do to help?"
Applejack shook her head. "No. Ah've... learned to manage. We've been gettin' by. It hasn't been easy but, we're doin' alright." She pinned her shoulders back and raised her head again.
Rara lightly pursed her lips, looking Applejack over. Applejack could only hope the look on her face wasn't as fragile as how she felt. Rara gave her another, lighter hug, then stepped away entirely.
"Okay. But I want you to know I'm here for you. We're friends again, okay?"
Applejack smiled and wiped another tear from her eye. "We never stopped. Maybe we fell outta touch, but we were always still friends."
Rara made another happy squeal and pulled Applejack into one more hug. The weight still sat on Applejack's shoulders, as it would for the rest of the day no doubt, but it did feel a little lighter.
They resumed their walk, Rara staying a little closer to Applejack. They walked by one of the granite statues, a sculpted face with an elongated nose. As they passed another couple admiring the art piece, Applejack noticed the girl's eyes snap from the granite face to Rara's. She whispered to her boyfriend and he turned his head and stared after the two girls as they moved down the trail.
It led them around to a small pond, where a group of friends were feeding peeled grapes to ducks. Rara started giggling again and pointed at the water.
Applejack beat her to it this time. "The canoe incident at camp?"
"I swear, it was flying right for me! What else was I supposed to do?"
"We got in so much trouble for that!"
"Wait, was that before or after the mud puddle?"
"After."
"Oh my god, it's Coloratura!"
Applejack's smile froze. The group that had been feeding the ducks were staring past her and at Rara, whose sunglasses were still clutched in one hand, and one of her ringlets was peeking out from her scarf.
"I knew it, it was her!"
From behind came the couple from the art piece. They stopped a few yards short, but stared at Rara expectantly, camera phones in hand.
Rara's look of surprise only lasted a second. She smiled and waved. "Hi, everyone! I'm just out enjoying the day with my friend--"
The duck feeders all scrambled over themselves and ran toward Rara. The ducks fled back into the pond, their wings slapping flecks of water against Applejack. One of the fans then shunted her to the side to get closer to Rara.
"I loved your new album!"
"I was at your concert! I didn't know you were from Canterlot!"
"Can you sign my hat?"
None of them touched Rara, but they pulled phones and scraps of paper from their pockets and shoved them in front of her face. For her part, Rara took it in stride; if she was nervous, she didn't show any signs of it. She reached into her purse and pulled out the heart-shaped stamp Applejack had seen at the concert.
A distant shout and a rumble of gravel alerted Applejack to the stampede of more fans running over from the field. Before she knew it, what started as a group of five or six was swelling into a crowd of over twenty. And as more gathered, Applejack found herself pushed to the fringes.
"I promise, I'll give each of you a heartsie. But only if you make a single-file line," Rara said, sweet and stern. As the crowd started to eagerly organize themselves, Rara looked over to Applejack, her smile briefly breaking. "I'm sorry. You don't mind, do you? This'll only take a minute, I promise."
Ignoring the uncomfortable squirm in her stomach again, Applejack pushed a smile onto her face. "'Course not. It's no problem," she lied. |
Spectacular Seven | 8. Botanical Bedlam | "The Twilight I know doesn't quit."
Twilight breathed in, held it in her core, then breathed out.
"You're not useless."
She inhaled again, filling her lungs to capacity before exhaling.
"Ow! Hey, that was a cheap shot!"
A muscle in her cheek twitched, but she kept her eyes closed and concentrated.
"You're so amazing, Sparky."
Her heart fluttered as a clear image of Sunset appeared in her mind's eye.
"Pinkie, watch where you throw those things!"
Twilight tightened her clasped hands, trying harder to tune everyone out.
"Don't you think she deserves someone more her speed?"
Her jaw tightened. Focus.
"You're not cut out for this."
She straightened her spine as she could and squeezed her eyes.
"You had to come to my rescue again!"
A loud firework overhead shattered the remainder of her fragile concentration. Twilight's eyes snapped open, and the rest of the backyard chaos flooded her senses. Pinkie's miniature explosions, Applejack punching Rarity's diamond shields, Shimmer teaching the rest basic martial arts.
Selena sat across from her, head bowed, hands in her lap; the perfect picture of zen. Twilight allowed herself a growl of frustration before breathing deep again and shutting her eyes. The world around her dulled to a faint buzz as she found her center again. Her heart beat in a steady rhythm and the tension left her shoulders.
Twilight fell into her internal mantra: positive and reaffirming thoughts, half of them spoken in Sunset's voice. She held onto them as tight as she could, using them to drown out the outside world and her own insecurities. As she sank deeper into her meditation, she slowly became aware of every part of her body. The tiny hairs on her arms, her veins coursing with blood, her lungs filling with air; it all meshed together in harmony.
I can't control magic, but I can control myself.
"Okay, Twilight, that's enough."
Selena's voice pierced the veil of silence Twilight had shrouded herself in. She blinked and winced at the sunlight jabbing her eyes. Still, even as the rest of the backyard chaos flooded her ears again, the grounded feeling Twilight had gained persisted. She reached for her practice sword and got to her feet.
Selena gave her a knowing smile before getting up to join her. They bowed before drawing their blades and taking their stances. Twilight made the first move, striking Selena from the left. The dull swords still made a powerful ring across the backyard as they collided. Selena disengaged but quickly followed up with a powerful lunge. Twilight barely managed to block it, pushing it to the side and wincing as their sword scraped against one another.
They exchanged a quick back and forth, blocking and parrying every attack the other threw. Twilight knew Selena was still holding back but even then, she noted how fast they were moving. She also noted she wasn't keeping track of her foot placement; it was just happening naturally.
Or it was until she took notice of it.
She positioned her backfoot too far, and her balance teetered. One strike from Selena's sword, and Twilight was on her side in the grass.
Selena held her hand out. "You're getting better every day, Twilight. Your movements are much more certain than before."
Twilight took her hand and gave a broad smile that didn't reach her eyes. Still not good enough. I can do better, I know I can!
As she got to her feet and reset her stance, Artemis wrenched the kitchen door open and popped a firework from his wand to get everyone's attention.
"We've got trouble! Magical trouble!"
"Is it Adagio?" Rainbow asked from her place on the ground after Shimmer had flipped her over her shoulder.
Artemis shook his head. "Can't say yet. I felt a spike in magical activity, and not the good kind that you all let off."
Pinkie bounded up to him, mouth open and stars in her eyes. "Does this mean what I think it means?"
Artemis leaned back as she leaned forward. "Well, I would like some assistance, yes--"
She spun around and held a sideways peace sign to her eyes. "Spectacular Seven, suit up!"
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Pinkie, we're just puttin' on some masks."
"That's Pollyanna to you!" Pinkie said with a thrust of her finger. "From here on out, we're using our codenames! Isn't that right, Phoenix?"
Sunset sighed. "I already regret this."
Twilight couldn't help but give a tiny smile. Seeing Sunset exasperated dulled the apprehension of going out to fight Adagio. It would be at least seven versus one, yet the idea of knowingly walking into a fight gave Twilight a nervous shudder.
Selena gave a small 'tut', then relaxed her shoulders. "Alright. You girls have had less than a week of training, but it's better than nothing. And you've already fought her before." She fixed her gaze on Artemis. "Just come get me the second things get overwhelming."
"You're not coming with us?" Twilight asked, gripping her sword a little tighter.
Selena shook her head. "If that box really does have the Rainbow of Light in it, it needs to be guarded at all times."
Artemis put a hand to his chest as he puffed it out. "I should be the one to guard our sacred family treasure, but someone needs to get you kids to where we're going."
"And where exactly are we going?" Sunset asked.
"That direction." Artemis flopped a hand toward the fence. "Feels like... Six Pillar Park."
"You don't know for certain?" The skepticism in Sunset's voice rose.
"Magical detection isn't always pinpoint precise. Sometimes it's more like an art than a science."
"That's baking," Twilight countered.
"And also magic," Artemis said with an impish smile. "The bigger the magic source, the easier it is to track down. It's at the park, and it's steadily growing. Should be easier to find once we're actually there."
"Then what are we waiting for? It's superhero time!" Pinkie yelled, two fireworks springing from her palms and into the air. "Trixie, get our masks!"
"Trixie does not take orders from you!" she said, sweeping her hat off her head. "But she is eager to put this Siren into her place!" She pulled her wand from her pocket and tapped the rim of her hat. From the opening, seven masks floated out and drifted toward each of the Spectacular Seven.
Twilight lifted her glasses up and pressed the mask to her eyes. A warm wind brushed across her and she looked down at her hands, seeing her skin had turned from purple to a pale pink. Pulling her ponytail around to the front, she saw her hair was white with a single streak of blue.
Pinkie squeed as she stuck the mask onto her face. Her skin turned ivory white and her hair turned gold. "This is so exciting! How do I look, how do I look?"
"Like a palette-swapped version of yourself," Applejack said dryly. Both her hair and skin were a dark shade of brown like she had been out in the sun far too long. "Do you really think this'll stop people from recognizing us?"
"Don't doubt Trixie's amazing abilities!" Trixie put her hat back on. "Besides, it's not like you'll be posing for the paparazzi. This is just to stop anyone who's looking too hard."
A loud groan from overhead made Twilight jump. Rainbow hovered not too far from her, arms extended in front of her hair and a mortified expression on her face.
"Pink? Seriously?" She grabbed a tuft of hair and brought it to eye level. "Blue hair I can live with, but c'mon! Anyone wanna switch with me?"
"Switching masks won't do anything," Trixie said with a smug smirk. "They're attuned to be the same for each of you, in case you ever got them mixed up."
"Relax, Rainbow; you look fine," Rarity said, paying more attention to her own reflection in her compact. Her skin was now a minty blue, and a red streak ran through her lavender hair. "I on the other hand... it's not bad, but it could be much better."
"People, Adagio," Sunset snapped, mask on and illusion up. "How are we all going to get there?"
Artemis twirled his wand around his finger. "A few teleportation trips. Easy."
"Pfft, bet you I can beat you there!" Rainbow said, irritation evaporated. Before anyone could argue, she was a pink dot on the horizon.
"Trixie accepts the challenge!" she shouted at the fading contrail. She looked at the remaining group. "Alright, who is coming with Trixie? She can teleport two with her!"
Twilight looked at Sunset. Sunset gave a subtle shake of her head. She figured as much. Still, Twilight wasn't sure Artemis would be much better. The idea of teleportation always fascinated her, and she longed for the day humans could reach near-instant travel. She just always thought it would be through constructed gateways or transporters. Instead, she was relying on someone who could do it with a snap of his fingers.
What if part of me gets left behind? Or, I get entangled with someone else upon re-entry? Wait, how does magical teleportation work? Do my atoms get disassembled and reassembled at our destination? Does he fold space-time around us and move us across the flattened plane? No, that's far too complicated, even for magic. How else could it--
"C'mon Sparky." Sunset took her by the arm and led her to Artemis.
Twilight snapped out of her thoughts and looked around. Fluttershy, with moss green hair and light green skin, trembled next to Applejack and Trixie. Pinkie and Rarity stood off to the side, waiting their turn.
Shimmer gave a two-finger salute. "Try not to die."
Before Twilight could issue a retort, Artemis put a hand on her shoulder, and the world twisted around her and sped forward. She hurtled through space and time, mixing up with down and backward with forward, losing feeling in her body and any sense of where she was. She was sure it all only lasted a second but it was the longest second of her life.
The world burst back into existence as Twilight landed feet first on grass. She immediately fell to her knees, dropped her sword, and clutched her chest.
"Twilight, you okay?" Sunset had a hand on her back and knelt beside her.
"Y-yeah..." Twilight took a deep breath, fighting the wave of nausea that rolled through her. "I just..." Her heart and stomach told her to never do that again. Her mind demanded to know how she had just teleported halfway across the city.
"It takes some getting used to for some people," Artemis said somewhere above her. "Take a moment to settle in. You'll be okay."
Twilight took another breath, then reached for her sword and climbed back to her feet. They had landed on the outskirts of one of Six Pillar Park's larger fields, a dense grouping of tall hedges hiding them from any potential eyes.
Artemis tapped his wand against his tongue and held it above his head. His arm fell and jerked toward the thicket. "Whatever we're searching for, it's in that direction."
"Shouldn't we gather everyone else?" Sunset asked.
A scream hit Twilight's ears and drowned out some of her dizziness.
"I'll fetch them in a moment. Let's see what we're up against first." Artemis jumped into the line of trees and immediately fell onto his back with a grunt.
Sunset took a closer look at the hedges and saw hints of metal meshing inside the curtain of green. Turning her head, the hedge ran some ways in both directions, forming a long-running barrier.
Artemis jumped to his feet and started running its length, Twilight and Sunset sprinting after him. They banked around a corner and found the main road leading to a large, wooden, curved gate. The Mistmane Botanical Gardens was carved over the turnstiles, currently crammed with people trying to run away.
A small number of pedestrians had apparently heard the scream as well and paused to stare at the garden entrance and the fleeing crowd. Some stared and pointed as the three of them jogged up the road. Twilight reached up and touched her mask, just to be sure it was there. She still felt exposed, just walking out in the open, sword in hand. What if her parents found out just how far she had taken her 'self-defense classes'? What if Shining found out? More importantly, what if these illusions weren't enough and her friends got recognized? People would come after them for their magic! What if the government took Sunset away?
A rough bump from an oncoming civilian brought her back to the moment. She moved her hand back to her pommel, forcing herself to worry later. They had a job to do.
Unlike the bystanders, very few of the fleeing crowd gave second glances at the pointy-hatted wizard, pony-eared girl, or the girl with the sword. The three finally crossed under the ivy-covered gates and broke free of the crowd. The central plaza was a wide, grassy plain crisscrossed with stone paths leading to different areas of the enclosure.
Twilight swatted a rouge piece of ivy touching her shoulder. "I don't see anything wrong." At a glance, everything appeared to be in place. Hedges and redwood trees blocked sections of the garden, but Twilight saw no signs of destruction. People still milled about, looking visibly confused at some of the fleeing crowd, but showed no other signs of distress.
Artemis shook his head. "There's magic here. I can feel it. You girls start a search, I'll get the others." He vanished in a puff of smoke.
Another parkgoer came sprinting down one of the paths and past Twilight and Sunset, panic etched on his face.
Sunset pointed toward the direction he came from. "Let's start there."
The path wove underneath a group of native deciduous trees in the prime of their life. Ferns sprouted from the loamy soil between them and evenly placed planters contained collections of colorful flowers. They must have been well cared for because their petals were huge.
Twice, Twilight almost tripped over an exposed root reaching onto the path, and nuts and berries constantly rained on their heads. Add to all that, Twilight's nose refused to stop itching. She sniffled and let out a loud sneeze.
"Ugh. The pollen count here is high," she said nasally.
"Gee, can't imagine why," Sunset said, ducking under a low-hanging branch.
Twilight readied a retort but the words died in her mouth as someone rounded the corner and tripped onto his face. He looked up at Twilight, his expression wrought with fear. He reached a hand out and yelled for help as something dragged him off the path and into a shaded grove.
Sunset and Twilight sprinted after him, only to dig their heels into the dirt at the scene in front of them.
They stood in the presence of a large banyan tree. It stood tall in the center of the grove, its massive aerial roots twisting around its circumference. Twilight narrowed her eyes, picking up movement beneath the long brown tendrils.
No, not beneath them. The roots were actually moving.
The roots, the tangling branches, the large, leathery leaves. They were all shifting and growing. And it wasn't just the tree. Flowers and ferns on the outskirts of the grove were growing larger as well, rising from the ground and their planters to stand taller than the two girls. The thickening leaves reduced the sunlight from overhead, drenching the grove in shadows.
Twilight looked deeper into the banyan tree. Locked into the ropey, hanging roots, vines pressed to their mouths were park visitors. A few were passed out, but some were wide awake with terror.
"Okay, this is new," Sunset said, switching from pony to phoenix in a burst of light and warmth.
Twilight threw her hands out. "Wait! You can't use your fire powers now! Remember what happened in the forest?"
"What, you'd rather we let them become plant food?"
The ground trembled briefly before a root ripped free of the knotted mass surrounding the tree and lashed at Twilight. She drew her sword and slashed through the root in a single motion. A wild rustling from the boughs overhead told Twilight the banyan didn't take kindly to that. Another root rose up and two thick branches stretched downward to grab her.
Twilight swung again, slicing another root then followed through, spinning on her toe and striking one of the branches, lodging her blade in the bark. The other branch reached for her, Sunset struck like a viper and caught it, smoke curling between her fingers.
She snapped the wooden wrist and tossed it to the ground, stamping it out before it could smoke. Twilight drew her sword back and sliced again, cleaving through the remainder of the branch.
"We need to get those people down!" Twilight said, looking at the hostages in the tree.
Sunset lit a finger on fire. "On it."
"Su--Phoenix..." Twilight corrected herself, remembering their codenames.
"I'll be careful--move!" Sunset grabbed Twilight by the arm and swung her out of the way of a speeding vine that had burst from the undergrowth.
Twilight pulled herself away and took a ready stance. "You save the people, I'll hold off the plants!"
"Deal!" Sunset launched herself up into the tree.
The vine came back around, lashing at Twilight in a manner that was too snakelike for her comfort. She sidestepped its first strike, parried its second, and slashed it as it recoiled. Half the vine fell to the ground, but the remainder tried to attack again, aided by a second vine.
Twilight danced between them, hopping and sweeping her sword down as one reached for her ankle. She brought her schiavona back around and swung at the shortened stem, cutting it down further. As she came to en garde, several small, sharp blades cut against her arm, forcing her to drop her sword.
Turning around, Twilight saw leaves--razor-sharp foliage--rushing toward her. She threw herself onto the ground to avoid further shredding. The leaves embedded themselves into the garden wall. More flew at her from a distant evergreen tree, and Twilight rolled on her back to avoid the kamikaze leaves. She grabbed her sword and jumped back to her feet just as Sunset swooped down and dropped an unconscious pedestrian onto the dirt. She flew in front of Twilight and fanned her wings out against the next set of leaves, burning them to a crisp as they passed through a curtain of fire. Sunset winked at her before flying back into the eaves of the tree.
Said tree rustled wildly, and a low-hanging branch whipped out at Twilight. It was too large to cut with her sword and too long to leap out of the way. Twilight braced herself for the impact, holding her sword out to blunt some of the damage.
The branch collided with a prismatic blue forcefield and rebounded. A glittering streak of light then streaked past Twilight's face and collided with the gnarled bough. Twilight twisted around and saw Pinkie and Rarity running up behind her.
"Are you alright, Tw--Paladin?" Rarity asked.
"No, no, no!" Pinkie said, wildly shaking her head. "You're supposed to say a cool or funny hero quip! Like, 'you look like you need a gardener!' Or, 'I don't think green is your color!'"
"But the vine was brown," Rarity said flatly.
"But the leaves are green!"
"Girls, focus!" Sunset shouted from over their heads. One arm was ensnared by a tendril with more creeping toward her ankles and waist. The other humans trapped up in the tree were almost completely encased in vines.
Rarity conjured a diamond disk and threw it up at the vines surrounding Sunset. Her arm was cut free, and Sunset generated a ball of fire in her hand before blasting it outward and staving off the rest of the creeping vines.
"Sun--Phoenix!" Twilight admonished.
"I got this!" Sunset shouted back. Cinders jumped onto the writhing plants and roots, singing them black. The flames crawled up the tendrils like a spark down a trail of gunpowder until the limbs of the banyan tree were completely alight. With a wild shudder, the tree dropped its captives, unable to hold them any longer as its vines shriveled.
Twilight gave a panicked shout as they plummeted to the ground. They passed through a ring of blue light, and their ascent slowed to a crawl until they came to a gentle rest in the dirt. The ones who were conscious scrambled to their feet and took off for the exit, rushing past Artemis on their way.
"Hmph, not even a thank you," Artemis said, hands on his hips.
"The tree is on fire!" Twilight yelled, watching as Sunset's flames ate their way to the body of the banyan.
"I got this," Sunset said. She raised her hands and made a pulling motion toward herself. Twilight watched as the flames jumped off of the tree and flew toward Sunset, trailing through the air in thin streams before coalescing into a ball above her palm.
"See, no problem," Sunset said with a confident smirk.
Twilight gave a deadpan point to the fraction of the tree that was burnt and crispy.
"... In my defense, it tried to kill us."
As she spoke, another root ripped from the ground to lash out at her. Twilight jumped in front of Sunset, sword raised, and took the brunt of the blow, flying backward and tumbling to the ground.
Sunset raised the ball of fire, but Artemis pointed his wand at the tree and fired a single beam. The tree gave a wild rustle, then the roots fell back into the ground and the remaining healthy vines went limp.
Artemis twirled his wand around his finger. "Someone used magic to bring the flora around here to life. Simple but dangerous if allowed to go unchecked."
Twilight rubbed her tailbone as Sunset pulled her to her feet, the ball of fire still in her other hand. "What are you going to do with that?" Twilight asked.
"It should fizzle out eventually. In the meantime, it'll make a good deterrent for any more plants."
Rarity looked at the still tree. "So, is all the magic gone now?"
A distant scream answered her.
Pinkie put a fist on one hip and pointed out with her other hand. "Pretty Soldiers, move out!"
"Did not agree to that name!" Sunset yelled as the group broke into a run. Much of the garden was empty by now, though they could hear commotion happening in other sections.
From the wooded grove of the banyan tree, they crossed the open-air pavilion and entered a damp and verdant grotto. Moss-covered stones were planted next to shallow ponds, and lichen covered the trunks of trees. A green canopy blocked out most of the sunlight here as well.
Just off the gravel path, the ankle-high grass gave an ominous rustle. Twilight leaned over to inspect it, but something flew out of the foliage and crashed into the dirt.
"Rainbow--I mean, Ace!" Pinkie cried, pulling Rainbow up.
Rainbow shook off her daze and glared at them. "What took you guys so long?"
"Sorry, we got held up by a living tree," Sunset said blithely.
"Yeah? Well, I've been dealing with that and Adagio!" Rainbow pointed from where she had flown from. The orange-haired Siren jumped into the clearing and hurled a globe of red magic at Rainbow. Rarity jumped in front of her and raised a shield to take the blow and dissipate the magic.
"Oh good!" Adagio gave them a savage grin. "The whole gang's here--ack!" An emerald vine grabbed her by the ankle, lifted her into the air, and flung her like a ragdoll over the group's head and into the pond.
Artemis doubled over and wrapped his arms around his waist. "Ahahahahaha! Ahaha! Oh, that was--whaaa!" A similar tendril grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him away into the canopy.
Sunset unleashed her dwindling ball of fire at the creeping tendrils of a weeping willow, dousing it in orange flames before it could touch anyone. As it reeled back, Twilight stepped up and cut it in two. The pieces fell onto the ground, igniting the grass and spreading the flames.
"Crap!" Sunset cried.
"I warned you!" Twilight yelled. She hopped to one side as another weeping willow swung its overgrown vines like a whip and slapped the ground.
"I can fix it!" she retorted, raising her hands to draw the fire back.
Adagio, having climbed onto the opposite side of the pond, raised her hand and shot a blast of energy into Sunset's back. Sunset flew forward and landed face-first on the ground. She rolled over and sat up to see Rainbow throwing punches at Adagio on the other side of the pond. Adagio held up a red mimicry of Rarity's shields to hold Rainbow off. Rainbow zipped around to Adagio's other side and renewed her assault, but the shield proved formidable from every angle.
"You can't hide in there forever!" Rainbow yelled.
"You're right." Adagio threw her arms out to the side and the shield exploded open, shooting the hexagonal crystals in all directions. One smacked Rainbow in the face, and as she reeled back, Adagio slammed a fist into her and sent her back into the thicket. Before she could gloat, a bush reared up from its roots and glomped down on her.
"It's official," Twilight said, turning back to face the weeping willow lashing at her, "my life can't get any weirder."
A familiar cry preceded Applejack flying in from between the branches of the willow tree and landing on a patch of burning grass. She yelped and hopped to her feet, patting out the fire that had jumped onto her shirt.
"Applejack, are you okay?" Rarity asked, running to her side.
Applejack snorted like a bull. "Ah will be as soon as Ah show that overgrown shrub who's boss!"
Said overgrown shrub lumbered into the grove a moment later. It was a walking bush, a head taller than any of the girls with flowers for eyes, a gap where a mouth would have been, and large thorns jutting off its stubby arms.
Twilight took one look at it and sighed in exasperation. "Of course I spoke too soon."
"The magic here is getting worse," Sunset said. "We need to end all of this quickly."
"Which means, we need to find Adagio and make her stop it," Applejack said.
"Uhh, she's being eaten by a bush," Pinkie said, pointing to the rustling shrubbery. "I don't think she's doing it."
Rarity looked away from Adagio's predicament. "If she's not making the plants go crazy, then--" She threw a shield up as the bush creature rushed at her and Applejack. Its thorn claws raked against the diamonds but didn't leave a scratch.
Twilight ran over and made a downward slash, chopping off one of its arms. As it turned to face her, she slashed horizontally and cut it in half. Both halves hit the ground... and began shuffling toward the girls, crawling up Rarity's shield.
A jet of fire engulfed the remains of the bush monster and reduced it to ash, embers clinging to the scorched earth.
"Alright, next target!" Sunset said, turning her palm toward Adagio as she climbed out of a shriveling bush. The crystal in her palm glowed with a sinister green light.
"Well, I got what I wanted," she said with a sneer. "Time for a test run!" She slapped her palm against the earth.
Nothing happened.
"What?" she asked incredulously, raising her glove.
"Get her!" Sunset launched herself at Adagio, flames flickering off her fingers. She made it halfway across the pond before a lily pad threw itself out of the water and attached itself to her face. Sunset made a muffled curse, floundering in the air before she veered off to the side and crashed.
"Sunset!" Twilight cried. She ran along the edge of the pond to reach her girlfriend while Pinkie shot a barrage of fireworks at Adagio.
The Siren dodged a few and blocked several more before raising her hand and absorbing one and taking the blow from another. She hit the ground, rolled up, then gave Pinkie a taste of her own medicine.
The blast hit Pinkie square in the chest and lifted her off the ground and into the arms of another willow tree.
As Applejack ran to rescue Pinkie, Twilight reached Sunset and helped her pry the stubborn lily pad off her face. Sunset took a deep breath of air and said, "I'm over today."
"That makes two of us."
"Don't worry, it'll all be over soon!" Adagio shouted, turning her sights back on them. It was short-lived, as a jet of blue magic streaked toward her and forced her to duck.
Trixie jumped into the glade, brandishing her wand as she charged Adagio.
Adagio threw a firework at her, only for it to fly straight through Trixie and collide against a rising flower.
The illusion faded as the real Trixie came from Adagio's other side and shot a length of rope from her wand that snaked around Adagio's ankles and brought her to the ground.
"Aaaaaagh!" Adagio snarled. "You're all just a bunch of gnats!" She clenched her fist. A loud howl preceded an ethereal shimmer in front of Adagio before a red wolf materialized and lunged at Trixie.
Trixie yelped and threw herself out of the way. The wolf turned on its heels and made to lunge again.
Rainbow dropped from the sky and dive-kicked it in the head, sending it into the water. She then brought her foot down on Adagio's wrist before she could make another move.
"Not so tough without your lackeys, huh?"
"Don't mention those traitors to me!" Adagio hissed.
Twilight walked up and made to wrestle the backpack off Adagio when the earth gave a short, sudden shake. Twilight paused for a second, then reached again, only for the rumble to happen once more. It happened a third time and sounded like it was getting louder.
"I don't like what's about to happen," Sunset said, looking at the tree line.
Fluttershy burst through first, looking panicked. "Rock monster!" she screamed.
On cue, a golem made of a hodgepodge of different stones stumbled into the glade. Its central stone couldn't have been larger than Spike, but what the golem lacked in size, it made up in numbers. A hundred rocks made up its arms and legs, with a tower of pebbles as its neck and a perfect ball of marble for a head.
"It must have come from the rock garden," Applejack said, having pried Pinkie free from the tree.
"Oooh, Maud would love this!" Pinkie pulled her phone out.
The golem struck its arm forward and slung a rock out like a slingshot. It went through Pinkie's hair and smashed against the tree, leaving a deep dent.
"Right! Still fighting!" Pinkie said in her chipper tune. She stuffed her phone away and launched a multicolored rocket from her finger.
It hit the monster in the arm, but it shrugged it off like nothing happened and shuffled forward.
Applejack charged and threw her fist forward to connect with its own. Twilight winced at the hard slap of flesh against stone, but it didn't phase Applejack in the slightest. Her orange aura burned brighter, and she threw her other fist into the golem's arm, knocking several rocks to the ground.
The golem tried to retaliate with its other stone hand but connected with Rarity's diamond shield instead. It recoiled then whipped its arm again to throw more stones out. Pinkie shot them all down with her fireworks, and Sunset jumped forward and unleashed a gout of fire upon it. Applejack jumped back as flames doused the rock monster. As they settled down, she threw a punch into its center and staggered it backward.
The rest of the girls started to close in on it, Twilight included, though she knew her sword wouldn't be a match against stone. She saw Rainbow fidget, eager to join the fight, but she still had Adagio pinned down. Twilight then noticed the Siren taking a deep breath.
"Look out!" she yelled a second too late.
Adagio's wail flooded the grove, and Twilight clapped her hands over her ears to futilely suppress the noise. Rainbow fell to her knees, giving Adagio enough time to blast the rope binding her legs and jump to her feet. She gave a second, short scream, then dashed off into the thicket.
Twilight clenched her teeth, ears ringing and head pounding. She gripped her sword and ran after Adagio. There wasn't a plan really; her head was too fuzzy to form one. Twilight just knew she couldn't let Adagio get away.
Trying to only bat away the reaching vines and branches instead of cutting them, Twilight emerged back onto one of the stone paths of the botanical garden. Adagio wasn't too far ahead of her, having been attacked by a pine tree shooting its needles at her in large clusters. She let them clatter against her shield, then blasted an enormous firework at the tree. Twilight covered her ears from the thunderous boom it made, and winced at the deep, splintered indentation and scorch mark it left.
Adagio turned her attention to Twilight and raised her hand, her haughty and superior smirk returning. "Would you like to be next, little girl?"
Twilight didn't answer. With her sword in front of her, she took a ready stance and stared Adagio down.
"Cute." Adagio flung out a bolt of magic.
Twilight jumped to the right and ran at Adagio, keeping her schiavona crossed in front of her defensively. Adagio shot at her again, and Twilight slashed the magic bolt back toward her. Adagio yelped and ducked, then raised her shield just as Twilight was on her. The metal hit the diamond, and Twilight cried out as the reverberation shook her whole body. Adagio lowered her shield and blasted at Twilight again. Twilight narrowly spun out of the way, the blast, brushing across her midsection and tearing her shirt. Adagio followed up with a boot to her sternum and sent Twilight skidding back.
"Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah."
Twilight's eyes widened. She could feel Adagio's song slip into her ears, brush against her mind. It was foreign, alien. And familiar. No...
Adagio had erected her barrier again, a vainglorious smile on her lips as she sang.
Why am I fighting her? I can't beat her. I should give up. Twilight's sword hand slacked.
No! She's manipulating you! Fight back! Remember Selena's training! Focus!
But focusing was hard. The melody was so nice. It made her feel good. Like she was floating on a cloud. This fight was pointless.
Have to snap... out of it... have to fight... don't fight her... No, fight her!
Twilight's grip tightened.
"Aaah aah--ack!"
A curtain of fire descended on Adagio, blocking her from Twilight's view. The haze in her mind cleared up, and anger and loathing filled the dreamy void Adagio had created in her mind. She watched Sunset drop from the sky and punch a fiery fist against Adagio's diamonds.
Adagio winced, but the smirk never left her face. "Well, I think it's time I made my exit. So long spectacular losers." She squeezed her fist, and in a bright explosion, she vanished. Leaving the barrier to fade away.
Sunset cursed, then spun to face Twilight, her expression softening immediately. "Are you okay?"
Twilight sheathed her sword with a little more force than she intended, then put a hand to her forehead. "I'm... annoyed. Frustrated. Peeved!" Twilight snorted, as she rode her emotions. "I fell under her stupid voice spell again! This time, I knew it was happening, but I couldn't fight it!
She kicked a stray pebble. "Dang it!" She looked up as Sunset made an odd choking sound.
"'Dang it'. That's all you can say?" Sunset asked, a hand over her mouth.
Twilight crossed her arms. "She's not worth cursing over."
Sunset swallowed the rest of her laugh. "You're right." She stepped closer and pulled Twilight into a hug, her phoenix wings making it extra warm. "I'm just glad you're not hurt."
Only because you swooped in to save me again. Twilight shoved the bitterness down. That wasn't a path she felt like treading again.
From between the flames of Sunset's wings, Twilight saw the tree Adagio had assaulted begin to rustle again. One of its branches drew back.
"Sunset, duck!"
Without hesitation, Sunset dropped to the ground, pulling Twilight with her. A swarm of pine needles flew over their heads and embedded into another tree.
Sunset rolled off Twilight to see what had attacked them. "Seriously, why the killer flora?"
A wave of blue washed over the tree just as it raised another branch to shoot. Its limbs went slack, and the tree settled into place.
Twilight got to her feet as Artemis walked over, his suit and cape scuffed up and torn in several places.
"What happened to you?" Sunset asked.
"I got dragged over to the bamboo garden, where several bonsai trees used me as a punching bag." He rubbed his ribs. "Not fun. I dispelled the magic there, then started running around the rest of the garden. Someone placed a severe enchantment over the entire vicinity."
"Who?" Twilight asked. Is Moondancer strong enough to do something like this?
"Question for later," Sunset said. "We still have one more place to disenchant."
Sunset led them back to the willow glade where Applejack was still trading blows with a much raggedier rock golem. Many of its stones had been knocked out or cracked. One leg was shorter than the other now, keeping it lopsided as Applejack punched its center again, then danced away as Pinkie hit it with another firework.
Artemis held his wand above his head, and a sphere of blue energy coalesced at its tip, steadily growing larger. It exploded outward, washing everything in another wave of blue light. In an instant, the rock golem collapsed, its stones spilling everywhere. The arms of the willow trees went limp, and a lily pad that had stuck itself to Trixie's arm fell off.
Everything was quiet until the girls gave a collective sigh. Fluttershy immediately flitted between everyone, healing their wounds and exhaustion.
"Okay, so, can Adagio control plants now or what?" Rainbow asked.
Artemis shook his head. "That was a very powerful enchantment; not something Adagio can do, even if she is copying our magic."
"So, who then?" Applejack asked. "Tempest? Moondancer?"
"You're guess is as good as mine." Artemis sighed. "That's enough magical excitement for one day. Let's go home before the media shows up."
Fluttershy looked nervously around the remainder of the glade. Rocks scattered everywhere, trampled and scorched grass, and trees with missing and broken limbs. "Goodness, what are they going to say about this? Are they going to find out about us?"
Sunset pointed to her face. "That's why we have the masks. And I don't think there were enough people around for them to do anything more than speculate. But let's get out of here, just in case."
Artemis gave a gentle 'come hither' wave. "Alright, girls. Two at a time. Sunny and Twilight first."
Twilight whimpered. Sunset's hand on her shoulder only partially mitigated the onset of dread.
*******
"Meanwhile, security has confirmed that the alleged terrorist attack at the Mistmane Botanical Gardens was committed by former pop star, Adagio Dazzle. Adagio was also responsible for the attack on one of Canterlot's malls just last week. Authorities are asking anyone who has any information to come forward. It is still unclear exactly how Adagio damaged many of the trees in the garden, or what her motives were. Current reports of 'attacking plants' are unfounded."
Sunset sat on the arm of the Lulamoon couch, the rest of her friends packed around the television. The media hadn't shown any eye-witness interviews, but it looked like they were in the clear if they were already dismissing the idea of wild, living foliage.
"If Adagio wasn't behind it, why was she there?" Rainbow asked.
"Probably to steal more magic," Rarity said. "You saw her leech off that bush. And she absorbed some of Pinkie's magic."
"Big meanie," Pinkie said, pouting and crossing her arms.
"Hey, I just realized something," Rainbow said, sitting up from her slouched position in front of the couch. She looked over her shoulder and up at Sunset. "So like, I got punched super hard by Adagio, at the mall and at the gardens. And she has Applejack's super strength! Shouldn't I have broken bones or something? Like, it hurt, but just normal hurt."
"Hey, yeah," Pinkie spoke up. "She hit me with my own firework. It hurt but not a whole lot."
Twilight tapped her chin. "Maybe when she absorbs magic, it dilutes it?"
Artemis hummed, leaning against the wall. "The Staff of Sacanas isn't supposed to dilute the magic it absorbs. But what she has left is only a shard, so it's not out of the realm of possibility."
Sunset closed her eyes. "I don't know. When I fought Tempest, she got some pretty good hits on me. When I think about it, a few of those should have done more damage than it did."
Her chest hitched, remembering the black magic Tempest had struck her with. Tempest hadn't been pulling her punches. If she had meant to deal serious damage, something had dulled the pain.
"Maybe it's that magic glow you girls have when you pony up," Trixie said. She lounged in an armchair, idly tapping on her phone.
Sunset tilted her head up in thought. That was a definite possibility. She had never heard of perpetual personal magical force fields in Equestria. Of course, in the human world, it seemed anything went.
She flinched hard as a memory bubbled up to the surface. She had seen this before. Her attack on Princess Twilight and her soon-to-be friends at the Fall Formal. She had launched a fireball at them, expecting them to be incinerated. Instead, when the smoke cleared, they were still huddled together, surrounded by magic. Sunset thought it had been a one-off protection from the Elements.
"I think Trixie's right," she said, shaking herself free of the memory. "Whatever magic we have, it's given us a protective aura as well."
"Wow, we really hit the magic jackpot huh?" Rainbow said with a grin.
A strong knock at the door broke their conversation. Sunset grunted and got up from the couch. She looked through the peephole and furrowed her brow. The only thing she could make out was a black shirt straining against a set of very defined abs.
She unlocked the door and opened it just enough to stick her head through. She then had to crane her neck upward to see her guest's face. The man had to be at least six and a half feet tall and was all muscle. His gray biceps bulged in his sleeves which looked ready to tear. He had a sculpted jawline with a tuft of black beard, and a buzz cut on top. His eyes were narrowed, and his mouth set in an annoyed grimace.
"Um, can I help you?" Sunset asked.
The man brought a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat, his glower softening. "Pardon the interruption," he said in a masculine, gravelly voice. "I was informed that I could find a girl by the name of Pinkie Pie here."
Sunset fought the urge to look back to Pinkie and give this stranger any sort of confirmation. "And, who told you that?"
He cleared his throat again. "Let me start from the beginning. My name is Iron Will. I am a parole and corrections officer at the Canterlot Detention Center. You see, I have in my charge--" He stepped to the side, his massive frame having perfectly hid two people.
"Aria? Sonata?" Sunset blinked at the two Sirens, a nervous prickle of dejà vu running down her spine.
Aria gave a bored peace sign. "'Sup?"
Sunset opened her mouth to respond, but someone grabbed her arm and spun her off to the side before throwing the door wide open.
"Sonnie!"
"Pinkie!"
Pinkie ran onto the porch and pulled Sonata into a hug. They spun around, laughing with tears in their eyes, acting as if they hadn't seen each other in years.
Sunset returned to the threshold, scowling until she saw the warm embrace. Aria stepped around them, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.
"Today was our free day, and Sonata wouldn't shut up about seeing you again," Aria explained. She poked Iron Will in the bicep. "It took a while to convince iron head here it wasn't some ploy."
Iron Will slapped her hand away. "Iron Will still doesn't trust you. I only agreed because it was within your parole limits."
Sonata and Pinkie pulled away from each other but kept their hands on the other's shoulders. "Oh my gosh, there's so much I wanna tell you, Sonnie!"
"Me too! The detention center is actually a lot of fun! We have arts and crafts every other day! Oh! But we actually really wanted to talk to you about something important!" She dropped her voice to a whisper. "It's about Adagio."
"So, can we like, come inside?" Aria asked.
Sunset raised an angry eyebrow.
Aria groaned and tossed her head back. "We're sorry about last time and we're not up to anything evil. We turned ourselves in, didn't we?"
"That doesn't change the fact that you came into my house and attacked my family!" Artemis swept up behind Sunset and glared at the Sirens.
"Joy, the old man's back," Aria deadpanned.
"I am not old!"
Iron Will cleared his throat, a rumble that sounded like an avalanche. "Sir, I will be more than glad to remove these delinquents if you feel they're a problem."
Artemis opened his mouth, but Aria cut across him. "Look, we're sorry, okay? We mean it. We're sorry for all the crap we put you through. Your dumb colorful friends here showed us that maybe there's a better life than following Adagio's orders. And we're here because we want to help."
"I believe them!" Pinkie said, hugging Sonata again.
Sunset saw a rare scowl on Artemis' face, distrust in his eyes. She put a hand on his shoulder and said into his ear, "Pinkie's key to the chest came from Sonata. I think they're really reformed this time."
Artemis opened and closed his mouth a few times, resembling a gasping fish. He let out a sigh and turned into the house. "Just remember: you're outnumbered and outmatched."
Aria rolled her eyes as she followed him inside. Pinkie looped her arm through Sonata's and led her into the house with a skip. Iron Will, face stoic, followed last.
The Lulamoon's living room was big, but Sunset had never seen it filled with this many people. Perhaps it was Iron Will's hulking frame that took up so much space. He took up a whole corner to himself while everyone else fanned out around the couch and center table.
Shimmer glared at the Sirens from her perch on the banister. "You really wanna bring those fish people in here again? You are seriously too nice."
"As I have been reminded," Sunset muttered. She sat down next to Twilight and looked over at Aria who stood next to Rarity's chair. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"Well..." Aria trailed off and gave a subtle tilt of her head toward Iron Will.
Sunset looked to the parole officer leaning against the wall and back to Aria. How were they supposed to have a conversation with a civilian around?
Selena stood up and gave Iron Will a hospitable smile. "Would you care for some tea, Mr. Iron Will?"
He held his hands up. "I couldn't impose after the intrusion we have already caused."
"Oh, but I insist! You're working so hard on behalf of these girls. You must be thirsty."
Iron Will cleared his throat. "Truth be told, I am a little parched. Very well, tea sounds lovely."
Selena dipped her head and retreated into the kitchen. Sunset saw a knowing smirk on Artemis and Trixie's faces.
"So, what's it like in prison?" Rainbow asked.
"It's not prison; it's just the detention center," Aria snapped. "The beds are comfier."
"It's actually really nice! Sonata chirped. "Like I said, we get arts and crafts days! Aria's been going to the gym there--"
Aria flexed, showing a little definition in her bicep.
"--I've made a lot of new friends! Most of them are just kids who made bad decisions like us, but they're really nice when you talk to them! And then we have field trip days where we do community service!"
Aria gave a puff of a sigh. "Our deal is three-hundred hours of community service and five years probation. If we stay on good behavior."
"If you don't wanna do the time, don't do the crime," Iron Will growled.
Selena returned with a single porcelain cup and saucer, steam rolling off the top. "Here you are."
Iron Will accepted it and inhaled the flowery aroma Sunset could smell from across the room. "My thanks," he said before giving it a single blow and taking a sip.
He teetered back and forth before his eyelids drooped shut and he fell forward. A blanket of blue magic covered him and the tea, stopping it from spilling on the carpet.
"Alright, make some room for our guest," Artemis said as he guided Iron Will toward the couch. Rainbow and Applejack got up, giving just enough room to sit Iron Will down and have him slouch back.
"Sleeping potion?" Sunset asked. She looked at Selena. "I thought you didn't allow magic in the kitchen."
Selena gave a small, mischievous smirk. "Potion-making is more chemistry than magic."
"Well, now that musclehead is out..." Aria crossed her arms. "We knew Adagio was at the gardens before the news broke. And we know you girls fought her. The media is keeping it vague, but we could taste the magic."
"The media keeping things vague works in our favor though," Twilight said. "The less people who know about magic, the better."
"Yeah, but I think Adagio wants people to know. She has the Crystal Heart--she's trying to stir up as much negative energy as she can to feed off it."
Sunset nodded. "That's what we figured."
Aria seated herself on the arm of Rarity's chair. "After our banishment, we became more subtle. A lot of the reason was because we didn't have magic to back us up if we got caught. But this?" Aria shook her head. "Adagio's desperate, I can feel it."
Sonata pulled on her fingers. "Dagi gets scary when she's desperate."
"She's always been ambitious, always been power-hungry. But when things start going south, she takes it up a notch. And this time, she doesn't have us to back her up." Aria rolled her shoulders. "Adagio always has a plan. Even when backed into a corner. It might be wild, even dangerous, but she'll have a plan."
"Any idea what that plan might be?" Sunset asked.
Aria looked at the carpet, focusing on nothing in particular. "Hard to say. There has to be more to it than just building fear and feeding on it. This is just to buy herself time. But, if she keeps pulling these stunts and getting away, she will get stronger; strong enough to start putting people under her thrall."
Sunset put a protective hand on Twilight's shoulder.
Artemis pulled on his goatee. "You're being awfully forthcoming with all this."
Aria crossed her arms again, though it wasn't in her usual grumpy manner. She was almost holding herself. The frown on her face wasn't one of annoyance but reservation. "We told you, we wanted to help. Adagio may be a total bitch but..."
"We're still family," Sonata said, looking at her hands with a forlorn expression.
Aria nodded her head toward her. "I can't stand her right now. But... we're bonded. I don't know if she can ever be 'reformed' but I don't wanna see her dead. Like I said, she's desperate, which means she's gonna get sloppy, especially trying to do what she's doing. The way I figure, if you girls get to her first, you'll put her in a hospital at worst and then in jail. That's probably what's best for her at this point."
There was a brief interlude of silence before Applejack said, "Well, you're right about her fightin' wild. Thanks to that piece of magic, that girl has more moves than an octopus in a wrestling match. Doesn't help that she can steal our magic and turn it against us."
"Or that our training place is so small," Rainbow said. "We could probably get a leg up on her if we got some real practice in."
Sonata tilted her head to the side, then straightened up with a loud gasp. "I know where you guys could train!"
Pinkie gasped. "Really?"
"Yeah! You could go to our island!"
"What?" Sunset asked, surprised.
"What?" Aria asked flatly.
"What?" Artemis asked, outraged.
Sonata looked at all three of them and gave a confused shrug. "What? It wasn't, like, super big, but there's probably a lot of room to train and stuff. And there's no one around."
"Uh, weren't you guys locked away in Greece or something?" Rainbow asked.
"Yeah, but a magic, glowy portal brought us to Canterlot. It goes two ways, so if you found it, you could use it too. I think."
"The leygate," Artemis breathed.
Sunset straightened up, remembering what Selena had told her months ago. Leygates were the openings of Leylines--veins of magic that ran through the planet. They could be ridden and act as long-distance teleporters. If what Sonata said was true...
"That's a dumb idea, Sonata, even for you," Aria said. "Whatever that was that let us out is probably gone by now. And even if it isn't, there's no way in hell I'm going back to that place."
"Let's say, hypothetically, that it was still there," Sunset said slowly. "Do you remember where the leygate is?"
Sonata nodded. "I think so."
"And is there any chance Adagio would use this place as a hideout or come look for us there?"
Aria scoffed. "She hated that place more than me. She'd never step foot there again if it was the last safe haven on this planet."
Sunset looked over to Artemis with a hopeful grin. "Artemis!"
He kept a hand over his mouth, brow furrowed. "And what if it's a trap?"
"It's not!" Sonata jumped to her feet. "We wanna help, we swear! And I can take you to the gate thingy right now! I'll prove it's not a trap!"
"I think she's telling the truth!" Pinkie said, standing up beside Sonata. "And I really wanna see the leygate thing too!"
Sunset caught Artemis' eye. "I think she's telling the truth too. And we still outnumber them."
Aria leaned back in her seat and blew a raspberry. "Count me out. I told you: I'm never stepping foot on that island again."
Selena looked between her and Iron Will, softly snoring. "I'll stay here then. Someone needs to make sure our guest stays asleep."
Artemis gave a defeated sigh. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He pointed at Sonata. "Fine then, lead the way!" |
Spectacular Seven | 9. Leygate | Sunset shouldn't have been surprised.
When Selena had first posited the idea of the leygate being the Sirens means of escape, and how they were created by strong influxes of magic, Sunset deduced her actions at the Fall Formal had been the cause for the creation of one. Yet, when Sonata told Artemis to stop the car just a block past Canterlot High School, Sunset couldn't help but ask.
"Really? It's here?"
Sonata waved her hand. "It's pretty close. We'll have to walk from here." She unbuckled her seatbelt and hopped out the car before Artemis turned the engine off. Pinkie made an excited squee and jumped out after her.
Artemis signaled to the rest of the carpool to find parking and got out himself. He popped his index finger into his mouth, then held it up into the air. "Hmm, there is some magic in the air here. I don't know if it would be enough to create a leygate though..."
"Oi!" Rainbow walked over from across the street. "Why are we in front of school during summer break?"
Sunset pointed to Sonata, walking down the street in tandem with Pinkie. "She says it's around here."
"Wouldn't someone have noticed a portal leading halfway across the world?" Rarity asked.
"Wouldn't someone have noticed a demon ripping off the front of a high school?" Sunset countered dryly. "We got away with few questions asked on that one too."
"I just hope no one wandered in on accident and got lost."
Artemis and the rest of the Spectacular Seven followed Sonata past the empty faculty parking lot and behind the school, crossing the street into the small woods beyond. The tall trees provided some cover from the late afternoon sun.
Sonata slowed down and started placing her hands on the pine trees. She tapped her knuckles on one and stuck her tongue out. "It was around here somewhere..."
"What, is it camouflaged or something?" Rainbow asked.
"Yeah! We like, came out of a tree. It was so weird!"
Artemis nodded his head. "Leygates are meant to blend in," he said with a slight begrudging tone. He kept a tight grip on his wand.
Twilight nervously placed a palm on one of the tree trunks. "Umm... do you remember what taking the leyline felt like?"
Sonata bobbed her head. "Oh yeah! It was like riding a super-fast rollercoaster! I wanted to do it again but Adagio said no."
Twilight gave a weak chuckle and gulped.
They followed Sonata deeper into the woods, watching her touch and knock on every tree. Sunset could feel the tingle of magic in the air, but nothing particularly discernible. She knew Sonata was telling the truth about there having been a leygate, but was Artemis right in questioning if there was enough magic to support it?
"Sonata, Ah know you're tryin' your best, but maybe it ain't here anymore," Applejack said.
"I'm super duper sure it's here somewhere!" Sonata said, a hint of desperation in her voice. "I'm telling the truth, for realsies!"
Pinkie gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. "I believe you! And we'll keep looking until we find it!"
Rainbow folded her arms and leaned back against a tree. "I think--aaah!" Her scream faded into an echo.
"Rainbow!" Fluttershy ran to where she had stood a moment ago. The tree trunk Rainbow had leaned against rippled like water and glowed with a soft light before returning to normal.
"Found it!" Sonata said, pointing excitedly.
Artemis stepped forward and put a hand on Fluttershy's shoulder to stop her nervous bouncing before poking the tree with his wand. It glowed and rippled again, like a reflection catching sunlight.
"Well, I'll be a wizard's uncle," Artemis said under his breath. "An actual leygate."
"Is Rainbow okay?" Fluttershy asked anxiously.
"Assuming there's nothing dangerous waiting on the other side--"
With a loud huff, Sonata marched past the group--making an extra effort to bump Artemis--and jumped into the tree trunk. The light intensified and the tree rippled like splashing water.
Artemis pursed his lips but walked in after Sonata. Fluttershy dove after him the second his cape had cleared, and Pinkie ran in with an excited squeal.
Applejack stared after them. "Uhh, shouldn't we wait to see if they can come back first?"
"That would be a wise decision, yes," Twilight said, partially hiding behind Sunset.
They didn't have to wait long. Rainbow stumbled back through the tree, waving her arms and catching herself as her momentum slowed. She placed her hands on her knees and doubled over, catching her breath for a second before jumping up.
"That was awesome! You guys gotta come check this out!" Without any more explanation, she jumped back into the leygate.
Sunset looked at the remainder of the group. "Well, that's all the convincing I need." She took Twilight's hand and gave her a warm smile. "We can go together."
Twilight gulped again, her hand shaking. She let Sunset lead her to the leygate, taking the slowest, smallest steps she could. With one more comforting squeeze, Sunset passed through the veil, pulling Twilight with her.
Passing through, the tree was nothing more than a light curtain. It brushed against Sunset's skin but did nothing to slow or hinder her. The second all of her had crossed through, all gentle feelings were ripped away. Sonata had been wrong: this wasn't like riding a rollercoaster; it felt like Sunset had been strapped to the front of one of the bullet trains she had seen on T.V. No wind blew against her, just sheer pressure that pulled her lips back. She could hear Twilight screaming next to her, her hand glued into Sunset's.
And in five seconds, it was over. Sunset stumbled out of the leygate, her legs carrying her forward before she fell onto a grassy dune, Twilight collapsing on top of her.
"I... hate... teleporting..." Twilight said between breaths.
"Technically that wasn't teleportation," Artemis said somewhere above them. "It was closer to lightspeed travel."
Sunset raised her head to glare at Artemis. Instead, a pristine beach and a dark, glassy sea stretched out before her, a full moon lighting up the horizon. The wind was warm and brought the sharp scent of seaweed and fish.
Twilight rolled off Sunset and got to her feet, staring in awe. "We're... we're actually on the other side of the world?"
Sonata walked up and helped Sunset to stand. "Welcome to Greece!" She looked over at Artemis. "See, I told you I wasn't lying!"
Artemis gave a begrudging nod. "Yes, it looks like I was wrong."
Sonata blew a raspberry.
A gentle woosh made Sunset turn around. Applejack and Rarity tumbled out of the leygate as well, Rarity falling to her knees just as Sunset had. Like the portal in Canterlot, the island leygate was inlaid into the base of a tropical tree; one of many that marked the dividing line between the white, sandy beaches and a lush jungle.
"That was somethin' else, even by magic standards," Applejack said, leaning against a solid tree.
"Are we going to have to do that every time we come here?" Rarity asked.
Sunset knew the answer was yes but kept her mouth shut. Instead, she walked down to the shore. The waves gently ebbed and flowed over the beach. Under the pale moon, the sand was pure white. The island stretched on to her left, seashells dotting the dunes, while to her right, it gently sloped upward to a short cliff face.
A streaking jet of red light shot over Sunset's head, making her jump a foot in the air. The magic blast sailed over the water before colliding with an invisible force and dispersing in a shower of sparks. A rippling wave of blue energy spread out from the impact point and curved up over the island like a dome.
"Ha! I knew it! My barrier is impossible to break!" Artemis yelled, more smug than normal. "Still the greatest wizard on the planet!"
Sunset rolled her eyes but turned around to face him. "So? What do you think?"
Artemis raised his arms and embraced the cool wind. "Far away from prying eyes. Plenty of open space. Easily accessible. Yes, I think this place will do wonderfully!"
Sonata blew another raspberry.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Rainbow asked. She ponied up and took to the air. "Let's get started!" With one flap of her wings, she was halfway down the coast, a plume of sand left in her wake.
"Superhero training time!" Pinkie yelled, ponying up and throwing fireworks into the night sky.
*******
The next two weeks flew by in a whirlwind of magical activity.
The first night on the Siren's island was mostly spent doing reconnaissance and gaining familiarity of the land with Sonata as their guide. The cave the Sirens had dwelled in for twenty years had been untouched and contained the remains of wooden utensils and fish carcasses. It wasn't a wide island--less than a mile in diameter--but still had more than enough room for the girls to spread out and practice their unique magical abilities.
Sunset had to split her time working on both of her powers on top of martial arts training with Shimmer, something both women were hesitant to do. Even with protective gloves, Sunset had a trepidatious itch anytime Shimmer put a hand on her to correct her form, or whenever they traded blows while sparring. For anyone else, Sunset only saw into their soul whenever she was ponied up. Yet she and Shimmer still could read each other anytime their bare skin made contact.
"Maybe it has something to do with you being dimensional counterparts," Twilight posited in between one of their training sessions.
It was the only hypothesis any of them could come up with at the time. Luckily, since Sunset had the most experience in martial arts tied with Rainbow, she needed the fewest lessons from Shimmer.
By comparison, the rest of Sunset's training progressed in a smoother fashion. She alternated between ponying up and boosting her friends' abilities, and going into phoenix form and practicing her fire powers.
Her soul-boosting powers, she learned, did have a few limitations. Whatever magical increase she gave to her friends only lasted a few minutes, and as Sunset quickly learned, she could not hand out augments ad infinitum.
One afternoon, after Pinkie had already come back for seconds, Sunset offered to boost Applejack to test the limits of her super strength. Sunset gripped Applejack's shoulder and felt her soul pulse as she granted Applejack additional power. Only this time, when the pulse finished, Sunset felt her soul flutter. She stepped back, woozy and lightheaded.
Applejack hadn't noticed. Orange aura glowing bright, she grabbed a large tree with one hand and lifted it up from the roots like it was nothing more than a turnip. She hurled it out to the ocean, where it collided with Aretmis' barrier and dropped into the water.
"Golly, that didn't weigh nothin' at all," Applejack said, looking at her hands.
"Yeah, super impressive," Sunset said, still winded. She leaned forward and put her hands on her knees.
"You okay?" Applejack asked.
Sunset waved a hand. "Yeah, just--" She jumped a foot back as something burrowed out of the ground between her boots. Its black carapace caught the sunlight and glistened, its pincers looking especially menacing.
"Woah there!" Applejack shouted.
The scorpion clicked its claws and scuttled forward, looking between the two girls. Before it could pick an opponent, Applejack lifted her foot and brought it down as hard as she could, crushing the arachnid.
Her stomp was so strong, Sunset felt it reverberate through the sand. Only, it didn't stop. The vibration carried up Sunset's legs and dropped her to the ground, now rocking and trembling. The trees shuddered and the sand shifted, and Sunset heard confused cries across the island.
Applejack stared wide-eyed even as the rumbling died down. Palm leaves dropped to the ground around them, becoming as still as the surrounding landscape.
"Did Ah do that?" Applejack asked in whispered awe.
Sunset nodded, dumbfounded. She pushed herself back onto her feet and walked toward the sandbar. The silence of the island became eerie. Sunset looked out over the ocean and watched as even the lapping waves drew quiet, the tide receding and revealing seashells embedded in the sand. She looked out further and squinted her eyes. The faint line on the horizon grew taller, and the once-silent water began to growl.
"Oh no..." She snapped her gaze and looked down the beach, thinking quickly. "Rarity!"
Rarity blocked a punch from Shimmer before looking over her shoulder. "Yes?"
Sunset sprinted toward her. "Get ready to make a shield! Big shield! Super big!"
"Why?" Rarity looked out to the water, where the looming wave was much more visible now. "Oh..."
Sunset grabbed Rarity's arm and gifted her a boost. The second she did, her soul fluttered again, harder this time, and Sunset dropped to the ground, exhaustion pulling at her very core. Her pony features vanished back into the aether.
"Sunset, are you--"
"Shield, now!" Sunset croaked.
Rarity gave her one more concerned look but lifted her hands. A wall of diamonds rose from the edge of the shoreline, spreading all the way down the coast and rising high above the island. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch as the tidal wave crashed against Rarity's shield wall. The diamonds didn't even flicker at the weight of the water, nor at the tree that Applejack had thrown as it came back and slammed into the wall.
Rarity held the barrier up until the water receded again to its normal levels. When everything seemed calm again. She dropped to Sunset's side.
"Sweetheart, what happened? Are you all right?"
Fluttershy flew over and laid her hands on Sunset, restoring some of her energy, enough to where Sunset could sit up and speak again. "Yeah. I think I just learned what my limits are to my magic."
She looked over to Applejack. "Let's never do that again."
Applejack nodded, shock still on her face.
The exhaustion Sunset felt reminded her of when she would deplete her mana when she was a unicorn. She and Twilight later hypothesized she wasn't just using her soul to boost her friends' magic, she was sharing her own magic with them.
Practicing with her fire abilities proved more straightforward. For one, it was easier to measure when she was running low on magic. Sunset learned to wield her flames in a more controlled fashion, and while she couldn't dispel it once it left her hands, she could redirect it and pull the fire away from things she didn't want burned anymore, similar to what she did in the aftermath of fighting Tempest.
The girls did their training in the mornings, making it the late afternoon in Greece. It gave them the rest of the day to go about their normal activities, provided they weren't interrupted by some magical incident. With the increase in their training came the increase of weird happenings around Canterlot. They were still infrequent, and occurred in more remote places, but Sunset didn't write them off as being random.
Adagio no longer appeared at these magical sites. Her handiwork now took place in the dead of night, leaving the girls to discover it through the news the following day. She had robbed banks, jewelry stores, and even taken a painting from the Canterlot Art Museum. She hadn't been discreet either. Every time, law enforcement had caught her in the act, and every time, she had gotten away after causing property damage and bodily harm. A few unlucky civilians claimed to have crossed paths with her during her escapes. She would hurt them with her 'unidentified foreign technology', then continue her flight.
She was now the night terror of Canterlot.
"And we have no idea where she's hiding," Artemis bemoaned.
Her targets and patterns were unpredictable. Artemis had stayed up all night one night on magic watch to keep alert for her, only for Adagio to never show. It was an unfortunate agreement that, until they could discern Adagio's plan or crossed paths again, the Spectacular Seven would leave her to the police.
"Has Shining said anything yet?" Sunset asked Twilight one day on their way to the leygate.
Twilight shook her head. "I think he's been too busy. I haven't gotten to talk to him since the wedding. I know he knows we're connected to the things happening around the city, but since we disappear before anyone can really see us, he doesn't have any proof."
Twilight and Sunset spent as much time as they could together, though an increasing amount of that time was spent in Twilight's lab. While her project for her internship competition had been completed, Twilight had taken to tinkering with more and more gadgets and gizmos. As a result, the girls had taken many trips to the junkyard to look for parts her 3D printer couldn't generate. Night Light also brought in tools and pieces from Canterlot University. Sunset could no longer justify her teasing of calling the space a garage; it looked like a true lab now.
Sunset would have liked to drag Twilight out and spend non-study time with her. However, it seemed anytime they were about to have a leisurely afternoon, some magical incident interrupted them.
Sunset had a particular afternoon planned out: lunch and a spa date with Twilight after she indulged in another junkyard trip.
The summer sun shone down on them, heating the forgotten trash heap and amplifying the pungent aroma.
"I'll never get used to the smell," Twilight complained, pinching her nose as she led Sunset around the towers of dirt and discarded trash.
"You're the one who wanted to go discount shopping for second-hand parts," Sunset said. Her frequent ventures here with Flash years ago made her a little more accustomed.
"Last time we found a perfectly good motherboard," Twilight said defensively.
Most of the junkyard was an unorganized heap of yesterday's trash and dirt. However, a far corner seemed to attract misplaced electronic leftovers. Computers, gaming consoles, microwaves, washing machines, and other modern appliances that never made it to the scrap yard where they belonged.
Twilight pulled out a pair of kitchen gloves from her backpack and began rummaging through the discarded machines. "I'm trying to find a few components that will make my Auto-Arm a little more flexible," she said, referring to her internship project.
Sunset used her foot to roll a tire out of the way. "You're gonna make me earn this spa day, aren't you?"
"We won't be here long, I promise." Twilight opened the back of an old washing machine and began pulling pieces out.
"That's what you said last time--ow!" Sunset turned around. The tire she had kicked away had managed to roll back and run into the back of her leg. She kicked it again, knocking it over.
"Look, I already found something useful!" Twilight pulled a suspension spring from the washing machine and held it over her head. "I'm going to dig a little bit more! Could you look for any flexible cables or wiring?"
Sunset crossed her arms. "You're lucky you're cute." She walked off, spotting the remains of industrial HVAC systems. One of the face plates on the gray box was already partially unhinged. Sunset squeezed her fingers into the crevice and pulled with all her might, peeling the metal back. She took a look inside and frowned; the wires had already been chewed on by rats.
She looked over to one of the other HVACs. While rusting and coated with dirt, they looked pretty sturdy. Sunset doubted she could get in them without a crowbar or something similar. As she walked over to get a closer inspection, the HVAC behind her rumbled and whirred. She spun around and felt air drifting out of the grate in the front.
"What the...?" Sunset peeked back into the inner mechanism, finding the wires still gnawed and parts still missing, yet air was now billowing out of it.
"Ow!" Something smashed hard into the back of Sunset's head, casting spots in front of her eyes. She gingerly cupped the new bruise and turned around, spotting a broken phone on the ground behind her. She turned her gaze upward trying to discern where it could have come from, then wrinkled her nose. There was something in the air, and it wasn't mold.
The sound of crunching dirt gave Sunset just enough of a warning to jump out of the way as the tire she had kicked twice before came speeding at her. She rolled and hopped back to her feet as the tire skidded to a stop a few yards away, then proceeded to rev and roll backward.
"Twilight!" Sunset turned and ran, staying just ahead of the possessed tire. She swung around one of the towers of debris and found Twilight precariously perched on an old computer chair, reaching for a sheet of scrap metal at the top of another short trash pile.
Sunset scooped the nearest thing off the ground--an old hamster cage--and threw it at the tire behind her. It hit and was heavy enough to force the tire to swerve off its heated trajectory of running over Sunset... and into the back of Twilight's chair instead.
"Aaaah!"
"Sparky!" Sunset's body jumped into phoenix mode as Twilight catapulted into the air. Sunset took off and caught Twilight ten feet off the ground.
Arms around Sunset's neck, Twilight looked about wildly. "What's going on?"
"The trash is attacking us." As soon as she said it, a volley of empty soda cans launched from the surface.
"Crimany!" Twilight yelled. Sunset took off higher into the air, avoiding the tin cans. One flew through her flaming tail and melted as it fell back to the ground.
Sunset swooped to the ground and dropped Twilight off. The relentless tire returned, kicking up gravel as it tore toward the girls. Sunset put her hands together and unleashed a ball of fire that collided with the tire, but it barely slowed it down, only set it aflame. Sunset and Twilight leaped out of the way, the flaming tire spinning between them.
"Fire doesn't solve everything!" Twilight shouted over a rising cacophony of clanging trash. Behind them, a whirlwind of garbage had formed, the burning tire leaping into it. Discarded debris, metal chunks, moldy furniture swirled together and took form, eerily reminding Sunset of the rock golem from the botanical gardens. One leg was half of a wooden cabinet with a tripod sticking out of the bottom, while the other was a metal trashcan. Its torso was mostly comprised of a satellite dish and two office chairs. A ladder with a lampshade and forks and knives sticking out the end made up its left arm, and a refrigerator with the burning tire made up its right. The junk chimera used a broken T.V. for a head.
Sunset stared up at the eight-foot, wretched-smelling golem. Bags and clumps of trash filled in all of its empty spots, making it look bulkier than it really was. "First rocks, now trash. What's going on?"
Twilight pulled a rusty lead pipe from a trash pile and brandished it like her sword. "I'll go low and try to get it off balance. You go high and keep it distracted. If we break off enough parts, it should collapse."
Sunset took a moment to shake off the absurdity of the situation then jumped into the air. "Got it. Just be careful, Sparky."
With a single nod, Twilight ran for the compacted trash beast. She slammed her pipe into its wooden shin, and it shuddered in discomfort. It reached for her with its lampshade, but Sunset hit it in the television with a fireball, gaining its attention.
She circled around it and fired another blast at its metal chest while Twilight attacked its other leg. The golem swung a flamming tire at Sunset, but its slow movements proved easy to avoid. She rolled underneath it, got in close, then kicked at its right-hand chair with both of her feet.
The chair dislodged and fell to the ground. Twilight followed up with another solid hit to the wooden cabinet, smashing it into pieces this time. With a lurch, the trash beast stumbled and fell backward with a mighty crash.
Sunset hovered down next to Twilight. "Easy. Weird, but easy."
A crunching and rattling noise from the downed monster took the wind out of Sunset's sails. The beast sat up, then staggered to one leg. A trash pile next to it rustled and ejected a thick roll of carpet that flew over and replaced the cabinet and tripod. The refrigerator and tire that had fallen off floated into the air and reattached themselves to the satellite dish, emitting a faint glow.
Sunset sharpened her focus as its limbs settled in. The glow faded out, but Sunset had seen enough. "That satellite is acting as a focal point for it. If we break it enough, the thing should stop regenerating."
"Any ideas?" Twilight asked as it advanced on them.
"Maybe one," Sunset said, taking a quick scan of their surroundings. "You go for its left arm. I'm going for its right again."
Twilight broke wide left, forcing the golem to turn toward her. Sunset flew right, and the garbage construct hesitated. It swung both of its arms simultaneously, aiming for both girls. Twilight used her pipe to block the blow, the silverware clinking against the metal. The force nudged her to the side but was otherwise ineffective. She retaliated and knocked the lampshade and utensils from the ladder.
Sunset rolled under the tire again and shot a fireball at its shoulder. It proved less effective than physical force, for it remained attached to the body. She darted away as its arm came back around, the tire nicking her wing and disrupting her flight for a moment.
The golem swung its ladder arm down on Twilight who moved to the side with ease. She stood between it and the fallen silverware, which Sunset saw were standing up.
"Twilight!" Sunset dove and tackled her to the dirt as the silverware shot back toward the ladder, zipping through the air where Twilight had just stood. Sunset pushed herself up off Twilight's prone form. "Are you--"
"Look out!" Twilight grabbed Sunset by the shoulders and rolled the two of them over just as the tire smashed the ground.
Laying on her back, Sunset saw the tire lift and come crashing down on her again. With no time to move, Sunset threw her hands up and clenched her teeth. The rubber hit her hands, hot but unable to burn her. It was the weight that caused her to cry out. Pushing with all her might, the tire pressed down, inches from her face.
Twilight shoved her pipe into the rims and pulled the tire, not only off course but prying it away from the refrigerator and sending it rolling across the dirt.
"Thanks," Sunset said breathlessly.
"Yeah," Twilight said, panting just as hard. She yelped as Sunset grabbed and spun her out of the way of the swinging ladder. When Twilight was clear, Sunset channeled her growing frustration into a fireball and launched it at the golem's chest. It staggered, and as it did, Sunset flew up and delivered another solid kick to its shoulder, knocking off its right arm again.
"Keep it distracted," Sunset shouted. Judging by how fast the golem's magic allowed its pieces to keep coming back, Sunset guessed she had less than a minute. She flew over to where she found the HVAC systems and hefted one of the metal boxes off the ground, muscles straining as she lifted back into the air. Flying back, she saw Twilight knock off the forks and knives again before jumping back as the golem kicked at her.
"Aim for its face!" Sunset rose higher into the sky, angling herself over the golem.
Twilight glanced up, nodded, then threw her lead pipe at the T. V., cracking the already broken glass. The trash golem lifted the ladder to its face like it could do something about its busted facsimile of a head.
Sunset dropped the HVAC box, her arms sighing in relief at the unloaded weight. The box fell like a stone and crashed into the T. V., which then crumpled into the satellite dish and sent the entire golem to the ground in an even louder cacophony and spill of trash than the one it had been born from.
Sunset flew back to Twilight's side, and the two girls eyed the junk pile until they were positive it wouldn't rise again. Only then did they take a collective sigh, Sunset coming out of her powers.
"I have so many questions," Twilight mumbled, doing her best to dust herself off. "Why was the trash trying to attack us? And... what happens to the magic after we beat it? Did we destroy it?"
Beating some of the grime off her leather vest, Sunset said, "Remember our magic lessons a few months back? Magic is like other forms of energy: it can't be destroyed, it either transforms, disperses, or breaks down enough to where it can't do anything."
She walked over and kicked the trash. It remained stationary. "We damaged the main body the enchantment was using so that the magic couldn't maintain itself anymore and left. As to why the trash was attacking us." Sunset made a wide shrug. "Search me."
Twilight chewed the corner of her lips. Sunset knew what, or rather who, was on her mind and decided to shift gears. She walked over and looped an arm around Twilight's.
"Hey, you still owe me a spa date. Let's say we get cleaned up and salvage today?"
"Yeah." Twilight exhaled the thought she was holding onto and brightened a little. "A hot bath and a massage sound nice. Oh!"
She stooped down and pulled two fiber cables from beneath an old textbook. "Sunset, look! These are perfect!"
Sunset looked nonplussed at the wires shoved under her nose, then at the beaming girl holding them. "You're really lucky you're cute."
*******
Over the next two weeks, Rarity found herself busier than she had ever been.
Random magical mishaps were the main source of her vexation. While she could schedule around her magical training, suddenly being summoned during peak store hours to go stop a monster alligator in the sewers (which she refused to actually enter, she had standards, and Applejack and Fluttershy performed wonderfully without her) created knots in her plans, metaphorically and sometimes literally.
While there was still plenty of summer left, Rarity was trying to prepare herself as best she could for her departure to New York, and that included figuring out what her housing situation would look like. There was no way she could stay in the freshman dorms; she had seen pictures and while some might use the word 'cozy', Rarity would prefer to describe them as 'miserable incubation closets built for two people to share germs and little else, with the lacking qualifications for her creative process.' Also, there was no way her clothes would fit in those drawers.
No, Rarity needed her own space. Unfortunately, New York was expensive, even for a girl with a thriving clothes store. So, Rarity had to devote time to budgeting and apartment hunting.
That was on top of the mandatory magical training she now had to do at least three times a week. She knew it was for the greater good, and she would do anything to defend Canterlot, but it was beginning to seriously cut into her personal life. Granted, she had indeed made notable strides with her powers. Not only could she manifest them on a whim now, she also discovered she could make more detailed constructs than just shields and barriers. They took more mental effort, but Rarity could craft form-fitting armor that could take a few hits before fading, and large spikes she could use as projectiles.
So, Rarity didn't begrudge her training, she just wished Tempest would hurry up and try to do whatever it was she was trying to do so they could stop her and move on with their lives. Rarity still had a store to run. A store that was suddenly quite popular.
Rarity was a bit of a gossip. Tasteful gossip, mind you, and only to the right people. She knew the power a few words and speculation could have. Which is why Rarity speculated that some gossip had been made about her in the wake of the Coloratura concert. That speculation grew stronger after Rarity had been invited to go shopping with Coloratura and Applejack.
Coloratura, or Rara as she preferred to be called off stage by her friends, kept a scarf over her head while they were out in public. Rarity supposed it helped hide her true identity but she wouldn't say Rara exactly blended in either.
The three girls were doing some aimless window shopping at the Canterlot Galleria downtown, more enjoying each other's company than making any actual purchases, though Rara had offered.
"--so I'm at the after party for the concert, getting some shrimp cocktail, and I hear a voice behind me say, 'Honey, I think you just put me out of a job.'" Rara narrated as the group walked by the central fountain for the third time. "I turn around and Sapphire Shores is standing there while I have a shrimp hanging from my mouth."
Rarity covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. "Oh goodness, that must have been mortifying!"
"I was panicking," Rara said with a delighted smile. "I was like, 'oh no, my idol hates me, oh my god, Sapphire Shores is standing right in front of me, there's shrimp in my mouth!' I suck it in and try to say hi and I end up choking on the shrimp!"
Rarity gasped, enthralled. "What happened next?"
"Sapphire jumps behind me and hits me on the back. And let me tell you, she is strong. I cough up the shrimp and start apologizing over and over, and she just laughs and says, 'I'm not letting my successor die by rogue seafood'!"
"So then... all those tabloids about you and Sapphire having a fierce rivalry and her despising you..."
"All fake," Rara said nonchalantly. "We play into it sometimes, and when we get together, we compare album sales. But yeah, she's been like a mentor to me."
"Goodness, that's utterly fascinating," Rarity said. She knew most tabloid articles were rumor-mongering at best and invasive trash at worst, but the Sapphire-Coloratura rivalry had been repeatedly reported for the last two years. She vowed never to trust anything in the tabloids ever again.
"Wasn't that a great story, Applejack?" Rarity asked, turning to her morose friend. She walked half a pace behind them with her hands in her pockets.
"Hmm? Oh yeah, Ah liked the part with the shrimp," Applejack said, voice listless
Rara frowned. "Are you okay?"
Applejack put on a bright smile, though Rarity could see the strain in her cheeks, "Yeah, Ah'm fine! Maybe just a little hungry."
"You're right, it's past lunchtime," Rara said. "I think I know a good seafood restaurant not too far--"
"That's Coloratura!" someone shouted.
"Not again," Applejack mumbled just loud enough for Rarity to pick up.
In an instant, they were swarmed by a sea of fans. Most of them pushed their way past Applejack and Rarity, but a few lingered around them when it became evident they weren't getting to the main attraction.
"Do you guys know Coloratura?"
"Are you her friends?"
"Where is she staying at?"
"How come you guys get to hang out with her?"
Rarity didn't mind the attention and was more than willing to answer questions. But one look at Applejack's grimaced face and shifting stance told her now was not the time. She grabbed Applejack by the arm and pulled her away from the masses, finding a quiet bench outside a candy store.
"Applejack, are you okay?"
Applejack brushed herself off, not looking Rarity in the eye. "Yep."
Rarity furrowed her brow. "Are... you lying to me?"
"Ah don't like crowds. That's it," she said tersely.
Oh, it was more than that, Rarity knew. She also knew Applejack was a stubborn mule and pulling emotions out of her sometimes was like trying to give Opalescence a bath. Not worth it. Still, Rarity remembered Applejack's lie to Rara about liking the concert. An acceptable lie to spare her friend her feelings, but still highly unusual coming from Miss Honesty.
Something was amiss. And Rarity would discover it sooner or later.
Regardless, following the mall incident, her store's business--which had always been brisk during the summer--became much busier than usual. It started slow at first, but as the days went by, the lobby became fuller for longer periods of time.
Rarity never thought she would be this glad she had hired Coco.
With all of the time she had to allocate to training and apartment hunting, Coco was there to pick up the slack of managing the store, bless her cute soul. Rarity had no idea how she would have gotten on without her.
Which is why Rarity felt bad anytime she had to rush out of the store for a magical emergency.
"Opalescence, my cat, is... throwing up all over the house," Rarity lied after Sunset had called and informed her of the alligator in the sewers. "Sweetie Belle and I need to run her to the vet real quick."
Coco looked over from the hem she was stitching on a young girl's summer dress. "Oh, that sounds serious. Umm..." Her doe eyes scanned the waiting room, filled with four other customers waiting their turn, and one standing at the register.
"I won't take long, I promise," Rarity said, holding one hand up and placing the other over her heart. "You'll be fine."
"Y-yes. If you say so, Miss Rarity," Coco said with warbling confidence. She had grown leaps and bounds during her short tenure, but any time Rarity went out, there was that brief pang of panic.
Still, Rarity had responsibilities. She dashed out the front door... then ran back in and rang up the customer waiting at the front. It was the least she could do.
Coco never said anything about Rarity's frequent flights; she was far too polite. Rarity swore to herself that she would make up for it by helping her create the best designs for the Midsummer Festival anyone had ever seen... as soon as they wrapped up her own designs for the design competition, something she was falling behind on now. In addition, she had promised Rara she would make an outfit for her appearance at the Grand Gallant Gala.
That was an opportunity she could not afford to pass up. If she didn't win the competition, the notoriety from this alone would boost her accolades to new heights!
Traffic was finally slow one day. Rarity chalked it up to the sudden cloudy weather interrupting a string of sunny days. As she cleaned the fitting room from their last customer, rain began pelting the front door. Rarity looked outside, watching people run for shelter as the sky grew to a stormy black.
"Hmm, rain wasn't in the forecast," Coco said from behind the register.
"Odd. But, perhaps we'll finally have time to ourselves," Rarity said cheerfully.
Coco brightened. "Really? Because I've been dying to show you the designs I've come up with!"
"I'd love to take a look at them, darling, but we need to put in some work to Coloratura's dress first."
Coco's bright face dimmed. "Oh, of course."
Rarity put her hands on Coco's shoulders. "Don't worry. I swear, we'll have time for your designs. We can even split the day today--half Coloratura, half you. How does that--"
A bright flash from the sky overhead cut Rarity off. A second later came the clap of thunder, so loud, it sounded like it was right over their heads. The lights of the store flickered, and then went out.
"Oh dear," Coco said, stepped over and ducked behind the counter. She returned a moment later with a flashlight.
"Well, this isn't ideal, but we can work in dim lighting. Hmm, although the sewing machine would be out of commission." Before Rarity could contemplate more, her phone buzzed and began to play 'Shine Like Rainbows.'
She pulled it from her pocket, seeing Sunset's face on the home screen. "Yes, Sunset dear?"
"We've got a magical emergency," Sunset said. "This storm isn't normal."
"Right." Rarity sighed. "I'll be over as quick as I can." She swiped the phone off.
Coco looked over to her, a pang of panic on her shadowed face. "You're leaving?"
"Err, Sweetie Belle is alone at home and she's terrified. I'm just going to reassure her everything's fine and make sure she's safe."
"But-but--"
"I have complete confidence you'll be okay, Coco. You can lock the store while I'm away," Rarity said, reaching for the handle of the front door. "I won't be gone long. You can start working on your dress designs while I'm out." And without another word, Rarity set off into the rain.
*******
Over the next two weeks, Applejack found herself increasingly miserable.
Magical training was fine. All she had to do was lift stuff and hit stuff. She practiced on rocks, she practiced on Rarity's shields. It was all very redundant, though it sometimes helped vent her frustrations.
Frustrations she really couldn't put into words.
Everything should have been sweet as a peach, magical doomsday notwithstanding. She had reconnected with her childhood best friend! Sure, she was an ultra-popular, world renown singing-sensation now, but at least she wasn't a spoiled diva. Maybe a bit flaunty with her money, but she didn't act like she had a silver spoon in her mouth. And sure, maybe every time they went out, someone would spot through Rara's thin disguise and mob her, shunting Applejack to the side because who cared about some hick farm girl? But they were having fun, so everything was fine, right?
Never mind the small detail of Applejack having to pretend to like Rara's music.
She kept smiling and nodding her head to the final lines of Rara's song. She belted them into the recording booth's microphone. Applejack could appreciate Rara's effort and devotion to her craft. That was about as much as she could say. She had tuned out the lyrics after the first chorus.
"Okay, Countess, I think we're good for today. That was fantastic as always," her sound director said from the mixing board.
Rara smiled and nodded. She took the headphones off and stepped out of the recording booth, taking the water bottle that an assistant had ready for her. After taking a deep draught, she beamed at Applejack. "So, what'd you think?"
Applejack gave her two thumbs up. "Ah can see why you're a sensation."
"Aww, you're sweet." She finished her water bottle and handed it back to the assistant, who quickly ran it out of the room and came back with a new one. Rara took that one and gently waved him off. "Sorry for dragging you to a session."
"No worries. It's nice to see how committed you are." Applejack didn't know how she was doing this. Maybe because she wasn't really lying. There were truths kerneled in everything she said. It was great to see Rara's commitment.
"I'm all wrapped up here, and we've got the whole day ahead of us. I was thinking we go do a little shopping. I know Rarity is making us dresses for the gala, but we'll need some jewelry to go with them. What do you say?"
Applejack forced the muscles in her cheeks to turn upwards. "Sure. Just... nothin' too flashy."
Rara nodded. "Of course. Oh, I remember! Practical, right! I'm sure we can find something practical and pretty. Really, it's just fun to go and look at stuff."
Applejack felt an odd sense of gratitude. Being friends with Rarity had prepared her for events like this. She said nothing as Rara called a different assistant and asked her to call ahead to some shop called 'Karat and Clarity' and tell them she was coming.
Rara didn't change; she was already dressed fairly casually in a white blouse and designer jeans. She didn't even bother with her ineffective disguises. She simply called for her driver, then directed Applejack outside.
The recording studio was in an unremarkable red brick building nestled near the heart of downtown. Applejack stepped out into a wide side alley where the black limo had pulled up. Rara's chauffeur stepped out and opened the door for Applejack, tipping his hat as she got in. Rara slid in a minute later, still devoid of her scarf and sunglasses. Applejack was getting the sneaking suspicion of why.
"I wish Rarity could join us, to make up for not being able to come to the gala," Rara said offhandedly.
"Ah think she's busy today." Applejack had no idea, she just knew she couldn't deal with both Rarity and Rara jewelry shopping.
"I don't think I asked: how did the two of you meet? Actually, I would love to meet all of your friends someday. They sound amazing by the way you describe them."
Applejack gave a genuine smile. "They are. Ah really lucked out with them. Met Rarity the summer before freshman year. Well, we went to the same middle school, but we almost never talked to each other. Then, Ah was sellin' fruit at the farmer's market one weekend."
A laugh welled up from Applejack's core. "She walked up to me, looked me in the eye, and said, 'you're never gonna sell anythin' wearin' that.' Ah don't even remember what Ah was wearin' back then. She just walked off after that. Ah was so steamed, Ah snapped at everyone who came up to the stand. Then the next week, she came back with this dress and handed it to me, all smiles. She bought three apples, too. Ah didn't know what to think of her but, we became friends after that."
A smile stayed splashed across Applejack's face. Rarity had been Rarity even back then. The only thing that had changed was that Rarity had learned the 'tact' that she stressed so much in others.
Rara clapped her hands and laughed. "That's hilarious! And heartwarming! I'm so glad you found friends like her."
"What about you? Ah mean, are celebrities friends?"
Rara's jubilance died a little. "Of course. Well, sometimes. I told you, me and Sapphire Shores are friends. Though she's more of a mentor figure, but we still talk often enough. Feather Bangs is young, but he's nice."
She laughed, but Applejack heard it waver. "But that's why I'm so glad I get to spend time with you again. We always had a good time together. And you've always been honest with me." Rara turned her head out the window. "A lot of the time, I feel like the people around me just tell me what they think I want to hear. Or, people just want to get close to me for perks and favors."
Rara scooted closer and pulled Applejack into a hug. "So I'm super glad nothing's changed between us. We're just picking up from where we left off."
Yep. Nothin's changed. Nevermind that Rara was a superstar now, or that she had fans, groupies, and managers. Or that she was taking Applejack to go jewelry shopping for the Grand Gallant Gala. They were still friends. And that was all that mattered. Applejack was just glad to be spending time with her friend. They were having fun.
And yet, something irked Applejack.
Was it that she had to lie about liking Rara's music? Maybe. Was it jealousy? No, Applejack knew what jealousy felt like and this wasn't it. She didn't want Rara's lifestyle.
She couldn't put it into words. And if she could, she couldn't tell Rara. Honesty had always been Applejack's policy--it was what her parents had taught her. But if she could hand Rara a few white lies to preserve their friendship, just until she had to leave, then wasn't it worth it?
Applejack shook her head. She was thinking too hard. Everything was fine.
The limo pulled up to Karat and Clarity, and Rara helped Applejack out and locked arms with her as they approached the storefront. One of the store owners opened the door and welcomed them inside. Just as Applejack had feared, the reason Rara had called ahead, the reason she had forgone any disguise: the whole store had been reserved just for the two of them.
"Welcome, Miss Coloratura!" the store clerk, Clarity said, her eyes honed in on Rara. "Thank you for coming today! How can we help you?"
"Hi! My friend Applejack and I are going to the Grand Gallant Gala and we were hoping to get something new for the occasion."
"Of course, of course! We can start over here; we have a lovely selection of necklaces..."
Applejack tuned out after that. She allowed herself to be carried around the store and tried on necklaces, wristbands, and rings, putting on an interested face whenever Rara asked for her opinion. She again thanked Rarity for the practice.
Something shiny and red caught Applejack's eye, and upon closer look, she saw it was a pretty ruby-red brooch. It almost resembled an apple. She remarked on how nice it looked, but no one appeared to hear her. She sighed wistfully as she stared at it a few seconds longer before moving on.
Rara eventually purchased pearl necklaces for each of them and a diamond-studded hair band for herself. Applejack stood off to the side, still marveling at the empty store. It wasn't a small space either; there were a dozen wide tables with cases of shiny, expensive treasures. Yet, only four bodies warmed the space. More than once, someone had come up to the door only to find it locked, and an entire group of people had to be warded off by Rara's driver.
"Okay, we're all set!" Rara said in a chipper voice, swinging a bag from her wrist. "So, I've dragged you around all day so far; it's your turn."
"Really?"
"Yeah, silly. What do you want to do?"
Applejack hummed in thought. "You still wanna go see the farm? Heck, we could go fishin' at the watering hole."
"Oh my gosh, yes! I would love to!" Rara said over an increased buzzing noise. "Oh, one sec."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. "Hi, Starstruck."
The brief genuine excitement Applejack felt evaporated as she watched Rara's expression shift and heard her half of the conversation.
"Uh-huh.... Really? I mean, sure but.... Today? I know, but I.... Yeah, that's true. Okay. I'll be there soon."
She clicked her phone off and turned her head upward for a second, taking a deep breath.
"Work stuff?" Applejack asked, trying her hardest not to sound disappointed.
Rara sighed again and lowered her gaze to meet Applejack's. "Yeah. Scheduling conflict means Starstruck had to move something up and..." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, AJ. I really wanted to go today but--"
"No, it's fine," Applejack said, a familiar squirm in her stomach. "I understand."
"I'm really sorry," Rara said with wet, earnest eyes. "We'll get to it next time. I promise."
Applejack could only strain the muscles in her cheek again to smile. It had been like this ever since they had reunited. First the park, then the mall. When they had gone shoe shopping last week. Something always interrupted them, be it work or fans.
Rara had been right. Nothing had changed between them. Applejack always came up second-fiddle to Rara's talents and the attention they attracted. But it was fine. At least they had gotten to spend some time together. And it had been fun.
Applejack would finally get the chance to turn the tables and cancel on her three days later. What had started out as another sunny day quickly became a dark and stormy one as heavy black clouds appeared from nowhere. Applejack had a suspicion it was magical based, confirmed when Sunset texted her to meet at the Lulamoons. Just as Applejack had grabbed her mask, her phone buzzed.
"Hi, AJ! One of my appointments got canceled, so I'm free for the rest of the day now. I was wondering if you had time to hang out?" Rara's chipper voice danced out of the speaker.
"Sorry, Rara, Ah, uhh... need to do some weather-proofing around the orchard. Looks like a storm is about to hit."
"Yeah, it's so weird. There wasn't a cloud in the sky this morning. Summer rains, you can never predict them. Do you think you'll be busy all day?"
Applejack almost hoped so. "Ah'm not sure. How about Ah text if Ah get free?"
"Sure! Try not to work too hard," she said teasingly.
Applejack made no promises. Working hard was her only distraction. The further into summer they got, the more she and her friends seemed busy with their own hobbies and projects. The only thing that seemed to bring them together now was a leygate to an island on the other side of the world, or when something magical and dangerous popped up.
Applejack still couldn't identify the coiling knot in her stomach anytime she thought about spending time with Rara or her extravagant lifestyle, and focusing too hard on it just made her frustrated. So she enjoyed her work on the farm and her magical training when she got to see her friends. She even almost enjoyed these magical high jinks. Any distraction helped.
Today, that distraction took the form of something Artemis called, a Thunderbird.
Applejack fell about ten feet after punching it in the head before Rarity caught her with a gem shield. It had been a rough landing, but Applejack's muscles barely registered it with the electricity coursing through them. She was too busy twitching.
"Okay," she grunted through gritted teeth, "don't touch it with your bare hands."
Her warning came just in time as Rainbow, flying straight for the bird's face, veered off at the last second. "Great, how else am I supposed to hit it?" she yelled over the wind and rain.
The Thunderbird let out a rumbling roar like its namesake. It was the size of a small elephant, and that was before including its massive wingspan. It had blue and white plumage with crisscrossing lighting patterns along its belly and the underside of its wings. Its massive beak had jagged edges on its upper lining, and three large plumes of feathers crowned its head.
With another beat of its wings, arcs of electricity flew out in every direction, forcing the girls to retreat. Rarity jerked Applejack's platform away, pulling it over a gap in the storm clouds below her.
Applejack wasn't afraid of heights, but she preferred seeing the abyss of dark clouds rather than the city half a mile below them. Her muscles stopped spasming and she climbed to her feet, steadying herself as Rarity moved the platform again.
Sunset blasted a jet of fire at the Thunderbird's face. It screamed in rage and let off a thunderbolt from its wing. Sunset dove out of the way, the bolt clipping her fire wings and briefly disrupting them. Sunset fell a few feet and caught herself, wings reigniting with steam curling off them.
Applejack furrowed her brow. Sunset's attack had barely scarred the beast. "How are we supposed to beat this one?"
"Really carefully!" Twilight yelled from her own crystal elevator.
"Rarity, give Twilight to me!" Sunset ordered. "Give Rainbow and Applejack armor and see if that negates its electricity!"
"On it!" Rarity yelled, face scrunched in concentration. The platform under Twilight disappeared, and Sunset caught her before she could fall too far.
A thin layer of blue light swathed around Applejack, enveloping her torso and arms in crystalline armor. She took a deep breath and tensed the muscles in her legs before leaping from the safety of her dais and over the swirling storm clouds. Fist drawn back, she aimed for the Thunderbird's face again.
Rainbow came from the other side and struck it in the cheek. It cried out and teetered off balance, unable to recover before Applejack struck it in the head and sent it careening into a black cloud. Applejack fell five feet before a new blue crystal disk broke her fall.
The Thunderbird caught itself and screeched in the girls' direction, its feathers bristling with electricity dancing between them. With a single flap of its wings, it ascended a hundred feet higher into the air, then broke into a dive, razor beak outstretched and pointed at Applejack.
Two whips of azure light wrapped around its torso from opposite directions and halted its divebomb. It cried in confusion and furiously beat its wings, sending arcs of lighting in every direction.
Off to its left was Trixie, and to its right was Artemis. Both stood on enlarged, floating playing cards. Aces to be precise.
"We can't hold it forever!" Artemis yelled, tugging on his wand producing the ethereal whip. "This is a very angry avian!"
Applejack tensed her muscles again and leaped off the crystal disk. A bolt of lightning ripped past her face, singing a lock of her hair, and leaving an ear-splitting clap of thunder in its wake. She landed on the beast's head and quickly grabbed two of its large plumes.
The Thunderbird noticed immediately and began to violently shake its head in indignation. Applejack flapped around, wildly flopping against the back of the bird's head while praying she didn't lose her grip.
Ain't this like a rodeo.
She blinked. It was just like a rodeo!
Applejack let out a whoop and righted herself, digging her heels into the sides of the Thunderbird's neck the next time she made contact. She tightened her grip, locked her elbows, and flexed her core.
"Yeehaw!" she yelled over a peal of thunder. This overgrown bird was nothing more than a bull at the county fair.
Rainbow streaked forward and delivered a flurry of punches into the Thunderbird's sternum, her fists a blur. She flipped forward, dug her boots into the bird's gut, and kicked off, sending a tide of water back up into Applejack's face. Not that she could really tell.
The Thunderbird wheezed. Its bucking slowed from a raging bull to a dull kiddy ride. Applejack couldn't help but sigh in disappointment. She was finally starting to have fun.
"Fluttershy, now!" Sunset yelled. She and Twilight dropped onto a waiting diamond shield, and Sunset swapped from phoenix to pony. Fluttershy glided out from behind a cloud and extended her hand. With a quick touch, Fluttershy's aura brightened, and she flew over to the subdued monster and placed her hands on its chest.
Applejack yanked its plumes, holding it back from devouring Fluttershy whole. Fluttershy's pink magic washed over the Thunderbird's body until it was a burning silhouette in the stormy sky. Pink turned to white, and Applejack could feel the monster shrinking beneath her. She leaped off and was snatched by a passing Rainbow. They circled about, watching Fluttershy's magic regress the Thunderbird back to whatever poor animal it had been before dark magic had touched it. Around them, the wind and rain relented, and the lighting and thunder halted entirely.
Smaller and smaller the Thunderbird shrank until Fluttershy could wrap her arms around it. When the light faded, she was hugging a small peacock.
Fluttershy smiled and stroked the feathers on its head. "It's okay. You're safe now." She nuzzled it.
The peacock gave a tired coo.
"While Ah'm not terrified of heights..." Applejack said as the group gathered around Fluttershy. She looked at the dissipating clouds below and saw the tops of the downtown skyscrapers. "Can we get back on the ground now, please?"
Not ten seconds after touching her feet on solid land did Applejack's phone go off. She looked at the caller ID, and her face froze in a forced, grimacing smile.
"Rara," she said, one octave higher than usual. "What's up?"
"Hi, AJ! It looks like the summer storm is clearing up. So, I was wondering if you were free?"
"Yeah! Yeah, uh... Ah'm free now. Let me just clean up. Ah'll be right over."
"Yaay! Bring your swimsuit; the pool here is huge!" Rara clicked the phone off.
Applejack stared at it a little longer, her smile fixed.
"You okay, AJ?" Sunset asked.
"Ah'm fine!" she snapped.
"...You sure?"
"'Course Ah'm sure! Ah'm goin' to a fancy five-star hotel to see mah pop star best friend who can spare a few minutes for me! Everythin's fine! Why wouldn't it be fine?" Applejack turned and walked off, the coiling feeling in her stomach returning, this time bringing heat.
She heard Pinkie whisper, "I don't think everything's fine." |
Spectacular Seven | 10. Fragile Pride | Twilight carefully set the old notebook on the coffee table, then turned her attention to the projector set up next to it. She flicked it on, then jumped over to her laptop and plugged in the cable extending from the back into the projector. Her first slide popped up on the Lulamoon's wall.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming to my presentation today," Twilight said, placing her hands behind her back and bowing.
"Trixie didn't have a choice; she lives here," Trixie grumbled. Sunset elbowed her. The rest of their friends sat around the living room at attention.
"I promise, what I have to show today will be worth your while," Twilight continued, heart quickening as she looked at all the eyes staring back at her. She had invited everyone to this demonstration, Soarin and Shimmer included. That didn't free her from stage fright. "I have finished my restoration and translation of the journal Artemis and Trixie found."
"Wait, you translated all of it?" Artemis pouted. "I wanted to do it."
Twilight laughed nervously and tapped a toe against the carpet. "S-sorry. I might have gotten a little carried away while I was working."
"We're very proud of you, Twilight," Selena said, giving Artemis a pointed look.
"Of course we are. I can't be proud and pout at the same time?"
"Show us what you found, Sparky," Sunset said with a reassuring smile, ignoring Artemis.
Twilight smiled back and took a deep breath, then hopped over to her laptop. "Using a combination of preservations techniques and computer programs, I was able to digitally restore significant portions of the journal--not all of it, a lot of it is completely faded out or damaged, and even more of it isn't entirely relevant, although it does give context to some of the events that are described, but I tried to condense my findings down to the critical information--"
"Sparky, slow down," Sunset said gently. "You're talking a mile a minute."
Twilight took a gulp of air, realizing that she had, indeed, said all of that in one breath. "Sorry, sorry. I'll go slower."
She tapped a button and the first slide was projected onto the wall: a simple shot of the journal's first page. "I was then able to translate the journal using online language databases and a few translation guides."
"Could have just asked me," Artemis grumbled. Selena nudged him.
"Firstly, I have deciphered that the journal's author was named Stygian. He was a close friend to Merlin and the others who fought against Tirek, though he himself didn't take part in the battle. He was, however, the one to recruit Merlin into fighting back against Tirek after Stygian witnessed Tirek steal the souls of an entire village."
Twilight clicked to the next slide, a faded drawing of old runes and sigils. "After meeting Merlin and accompanying him on his journey to find the Rainbow of Light, Stygian wanted to learn how to use magic as well." She paused. Her slideshow didn't include Stygian's personal thoughts about feeling powerless to help his friends fight Tirek due to his lack of magic. She took a breath and continued.
"In Stygian's time, it was believed that you could become attuned to the magic in the world by training your soul." Twilight paused again, remembering Moondancer's words from what felt like years ago.
"If one trains hard enough, one can open their soul to the magical world! They can become in tune with the natural magic that flows all around us! What's left of it at least."
"Even though magic was a lot more prevalent back then, Stygian still struggled with becoming attuned. He provided help in other ways, usually acting as a counselor for the rest of the group. Which is probably why he kept a log in the first place."
Twilight tabbed to the next slide: a sketch of a gnarled staff of wood. "Here's where things get a little muddled. A lot of the journal talks about the journey to retrieve Merlin's staff which had been stolen. The translations are a little rough, but there are several instances where Stygian mentions the staff and the Rainbow of Light in close proximity to each other. Either the staff was needed to 'access' the Rainbow of Light, or the staff was the Rainbow of Light."
"Wait," Rainbow said, waving a hand. "If the staff was the Rainbow, then what's with the box?"
"My current hypothesis is that, like how the box has six keys to guard the Rainbow, perhaps Merlin's staff was the key of old times to unlock it." Twilight adjusted her glasses. "Or, the staff is inside the box."
"We've seen weirder things," Pinkie said, laying upside down in her seat.
Twilight continued. "Their journey--at least the parts I can read--are actually pretty interesting. Stygian and his friends... remind me of us in a lot of ways." Twilight smiled at her friends.
Trixie rolled her eyes but smiled back.
"However," Twilight's smile faded. "They also encountered a number of problems during their journey. It seemed Tirek was targeting a lot of inherently magical people first in his conquest."
Shimmer winced and looked at the floor.
"They also ran into a number of people abusing their magical powers. Stygian notes that a lot of magistrates and noblemen used their magic to keep the working class in line."
Applejack crossed her arms. "Typical."
Twilight nodded. "That gives a little more justification to what Merlin did later." She sighed. "Whatever record there is of the actual battle that took place against Tirek is too damaged to read. Stygian sat on the sidelines for most of it. Tirek was beaten in the end. The Rainbow of Light put his soul in the Soul Lock, and Merlin put it in a box and threw it into the ocean."
"If he threw it in the ocean, how the heck did Tempest get it?" Rainbow asked, outraged.
"Items of dark magic sometimes have a will of their own," Artemis said. "Or, we're just really unlucky."
"So, is that it?" Trixie asked. "Because we knew most of that story already. Trixie fails to see how it helps."
"N-no, I'm not finished!" Twilight said quickly, a flush in her cheeks again. "There's still something really important left. Yes, that's what happened after Tirek was defeated!"
She clicked to the next slide: an old tapestry depiction of Merlin with his flowing gray beard. "You see, Merlin felt that magic was being abused. Tirek, who had learned to use magic by training his soul, was the ultimate example of this. Merlin came to believe that magic couldn't be trusted to the masses; anyone not born with magic already in their blood. He thought he could prevent other people like Tirek from rising."
Twilight let out a slow sigh. "Which brings us to the passage Artemis originally translated. '...away the magic is foolhardy at best... Already the world feels emptier.' I was able to restore more of that passage and a few others. Merlin sealed this world's magic away in a pocket dimension so that it could never be abused again."
Artemis sputtered and jumped to his feet. "He did what? Our ancestor did what?"
"Well that was selfish of him," Shimmer said flatly. "How was that his call to make?"
"Stygian thought the same things," Twilight said somberly. "They had a falling out not long after. Merlin says it was for the greater good, but I agree with Stygian."
Soarin raised a hand. "But, if he took all the magic, how do spirits like Harbinger exist? Or the staff that Adagio had?"
"Well, he didn't take all the magic. Just the vast majority of it, and only the ambient magic. I'm hypothesizing for the most part, but it appears he couldn't suck the magic from artifacts and the like."
Selena nodded. "It's still possible for people to attune their souls to the magic of this world, there's just so little to draw upon, it might as well not exist."
Trixie crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. "Trixie is still thankful to be part of Merlin's bloodline but thinks he was a great fool for this. Imagine if our world still had magic!"
Yeah. Imagine.
Fluttershy let out a gasp, then immediately shrank in on herself when every eye turned to her. "S-sorry, I, um, I just remembered something." She straightened up but kept her eyes on the carpet.
"Remember when I told you I ran into Moondancer? She said something along the lines of 'what if they could use our magic or the world's magic?'"
Sunset's eyes widened. "Imagine if this world had magic again.... What if... what if Moondancer and Tempest are trying to bring this world's magic back?"
"How?" Applejack asked.
"Well, magic begets more magic," Sunset said, Artemis nodding behind her. "What if all these attacks and magical disturbances are part of some plan? We know the more magic we put out, the more the world starts to respond in turn. What if they're trying to make us use more magic?"
A heavy silence fell over the room. Every brow was furrowed and every head hung in concerned contemplation.
Twilight switched the projector off. She had a little more to show but didn't think anyone needed the distraction. She had never considered the idea while doing her research. Of course, she still barely understood how magic worked. What if they were just playing into Tempest's hand by making magic for her.... But what other recourse did they have?
"We all know it doesn't change much, don't we?" Applejack asked, lifting the quiet shroud.
"Doesn't mean we have to like it," Rainbow said gruffly.
"Maybe it will come down to the Rainbow of Light," Selena mumbled.
Twilight cleared her throat. "I was able to get a little more information about it from Stygian's journal. Before he left Merlin, he was able to learn more about the chest. 'When the purest hearts understand their virtues and align with the virtues of the world, they will get their keys.'" Twilight had memorized the line verbatim.
"Virtues of the world?" Pinkie asked. "What does that mean?"
"The elements of harmony?" Sunset guessed. "Or something close."
"But Pinkie's 'key' came from the wristband Sonata gave her," Rarity said.
Pinkie snapped the wristband against her wrist and smiled.
"How do we know when our virtues have aligned and our keys appear?" Rarity finished.
Twilight looked to Pinkie. "Did you feel anything when Sonata gave that to you?"
Pinkie tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I dunno. Just super happy that I helped her be good and we could be friends again."
That was hardly anything to go on. Twilight began to think Merlin had erred twice. The greatest magical deterrent in a locked box with vague instructions on how to open it. And that was still assuming the Rainbow was inside. Were they just supposed to press random objects against it until they got lucky... five more times? The statistical probability of that was astronomical.
Artemis clapped his hands. "Let's not get so down! We would hardly make good heroes if everything was just handed to us! I believe the keys will come in time!"
"Father, we wouldn't even be in this mess if Merlin hadn't been so paranoid!" Trixie said with a flail of her hand.
"True," Artemis said with a grimace. "But, if he hadn't, Tirek would be walking around even now!"
"But we'd have the Rainbow," Sunset said. "All Merlin did was stall both sides. And what happens if Tirek gets his body back before we find all the keys?"
"Beat him the old-fashion way?" Shimmer suggested.
"A lot easier said than done," Selena said darkly.
Twilight bit her lip. She had been so engrossed in the delivery of her findings, she hadn't stopped to consider how everyone would take it. Or the rabbit holes that would lead from her findings. They were racing against the clock; a clock that Tempest had control over.
"Why don't we just find Tempest now, kick her butt, and get it over with?" Rainbow asked hotly. "She has to be in Canterlot, right?"
"If she is, she's hiding herself very well," Artemis said. "And I doubt she'd move into the open now."
Applejack snorted. "So we have to keep waitin' for her to make the first move."
Artemis shuddered and looked out the window. "Speaking of which..."
The heavy silence fell over the room again. The usual pre-battle jubilation didn't arise, replaced by nervous glances exchanged all around the room.
"We can't ignore it though," Rarity said, biting her knuckle. "People will get hurt."
"Yeah," Sunset said with resignation. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then stood with a renewed fiery expression. "Okay, look. We beat the Sirens when our backs were to the wall. We beat Moondancer after she split my soul in two! And we beat the Sirens again after they double-crossed us! Just because we have to play Tempest's game doesn't mean she's going to win! We can stop her! With or without the Rainbow of Light! That's who we are!"
"Hear hear!" Artemis said, clapping his hands.
"Hell yeah!" Rainbow punched the air.
"Spectacular Seven!" Pinkie cried. "And friends!"
And like that, the mood had shifted. Even Selena had a small smile slip through her mask of reservation. That was Sunset's power, Twilight observed. She found a way to inspire; to light up a room draped in darkness. She took Twilight's downer revelation and turned it into a rallying cry. She made the impossible possible. Twilight loved her for it. And yet, the sting of defeat nettled the smallest part of her heart.
"You okay?"
Twilight startled. Sunset had moved right in front of her. "Y-yeah. Just thinking if this really a good idea."
"It's our only idea right now." Sunset wrapped an arm around her. "As long as we've got each other's backs, we'll find a way to win. Plus, I'm a sore loser, remember?"
Twilight managed to giggle. "Yeah, I remember."
"Then gear up." Sunset gave her a kiss on the cheek. "We need you for this too."
They needed her.
The nettle of defeat vanished, leaving Twilight's heart unburdened and slamming against her chest. She was still needed. She still belonged. She wasn't useless. Her presentation hadn't had the effect she hoped for, but she had granted knowledge to her friends to put them in a better position. She had helped.
Twilight took a deep breath, then smiled at Sunset. "Right. Let's do it!"
*******
Moondancer exited the video call, turned off the computer monitor, and dropped her head into her hands. Weeks of this and it still wasn't any easier. Every board meeting, stakeholder meeting, conference call; anytime she interacted with anyone in the company, she had to paint herself with the ultimate facade of knowing what she was doing. It was only by the grace of her acting abilities and Raven's tutelage that Moondancer was treading above water, if barely.
It's all a performance.
She peeked an eye between her fingers. She knew though. She knew they knew she was faking it. She just hoped it was a good enough act for them to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Tax filings, investment holdings, market shares, strategic operations. Even trying to delegate tasks to her management staff proved difficult because she needed to have some inkling of what she was talking about in order to convey half-decent instructions!
She understood why her father was tired all the time. It hadn't just been Tempest standing over his shoulder. Being in charge was simply exhausting.
Moondancer sat up and rested her head against the back of her chair. She had forty-five minutes until her next meeting. She would need at least fifteen to look over the notes Raven had prepared. That left a scant half-hour to rest and not think about anything.
Wait...
Moondancer cursed. She turned her monitor back on and started clicking through folders. She couldn't rest; she had to look over the finalized plans for the Grand Gallant Gala! Shade Enterprises had been not only its chief funder and host for years, but Moondancer discovered her father personally oversaw its organization.
"It was your father's favorite event," Raven had told her.
Moondancer had fond memories of the gala as well. Lavish ballrooms filled with shimmering lights and beautiful decorations. Dinner, laughter, and live music. Her parents would take her to the dance floor and take turns teaching her to waltz. It remained one of the few social functions she was allowed to attend after Tempest invaded her life. Her father no longer danced with her, but she still got to enjoy the atmosphere. A taste of freedom after months of confinement. She had always wanted to take Twilight, but...
The scars on her face sizzled, and Moondancer patted her mask in her usual futile attempt to make it stop. It no longer hurt as bad as it used to. Or maybe she was just accustomed to the pain now.
She returned her focus to the documents before her. She admired her father for being so hands-on with many aspects of the company but cursed his name for leaving so many responsibilities to her. She rubbed her eyes and sighed.
"Catering, done. Live music, done. All of the charities for the auction have been contacted. Which ones haven't responded yet? I need a final list of representatives to expect. We have our auctioneer."
She was looking forward to meeting Countess Coloratura in person.
"People would feel better with additional security. Adagio is still running around."
"Yes. She straddles that line of being a nuisance and a boon."
Moondancer's blood froze at the familial voice somewhere behind her computer screen. Blood roared in her ears and her hands trembled. Aside from a nervous flicker in her eyes, her face betrayed nothing.
"Lord Tirek," she said in a perfectly cordial voice. "What brings you here today? I am quite busy."
"I merely wanted to see how you were doing." Her mother's voice. Cold and dispassionate, with just the slightest taunt hidden within. "These 'corporations' that you run are fascinating."
"I am glad you find our modern age so appealing. I am merely finalizing preparations for the annual gala."
"Oh? A dance held by the affluent, no doubt to show off your wealth."
While Moondancer couldn't deny the gala was geared more toward Canterlot's rich and elite, she said, "We host a charity auction as well. We try to give money to those in need."
"Indeed? Then perhaps you are better than the rulers of my age."
"Your praise is kind. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
A pause. "No, I believe that will be all."
"Very well. Though, permit me to offer a piece of advice: if you continue to instigate magical mayhem, you're going to attract unwanted attention."
She could hear Tirek's smirk. "As long as I continue to receive the Spectacular Seven's attention. Anyone else is of no concern." A faint rush of wind, and Moondancer knew Tirek was gone.
She crumpled into the back of her chair, chest heaving as she fought the urge not to break into wild sobs. The tremble in her hands spread to the rest of her body, leaving her a quivering mess.
It's almost over. It's almost over. It's almost over.
That mantra was the only thing stringing her along. The only life preserver that she could cling to in a chaotic sea determined to drown her. She constantly wondered if it was all worth it.
Even if the answer was no, she could never follow through with the alternative.
Moondancer took a few gulps of air and ran a hand down her clammy face. She needed to work. She didn't have time for another breakdown.
It took all of her strength to sit up and look at her computer again. She took a couple of notes--reminders of tasks to do after her meeting.
There was a knock at the door, and Raven poked her head in. "It's almost time for your meeting with the marketing team, Miss Moondancer."
Moondancer had repaired her calm, stoic mask. "Thank you, Raven. I'm... as ready as I'll ever be." She stood up and smoothed out her dress skirt before joining Raven.
On to the next performance.
*******
Twilight stepped through her front door and closed it behind her before leaning against it and sighing. Even with Fluttershy's healing, she was still exhausted.
A bark and a pitter-patter of paws announced the arrival of Spike. He ran up and pressed his paws against her leg, barking and wagging his tail.
Sword in one hand, Twilight scooped him up with the other, whereupon Spike attacked her face with wet kisses. She giggled and allowed him to persist until they reached her room. She leaned her sword against the bed frame and dropped onto the mattress.
"Okay, okay, that's enough," Twilight said, scooting Spike away from her face. She scratched him behind the ear. "Were you a good boy while I was gone? I had to stop an army of mannequins from walking out of an old warehouse."
She shuddered at the mass of faceless dolls marching for the exit and crawling over each other to escape. The fight hadn't been hard; the mannequins hardly fought back. They just kept coming.
Twilight got comfortable, laying back on her pillow and letting Spike settle on her stomach. The chaos at the botanical gardens and the Thunderbird above Canterlot. Those felt like schemes to get her friends to release more magic into the world. But the junk golem, the alligator, and now this? Sure they were dangerous, but they could have been solved without magic if they tried hard enough. Fluttershy had only been needed to shrink the gator back to its normal size.
They felt more like... challenges. But why would Tempest be challenging them?
Twilight closed her eyes. Her brain couldn't help but insist that Tempest was the one behind everything. Moondancer was just.... Twilight didn't know what she was.
She saw the regret in Moondancer's eyes in the forest. She heard her plea to Tempest. Moondancer did care about her. Maybe she really would have told Twilight everything.
But there were still her actions at Prom. And at the end of the day, Moondancer still stood on the opposite side of Twilight. Twilight hoped it was against her will. She hoped there was still good in her former friend. But she was still complicit in hurting innocent lives and trying to revive a magic-crazed despot.
A knock jolted Twilight from her rumination. She lifted her head and saw Shining standing in her doorway, still dressed in his detective suit. She moved Spike to the bed, then leaped up and ran for a hug.
"Shiny! How are you? What are you doing here?"
Shining gave her a tight squeeze. "What? I can't drop in and make sure my little sister is doing okay?" He let her go and took a seat on the edge of her bed. Spike came and greeted him, getting into Shining's lap and trying to lick his face.
Twilight sat next to him. "So, what's it like being married to Cadence?"
Shining laughed, trying to keep Spike from his mouth. "It's a lot like before, to be honest. Some things feel a little different, and it's a great feeling being able to call her my wife instead of my girlfriend. But, a lot of it is just living our normal lives, together."
"That sounds nice." Twilight allowed herself a smile at the thought of being able to come home to Sunset.
"What about you? What have you been up to?"
Twilight subtracted all of her magic-based activities. "I've been working on scholarships for MIT. I built a drone that can take selfies, and finally worked the bugs out of it, and a helper arm for my lab."
"Ever the genius," Shining said with pride. He had gotten Spike to settle between them and was scratching the happy pooch behind the ear. "How are your self-defense classes coming along?"
He said it casually, but Twilight knew her brother. He wasn't accusing her of anything, but he was looking for something. "They're going fine," she said evenly.
"What do you usually practice on?"
Twilight turned her head toward him. His eyes were on Spike. "Selena and I spar with practice swords."
"So, no training dummies... or mannequins?"
Twilight's heart drummed. "Mannequins?"
Shining sighed and looked up at her. His eyes still weren't accusatory, but Twilight knew he was about to enter police mode. "We got a report about a disturbance in one of the warehouses downtown. When we arrived, we found a bunch of destroyed mannequins: smashed, burned. Or cut in half."
"Shining--"
"We also have unconfirmed reports of young women in masks running into the sewers and showing up at the botanical gardens."
Sweat perspired on the back of Twilight's neck. She feared this might happen. Even with the masks, even with the events happening in more conspicuous areas, they were bound to get noticed. Twilight had practiced excuses and come up with covers that would hopefully exonerate her. But face-to-face with her brother, they all fell away. He was silent now, staring at Twilight with brotherly concern.
Twilight pressed her hands together. "Yes, that was us at the gardens. And in the sewer. And at the warehouse. Because all those events were magical, Shining. Living plants, living dolls, mutant alligators. We're fighting things that the police can't."
"But, why?" There was the smallest edge of desperation in his voice. "Magic exists, I can't pretend otherwise anymore. But why are these things happening now? And why are you a part of it all?"
"Because..." Twilight pressed her lips together. Why was she a part of this? Her friends had all inherited magic; they were being targeted by Tempest and Tirek. She was here... because of Sunset? Because of Moondancer? Because of her insatiable curiosity?
"Because my friends need me," she concluded. Like she had told Moondancer in the forest: she was here now, and she wasn't going to run away.
Shining stopped petting Spike. He pressed the tips of his fingers together and placed them against his mouth. "Twiliy, I'm happy you're so devoted to your friends, but this is dangerous."
"I know that," Twilight said, snapping a little harder than she intended. "I know. But the danger is going to happen whether or not I'm a part of it. And I won't sit on the sidelines while my friends go and fight."
"Fight who? Adagio? The police can handle her."
"No, they can't." Twilight gave him a pleading look. "She has a lot of magic now; she can do crazy things on top of being able to control people. We have a hard time fighting her."
Shining ran a hand through his messy hair. "That just makes me worry even more. How can I let you go fight her? What kind of officer or brother would I be?"
"The trusting kind." Twilight took both of Shining's hands into her own. "I know you're scared. Believe me, I'm scared too. And if I told you what we're really trying to stop, you'd be even more afraid. But that's why I'm training. That's why I'm standing with my friends. So we can fight the things that you can't. I know you don't like vigilantes--"
Shining laughed. "Twilight, I read comics. I love vigilantes. It's just my job doesn't allow that. Otherwise, everyone would take the law into their own hands."
Twilight shook her head. "We're not doing that. We're fighting the bad guys. And if we catch them, we're bringing them to the police. We just... need you to not look too hard at what we're doing. Otherwise, we'll have a lot of explaining to do."
"I know," Shining said, exhaling deeply. He pulled his hands away and pressed one over his eyes. "You know if you get caught..."
"I know."
He dragged his hand down and gave a softer sigh. "Then do me two favors? Don't get caught. And don't get hurt."
Twilight leaned forward and threw her arms around him, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. "I promise."
Shining returned the hug and squeezed. "Thank you. I just... I don't want anything bad to happen to you."
Spike gave a happy yip from his spot between them.
They broke apart, and Shining stood up. "And, to make sure you keep your promise..." He stepped out of the room for a second and returned with a box. "Here."
Twilight took it and looked at the device pictured on the front. "A taser gun?" It was a small black handgun-looking device with wires hanging out of what would have been the barrel.
"I figured our conversation would go something like this. I doubted I could convince you to stop whatever you were doing. So, this is to help make sure you stay safe."
Twilight set it aside, stood up, and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, BBBFF."
"You're welcome, LSBFF."
*******
Shining took a sip of his coffee as he looked over a stack of reports. No one told him promoting to detective would give him more paperwork.
He set his coffee down and made a few keystrokes on his computer. At least he had his own office now. It wasn't huge, but he could block out the noise of the station if he wanted to. He could also listen to Cadence anytime he wanted. A small radio sat next to his monitor, permanently set to Cadence's station. Unlike him though, she had clocked out and gone home for the night.
His computer told him it was a quarter after nine. He would finish this last report, then call it a night. Anything else could wait until the morning.
With only a few lines to go, someone knocked on his door. "Armor, you still here?"
Shining groaned and rolled his chair over to pull the door open. Detective Harshwhinny looked down at him, her face puckered in her usual unimpressed pout.
"About to go home, actually."
"Too bad," she said brusquely. "We've got a hit. Someone called 9-1-1. They didn't get a chance to say anything, but the responder heard singing in the background before the line went dead."
Shining glowered. "Adagio."
Harshwhinny nodded. "We traced the call to a jewelry store on the east side. Fits Adagio's M.O."
Reaching into a drawer and grabbing a pair of earplugs, Shining stood up and followed Harshwhinny through the police headquarters. Harshwhinny barked orders as they marched, stirring the quiet building into a beehive of activity.
"Let's move it, people! This is our last chance to capture her before the feds start sticking their nose in! Be alert but be careful!"
Squad cars rolled out from the station, sirens blaring in the night. They ran through red lights and tore through intersections, crossing the city in minutes. The lights were on in Karat and Clarity, but as Harshwhinny drove to a halt in the middle of the street, Shining couldn't see anyone inside.
"I want a block-wide perimeter set up," Harshwhinny said into her talkie. "Gaffer, take a squad and circle to the back of the building. Remember, she has foreign weaponry, and we have no idea how she induces hypnosis in people."
Shining held his tongue. He hadn't even bothered trying to explain anything to Harshwhinny. She would have demoted him on the spot. Still, a knife twisted in his gut. Several of his fellow officers had already been hurt by Adagio, and a few had even turned their guns on their brothers-in-arms. Only he knew the real reason why.
"I want lights in that store," Harshwhinny said. The high beams from the squad cars turned on and flooded the interior with light. Both jewels and people were absent from the show floor.
Shining tightened his jaw. "She's either in the back with the vault, or she's already gone."
"Someone should still be inside, even if she's gone. Let's go." Harshwhinny got out of the car, and Shining followed, motioning for a few more officers to follow them in. The entrance was still unlocked, which felt more foreboding to Shining than it should have.
"Canterlot P.D.!" he shouted as they fanned out through the main room. None of the cases had been broken into, and there were no signs of a struggle. Harshwhinny pointed to him, then to the back corner of the store. Off to the left was the door leading to, presumably, the vault.
Shining followed behind her, discreetly putting in his earplugs. Creeping quietly, Harshwhinny pressed herself to one side of the entrance and jerked her head for Shining to go first. He kept his gun pointed at the ground as he rounded the corner, only to raise it the second he cleared the frame.
Adagio stood at the back of the room in front of a tall vault door, casually putting necklaces into a bag. Off to the side were two employees, standing stock still, just watching Adagio loot them.
"Adagio Dazzle, you're under arrest!" Shining shouted, his own voice muffled in his ears.
Adagio slowed her plundering but didn't stop. Shining could hear the faintest song coming from her direction. He fired his gun, only for the bullet to bounce off a glittering red wall. Then, the two shopkeepers ran at him, sudden fury in their eyes.
Shining leaped back as one swiped at him. He heard Harshwhinny curse as the other noticed her against the wall and made a mad lunge. He heard a scream and bullets fired behind him. Grabbing his assailant by the arm and bending it behind her back, he turned around and saw a red wolf on top of one of his officers, its jaw snapping for his neck while he barely held it back. A few shots from his partner drove the wolf off, but it lapped around the room before it struck again.
Shining's captive threw her head back and smashed his lip. It wasn't hard enough to make him let go, but he loosened his grip enough for her to swing around and use her free hand to claw his face. Shining let go, keeping a tighter grip on his gun as the girl reached for it. He hooked his boot behind her ankle and pulled, tripping and sending her to the floor.
Before she could get back up, Shining swapped his gun for a pair of handcuffs and restrained her. As he jumped back up, Adagio strode from the vault room, a smug smile on her face.
Shining pulled his gun again. "Freeze!"
Adagio's smile widened as she paused to look at him. She mouthed a sentence, then her mouth flattened to a thin, annoyed line. She opened her mouth, and Shining could hear her faint song again. He fired his gun, but once again, his shot reflected off a red forcefield.
Something itched inside his head. Thoughts crept in. Unpleasant thoughts. He needed to shut her up. He needed to drown her out. In the corner of his eye, he could see Harshwhinny move away from her civilian and turn toward him, a green glint in her eye.
In trouble, he thought, feeling an irritation for everything around him stirring. He gave one more desperate glance around the room. His eyes landed on a red panel on the right side of the vault room door. Shining jerked his hand and fired his gun again.
Even through his earplugs, he heard the shrill scream of the fire alarm. His mind cleared up, and Harshwhinny shook her head before training her gun on Adagio as well.
Venom filled Adagio's eyes. She dove behind one of the display tables, the bullet-resistant glass taking shots from both Harshwhinny and Shining. A second later, the same table was heaved through the air straight for the two of them.
They both dove to opposite sides, and it hit the ground with a bone-rattling crash. Shining rolled up to one knee and saw Adagio aim her palm at Harshwhinny, still on the floor. Shining took a shot, narrowly missing Adagio's hand. Lips pulled back in a snarl, Adagio swung her palm toward Shining.
There was a bright light. Something hot pierced him. Somewhere between his heart and shoulder. It went clean through him, a sword doused in flames. His brain barely had time to register the pain. It granted him mercy by shutting down almost immediately.
His last thoughts oscillated between Twilight and Cadence.
*******
Twilight couldn't breathe.
She sat on one of the hospital couches, slumped against Cadence, hand tightly clutched in hers. Neither woman said anything. Neither could. Silent tears poured down their faces as they waited in the nearly empty lobby. Occasionally, Twilight's body would demand oxygen and force her to take a breath. They were always quick and shuddering.
Her free hand gripped the edge of the pleather upholstery, nails digging as deep as they could go.
She had been here before. She had been here twice. Shining had been poisoned. Sunset had her soul taken. Now, Shining...
Twilight shook uncontrollably, and Cadence held her a little tighter. It was a reflex, little more. There was only a flicker of life in her eyes.
Twilight hated hospitals. She hated them. She wanted a world where no one got sick or injured. Where she wasn't forced to wait in the dim, dreary lights and sick, medicinal aroma to know if Sunset was okay, or if her brother would live.
She was lightheaded. Her body forced her to take another breath. It made her stomach churn. She moved her nails from the upholstery to her palm, scratching at the skin.
Her eyes flicked over to a clock on the wall. It was midnight. They had been here for almost two hours already. Two hours of waiting. Two hours of wondering. Two hours of spiraling.
Shining had told her to be careful. He didn't want anything bad to happen to her. But what about him? She told him the police couldn't handle Adagio. She warned him about her magic. But he went anyway.
Twilight couldn't lose him. What was she going to do without her big brother? What was Cadence going to do without her husband? It had barely been a month since the wedding! It wasn't fair!
She was hyperventilating again. Her chest ached. Every part of her body shook.
Cadence pulled her into a tighter hug. "He'll be fine," she said hoarsely. "He has to be fine." It wasn't conviction in her voice; it was desperation.
The lobby doors slid open with a hiss, and Night Light walked in with three bottles of water. He sat on an adjacent couch and handed the bottles to the girls. "You need to put some liquid back inside you," he said somberly, his own eyes puffy and red.
Twilight slouched upwards and took a bottle. She sipped gingerly, feeling like anything in her stomach would force her to throw up.
It was another agonizingly long hour of waiting before the emergency room doors opened, and Velvet walked out. No one stood, they all just looked at her expectantly.
She wet her lips before speaking. "He's... still in critical condition. The subclavian and his major vein were ruptured. The bone was... burned. Almost melted. The wound went all the way through him." Her voice shook despite her best efforts.
"We're doing everything we can, but..." Velvet hobbled forward and collapsed into the seat next to her husband. "Dr. Stables told me I should take a break. Let you know what's happening."
In a mousy voice, Cadence asked the question they were all thinking. "Is he going... can he...?"
"I don't know. God, I don't know." Velvet finally broke and fell onto Night Light's shoulder.
Twilight had broken down several times already that night. When she had first heard the news, when she had arrived and was told Shining was being operated on. She broke down again into quiet, powerful sobs, her mind spiraling, dragged down by the weight of her mother's words.
Silence and tears drowned the family for minutes on end until the doors opened again and Dr. Stables emerged. Twilight looked up at him through bleary eyes and smudged glasses. He kept his hands in his coat pockets, thumbs sticking out. His casual posture didn't mask his haggard energy.
"I'm sure Velvet has already filled you in. The damage was extensive, and frankly, we've never seen a wound like this. We're doing everything we can. He's resting before we bring him in for another round of surgery. If that blast had hit him any lower..."
Twilight shoved the thought down. "C-can we see him?"
Dr. Stables sighed. "It's not a pretty sight." When no one commented, he nodded his head toward the door.
They followed in a procession of uncomfortable deja vu, Twilight taking up the rear. They went further into the ICU than last time, passing nurses and surgeons and one grieving mother.
Dr. Stables came to a halt at a random door. "Two at a time, please," he said, pushing it open and gesturing inside.
Night put a hand on Twilight's shoulder and nudged her ahead. "You and Cadence go. I'll go with your mother."
Twilight gave a trembling nod. Cadence tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it just came out pained. Still, she took Twilight's hand and led her into the dim room.
Shining lay in bed, the covers pulled up to his waist. A ventilator mask covered his mouth. Twilight's eyes locked onto his exposed chest. Two metal tubes weaved out of the hole in his shoulder up to whirring machines. Gauze and bandages covered the surrounding area, but Twilight could see hints of burned flesh around the perimeter.
Cadence dropped Twilight's hand to cover her own mouth. "Shiny," she whispered, renewed tears in her eyes. She stepped closer and slipped a hand into his, gripping it tight.
Shining didn't stir.
Cadence remained with him for minutes while Twilight stood and watched. Her eyes kept flickering to the metal tubes jutting out of him; the last tethers anchoring him to life.
She hated that he needed them. She hated hospitals. She hated how her brother and her friends were risking their lives to stop villains straight from Shining's comic books.
And she hated Adagio.
Adagio had hurt her friends, hurt her, and Tempest had done the same and worse. But this was different. Shining could die that night and it would be by Adagio's hand. She hated Tempest. She hated Tirek.
She hated Adagio.
Twilight clenched her hands, her nails digging into her palms. She felt like she wanted to scream. Specifically, she wanted to scream at Adagio, or hit her, or find her sword and... She closed her eyes and bit her lip until she thought it would bleed. The anger inside her didn't erupt, but it didn't cool, either.
Cadence turned from Shining, her eyes bloodshot, and gestured to Twilight it was time to go. They traded places with her parents and waited in the hall. Twilight clenched and unclenched her hands and made short paces between the walls. She was tired of crying. She still was but she needed something else to do. An ache behind her eyes told her she also needed sleep.
"Miss Sparkle. Miss Cadenza," a somber voice said.
Twilight spun around. Miss Harshwhinny came down the hall, her left arm in a sling and a thick bandage on her cheek. Cadence greeted her with a weak wave. Twilight nodded curtly.
Harshwhinny looked into Shining's room, her usual uptight expression dower. "That... whatever it was Adagio did... it was meant for me. He distracted her long enough for me to get my bearings. And I still couldn't bring the bitch in."
She gave a slow shake of her head. "He'll be in my thoughts." She walked off without another word.
Twilight bit down any acerbic words forming on her tongue. There was nothing Harshwhinny could have done then, and there was nothing she could do now.
Nothing she can do.
An obvious idea smacked Twilight in the face. If magic did this, then magic could undo it.
*******
Even after coming home, Twilight barely slept. She sent a group text to her friends at two in the morning and waited on tenterhooks for the sun to come up. What if Shining gave in to his injuries and died before Twilight had a chance to intervene? She tossed and turned in her bed, falling into half dreams where she stood over Shining's body before jolting awake. She clung to Spike like a life preserver. While he brought her calm, he couldn't bring her rest.
At last, the sun rose, banishing the long night. Twilight hopped into a hot shower to burn some of the exhaustion away. It only did so much; Twilight could still feel the strain behind her eyes and a fog in her head. She pushed past it and finished getting dressed, then grabbed her sword. Today wasn't a training day, but like with Spike, holding the blade in her hand gave Twilight a small sense of calm. Of normalcy.
The door to her parent's room was shut, leaving the rest of the house quiet. She filled Spike's food bowl, then left the house, Spike whining at the door as she closed it behind her.
Despite the idea and determination in her head, Twilight walked at a slow pace, Several times she stopped to lean against a tree or fence. The exhaustion fog crept up on her again and reduced the world to a dream-like state. She floated out of her body for a few seconds before crashing back. She shook the fog clear and pressed onward. It took her an extra fifteen minutes, but she arrived at the leygate.
Her stomach squirmed as she stepped up to it. Two weeks of warping across the world in a matter of seconds had not improved Twilight's handling of teleportation, even if Artemis said it was just high-speed travel. It still left Twilight dizzy and queasy and filled with questions. She shoved all of that down, took a deep breath, and walked into the gate.
It was only five seconds, but it was a torturous five seconds. It was someone pressing the fast-forward button on her very existence. She stumbled out of the leygate, feeling worse than when she had gotten out of bed. If she had any breakfast in her, she would have likely tossed it.
Here, it was early afternoon, the sun sitting almost right above her. The white sand practically glowed in the daylight, and the ocean sparkled a sapphire blue.
Twilight walked from the edge of the forest down to the shoreline. She stopped where the tide reached its apex before lapping back into the water.
She had lived in Canterlot her entire life. She was used to ambulances and car alarms and barking dogs. She had only been to the beach a handful of times, and it had been crowded and covered in screaming kids. But this island in the middle of the sea, where the only sounds were the ebb and flow of the waves and the rustle of palm trees... Twilight found a meditative peace here. She could drown out everything during her sessions with Selena. She could forget about her projects or college or having to leave Sunset or, ironically enough, the magical mayhem waiting for them back home.
Twilight took a deep breath of salty air and slowly exhaled. Even now, her chest felt a little looser. She unsheathed her sword and went to en garde. Her sword swished through the air as she moved through her forms. She tried to let her thoughts drift away and allow her body to move on instinct. The gentle sounds of the ocean settled her into a lull.
Adagio once stood here.
Twilight slashed her sword before coming to a pause. Her heart hammered. She gripped the hilt until her knuckles turned white. Adagio had stood here once. She had been trapped here. Then she had gotten free. And all she had done since then was make life miserable for everyone she came in contact with.
Twilight clenched her teeth. She hoped Aria was wrong. Twilight wanted Adagio to stumble out of that leygate so she could....
She stabbed her sword into the sand and collapsed next to it, pulling her knees to her chest. She sat there and waited until a gentle woosh and several footsteps told her someone else had arrived.
"Twilight?" Of course it was Sunset.
Her arms wrapped around Twilight from behind and her breath warmed the back of Twilight's neck. "I'm so sorry, Twilight. I can't imagine how you feel."
Twilight placed her arms around Sunset's. Her warmth made her want to cry all over again, but Twilight steeled herself. "It's... it'll be okay. He'll be okay. We can make sure of it."
"What do you mean?"
"We can fix him. Fluttershy can fix him."
Another woosh announced the arrival of more friends. More hands touched Twilight's shoulder, and she redoubled her effort not to cry.
"We'll catch her," Rainbow said firmly.
"I know," Twilight murmured.
"Is there anything we can do for you, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.
Twilight leaned forward, signaling Sunset to release her. She got to her feet and looked at her friends before focusing on Fluttershy.
"Shining's hurt bad. But I don't think it's anything you can't fix. It was inflicted by magic, but that hasn't been an issue in the past. So, if you could heal him... please?"
"Oh, of course!" Fluttershy opened her mouth to say more, then hesitated and tapped her fingers together. "But, um... wouldn't that look... suspicious?"
Twilight creased her brow, the strain behind her eyes increasing. "What do you mean?"
Sunset answered. "Twi... we can't just go to Shining's hospital room, heal him, and not expect someone to ask questions."
Twilight's crease deepened. "That's what the masks are for."
"The masks are to stop people from recognizing us if they see us, which we try to avoid." Sunset's voice was infuriatingly calm. "Even disguised, if we go in there and do magic, people are going to have questions and look for answers."
"So what--I'm supposed to just let my brother die?" Twilight yelled.
Sunset got to her feet and put her hands on Twilight's shoulders. Her expression was firm but gentle, and yet that only stirred more anger in Twilight. "Twilight, I would never suggest that. Shining's the older brother I never had. I'm just saying, let's think through our options--"
Twilight pushed Sunset's hands away and glared burning daggers at her and the rest of her friends, looking back at her with pitying concern. She couldn't believe this. The idea that her friends--her girlfriend--would say no never factored into her plans.
"What's there to think about?" She asked, her voice cracking. "You help and he lives! You don't and... he... he could..."
"We won't let that happen," Sunset said with false reassurance. "We just need to think of a way that--"
"That doesn't expose magic!" Twilight spat. "Because that's what it always comes down to!"
"Twilight, government agents are starting to snoop around Canterlot," Sunset said, an edge to her voice. "If we get caught, what's going to happen to us? What's going to happen to the city if they take us away?"
"What's going to happen to my brother!" Twilight shrieked.
Artemis slid between them and held his hands out. "Okay," he said calmly, "I have an idea. There's a middle ground between miracle cures and doing nothing. I'll go in the middle of the night and just give Shining a tap; enough to take off the worst of it and improve his odds. At least enough that he should survive. How does that sound?"
Twilight inhaled a few times, out of breath from her outburst. "Fine," she said steely. She wanted it to be now instead of the dead of night, but if they got to protect their stupid magic and stupid secret identities, then so be it.
If she had magic, consequences be darned. She'd heal Shining and deal with the fallout later.
She pulled her sword from the sand and tucked it back into its sheath. "Thank you, Artemis," she muttered, eyes on the ground. She started for the leygate.
"Twilight, wait!" Sunset called after her.
"I'll talk to you later," Twilight said, not bothering to look back at her.
*******
Twilight knew Artemis would make good on his word, but that didn't stop her from being a nervous wreck for the remainder of the day. She stayed in her lab, tinkering and building, only pausing to nibble on small bites of food or drag herself out of a panic spiral.
Sunset tried to call her, but Twilight wasn't in the mood to talk. Of course Sunset's concerns had legitimate merit. Twilight shuddered at the thought of any of her friends being apprehended by the government and forced into experiments or secret human weapon programs.
But they dismissed her so easily. They were so quick to promote their self-interests and self-preservation over Shining's.
Twilight yawned and rubbed her bleary eyes. She couldn't fall asleep. Her panicked dreams wouldn't let her.
Instead, she channeled what remaining energy she had into her drive for revenge. Adagio would pay for what she did. The next time they met, Twilight would be ready.
Twilight had no compunctions about calling it revenge. It was plain and simple: Adagio hurt Shining, Twilight would hurt Adagio. She wouldn't inflict any mortal wounds. Just enough to let Adagio know she had messed with the wrong family.
Thus, Twilight toiled on her mechanical projects as the hours whittled away. The police scanner on her computer filled the void. If Adagio reared her ugly head again, Twilight wanted to know.
The strain behind her eyes had grown into a single, continuous ache. At several points, Twilight couldn't tell if she was still awake or had fallen into a dream. She went from her workbench to her computer, from using a screwdriver to inputting prompts into her 3D printer without remembering the time in between. Her phone buzzed several times during her toil, but she ignored it.
Her work went uninterrupted until the stale chatter over the police scanner cut out.
'Emergency alert. Please be advised: sighting of Adagio Dazzle on South and Fifteenth. Suspect is armed and dangerous. Requesting backup. Use caution.'
Twilight finished tightening a screw, then rolled her chair over to her computer. She pulled up a map of Canterlot and pinpointed the location. It was on the outskirts of the city, close to the Everfree Forest. Nothing noteworthy was there, just a small grocery outlet.
Gears turned in Twilight's head. The Sirens still needed to eat food. If Adagio was attacking a grocery store, she had to be stockpiling resources. If she was attacking so close to the forest...
Resolve burned away Twilight's exhaustion. The police weren't going to stop Adagio. But Twilight could. If she was right, she knew exactly where Adagio was hiding.
Twilight grabbed her gear and her sword. This time it would be different. This time she would be prepared. This time, she wouldn't need rescuing. This time, she would win. For Shining.
Armed and backpack prepped, Twilight grabbed her bicycle from the sideyard and set out. She had completely lost track of time, but the pitch-black curtain over her head didn't phase her. It would make her ambush easier if anything.
It was a long pedal to the edge of town, but Twilight's training and drive made it easy. Stone turned to gravel, buildings spaced out, and the shadow of trees grew on the horizon. She rolled to a pause at the fence and pulled her selfie drone from her backpack. She considered this the 2.0 version, built to contain a few extra features.
She tapped her control watch and released the drone as it began to hover on its own. Another tap and the camera light switched on, illuminating the dark path ahead. Abandoning her bike, Twilight set out on foot, the drone hovering just over her head.
The forest was eerily silent. Twilight only heard the rustle of leaves in the wind, and skitters of bugs fleeing from her footfalls. She stepped lively, avoiding the exposed roots and tall shrubs while trying to progress as fast as she could. She kept a hand firmly around the hilt of her sword. While her drone gave her ample light, it also enhanced the shadows just beyond it.
Twilight didn't know how long she had been walking, but she could feel her weariness rearing its head again. Maybe she should have taken a nap before this. Maybe she should have called her friends.
She shook her head. No, they would have wasted time deliberating on what to do. Adagio needed to be stopped now.
When the terrain sloped upward, Twilight knew she was close. The trees thinned out and the rugged path Twilight had journeyed on became some semblance of a proper road. She stopped next to a random tree and lifted her watch, turning down her drone's brightness and switching to manual control. The drone's feed appeared on her watch's face, and she steered it into the forest clearing.
The dark chateau stood out even against the backdrop of night; its square, manmade features contrasted against the natural landscape surrounding it. It was as old and worn as Twilight remembered, and from a glance, it looked like not a soul was present.
Twilight navigated her drone closer to the boarded windows. She started a sweep around the first floor before lifting it up to the second. Through the gaps, Twilight could only see more darkness. It wasn't until she got to the west side of the mansion that she made out a faint glow from one of the bedrooms.
"I've got you," Twilight whispered. She recalled her drone and slung off her backpack, pulling out the rest of her supplies.
She stuck earbuds into her ears, then turned on the white noise app on her phone. She then produced from her backpack her scholarship project: her mechanical helper arm, only like her drone, she had upgraded it to version 2.0. Thanks to the parts Twilight had found in the junkyard, it was far more flexible now with curved joints instead of block ones, and its circuitry was covered up by shiny white plating. Its best new feature, however, was its portability.
Twilight had attached its base to a jogging vest and slung it over her shoulders. She flailed her arms for a moment, offset by its weight, but caught herself before anything catastrophic happened. Finally, she pulled out the taser gun Shining had given her and held it up the three claws.
"Hold," she commanded.
The arm took the gun, and after a minute of helping it get its grip right, pointed the gun ahead of Twilight.
Pulling her sword from its sheath, Twilight started toward the dilapidated manor. Through the static in her ears, Twilight could still hear the wooden stairs creaking beneath her. She pushed the door open enough for her and her drone to squeeze through and paused in the dark foyer. A spinning sweep revealed nothing new to her, so she made for the stairs.
The manor smelled just as old and musty as before and made Twilight want to gag. She didn't know how she had managed to spend an entire night sleeping here. She tiptoed up the stairs and turned left toward the west wing.
"Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah."
Twilight froze only for a second. She turned up the volume on her earbuds, drowning the Siren sound out, then spun around from where it had come from.
Adagio stepped out of the shadows from the other end of the hall, eyes filled with her predatory look. She sang for a few additional seconds before realizing Twilight couldn't hear her. With an annoyed sneer, she shut her mouth and crossed her arms. Twilight tensed every muscle in her body and readied her sword.
Adagio opened her mouth again and a wail broke through Twilight's static and assaulted her eardrums. She tried to turn the static up again, but it did nothing to push out the deafening caterwaul. In desperation, Twilight ripped the earbuds out and used her own fingers to plug the noise. It did nothing.
Before Twilight collapsed to her knees, Adagio stopped, taking a quick inhale before speaking. "I'm surprised you're not hiding behind your wife's skirt."
The leftover ringing faded from Twilight's ears. She got back into a defensive stance and spat, "I don't need her to beat you!"
Adagio smirked. "Be careful with that little burst of confidence. It might get you killed." Her smirk dropped. "Why are you here, little girl?"
"You know why! I know you know why!"
"Hmm..." Adagio tapped a finger on her lip. "Oh! Oh, right! That was your brother last night, wasn't it? I'm so sorry, Sparky. Tell me, is he dead?"
"He's alive!" Twilight yelled, tears gathering in her eyes.
"Then I'm really sorry I didn't do a proper job." Adagio lowered her arms and gave Twilight an unimpressed stare. "So you really thought you'd come out here all by yourself to fight me? For revenge? I'll hand it to you, Twilight, I didn't think you had it in you."
Twilight took a step forward. "You're going to pay not just for Shining, but for everything you've done to me and my friends!"
"And yet you didn't bring them along with you. Now, why is that? I think you're here for purely personal reasons. Which I can respect. But I do have to ask..." Adagio raised the glove with the shard of Sacanas emended in it. "What do you plan on doing on your lonesome? You don't have Equestrian magic, you don't have human magic. You're just a filthy nobody. I told you before--you can't beat me."
"I'll show you!" Twilight rushed forward and swung her sword. A red shield wrapped around Adagio, and Twilight struck it instead, the vibration coursing up her arm. She shook it off and dialed the brightness of her drone up to maximum. She closed her eyes as the light started to flash rapidly. Adagio yelled in pain and Twilight dialed the light back to see the shield gone and Adagio rubbing spots from her eyes.
"Fire!"
Twilight's auto-arm pulled the trigger on the taser gun. Two wired electrodes sprung from the barrel and attached to the front of Adagio's shirt. Adagio reared back and screamed as the electrical current ripped through her. Her body convulsed wildly and she fell to the floor, eyes wide with shock and pain. Twilight watched Adagio writhe. Some part of her told her it was sadistic... then she remembered Shining laying in the hospital bed.
She reached up and tapped a button on the side of the taser gun. The cartridge popped loose and the electric current zapping Adagio ended. She convulsed a few more times, then fell still.
"That was for my brother," Twilight said coldly. She drew her leg back and kicked Adagio in the side, knocking her down the stairs until she landed in a heap on the moth-eaten carpet. With a calm gait, Twilight walked down after her, then placed her foot on Adagio's back.
"And that was for betraying Sunset's trust." Twilight reached down for Adagio's glove.
The jewel sparked red, and Adagio snapped her hand up and grabbed Twilight by the wrist. With ease, Adagio swung Twilight around and through the front door with a mighty crash!
Twilight hit the ground and slid across the grass, coming to rest next to one of the doors. Her arm and back ached, and she was sure she had bruised a rib. Her auto-arm made a sad whirr before powering down and dropping the taser.
"Alright, Sparkle!"
Twilight forced herself to sit up. Adagio stiffly walked out of the manor, still twitching occasionally.
"You wanted a fight? You've got one!" Adagio raised her palm. Twilight rolled to the left as a firework burst to life where she had been sitting. Its embers caught the hem of her skirt, and Twilight beat them out while jumping to her feet and dancing away from a second blast. She grabbed her taser with her free hand and charged at Adagio again.
With a thrust of her hand, Adagio conjured a red wolf that lunged for Twilight. She skidded to a halt and turned to run, the wolf biting at her heels. Another wail from Adagio disoriented her, but Twilight kept running. She stumbled back into the forest, weaving around the close-knit trees to evade the wolf inches behind her.
Twilight fumbled and sheathed her sword, then reached into the side pocket of her vest to pull out a new cartridge for her taser. Locking it in, she spun on her toe and fired at the wolf, praying the construct could even be tased.
The electrodes made contact, and a violent crackle of electricity resounded through the forest. The wolf didn't make any cries of pain, it merely flickered violently before fading from existence.
Twilight dislodged the clip, reloaded another one, then discarded her vest, auto-arm and all. She held the gun in front of her, panting and looking wildly in every direction, straining her ears for Adagio. She had no idea what had become of her selfie drone.
Adrenaline thundering through her veins, Twilight began to move, wincing at the aches across her body. Even after adjusting to the dark, her eyes strained to see anything under the Everfree's all-consuming canopy. Twice, she jumped and almost wasted her last shot at a rustling bush. She needed to get her bearings. She needed to get out of here.
No! I... I can still win. I just need a plan.
"Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah."
Twilight had nothing to defend herself from the coming wave. The song flowed into her ears and set her mind adrift. She should just stand still. Drop her weapons and surrender. It was easier that way.
No... don't you dare. Her grip on her sword tightened.
"Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah." The music was closer now. Why was she resisting? It was over. Adagio had won.
No she hasn't! Twilight clenched her teeth until her jaw ached. She pictured her friends. She pictured Sunset. She pictured Shining.
With a scream, Twilight broke from her paralysis, spun to where the music came from and fired her taser. The electrodes struck Adagio again, and she let out a scream of her own.
Twilight threw the taser to the ground and ran at Adagio, sword raised. Despite her convulsions, Adagio raised her arm and made a half shield to repel Twilight's slash. She ripped the electrodes off her, blocked another of Twilight's attacks, then wailed right in Twilight's face.
The sound cracked one of her lenses and broke one of her eardrums. The sounds of the forest dulled against the ringing in her skull. She saw a bright light in the darkness behind Adagio, and for a moment thought she had died.
Adagio noticed the growing light too and looked behind her. The selfie drone swerved around a tree and homed in on Twilight and her watch. Adagio raised her hand to shoot it down, but Twilight moved quicker. She hit another button, and a small compartment on the drone's underside opened up and sprayed oil across Adagio's face.
"Why you--" Adagio grabbed the drone and hurled it at Twilight. Instinctually, Twilight raised her sword and tried to slash through it, but the plating proved too thick. She deflected it from her body, but the impact knocked her sword away.
Adagio stepped up and leveled a kick at Twilight's chest. She blocked with the outside of her arm and jabbed for Adagio's oil-smeared face. Adagio grabbed Twilight's fist, but thanks to her greasy palms, Twilight slipped out and struck again, catching Adagio on the jaw. She followed up with a kick of her own to Adagio's chest.
The attack connected and pushed Adagio back, giving Twilight time to dive for her sword. She grabbed it and rolled up in time to deflect a blast of magic up into the branches. With a step and a swing, Twilight closed the distance and opened a tear in Adagio's sleeve. With a snarl, Adagio materialized a shard of red diamond in her hand and swung it like a dagger.
Hardlight and metal clashed, and Twilight's arm nearly went numb from the collision. She stepped back, but Adagio swung again. Twilight gripped the sword with both hands, arms trembling as she fended off Adagio's brutal swings. Finally, they gave out, and her sword flew from her hand and into the darkness.
Twilight raised her arms in a desperate attempt to block the next swing. But the attack never arrived.
A fist impacted her stomach instead, and Twilight flew back and slammed into a tree before crumpling to the ground, gasping for air. A boot stomped against her skull and pressed down.
"I told you--you're just a filthy human. You can't beat me." Adagio's voice came from above Twilight, muffled against the ringing in her ears. The pressure increased, and Twilight cried out.
"You really thought you could succeed where everyone else failed? Points for trying, but you're dead wrong!"
The pressure increased again and Twilight screamed. The headache was agonizing, but it was nothing compared to the fear surging through her. This was how she was going to die? Would her friends ever find her out here? She never got to say goodbye to Sunset.
"I could squash you like a grape," Adagio said in a menacingly playful voice. The pressure alleviated and Twilight took a gasping breath. "But I won't. Don't take this as an act of mercy, Twilight. The only reason you're not dead is because I could taste your anger a mile away."
Twilight weakly raised her head. One lens showed a complete Adagio. The other showed four broken pieces. All of them were leering victoriously at her. "What?"
Adagio chuckled. "I knew you were coming for a while. All your anger and fear and self-loathing--all of your pathetic insecurities! I could taste them more and more as you got closer! And they were all delicious! Your negativity is like my own personal buffet! So, I'm not going to kill you today."
She leaned in closer to Twilight. "You came here to avenge your brother, and you failed. I can only imagine what that's going to do to you. I can't wait to taste it though. Now, be a good girl and go running back behind your girlfriend's skirt where you belong."
Adagio turned and sauntered off into the darkness, laughing all the while. Even muffled, it lodged itself in Twilight's mind worse than any song.
Adagio was right. Twilight had failed. She had come all the way out here with gadgets and weapons and still been outsmarted and overpowered. Once again, compared to magic, she was nothing.
"Damn it..." Tears poured down Twilight's face. She raised a fist and pounded it against the dirt. "Damn it!"
Once again, without Sunset to save her, she had lost. |
Spectacular Seven | 11. Equilibrium | Sunset straddled the thin line between wanting to scream at Twilight, and wanting to hold her and never let go.
She split the difference and said in the most measured tone she could, "You know what you did was bullheaded at best, right?"
Twilight gave a weak nod.
Sunset didn't dig further. She was scared, angry, and tired. But above all, she was just relieved Twilight was still alive.
She had called Sunset at three in the morning, crying and gasping across a choppy signal. Sunset had woken Artemis up, and they teleported to the Everfree Forest to find Twilight curled on the ground and shaking like a leaf.
After multiple dabs of Artemis' spring water and a long, tight hug from Sunset, Twilight told them everything. She spoke in a defeated whisper, breaking down halfway through her tale. Selena brought her a cup of tea, which she accepted but never drank.
When she had finished, Sunset pulled her in for another hug. Twilight clung onto her, burying her head into Sunset's chest. Spot, being the good dog that he was, hopped onto the couch and snuggled next to Twilight, resting his chin in her lap.
"I'm not going to berate you any more than that," Sunset said, stroking Twilight's hair. "I'm just glad you're alive after what you went through."
Twilight tightened her hold, shaking again. "I-I'm sorry. I thought... I needed to... I-I..."
Sunset rocked her back and forth. "It's okay. You're okay."
"No!" Twilight sobbed. "It's not okay! You're right--I was so stupid! I was so mad at you, at her, at myself! I could have died! I just... I just wanted..." She let out another long sob.
Sunset just held her, leaning back into the couch to make them both as comfortable as possible. She didn't know what to say. Twilight was right: she had acted recklessly. But Sunset knew she would have acted the same way if she had been in Twilight's position.
"I'm sorry," Sunset whispered. "Maybe you wouldn't have done this if we had healed Shining from the start."
"But you're right! That would have raised questions! I was scared of losing him! I didn't want to listen to anything else!"
"If it puts you at ease," Artemis said softly, "I was able to get into the hospital and perform a little magic on him. He'll live at the very least."
"Th-thank you." Twilight's sobs slowed. "Thank you."
Not long after, she fell asleep. Artemis and Selena left the two girls alone. Sunset got as comfortable as she could without disturbing Twilight. She thought of Adagio as she began to nod off, her own hatred for the Siren spiking. Aria had said the worst the Spectacular Seven would do was put Adagio in the hospital. Sunset wasn't so certain now. The urge to incinerate Adagio on the spot the next time they met was strong.
Why hadn't Twilight called for backup when she deduced Adagio's location? Sunset found a quick answer for that: Twilight was still trying to prove something. Coupled with her anger at her friends, there was no way she was going to waste time calling Sunset in the heat of the moment.
Sparky, you're strong--I know you are. But we're stronger together.
Sunset fell into an uneasy sleep, dreaming of a giant Adagio trying to eat Twilight. Sunset set the entire forest on fire to try and save her. When the smoke cleared, both girls were gone. Sunset ran through the smoke to find them but woke when her physical body felt a pressure shift off her.
Twilight had woken up, gently scooting Spot away before standing and grabbing her sword--the only thing they had scavenged from the forest. The sun had just barely begun to shine through the windows.
"Where are you going?" Sunset asked, groggy.
"I should probably go home. I don't want to worry my parents, especially right now." Her voice was weak and monotoned. "And... I need to go see Shining."
Sunset got up and put a hand on her back. "Do you want me to come with you?"
Twilight shook her head. She didn't look at Sunset. "No, you should get some rest. I... um... I'll talk to you later. I promise." She made to leave, but Sunset moved her hand down and grabbed Twilight's.
"Please, Twi, I'm not mad, I swear. I just want to help."
Twilight paused for a second, letting Sunset hold onto her. She slowly turned around, revealing her puffy eyes and dark shadows beneath them. She leaned in and gave Sunset a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you. I'll be okay." She gently slipped her hand from Sunset's and headed for the door, closing it softly behind her.
Sunset stared after Twilight. The soft click of the lock sounded like a crack of thunder in her ears. Spot made a soft whine from the couch.
With a heavy sigh, Sunset reached over and scratched him behind the ears. "Yeah. I'm worried too."
*******
Twilight had returned home to find both of her parents still asleep. She climbed into bed to get a few more hours as well. She snatched at sleep, resting and dreaming in short intervals. Her dreams were always the same: she was back in the forest or the manor, facing down Adagio. Adagio would scream and Twilight would wake up, or Sunset would swoop in and Twilight would wake up. Either way, she woke up irritated and exhausted.
Her father knocked on the door as she lay awake, staring at the ceiling. "Twilight, are you up yet? We're going to the hospital soon if you want to come along."
Twilight rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up. "Yeah. Just give me a few minutes, please."
She took a quick shower, though it could only wash away the dirt. Humiliation and defeat still coated her like a layer of sweat. She got dressed, grabbed her laptop, and joined her family downstairs.
The mood in the house and in the car remained subdued. Night Light and Velvet didn't say much, and Twilight tuned out the rest of the time. What had she done wrong in her fight against Adagio? She thought she had come in fully prepared. Her taser alone should have kept her down far longer than it did. But, once again, magic threw a wrench into what should have been a logical conclusion.
You should have just gone for the kill when you had the chance.
Twilight shuddered and held herself at the dark thought. No, as much as she hated Adagio, Twilight could never do that. She wouldn't stoop to the Siren's level. No, she just needed more inventions. She needed more firepower. She needed--
"Twilight, are you coming?"
She looked up. They were already parked and her parents were out of the car.
"Oh, sorry!" Twilight scrambled to get out and followed after her mom.
The hospital lobby was fuller than the last time Twilight had been here. Most were other families waiting to see loved ones, but Twilight saw one or two people with cuts and bruises waiting to be called.
Velvet talked to one of the administrators at the front desk. The lady pointed at the elevator and Velvet nodded in thanks. "They moved him out of the ICU last night. He's on the fifth floor now."
"Last night?" Twilight asked. Artemis really had snuck in and helped. They took the elevator up and spoke to another office aide before being directed down the hall. When they opened the door to Shining's room, Cadence was already seated by his bedside.
She gave them all a tired smile and a wave. "Morning."
Velvet reached down and gave her a hug. "Morning, sweetie. How are you doing?"
"I'm... alright." Cadence looked back at Shining. The sheets were pulled down to reveal his heavily bandaged chest. There was only one tube snaking out of his wound now. His eyes were still shut and his breathing was slow. "Dr. Stables said his vitals made a sudden jump last night. He still needs another round of surgery, but if it goes well... they think he'll make it."
A weight lifted off Twilight's chest and she breathed for what felt like the first time in days. Artemis had really done it. Her brother was going to live. She wiped away a fresh stream of tears and collapsed into another chair.
Cadence walked over and stroked Twilight's hair. "How are you doing, ladybug?"
"He's going to be okay," Twilight said, slightly dazed. "He's going to be okay. So, I'm going to be okay."
Cadence hugged her. "Yeah. We're all going to be okay."
The atmosphere in the room shifted. It wasn't joyful, but everyone spoke with more vigor than they had in days. Twilight remained relatively quiet while she worked on her laptop. She looked over the schematics of her selfie drone, now lost and broken somewhere in the Everfree. If there was a silver lining, it was that she could build it again easily enough, perhaps with a few more gadgets to counter Adagio.
She looked up to catch glimpses of Shining, still unmoving. She stared at his heart monitor and breathing tube, and a pang of bitterness poisoned her sweet relief.
Twilight knew why, but the fact that her friends could have fully healed Shining but didn't ate at her. She wouldn't have to even be in this horrid hospital if they had.
But then, there was her failure as well. She couldn't bring down Adagio and avenge him; she nearly died in the attempt and broke her promise to Shining.
Twilight tore her eyes away and looked down at her computer again. Magic, science; both had failed her, though one still seemed more reliable. She wondered how her fight would have gone if she had even the smallest amount of magic.
She mentally stuck her tongue out. Half of her friends' powers were only useful in a fight. Rarity and Pinkie's powers had little practical application. And while Sunset's fire powers were beautiful, her empathy ability had better everyday use. Had she the choice, Twilight would prefer some sort of power she could use in her daily routine. Like electricity or the internet, magic ought to be a resource one could tap into to enrich their life.
Twilight waved thoughts of magic away and tabbed out of her schematics. She opened her email, finding a new letter about housing options at MIT, and...
Equilibrium Labs? They were the ones who ran the scholarship she had submitted her auto-arm to! She clicked the email open, heart pounding.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
On behalf of Equilibrium Labs, I would like to extend my congratulations on winning our Best Young Minds Scholarship! Your blueprints and demonstration video of your electronic-mechanical, voice-activated auto-arm showed ingenuity, creativity, and practical functionality. Your project will be showcased on our website along with past scholarship winners.
We are proud to award you with the scholarship prize money of five-thousand dollars. In addition, we would like to extend our offer of internship at Equilibrium Labs for the duration of the summer. Here, we offer an enriching environment where you can work with like-minded scientists and engineers who are on the cutting edge of technology! You'll gain hands-on experience and get to be a part of Equilibrium Labs' developments for a brighter future!
We once again offer our sincere congratulations and look forward to hearing from you soon!
Best regards,
Equilibrium Labs Lead Scientist,
Starlight Glimmer
*******
"Another pin please, Coco."
Coco withheld a sigh and tugged a pin from the pincushion and handed it to Rarity. Her boss hemmed it into the back of the silk dress and hummed in satisfaction.
She should have been ecstatic. She should have been over the moon. Standing on the dressing stage being fitted for a gown was the Countess Coloratura! And when she first walked in, Coco had most definitely swooned.
But the novelty had worn off fast. Not because of the Countess; she was cordial and sweet. No, for Coco, it was being relegated to fetching whatever Rarity needed. She hadn't asked for Coco's eye, hadn't let her have a hand in making the dress, she hadn't even consulted Coco in the dress' design.
Coco knew she was just the assistant, but she felt like... well, an afterthought. She stood off to the side, pincushion in hand as she watched Rarity dance around Coloratura to make final adjustments.
"I daresay, this is some of my finest work," Rarity said. The smile on her face hadn't waned since Coloratura walked in.
"It's beautiful, Rarity," Coloratura said, beaming at herself in the mirror. "No one will believe I got this from a local store."
Rarity made a squeal. "I still can't believe you're going to wear my dress to the Grand Gallant Gala this weekend!"
"Ah woulda thought it'd stuck by now. You said it five times so far," a bored voice said from an adjacent corner. Rarity's friend Applejack had come in with Coloratura to get her dress fitted as well. Perhaps it was Coco's imagination, but the girl seemed tense.
"And I will continue to say it until I see it happen on my television!" Rarity said, her voice cracking from excitement.
"Sorry again I can't take you with us," Coloratura said, her smile dropping.
"No, no, I understand," Rarity said with an earnest nod. "I hope you and Applejack have a marvelous time. Besides, after everyone sees my dresses, it'll only be a matter of time until I get an invitation of my own."
Coco had no doubts. Rarity was a master designer. So much so that... Coco wasn't sure why she had been hired. Or rather, why Rarity's advertisement had said she was looking for an apprentice designer. So far, Coco had mostly taken measurements and managed the register. They had yet to work on any of her designs for the Midsummer Revival, and it was almost midsummer! It had been custom orders inter-sprinkled with Rarity's designs for her college competition before getting a commission from Coloratura herself.
"Coco, could you fetch the lace ribbon from my desk?"
"Yes, Miss Rarity," Coco said, barely hiding her disenchantment. She fetched the lace, and Rarity took it without a word or a glance.
"All done!" Rarity proclaimed, taking a step back.
Coloratura appraised herself in the mirror, spinning around in awe. "Rarity, this is simply stunning!"
Indeed, Rarity had outdone herself. Coloratura's Gala gown was set in two pieces; the sleeveless bodice was midnight blue and lined with diamonds down the front and feathered ruffles that pressed back across her shoulders. The dress itself was a tiered, floor-length ruffled gown, parted to the left side. Each tier was a different shade of dark blue, and the bottom had another dusting of diamond sequins.
Applejack gave a short, impressed whistle. "Good job, Rares."
"Thank you, thank you!" Rarity's eyes honed in on Applejack. "Your turn."
Applejack groaned.
Coloratura stepped off the stage and toward the changing booth. "I might step out and get a drink real fast."
"You're thirsty? Coco, why don't you go and get us some coffee?" Rarity's smile was pleasant, but she was still looking at Coloratura, eyes filled with star-swept grandeur.
"Are you sure?" Coloratura asked tentatively.
"Oh, Coco doesn't mind, do you, dear?"
"I--"
"And besides, we don't want the paparazzi to swarm you again, right?"
Coloratura looked at Coco. Rarity's eyes finally found her as well. Applejack watched from her corner, eyebrow raised.
Something flooded Coco. Was it panic? Desperation? Whatever it was, with all eyes on her, it compelled her to blurt out, "Yes, of course, Miss Rarity!"
Rarity clapped her hands. "Such a dear."
After taking drink orders (Applejack politely declined) Coco stepped out of the shop and into the evening air. Checking her phone, it was 5:30. The boutique closed at six, and it would take at least until then to finish Applejack's fitting.
Coco gave a resigned sigh. Another day without even touching her dress designs. Maybe working for Rarity had been a mistake. It had started out so well; Rarity had been so welcoming and personalable, and had given her excellent tutelage on the few outfits she had gotten to touch. But all the early absences and delegations to do menial tasks...
Coco rubbed her eyes. She wasn't a designer, she was a glorified secretary. If something didn't change, she would never get to revive the Revival.
*******
Equilibrium Labs sat on the outskirts of northern Canterlot, encircled by pine trees at the peak of their growth. The lab itself wasn't anything extraordinary. A two-story, rectangular white building with a few smaller off-shoots around the campus. The only real notable feature was the massive satellite looming over the lab from behind. Its bright silver dish seemed to absorb the sunlight rather than reflect it, and instead of a single antenna at its center, it had three reaching out like claws.
Her mom brought the car around to the front of the building, where Twilight could see the reception area through the large glass window. "It's a little out of the way. Are you sure you'll be able to get home safely?"
"I'll be fine, Mom. I promise," Twilight said, pulling her backpack over her shoulder.
"I know, I'm just..." Velvet pressed her lips together. Twilight saw the faint tremble in her hands and leaned over to kiss her mom on the cheek.
"I promise. And I'll call you if anything happens."
Velvet smiled, a little reassurance in her eyes. "Okay. I'm proud of you, honey. Now go on, go show them how smart you are."
"Thanks, Mom!" Twilight bounded out of the car and power walked to the front entrance.
She had immediately replied to Starlight Glimmer's email, and to her surprise, Starlight responded back within the hour. Twilight had barely been able to contain her excitement. It had sparked another uptick of joy inside the hospital room.
Twenty-four hours later, Twilight walked through the sliding glass doors into the lab's reception room. It was a standard area that could have been swapped with any hospital or dentist's office, though it was pretty spacious. A table surrounded by comfy chairs sat to Twilight's right, and an electronic bulletin board flanked by two potted palm trees took up the wall to the left.
Twilight walked across the blue-tiled floor to the reception desk. The lady at the front had beige skin and rose-colored hair complimented with lavender highlights. Her teal cat-eye glasses matched her wristband that jostled as she rapidly typed on her computer.
She looked up and flashed a beautiful smile at Twilight as she approached, fingers still dancing across her keyboard.
"Twilight Sparkle, you're right on time.," she said sweetly. "Welcome to Equilibrium Labs, where our motto is--"
"'For the good of humanity!'" a new voice said proudly. A woman, who Twilight presumed was Starlight Glimmer, strolled down the hall, her ankle-length labcoat floating behind her. She wore a blue blazer and gray slacks underneath it, paired with a set of closed black heels. Her purple and teal hair was tied into a ponytail with a row of bangs covering her forehead. She smiled sweetly at Twilight then looked at the receptionist.
"Sorry to steal your thunder, Amber, but you know how much I love our motto."
Amber playfully stuck her tongue out, then resumed typing.
"Twilight!" Starlight said jovially. "It's so great to meet you! Welcome, and congratulations!"
She stuck her hand out and Twilight eagerly shook it. "Thank you very much, Dr. Glimmer. It's an honor to have won the scholarship."
"You earned it. Your project, demonstration, and essay were all top-notch. You're exactly the kind of curious, innovative young mind we're looking for."
Twilight blushed. "Thank you Dr. Glimmer. I looked up your lab and saw some of the research you've done. A lot of theoretical explorations of quantum mechanics. It's really fascinating."
Starlight chuckled and waved her hand. "That's just one of our departments. Fascinating sure, but not a lot of headway. But who knows--maybe you'll be able to help us with that. Before all of that, why don't we get the paperwork out of the way and take a tour?"
"Yes, please!" Twilight said, bouncing on her toes. With a single gesture from Starlight, she followed down the hall and into a comfy office. Starlight took a seat behind the desk and gave the houseplant sitting next to the laptop a gentle pet.
"So, let's go over some of the basic rigamarole," Starlight said with a casual air. "This is an unpaid internship role, however, if you choose, we can integrate this into your transcripts at the college of your choosing at the conclusion of this position. Be a good girl, don't do anything bad, blah, blah, blah. You're a girl of science, Twilight, I'm sure I don't have to iterate proper lab etiquette to you."
Twilight bobbed her head.
"Excellent!" Starlight bent down under her desk and returned with a short stack of papers. "On a more serious note: Equilibrium Labs is a secured facility conducting both mundane and... shall we say, volatile science. You won't be forced to work on any project you feel is unsafe, but, here are our disclosures and waivers saying you understand the risks involved, as well as our non-compete clause and NDA. No gossiping, even to your friends and family."
She pushed the papers toward Twilight whose excitement fell a notch. Of course there were risks involved with science--Twilight would be lying if she said she had never been shocked or burned. There was a surreal feeling signing her acknowledgment that she could be injured at any point during her stay. But the real disappointment was the NDA clause. She wouldn't get to talk about any of her work with her friends? With Sunset?
It's not forever, right? When it's all over, I'll have tons of stories to tell her.
Twilight leafed through the stack, speed-reading and signing her name on every dotted line.
"Welcome to Equilibrium Labs!" Starlight cheered when Twilight pushed the papers back toward her. She tucked the forms away and leaped up from her chair. "Let's get started for real!"
She led Twilight out of her office and further down the hall. Each room had a window looking into it, showing off classrooms, labs, and libraries. "Our front building holds most of our research stations and libraries. Oh, and our cafeteria is down that hall. All meals are free of charge for you."
Starlight stopped at one of the lab rooms and opened the door. Twilight inhaled the wonderful scent of dry-erase markers as she watched her new fellow scientists scribble on the whiteboard. "Double Diamond?"
One of the scientists broke away from the group and walked over to Starlight. He had wavy white hair and snow-white skin that practically blended into his lab coat. "Hey, Starlight."
Starlight gestured between Twilight and him. "Diamond, meet Twilight Sparkle, our scholarship winner and new young mind. Twilight, this is Double Diamond, one of my top assistants."
Diamond stuck his hand out and shook Twilight's. "Hey, congrats on winning, and welcome to our lab. Starlight's been very excited about you coming aboard." In spite of his ghostly appearance, he sounded lively. Twilight thought he'd honestly be more at place snowboarding down a mountain.
"Thank you. I'm excited to be here as well. I can't wait to see what you're working on."
"All in good time," Starlight said with a smile. "Still lots to show and introductions to make. Come along, Twilight."
Twilight tagged along like an excited puppy as Starlight led her to one of the adjacent buildings and showed her the mechanical engineering lab. Here was the acrid smell of burnt wires and hot metal as machines hummed and drills whirred.
"Oooh, what are you working on in here?"
Starlight opened her mouth, then paused. "That's a great question. "Hey, Night Glider!"
A young woman with floofy white hair and dark blue skin looked up from her workbench and raised her goggles. "Hey, Boss!"
"What are we working on in here?"
"Linear particle accelerator," Night Glider said casually.
Starlight snapped her fingers. "Right, I remember now!" She smiled at Twilight who was patting her rapidly beating chest. They shared a few more pleasantries with Night Glider before moving on.
Starlight showed Twilight around to a few more of the engineering labs, research stations, and the cafeteria before leading her back to the main office. As they crossed the grounds, Twilight pointed up to the satellite looming overhead.
"What's that for?"
Starlight followed her pointing finger and chuckled. "Oh, that was for an old experiment. It's just for decoration now. Adds a bit more gravitas, don't you think?"
Twilight nodded. She was curious to know what project it had been used for, but Starlight appeared to think it wasn't even worth discussion.
They took a picture in Starlight's office, and five minutes later, Twilight had her ID badge hanging around her neck. She rubbed the glossy plastic between her fingers; one more sign this was all real. Starlight then handed her a white lab coat, and Twilight threw it on with haste. It hung just above her ankles but was snug around the waist and shoulders. She spun herself around once and looked up at the easygoing smile on Starlight's face.
"Thank you, Dr. Glimmer! I can't wait to get started!"
"Then let's get you all settled in! I've got a perfect workstation for you in lab three." She led Twilight out into the halls once again, taking a different corridor this time. They passed by a smaller lobby that contained two elevators, both of them marked with only the down arrow.
Starlight must have caught Twilight's lingering eye, for she said, "There are a few areas that are reserved for our more... sensitive projects. But, if you're a good girl, I might invite you down for your assistance."
Twilight squared her shoulders. She wanted to see the full extent of this lab. Science and technology? This was her element. "More incentive to do my best, right?"
"That's the spirit!" Starlight made a throaty chuckle. "I think you'll fit in perfectly with us." |
Spectacular Seven | 12. Night of a Thousand Stars | Applejack pursed her lips again. She looked out her bedroom window to the dirt lane leading up to the house.
Still nothing.
She huffed. At this rate, they were going to be late for this dumb thing. Maybe that was the point. Rarity said that being 'fashionably late' was 'in vogue.' Whatever that meant.
Applejack just wanted this night to be over. The closer the calendar got to the Grand Gallant Gala, the more Applejack dreaded having to spend five hours dressed up around the richest people in Canterlot.
But she was going with Rara. They would manage to have fun, right? A tight squirm in Applejack's gut told her to think again.
She looked out her window again. Finally, in the light of the orange sun, a black town car drove up to the farm. Applejack grabbed her purse and the coat bag containing her gala dress and headed downstairs.
Apple Bloom stuck her head out her bedroom door as Applejack passed by. "Is she here, is she here?"
"Just about," Applejack grunted.
"Hot dog! Ah can't believe Ah'm about to meet a real celebrity! Ah can't believe you knew Coloratura before she was the countess!"
"Yep, neither can I." Applejack needed both hands to count the number of times she had heard that in the last month.
The doorbell rang as Applejack reached the bottom step. She laid the dress over the back of the living room sofa and pulled the door open.
Rara gave an emphatic wave and a cheery smile before pulling Applejack into a hug. "Hi, A.J.! Sorry I'm a little late; traffic was awful!"
Applejack patted her back. "S'all good. Why don't you come inside for a bit? Ah've got--"
"Hi, Countess!" Apple Bloom shouted as Rara stepped through the doorway. "You knew me when Ah was a baby!"
"Apple Bloom!" Rara squealed. She pulled the younger Apple into a tight hug. "Look how big you've gotten! How are you?"
After being released, Apple Bloom swooned and stammered out, "G-good! Great! Ah'm a sophomore! You're amazing! Can I have your autograph?"
Applejack pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned, but Rara happily obliged. Big Mac walked into the room, and Rara made another squeal of delight as she ran over to him.
"Hey there, Rara," Big Mac said in his baritone voice. "It's good to see you again."
"It's so good to see you, too! I missed coming over to the farm!"
"Well, if ya got some time, Granny's fixing up supper right now. We'd love to pull a seat out for ya."
Rara pouted. "I would love to, but Applejack and I are already running behind. We have to get back to the hotel so we can change. I just wanted to come over and say hi really quick."
"But, you'll come back, right?" Apple Bloom stuck her lower lip out.
"Of course! I promise!" Rara turned to Applejack. "Let's go!"
With a sigh of relief and a twinge of anxiety, Applejack grabbed her dress and followed Rara out the door. "See y'all later," she said to her family.
"There'll be plenty of food at the Gala; but, I know a great late-night spot we can hit if we're still hungry," Rara said as she settled into the car.
"Sounds like a plan," Applejack said, roughly jamming her seatbelt into the buckle.
Rara frowned in concern. "Are you okay?"
"Ah'm fine," Applejack said with a smile she knew failed to reach her eyes. "Just nervous."
Rara patted her arm. "It'll be fine. No, it'll be better than fine! We're going to have so much fun! The charity auction is only an hour, so we have the rest of the night to hang out."
Applejack just nodded. Why had she agreed to this? She knew what was going to happen.
Because you're spendin' time with your best friend! Because you're havin' fun!
Applejack's eye twitched. Thankfully, Rara didn't notice. The ride to Rara's hotel proved uneventful; both girls made small talk about their week. Applejack made sure to omit anything magic related, leaving her with not much else to discuss.
They pulled around front of one of Canterlot's fanciest hotels, The Prancing Pony, and were escorted out of the car and through the spacious lobby. Applejack had been here before and had not been impressed. It was clean, sure. But like everything else rich people had, it was gaudy and wasteful.
Rara pressed the button for the top floor in the elevator. "We've got an hour to get ready, so we'll have to be quick."
"No problem," Applejack said, her first confident words of the evening. They rode up to Rara's suite. Thankfully, it wasn't the penthouse, but it was still huge; large enough that they had to shout to be heard from the other side of the room.
They did their hair, applied their makeup, and stepped into their gala dresses. Applejack's was as red as a Honeycrisp apple with rounded shoulders and a white collar. It flared out into a ballgown around her waist with the back train floating down to her ankles but left her shins exposed. She had to admit, with her hair done up in a braided ponytail with two tresses framing her face, the dress looked good on her.
Applejack stepped into the lounge at the same time as Rara. "Oooh, you look so good, A.J.!"
"Thanks," Applejack said sheepishly, unable to hide her blush. "You look great too."
Rara twirled in the dress Rarity had made for her. "Thank you! Rarity did such amazing work! Now come on, before we're past fashionably late!"
*******
Moondancer stood in the middle of the lobby of The Canterlot Castle, the city's premier hotel and host for the Grand Gallant Gala. The chandeliers overhead were dim, but Moondancer's smile was bright and welcoming as she waved and greeted guests upon entry.
"Hello, welcome to the Gala! Hi there, welcome! I'm so glad you could come!"
She smiled with her whole face, even though her guests could only see half. Moondancer shook the hand of everyone who stopped and formally greeted her, her evening gloves hiding her sweaty palms. Raven stood beside her, checklist in hand of all the VIP attendees. She would greet and address them by name before Moondancer took over. As Moondancer had yet to memorize all of Canterlot's elite, it was the perfect strategy.
"You're doing great, Miss Moondancer," Raven said during a lull in the guests' arrival.
Moondancer let her smile drop for a moment. She pulled a handkerchief from her purse and dabbed at the exposed side of her forehead. "The night has barely started and I'm already sweating." It hadn't helped that just yesterday, her board of directors 'advised' her that the gala needed to be a success or 'the company' would lose faith in her abilities as a leader. To call it a veiled threat would be an understatement.
You're doing the best you can do with the cards in your hand. That didn't stop Moondancer's chest from feeling constricted since she woke this morning. Despite her father's will, the board could still hold a vote of no confidence and boot her out of the CEO position. And if she wasn't in charge of the company...
She shook her head. The gala would go fine. Most of it had already been set up by her father anyway, she just had to follow the plan, be a good host, and ignore the media.
Speaking of...
The glass doors to the hotel slid open, and Raven didn't need to tell Moondancer who was approaching. Countess Coloratura sashayed up the carpet, smiling and speaking politely to the mics and cameras following close behind. Moondancer stared in awe at her civilian appearance; her blue ringlets of hair far more dazzling than the silver and purple mane she wore on stage. And her dress, a deep blue sprinkled with diamonds that sparkled under the hotel lights, was hypnotic to watch. She was halfway to Moondancer when the hostess finally noticed Coloratura had not arrived alone.
Moondancer's smile flickered for a second and she bit the tip of her tongue to stop herself from shouting. What on earth is Applejack doing here?
Applejack stared dead-on at Moondancer, face neutral but eyes filled with tense animosity. Moondancer shifted her gaze away and focused on Coloratura.
"Countess Coloratura, it's an honor and pleasure to meet you," Moondancer said, flooding her tone with as much genuine warmth as she could muster. She took Coloratura's hand and gave it a polite shake before raising it to her lips and giving it a gentle kiss. "Welcome to the Grand Gallant Gala, and thank you for being our auctioneer tonight."
Coloratura gave a pleasant giggle. "Thank you for having me! It's truly an honor, and I'm so looking forward to doing it. I've never actually hosted an auction before, so I hope I don't embarrass myself."
"You'll do fine, I'm sure. And it's all for a good cause." Out of necessity from her position and because the cameras were still on her, Moondancer tilted her head toward Applejack. "Hello, Miss Applejack," she said cordially.
"Moondancer," Applejack said with a stiff nod.
Coloratura looked between them. "Do you two know each other?"
"We went to the same school for a brief time and both competed in the Battle of the Bands. Isn't that right?"
Applejack nodded again. "Didn't get to know her as well as Ah should have."
"I'm sure we'll have plenty of time for that." Moondancer stepped to one side and gestured them up the stairs to the party proper. "We'll no doubt cross paths again upstairs."
Coloratura clapped her hands. "I can't wait! Come on, A.J., this is going to be so much fun!" The pop star dragged the farmer away, but not before one more quick glare was shared.
The media dispersed, thankfully, half of them heading back outside while a few hounded Coloratura upstairs. Moondancer was at least grateful they hadn't fielded any questions at her.
The last thing I needed was for this night to have surprises, Moondancer thought, watching Applejack head upstairs. She turned around to the front entrance, and this time, she did shout at the guest approaching.
"Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy jumped at the loud address and froze, staring at Moondancer like a lost doe. Moondancer quickly collected herself and gently beckoned Fluttershy toward her. Fluttershy held her fingers in front of her chest and hunched her shoulders. She looked around, realized she was standing in the middle of the lobby, and hurried forward.
Moondancer took another calming breath before asking, "Dear, Fluttershy, what are you doing here?"
"Umm, well..." Fluttershy pulled on her fingers. "The animal shelter I work at was selected as one of the charities for the charity auction. But, Ms. Tenderheart got sick, so she asked me to represent it instead. I said yes because it's the last thing I'll be able to do for it when I go off to college."
"How serendipitous," Moondancer said, ignoring the single butterfly in her stomach. "I apologize for shouting. I was not expecting to see you tonight."
"I wasn't expecting to see you either." Fluttershy hid her face behind her pink bangs. "Umm... about the wedding..."
"I had little to do with the Sirens' machinations, so I will not apologize on their behalf. As for what happened between Twilight and I, well, that's between us."
"Oh." Moondancer didn't think it possible, but the poor girl deflated further into herself. She raised herself up for a brief moment like she wanted to say something else, but instead gave a tiny shake of her head. "I, um, should go set up my stand."
Moondancer bowed. "Of course. I hope you have an excellent time."
Fluttershy gave her a scrutinizing look, searching to see if Moondancer was being genuine. Moondancer couldn't tell what conclusion Fluttershy came to, but she hurried up the stairs all the same.
Raven smiled and looked over at Moondancer. "A friend, Miss?"
"No... not really," Moondancer said softly, swatting the butterfly away.
*******
Applejack had been in the grand ballroom of The Canterlot Castle before, for Prom night. Then, the chandelier had been dimmed, and blue fire illuminated the pillars around the outskirt of the room. Now, the chandelier shone with full brightness and ivy crept down the marble columns. A massive ice sculpture of two swans in mid-flight sat in the center of the dance floor. Against the back wall, instead of a DJ table, a jazz quartet was set up, playing smooth music that made Applejack tap her foot the second she crossed through the double doors.
"Oooh, this place feels so sophisticated," Rara said, eyes sparkling.
Applejack would have used 'ostentatious.' She had learned that from Twilight. Very few people were dancing to the music. Most were bunched up in small cliques, chatting and holding glasses of champagne. A maitre d' walked over with a plate of glasses and held them out in offering.
"No thank you," Rara said, "we're underage."
The maitre d' gave a polite nod and walked away.
"How do they keep track of that?" Applejack asked.
"They don't," Rara said with a mischievous smirk. "Usually, anyone underage has to have a chaperone with them at all times. But, being the Countess has a few perks. Besides, we're probably the only 'underage' adults at this party."
Another waiter offered them small finger foods. Applejack had no idea what they were, but her stomach was growling. To her amazement, they appeared to be small, savory, pastries. It didn't fill her, but it did quiet her stomach.
They took two steps deeper into the room when they were accosted by a woman with blazing red and orange hair, wearing a pretty blue cocktail dress.
"Countess Coloratura?" she said in a raspy voice. "Wow, it's so cool to meet you! Love your music."
Rara gasped. "Spitfire! Wow, hi! I've seen some of your matches; you're amazing!"
Applejack jumped. "You're Spitfire?"
Spitfire smiled and nodded. Applejack didn't watch too much soccer, she was more into hockey and football. But, she had spent enough time around Rainbow to recognize the name.
"Mah friend Rainbow thinks you're the best thing since sliced bread."
She gave a good-natured laugh, then reached over to the nearest table and grabbed a napkin, pulled a pen from her purse, and made a quick scribble. Spitfire handed the autograph to Applejack. "Tell Rainbow I said hi."
Applejack looked at the signed napkin. Well, no matter what, somethin' good came out of this night.
Rara and Spitfire started a conversation that surprisingly didn't revolve around celebrity life. Applejack was able to chime in every few sentences. That was until some fashion influencer named Hoity Toity stepped in and began dominating the chat. Not long after, a few more celebrities flocked over to their growing circle, pushing Applejack out of the way to get a word in with Rara.
Applejack made a short huff from her nose. "Ah'm gonna go look around!" she said loudly over the five people talking at once.
Rara looked through a gap in the circle and was at least kind enough to give Applejack an apologetic smile before nodding.
Applejack turned and walked off before her scowl could form. The ballroom continued to fill up with Canterlot's rich and influential. Applejack was surprised to see she recognized some of them: the weather girl from Canterlot News, Filthy Rich, one of Sweet Apple Acres' business partners, and Mayor Ivory Scroll, who actually smiled and waved at her.
Still, Applejack was a foreigner in a room full of strangers. What she wouldn't have given for any of her friends to be here with her. She made to adjust her hat and frowned when she remembered her head was bare tonight. With another frustrated huff, she turned for the exit and nearly smacked into Moondancer coming the other way.
"Ah, my apologies, Applejack," Moondancer said, adjusting her blouse so as to not make eye contact.
Applejack set her jaw. "No worries. Didn't see ya there."
"Of course. If you'll excuse me."
Moondancer tried to sidestep around her, but Applejack looped an arm through Moondancer's and pulled her close.
"Ah don't know what you're schemin'," Applejack whispered into her ear, "but we've already beaten you twice before. And all these little magical monsters you keep throwin' at us are just makin' us stronger. So if you try anythin' tonight, know that Ah'll be on you like gravy on biscuits."
"First of all, ew." Moondancer wrenched her arm away and faced Applejack properly. "Second, I have not thrown anything at you. And third, in case you haven't noticed, I have a very important function to host, so I don't have time to do whatever it is you think I'm up to."
Her face and demeanor shifted back to the cordial host that had greeted Applejack in the lobby. "Now, I really hope you have an excellent time tonight." She scooted past Applejack. "Ah, Mr. Fancy Pants, it's so wonderful to see you!"
Applejack watched her schmooze for a few more seconds before continuing her exit out the grand ballroom. Moondancer could say whatever she wanted, Applejack's instincts told her she was a snake and had something to hide. But what was she supposed to tell her friends? 'Moondancer is hosting an evil party!' She didn't have any proof.
Applejack pulled her phone out anyway. Having her friends on standby just in case something started going wrong wouldn't be a bad idea.
"Applejack?"
She looked up from her half-finished text. Running toward her down the opulent hallway was--
"Fluttershy!" Applejack ran to meet her halfway and pulled her into a bone-popping hug. "Girl, what are you doin' here?"
Once Fluttershy could breathe, she said, "Representing the animal shelter at the charity auction. You're here with Countess Coloratura, right?"
Applejack set Fluttershy down. "Yeah. But she's chattin' it up with a bunch of rich folks. Boy howdy, am Ah glad to see a friendly face around here."
"Likewise. I was actually really nervous about standing at my booth alone."
"Well, the way the night's already goin', Ah'll be more than happy to stand with ya."
Fluttershy beamed at her. "Thank you. But, I wouldn't want to take away any quality time between you and Coloratura."
Applejack pursed her lips. "Ah don't know if Ah'd call it 'quality'."
Fluttershy tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
Before Applejack could explain, a familiar male voice shouted from behind them. "No way! Applejack? Fluttershy?"
Both girls turned to see Flash Sentry wearing a dapper gray suit hurrying toward them. "I can't believe it!"
Applejack grinned. "Well, if this ain't a Canterlot High reunion. What are you doin' here?"
Flash put his hands in his pockets and gave a sheepish smile. "You know... Dad owns one of the best car dealerships in the city. He managed to get an invitation, and Mom wasn't interested. So, I decided, eh, why not?"
"Hey, the more familiar faces, the merrier," Applejack said.
"So how did you guys get in?"
"I'm here for the charity auction," Fluttershy said, pointing to one of the doors further down the hall.
Applejack looked past Flash to the grand ballroom. "Ah'm Rara's plus one."
Flash squinted his eyes in confusion. "Who?"
"Countess Coloratura," Applejack said with a sigh.
"For real? Applejack, you know the Countess? Can I... get an autograph?"
"No."
Flash sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "No, yeah, that's fair." He straightened up. "Still, it'll be cool to hang out with you both. I saw the jazz band in the ballroom and got real scared this party was gonna be boring."
"I like jazz," Fluttershy whispered to herself.
Applejack chuckled. "Come on, let's see if we can find some grub in this place."
"I think there's a restaurant downstairs," Flash said.
"Applejack, there you are!"
With a suppressed groan, Applejack watched Rara hurry toward her. "I'm so sorry I left you alone. Hoity Toity just kept going on and on. Oh, hello!" Rara waved to Fluttershy and Flash.
Both of them numbly waved back.
Rara focused on Applejack again. "We have to go. Dinner is about to start in the dining hall, and we have seats next to Spitfire and Trenderhoof."
"VIP Ah'm guessin'?" At Rara's nod, Applejack plastered a smile over her face. "Can't wait, sounds excitin'."
"I'll run ahead then." Rara waved again to Fluttershy and Flash. "Hopefully, I'll see you again later tonight!"
As soon as Rara turned her back, Applejack's smile dropped like an anchor. "Great, fancy dinner with fancy people."
"You don't sound thrilled," Flash said.
Applejack gave a dismissive wave. "It's fine. We'll find time to hang out tonight, but in the meantime..." She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "Keep an eye on Moondancer. She says this is just a party, but Ah trust her about as much as a used car salesman. Uh, no offense, Flash."
Flash snapped his fingers and grinned. "Dad only sells new cars, so none taken."
Applejack laughed and grinned back, a brief release from the weight in her chest. "Y'all try to have fun. See you soon." She turned and followed after Rara, walking past the doors to the grand ballroom to the other end of the corridor.
Large round tables with white linens filled the dining hall. The chandeliers here were dimmed, and a candelabra sat on each table. Rara waved Applejack down to a table in the center, already occupied by seven other people. Applejack took the last free seat between Rara and a tan young man with sandy blonde hair and thick half-moon glasses.
"Ah, you must be Applejack," he said, taking her hand and kissing it.
"Eh heh heh, yep." Applejack tried to smile as she reclaimed her hand.
"I'm Trenderhoof. The Countess has already spoken highly of you, touting you as her best friend. Tell me, what do you do?"
His smile almost seemed genuine, but now everyone else around the table had their eyes on Applejack. She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Ah'm just a college student. Or, Ah will be in the fall. Mah family owns one of the local farms though."
"Oh, a farmer! How quaint! How rustic!" Trenderhoof said. Applejack couldn't tell if he was making fun of her. A few other people around the table stifled their laughs.
"I used to play on her family's farm all the time when I was a kid," Rara said. "And, they grow some of the best apples this side of the country."
"My, what humble origins," a woman from across the table said. "Did y'all play with the horses and piggies too?" she asked, a mocking accent in her voice.
"Yes, we did," Rara said cheerfully. "We learned how to milk cows too."
There were a few more condescending laughs. Trenderhoof leaned in toward Applejack. "I think that sounds adorably charming." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
The topic shifted, though Applejack quickly lost focus. It was all noise to her. She patted down the hairs on the back of her neck. Moondancer was one room over, and here she was eating with snobs. All she could do right now was hope Flash and Fluttershy could keep tabs on Moondancer. Or hope on the thin chance that Moondancer was telling the truth.
Another door in the dining room opened, and in came the wait staff, silver dishes with cloches in their hands. Applejack's stomach gave a soft growl.
Ah hope the food is good at least.
*******
Fluttershy never had any one-on-one time with Flash before. She knew half the girls in school had a crush on him, and for good reason. He was nice, played guitar, and had a cool car. Fluttershy had never had any interest--aside from a few brief instances, her sole attraction had been Rainbow.
Part of her was still coming to terms with the fact that she had finally admitted to Rainbow about her crush and that Rainbow had finally, definitively put her down. It was... freeing in a way. She remembered what she had told Moondancer when she had encountered her at the flower shop. She hadn't been okay that day. She still wasn't perfectly okay yet, but she was making progress. She knew someday, she could find someone like how Sunset and Twilight found each other, or Rainbow and Soarin.
In another life, maybe it could have been Flash.
The two of them stood in the corner of the grand ballroom, watching people mingle and dance to the jazz band, playing a faster, upbeat swing. Moondancer was currently talking to the Mayor and a few other important people. Fluttershy took a sip of her punch. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to be looking for. She didn't think Moondancer was going to use magic in the middle of the ballroom.
Honestly, Fluttershy didn't know what to think of Moondancer. She did all these bad things, but always looked sad and said she felt bad about it. But if Tempest was forcing her into this, why hadn't she asked for help by now?
"So," Flash said in a hushed tone, "how's the whole superhero thing going for you girls?"
Fluttershy almost choked on her drink. "Y-you know about that?"
"Rarity gives me a few updates. I promise I won't tell anyone. Not sure if they would believe me. Besides, who else could have taken on Adagio at the mall?"
Fluttershy supposed that was fair. "It's going good, I think. Well... maybe. We think we know what Moondancer is planning, but if we don't play along, people will get hurt."
Flash nodded grimly. "Sounds like a tough spot. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I don't think so. Unless you can help us find the keys to a magic chest," Fluttershy said with a giggle.
Flash chuckled. "Sorry, don't think that's my area of expertise." A light ring came from his pocket and he pulled out his cell phone. "Aw crap, Dad's looking for me. I'll be back as soon as I can."
He ran off, leaving Fluttershy to finish her punch alone. She handed the cup to a waiting maitre d' and resumed her watch of Moondancer. She had broken away from the Mayor and was talking to her assistant. The brunette gave a short bow and walked away, leaving Moondancer alone.
She did talk to me last time and gave us a hint. Maybe I can talk to her again. Channeling Rainbow's confidence, Fluttershy squared her shoulders and walked over. She was almost bowled over by a lady with a huge floppy hat. Before Fluttershy could apologize, the lady had vanished into the crowd.
Dusting her dress off, Fluttershy finished her trek to Moondancer. The hostess looked up from a clipboard as Fluttershy approached.
"Good evening, Fluttershy. Enjoying the party?"
"Um, yes. It's nice. Are you having a good time?"
"As much as one can while making sure everything runs smoothly." Moondancer sighed but smiled at Fluttershy. "Did you need something?"
Fluttershy felt her confidence draining. How did she ask what Moondancer was up to without being rude? "I, umm... I just wanted to say..."
Be assertive!
Fluttershy took a deep breath. "Please don't do anything bad tonight! But if you do, my friends and I will stop you!" The words tumbled out of her mouth in a frantic, mousy shout.
Moondancer stared at Fluttershy, and for a moment, Fluttershy was afraid Moondancer would use magic right then and there. Instead, she tucked her clipboard under her arm, clapped her hands together in front of her mouth, and took a deep breath.
"Fluttershy, please relay a message for me to Twilight and the rest of your colorful friends: I'm not doing anything at the moment, and I literally could not care less about what you're up to. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a CEO right now. And no, that is not as fun as it sounds. I am eighteen, and I have an entire company to manage! Do you know what the Nasdaq is? I do! Let me tell you, it's a nightmare to understand!"
Fluttershy winced. "Um--"
"Oh sure, I could be one of those CEOs that just sits on my yacht all day, maybe make a few phone calls and just pretend to actually be doing work. But noooo, my father had to be a hands-on, proactive businessman! Which, in a rare instance I can actually say, I'm proud of him. Really builds company trust."
"I guess so--"
"Except now, the company has to put its trust in me, an eighteen-year-old with no practical business experience! But I need to keep working and pretend I know what I'm doing, otherwise, the company will lose faith in me! And if they lose faith, the Board of Directors could potentially lock me out of the company, and if I stay locked out for too long, they could hire a new CEO, and if I lose control of the company, I die!"
Moondancer took deep, gulping breaths, her cheek flushed. Fluttershy felt awful, not only for accusing Moondancer of being up to something, but for all the pressure she was under.
"I'm sorry," was all she could whisper.
Moondancer one more shuddering breath and quickly glanced around to see if anyone had observed her outburst. "It's... not your fault. You have every right to be suspicious of me. And I can't claim complete innocence in everything. But, if you're hoping to get any information from me, I'm afraid you're mistaken."
A maitre d' sauntered past and Moondancer snatched a glass of red wine from the serving tray. She raised it to her lips, lifting an eyebrow at the befuddled expression Fluttershy was certain was written on her face.
"If I can drink in France, I can drink here. And my parents aren't around to tell me otherwise." Moondancer tipped the glass back and took a large sip.
Fluttershy tapped her fingers together and turned her eyes downward. She knew Moondancer was on the bad guy's side, had hurt people including Twilight and Sunset... yet right now, Fluttershy wanted to give her a hug. She inched closer, wondering if she would be overstepping her bounds.
The band ended their current song and transitioned into something soft and slow. The people around them partnered up and began to waltz around the ballroom. A new idea jumped into Fluttershy's head, one that made her face burn. She grabbed her courage and held it tight.
"Moondancer would you like to dance with me?" she blurted out.
Moondancer, glass raised to her mouth again, spluttered and spit some of the wine back. She coughed and said, "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you properly."
"Would you like to dance... um... with me?" Fluttershy asked again in a mousy quiver.
Moondancer looked at her, visible eye wide with surprise. "You would want to... with me?"
"I'm sorry! It was a dumb idea! I'll go!" Fluttershy turned on her heel.
"Hold, Fluttershy," Moondancer said sternly, stopping Fluttershy in her tracks. "I have not given an answer yet."
Fluttershy, keeping as much of her face hidden in her hair as she could, turned back to Moondancer. She was gazing into the remainder of the red liquid in her cup.
"I can't wait to hear what the press will say," she whispered. "But, if I'm going to make a fool of myself, I might as well do it with a beautiful flower like you." Moondancer finished off her wine and waived down the nearest maitre d' to pass the glass off. She extended her hand to Fluttershy, palm up.
"Shall we?"
Trembling, Fluttershy slipped her hand into Moondancer's and gasped when she was pulled closer until there was only a thin thread of space between them. Moondancer put her other hand on the small of Fluttershy's back and led them into a waltz.
Fluttershy knew how to dance. She liked to dance in her room where only her animals could see her. If it wasn't for her muscle memory and Moondancer taking the lead, she would have been a floundering mass of limbs. Her breath came out in quick puffs and her trembling extended from her hands to her shoulders.
"No need to be nervous," Moondancer said softly as they turned about. "Just flow with the music. You're doing great, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy nodded and tried to swallow, but her mouth was bone dry. She was confident in her dancing; that wasn't the issue. Fluttershy didn't know what the issue was. Sweat coated her palm and her heart hammered in her chest. She couldn't take her eyes off Moondancer. Yes, she could only see half of the girl's face, but she almost glowed in the chandelier light. The aroma of cherry blossoms in full bloom was dizzying. And her purple eyes captured Fluttershy in their gaze and locked her place, only to be guided by Moondancer's gentle hands.
She giggled, drawing Fluttershy out of her trance. "You're staring, sweet Fluttershy."
"O-oh! Umm... it's just..."
Moondancer giggled again, but there was a sadness mingled within. "I wonder what it is you see." She looked away. "My beauty was marred long ago."
"I don't think that's true." Fluttershy spoke before her brain could process her words. "I think you're still very beautiful."
Moondancer shook her head. "I don't mean on the outside. I'm not like you, Fluttershy." She fixed her eyes on Fluttershy again. "You're a beautiful soul, inside and out."
Before Fluttershy had a chance to hyperventilate, Moondancer spun her out, twirled her around, and pulled her back in. Fluttershy gaped like a fish. Her heart drummed and electricity danced on her skin.
The girls made one more rotation as the song came to an end. Moondancer gently slid her hand from Fluttershy's and gave a curtsy. "Thank you for the dance, Fluttershy. I enjoyed it, truly."
"Y-You're welcome," Fluttershy stammered, her skin still tingling.
Moondancer bowed again. "I have matters I should probably attend to. I wish you the best of luck at the auction." She turned and drifted away, weaving between people until she was lost in the crowd.
"Right... the auction..." Fluttershy shook her head. It didn't clear the daze, but it did free her of the static. She turned and numbly walked out of the ballroom. She could still feel Moondancer's hand against her own, still smell the scent of cherry blossoms.
Had that all been an act? Was Moondancer trying to distract her from whatever she was planning this evening? But wait, Fluttershy had asked her to dance. What had compelled her to do that? She had looked sad, yes, but she was still the bad guy, wasn't she?
Fluttershy looked at the hand that had held Moondancer's. She had never felt this way before. She didn't know what she was feeling, but she had never felt it for anyone else. Not even Rainbow.
*******
The meal had been just okay. More specifically, the food had been okay. It had been some fancy fish that Applejack had never heard of, but at least it had been baked and served with vegetables. The conversation she could have cared less for, and had tuned out most of it. She had been startled out of finishing her meal when Rara tapped her arm and announced she had to get to the charity auction. She had offered Applejack the option to stay and continue talking to her 'friends'. One smolder from Trenderhoof was all Applejack needed to follow Rara out of the dining room.
"Did you enjoy dinner?"
Applejack nodded absently. "Yep. Fish was real good."
"Oh, if you liked that, I know a really good place over on the coast! It's got a fantastic view of the ocean, and the fish practically melts in your mouth."
A muscle in Applejack's jaw twitched. "Ah'll think about it."
Rara tilted her head toward Applejack, a slight frown on her face. "Are you okay? You've been pretty quiet tonight."
"Yeah, just... taking it all in," Applejack said, still looking ahead. She could feel Rara's eyes on her.
"But you're having fun, right?"
Applejack forced herself to smile. "'Course I'm havin' fun."
"Are you sure--" Rara trailed off as a staff member ran down the hall and skidded to a stop in front of her.
"Oh thank goodness," he said, out of breath. "Countess, you're on in ten and we'd like to do a run-through of the auction items."
Rara gasped. "I'm so sorry! I'll be right there." She looked back at Applejack. "The auction is gonna be super fun, you should come watch. Unless someone asks you to dance," she said with a wink.
Applejack chuckled. "We'll see. Go have fun."
"Will do." Rara rushed behind the staff member to one of the back rooms.
Applejack stared down at the weaving patterns on the carpet and chewed the inside of her cheek. Was she really having fun? Being inside this hotel was sapping her strength and patience. She had hoped coming with Rara would level things out, but somehow, it just made things worse.
She needed to find Fluttershy and Flash. Or Moondancer. That was familiar ground she could navigate. Though she wouldn't call spying on Moondancer fun, it was at least comfortable.
She returned to the grand ballroom and stood in the threshold, scanning for familiar faces. There was no sign of her three former classmates, though it was hard to be sure with all the moving bodies. The music had an aggressive edge to it, something Applejack wasn't aware a jazz band could produce.
In the center of the dance floor, a woman sashayed a little too hard to the left and smacked another woman in the shoulder. The first lady made to apologize, but was greeted with a hand to the face. Applejack blinked, and in the next second, both women and their partners were scratching and slapping at each other, the other dancers giving them a wide berth.
Applejack watched, mesmerized until two security guards came and broke them up. Geez, all that over a nudge. She gave a sorry shake of her head.
"Quit hogging the door," Someone said as they shoved past her, despite Applejack taking up less than half the doorframe.
She rubbed her shoulder and glowered. "And a fine hello to you too." With another shake of her head, she turned and left. If Fluttershy wasn't in the ballroom, she had to be at the auction.
The auction hall looked a lot like the ballroom, only brighter and without a central dance floor. Instead, rows of chairs were set up in front of a stage, and booths advertising different charities were lined up against the wall. People milled about, either talking to the charity representatives or finding a seat in the crowd. Sure enough, Fluttershy stood in front of her booth tucked in the left corner, her back to the crowd.
"'Shy!" Applejack called as she approached.
"Eeep!" Fluttershy jumped and spoon around. "Oh, it's you A.J. H-how was your dinner?"
Applejack shrugged. "It was fine, Ah guess. Uh, why is your face all red?"
"No reason!" Fluttershy said in a higher pitch than normal.
"Oookaay. Well, were you able to get anything on Moondancer?"
Fluttershy's face managed to turn redder. "No! I mean, yes! I mean, I don't think she's up to anything!"
Applejack raised an eyebrow. She knew Fluttershy to be nervous, but this was high even for her. "What makes you say that?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the Grand Gallant Gala Charity Auction!" The out-of-breath assistant from before stood on stage, the lights brightening and flashing in different colors. "And now, it is my pleasure to introduce our celebrity auctioneer for the evening, the one and only Countess Coloratura!"
He backed away as Rara stepped onto the stage to thunderous applause. She giggled and bowed and waved, glowing under the fluorescent lights. "Thank you, thank you! Thanks for coming out tonight and thank you for letting me host this year's charity auction! I've never done this before, so I apologize in advance."
For some reason, everyone in the audience found that hilarious and gave her another round of applause. Applejack rolled her eyes.
"We have a host of great prizes we're auctioning off tonight, and all proceeds go to any of these wonderful charities!" Rara gestured to all of the booths lined up in the back. She paused and gave a quick wave to Applejack and Fluttershy.
"Alright, does everyone have their paddles?" Rara watched as several members of the audience raised their bidding paddles. "Guys, what are you doing? We haven't started any bids yet!"
The audience laughed again and Applejack groaned.
"What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked.
"Nothin'," Applejack snapped.
"Okay, for reals this time. Our first item up for auction is a wonderful travel package to Hawaii! This includes airfare and hotel!" She cleared her throat and finished in a light melody, "Seven days in paradise, a romantic trip for two."
Applejack smirked, thinking of Shining and Cadence and their lack of a honeymoon. If she had the money, she might have made a bid for it and handed it off to them.
"So, let's start at two thousand! Do I have two thousand? Two thousand right there! Two thousand, do we have twenty-two hundred? Twenty-two hundred for Hawaii? Twenty-two hundred over here!"
"I wonder what it's like to be able to spend money like that," Fluttershy asked.
"Ah say we're probably better off not knowing," Applejack said, crossing her arms. "Money does things to people. Turns them into snobs."
"Not everyone," Fluttershy mumbled.
Flash strolled up to them with a wave. "Sorry I had to bounce for a bit. Dad wanted to have dinner with some friends. Did I miss anything?"
Applejack pointed a thumb at Fluttershy. "'Shy here was able to talk to Moondancer. She says she's not plottin' nothin'."
"Nice job! How'd you manage to get that out of her?"
Fluttershy's face went scarlet again. "I, um, just asked her."
Flash frowned. "And you just believed her?"
"I just know she's telling the truth!" Fluttershy said, closing her eyes and balling her fists. "She's not the villain everyone thinks she is!"
Eyes wide from Fluttershy's outburst, Applejack softened her posture and sighed. "A few months ago, Ah might have believed you. But you've seen what she's done. You're an angel, Fluttershy, but you're too nice sometimes."
Fluttershy crossed her arms and looked away. "Sunset did bad things and we became friends with her."
Flash laughed softly. "She's got a point there."
"Sold! To the gentleman in the fancy top hat for twenty-one hundred, for the Grant a Dream Foundation!" Rara cheered. The crowd gave a polite round of applause.
"Next up, an antique thirteenth-century Ming vase, still in mint condition!" The stagehand wheeled out a glass case with a blue and white vase inside. Rara spun around it and gestured. "This is one of our big prizes people, so we'll start the bidding at seven thousand!"
"Who is gonna spend seven thousand dollars on a vase?" Applejack asked, flabbergasted.
"Seven thousand right there! Do I hear seventy-two hundred? Seventy-two hundred here! Do I hear seventy-four--seventy-six! Seven thousand, six hundred already!"
Applejack facepalmed.
Flash whistled. "So this is how the other half lives."
"Isn't your dad rich?"
"Not that rich."
Applejack watched in disgusted fascination as the bidding went all the way up to eleven thousand dollars. It was alleviated by the reminder that it was all going to charity, but the fact that people had that much money to spend still blew Applejack's mind. Along with the fact that they needed shiny trinkets to be motivated to donate to a good cause.
"You people are amazing!" Rara sang in soprano. "Let's keep this generosity going with our next item!"
Flash slipped his hands into his pockets. "So, is there anything else to do here?"
"Not unless you wanna go have a brawl in the ballroom," Applejack said dryly.
"What?"
Applejack recounted the scene she had witnessed before heading to the auction room. Flash looked dumbfounded. Fluttershy looked concerned.
"I hope the media doesn't hear about that," she said.
"Yeah, they'd have a field day," Flash said, sliding his palm through the air. "'Pointless pummel at Grand Gallant Gala'."
"And then they'd blame Moondancer," Fluttershy said.
Alright, even Ah'm not this clueless. Applejack put her hands on her hips and stared Fluttershy down. "'Shy, what happened between you and Moondancer?"
"Nothing!" Fluttershy yelped. She looked as guilty as a misbehaving puppy.
"Doesn't sound like nothing," Flash teased.
"We just talked!"
"And sold, for three thousand to the Canterlot Animal Shelter and Rescue Center!" Rara cheered.
The group stood frozen amidst the scattered applause. Applejack turned and saw Fluttershy's eyes were the size of dinner plates.
"Th-three thousand?"
"Congrats, 'Shy," Applejack said, patting her on the back.
"But-but who...?"
Moondancer stood up from the audience and shuffled out of her row. She twiddled her fingers at Fluttershy and exited the room, almost bumping into a lady with a large floppy hat covering her face.
Applejack moved her hands back to her hips and resumed her stare down, though it was more bemused than accusatory.
"We danced, okay!" Fluttershy clapped her hands over her face.
Flash whistled. Applejack wasn't sure whether to say 'Good job' or 'Are you crazy?'
"Please don't tell the others," Fluttershy whimpered from behind her hands.
"Um, sure thing." Applejack wasn't sure how she would anyway.
"Okay, folks! We're gonna take a quick ten-minute break! But, when we come back, we'll be auctioning off the biggest prizes we have, so don't go too far!" Rara waved and ducked back behind the curtain.
Applejack sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. That means we're almost done."
Flash furrowed his brow in concern. "You seem like you haven't been having fun all night. You okay?"
"Whaddya mean? Of course Ah'm havin' fun!" It was like a reflex now. An automatic defense against anyone accusing her of not having fun.
Fluttershy lowered her hands. "Are you sure, Applejack? You've been... well... on edge a little bit. Not just tonight but for a while. Ever since you started spending time with Countess Coloratura."
"Ah have not! Everythin's fine! Why wouldn't it be?" Applejack felt her cheeks strain from the smile she was trying to put on.
Flash narrowed his eyes in an uncharacteristic glare. "Because you're acting pretty suspicious for everything to be 'fine'. Just tell the truth."
"Ah am tellin' the truth!" Ah'm--" Applejack froze. No, she wasn't. She wasn't telling just tiny white lies to Rara, she was flat-out lying to herself. Her posture deflated and she covered her eyes with a hand.
"Ah'm not fine. Ah'm not havin' fun. This has been one of the most unfun nights of mah life," Applejack said, drained of emotion.
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Ah don't know what Ah was thinkin' agreein' to this. Ah knew Ah was gonna be miserable, and here Ah am!"
"Then why did you say yes?"
"Because!" Applejack lowered her hand and spun toward the voice, freezing again.
Rara looked back at her, eyes wet. "You said you were having fun. You said you wanted to come to this with me."
Applejack's heart sank. "Rara, Ah... Ah'm sorry, Ah just..."
"Just what?" Rara balled her fists. "What about every other time we hung out? Have you been lying about those too?"
Applejack pressed her palms against the side of her head. "Yes," she said with a pained groan.
"How could you?" Rara shouted. "I thought we were friends?"
"Rara Ah love hangin' out with you!" Applejack shouted back, throwing her hands out. "But every time Ah do, Ah get shoved to the side, just like when we were kids!"
"What do you--"
"You were always popular! Ah just wanted to spend time with mah best friend, but you were pretty and talented, and so many times, you would get swarmed with admirers and Ah'd get shoved off! It was never your fault, but it happened! And it's happening again only this time, Ah hate everythin' we're doin'!"
"You... hate...?"
"Ah hate this dress! Ah hate this gala! Ah hate bein' surrounded by stuck-up, rich snobs who have never worked an honest day in their life and wouldn't know good food if it came up and asked them to square dance! And, if you want me to be one-hundred percent honest, Ah hate your music!"
Applejack gasped and wiped the tears from her eyes. The squirming, irksome feeling in her stomach was finally gone, but staring at Rara's heartbroken face, it was replaced by something much worse.
Rara sniffed and wiped her eyes. When she looked back at Applejack, there was a biting cold that Applejack had never seen before. "Well, you'll never have to worry about any of that again," she hissed. She shoved past Applejack and made for the exit.
"Rara, wait! Ah'm sorry!"
But Rara was gone. Applejack stared after her, dizzy from how fast things had spun out of control.
"Nice going, Applejack, you made a pop star cry," Flash said with a sneer.
Applejack rounded on him. "What the heck, Flash? Ya don't think Ah don't feel bad already?"
"Wait, did the Countess leave?"
"I saw it! She was talking with those three, then she ran off in tears!"
"Is the auction over?"
"They ruined it!"
Applejack backed up against Fluttershy's booth. The crowd had turned toward them and was starting to advance, glowers on their faces.
Fluttershy hugged Applejack's arm. "What's happening?"
Flash backed up next to them. "Applejack managed to turn the whole gala against us."
"Seriously, what is your problem?" Applejack snapped.
"Right now, it's you!"
Applejack saw it, quick as a blink. But there had been a faint trace of green in Flash's eyes. She looked back at the menacing crowd and thought back to the ballroom.
"Adagio's here!" she shouted.
"What?" Fluttershy squeaked. "Where?"
Applejack glanced around. "Ah don't..." There, in a crowd that was moving toward them, a single figure in a floppy hat was strolling out the door.
"That has to be her!" Applejack grabbed Fluttershy and Flash by the arms and pulled them toward the door.
Flash struggled and tried to steal his arm back. "Why are you dragging me along?"
"It's either that or get mobbed by them!" The crowd was moving faster now, trying to cut them off from the exit. Flash grumbled but accepted his fate. Applejack let go of him and leaned her shoulder forward just as an older woman jumped between them and the door. Applejack plowed straight past her, sending her off to the side. Flash kicked away a man trying to grab them from behind, and the three broke out into the corridor, Fluttershy shouting apologies at the mob running behind them.
"Alright, genius, now what?" Flash asked between breaths.
"Aside from me resisting the urge to trip you..." Applejack scanned the hallway. Adagio had already slipped away somewhere. Applejack decided to take a page from her book and turned into the ballroom. "Try to hide!"
The three ducked into the dancing crowd as the band played another fast-paced, aggressive tune. Applejack had hoped at the very least the public space would discourage the mob from pursuing them further. To her horror, many of them shoved and shunted their way onto the dance floor, only to be met with angry retaliation from the dancers.
In a matter of seconds, the room had descended into a free-for-all brawl with Applejack ducking and dodging through skirmishes to escape back to the outskirts of the room. She broke free and paled at the scene before her.
"Crap, what have Ah done?"
"Made it worse," Flash said, ducking his head out from one of the tables lining the wall.
"Shut up!"
"Applejack!" Fluttershy jumped out of the mob, the bottom hem of her dress torn. "Are you okay?"
"Ah'm fine... mostly."
"You three!"
The three of them turned. Moondancer marched toward them, a different anger in her eyes. "What did you do?"
"We didn't do anythin'!" Applejack said defensively.
"I walk over to the ballroom and not five minutes later, you three run in with an angry mob behind you! What else am I supposed to think?"
Fluttershy stepped between Applejack and Moondancer. "It's Adagio! She's here and she's using her magic on everyone!"
Moondancer's anger dissolved into dread. "What?"
"Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah."
Everyone's head snapped toward the ceiling as a hauntingly familiar chant played over the intercom. The music from the band fell away, and the center brawl came to an end. Flash climbed out from under the table, eyes fully green.
Moondancer marched forward with her hand outstretched. She placed her palm against Flash's forehead and after a faint glow, his eyes returned to normal.
He swooned back and shook his head. "I'm really sick of getting brainwashed."
The singing stopped and after a moment of static, Adagio's voice rang out through the room. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you've been enjoying tonight's entertainment; I know I have! And we're not done yet."
"Come out here and show yourself, you coward!" Applejack bellowed.
"While I love the idea of all of you fighting one another over perceived slights, I have a much better game in mind," Adagio continued, ignoring Applejack entirely. "So I encourage all of you, if you want to have the best gala ever, then capture the two girls Applejack and Fluttershy."
Applejack could hear Adagio's twisted grin. "And feel free to tear them apart in the process." |
Spectacular Seven | 13. Let it Rain | As one, the entire crowd turned to the four near the back, a sea of green eyes locking in on them. The hairs on Applejack's neck rose as every face morphed from blank stares to angry scowls.
Flash eased a foot back. "I've seen this movie. It doesn't end well for us."
"Moondancer, you think you can do that thing you did with Flash?" Applejack asked, dreading the answer.
"No. I need physical contact to cast it, and I need to stay close to them to keep it active. If we don't do something relatively soon, I'll lose strength, and Flash will fall under again." Moondancer sounded annoyed, but Applejack could hear a tinge of fear in her voice.
"I would like to not be brainwashed again," Flash said. "I vote we run."
Applejack nodded, backing up. "That'd be a start." Her back foot nudged the table leg behind them. They were quickly running out of room to maneuver.
A figure pushed her way to the front of the slowly advancing crowd. Applejack recognized her as Moondancer's secretary. "Miss Moondancer, please step aside," she said, a slight drone in her voice.
"Raven," Moondancer said, fear encapsulating the whole of her voice now, "don't do this. Please."
"My apologies. But if you don't move, you will have to be punished alongside these girls." Raven lifted her touchpad like it was a club.
Moondancer stepped back, skirting around the table. Applejack glanced at it and the mob approaching, and her brain scrambled a plan together. "Get behind the table!"
At the sudden movement of her three companions, the crowd surged forward, arms outstretched. Applejack leaped over the table, knocking a vase of flowers over as she did, and dropped to the other side. She flipped the table onto its front, ponied up, and kicked the table forward. It flew across the ground and bowled into the crowd, sending a portion of people to the floor.
Applejack powered down and yelled, "Run!" The four of them made a mad dash back to the door. Most of the throng behind them were still scrambling over the ones that had fallen, but Raven broke free and grabbed Applejack by her braid. With a mental apology, Applejack aimed a kick back at her assailant's shin, grateful she wasn't ponied up.
With a grunt of pain, Raven released Applejack, and she sprinted through the double doors of the ballroom. Hands glowing white, Moondancer reached out and thrust her arms back toward her, and the doors swung shut with a mighty slam.
"Now what do we do?" Fluttershy asked.
"Leave?" Flash suggested like it was the obvious answer.
Applejack shook her head. "We can't leave while all these people are under Adagio's spell."
"Agreed," Moondancer said. "And the hostess can't just run out on her own party."
Ignoring her, Applejack continued, "We need a plan."
"Call for backup?" Fluttershy offered.
Applejack reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. "It's almost 10:30. Dash is probably the only one still up. Let me see if I can get ahold of her." Applejack tapped Rainbow's number and held her breath at the dial tone.
"And once Rainbow gets here, we can go kick Adagio's butt, right?" Flash asked.
Moondancer shook her head. "She's probably going to be using some of these people as a human shield. As long as they're under her control, they'll--"
"There they are!"
From down the hall came a handful of guests, eyes glowing green. The group broke into a run again in the opposite direction.
"C'mon, Dash, pick up!" Applejack shouted.
"Hey, this is Rainbow Dash--"
"Yes! Rainbow, listen--"
"--can't pick up the phone right now, so leave a message and I'll get back to you, okay?"
"Consarnit!" Applejack fumed. "Rainbow, if you get this message before you go dozin' off, get your butt down to the Castle Hotel. Adagio's raisin' hell and we could use your help!" She shoved her phone back into her purse.
"So, new plan?" Flash asked.
"You girls stopped her last time with music, did you not?" Moondancer asked between breaths. "Just do that again."
"We don't have our instruments," Fluttershy said in dismay. "And we're missing most of our friends!"
"Any music interlaced with some magic should at least be enough to dampen Adagio's grip," Moondancer said. "Unless you can think of something better?"
"We still need instruments," Applejack argued. They came to the main staircase, and Applejack skidded to a halt as she saw the figure racing up the steps.
Rara marched toward her, shuffling as fast as she could in her dress, eyes sparkling green and mascara running down her cheeks. "You ruined my night, Applejack!"
"Crabapples!" Applejack cursed as Rara threw herself at her. Applejack caught her by the arms, flipped her around, and pinned her into a full Nelson.
"Rara, listen to me! Ah'm sorry about what Ah said, but you gotta snap outta it!"
Rara thrashed in her grasp. "The only one I'm listening to is our queen, and she says to capture you!"
Applejack gave a desperate glance to Moondancer. "Can you help her too?"
Moondancer at least had the dignity to look sorry. "I doubt I'd be able to concentrate enough to free more than one person at a time."
Applejack looked from Rara, to Flash, to the approaching mob, grinding her teeth all the while. "Dang it all!" She tightened her bind on her friend.
"Sorry, Rara, but Ah hope you're still bad with spinnin' rides." Applejack began to spin in place, swinging Rara around and around.
"Wha-what are you--" Rara cut herself off, snapping her mouth shut as her face paled.
Applejack slowed to a stop and released Rara, pushing her toward the oncoming mob. She took three staggering steps, bowed forward, and lost her entire dinner onto the carpet.
The crowd came to a disgusted halt, and the four broke into a run again, Moondancer in the lead. She took a corner and guided them down an empty hall.
"Can you please try to keep property damage to a minimum? I still have to pay for everything."
"You're welcome," Applejack sniped back.
Moondancer came to a stop in front of a utility door, wrenched it open, and ushered the others inside. She stepped in and shut the door behind them, locking them in darkness.
"So, now what?" Flash asked.
"Hush for a moment and I'll tell you." The lights came on, and Applejack saw instruments scattered about in the small space. Moondancer gave a sweep of her hand. "Here are your instruments. Now go play something."
Flash picked up a guitar and grinned. "Yeah, I can work with this."
Fluttershy held up a drum and gave it a tap. "I might be able to work with this."
Applejack looked around. To her dismay, there was no extra bass, only a saxophone and a triangle. She side-eyed Moondancer. "Can you play the sax?"
"I am skilled in many things." Moondancer crossed her arms. "Wind instruments are not one of them."
"Alright, only two usable instruments and four of us, versus one superpowered Siren. We can still make this work." Applejack paced in the small square she had available. "First, we need to make sure we can broadcast to as many people as possible."
"If we can find the A/V room, that should connect to all the community spaces in the hotel," Flash said.
"I believe that's down on the first floor," Moondancer added.
Applejack cracked her knuckles. "Alright then, here's the plan: We make our way to the audio room, you three set up and find something to play while Ah hold off anyone tryin' to interrupt. Once you're on a roll, Ah'll find Adagio and get her to shut up."
Moondancer raised her hand. "I don't have an instrument."
"Then sing. Ain't you good at that?"
Moondancer sputtered, a faint pink rising to her cheek. "I-I mean, yes, but--"
"Good. We can't use magic on them, so we'll have to restrain them physically. And Ah think Ah'm the only one here qualified to do that." She really wished Rainbow was here right now.
Flash nodded. "Okay, then we just need a song."
"I might have one," Fluttershy said, pulling her phone out and tapping quickly on the screen. "Umm, well, I have the lyrics and sort of a melody in mind..."
"We can improvise," Applejack said. "And it doesn't need to be perfect, just good enough to slow Adagio's army down. Anyone got any ideas on where she might be hidin'?"
"She was using the PA system," Flash said. "So she's either in the manager's office or the security room unless she knows how to operate A/V equipment."
"Bet Ah can guess which one she picked." Applejack walked over to the door and placed an ear against it. "It don't sound too crowded out there. Let's get to the audio room as fast as we can."
"I have reservations about this plan!" Moondancer said as Applejack opened the door.
"It was your idea in the first place," Applejack said with some smug satisfaction. She stepped into the corridor, finding it empty, though she could hear footsteps and conversations close by. She waved a hand for the others to follow and led them toward the main stairs.
They paused again at the cross-section, hugging the left wall. The stairs were clear, but both adjacent halls had people either standing with a blank stare or squabbling amongst themselves. One of the sentries looked in their direction, and the group quickly scooted back and pressed against the wall.
"We need a distraction," Flash said.
"Ah got an idea," Applejack said, reaching into her purse. She pulled a vial of lipstick out, something she never thought she'd do, and leaned around the corner again. With quick aim, she hurled the lipstick at the back of a woman's head.
The woman spun around and shoved the nearest socialite, screaming, "How dare you!" They dissolved into a shouting and slapping match, tearing at each other's dresses as they screamed obscenities.
"Ah hate to feed into Adagio's game, but it works in our favor this time," Applejack said, ushering the others forward. They scampered down to the ground floor and grounded to a halt when they saw the number of people in the lobby. Like the crowds in the halls, they were more preoccupied fighting amongst themselves.
Moondancer gestured toward an adjacent hallway and the group scampered as quick as they could. They passed the gym and several conference rooms before finding a door labeled 'Audio/Video'. The room wasn't much bigger than the storage room on the second floor. Wires flowed out of boxes stacked into the wall, all of them with tags reading what room they went to.
Flash set his guitar down and started examining the wires. "Give me a minute to get a set up going. Gotta make sure we broadcast to as many rooms as possible."
"Attention, hotel guests," Adagio's amplified voice came muffled through the door. "You can find your targets hiding in the first floor corridor near the conference area. Have a nice time!"
"She's in the security room. Ah guessed wrong," Applejack said flatly.
"What do we do now?" Fluttershy asked.
"Same plan as before, Ah'll just try to hold the mob off as long as Ah can. You three get set up and start playin', quick."
"And if the song doesn't work?" Moondancer asked.
"It has to. Otherwise, we lived short, happy lives."
"Speak for yourself."
Applejack didn't have the time or energy to pity Moondancer. She squared her shoulders, ponied up, and put a hand on the doorknob. "Good luck, y'all."
Fluttershy hugged her from behind. "Please be careful, Applejack."
Applejack smiled and patted her arm. "Don't worry, sugarcube. Ah'll be okay." She hoped that wasn't a lie. When Fluttershy let go, Applejack slipped through the door and shut it behind her. A handful of guests were already approaching, the green in their eyes visible to Applejack at the end of the hall.
"Alrighty." Applejack took a deep breath and lowered herself into a defensive stance. "Just gotta stop them from gettin' through to the others... without hurting them too bad... and hope they don't remember nothin' when this is all over."
She started to think she had accidentally lied one last time.
*******
Moondancer tapped her foot against the carpet as Flash continued to work. He needed to hurry up so they could get this over with. She tried to take a calming breath. All things considered, she had the easy job. All she had to do was sing.
All she had to do was sing.
Her pulse quickened and she tugged on her neckline. Of course, she had to also somehow imbue magic into her voice like Fluttershy and the others had at the Battle of the Bands. If she didn't, there was a possibility of her going to an early grave. She didn't think Adagio had any particular grudge against her but wasn't willing to find out. She also had to sing in front of Fluttershy, a prospect which made Moondancer's chest tighten and throat close up.
Why? She had a decent singing voice in her own opinion. She had sung in front of Twilight plenty of times. Why was she nervous now? Why were her hands clammy? Her hands weren't supposed to be clammy!
"Done!" Flash spun away from the cables and boxes. "We can start projecting anytime, just say the word!"
Fluttershy handed him her phone. "Here are the lyrics I wrote up. I wasn't finished coming up with the melody, but I thought the beginning could go something like this." Fluttershy tapped out a few notes on her drum head.
Flash nodded his head as he scrolled through the lyrics. "Hey, this is pretty good! Okay, lemme see what I can do. Here, Moondancer." He passed the phone before picking up his guitar and copying Fluttershy. The two of them began a hasty jam session while Moondancer looked at the song.
The lyrics were simple, yet heartfelt and earnest. They sounded hopeful. It wasn't some musical masterpiece, but Moondancer thought they would suffice.
A loud thump against the door made them all jump. "Applejack!" Fluttershy cried.
"Ah'm fine! Just keep workin'!" Applejack shouted back.
"We just need a beat for the bridge, we can improvise the rest," Flash said. He and Fluttershy went back to work while Moondancer tried to memorize the song and listen in for when her cues were. The scuffle just outside the door kept grabbing her focus. She wiped a layer of sweat off her palms and rolled her tongue inside her dry mouth.
Why was this making her nervous? She lived with a sword hanging over her head every day! She ran a multi-million dollar company! She was planning to fight the most dangerous warlock of all time! This was just one more thing on the pile!
Slam!
Moondancer jumped and yelped at the sudden noise. How were they supposed to sing with an angry mob right outside their door?
"Okay, no time for rehearsals," Flash said. He adjusted his guitar and flicked a switch on one of the audio machines. "We're just gonna go for it! You girls ready?"
Fluttershy gave a firm nod. Her hands trembled, but Moondancer saw the determined gleam in her eye. Moondancer tried to say yes herself, but nothing came out of her throat, so she settled with a nod.
"Here we go." Flash started slow, strumming in B minor and following up with A, D, and G. It wasn't quite what Moondancer had in mind... She then realized that Flash and Fluttershy were looking at her expectantly. She had missed her cue!
Moondancer swallowed the lump in her throat and waited for Flash to come around again. Her cue came up and she tried to sing, but the first word came out croaky. It was cut off by another loud thud and a grunt of pain.
Flash kept playing, though he looked far more nervous than when they had started. He strummed the opening again, and Moondancer tried to prepare herself for her lines.
"I-it's all right, yeah,
"I'm... I'm walking--"
Slam!
Moondancer shook her head and clutched her chest. "I can't! I don't know how you girls do this, but it isn't going to work this time!"
"I'm walking right beside you,
"I feel the way, feel the way that you do, too."
Moondancer looked over to Fluttershy. Their eyes met and Fluttershy smiled as she sang, her pony features bursting to life in a flash of pink.
"Oh, I can't lie, sometimes,
"Everything feels like it's just too much,
"But you gotta let in, even if it's tough."
Fluttershy gave a little shake to her hips, dancing in place. Her hands were busy tapping a beat on the drums, but her eyes were inviting, asking Moondancer to sing with her. Her pink glow illuminated the small room and washed over Moondancer. The pain in her chest lessened, and Moondancer was able to take a calming breath.
Voice still croaky, she joined Fluttershy in a whisper.
"Know it gets better, know it gets better,
"Push through the weather, weather!"
Moondancer's rasp cleared, and in a soft soprano, she sang,
"Let it ra-a-a-ain!
"Let it ra-a-a-ain!
"Don't be afraid of walls coming down,
"Sometimes it hurts, you'll figure it out,
"Let it ra-a-a-ain!"
"Let it rain, it's okay..."
Moondancer heard only her own voice now. Fluttershy still smiled at her but had left Moondancer alone in the spotlight.
"There's beauty in the breakdown,
"There's sun behind those gray clouds
"You know, I can't lie, it's all right."
Moondancer raised her voice, a warmth sparking in her chest. This song was more than just hopeful. Hearing it, singing it aloud, Moondancer understood much more. This was Fluttershy's healing. This was how she became 'okay' after being rejected.
"When everything feels like it's just too much,
"But you gotta let it in, even if it's tough,
"Know it gets better, know it gets better,
"Push through the weather, weather,
"Let it ra-a-a-ain!"
"There's beauty in the breakdown!" Fluttershy sang behind Moondancer, her smile infectious. Moondancer smiled too, the warmth inside her blossoming into a glowing radiance.
And Moondancer experienced something that had not happened since she took off the Archon Amulet. A soft white glow enveloped her whole body, and a pair of translucent white wings flittered behind her. They were faint, but they were very much there.
"Let it ra-a-a-ain!" She sang with full bravado. The pain in her chest was gone. In this moment, she felt like she could do anything.
"Don't be afraid of walls coming down," she and Fluttershy sang.
"Sometimes it hurts, you'll figure it out,
"Let it ra-a-a-ain,
"There's beauty, there's beauty in the breakdown!
"Let it rain, let it ra-a-a-ain..."
Moondancer winced. Something stung her scars. She turned away to lift her mask and wiped away a few tears. She wiped her other cheek, unaware of when she had started crying.
"Umm..." She cleared her throat. "That was beautiful, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy's cheeks matched her hair. "Thank you. You have a lovely singing voice."
"Before you girls say anything else, I should tell you the mic is still on," Flash said, fighting a grin.
Both girls cleared their throats and looked away. "Perhaps it would be best if we sing through it a few more times. Give Applejack the best fighting chance," Moondancer said.
"Good idea," Fluttershy said.
"Roger." Flash started from the top again.
Moondancer couldn't help but look at Fluttershy again, but the girl was focused on her drum. This was Fluttershy's song, Fluttershy's healing. And yet, the pain and anxiety that had haunted Moondancer for the past few weeks felt further away.
Such a pure soul. I wonder...
Moondancer's heart skipped a beat as a thought crossed her mind, but she pushed it away. No. You've no more right to such things. Leave her be. She sighed and began to sing.
*******
Applejack grabbed someone by the arm and swung them into someone else. They both toppled over, then were replaced by two more angry socialites. They lunged for Applejack and she forced them back with an open palm.
Someone tackled her from the side and forced her against the wall. It didn't hurt. Thanks to her magic, all of the clawing and shoving barely did a thing. No, the hard part was measuring her strength so she didn't hurt anyone beyond a few bruises.
She forced her assailant off of her and ducked under the wide swing of another. They kept on coming, one after the other. The entire hall was filled with people wanting to drag Applejack to Adagio.
Come on, gang, hurry up! Applejack raised her arms to block a kick.
The hall speakers crackled. Applejack heard Flash mutter something as the static cleared, then heard the strum of his guitar. It didn't distract the crowd at all. Someone grabbed Applejack in a bear hug that she quickly broke free from, but failed to block the sucker punch to her jaw.
"I-it's all right, yeah..."
Whoever was singing sounded like they had a frog in their throat. As Applejack recovered from the sucker punch, a burly security guard grabbed her and slammed her against the door. The singing stopped.
"It isn't going to work this time!" Moondancer bemoaned, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. Flash continued to strum.
"I'm walking right beside you," Fluttershy's sweet voice sang.
"I feel the way, feel the way that you do, too."
Applejack swung her foot back into the security guard's leg and broke out of his grip. No one seemed affected by the music just yet. Come on, this has gotta work! She stood her ground and braced herself for the next wave of attackers. The music picked up, and as Applejack shoved another gala goer back into the crowd, it reached the chorus.
"Let it ra-a-a-ain!
"Let it ra-a-a-ain!"
As one, the crowd froze, entranced by the song. The green haze didn't fully leave their eyes, but it flickered and a number of them held their heads, groaning.
Applejack punched the air. "Great job, y'all!" She pushed her way through the crowd. Who knew how long everyone would stay like this without a full ensemble? She would have to be quick. If the spell broke while she was still dealing with Adagio, her friends would be sitting ducks.
She made her way back to the lobby and found more dazed guests. A few seemed to have snapped out of their trance completely and were looking about in utter confusion. Applejack weaved her way through the crowd, head bowed and hoping no one was paying her much attention.
"You know, I can't lie, it's all right."
Okay. If Ah was a security room, where would Ah be? Near the front desk?
"Applejack?" a groggy voice asked.
Applejack spun around. Rara sat at the bottom of the stairs, squinting at Applejack like she was a blurry photo. Applejack ran over and knelt beside her.
"Rara, are you okay?"
Rara closed her eyes and messaged her forehead. "I... I don't know. I feel so dizzy. And... and I'm mad at you! You..." Tears ran down her face, leaving clean streaks through her ruined makeup.
"I remember what you said to me!" She opened her eyes. They were wet and blue. "How could you lie to me like that? We're supposed to be friends!"
"Let it ra-a-a-ain!"
"There's beauty in the breakdown!"
"We are friends," Applejack stressed. "That's why Ah lied! Ah... Ah wanted to spend time with you! Ah just..."
"Just what?" Rara asked fiercely. "Was it really so hard to say, 'I don't want to do this, Rara'? I would have been more than happy to change my plans!"
Applejack bristled. "Really? 'Cause every time Ah suggest something, your fancy lifestyle gets in the way and we have to change plans anyway! We can't even go out in public without you having to wear a stupid hat and glasses!"
"I did it to try not to be recognized so we could hang out! Everything I did, I did it so we could make up for lost time! I was under the impression that you were having fun, but you were lying the entire time! I'm so sick of people lying to me and telling me what they think I want to hear!"
Applejack deflated. "Rara, Ah'm sorry--"
"No, sorry doesn't cut it this time! You're going to pay for what you did!" Rara got to her feet. There was a green haze over her eyes.
The music had stopped.
"Crap!" Applejack rolled out of the way of Rara's haphazard grab. She jumped up from her knees and spun about the lobby, seeing everyone else slip back under Adagio's spell. With a sidestep, she avoided Rara again and grabbed her by the arms.
"Don't make me spin you again," Applejack warned.
"You wouldn't dare!"
Thankfully, Applejack didn't have to make good on her threat. The strum of a guitar came over the intercom again followed by Moondancer's voice.
"It's all right, yeah,
"I'm walking right beside you,
"I feel the way, feel the way that you do, too."
Rara went limp in Applejack's grip. "Ugh. Why am I so dizzy tonight?"
Applejack let her go. "Rara, you okay?"
She turned around and looked at Applejack with her normal-colored eyes. "...Where did you get those little ears on your head?"
Applejack lifted a hand to her pony ears. "Uhh--"
"Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah."
Adagio's song cut over Moondancer and drowned the entire lobby in her twisted melody. Rara and several others grabbed their heads and dropped to their knees.
Applejack snarled and stomped her foot, smashing the marble tile beneath her. "Sorry, Rara," she said, sprinting away before her friend could attack her a third time. She made a beeline for the check-in desk, shoving one guest out of her way as they tried to intercept her. There was a small hallway just off to the side that Applejack hoped Adagio was lurking in. She could hear Fluttershy and Moondancer singing louder to match Adagio, but if they couldn't get control back, Applejack was about to corner herself.
There were two doors down the hall, one of them marked 'manager', the other was blank. Applejack lifted her foot and smashed the blank door in, interrupting Adagio's song. She spun around from a set up of multiple monitors with different areas of the hotel's public areas on display.
Adagio sneered. "You saved my servants the trouble of dragging you here at least."
"Yeah, great plan. So, do you have an end goal for all this?" Applejack asked.
"Get rid of you!" Adagio threw a firework from her glove. Applejack threw her arms up and took the blow, skirting back only a few inches. As she lowered her guard, Adagio rushed at her fist drawn back. Applejack grabbed her arm and kicked her in the sternum, sending her flying back into one of the monitors in a shower of sparks and a flash of light. Cracking her knuckles, Applejack ran forward with tightened fists.
"Let it ra-a-a-ain,
"Don't be afraid of walls coming down,
"Sometimes it hurts, you'll figure it out!"
Adagio pulled herself out of the broken screen and ducked under Applejack's first and countered with an uppercut to her jaw. Applejack sailed straight upwards, hit the ceiling, and fell back to the floor. Before she hit the ground, Adagio blasted her again with a pink firework, sending her back out the door. Applejack tumbled head over heels and landed facedown on the tile.
"Once I get rid of you and the flower child with the healing powers, the only real challenge left will be Sunset," Adagio said, striding over to Applejack.
She pushed herself onto her arms in time to see a pink blur smash into Adagio and send her to the back of the hall.
"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Rainbow said. She had her mask on, turning her skin pink and her hair blue. With a grin, she offered a hand down to Applejack.
"Boy, Dash, Ah don't think Ah've ever been happier to see you."
"Got here as soon as I got your message." She gave a sheepish laugh. "Sorry, I was in a game and didn't hear my phone."
"Just glad you're here now." Applejack and Rainbow stood shoulder to shoulder in the hall. They glared down Adagio as she shook herself off.
"I haven't taken any of your magic, Rainbow, so I guess I'm glad you're--"
Rainbow zipped forward, delivered a flurry of punches to Adagio's gut, and returned to Applejack's side. Adagio clutched her stomach and stumbled as Rainbow crossed her arms and grinned.
"Shimmer said the best time to hit a bad guy is when they start monologuing."
Adagio let out a wheezing growl, then cast a red barrier in front of herself, filling the width of the hallway, and charged forward. Applejack threw her fists out and connected with the wall, halting Adagio's advance. She threw her full weight into it, trying to muscle through. Adagio smirked and recalled the forcefield, jumping back as Applejack fell forward. Before Rainbow could charge, Adagio blasted both girls with a firework.
They catapulted into the lobby. Applejack landed on her side but used the momentum to roll up onto her feet. Rainbow caught herself and hovered in the air next to Applejack.
"I'm walking right beside you,
"I feel the way, feel the way that you do, too!"
"By the way," Rainbow asked, "who's that singing with Fluttershy?"
"Moondancer."
"What?"
Adagio shot a bolt of magic at Applejack. She ducked and it hit a pillar instead, and someone let out a shriek of horror. Applejack gave a quick glance to the rest of the lobby, her pulse getting quicker at every non-brainwashed eye looking back at her. Without her mask, she felt almost naked.
"Crap!" Rainbow took notice as well. She pulled off the scarf around her waist and tossed it to Applejack while weaving around two more shots from Adagio.
Applejack wrapped the scarf around her head, pulling forward around her face as much as she could before rushing at Adagio. Rainbow zipped up and around, and the two tried to catch the Siren in a pincer, but she threw a shield of diamonds around herself before they could make contact.
"Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah."
It was muffled, and with Fluttershy and Moondancer still singing, Applejack could barely hear it, even at close distance. Adagio realized this too and instead expanded her forcefield to shove Applejack and Rainbow away. Only, as she did, the barrier flickered in and out of existence.
Rainbow, who had been repeatedly punching the shield, slipped through during a flicker, catching both her and Adagio by surprise. Adagio recovered first and slugged Rainbow in the side of the head. The forcefield faded entirely, and Applejack leveled a kick at Adagio. The Siren grabbed her leg and threw her into a potted plant. The impact didn't hurt as much as the stone shards digging into Applejack's back.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, Ah'm fine," Applejack grunted. She got to her feet and jumped when she saw it was Rara addressing her. "Uhh, gotta go! Please stay back, ma'am," she said in a deeper voice.
"When everything feels like it's just too much,
"But you gotta let it in, even if it's tough,
She rejoined the fight as Rainbow took a firework to her side, dropping her out of the air and eliciting a scream from the onlooking crowd. Applejack ran in before Adagio could get her hands on Rainbow. She shoulder-checked Adagio and sent her flying across the lobby.
"You okay, Ace?" Applejack asked, pulling Rainbow up.
"Yeah. That hurt less than I thought it would."
A wail raked Applejack's eardrums and brought her down to one knee. Rainbow pressed her hands over her ears and grit her teeth. Adagio marched toward them, mouth agape as she caterwauled loud enough to crack the windows.
A large piece of the pot Applejack had shattered sailed through the air and smacked Adagio in the shoulder. The wailing stopped, and Applejack got back to her feet to see who had thrown the debris.
Rara stood near the pottery remains, panting and rubbing her inner ear. Adagio followed Applejack's gaze and lifted her palm. Rainbow was, of course, quicker. She cut across the room and punched Adagio in the face, sending her spiraling into the front desk.
"Had enough?" Rainbow called.
Adagio picked herself up, seething. She faced the girls and thrust her palm out, a red wolf leaping from the shard. As it rushed forward, Adagio turned and ran to the back.
"Oh no you don't!" Rainbow yelled, flying after her.
While Rainbow pursued, Applejack stared down the Harbinger doppelganger. It lunged, and Applejack dropped to the floor and kicked her legs straight up, catching it in the chest. It flew up, and as it reached its zenith, it faded away in a cloud of glittering dust.
Applejack raced to the backrooms just in time to duck under a diamond shard from Adagio. Rainbow, lying on the floor with something clutched against her chest, rolled out of the way of Adagio's stomping boot. She bounced up and rushed at Adagio, but the Siren tossed out another shield and bounced Rainbow out of the room.
Adagio thrust her palm again, but whatever she wanted to happen, didn't. "What?" she yelled, eyes wide with panic. She tried again, and this time, a small firework shot across the room.
Applejack ducked underneath it and charged at Adagio. Instead of her usual scowl or sneer, Adagio clutched her palm tightly, a look of desperation on her face. In a puff of red smoke, she was gone.
Skidding to a halt before she crashed into the monitors, Applejack cursed. "That darn snake!" She turned and jogged to Rainbow, still getting to her feet.
"Thanks for the help, Rainbow," Applejack said, patting her shoulder. "Ah don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up."
Rainbow shrugged like it was no big deal. "Hey, I'm always down to punch Adagio in the face."
"Ah just can't believe she got away again."
"Yeah..." Rainbow held up a backpack and grinned. "But she left this behind." She unzipped it and pulled out the Crystal Heart.
"Hot dog!" Applejack jumped and punched Rainbow in the shoulder. "Way to go, Rainbow! Oops, hehe, sorry."
Rainbow, doubled over and rubbing her shoulder, chuckled. "No biggie. Fluttershy's here."
"Right. Speaking of which..."
"Let it rain, let it ra-a-a-ain..."
Rainbow straightened up. "Yeah! Why is she singing with Moondancer?"
"That's a long story. Let's grab the others and get out of here."
They tucked the Crystal Heart back into the backpack and walked out to the lobby. Most of the occupants had cleared out during the fight, or at least scooted up to the top of the stairs. A handful of people still stood around, looking out from around corners or under tables. Rara still stood next to the broken pot.
On reflex, Applejack started in her direction, but forced herself to turn away for the A/V room. She pulled the scarf tighter over her face and bowed her head.
"Thank you!"
Applejack froze and turned back toward Rara. Their eyes met.
"I... I don't know exactly what just happened," Rara said. "But, thank you."
Scattered applause filled the lobby. As people came out from their hiding places, it grew, swelling until it echoed off the pillars and floor.
Rainbow gave a thumbs up, but Applejack ducked even lower and hurried along. The conference room corridor had cleared out and the sound of applause faded as they reached the end. Applejack knocked twice before opening the door.
"Is it over?" Fluttershy asked in a scratchy voice.
"Yeah," Applejack said, breathing out the stress she had been carrying for the last half hour. "It's over."
"'Shy!" Rainbow squeezed past Applejack and hugged Fluttershy. "Are you okay?"
"Rainbow, you came! Yes, I'm fine. My throat is just a little sore."
Rainbow released Fluttershy and glared at Moondancer. "Why are you here?"
"Adagio crashed my party," Moondancer said coolly. "You're welcome by the way."
"I'm not thanking you! Especially when we know what you're up to."
"No, you don't because I'm not up to anything."
Applejack stepped between them. "It's a temporary truce, Dash. All things bein' fair, Moondancer did help today." She looked over at Moondancer. "So, thanks."
Moondancer's lips twitched upwards in a brief smile.
Rainbow rolled her eyes and looked away, noticing Flash for the first time. "Flash?"
"'Sup."
"I have so many questions."
Applejack put a hand on her shoulder. "Ah'll explain on the way home." To the rest of the group, she said, "Rainbow and Ah gotta get outta here. We... had an audience during our fight with Adagio, so we better skedaddle before the media shows up."
"What about us?" Flash asked.
"Well, no one saw us throwing magic around," Moondancer said. "We can just blend into the crowd on our way out. Tis the fate of a background actor."
"Are you going to be okay?" Fluttershy asked. "If someone saw you... or if they took any photos..."
Applejack swallowed the lump in her throat. She was relying heavily on the fact that no one at this party knew who she was save for Rara. She was pretty plain, all things considered. But in the chaos of Adagio's stunt and her magic going off and on, it was too likely someone might have tried to snap a photo or a video. And if that got out and someone did recognize her...
"Ah'm tryin' not to think about it right now. We just gotta get before it gets worse."
"Before we go..." Rainbow gestured to the bruises on her face and arms. "Fluttershy, could you...?"
"Oh, sure!" Fluttershy laid her hands on Rainbow, and a wave of pink washed over and erased her wounds.
"You're the best, 'Shy. All right, A.J., let's get out of here." Rainbow threw one more glare at Moondancer before high-fiving Flash and walking away.
"Thanks, y'all," Applejack said to the remaining three. "Adagio got away, but Ah think we scared her real good this time. Plus, we got the Crystal Heart back. Couldn't have done it without you."
Flash gave a friendly salute. "All in a night's work. I'm just glad I could help out."
In a more genuine tone, Moondancer said, "You're welcome. You did much of the dirty work, so thank you as well." She heaved a deep sigh. "I should probably get back out there and figure out how I'm going to do damage control over all this."
Fluttershy hesitated but put a hand on Moondancer's shoulder. "You can do it, I know you can."
As much as Applejack wanted to inquire, especially with the warm look the two girls exchanged, she gave one final wave and joined Rainbow in the hall. Taking the backpack from her, Applejack hopped onto Rainbow's back and held on tight as the girl raced out of the hotel at supersonic speed.
The city, like her thoughts, was a blur around her. Did Rara know? Beyond the magic, how was Applejack supposed to apologize to her? And what about the rest of the crowd? Had she put the identity of the rest of her friends in jeopardy? Would men in black suits storm the farm in the morning?
But, she saved lives tonight. Not just her own and Fluttershy's; who knows what Adagio would have done to everyone else afterward.
Applejack squeezed her eyes shut. If she was going down, at least she had gone down swinging. She just hoped she hadn't dragged anyone else with her. |
Spectacular Seven | 14. Keeping Secrets | "--does Canterlot City have superheroes?"
"--Adagio Dazzle used some sort of mass hypnosis--"
"--details are still unclear, but last night at the Grand Gallant Gala--"
"--eyewitness reports of two supposed 'magical girls' fighting Adagio Dazzle--"
"--no official statement from the police."
"--There are no confirmed identities, but we do have photos and camera footage--"
Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose as Artemis flipped between different news stations. "How bad is it?"
Using his free hand to cover his mouth, Artemis could only grunt. He paused his channel hopping when Moondancer appeared in front of the camera.
"I will not comment on the absurd speculation that there might be super-powered individuals in Canterlot," Moondancer said smoothly. "Nor will I speculate on how Adagio did what she did. The facts are: Adagio attacked the Gala, manipulated the masses, and was stopped before any serious damage could be done. For that, I am grateful."
"At least she didn't sell us out," Rainbow said, leaning over the couch.
"She knows that if we go down, we could take her with us," Sunset retorted. She thought she heard Fluttershy mumble something, but when she looked over, Fluttershy was staring out the window.
"This is all mah fault," Applejack said. She sat at the kitchen table, face buried in her arms.
Rarity put a hand over hers. "You couldn't have known Adagio was going to be there. And you did the right thing."
"So far, they haven't revealed any identities," Artemis said. The news showed a shaky video taken on a phone camera. Rainbow with her mask on and Applejack with a scarf over her head traded blows with Adagio before she blasted a firework and the phone dropped to the floor.
"Are we seriously going to believe this superhero angle?" a pundit asked. "We've got a handful of pictures, a blurry video, and word of mouth from very confused people."
Selena sat opposite of Applejack, tapping her finger against the table. "Secret identities or not, we've created a stir. The general public is going to be heightened to anything out of the ordinary."
"What do we do now?" Twilight asked. "If Tempest or Adagio attacks again, we can't ignore it."
"As far as Adagio is concerned, I don't think we have to worry about her for the time being." Artemis set the remote down and looked at the Crystal Heart sitting in the middle of the table.
Applejack raised her head. "That reminds me. Durin' our fight, Adagio seemed to have trouble using her shard piece. Like, it wasn't as strong as it was before."
"Hey, yeah!" Rainbow chimed in. "She blasted me with Pinkie's firework power and like, it hurt, but it didn't hurt that much."
Artemis pulled on his goatee. "She is using only a single shard of Sacanas. And magic isn't infinite. Perhaps she's running out of juice for it."
Sunset nodded. "She hasn't absorbed any of our powers since the botanical garden. If she's used up all the magic in the shard--"
"It's only a matter of time before she figures that out herself and tries something desperate," Twilight said with a cold edge that made Sunset shudder. "Once she does, we'll have her cornered."
"That still leaves Tempest," Trixie said. "She won't hesitate to keep throwing mischief at us if her plan really is to make more magic."
"But if something happens to us, wouldn't that ruin her plan, too?" Fluttershy asked.
Artemis set the remote down and crossed his arms. "We're truly in uncharted territory now. Even if Tempest halts her attacks, the dice have already been cast. Like Selena said, the public knows something strange is happening."
"Nothing we can do about it now. The question I'm concerned about is, can they trace it back to us?" Sunset said. She kept her voice even, but her stomach roiled. They were edging closer to the realization of one of her oldest fears since she had stepped through the portal. What was she to do if people in suits came knocking on the door?
"We now go live to Canterlot PD headquarters where Police Commissioner Martial has an official statement regarding the events of last night"
Everyone refocused on the T.V. screen as a burly man with a thin mustache stepped up to a podium.
"In regards to the attack last night at the Grand Gallant Gala, I would first like to confirm that there were no casualties or serious injuries," Martial said in a surprisingly soft-spoken voice. "I would like to commend my department for a swift and immediate response to the situation."
"Yeah, too bad the situation was over when you got there," Rainbow muttered.
"Here are the facts as we know them. At approximately ten-thirty yesterday night, Adagio Dazzle infiltrated the Castle Hotel and subdued both management and security. Then, by currently unknown means, she proceeded to induce mass hypnosis over those in attendance at the gala. Before Canterlot PD could respond to the initial threat, two vigilantes confronted Adagio and forced her to flee. Her current whereabouts are unknown. As for those who were affected by her hypnotism, there appear to be no lasting effects beyond a loss of memory during the incident. We are monitoring them for any long-term problems."
Cameras flashed as reporters unleashed a flurry of questions, everyone talking over each other.
"Do you have any idea of who the vigilantes are?" one reporter shouted over the cacophony.
Martial cleared his throat. "We do not at this time. While we appreciate what these individuals have done, we cannot and will not condone vigilante justice."
"Is there any truth to the rumors of them or Adagio having superpowers?" someone shouted.
"We're not going to speculate on that at this time," Martial said gruffly.
"But how do you account for Adagio's actions? Or what eye-witnesses reported seeing?"
Sunset could see a vein bulge in Martial's temple even through the television. "There is a lot of confusion about the situation as it stands. So, I will not feed into any rumors surrounding it."
"Do you have a plan to apprehend Adagio Dazzle?"
"We're working with national security on the matter. That's all I can say."
A flurry of reporters tried to talk over each other again, but the commissioner had decided enough was enough and stepped away from the podium. Artemis hit the mute button and faced everyone else.
"Well, as far as the news is concerned, your secret's safe for now."
"Yeah, publicly, the police know nothing," Sunset said. "But that could be because they don't want to share anything. And I really don't like his comment about working with national security."
Artemis pulled on his goatee. "I hate to say it, but we just have to see how things play out. The hearsay and confusion should give us cover for at least a little while longer."
"And after that?" Twilight asked.
Artemis folded his arms. "Hope our deeds have spoken for us, and convince everyone we're the good guys."
Fluttershy gave a quiet sigh. "Does anyone remember when we used to be normal high school students?"
They all sat in contemplation for a moment before Applejack stood from her chair, eyes down on her phone. "Ah gotta go."
"Is something wrong?" Rarity asked.
"No. Well... Ah don't know. Rara--er, Coloratura wants to talk." Applejack looked at her phone again with a guilty grimace. "And after last night, Ah owe her some sort of explanation. Ah don't know how much she knows, so maybe this'll be a good way to gauge what anyone else might remember."
Sunset couldn't undo the knot of worry in her stomach but knew her friends couldn't hide in her house forever. "Just be careful."
Applejack gave a weak smile. "Don't worry, sugarcube. We'll find a way through this." She gave everyone a wave and departed from the kitchen.
Trixie crossed her legs and grumbled, "Trixie still can't believe she's friends with Countess Coloratura."
Twilight got up next. "I should go too. I don't want to be late for my internship."
Sunset puckered her lips. Twilight had been at this internship for a week and it was all she would talk about. Or rather, not talk about. Thanks to some dumb NDA paper, Twilight could barely say what she was actually doing. All Sunset knew was that it was taking up most of Twilight's time now, and there was only a month left before school started.
"Why don't I give you a ride," Sunset offered.
Judging by Twilight's expression, Sunset wagered that was a thought that had never crossed her girlfriend's mind. "Sure, that'd be great!"
"So, is the meeting adjourned then?" Rainbow asked.
"I suppose there really isn't anything else we can do at the moment except keep our guard up," Rarity said.
Selena nodded. "Let's hope for the best and prepare for the worst."
After a round of goodbyes, Sunset and Twilight followed their friends out the front door and climbed onto Sunset's motorcycle. Twilight flashed her phone to give Sunset directions. The lab was on the edge of town.
Sunset started the engine and felt Twilight hug her waist. Underneath her helmet, Sunset gave a bittersweet sigh. She and Twilight's first one-on-one time in days and they wouldn't be able to talk to each other. She gave the engine a loud rev to vent, then took off down the street.
As heavy as the thoughts weighing on Sunset's mind were, she had to focus on the road. Still, it was hard to fight the twinges of annoyance and, dare she say it, jealousy she felt driving Twilight to the place keeping them apart. Magical mayhem, national security, a soul-sucking warlock, and all Sunset wanted to do was spend time with her girlfriend. Apparently, that was becoming too much to ask.
It was a twenty-minute drive that ended with a winding road along the outskirts of the city. Sunset brought her bike to a stop at the front curb and appraised the lab. The only thing notable about it was the large satellite dish.
Twilight got off and handed Sunset her helmet. "Thank you for the ride, Sunnykins!" She reached up and kissed Sunset on the cheek. "I'll call you tonight before bed, okay?"
Sunset stretched a thin smile across her face. "Yeah, sounds good. You have fun."
"I will!" Twilight gave a wave and walked through the sliding doors.
Sunset lingered for a moment longer before storing Twilight's helmet and putting her own back on. Was this how the rest of her summer was going to go? Fearing exposure while counting down the days until Twilight departed?
She turned her bike back on, revved as loud as she could, and peeled out as she left the parking lot.
*******
Twilight stepped into the lab's main lobby, the glass doors closing behind her with a soft hiss. She let out a relieved sigh as the air conditioner rolled over her.
"Good afternoon, Twilight," Amber said, clicking away at her keyboard.
"Hi, Miss Amber," Twilight said. "How are--"
A loud rev made Twilight jump and spin around in time to see Sunset peel out of the parking lot and drive down the road. Amber giggled behind her.
"She seems like quite the rebel."
The corners of Twilight's lips twitched upward. "You have no idea." Though, she couldn't tell if that outburst had been Sunset showing off her rebellious spirit, or something else. She could always ask later.
"Miss Starlight is having lunch in the cafeteria if you would like to join her," Amber said, pointing down the hall.
"Thank you," Twilight said, giving a grateful bow of her head. She set off down the quiet corridor, stomach rumbling at the mention of lunch. She had rushed over to the Lulamoon's house after guzzling a quick bowl of cereal. With all of the tension, she had forgotten how hungry she actually was.
Her phone buzzed in her skirt pocket. Twilight stopped and reached for it, hoping it wasn't one of her friends with more bad news. Fortunately, it was just Cadence asking for a video call. Twilight tapped the answer button. "Hello?"
After a brief delay, Cadence's face appeared. "Hi, ladybug!" There were tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face.
Twilight's heart fluttered. "Cadence, what's--?"
Cadence moved out of frame and revealed Shining, sitting upright in his hospital bed, a tired smile on his face. "Hey, Twily," he said in a gravelly voice.
"Shiny!" Twilight clapped a hand over her mouth. She jogged down the hall, peeking her head into every lab window until she found an empty one and ducked inside. "You're awake! How are you?"
He gave a weak shrug of his good shoulder. "I've been better."
Twilight laughed, followed by a hiccup, followed by a sob.
"It's okay, Twily. I'm okay."
"I-I know! I was just... I was so scared! I th-thought I might actually lose you!"
Shining's smile dropped. "I know. I'm sorry I made you all worry."
Cadence popped her head back into frame. "The doctors said he'll be here a while, and he might have some nerve damage in his left arm, but he's going to be fine. I wanted to call and share the good news."
Twilight emphatically nodded her head and gave another happy sob. "That's good. Th-that's great! H-how long have you been awake?"
"Twenty minutes?" Shining said, grinning again. "Long enough to want to get out of bed already."
"You're not moving an inch unless the doctor says so!" Cadence shouted.
Seeing Shining wince got another laugh out of Twilight. And each laugh removed the weight she had been carrying in her heart. Yes, Artemis had said he had healed Shining, but seeming him awake, seeing him talk. Twilight could finally, truly believe he was safe.
Cadence softened her expression as she looked back at Twilight. "Okay, ladybug. I just wanted to call and tell you the good news. Shining still needs plenty of rest."
Shining gave a longstanding sigh.
Twilight nodded. "I know. Take good care of him."
"You know I will. Love you."
"Love you, Twilight," Shining said, giving a small wave with his good arm.
"Love both of you, too." Twilight waved before hanging up the phone. She collapsed onto one of the lab stools and let out one powerful sob before taking her glasses off and wiping her eyes.
"He's okay. He's okay. He's okay. It's okay."
She repeated her mantra ad infinitum, picturing Shining's tired, smiling face in her head until it stuck in her heart and pumped relief through the rest of her body. She would get to keep her BBBFF. Adagio had failed.
Adagio.
Twilight gripped the sides of the stool until her knuckles turned white. Underneath the joy and comfort, a sea of rage still churned. She would never forgive Adagio. And it would be a long time until she forgave herself for failing to bring Adagio down when she had the chance.
Twilight released the stool and brought a hand to her chest, inhaling as she did. She exhaled and pushed it away. She still had work to do. And she was still hungry.
She repeated her calming technique a few more times, then cleaned her glasses off and continued on her way to lunch.
The cafeteria was strikingly similar to the one at CHS, with two rows of rectangular tables taking up the center of the room and a handful of single-chair tables lining the walls. Unlike CHS, the lunches served were actually appetizing. As Twilight got in line, she saw today's special was chicken stir fry on a bed of rice, with freshly baked cookies as a dessert.
Grabbing herself a plate, Twilight turned toward the seating area and saw Starlight waving her down. Twilight obliged, seating herself across from Starlight and Double Diamond. At the table as well were Night Glider; Party Favor, another of Starlight's top assistants, and Sugar Belle, the head of the food and nutrition division of research. While Sugar Belle didn't cook in the kitchens, a lot of recipes were apparently inspired by her.
"Good afternoon, Twilight," Starlight said with her pleasant smile. It quickly drooped. "What's wrong? Your eyes are red."
"Oh!" Twilight rubbed them, knowing full well it would just make it worse. "It's nothing. Really. They're actually happy tears."
"Happy tears?" Sugar Belle asked innocuously. "I hope it was really good news if it made you cry."
"It was. Umm..." Twilight bit her lip. "You see... my brother, Shining Armor, was in the hospital. He was... he got hurt very badly. But he just woke up, and the doctors say he's going to be okay."
"Goodness," Starlight said, covering her mouth. "I can see why the news would make you so emotional. I'm happy to hear he'll make a full recovery at least. If you don't mind me asking, what occurred to put him in such a state in the first place?"
Twilight bit her lip harder. She was afraid someone would ask more questions. They didn't need to know all the facts. The less said about Adagio, the better.
"He got hurt trying to catch a robber." Technically true; Adagio had been robbing a jewelry store when Shining had interrupted her.
Night Glider snapped her fingers. "Wait, I know that name! He was one of the police trying to stop Adagio, wasn't he? It was on the news last week!"
Sweat broke out on the back of Twilight's neck. "Ye-yeah..."
"Oh, then we're really glad he's okay," Sugar Belle said. "There's been nothing but bad news about Adagio. She can supposedly hypnotize people, and do other mysterious things."
"I would love to explore how she can cause this supposed hypnosis. Especially in large numbers," Starlight said with casual curiosity. "Did you see the report about the Gala last night?"
Party Favor nodded vigorously. "It's exciting, isn't it? I know it's all just speculation, but can you imagine it? Superheroes in Canterlot!"
Twilight clasped her hands together under the table, praying for a way out of this conversation.
Double Diamond took a bite of his cookie. "I don't know. That camera was pretty shaky. And we just said that Adagio can hypnotize people, so who knows what they really saw. Hypnotism is one thing, but actual superpowers?"
"Now, now, don't be like that, Diamond," Starlight gently admonished. "We're scientists. We keep our minds open to all possibilities until they are disproven. And even then, there's wiggle room. Wouldn't it be wonderful if magic and superpowers really did exist? Imagine the new fields of research we would have."
Starlight fixed her eyes on Twilight. "What do you think, Twilight?"
"Me? Oh, I-I, umm... I don't know," Twilight sputtered out. "M-magic seems a little out there. I-I mean, I don't disbelieve in magic. I just don't know anything about it! But if it did exist, yes, the possibilities it would create would be endless!"
Starlight nodded sagely. "See? Another open-minded soul." She leaned back in her chair. "If magic existed, and was freely accessible, I believe it could solve many of the world's problems. Diseases cured, famine prevented, climate change averted. No poverty, no handicaps, everyone could have lives of comfort and plenty, sharing equally in the benefits. ."
Some of the tension in Twilight's shoulders melted away. She remembered having similar thoughts during Sunset's magic lessons. How wonderful would it be to never have to step foot into a hospital again because powers like Fluttershy's were commonplace?
"Do you really believe civilization could achieve that?" Twilight asked in a mousy voice.
"I do," Starlight said with a smile. "The universe is too big not to have a little fantasy in it. Besides, most things considered 'magic' are just technologies we haven't understood yet. I would love to analyze whatever Adagio is using, or those mysterious vigilantes who stopped her. Humanely, of course."
Twilight finally broke from Starlight's gaze and focused on her food. If only she knew what Twilight knew--how close magic was. But in its current form, localized to a handful of people, how could they make that wonderful future come true? She then thought of Stygian's journal and the pocket dimension containing this world's lost magic.
If only she could find a way to access it. If only there was a real way to study magic.
If only...
*******
When Applejack pulled up the dirt driveway to her house, a jet-black limo was already parked out front. Applejack parked behind it and hopped out. Her stomach rolled as she power-walked the rest of the way, pausing at the front door to take a deep breath.
What am Ah supposed to say? Ah know a lot of what happened was in the heat of the moment. But...
But, if Rara had reached out to her, then she must be willing to hear Applejack out, right? All she had to do was give a genuine apology.
Applejack pushed the door open to find Rara, Big Mac, and Granny Smith sitting in the living room. Big Mac sat in one of the recliners while Rara and Granny Smith shared the old lime green couch, a book settled between them.
"Ooh, look at this one!" Granny said pointing to the book. "Pear snapped a picture of you two after we came back from the beach! You two were more sand than girls!"
Rara snorted and laughed. "Oh my gosh! My hair is practically brown!"
Big Mac nodded and chuckled. "Papa had to hose you two down first before we could put you in the tub."
Applejack's face heated up as the cloudy memory made its way to the surface. She closed the door behind her and cleared her throat.
Granny looked up. "There she is! Ah was just showin' little Rara here some old pictures. You two were as thick as thieves back then."
Applejack pulled her stetson over her face to hide her deepening blush and grumble. She tipped it back up and said, "Thanks for keepin' her company, Granny. Do you wanna head up to my room, Rara?"
Rara stood and nodded. "Sure." She gave Granny Smith and Big Mac a grateful smile. "Thank you for the pictures and stories."
"Anytime, sweetheart!" Granny said as she got up using her cane. "I'm putin' a pie in the oven if you wanna stay for supper."
"That sounds lovely," Rara said with a polite bow. As Granny shuffled off, Rara followed Applejack upstairs. They settled in her room, Rara taking the desk chair and Applejack dropping down onto her bed.
Applejack pursed her lips and inhaled slowly, making a low whistle as she did. "So..." she said after her chest was empty.
Rara raised her hands and flopped them into her lap. "I don't even know where to start." She pinched the space between her eyebrows. "Actually, I do. Applejack, are we friends?"
Applejack bolted upright. "Of course we are!"
"Then why did you lie to me?" It wasn't a shout or a yell; it was a desperate question.
"Ah..." Applejack slumped forward and dragged her hands down her face. "Ah did it because you're mah friend. Ah wanted you to be happy, and you wanted to do all these fancy things and take me to these fancy places, and Ah didn't know how to say no. Ah convinced mahself Ah was havin' fun because Ah was spendin' time with you. But the paparazzi and the press and..."
She finally took a breath. "It reminded me of when we were kids. Ah just wanted to hang out with you. But anytime we weren't on the farm, you'd attract everyone else with your looks or your voice, and Ah'd get pushed to the side. And it was never your fault! And you never got a big head about it, which is one of the best things about you!"
Applejack slumped forward even further, straining her neck and shoulders. "And it started happenin' again. But instead of kid stuff, we were doin' all these highfalutin things. Ah'm... Ah'm not cut out for fancy social life, Rara. You can take the girl out the country, but you can't take the country outta the girl. Ah'm so happy you're successful, but this--" She gestured to the orchard out the window. "--this is where Ah'm comfortable. And Ah'm so sorry Ah couldn't be honest with you upfront."
Rara kept her eyes on the carpet. She looked like a puppy being scolded. "And my music?" she whispered hesitantly.
Applejack swept her hat off and pressed it against her chest. "Ah'm really, really sorry, Rara. Ah... Ah don't hate it. Ah said that in the heat of the moment. Your music is great! But... it ain't for me."
Silence fell between them, heavy from the weight of Applejack's confession. The longer it dragged out, the more Applejack squirmed. She opened her mouth several times but had nothing left to say other than more apologies.
Rara sucked in a breath and cupped her hands over her eyes. "God, I remember you being difficult sometimes, but never this difficult." Applejack thought she heard a trace of amusement in her voice. When Rara lowered her hand, her eyes were damp.
"Was it really that hard just to tell me you didn't want to do any of my ideas?"
"Ah didn't want to make you mad! Ah wanted to hang out, Ah just..." Applejack heaved a sigh. "It was dumb. Ah'm sorry. Ah wish Ah could make it up to you."
Rara wiped her eyes. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't hurt, A.J. And a little betrayed."
"Ah'm sorry."
She held a hand up. "I know you are. I'm mad at what you did... but I can tell you feel bad about it at least." Rara gave the air in front of her a frustrated squeeze. "I have so many feelings right now that everything is just... tangled up in a dumb knot!"
"Ah'm sorry--"
"Stop apologizing," Rara said sharply. "I know you're sorry. I'm just trying to process everything. Just..."
Rara looked Applejack in the eye. "Please, tell me the truth. Last night... that was you fighting, wasn't it?"
Applejack's stomach churned. "How much do you remember?"
"Part of it's a blur. But, I remember the fight in the lobby. And you, or, someone who looks a lot like you, and some other girl fighting Adagio. But, they had pony ears! And one was super strong and the other was super fast, and I sound completely crazy, right?"
It only took Applejack a second to make her decision. She had lied enough. "No, you're not crazy, Rara. That was me. Ah... well, Ah have magic."
"Magic?" Rara said dumbly.
Applejack nodded.
"Like, like spells and wizards and dragons?"
"Well, not quite like that. It's... uh, just let me show you." Applejack closed her eyes and let her magic well up inside her. Her ears burst to life atop her head, and her ponytail doubled in length. When she opened her eyes, Rara had jumped to her feet, hands covering her mouth.
"Oh. My. God."
Applejack gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah. It's... a long story. And you probably wouldn't believe most of it."
Rara took a half-step forward. "Umm... can I... touch them?" She pointed to Applejack's ears.
"Sure?"
Rara closed the gap between them and rubbed Applejack's right ear with her thumb and index finger. "It's so soft..."
Applejack reflexively leaned into Rara's gentle massage. It felt... strangely relaxing.
"Are these horse ears?"
"Pony."
"Why a pony?"
"Like Ah said, it's a long story."
Rara released Applejack's ear and stepped back. "And... they give you super strength?"
"Sorta, yeah. It's complicated. But basically, mah friends and Ah have different superpowers and we protect the city from bad guys and monsters."
"Okay..." Rara put her hands on the sides of her head and started pacing in a short circle. "Okay! So, you're a superhero from a comic book! Are there any other revelations you need to drop on me?"
Applejack could have told Rara she and her friends were facing the end of the world if they couldn't stop Tirek, but thought that maybe that was a need-to-know situation, and she didn't need to stress her friend out any more.
"No, that about covers it."
"Oh, good." Rara collapsed into her chair and pressed her palms against her eyes. "This is crazy. My life is crazy."
"Tell me about it," Applejack muttered. She powered down and dropped her hat back on her head. "Uh, if you could not go spreadin' that around, that'd be great."
Rara uncovered one eye. "No one would believe me anyway. I'm still having trouble believing it."
"Fair."
Silence covered them again. Before it could get too heavy, Applejack asked, "So, where do we go from here?"
"I don't know." Rara shook her head. "You lied to me, but you did for a good reason, I guess, and you also saved my life, but you don't even like my music."
She pulled her hands down and looked out the window. "Applejack... are we really still friends?"
"Of course we are!" Applejack said automatically. "Ah told you, Ah did all those things because you're mah friend!"
"But you weren't having fun. Applejack, it's been years since we've talked to each other. Maybe we've just... grown too different."
"Bullcrap!" Applejack said forcefully, getting Rara to look back at her in surprise. "You've met Rarity. She's prim, she's fussy, she'd never be caught in a cornfield unless it was part of the latest fashion trend. She's the exact opposite of me. Pinkie Pie is loud, silly, and Ah can't guess what goes on in her head. Twilight is the smartest girl Ah've ever met.
"All of mah friends are so different from each other. If you wrote it down on paper, it'd sound like we don't match up at all. But we're all just different puzzle pieces that fit together. They're some of mah best friends. Sure, you're a pop star and Ah'm still just a farm girl."
Applejack wiped her eyes. "That don't mean we can't be friends either."
Rara stared, her mouth slightly ajar. "Applejack, that was..." She closed her mouth and swallowed. "You're right. You're absolutely right."
Applejack exhaled, finally undoing the knot in her stomach. "Ah'm sorry Ah lied to you."
Rara exhaled too. "Apology accepted. Let's just... no, I don't want to start over..."
"Let's try again?" Applejack offered.
"Yeah," Rara said, smiling, "let's try again. What do you wanna do, A.J.?"
Applejack grinned. "Ah've got an idea. C'mon!" She leaped up from her bed and led Rara downstairs, stopping at the closet to pull out two fishing rods and a tackle box.
Rara jumped and clapped her hands together. "We're going to the pond? I haven't been fishing since... since the last time we were together!"
"Then what are we waitin' for?" Applejack handed her a pole. "Let's skedaddle!"
The two girls stepped out into the hot summer air and onto the dirt path leading into the orchard. They suffered in the swelter for only a minute before the fruit trees cast their branches out and guarded them from the sun's rays.
Rara and Applejack walked shoulder to shoulder, the silence between them filled with rustling leaves and buzzing insects. It was the kind of silence Applejack could appreciate.
As the path dipped and curved around a bend, Rara cleared her throat. "Since we're confessing everything, I guess I should tell you something, too."
"What's up?"
Rara stared at her fishing pole. "You said my music wasn't for you. Well... sometimes, it's not for me either."
Applejack cocked her head. "Whaddya mean?"
"I..." Rara kicked a rock on the path and watched it tumble the rest of the way down the hill. "Don't get me wrong. I love my fans. I love being the Countess. I love the lights and the pageantry and the performances! But... when I first started out... this isn't exactly how I pictured myself."
They reached the bottom of the hill, exiting the neat rows of the orchard and crossing over into the sporadic wilderness that marked the edge of the Everfree.
"The Countess is a mask. She's a character. And it's fun! She's one of the biggest pop stars of the decade." Rara slumped her shoulders. "But she's not me. All those songs are written by my talent team. And again, they're fine! But... I guess that's the problem. They're just fine. None of it comes from my soul. Coloratura has never gotten to be on stage."
"Gosh, Rara." Applejack had no idea how stardom worked. But by the look in Rara's eyes and the way her head drooped, it sounded oppressive. "Haven't you told anyone how you feel?"
"I don't want to sound ungrateful. And... I don't know... maybe I never realized how much it bothered me until now. I don't want to give up being the Countess. I just want to be myself from time to time."
"Ah mean, that makes sense to me. You can't be a performer twenty-four/seven."
"Yeah, but that's what everyone expects. I can't walk into a stadium as just Coloratura." She gave a rough shake of her head, flailing her ringlets. "But, that's not important right now. I just wanted to get that off my chest. Let's focus on us today, please."
Applejack wanted to pry a little deeper, hopefully to find a solution for her friend. But, she was also tired of talking about Hollywood, so she decided to respect Rara's wishes.
The forest opened up into a glade, the trees parting to create a single large shaft of sunlight to hit the surface of the sizable pond. Frogs croaked somewhere on the far side, hidden in the grotto of fallen logs and moss. The girls climbed onto a large, flat boulder and set up their lines, attaching bobbers and worms before casting out into the middle of the water.
Applejack inhaled the aroma of loam and pond muck. To her, it was as sweet as apple pie. Rara did likewise and leaned on Applejack's shoulder.
"Hey, did you guys ever catch Otto?" Rara asked, referencing the biggest fish that swam in the lake.
"Nope! He's still in there, too! Saw him not too long ago!"
"Seriously? He's almost as stubborn as you."
Applejack nudged Rara in the ribs, both of them laughing. "Remember when we dove in thinkin' we could ride him?"
"I still say we could have."
"Yeah, if we didn't drown first."
"Remember the seaweed monster?"
"You mean when mah cousin Hayseed thought he was being funny?"
"I laughed."
"Ah had nightmares!"
"Okay, what about the frog contest?"
"Still can't believe Pa actually cooked one of them."
"Yeah, but it was actually tasty."
"Yeah, it was!"
An hour went by without a single tug on their lines. They didn't notice. They reminisced, swapped stories, and laughed. Everything Applejack wanted.
After another of their laughing fits died down, Rara jumped up and set her pole down, pinning it with her leg. "I almost forgot!" She reached into her pocket and grabbed something, hiding it in her fist.
"Here. I brought this with me hoping that we would make up." When Applejack extended her hand, Rara dropped something small and red into her palm.
Pulling it close, Applejack saw it was the ruby red brooch she had been eyeing at the jewelry store last week. "What... when did you...?"
"I saw you eyeing it," Rara said teasingly. "So, I doubled back the next day and snagged it. I wanted it to be a surprise. So, what do you think?"
A goofy smile spread over Applejack. She was never one for fancy jewelry, but this was beautiful in her eyes. She held it between her thumb and index finger and raised it up to catch it in one of the streams of sunlight. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought it had shone in rainbow colors for a second.
She pulled her hat off and pinned it just left of center before admiring it and putting it back on.
"As perfect as a pear." |
Spectacular Seven | 15. The Magic of Science | Two days went by, and the only knock at the Lulamoon door came from a package delivery. Discussions about the Gala still circulated the news, but they were no longer the top story.
Regardless, Sunset expected to find a sword hanging over her head whenever she looked up. She wanted to believe that the danger had passed. Instead, with each passing day, the knot in her stomach got a little tighter. Her glances to the calendar didn't help either. August was days away now, meaning she had a month before Twilight and most of her friends took off for college.
It had been a year. It had been less than a year. Yet the night she had crawled out of that crater and began her road to redemption felt like a decade ago. She and her friends had been through so much together. And in a few short weeks, life would scatter them to the winds. What would she do without her friends? What would she do without Twilight?
Unfortunately, she was beginning to discover that answer already. Twilight spent half her day at that damned laboratory working on who-knew-what. Combined with her continued sword practice with Selena, Sunset got maybe an hour or two with Twilight before she had to go home. Sunset tried to be grateful; she put on a smile and a good attitude when she was with Twilight. She didn't want to waste what little time she had arguing, but it was hard to not nurture the seed of resentment.
"Check. Checkmate in three," Twilight said as she moved her knight.
Sunset lifted her eyes from the chessboard to Twilight's self-assured smile. It was even harder when Sunset was about to lose for the nineteenth (yes, she had been keeping count) time in a row.
"Do you concede?" Twilight asked.
"You know the answer to that question." Sunset put a hand on one of her pawns, tapped it, and then drew her hand back.
"You know, in official chess tournaments, refusing to concede is really frowned upon."
"It's a good thing this isn't an official tournament then." Sunset picked up her remaining bishop and scooted him forward three spaces.
Twilight gave a longstanding sigh but moved her rook. "I would think you had enough of a noble spirit to follow the rules regardless."
"First rule of Sunset Shimmer: never give up." Sunset moved her knight and captured Twilight's rook.
Twilight responded in turn by using her remaining rook to capture Sunset's bishop. "Check."
Sunset scrunched her nose as she studied the board for any way out. "So, anything to tell me about your lab escapades?" she asked, stalling for time.
"Sorry, Sunnykins, but you know I can't." Twilight at least had the decency to look guilty.
"How would they even know if you told me? It's not like I'm going to blab to anyone."
Twilight shook her head. "I signed a contract. I'm not going to break an NDA this early in my scientific career."
Sunset huffed as she moved her king up one square. "You're too much of a good girl sometimes."
"I'll be honest, most of the things they're doing aren't that interesting. They're fun and exciting! But not quite revolutionary enough to warrant an NDA."
"Then tell me what you're doing."
"No." Twilight moved her knight down and over. "Checkmate."
Sunset didn't bother looking. She threw herself back in her chair and slumped. "How do you lose nineteen games in a row?"
Twilight twirled a finger around one of her tresses and smiled. Being the graceful winner she was, she took the pieces and board and put them away. She returned to her seat on the couch opposite of Sunset. The Lulamoon house was quiet today; Trixie had gone out with her friends, Artemis was in his study, and Selena had gone to take a nap after Twilight's training session.
The two girls made eye contact, but Sunset didn't know what to say. They couldn't talk about Twilight's internship. Sunset didn't want to talk about the future. And most of the events surrounding them in the present stressed her out. She tapped her foot against the carpet. Maybe they could binge something on television.
"Do you think the world learning about magic would really be a bad thing?" Twilight asked.
Sunset jerked up. "What?"
Twilight shifted her shoulders and lowered her gaze. "I don't know. I was just thinking aloud. I don't want anything bad to happen to you girls. But... what if the world learned magic existed? What if we could get back the magic Merlin locked away?"
Sunset relaxed a little. "I really don't know. The whole world would be turned on its head, that's for sure."
"But... wouldn't it make things better?"
"How so?" Sunset asked, tilting her head forward.
Twilight lifted her head. "Imagine if EMTs had Fluttershy's powers. Or if construction workers could just levitate things. You've described your world so many times, where ponies can use spells and potions and charms to do almost anything they need without effort. It sounds like a utopia."
Sunset raised a calming hand. "I wouldn't go that far. Yeah, magic is pretty great, and in hindsight, Equestria has Earth beat in a lot of ways. But we have problems too. We've had a very precarious peace with the dragons for the last five hundred years. Monsters love to show up at the worst possible time. And just because we have magic doesn't mean everyone uses it altruistically." Sunset pointed to herself.
"That's fair," Twilight said, deflating a little. She perked up again. "But, if magic here works like how Moondancer and Selena said, that you have to train your soul to be in touch with it and use it, wouldn't that weed out most people who would use it for evil?"
"I don't know," Sunset said with a dry chuckle. "I still have very little idea how magic in this world works. In Equestria, we had tamed it for the most part. We could break it down into different schools and write theorems on how we ended up with the spells we cast today."
She lifted her hands over her shoulders. "Thanks to me and the princess, we introduced our magic to this world's magic and created some weird hybrid that only just makes more sense than the Earth's natural magic. Artemis barely understands why and how things happen."
Sunset crossed her arms and hunched forward. "Seriously, it's like this entire planet is the Everfree Forest back home."
Gears turned in her head. Her spine slowly straightened out as they spun faster.
"Celestia's secret cake," she whispered.
"What?" Twilight asked, leaning forward.
Sunset stood up. "I just figured out why your world's magic is so weird."
"Yes?" Twilight pressed, balling her fists in excitement.
"Okay, remember when I told you about the Everfree Forest?"
Twilight nodded. "You said it was a highly concentrated area of pure magic."
Sunset made a so-so motion with her hand. "Less 'pure' more like, unfiltered or unrestrained. It doesn't obey the laws that we created. It's... it's wild."
She made a sweeping gesture to the rest of the living room. "That's this entire world! It's running off wild magic! Or at least, whatever little magic that's left can't be defined into any category! It's just the residue of magic in its unaltered state which can be molded into anything!"
Twilight bobbed her fists up and down. "So when it mingles with magic from your world..."
"At first, there was more Equestrian magic than Earth magic, which is why we got our pony features. But then, we kept generating and attracting natural magic, so it blended further--"
"And gave you girls superpowers--"
"Because it's wild magic! It's playing by its own rules!"
"So the reason magic is so hard to understand is because it keeps making things up as it goes!" Twilight leaned back into the couch, her excited smile melting. "That's both fascinating and incredibly frustrating."
Sunset took a seat as well. "Tell me about it. But, at least we figured out the 'why' of it all. That's been kicking around in the back of my head for a while." She blinked. "Sorry, what was the original question?"
"Oh... um..." Twilight tapped her fingers together. "Just, if the rest of the world had access to magic, would that be a bad thing?"
Sunset pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek. "I don't know. Given that we just learned this world's magic does whatever it wants more or less, it's really hard to say. It would really depend on who has access to it."
Twilight's frowned deepened. "Which is why Merlin thought it was a good idea to seal it away. He saw too many people abusing it."
Sunset crossed her arms. "I still think that was an extreme reaction. Yes, Equestria, and my world at large, has had a number of villains and monsters use magic to usurp a throne or enslave a race. But every time, someone stood up and fought back and fixed it. Evil will always find a way to wreak havoc with the tools around it. All Merlin did was change the toolkit. Now, instead of magic, this world has nuclear bombs, which is arguably ten times worse."
"Yeah, I can't disagree there," Twilight said with a bitter note. "I know Tempest is abusing magic to make all these monsters and revive Tirek, but I think that if used properly, magic could really make things better."
"Well, I don't think it could make things worse. Again, it depends on who gets it and what they do with it." Sunset watched Twilight carefully. She didn't look out of sorts or frustrated. Just thoughtful. Her curiosity of magic had only grown over time, and Sunset knew Twilight's lack of ability was a sore spot. But this line of questioning felt different somehow. Sunset didn't think Twilight was plotting anything, but something was turning in her head.
Whatever it was, it was gone in a blink as Twilight stood up and stretched. "I should probably head home. I have to be at the lab by ten."
"Right, sure," Sunset said, trying to keep a tight lid on her displeasure. She took a controlled breath while Twilight slipped on her shoes. "Hey, did you want to go see the Midsummer Revival with the girls?"
"Of course! My family used to go every year, but we missed the last few. It'll be fun to see it again."
"Cool. Date night then." Honestly, Sunset had little interest in the revival, but she'd take any opportunity to spend time with her friends and especially Twilight. It wasn't much, but it was something to look forward to.
*******
"No, no, Coco! I said jam red; this is sangria!" Rarity tossed the roll of fabric back at Coco, who fumbled it in the air before clutching it to her chest.
"S-sorry, Miss Rarity!" Taking a closer look, Coco could indeed see that she had grabbed the wrong shade. However, if Rarity hadn't been demanding orders all day, and if the colors were properly labeled, Coco might have grabbed the right one.
With a tired sigh bordering on a huff, Coco jogged back to the fabric closet and selected the right roll. "Here you are."
Rarity looked at it over her red spectacles. "Much better." She snatched the fabric and began to cut into it with her scissors.
"Rarity, Rarity, Rarity, you really need to work on your time-management skills," she mumbled to herself. Coco had to agree. While they had overcome the surprise challenge of designing a dress for Coloratura, it had offset their already precarious timetable. Now, Rarity had less than a week to submit her designs for her school competition.
Meanwhile, Coco had four days until the Midsummer Revival. And all she had to show for it were sketches that Rarity had barely glanced at. Thanks to all the coffee she had drank, Coco could blame her jittery nerves on the caffeine, and not because she was slowly sinking into a sea of anxiety.
But it was fine! Coco was sure that if they worked hard, they could balance their time and get both done. She just needed to find an opening and gently remind Rarity about the deadline.
"Coco, I need sequins," Rarity ordered, holding a hand out.
Coco withheld another sigh/huff and did as she was asked. At least this time, Rarity didn't snatch it away. She did, however, rush by Coco to the sewing machine, stepping on Coco's toes in her haste.
Coco grimaced but said nothing. She followed behind Rarity and watched her sew the sequins into the hem of her new dress.
"Miss Rarity," Coco said in between the puttering of the machine.
"Mmm," was the only response she got.
"When we're finished with that one, um, do you think we could take a short break and work on one of my designs? For the Revival? It's, umm, coming up really soon."
"Ah, yes of course!" Rarity exclaimed.
Coco clasped her hands together. "Really? Thank--"
"There's a spool of silver thread in the top drawer of my desk. Be a dear and fetch that for me, please. I can't believe I almost forgot it."
Coco dropped her hands and shoulders. "Oh... yes, of course." She trudged over to Rarity's cluttered desk and pulled the top drawer open. She found plenty of empty spools and discarded buttons, but there was no silver in sight.
"Miss Rarity, the thread isn't here."
"It isn't?" Rarity looked away from her sewing.
She heard me that time.
Rarity rapidly tapped her lip with her thumb. "Where, where, where... I know it's around somewhere; I just used it."
Coco closed the drawer with a little more forcefulness than she intended. She searched the entirety of Rarity's desk, the surrounding cabinet, and between the huddle of mannequins off to the side. She finally found it under a pile of scrap cloth near the stage.
"Ah, I knew it was somewhere. My thanks," Rarity said when Coco handed it over.
Coco gave a tiny nod. It would have been easier to find if Rarity helped keep the back room organized. Every time Coco got it clean, Rarity swept away her hard work with one of her projects.
Rarity did some quick needlework then ran her dress back to its respective mannequin, yawning as she went. "It's getting rather late, isn't it? Why don't you go fetch us some more coffee, Coco? We need to keep going for at least a few more hours."
Coco rooted herself to the carpet. She wouldn't fetch anything until she got confirmation that the next dress they worked on would be one of hers.
"Miss Rarity, I--"
"Oh dear, I'm spacy tonight. Coco, could you bring me my measuring tape before you head out?"
Frown deepening, Coco grabbed the bundle of yellow tape and carried it over. Before handing it off, she said, "Miss Rarity, I would really appreciate it if we could work on one of my dresses after we finish this one."
Rarity finally looked up at her, eyebrows raised in confusion. "What dresses?"
"My dresses for the Midsummer Revival," Coco said, tightening her grip on the tape.
"Oh, yes, of course!" Rarity said with a laugh, shifting her eyes away from Coco. "I didn't forget that. Umm, well, I need to finish these dresses for my school. But, as soon as we're done, we'll work on yours! I only have a few days left before submissions close."
"And the revival is in four days! Which means it's only three days until rehearsal!" Coco hadn't meant to raise her voice, but hearing Rarity's nonchalant tone drove her anxiety up.
"Don't fret, dear," Rarity said. It was meant to sound placating, but to Coco, it was just condescending. "If we work hard, I'm sure we can get both things done on time. Hmmm, but I do have a virtual apartment tour tomorrow. Oh, that'll be a great time for you to get started on your designs! You can take a quick break from working on mine!"
If the measuring tape had been made of anything more solid, Coco would have snapped it in half. Rarity must have noticed Coco's mounting frustration because she gave the girl a regretful pout. "I'm sorry, Coco, but these things happen. It can be hard to keep up with the demand sometimes, so you might have to make a few sacrifices. Now, I promise you, we'll work on your designs as soon as we can. But I hired you to help me with my dream of becoming Prim Hemline's intern."
"And you promised to help me with my dream of saving the revival!" Coco shouted. "You already promised you would help me! And sacrifices? I haven't seen you sacrifice anything! I haven't had a day to myself in a month because you keep running out and leaving me to handle the store on my own! And we're both in this mess because you just had to take a commission from Coloratura!"
Rarity's cheeks flushed an angry red. "Now hold on just a minute! Don't pretend you wouldn't have done the same thing if you were in my position! That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really put my name out there!"
"Maybe I would have! But only after I finished the promise I had already made!" Coco rubbed off the tears falling down her cheeks. "I really thought I was going to learn something--improve as a designer. But so far, I feel like a glorified secretary. I have a dream too, Rarity! And if you're not going to help me... then I quit!"
Coco threw the tape onto the floor and turned on her heel. She didn't wait for any response from Rarity as she stormed out the shop and into the warm night. She wiped her tears again and suppressed a sob.
How dare Rarity speak of making sacrifices when it was only her projects and desires they had worked on in their spare time. Yes, Coco knew she was the boss, but Rarity had promised. And Coco would not invalidate herself just to lift up someone else.
She squared her shoulders. It was a long shot, but with the money she had made, she could maybe afford enough materials to put the revival costumes together herself. They wouldn't be show-stopping like she hoped, but at this point, she would just be happy to have anything at all for the performers.
I suppose I should stop and get some coffee. She had a few sleepless nights ahead of her.
*******
Twilight's fingers danced over the mechanical keyboard in a fluid flurry. She pressed her tongue between her lips, both in concentration and as an outlet for her nervousness.
She paused and double-checked her work, making sure every bracket of code had been properly closed. Finding no errors, she spun her chair around and looked at Starlight standing over her.
Starlight leaned in to check Twilight's computer. She reached for the mouse and scrolled up and down a few times. "Hmm. You know, in hindsight, it looks really simple. Great job, Twilight."
Twilight blushed. "Thank you. It's not that different from the code I used on my selfie-drone."
Today, Twilight had been asked to help out with a prototype for a mobile security camera. The goal for it was to be autonomous, respond to changes in lighting, and give a constant feed of what it saw. When Twilight had looked at it, it did none of those things. Now, she had at least gotten the feed recording to work.
"All the same, it's very impressive for a girl your age." Starlight straightened up and walked over to the table where the camera drone sat. She switched the recorder on. "How does it look?"
Twilight switched monitors. Starlight waved in front of the camera, and Twilight saw it on screen three seconds later. "There's a small delay, but the feed is being broadcast and saved!"
"Progress!" Starlight cheered. She flipped the camera off and walked back around to Twilight. "We can work out the delay a little later. I think now's a good time to take a break."
Twilight saved her work and exited the program. She didn't feel like taking a break; they'd only been working for an hour or so, and Twilight's brain was buzzing with eagerness. That she had solved coding problems that had troubled Starlight and her scientists only enthused her more.
"Actually, Miss Starlight, if it's alright, I'd like to try working on the drone's flight capabilities. I had an idea on how to improve its stability when hovering."
Starlight beamed at her. "I love that go-getter attitude of yours. Well, who am I to turn down a hard worker?" She looked over at the drone and sighed. "Wouldn't it be so much easier if we could just make it levitate?"
Twilight let out a stuttered laugh. "Yeah, that would be..." Her eyes drifted to the floor. She thought of her and Sunset's conversation last night, and talking with Starlight prior to that.
Magic. Science. Was one better than the other? How far could society go if anyone could access magic?
"Yoohoo. Twilight. Is something wrong?"
Twilight jumped in her seat. "Sorry! I spaced out a little I guess."
"So I see." Starlight peered down at her with motherly concern. "Is something the matter?"
"No... Well, nothing specific. I just..." Twilight wrung her hands. "I was just thinking... do you... really think magic exists?"
Starlight smiled. "I do. I can be a lady of science and still believe in the supernatural."
Twilight nodded slowly. She was treading dangerous ground, and she knew it. She couldn't tell Starlight what she knew, but she could pick her brain about hypotheticals. Couldn't she?
"Do you believe in magic, Twilight? You seemed a little hesitant the last time you answered."
"I... I do. I think there are things that science can't explain." Twilight took a deep breath. She didn't know why, but her heart was beating faster than normal. "You said that if magic existed, it would benefit society. I believe so too."
Twilight gave a strong shake of her head and forced a laugh. "I don't know why I'm bringing this up! It's all purely hypothetical! I'm sorry--I should get back to work!"
Starlight made a small 'tut' sound, still smiling. "No need to apologize, Twilight." She leaned closer and spoke in a hushed tone. "It might be less hypothetical than you think."
Twilight looked at her. "What do you mean?"
Starlight turned to the door, gesturing with a finger for Twilight to follow. With a tremble in her stomach, Twilight obeyed, following her out into the corridors and toward the elevator.
"Remember when I told you there was a part of the lab that was for our more secret projects?"
Twilight nodded numbly.
"Well, I think you've earned the right to see them now." Starlight hit the down arrow. "You see, Equilibrium Labs works on a variety of projects. The ones up here are more... mainstream. Things people will understand and companies will buy. The rest..."
With a soft chime, the elevator arrived and the doors opened. Starlight ushered Twilight in, sweeping behind her and pressing the only button on the panel.
"It's hard to find open minds sometimes in a rigid field of logic," Starlight said as the elevator proceeded downward. "Which is why I'm always so delighted to find those who are willing to entertain the more fantastical ideas! Even then, this isn't normally something I would show an intern. But I believe you're special, Twilight."
Twilight's heartbeat doubled. She was about to see something amazing, or something very, very dangerous.
The elevator came to a gentle stop and opened up to reveal a short corridor. Starlight stepped out and gestured with a finger. "This way."
Twilight's legs carried her forward, enthralled with the need to see this mystery through.
Starlight paused at a sliding steel door. "Now, I must remind you of your NDA contract. Everything down here is a secret of the highest caliber. Understand?"
A dumb nod was all Twilight could muster.
"Good girl," Starlight said with a smile. She pulled a key card from her pocket and swiped it through a card reader on the side of the door. With a soft buzz, the door slid open, and Twilight had to squint her eyes from the flood of fluorescent lights.
When the room came into focus, Twilight's jaw dropped. The large, square room was a hectic mess of desks, workstations, and whirring machines Twilight had never seen before. Every machine, however, had a long tube or thick cables extending from their tops and stretching up and across the ceiling to a central cylindrical device that hung from the roof.
But it wasn't the strange machines flickering with bright lights that had made Twilight's jaw drop. Nor had it been the sight of Double Diamond and Night Glider along with a dozen other scientists Twilight had never seen pouring over notes or tinkering with wires. No, it had been the feeling that had washed over her when the door had opened. It was a feeling she had been exposed to all year.
"Magic," she said in a hushed whisper. She turned her head to Starlight, eyes wide. "What is this?"
Starlight, hands in her coat pockets, strolled forward. "This is the true purpose of my lab. The study, refinement, and practical application of the phenomena we call 'magic.'"
Twilight scrambled after her. "B-but how! Magic can't be--" Despite her brain short-circuiting from the flood of questions overwhelming her, she cut her sentence short. Starlight was studying magic, but she didn't know Twilight was too, and right now, she needed it to stay that way.
"Can't be real?" Starlight finished for Twilight. "I assure you, it is. Known to very few, and inaccessible to everyone else. But it is real."
Twilight spun around, taking everything in as she approached the center of the lab. At one station, a scientist held a beaker of purple liquid over a peach. He slowly poured a drop onto the fruit and watched as it doubled in size. Across from him, Double Diamond held up what looked like a snowboard with an extra metal sheet attached to the bottom. Another scientist hit it with a laser, and the metal began to glow a soft blue. Diamond tossed the snowboard down and grinned as it hovered just off the floor.
"How?" Twilight asked again, whipping her head back toward Starlight.
"Well that's what we're trying to figure out," Starlight said with a cheeky smile. When she saw Twilight's unamused glower, she just smiled wider. "Oh, you meant how we got this far."
Starlight cleared her throat. "I've known from an early age that magic existed, and have spent most of my life trying to figure out how and why. My previous experiences with it gave me a foundation on which to build hypotheses and the means to test them. You see, magic is fundamentally just another type of energy and emits radiation, like electromagnetism. With the right equipment, it can be tracked and measured. It can even be attracted and contained if you know how."
She pointed to the cylinder above them. "Our satellite outside? It's actually a magnet, or rather, harvester for magical radiation. Magic is pulled in and stored up there, then we channel it through wires and tubes, like an electric current that acts as a power source for our experiments."
Starlight lowered her arm and frowned in contemplation. "Now, we can't harness magic ourselves like wizards or something, and a lot of our equipment is based on educated guesswork. So, it can be volatile to say the least. It's an untested form of energy after all. But it has limitless potential!" She looked at Twilight, eyes shining. "You see it, don't you? What humanity could accomplish if it had magic? Moreover, imagine the heights we could scale if we combined magic with science! No door would be closed to us! The leaps and bounds we could take! The miracles we could perform!"
She lifted her hands and spread them toward the cylinder of magic. "That is our grand aspiration: to unlock the secrets of magic, reveal its true potential, then apply it to what we already have! Cars fueled by magic, diseases cured with panacea, criminals stopped with divination! A new golden age ushered in!"
Starlight threw her arms out and lifted her head. "Science powered by magic! The new great equalizer!"
No one else in the lab paid Starlight's performance any mind. Machines whirred and pencils scribbled. Twilight was the only one pulled into Starlight's universe.
This was it. It was no longer idle curiosity. There would be no more amateur study sessions or experiments in a garage. Here, right before her was proof. Magic could be contained. It could be studied. It could be used by non-magical people. Starlight had a goal. The betterment of humanity. And science and magic working together? Twilight had never even considered such an idea!
Starlight lowered her arms and cleared her throat. "Sorry, I got a little carried away there. But, you understand, don't you Twilight? What we're doing, and why I had to keep it a secret."
Twilight thought about their lunchtime conversation a few days ago. That had been a test. Starlight needed to see how open-minded Twilight was. Anyone who didn't believe, or rather, couldn't believe would see this and dismiss it as crackpot.
She gave a firm nod. "I do. I'm just... amazed at everything you've done so far."
Starlight gave a bashful flip of her hand. "Oh, it's nothing special. Not yet. Like I said, magic can be volatile. It can be hard to get it to do what we want, and even harder to produce the same results twice."
As if on cue, Double Diamond's hovering snowboard shot out of his hands and flew toward the wall, hitting it with a loud clang and sticking in place.
Wild magic, Twilight thought. But she couldn't tell that to Starlight. There was actually a lot she couldn't tell Starlight. As far as she knew, Twilight was just a bright, curious young mind. She couldn't know that Twilight had done her own experiments, or about her magic-empowered friends. Although, judging by Starlight's progress, she probably knew more than Twilight did.
But, Twilight knew she had to measure herself. They weren't men in black, but these were some of the people Sunset feared. Starlight had said she would test humanely, but she would still test. Twilight wouldn't let that happen to Sunset, no matter what the end result would be.
"I'm sure you have a few dozen questions," Starlight said, watching two of her employees try to pry the snowboard off the wall.
"I do. I'm just taking everything in."
"It is a lot. You're doing quite well so far. A lot of people faint or ask if this is a dream by this point. Or they call me crazy and back away slowly." She added a small chuckle at the last part.
Twilight nodded. "It does feel like a dream come true. How many others know?"
"Most of the lab personnel know. There might be a handful of outliers left. I don't let people down here until they've proven their merit as scientists." Starlight tilted her head down and smiled at Twilight. "And I see a great scientist in you."
Heat rose to Twilight's cheeks. "Th-thank you. So, um, what can I do to help?"
Starlight's smile widened. "I just love that go-getter attitude! Well, let's take you around and show you what we've learned so far. A second orientation. Then, there's a specific task I would like your help on."
"What's that?"
Starlight lifted a hand and placed it on Twilight's shoulder. "I call it the Arcane Access Project." |
Spectacular Seven | 16. Deus Ex Machina | Sunset lay in bed, earbuds in, left leg resting on her right knee. Having just finished bathing Spot, she watched as he vigorously rubbed himself against the carpet to get his scent back. Her foot tapped to the beat bouncing in her head.
Perhaps she had been too quick to judge earth music. The music Rainbow had snuck onto her phone for her birthday was comprised of some fierce rock and roll, hip hop, and even a few pop songs that Sunset found herself listening to on repeat.
It was a nice distraction. She wished she had kept up with Flash's guitar lessons so she could play things like 'What I've Done ' to vent her frustrations. Instead, she settled for drumming her knuckles against the mattress.
Twilight had messaged her once today, and it was just to say good night and that she hoped Sunset had had a good day. Sunset responded with a smiley emoji. She couldn't bring herself to type actual words. Part of her wondered if she was being too clingy. But the other part reminded her that once Twilight left, they wouldn't see each other until Christmas.
Sunset took a deep breath and tuned her thoughts out by turning up her music. Just as the synthesizer for 'Intergalactic' started, her music faded to the chorus of 'Shine Like Rainbows'. A muscle twitched in Sunset's jaw, but she picked up her phone and hit the answer button.
"Hey, Rarity. What's up?"
"Hi, Sunset. Umm, how's your evening going?"
Sunset's irritation evaporated. There was a tremble in Rarity's voice. She had been crying. "It's been fine. How are you doing?"
"Oh, you know me. Busy, busy, busy." A pause. "Sunset... do I ever demand too much?"
"I don't think so," Sunset said slowly. "You have high standards, but I wouldn't call you demanding."
"Hmm.... And... have I ever taken advantage of you?"
"Not that I can think of." Sunset sat up in her bed. "Rarity, what's wrong?"
She heard Rarity sniffle. "Coco... quit last night. She said I was taking advantage of her and was upset that we hadn't worked on any of her dress designs for the revival."
Rarity blew her nose and spoke faster. "And she's right! I'm a terrible boss! I promised I would help, but we had to keep fighting monsters! And then Countess Coloratura asked me to design a dress and I couldn't say no!"
"Rarity--"
"My name is out there now! Yes, it got damaged during the gala debacle, but the whole world saw it! But at what cost?"
"Rarity, slow--"
"I had the gall to tell Coco that I hired her to fulfill my dream! We would work on hers after we finished mine! How could I be so selfish!" she cried. "I lost a good employee, a good friend, and I trampled all over her dream! I'm a monster!"
Rarity dissolved into sobbing that was a little over-the-top for Sunset's taste. She knew Rarity was genuinely distraught, but she sounded like a character on a soap opera.
She waited for Rarity's sobs to slow before speaking up. "Rarity, take a deep breath. It's going to be okay."
Rarity took a few hiccuping gulps of air. "How? What am I supposed to do?"
"Well, you could apologize for a start."
"I can't just apologize over something like this! You didn't see the way Coco stormed out of my boutique! I really hurt her!"
Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose. "Then find a gesture to show her you mean it. You could, oh, I don't know, help her finish those outfits?"
"There's not enough time! The revival is in two days! We could never finish! And I still have my designs I need to work on!"
Sunset gave a longstanding sigh. "Rarity, if you really want to fix this, you're going to have to make a sacrifice. Either you help Coco, or you help yourself."
There was a long pause, broken by Rarity blowing her nose again. Sunset heard her slowly inhale and then let it out. "You're right," she said softly. "I told Coco that you have to make sacrifices in the fashion industry. I should practice what I preach. There'll be time to compete for Prim Hemline's favor next year. But I still don't know how I'm going to make so many outfits in such a short time. Even with Coco, we would have just barely made the deadline for my competition, much less hers!"
Sunset leaned back against her headboard. "Sorry, Rarity. I'd offer to help, but I don't know anything about dress-making."
Rarity gasped. "I just had an idea! I have to call Pinkie! Yes, I'm going to do everything I can to help Coco make this the best Midsummer Revival ever! Oh, thank you so much, Sunset! You're a great friend!"
Sunset smiled a little. "I'm starting to believe it. Good luck, Rares." Sunset hung up and put her music back on.
Spot, having sufficiently rubbed off the scent of shampoo from his coat, jumped onto the bed and into Sunset's lap. She reached down to scratch him behind the ear and made kissy faces at him while 'Welcome to the Black Parade' belted from her earbuds.
Just as she reached a relaxed state, her music faded to 'Shine Like Rainbows' again, only this time, it was Applejack calling.
Sunset groaned. She wanted to be left alone tonight. "Hello?" she said reluctantly.
"Hey, Sunset. How ya doin'?"
Sunset could hear the hesitation in Applejack's voice. She wanted something. "All right. You?"
"Ah'm okay. Just gave Winona a bath."
"Heh, coincidence. I just bathed Spot."
Applejack gave a short chuckle. "Let me guess, he did everything he could to get the soap smell off him?"
"Eeyup." Sunset said, deepening her voice, and Applejack laughed again.
"Life of a pet owner." The joviality left Applejack's voice and in a more subdued tone she said, "Listen, Sunset, if it's not too much trouble, Ah was actually hopin' to get your advice."
There it is. Sunset sighed. "I get I'm the leader when it comes to magic, but who died and made me team therapist?"
"Beg pardon?"
"Nothing. Go ahead, what's up?"
"Well, Ah'm tryin' to think of a way to help Coloratura. See, she told me she doesn't always like bein' the Countess. It's like putin' on a mask. But she feels like she has to because that's what her fans are expectin', and if she told her producers, she'd feel like she was bein' ungrateful. She wants to keep singin', but she wants to do it as herself."
Sunset leaned back into her pillow and stared at the ceiling. "Uhh... that's a tough one."
"Sorry. Ah tried callin' Rarity earlier, but she didn't pick up. Ah thought of you next. You're... Ah don't know... worldly."
"Heh, thanks, I think," Sunset said with a light smirk. "I don't know, Applejack. Stardom and the music industry are pretty foreign to me." Sunset was no stranger to wearing different masks: the straight A, model student vs. the manipulative bully of Canterlot High. And she had learned from the best. The students and nobility from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns looked down on her until she became Celestia's personal student. Then they were clamoring to do anything to get Sunset's favor, while still insulting her and calling her a spoiled brat behind her back.
Well... she had been a spoiled brat, but that was beside the point.
The situation with Coloratura was different. If anything, the Countess was the deception and she was locked into it now. Sunset still hadn't met Coloratura, but she had to be a good person if she was Applejack's long-lost best friend. Since Coloratura and the Countess were the same person, would anyone be mad if she showed up and sang without her mask?
"Sorry to bug you about this, Sunset," Applejack said after the stretch of silence. "Ah should let you go."
Sunset sat up again. "No, I was just thinking. Her fans have seen her without her make-up and they still loved her then, right? Would they really be upset if she performed like that?"
"Ah don't know. Ah hope not. It'd be a massive gamble to do it in front of an entire stadium though. And who knows how her producers or record label would react."
"Then..." Sunset's devious brain kicked in. "Have her do it in secret to start. Like, a small venue, just to test the water. If she's really that good, what has she got to lose?"
Applejack went silent for a moment. "That's... not a bad idea. Her tour people wouldn't have to worry about anyone askin' for a refund or anythin'. Ah'll float it by her and see if we can think of a place to try. It can't just be anywhere, has to be somewhere discrete, so her showing up doesn't cause too big a ruckus."
A thoughtful smile spread across Sunset's face. "I'll bet I know a place. You should call Rarity and tell her about this plan. I think she might have a smaller venue lined up that Coloratura would enjoy."
"All right, if you say so," Applejack said, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "Thanks a bundle, Sunset; Ah really appreciate it. Ah think this might help Rara out a lot."
"No problem, A.J. Hope it works out for you. Night."
"Night, sugarcube."
Sunset hung her phone up for the second time that night. She continued to stare at the black screen, wondering if she would be fortunate enough to get a call from Twilight too. Part of her wished she had asked Rarity or Applejack for advice in turn. But another part of her felt like if she did, she was talking behind Twilight's back.
She hit play and set her phone down, hoping for one more interruption before bed. It never came.
*******
Coco dragged the clothes rack through the back door of the Canterlot Community Center, stumbling as the wheels bumped over the threshold. Her fatigue made the room spin and she failed to catch herself. When she blinked, she found herself sitting on the floor.
"Coco!" a voice cried.
A hand touched Coco's shoulder, and she squinted up to see Charity Kindheart, the revival director, looking down at her with concern.
"M-Miss Kindheart, I--" a loud yawn forced its way out of Coco. "I have the costumes. Umm... I have some of the costumes. Umm... a few of the costumes. I... lost my original designs. But, I'm--" she yawned again. "I'm working hard on the others! I-I'm sure I can finish at least two or three more! And-and then we can re-use the costumes from last year for the background actors--"
"Coco, sweetheart..." Charity knelt next to her. "You look exhausted. What happened? You kept telling me that you had the costumes covered. This isn't like you."
Tears formed in Coco's bleary eyes. "I-I thought I did! I thought I was going to get help, or at least learn how to sew faster and better, but-but it didn't happen, so, I've been working the last three days trying to get everything together, but-but--"
Charity pulled her into a hug. "Shhh, Coco. It's okay. We'll find a way to make it work."
"But..." Coco looked over Charity's shoulder to the rest of the room. The Method Members, the core actors of the revival play, were practicing their lines. Artists were putting the finishing touches on the background environments. The sound team was going through music and mic checks. Everyone was ready for tomorrow except for her.
"If this festival isn't successful... it might be the last one," Coco said, tears running down the heavy bags under her eyes.
Charity released Coco from her hug but continued to gently grip her shoulders. She smiled, showing off the dimples on her yellow face. "Nothing lasts forever, dear. We had a great run. Now, we just need to make sure we go out with a bang."
"But-but I promised I would help! I wanted to make sure it would keep going! I wanted to make a difference!"
"And you will!" a familiar voice proclaimed.
Coco swiveled on the floor and looked toward the back door. Rarity pushed in a new rack filled with costumes, followed behind by several girls Coco wasn't familiar with.
Rarity brought the rack to a stop in front of Coco. She then reached down and pulled Coco to her wobbly feet. "A dozen costumes ready for the Midsummer Revival; all Coco Pommel originals!"
Coco stared from the clothing rack to Rarity, her exhausted brain trying to parse what was happening. "Wait... you... you made all my costume designs?" She pulled one of the ensembles off the rack. Sure enough, it was one of the costumes she had sketched come to life. "How?"
"Lucky for us, you left your sketchbook at the boutique," Rarity said. "It also helped us turn this into a wonderful surprise!"
Most of Coco's synapses were busy trying to keep her awake. Comprehension was supplementary and slow to come. "You made these?"
Rarity nodded exuberantly. "With some gracious help." She gestured to the girls standing off to the side. "These are some of my friends. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Sonata, and Aria."
The one named Aria crossed her arms and gave a self-serving grin. "Shaved off twenty hours from our community service."
Coco honed in on Fluttershy. She did look familiar, but Coco couldn't think from where at the moment. Before she could give it any additional thought, Rarity grabbed both of Coco's hands.
"I am so sorry, Coco," she said, eyes earnest. "I took complete advantage of you. I hired you to be my protege, not my servant. You were right: I left you alone in the store far too many times, and I had the gall to repay your kindness and generosity with my own selfish talk of sacrifice. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
Coco blinked furiously, trying desperately to retain Rarity's words. "I, umm... I don't know what to say. But wait, what about your designs?"
Rarity gave a sad smile. "As I told you: sometimes, you have to make sacrifices."
"Oh... Miss Rarity. You really did all this for me?"
"I did. I promised I would help you with your dream and I am a lady of my word. Which brings me to the second part of my gift." She released Coco's hands and backtracked out the door. A second later, she returned in tow with--
"Countess Coloratura!" Coco exclaimed. The rest of the cast and production crew stopped and looked.
Coloratura, without her wig or make-up, waved at all of them. "Hello, everyone."
Rarity stepped up beside her. "I know it's last minute, but we were hoping we could squeeze in a performance by Coloratura at the end of the show."
"And not Countess Coloratura," Coloratura said, "just me. When I was young, my parents took me to the Midsummer Revival and I remember loving it. I would be honored to be a part of it, especially if it could help keep it going."
Miss Charity looked on the verge of tears. "Oh my, yes! We would love to have you perform! Last performance or not, this year's revival will be the most memorable!" She patted Coco's shoulder. "You have some incredible friends, Coco!"
Coco stared, dazed. "I... I think I do."
Sonata jumped and clapped. "Yaay! She's so happy, we broke her brain!"
"No, I'm just--" Coco let out another loud yawn. "So tired... and so overwhelmed. I don't know what to say other than, thank you, Miss Rarity."
Rarity gave a small bow. "You're more than welcome. I do have one more gift for you though. I would like you back at the shop as my official apprentice. I will teach you everything I know. And, when the summer is over, you will be in charge of the boutique."
After three near-sleepless nights and the deluge of excitement over the course of five minutes, Coco's brain could take no more. She managed to give a tiny nod of her head, then passed out, a giddy smile on her face as she dreamed of tomorrow.
*******
For three days, Twilight carried a cocktail of excitement, frustration, and apprehension in her stomach.
On the first day after Starlight's revelation, Twilight got an up-close look at the magic collector masquerading as a satellite and the containment chamber for the magic it had gathered. Coalesced together, magic looked like little balls of white light; fireflies idly drifting about. With only a thick glass separating her from the magic particles, the sensation she usually had around magic magnified greatly, making the hairs on her neck stand up and her body shiver with excitement.
Twilight then got to look at the science Starlight had achieved with magic. Equations, formulas, and experimental technology birthed from burgeoning research. Starlight had said before it was difficult to reproduce the same effect twice, but she and her team had gotten a few gadgets to work on a more consistent basis. A glove that could attract anything the palm was pointed at. Wristbands that could produce hard-light barriers similar to Rarity's constructs. A staff that could fire bolts of energy. And schematics for much, much more.
It was almost overwhelming. Twilight had gone from only having her and Sunset's hypotheses based on Equestrian magic, to a full operation center devoted to unlocking magic's secrets. She had to play dumb though. As far as Starlight knew, this was Twilight's first time seeing magic at work. As much as Twilight wanted to truly gush her excitement, she restrained herself, refusing to give up anything that could even remotely be traced back to her friends.
Still, she made the most of her situation. It was thanks to her past research that she picked up so quickly on everything Starlight presented to her, an attribute that Starlight praised. Twilight could accept the discourse and give intelligent feedback while under the guise of just being smart.
"I truly lucked out on having such a bright pupil like you," Starlight said at the end of Twilight's real first day.
Twilight went home fulfilled and excited. Even if it was for a few short weeks, she had found a place where she stood equal with her fellow researchers.
Her excitement would be tempered by the end of her second day.
The central lab underground had several off-shoots. It was in one of these smaller rooms that Starlight spoke to her about her magnum opus.
"Magic," Starlight said, "is like any form of energy. It can't be destroyed, it can only change form. Yet, there's a distinct lack of magical energy in the world. If it acts like any other naturally occurring element in nature, I find it hard to believe we used most of it up or converted all of it over the course of humanity."
Starlight shook her head. "No. My research indicates that something happened to it. The question is, what? That's where the Arcane Access Project comes in. It's a two-pronged approach. One: find and bring back the lost magic. Two: in the meantime, all of our sensors indicate that magic is slowly being generated and filling the world again. In lieu of not finding the source of magic, we must find ways to generate it ourselves!"
Twilight hoped biting her lip and bouncing her leg came off as signs of investment and not distress. She had the answers to both of Starlight's problems! Yet, she could say nothing. She spent the entire day playing along, listening to Starlight's guesses, and going over the notes she had already generated. Twilight desperately wondered if there was a way she could organically bring up what she had learned in Stygian's journal. But for such a big answer to land in Starlight's lap, she would naturally wonder where Twilight got such information from and note how auspicious it was that she had a journal on magic despite supposedly knowing nothing about it beforehand.
No, Twilight had to keep quiet about that, too, for now, and hope that she could find some way to stumble upon the answer off of their coordinated work.
But, as Twilight headed home that day, her mind couldn't help but flip the scenario. What fortune was it that Twilight, a girl surrounded by magical friends and desperate to uncover how it all worked, would land an internship at the only magical research lab possibly in existence?
Her brain then took it one step further. Starlight was trying to research how to bring magic back into this world. For science, of course. But, if the theory she and her friends had come up with was true, Moondancer and Tempest were trying to do the same thing.
What were the odds?
If Twilight was being honest with herself, incredibly slim. But why would Starlight ally herself with someone hellbent on conquering or destroying the world? She couldn't see Starlight and Tempest forging a partnership. However, Twilight couldn't think of many companies or government entities that would entertain the notion of a 'magic research division.' Starlight had to be getting funding from somewhere, and Moondancer and her father owned a lucrative company and had ties to the magical world.
She had tried to find out more on her own at home, but Equilibrium Labs' online presence was virtually non-existent. A simple 'about' page with the lab's location and a group shot of Starlight and her research team. The pages for Shade Enterprises didn't help either, though Twilight wasn't surprised they didn't keep a public list of every cooperation under their umbrella.
Was she being paranoid? Or was she being reckless? If Starlight was working with Tempest, did she already know who Twilight was? If she did, why would she recruit Twilight, who could just report anything back to her friends? If Starlight worked for Tempest, wouldn't she take the opportunity to abduct Twilight and force her to work for them or use her as a hostage? Unless there was a long game Twilight couldn't see.
She went into her third day a little more on guard. She took closer note of everyone around her, Starlight especially, for anything that could link her to Tempest. As the day progressed, the only thing that Twilight noticed was Starlight's resting expression. She always had a small, calculated smile. As if everything was always going exactly as she intended, even when one of the lab instruments went haywire. She just directed Party Favor to clean up the burnt wires and declared, "Even failure is a form of progress."
She had the mind and heart of a scientist. Twilight couldn't fathom a reason for Starlight to work with Tempest. Then again, she didn't know why Moondancer had sided with her either, yet she still had.
Twilight and Starlight moved forward on the Arcane Access Project. They sat at a workstation near the front of the central lab, its walls covered in diagrams, schematics, and equations, Starlight sipping coffee as she talked.
"I've hit a dead-end in trying to figure out what happened to this world's magic, so instead, I'm focusing on generating more of it myself. Our research is showing that our magic harvester has been pulling in more and more ambient magic over time, which means the amount of ambient magic around us is increasing." She paused to take a drink and sigh in contentment. "However, if magic acts like any other known energy source, then it can't just be coming from nothing. We had little idea on why our magical input was increasing... until the rumors of superheroes started popping up."
Twilight's shoulders tensed.
Starlight just stared at one of the diagrams pinned to the wall. "Vague and unsubstantiated, yes. But, if these so-called heroes were using magic, perhaps their magical output was increasing our input. But, like with so many other things here, it's hard to test and verify. It's not as though we could stage a bank robbery and hope they show up to stop us."
Like with many other hypotheses, Twilight couldn't believe how close Starlight was to the truth. Magic begat magic. And her friends were being coaxed into using their powers to bring magic back into the world.
Twilight's stomach twisted with paranoia as the thought of Starlight's coincidences popped up again. But she couldn't just come out and ask her; Twilight would have to admit to actually knowing about magic to do that. But if Starlight wasn't aligned with Tempest, maybe Twilight could get away with telling some of the truth if it meant pushing magical research further.
She shook her head. Regardless of Starlight's alignment, confiding in her was risky, and Twilight wouldn't endanger her friends.
"What's the matter, Twilight?" Starlight peered over her coffee mug at her.
"Just thinking about our problem," Twilight said, shifting her focus back. "If you're right and there are superheroes producing magic, I'm wondering if there is a way we can artificially replicate what they're doing."
"I've had that idea too. We've certainly tried on small scales numerous times, but remember, magic is volatile and hard to manage. Anytime we 'generate' more magic, it usually involves a small explosion."
Twilight frowned at the idea of trying to explain to her parents why she had come home singed. "There must be a way to get the same effects twice. May I see your notes anyway?"
"But of course." Starlight set her mug down and stood up. "Let me just remember where I put them..."
Starlight absently wandered deeper into the lab, leaving Twilight alone at the desk. At the station closest to her, Party Favor was experimenting with the magic magnet glove, only instead of pulling objects toward him, he was trying to get a plate to levitate consistently. It wobbled over his palm for several seconds before tipping over and shattering into pieces on the floor.
He sighed and scribbled in his notebook, muttering, "Pick up plastic plates from store."
Twilight giggled and looked about the rest of the lab, watching people mill about with clipboards and gadgets. Her paranoia melted away into the excitement she had first experienced three days ago. She was on the edge of revolutionary science! This is where she belonged!
The main lab door hissed open, and Twilight swiveled her seat to see who had joined them.
Her excitement dropped past paranoia and into pure dread.
Moondancer strode into the room wearing a black dress suit, her hair tied back in a ponytail and a mask still on half her face. Her gaze was fixed down at her tablet.
"Starlight, we need to talk. Now, please," she said, an edge to her polite tone.
She stopped three feet in front of Twilight's workstation, face still downturned. Twilight wanted to run. She wanted to flee as fast as possible to Sunset and tell her everything. But Moondancer was right there; her presence locked Twilight to her seat.
Starlight stepped from around the corner. Under her breath, she murmured, "Oh darn." Much louder and with a smile, she said, "Hello, Miss Lulamoon!"
"Don't call me that. Two things: first--" Moondancer looked up and dropped her tablet. It hit the floor screen first and delivered a terrible crack. Twilight locked eyes with her and saw the same shock and fear that was probably on her own face.
Moondancer pointed a shaky finger at Twilight. "No. No, no, no. She can't be here. Why are you here? You shouldn't be here!"
"Why are you here?" Twilight asked in an equally shaky breath. She looked at Starlight. "Why is she here? What's going on?"
Starlight gave an innocent smile and shrugged. "Equilibrium Labs is a subsidiary of Shade Enterprises. So, she's technically my boss," she said casually.
Twilight bolted up from her seat. "You are working for Tempest!"
Starlight's smile turned sympathetic. She raised her hands placatingly. "Twilight, please listen--"
"This was all a trap! I thought you wanted to make the world a better place!" Twilight yelled. She wildly looked about. Now that the charade was up, would the rest of the lab staff jump her? No one looked ready to pounce though. They were all just staring at the confrontation taking place.
Starlight spoke again, cutting through Twilight's haze of fear. "Twilight, I assure you--"
"You need to hide!" Moondancer said loudly, jumping forward and grabbing Twilight's shoulders. "Tempest is coming here right now! You can't be here!"
Twilight broke free of Moondancer's grip. "I'm not--"
"Twilight!," Moondancer yelled, tears in her eye. "I know you hate me! I know you don't trust me! I know what this must look like! But I need you to hide right now! I promise, after this, I will tell you everything! But if Tempest sees you, she will take you and I can't stand to lose anything else!"
It was only the sheer desperation in Moondancer's voice that tempered some of Twilight's anger. It was enough for her fear to take control and compel her to listen. She looked around, saw the supply closet off to the right, and ran for it.
She didn't close the door all the way, leaving it open a sliver to see outside while she tucked herself behind a tub of cleansing solution and a mop. She could just barely see Moondancer whispering harshly and pointing at someone just out of sight.
"Well, Tempest rarely ever comes to see me in person," Twilight heard Starlight say.
"That's not the point!" Moondancer screeched. "I can't believe you were dumb enough to do something like this!"
The rest of the lab was quiet now. Twilight heard Starlight begin to rebuttal, but the sound of the sliding doors opening put a halt to their conversation.
"Tempest, Lord Tirek. What brings you to my humble lab today?" Starlight asked. Twilight could hear the friendly smile.
"We're here to check on your progress," a cold, feminine voice said. It wasn't Tempest, at least, Twilight was ninety percent certain it wasn't. "With all the magic I've been forcing the Spectacular Seven to produce, I would expect things to be closer to completion."
"Well, that is true," Starlight said. "Thanks to the spikes in magic, your body is regenerating at a faster pace. I would say you're about fifty percent complete. Maybe even fifty-five."
Even from her hiding place, Twilight could hear a growl.
"As I told Tempest before, these magic spikes are great, but that's all they are: spikes. We would need a continuous stream of high-caliber magic to regenerate your body at an even faster pace," Starlight said, the tiniest hint of annoyance peppered into her sweet tone.
There was a soft grunt. "Perhaps it is for the best. My experiment with this generation of 'heroes' has yet to bear a decisive answer. But I loathe remaining in this body. How is your other project coming along?"
"The Arcane Access Project is moving along as best as it can with what little information we have."
Another voice, this time Twilight was sure it was Tempest, said, "Merlin was a fool. Whatever he did with this world's magic only delayed the inevitable and left the powerless without a way to fight back."
"And his shade will weep once his plan is rendered naught," the mysterious woman said. "Do what you must and undo Merlin's scheme. That just leaves the matter of Adagio Dazzle."
"I warned you people would take notice of magic flying around," Moondancer said, irritation layered over exhaustion. "And Adagio is hardly being subtle. Do you know what I had to do to convince the board the gala wasn't a disaster despite the terrorist plot?"
"I admit, she straddles the line between being a boon and a hindrance. Although..."
There was a pregnant pause. Twilight strained her neck to see what was happening but could still only see Moondancer.
"Perhaps we should lean into Adagio's megalomaniac escapades," the woman said thoughtfully.
"You want people to find out about magic?" Moondancer asked.
"They will learn soon enough. What I want is the Rainbow of Light. And Miss Dazzle might be my key to discovering where it is. Stop your fretting, child," she said, interrupting Moondancer's objection. "My plan will divert any suspicion off you. By the time anyone makes a connection between the existence of magic and your business, it will matter not."
Twilight heard the light swish of a cloak. "Come, Tempest. We have other matters to discuss."
The lab doors opened and slid closed. The silence returned, heavy, even from Twilight's closet. Moondancer took a step forward and out of Twilight's view. Then came the sound of hard plastic being smashed underfoot in tandem with a muffled scream.
"A waste of a tablet," Starlight said.
"Shut up!" Moondancer yelled. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
"Moondancer, I empathize with you, but you need to calm down. This is all temporary. And need I remind you, we have a guest."
"And that is entirely your fault!" Moondancer took a loud inhale. A few seconds later, she appeared back in Twilight's line of sight, marching toward the closet door. She pulled it open and Twilight jumped up, knocking over the mop.
Moondancer's exposed face was red and splotchy, and Twilight saw a tear hanging from her eyelash. Still, she didn't look at Twilight with the anger she had just heard. There was only pain and sadness. And fear, deep inside her purple eyes.
"Thank you, Twilight," she said, stepping back so Twilight could exit. "I don't know what I would do if Tempest found you and..."
A compound of emotions swirled inside Twilight and threatened to prove volatile. Moondancer was concerned for her? After what she had done at the wedding? After watching what Tempest had done to her and only barely intervening? Twilight balled her fists, the only thing stopping her from slapping Moondancer on her good cheek.
"I know you have questions--"
"Only a few dozen!" Twilight snapped. As furious as she was with Moondancer, her eyes turned toward Starlight, and betrayal stung her like a hornet. She didn't know who to funnel her anger toward first.
Moondancer folded her hands in front of her skirt and bowed. "I promise, we'll answer any questions you have." She glared up and over to Starlight. "Won't we?"
Starlight stepped over, still smiling but having the decency to look sheepish. "I never meant to deceive you, Twilight. I just--"
"Stop!" Twilight held her hand up. She closed her eyes, took a sharp breath, and tried to line up her thoughts. Her multitude of questions overlapped each other, and instead of something insightful, she blurted, "No excuses, no apologies! Just tell me what's going on!"
After sharing a meaningful look with Starlight, Moondancer spoke first. "Like the irritating doctor said, this lab is a subsidiary of Shade Enterprise. My father had met Starlight before but didn't take to the idea of studying magic. Why would he? My mother was a witch, and she believed magic wasn't something you could capture and tame."
She set her jaw. "But when Tempest stepped in and learned of his connections, she ordered he fund her laboratory."
"Our goal really is the betterment of humanity," Starlight said. "We just have to divert our research into one key thing: the resurrection of Tirek."
"Why?" Twilight shouted. "Why would you want to help him? He's evil! He wants to destroy the world!"
Starlight rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Is that what they told you? No, Tirek isn't going to destroy the world--his goals are more benign than that," she said mockingly. "Tirek is on a crusade to supposedly slay the gods that govern this world. And if he is so bold, replace them."
Confusion eroded Twilight's anger. Gods; as in, mystical deities? The pinnacle of fairy tales? And Tirek was on a quest to kill them? She looked to Moondancer. "That's true? Gods are real?"
"According to him," Moondancer said. "Even with magic, there are things we cannot definitively prove. I certainly believe there are far greater forces making up the universe than we can comprehend. The fact that magic exists points to that. But..."
She knitted her brow. "He believes in a pantheon of old and blames those gods for the ills of the world. They've abandoned humanity according to him. As such, he seeks to usurp them."
A dozen more questions bloomed in Twilight's mind. This time, she was able to articulate the topmost one. "Isn't that worse?"
Starlight shrugged. "That assumes there are gods he can usurp in the first place. Personally, I don't think there are, and even if there were, I doubt he'll succeed. If he does, however, I have been promised a great reward. If he really can fulfill that promise, then by all means, I'll let him raid heaven. It's the quickest way to get me what I want. If not, then I will find other means. My only job is to make sure that when the time comes, his soul can be placed back in his old body, good as new."
Twilight's mind spun faster. Magic was one thing. Gods were another. After another deep breath, she said, "Okay... so gods are real... and Tirek wants to kill them and become one."
"He seeks the power of the divine. Whether or not he is capable of obtaining that power remains to be seen. At the moment, it's just the barkings of a tyrannical madman," Moondancer said in an almost reassuring tone.
"Then why help him?" Twilight asked incredulously. "What is he offering you that's good enough to even risk something like that?"
Moondancer pressed her lips together and looked at the ground. Starlight, for the first time since Twilight had known her, had a somber frown on her face.
"He promised me my Sunburst," she said longingly.
"Sunburst?" Twilight asked.
Starlight walked to the nearest desk and sat down in the chair. She rolled it closer, looking suddenly aged and tired. "Sunburst... was my everything. We were just kids when we met. But I quickly learned about the secret he was hiding. He could use magic."
A dreamy smile crossed Starlight's face. "When I accidentally found out, he panicked. But I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. After that, we did everything together. I was the only one outside of his family who knew about his gift. I loved to watch him practice and experiment. He could do incredible things."
The smile slid off her face. "We were together for so long. We even decided to go to the same college. I thought... it'd be the two of us together. But..." She wiped her eyes.
"It was raining. Hard. We still decided to go to our favorite cafe off-campus after class. I insisted. It was our turn to cross the street. A car was coming up to the light, but he could barely see through his windshield. He tried to slow down but.... Sunburst saw it coming. He pushed me. I only got scrapes and a bruise. He took the full blow. And by the time the ambulance arrived... he was gone."
Starlight placed her elbows on her knees and steepled her fingers, hiding her mouth behind them. "If I had magic... if anyone did back then. Someone could have done something. I could have healed him, changed the weather, foresaw what was going to happen! It's not fair!"
She jumped up from her chair. "My Sunburst was robbed of his life! And I'm partially to blame.... So I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring him back. And Tirek has provided me with the perfect opportunity. If I can regenerate his body from the rotted bones and hair scraps that Moondancer found in France, then I can heal Sunburst's body, no problem! Then, all I'll need is his soul back, and Tirek has promised to fetch it for me!"
Twilight stared, wide-eyed and mouth ajar. Starlight had been a visionary--a genius. Quirky, perhaps, but grounded and intelligent. This, tragic as it was, was the plot of a madwoman.
Starlight caught Twilight's stare and said, "Judge me all you want, but I ask you this: would you not do something similar for your Sunset?"
"I--" Twilight held her tongue. She would never say yes... but she couldn't say no either. She had stormed off to fight Adagio alone for what she did to her brother; who could say what she would have done if it had been Sunset. But to put the world at stake? She shook her head and looked from Starlight to Moondancer. "And what did he promise you?"
Moondancer hugged herself, still looking at the floor. "My mother... is alive. Tempest took her soul and held it hostage in exchange for my father's cooperation. And now she has him too. If I help him, he'll give them back."
Twilight's brain soft rebooted trying to keep up with all the new information being thrown its way. Moondancer's mother was alive. Her soul taken, yes, but she was alive. So that had been another lie Moondancer had spun her.
"Why didn't you tell Artemis?"
Moondancer lifted her face. "Because he would try to stop this. And I can't have him interfere. For both our sakes."
"You want this to happen?"
"Yes! Tirek has to be resurrected! I need him here in the flesh, and I need my family to not interfere!" Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and scowled. "Right. I have an investors call in an hour, and because my tablet is smashed, I need to run back to the office to get the notes off the computer."
"You can't leave!" Twilight said, stamping her foot. "I still have questions!"
"I will give you all the answers you desire, when I have more time. And, I need to show you something, too." Moondancer grabbed a pen and paper from Starlight's desk and scribbled something down before folding it up and handing it to Twilight. "Meet me at this address tonight at eight o'clock. Bring no one. And I mean it. Not your friends, not my family, not Sunset. That is my condition, Twilight. I will tell you everything, but only you."
Without waiting for Twilight's answer, Moondancer spun away and exited the lab, shoulders raised and tensed the entire time. Twilight looked at the folded paper in her hand, heavy with the weight of Moondancer's ultimatum. The last time Moondancer had wanted a private conversation, she had knocked Twilight out and taken her to the middle of the forest. She had promised to spill everything then, too, if Twilight could beat her in a duel. Now, it was an open invitation of Twilight's choosing. All Twilight had to do was swear to secrecy.
She slipped the paper into her pocket. She would decide later. Right now, she had questions for Starlight. The scientist eyed Twilight like she was an interesting experiment.
"There was another woman with Tempest. You called her Lord Tirek, but..."
Starlight looked away, an expression close to pity on her face. "Lord Tirek needed a temporary host while his real body is regenerating. Another experiment in artificially placing souls inside bodies."
The way Starlight spoke, Twilight could tell there was something more there. She wanted to press, but she had more important questions. "You knew Moondancer... and you mentioned Sunset. So, you knew who I was the entire time."
Starlight gave an innocent shrug. "I did."
"Then, all of this was planned." A hollow void opened in Twilight's chest. "The competition, the internship..."
"Yes and no," Starlight said, making a so-so motion with her hand. "We are a legitimate business, Twilight. And I love to nurture young minds and help them on their scientific journey. The competition was real, and so was the internship. No, it wasn't until I saw your name on the list of entries that I might have... skewed things in your favor. Now, now, don't look glum. You were in great standing, even without my help. But, Moondancer spoke so highly of you. Always gushing about how smart you were. And I knew you were connected to the rest of those magical little heroines. Twilight, I wanted you for you! I believed you had the knowledge and the experience to help us reach our goals!"
"I am not helping you revive Tirek!" Twilight said firmly. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't leave right now and tell my friends everything!"
"I can give you a few." Starlight sat down again, crossing one leg over the other and lacing her fingers together over her knee. "Chiefly, your curiosity. Sure, you could walk out of here right now, and I promise, I won't stop you. But you want to know what Moondancer's hiding. You want to know how deep the rabbit hole goes. And if your friends come in and destroy my lab, who knows how far back that will take magical research? And then you'll always wonder, 'what if'?"
She leaned forward, her calculating smile returning. "You may not believe it, but I haven't lied to you, Twilight. Tirek or no Tirek, I want to give magic to humanity! I want to see us ascend to an even higher level of greatness and create a world of equal opportunity and infinite potential! And I know you want the same thing. You've seen magic up close. You know what it can do. Imagine unlocking that power for everyone."
Twilight trembled. Yes, she had seen magic close up. Yes, she wanted to study and be the one to make strides where scarce few had even walked. But she wasn't about to endanger the world to do it.
"The answer's no," Twilight said with a swipe of her hand. "A good scientist sticks to her morals."
Starlight's smile fell. She looked at Twilight with an unreadable neutral expression, then dipped her head in a tiny bow. "Very well. Like I said, I won't stop you."
Twilight looked around the lab. Everyone else pretended to go about their business, but she saw many of them sneaking peeks at her and Starlight. No one looked hostile though, just curious. Still, Twilight kept her guard up as she turned and walked toward the door.
"It must be hard," Starlight called, "for your friends to have special powers and you not to. Leaves you feeling unequal to them. It's a shame that they have abilities you never will. But if you change your mind..."
Twilight kept walking, the offer hovering in the air behind her. The lab doors closed behind her, and she power-walked to the elevator, exhaling a breath she didn't realize she had been holding when she got inside.
Her friends needed to know what she had learned. If they could shut down this lab, that might stop Tirek for good.
The elevator reached the ground level, and Twilight walked out. Moondancer's paper rustled in her pocket. Twilight hated to admit it, but Starlight was right about her curiosity in regard to Moondancer. Twilight didn't know why at this point. Moondancer had lied and schemed and hurt her. By all rights, Twilight should hate her. And after today, maybe part of her did.
But Moondancer was finally offering answers.
Twilight ground her teeth. This was a stupid idea. She had barely survived a one-on-one with Adagio. She was supposed to go with her friends to the revival tonight. Was she really going to skip that and risk a nighttime rendezvous with Moondancer?
The part that didn't hate her, the piece of Twilight that still wanted to call Moondancer a friend, said yes.
"Fine," Twilight muttered as she exited the lobby, ignoring Amber's wave goodbye. "This is it. She's going to tell me everything, then I'm going to tell the girls everything, and this entire mess will finally be over."
*******
Sunset slouched across Canterlot Park behind her friends. The setting sun blinked through the tall trees scattered across the lawns, casting splotchy shadows against the orange grass. Five of the Spectacular Seven migrated with a thin crowd toward the bandstand at the center of the park. Rarity had arrived earlier to offer assistance with the setup, and Twilight...
Sunset gripped her phone in her pocket. Twilight had canceled, needing to go check on Shining. She knew she shouldn't be mad. Shining was in a scary situation; of course Twilight would want to be there for her brother. Yet the more Sunset tried to smother her feelings, the more they tried to bubble to the surface. Her friends had asked if she was okay, and Sunset put on a fake smile and said yes. She was glad they didn't dig deeper.
She wished they had dug deeper.
"Oooh, popcorn!" Pinkie exclaimed.
Sure enough, as they crested over the last hill, the smell of popcorn rose to meet them. In the field below, a couple of vendors had set up snack stalls behind the rows and rows of chairs leading up to the bandstand. The little gazebo had been modified for the Midsummer Revival. A stage had been erected in front of it, complete with curtains and working lights. Tents had been set up off to the side, for the actors and crew, Sunset guessed.
"Girls, over here!" Rarity waved at them from the audience. They eased down the hill to meet her, Pinkie opting to roll down like a fluffy pink ball.
"Hi, Rarity! How's Coco doing?" she asked as she popped up an inch from Rarity's face. She had grass in her hair and green smudges stained on her clothes.
Rarity took a step back. "She's doing fine, just putting the finishing touches on. She doesn't even need my help," she said with a hint of pride.
Fluttershy gently clapped her hands. "I can't wait to see the outfits you worked on."
"Thank you, but I was just fulfilling Coco's vision. And I couldn't have done it without Pinkie's help," Rarity said.
"Don't forget Sonnie and Ari!"
Rarity nodded appreciatively. "Of course not. Well, the opening act isn't for another twenty minutes. Do you girls want to get some popcorn before we find seats?"
"You betcha!" Pinkie zipped toward the vendors.
Sunset withheld a sigh and followed behind. Rarity fell in step next to her, giving Sunset a sympathetic smile.
"Is Twilight joining us?"
Sunset shoved her hands into her pockets. "No. Something came up and she went to see Shining in the hospital. She says he's fine but wanted to be there for him." It was hard to hide the bitterness in her tone.
"I see." Rarity inched closer. "Are you two okay?" she asked quietly.
"Of course! We're fine! Why wouldn't we be?" Sunset said quickly, feigning a smile. Rarity deflated her with a single look. Sunset stopped and dug the tip of her boot into the grass. "I don't know."
Rarity took Sunset by the arm and led her back to the seats. They took the end chairs in an empty row near the front. "Go on, dear. You know I won't judge."
Sunset slumped back in her chair. "It's just... I feel like Twilight and I have barely spent any time with each other in the past month. Between training and fighting monsters, we barely got to hang out. Now, she's got that stupid internship. You girls go away to college in less than a month now. I just wanna enjoy the time we have left together."
"Have you told Twilight this?"
"I tried. Back at the beach when we went on the Ferris wheel. I'm starting to think she completely forgot." Sunset fidgeted, pulling on her fingers. "She's worrying me. Going after Adagio on her own like that. All these little projects and throwing herself into this internship. She's still trying to prove something. To me, or herself. Maybe both. I don't know."
Rarity pressed her lips together and nodded. "She's been under a lot of stress lately. While it was incredibly reckless, I can't say I blame her for trying to fight Adagio alone. And she's trying to balance all of this magical chaos with college preparation. Believe me, I know how difficult it is. It's probably more difficult still when you feel like you're the black sheep of the group."
"But she's not!" Sunset said, unsure if she was trying to convince herself, Rarity, or Twilight. "She's held her own in fights! She decoded Stygian's journal! She's just as good as the rest of us!"
"Yes, she is. But she doesn't see it that way. So she's doing everything she can to validate herself." Rarity sighed. "When you measure yourself against other people, it's easy to come up short."
Sunset slumped deeper in her chair. "How am I supposed to validate her if she barely spends time with me?"
"Validate her even when she's not with you." Rarity placed a hand on Sunset's knee. "And you're not going to want to hear this, but she might need time away, not just from you but from all of us. Going to MIT and surrounding herself with peers in things she's familiar with and excels at will reaffirm her self-worth."
"But... I mean, yeah, but..."
"And you'll have more summers together," Rarity said, a twinkle in her eye. "I know you'll have plenty more time together."
Sunset blushed and turned her head in time to see her friends walking toward them with armfuls of popcorn. She took a bag from Pinkie, and everyone took their seats. As her friends chattered, Sunset's heart sank deeper and deeper into malaise.
Was spending time apart really the solution to spending more time together? It was paradoxical, but Rarity made a sound point. Sunset could only validate Twilight so much. If magic really was making her feel inferior, maybe she needed to be away from magic.
Only the faintest glow of orange remained in the sky when the show began. Every seat in the audience had been filled, and a standing crowd took up space in the back. Miss Charity Kindheart stepped onto the stage with a rousing applause.
"Thank you for coming out tonight everyone," she said into the microphone. "The Midsummer Revival has been a staple in our community for years and couldn't be done without your support and the support of all our volunteers." The crowd applauded again.
"While the future is uncertain, we hope to put on our best show yet for you all. And we have a surprise performance at the end, so I encourage you to stick around after the show. Thank you!" She took a bow and exited the stage as the overhead lights dimmed.
The show started with a comedy sketch that, while Sunset wouldn't call funny, it at least lifted her spirits. Then, the main show began, a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which quickly sank any jubilation Sunset had. Twilight loved Shakespeare and would have been thrilled to see the stunning costumes that had been designed.
Sunset understood why Rarity had accepted Coco as her apprentice. The gowns were immaculate and vibrant, particularly those of the nobles and fairy folk. Titania's emerald green gown had vine patterns stitched around the hem and sleeves and glowed under the spotlight. Sunset would have thought Bottom's donkey head was real if the mouth moved when he spoke. And impressed murmurs came from all around Sunset when Puck's bedazzled wings actually buzzed as he crossed the stage. Next to her, Rarity remained locked in a state of utter glee the entire play.
For community volunteers, the Method Members were very good. Sunset was reminded of the plays she would attend with Princess Celestia. With magic, the production values had been higher, and the court actors had been practicing their whole lives. But Sunset appreciated and admired what a suburban group could do.
The production followed the written play as closely as Sunset could remember and was rife with humor and exaggerated drama. After a touch of deus ex machina, and Puck's last speech to the crowd, the curtain fell to uproarious applause. The actors filed out from behind the curtain to take their bow, followed by the production crew. Sunset spotted Coco, looking like she was ready to cry tears of joy.
When all the actors cleared the stage, both the front and back curtains parted, revealing a black piano sitting in the middle of the bandstand. Someone in the back screamed in delight. More followed suit as Coloratura, without her makeup or wig, walked onto the stage.
"Hello, everyone," she said as the cheering died down. "Most people know I was born in Canterlot. In fact, I grew up just two blocks from here. My parents took me to the Midsummer Revival every year, and I always loved it. I saw people perform plays and sing from their hearts, and I knew I wanted to do the same thing when I grew up. And I have.
"But I've been doing it as Countess Coloratura. And while I can never express how grateful I am for all of the countess's fans around the world, I've wanted to do something different for a while now. Tonight, I'm not singing as Countess Coloratura. I'm singing as a girl from Canterlot. I'm singing as Rara, the nickname my best friend gave me."
Sunset looked down the row and saw a deep blush on Applejack's face.
Rara took a seat at the piano, took a deep breath, and began to play.
"I'm here to show you who I am,
"Throw off the veil, it's finally time,
"There's more to me than glitz and glam, oh-whoa,
"And now I feel my stars align."
This was far different from Coloratura's usual upbeat pop. This was soulful. Her eyes were shut as her fingers danced across the keyboard, lost in a world of meaningful passion.
"For I had believed what I was sold,
"I did all the things that I was told,
"But all that has changed, and now I'm bold,
"'Cause I know,"
With tears running down her cheeks, Rara belted, "That I am just a person,
"I make mistakes from time to time!
"But now I know the real me,
"And put my heart out on the line!
"And let the magic in my heart stay true,
"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa!"
The crowd cheered and screamed as Rara poured her soul out. Sunset's heart stirred from the performance and her eyes welled. She wished Twilight could hear this.
"And let the magic in my heart stay true,
"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa,
"Just like the magic inside of you!"
Sunset had to plug her ears at the deafening applause that followed. Everyone was up out of their seats, cheering for both Rara and for the Revival to continue for another year.
As the crowd began pushing toward the edge of the stage to get an autograph, Sunset remained seated. She pulled her phone out and tapped a message, hesitating for a moment before hitting send.
'Wish you were here. Hope you know you're amazing. Love you.'
*******
Twilight's anxiety had never consisted of guilt, regret, and nervous anticipation before. It manifested as a constant tremble in her stomach and looking over her shoulder every ten seconds. She had lied to her parents about going to the Midsummer Revival. She had canceled her plans with Sunset and lied to her about going to see Shining in the hospital. She had smuggled her sword out of the house and onto the bus using her brother's old duffle bag. Now she was wandering the dusk-laden streets in a forgotten corner of downtown, Moondancer's address in hand.
Her anger flared up constantly. Why was she doing this? She should have been at the park with her friends. Moondancer had already burned her twice before; she didn't deserve a third chance. And sword or not, Twilight was woefully unprepared if she was walking into a trap.
But she needed to know. Even with her parents' souls on the line, why would Moondancer go along with an insane scheme like resurrecting a warlock to kill gods?
Starlight's words echoed in her head. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. But she wasn't going to turn on her ideals! She was gathering information so she could reveal everything to her friends. That was it.
She checked the map on her phone. Her destination was supposedly just around the corner. She slowed her pace and unzipped the duffle bag, angling the hilt of her sword out so it was within reach. Rounding the corner, she saw a row of dim and flickering lampposts, their circles of light highlighting the gum and dirt-covered cement. Halfway down the block, Twilight could see a solitary figure standing under a dying bulb.
Shoulders squared and eyes set, Twilight marched forward. Moondancer's features came into focus. She still wore her dress suit, but her hair was down, hiding her face behind her bangs.
She looked over as Twilight approached and gave a tired smile. "You came."
Twilight dropped her duffle bag, pulled her sword out, unsheathed it, and leveled it at Moondancer, all in one seamless motion. "I know I can't win. But if you try anything, I will go down fighting."
Moondancer blinked in surprise, then eased into a smile again. "You've grown up so much since we first met. It's astounding. I wish I could say I had a positive role in that growth but, I know better.
"I know you don't trust me, and you have no reason to. But these are the truest words I will ever say to you: I never wanted to hurt you. You were the best thing to happen to me since my mother was taken. I enjoyed every moment we spent together. And no matter how much you despise me, I have been and always shall be your friend."
Twilight scowled and furrowed her brow, trying to read Moondancer's sincerity. Despite her actions, Twilight wanted to believe Moondancer was a good person deep down. And she had quoted Star Trek, something she knew was near and dear to Twilight. But Moondancer was right, Twilight had no reason to trust her, and she didn't know if she could ever reciprocate Moondancer's friendship again.
Lowering a sword only a fraction, Twilight asked, "Why did you bring me here?"
"I needed to show you something." Moondancer gestured with a hand. "Follow me."
She turned toward the building they had met in front of, a small, one-story box with peeling green paint and a window so dirty, it was impossible to see out of it. Moondancer pulled a key from her pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open with a rusty squeak. She strode into the darkness, Twilight following after, sword still raised.
The interior of the building was bare. Whatever it was supposed to be, there were only dusty countertops and crumpled pieces of paper remaining. On the other side of the room was an empty bookshelf and an electrical panel. Moondancer walked toward the panel, shutting the door behind Twilight with a flick of her hand and locking them in near-total darkness.
Twilight tightened her grip on her schiavona. She heard a card sliding across a panel, and through the gloom, she made out the bookshelf gliding to one side. A moment later, light filled the room as another door opened, revealing the interior of an elevator. Moondancer stepped inside and looked back expectantly.
Twilight knew this was her last chance to back out. She could run right now and probably get away unscathed. She could lead her friends back here to take care of whatever Moondancer was hiding.
But what was she hiding?
Twilight marched forward, never breaking eye contact with Moondancer. She stood against the wall, sword at en garde, her offhand quivering as the doors closed. Moondancer continued to look straight ahead, hands folded behind her back.
"I would never work with Tirek," she said softly. "Not willingly. I don't know if I believe in gods, but I know whatever world he seeks to create would be a realm of nightmares. But I need him on this mortal plane so that I may do what my ancestors could not and kill him properly."
Twilight's sword hand came down a fraction of an inch. She had never considered death an option. She and her friends always talked about stopping Tirek, either by preventing him from coming back or using the Rainbow of Light.
"The simple fact is that he is a monster, Twilight," Moondancer said, her voice still soft but with a steely undertone. "He has stolen countless souls, ruined lives, and seeks to disrupt the very fabric of this world. If it were possible to judge him for those crimes, he would be found guilty and doubtlessly be put to death. Since there is no one to judge him, we shall skip that part, and I will take the role of executioner."
The hairs on the back of Twilight's neck rose. "But, the Rainbow of Light--"
"Has! Failed!" Moondancer yelled, starling Twilight. "Twice it was used, and twice it failed to end him properly! And that's even if it still exists in the first place! Whatever happened in the past, it didn't hold! My ancestors were soft! So I will correct their mistake and kill Tirek with my bare hands if I have to!"
The elevator rattled to a stop and the door opened to reveal a pitch-black room. Moondancer inhaled deeply and ran a hand through her hair. "But, hopefully, I won't have to." She stepped into the room and snapped her fingers.
Lights blinded Twilight. When the spots faded from her eyes, she found a circular white space, similar to Starlight's lab. It was almost empty save for a wide control panel off to one side, with wires trailing out of it and snaking up to a gray metal box in the center of the room. Twilight thought it almost looked like an armoire.
"What is this?" Twilight asked, following Moondancer inside.
"This is the culmination of science and sorcery." Moondancer walked over to the control panel, reached down, and pulled out the Archon Amulet.
Twilight gasped and took a fighting stance, but Moondancer ignored her. She took several deep breaths before putting the amulet on. Its red jewel flashed, mirroring a gleam in Moondancer's eyes. She squeezed them shut, raised her hands, and placed them on the console. They glowed with magic, white tinged with red. The glow spread from the console, through the wires, and up to the central container. Moondancer held that position for over a minute before gasping and reeling back. She ripped the amulet off and clutched her chest, gasping for air.
As she slouched over the machine, Twilight finally lowered her sword. "Are you okay?"
Moondancer took a few measured breaths. "I'll be fine. Thank you though." She pressed a button, then pointed to the armoire.
Twilight followed her finger and watched as the front of the metal box slid down into the floor with a low hiss. Hanging inside was a bulky, cybernetic set of what appeared to be armor. It was deep blue, almost black with open patches that showed off its internal wiring. It was simple in design with no engravings or accessories. The gauntlets extended past the elbows and ended in sharp points, as did the crown on the open-faced helmet. The chest plate was the most intricately designed, reinforced with several folds of thin metal layered down the torso. The cables running from Moondancer's console ran up through the box and attached to the armor in several spots, still glowing with Moondancer's magic.
It was something, to say the least. But looking from it to Moondancer, the armor looked like it was meant to fit someone twice her size.
"You're pouring magic into this," Twilight said, still examining the finer details. "Why?"
"Because my magic alone is not enough." Moondancer regained her composure and joined Twilight in front of the suit of armor. "Tirek will be powerful when he regains his body. I need something that will match him in a fair fight. With Starlight's help, we created an experimental weapon that can accumulate magic."
"Like the Staff of Sanacas?"
"Similar, but not quite as refined. For one, the staff drains magic and can then redirect it. It copies whatever magic it absorbed. This is fueled by and runs on magic. This suit is meant to enhance the wearer's physical and magical capabilities. The more magic we can funnel into it, the stronger it will become." Moondancer looked at it with reverence. "The solution to the problem that is Tirek. Magical means failed in the past, and he is far stronger than any normal human. But if we combine the magical knowledge of the ancient world with the scientific innovations of the modern era... we create something he'll never see coming. A gift to save the world from his evil. My Deus Ex Machina."
Twilight sheathed her sword and crossed her arms, scrutinizing the armor. It was incomplete, but even if it could fully function, Twilight doubted how it would hold up if Tirek was as powerful as everyone feared. "Do you really think this will work?"
"It has to," Moondancer said firmly. "It's all we've got."
Twilight weighed her options. Moondancer was being truthful to her, but that didn't mean Twilight had to reciprocate. Still, if Moondancer wanted to go along with this crazy scheme, she deserved to know the alternative. "The Rainbow of Light is real. Artemis found it. Sort of... we need keys to open it, but we already found one!"
Moondancer clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. "All the more reason to use this instead."
"But, Moondancer--"
"The Rainbow of Light doesn't kill! It purifies or imprisons or banishes! It delays the problem and passes it on to someone else! My family is so obsessed with that trinket; they think it's the only way to beat Tirek. But he needs to die a mortal death! He needs to be stopped so that no one in the future has to deal with him. So that some other little girl doesn't have to suffer."
Her voice faded. Twilight considered her assertion. Moondancer was right to an extent: how ever Megan and Merlin had wielded the Rainbow of Light in the past only led to stalling Tirek out to become her generation's problem. Merlin had taken it a step further and sealed away all magic to make sure there wouldn't be any other Tireks again.
But Twilight wasn't comfortable with the idea of Moondancer fighting and, in the best-case scenario, killing Tirek. She had done a lot of things, but Twilight couldn't see her as a murderer, justified or not.
Moondancer tilted her head toward Twilight. "You disagree."
"I just... never considered death as an option. We don't know how the Rainbow of Light works. Maybe there is a way to permanently put Tirek somewhere."
"I'm not taking that chance. I won't leave the future of the world up to fate." She turned to fully face Twilight. "And you realize that if you were to utilize the Rainbow of Light, that would mean your friends would have to fight him. Are you okay with watching that bout?"
"Of course not," Twilight said, dreading to imagine how that fight could go. "But I don't like the thought of you or any of my friends killing someone!"
Moondancer smiled softly. "You're sweet. But I already have plenty of sins on my hands. I'm fine with adding one more."
Twilight huffed. "Fine. But, how do you know this will work?"
"I don't. It's still incomplete and needs a great deal more magic before I'm confident. But if Starlight's Arcane Access Project comes to fruition--if this world's magic can be restored--I might stand a chance."
Twilight connected the dots. "If there's more magic in the world, you have more to draw on and feed to the armor. Which is why you're using the Archon Amulet; to bolster your magic."
Moondancer nodded. "It's not particularly powerful on its own. I told you the truth all those months ago: I struggled to unlock my family's magic. For my mother and my cousins, it's in their blood. For me, I have to pull it from the world."
"But, if Starlight does restore this world's magic, wouldn't that make Tirek stronger too?"
Moondancer winced. "There... is that possibility. But Tirek relies more on the souls he's accumulated in his cursed amulet. And I plan on striking the moment he is revived. I won't give him the chance to get stronger."
Twilight frowned in confusion. "But didn't Starlight say--"
"My advanced apologies to Starlight, but she's crazy to even think I would let Tirek get as far as knocking on heaven's door. She'll be upset, but she said it herself: she'll find another way to bring back her precious Sunburst."
They lapsed into silence. Twilight stared at the armor again, her head swimming with information. Moondancer, Starlight, Tirek. All of them had their own agenda, and none of them were loyal to one another. Twilight wondered how this dysfunctional group managed to get this far.
"How does Tempest fit into this?" Twilight wondered aloud.
A shadow fell over Moondancer's face. "She actually believes in Tirek's insanity. She was born sickly in a poor country and lived in poverty her entire life. She managed to claw her way to college and become an archeologist and found Tirek's Soul Lock on an expedition. He promised her health and power. She's been his dogmatic lieutenant ever since."
Moondancer covered the good side of her face and tilted her head toward the ceiling. "For the past decade, she's made my life a living nightmare. I had to do what she said. And for a long time, that was simply 'stay out of the way. Don't be seen or heard.' She threatened me, abused me, held my life in the palm of her hand. All because I had everything she never did."
She lifted her hand above her head and curled her fingers. "And I can't wait to rip--" She threw her arm down "--everything away from her! When Tirek is gone and all the souls are free, she'll have no power. None for herself, and none over me."
Twilight watched Moondancer wipe a tear from the corner of her eye. A single conversation wouldn't undo all the things her old friend had done. But now, most of them made sense. Moondancer was no more a pawn in Tirek's game than the rest of her friends. And with how things stood, if Moondancer was telling the absolute truth, this game had two endings. A: Twilight and her friends stop Tirek before he's resurrected. But that meant fighting Moondancer, as she was hellbent on seeing him revived so he could die properly. And if they did stop him prematurely, that opened up the possibility of this happening again in the future. Or B: Tirek was revived, and someone would have to fight him, be it Moondancer with her armor or the Spectacular Seven with the Rainbow of Light. And again, if the Rainbow was used and Tirek wasn't killed, he could come back somewhere in the future.
With all their powers and all their training, could her friends stand up to a man who wanted to conquer gods? And that was if they really could unseal the Rainbow of Light. No matter what path they chose, the fate of the world was left up to a gamble.
"Twilight," Moondancer said softly, still averting her gaze. "I never wanted you to be a part of this. I hoped beyond hope that you would remain blissfully unaware, and that you would just be my dear friend who I could go to school with. Maybe more." She folded her hands over her heart. "Yes, definitely more. But that's all gone now. I only ask that you don't interfere with my plan. Prepare however you must, but do not tell your friends or my family about any of this. That is the last, selfish thing I will ever ask of you."
Twilight's sword hand drifted to her pommel and she gripped it tight. She hated lying. She hated keeping secrets. She already had enough to keep from her parents, now she had to lie to her friends too? But Moondancer was right; if Twilight told her friends what she knew, they would storm here and Starlight's lab to put an end to this. And the more Twilight thought about it, the more Moondancer made sense. If there was even a chance that her friends didn't have to fight Tirek, Twilight would take it.
And if she could be the reason they didn't have to fight...
"I'll help you," Twilight said firmly.
Moondancer turned her whole body toward Twilight. "I... beg your pardon?"
"I'm going to help you finish this Deus Ex Machina, and I'm going to help Starlight with the Arcane Access Project. I know what happened to this world's magic. If we can bring it back, not only can you finish powering this, my friends will get a magic boost as well. And everyone will have access to magic again. The entire world could change for the better."
Moondancer's eyes fluctuated between joy and concern. "Are... are you sure, Twilight?"
"I'm already involved. Nothing can change that now."
Eyes landing on joy, Moondancer made a small hop of excitement. "Oh, Twilight! I can't believe it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She held her arms out, but Twilight stepped back and put her hand up.
"I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this so my friends might not have to fight." She allowed an edge to her voice. "But if you give me any reason to suspect you have an ulterior motive--anything to make me think this is another lie, I will tell them everything. I barely trust you, Moondancer."
It was brief, but Twilight saw a flash of pain across Moondancer's face and thought perhaps her threat had been unwarranted. Moondancer dropped her arms and looked at the floor. "Of course. Naturally."
She squared her shoulders and looked up again. "Still, I deeply appreciate the help. With your incredible intellect, I'm sure we can make this even better than what I envisioned. And I'm sure Starlight will be delighted to keep you on."
Twilight checked her phone. It was almost ten o'clock. "I need to get home."
"Yes, it's rather late isn't it." Moondancer walked toward the elevator, shoulders slouched. "Come, I'll walk you out."
Twilight followed after her, still looking at her phone. Sunset had sent a message an hour ago. 'Wish you were here. Hope you know you're amazing. Love you.'
A pang of guilt struck Twilight's heart. I love you, too. That's why I'm doing this.
Twilight remembered their ski trip so long ago. On the mountain, Sunset had asked if she had any dark secrets to share since Sunset had already spilled most of hers. Twilight said she hadn't.
She supposed she had one now. |
Spectacular Seven | 17. In All But Name | It was another slow and quiet day around the Lulamoon household. Everyone had come downstairs for a hearty breakfast cooked up by Selena with Sunset assisting. She provided further assistance by cleaning up the dishes and helping to weed the garden.
It was noon when Sunset finished washing up and laid down on her bed. Spot climbed onto her stomach and laid down, panting as the summer sun warmed Sunset's room. She picked up her headphones, preparing to kill a few hours with music when her door burst open.
"Trixie demands your presence at once!" Trixie stood in the doorway, an unseen wind tousling her hair.
Sunset raised her head and looked over. "Why and for what?"
Trixie marched into the room and loomed over Sunset. "Whenever we're not training, you've been moping around. Trixie is sick of it. You're becoming too much like Shimmer. So, Trixie has decided to give you the honor of accompanying her to the county fair today! You can thank Trixie later."
"None of your friends wanted to go, did they?"
"Shut up; Trixie is trying to be nice!"
Sunset looked up at the ceiling. She was trying to take Rarity's advice and give Twilight her space, a feat that proved easier said than done. After Twilight had missed the revival two days ago, Sunset had wanted to do something together today to make up for it.
But, again, Twilight was busy. She had at least sounded genuinely apologetic when she had turned Sunset down earlier that morning. It still sent Sunset's spirits to rock bottom, and an outing with Trixie didn't sound like the kind of morale booster she needed right now.
"Sorry, Trix. Maybe later."
"Trixie wasn't asking," she said, hands on her hips and exuding an aura reminiscent of Selena's. "You're coming with me. So put on a smile and some sunscreen, and meet Trixie downstairs in ten minutes. Or Trixie will drag you out with magic."
Sunset was going to challenge her to try it, but Trixie had already stomped out of the room and shut the door. The rebellious spirit in Sunset was tempted to stay put and see if Trixie would make good on her threat, but her stuffy room manifested a trickle of sweat down her forehead.
She groaned petulantly. "Fine, I'll spend time with Trixie. But you're coming too," she said to Spot.
He woofed once and wagged his tail.
Sunset slipped on her boots and vest, leashed up Spot, and headed downstairs. Trixie waited in the living room, car keys floating over her palm.
"You made the correct choice," she said, smirking.
Sunset didn't engage her. The two girls and Spot headed out the door and piled into Trixie's smiling blue buggy. Trixie checked herself in the mirror and turned the radio on before pulling out of the driveway and onto the road. Sunset let Spot stick his head out the window. It was a rare treat for him, and his tail wagged so hard, Sunset thought it might fall off.
"Sooo, we have a county fair?" Sunset asked as they exited onto the highway.
"Of course we do!" Trixie said with a snort. "It's only one of the biggest events of the summer! Have you been hiding under a rock your entire time in this world?"
"No, I was hiding in a factory," Sunset snarked. She was sure she vaguely remembered talk of a county fair in the lead-up to summer breaks in the past. But a 'county' fair brought to mind haybales, cheap rides, and sad clowns. Sunset had immediately discarded the idea of ever attending. Even now, it sounded like today would be a drawn-out experience.
Of course, she had had similar misgivings about the street fair she had attended last fall. She had been correct, but granted, she had been dragged there against her will, and she hadn't exactly been in a great state of mind.
Deja vu. Okay, try to be positive. Be open-minded; try to enjoy a new experience. And have fun... with Trixie. Harder, but possible.
The highway took them west, past the junkyard and beyond the city limits. Short hills rolled around them, their grass yellow from the summer heat. Trixie blasted the AC, negated by Spot's open window, though she nor Sunset had the heart to pull him away.
The hills leveled out and the fairgrounds came into view. There was a smattering of colorful tents and small buildings with a Ferris wheel, a tilt-a-whirl, and a roller coaster looming in the background. It was more impressive than what Sunset had pictured in her head, but it didn't shake the idea of cheap entertainment and cheap food.
They found a spot to park in the dirt parking lot and stepped out into the hot summer air. Sunset wrinkled her nose at the smell of fried meat while Spot eagerly pulled on his leash, his tail a blur.
Trixie stretched her arms over her head. "Ahh, a perfect day for the fair! Trixie hopes there's a street magician today so she can show up to prove their inferiority."
"I'm surprised you or your dad didn't volunteer to perform here," Sunset said, pulling Spot away from a melting ice cream cone.
"We were a little too busy globe-trotting for an ancient family heirloom to sign up," Trixie said with no small hint of pride.
Thankfully, the line for tickets had an awning to provide shade. Sunset had built up sweat on her forehead just from the walk over. Unfortunately, the fairground itself was covered in black pavement that absorbed and radiated the sun's heat.
I have fire powers. Shouldn't I be immune to heat? Sunset complained to herself.
"So, where should we start?" Trixie asked, looking at the map she had been provided. "Trixie thinks we should eat first, then walk around, and save the rides for last."
"Sure, it's your call," Sunset said lazily.
Trixie folded the map up and shoved it into her pocket. "Could you at least pretend you're trying to have fun?"
"Gosh and golly, Trix! I'm just like so totes excited to be at the fair!" Sunset said, using her best valley girl imitation and skipping in place.
Trixie leaned back. "Please never do that again."
"It's one or the other, Trixie. Pick one," Sunset said, listless again.
"Ugh!" Trixie rolled her eyes and walked off.
Sunset allowed herself a small, amused smile and followed after Trixie, pulling Spot along.
*******
Rarity heard the bell over the shop door ring and leaped out of her chair. She ran out of the back room and found Coco standing in the middle of the lobby with a paper bag in hand.
"Coco, darling!" Rarity wrapped her in a tight hug. "Allow me to congratulate you again!"
Coco leaned into the hug. "Thank you, Miss Rarity. I couldn't have done it without your help."
Rarity pulled away but kept her hands on Coco's shoulders. "So, has there been any word yet? Tell me everything!"
"Nothing's official yet," Coco said, "but the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. Everyone is saying it was the best revival they had ever seen! And not just Coloratura's performance; the entire show! But 'Rara' is trending on social media now. Everyone wants to see more of her acoustic performances."
Rarity clapped her hands and bounced up and down. "Oh, I know! Applejack called me and told me the good news earlier! I'm so glad everything was a hit success!"
"Me too. I really couldn't have done my part without you, so thank you, thank you, Miss Rarity!" Coco gushed, bowing her head.
"Stop thanking me, darling. They were your designs. And speaking of, I saw a few more in there that I would love to help bring to life."
Coco clasped her hands together, stars in her eyes. "I would love that, Miss Rarity!"
"Excellent. And then, we can go over some of the finer details on how to run the store. I'll make sure you have everything you need to take care of Carousel Boutique when I depart." Rarity turned for the back room, but Coco cleared her throat and held out the paper bag she had brought.
"Umm, I want you to have this, Miss Rarity. I know you said stop thanking you, but, let me say thank you one more time."
Rarity gave her a guilty smile. "Sweetness, the reason I had to do what I did was to make up for what I didn't do."
"Well..." Coco gave her a devious smile. "If you did do what you were supposed to do in the first place, I would still be thanking you for helping me do it. So, here."
Rarity gave an overdramatic sigh. "Very well, if you insist." She took the bag, reached inside, and pulled out a vaguely familiar red beret. It was hand-sewn from incredibly soft wool and had a cursive R stitched on the side.
"I based it off my Yarn-Off design, but I thought red would be a better color for you. And I know it gets colder up north, so--"
Rarity flung her arms around Coco. "I love it. And I will cherish it always."
When they pulled apart, both girls had to wipe tears from their eyes. Rarity's heart felt fit to burst, a feeling usually reserved for when she was sharing a moment with her friends. She held the beret up to admire it further, and under the fluorescent store lights, thought she saw the entire thing glimmer in a rainbow hue.
No... that hadn't been an illusion. Rarity saw that! The image replayed in her mind: six vibrant colors that flowed over the beret before vanishing.
She looked at the ceiling and then to the window. There was nothing here that could have caused that illusion, and unless Coco was secretly magic, Rarity doubted it was her doing.
"What's wrong, Miss Rarity?" Coco asked.
"Um, nothing," Rarity said, still appraising the beret. "I'm just touched you would make this nice a gift for me."
"It's the least I could do after the generosity you've shown me."
Rarity smiled absently. Generosity? Only after I took advantage of her. But I suppose it was a lesson learned. Eyes still on her new hat, she turned for the back room again. "Come now, we've got a lot of work to do."
Coco gave an eager squee and followed after her, skipping toward the sewing machine.
Rarity took a seat at her desk. She gave the hat one more squint, then set it on her head. Nothing happened. Had she really just imagined it? She hadn't imagined the deep warmth that had accompanied it.
Rarity furrowed her brow as something tickled the back of her neck. Magic was afoot. It wasn't sinister; she was certain of that. She wished she could ask Sunset or Twilight for their opinion, though they could have easily dismissed it as a trick of the light.
Just as Rarity was about to put the whole thing out of her head, something Twilight said pushed to the front of her thoughts; something about pure hearts understanding the virtues of the world.
Pinkie got her key after helping Sonata truly reform; by being a genuine friend to her. She gave Pinkie her wristband. What if...
Rarity took the beret off her head and peered at it again. Was she being presumptuous? She had sacrificed her dream and helped make Coco's come true. In turn, she had been gifted a beautiful beret that she swore shone in a rainbow hue.
Was she holding a key to the Rainbow of Light?
She jumped out of her seat. Was that the secret of their keys; helping others and discovering something about their harmonic alignment? If that was the case, she needed to get this to the chest! She needed to tell her friends!
"Oh, Miss Rarity, while you're up, could you get me the roll of periwinkle, please?"
Rarity's adrenaline slowed. She looked at Coco, measuring a roll of fabric with a smile. How many times had Rarity run out on Coco for some magic-related shenanigan?
Too many, she thought. Rarity tucked the beret onto her head and walked to the fabric closet. "Of course, Coco, one second."
The secrets of magic could wait a little while longer. Rarity had more important things to do.
*******
Sunset didn't hate fried food. French fries were delicious, and there were too many nights to count when she missed deep-fried hay from her Canterlot. But, watching food stall operators smother everything from hot dogs to ice cream in thick batter and drown it in bubbling oil made her sick.
She could barely hide her disgust as she watched Trixie bite into a square of deep-fried butter. "Why?" was all Sunset could ask.
"To your unrefined palate, it may look disgusting, but it tastes like French toast."
"I'm just gonna take your word for it."
Spot made a whine of desire, but if a dog from Equestria couldn't eat deep-fried butter, she wasn't about to find out if an Earth dog could.
The main concourse of the fair had food stalls aplenty. Mixed in with the cacophony of the crowd were the snaps and crackles of fryers and popcorn machines. Kids walked by them with bundles of cotton candy and fried foods similar to Trixie's, usually on a stick.
Just beyond the food were rows of game booths that instantly reminded Sunset of the street fair from last year. Tests of strength, ring toss, knock the bottles down, water guns, and a dozen more, only of higher quality and with better prizes.
Trixie finished her snack and tossed the trash into the nearest waste bin before rubbing her hands together. "Now, which game should Trixie conquer first?"
Sunset gave a noncommittal shrug.
"Ugh, you're boring," Trixie bemoaned. "Trixie almost wishes you would go back to pretending you were having fun."
"Wow, Trix! All these games just look uber fun! I totes can't decide which to play first!" Sunset pressed her hands against her cheeks. "Oooh, the balloon-popping game has a stuffed bear for a prize! But, gasp, the ring toss has a giant parrot! It's just so hard to decide with how fantastical everything is!"
"Alright, alright!" Trixie stuck her tongue out. "That's enough."
"Good, 'cause I don't have the energy to keep that up."
"Then the least you can do is cheer Trixie on while she wins some prizes." Trixie strutted to the balloon-popping game and handed the stall owner a ticket. He handed her three darts in return.
"Prepare to be amazed!" Trixie said, cocking her arm back. She flung her first dart and succeeded in landing in the mesh right between two balloons.
"Yeah, I'm certainly amazed," Sunset said snidely. She had stooped down to give Spot water and ear scritches.
Trixie growled. "Trixie was just warming up." She picked up the dart and took aim, pressing her tongue between her lips. She flicked her wrist forward and the dart sailed and popped a yellow balloon. Spot barked at the sudden sound.
"Haha! In your face!" Trixie cheered, pointing a finger down dangerously close to Sunset's nose.
Sunset pushed her hand away. "It's one dart. Calm down."
Trixie scrunched her nose and turned to finish her game, popping the last balloon. Her prize was a fidget spinner. She spun it on her thumb, then when no one was looking, floated it over her palm.
Sunset arched an eyebrow. "Why didn't you use magic to win the game?"
Trixie scoffed. "And ruin the challenge? Hardly sportsmanlike."
"Since when did you care about being sportsmanlike?"
"It's a silly game." Trixie spun the toy faster. "Trixie isn't going to waste magic on it."
"Whatever." Sunset heard Trixie's exasperated sigh and gave a guilty puff of her own. She knew she was being crotchety, but she wasn't in the mood to play and socialize. Her thoughts were still on Twilight. While she appreciated Trixie's gesture, Sunset would have rathered Twilight's company.
Her hand reflexively went to her pocket and pulled out her phone. No new messages.
Trixie led them to the next game: knock down the bottles. As she was handed a baseball, Sunset remembered her outing to the street fair again, and how she had won that stuffed unicorn sitting at home. It hadn't talked to her in a while. Hopefully, a good sign for her psyche.
With her first throw, Trixie could only knock the top bottle down. In her defense, Sunset thought the bottles looked far sturdier than the ones at the street booth. Trying again, Trixie managed to get the remaining two.
"Haha! Another prize for Trixie!" She selected a metal slinky, then held the last ball out to Sunset. "Come on, it won't kill you."
Sunset huffed and took it, for nostalgia's sake more than anything. She took a quick aim and threw with all her might, surprising herself when she knocked two bottles down.
"Congratulations, miss," the booth owner said. "You can pick any prize from the second shelf."
Sunset looked over at the prize selection. Spider rings, stickers, figurines, and small stuffed animals. She pointed to a spotted yellow gecko. "I'll take that one I guess."
He scooped it up and handed it over. The gecko fit squarely in Sunset's palm and had an easy-going smile. It was actually cute if Sunset was honest.
"What do you think?" Sunset asked. Trixie opened her mouth to respond, but Sunset knelt and held the gecko out to Spot. He sniffed it and gave an affirming tail wag.
"Guess he can stay then," Sunset said, amused by Trixie's indignant cheek puffing. She gave it a little pet on the head. She would have to come up with a name for him later. "But if you start talking, we're gonna have problems."
"What?"
"Nothing," Sunset said as she pocketed her stuffed gecko.
They continued down the rows of games, Trixie expanding her prize collection with each victory. She offered Sunset several more opportunities to take a turn, but Sunset turned her down. None of the other fair prizes looked good, and she was fine with just her new gecko.
As they walked, Sunset swore she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, but every time she looked, her notifications were empty. Sunset growled to herself and wiped away a layer of sweat off her forehead. If she was going to be miserable about Twilight, she'd have preferred to do it in a place with air conditioning.
"Put your phone away and watch Trixie," Trixie said as she was handed a mallet. They had reached the test of strength game, the last challenge for Trixie to conquer. Sunset couldn't understand how she exerted so much energy in this heat.
Trixie lifted the mallet over her head and slammed it down on the see-saw. The bar flew halfway up the poll before dropping like a stone.
"See?" Trixie panted. "Great and powerful!" She picked an inflatable toy mallet for her prize and waved it in front of Sunset's face.
Sunset slapped it away, but Trixie followed up with the real one. "Your turn."
"Trixie I don't want to--"
"Just try it," Trixie snapped, shoving the hammer into Sunset's hands and taking Spot's leash.
She scowled but accepted it and stepped up to the see-saw. Channeling her frustrations, she heaved the surprisingly heavy mallet up and brought it down with all the force she could muster. The bar flew up and hit the bell with a soft ding!
"Winner!" the stand operator cried. From a bin behind the strength test, he pulled out a painted, wooden replica of Thor's hammer.
"Lucky," Trixie said enviously.
"Here, take it," Sunset said, passing it off. While it was cool, she didn't trust herself not to abuse a giant wooden mallet.
Trixie took it but clicked her tongue. "How is this not exciting to you?"
Sunset took Spot back and walked away, looking for an unoccupied table under one of the awnings scattered about. "Because it's just a toy."
"No, I mean with all of this?" Trixie asked, stomping after her. "You've been anti-fun since we got here."
Sunset turned around. "Yeah, because it's hot, it smells terrible, and I'm bored."
Trixie waved Thor's hammer. "Trixie has been trying to get you to play some games!"
"I don't want to play any of these games!" Sunset shouted, shoulders tensing. "They're cheap entertainment with cheap prizes!"
"Uughh! If you're going to be this much of a grouch, maybe we should just go home!"
"Fine, sounds good!" Sunset threw her arms up. "I don't even know why you dragged me out here!"
Trixie dropped the hammer and shouted, "Because Trixie wanted to have fun with her sister!"
Sunset's shoulders relaxed and she dropped her arms. She stared at Trixie who looked just as shocked as Sunset felt. "Your... what?"
"You heard me!" Trixie blurted again, then turned away from Sunset, cheeks pink. "You're the annoying sister Trixie...I never had. I hated you at first. But then I got used to you living with us. And it actually became fun. And... you helped save my dad. And with summer coming to an end, I realized I'm going to miss you. So, excuse me for trying to spend a little time with you before I leave. I was hoping this would cheer you up and make some fun and happy memories while we still have the chance."
Sunset reached up and touched the necklace Trixie had gotten her for Christmas last year. It was patterned like her cutie mark and gleamed in the sunlight. It was one of the nicest gifts anyone had ever gotten her. And here Trixie was, trying to be nice again while Sunset was acting... like her old self.
"I'm sorry, Trix," Sunset said, stepping closer. "I'm just worried about Twilight and irritated that I haven't spent any time with her, I kinda forgot about spending time with anyone else. And, I never knew that's how you felt about me."
"It's a surprise to me too," Trixie said, still giving Sunset the cold shoulder, "that I would get attached to you of all people. But you clearly don't feel the same."
Sunset rested a hand on Trixie's shoulder. "That's not true! I honestly just never thought about it. I'd always had a strained relationship with my family. My parents worked so hard, I barely got to spend any time with them. And the pony who I would consider a second mother, I stabbed in the back. I'm not good at this family thing--I just figured out friendship."
She moved her hand back to her necklace. "But, I'm touched if you really think of me as a sister."
Trixie looked over her shoulder, though her bangs covered most of her face. "Moondancer and I used to be close. She would come over all the time. When her mom passed away, she slowly faded from our lives. I missed having someone else like that around. Even if you're far more annoying than Moondancer was."
"Hey, I'm not an egotistical diva! No offense." Sunset paused. "Actually, never mind, offense meant."
Trixie held a hand to her mouth and snickered. "I shouldn't be laughing. I do miss her a lot. But... I've grown annoyingly fond of you, too."
Sunset smiled softly. "Sorry I've been a pain today. But, hey, that's what sisters do sometimes, right?"
Turning to face Sunset, Trixie rolled her eyes but smiled back. "Just don't make a habit of it." Her smile wilted and she looked at the ground. "We can go home if you want though."
Taking a deep breath, Sunset shook her head. "No, you brought me out here to have fun. I haven't exactly been trying, so let's enjoy the rest of the day."
Trixie brightened. "Good. Because Trixie is determined to ride every ride here!" She picked up Thor's hammer and pointed toward the roller coaster. "Let us be off!"
"You got it, Sis."
"You can just keep referring to Trixie as Trixie."
*******
Fluttershy bent her knees and set the large bag of dog food down in front of the next row of kennels. She took a shovel, scooped a large helping of kibbles, and poured it into the first bowl before moving on to the next. All the animals were out in the yard, leaving the inner enclosure quiet, so Fluttershy hummed a light tune to herself.
She was going to miss this; being around animals so often, playing, feeding, even cleaning up after them. She knew Ms. Tenderheart and the other volunteers would be fine, but Fluttershy, being the mother hen she was couldn't help but worry. She would need to leave a detailed list of every animal's specific needs and habits she had picked up on. But what about any new animals that came in? Ms. Tenderheart was good, but she was so often busy with paperwork and medicine. Fluttershy wished she had a professional assistant like Rarity did.
Ding!
Fluttershy paused her food refilling and jumped to her feet. Someone was at the front counter! "I'll get it!" she called out to no one in particular. She jogged out to the lobby, her heart somersaulting upon entering.
Moondancer stood at the front counter wearing a knee-length purple day dress and black stockings. She shuffled in place and looked at the ground when Fluttershy walked in. "Ahem," she cleared her throat. "G-good day, Fluttershy."
"Um, hi," Fluttershy squeaked. "H-how are you doing?"
"I'm... you know..."
Fluttershy honestly had no idea, but just nodded politely. "That's... good. Wh-what brings you here? Um, sorry! I-I mean, welcome to the Canterlot Animal Shelter and Rescue Center! How can I help you today?"
Moondancer looked up and smiled. Her cheek was red. "I, um, I just came here to make sure that you received the charity auction check."
Fluttershy almost skipped in place. "Yes, we did! Thank you so much, Moondancer! We had a leak in the back that we were so worried about paying for! But now, we can cover that and afford more medicine for our sicker animals."
"Oh, that's wonderful to hear!" Moondancer clapped her hands. "I'm glad I could help out."
Her shoulders dropped and her happy smile turned wistful. "I actually made a difference... that's nice," she said softly.
Fluttershy walked around the counter, heart beating faster as she got closer. "Of course you did. I can't thank you enough."
"It was my pleasure," Moondancer said, some of her vigor returning. "I do love animals, and I have nothing but admiration for you taking care of the ones that were lost or abandoned."
Fluttershy sighed, exhaling some of her vigor. "I wish it didn't happen, but I'm glad I can be here to help. It's going to be hard to move on at the end of the month."
Moondancer looked around and tilted her ear toward the door to the back. "You're not the only person who volunteers, right?"
"No, of course not!" Fluttershy pulled on her fingers. "I mean, sometimes. I'm the most consistent volunteer. But, during the summer, plenty of people come by to help! It's just... during the fall when school starts, people get busy... and we don't have enough money to pay people for very long..."
"I see." Moondancer pursed her lips in thought, then pulled her phone out and began tapping away. "Well, what if I set up a stipend for the shelter to be allocated for labor costs? That way, your employer can afford full-time workers. If that's alright with you, of course."
Fluttershy stared, open-mouthed until her lungs reminded her she needed to breathe. "Y-you would do that?"
"Of course." Moondancer looked up from her phone. "Only with permission. And there would be no strings attached. Just keep doing--oof!"
Fluttershy tackled Moondancer in a hug, squeezing her as tight as possible. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! That's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for us! And that's after you already donated! Thank you, Moondancer!"
"You're welcome," Moondancer said in a higher-pitched voice.
Strands of Moondancer's hair tickled Fluttershy's nose. She smelled of hibiscus and roses. With a small yelp, Fluttershy realized what she was doing and jumped back, face burning. "Sorry!"
Moondancer smoothed out her dress, her face red as well. "That's quite alright. Um, if that is settled, I should be going. I didn't mean to stay as long as I have."
"Oh no, you're not overstaying your welcome at all! Please, stay as long as you like! I love the company!" The words were a waterfall out of Fluttershy's mouth. She had to clap a hand over it to keep herself from babbling more.
Moondancer made a soft, throaty giggle. "I'm afraid I have other business to attend to. And I'm sure you have duties as well." She crossed one hand over her heart and bowed. "It was lovely to see you, Fluttershy. I will have someone contact you when the annuity fund is finalized."
She turned to go, triggering the rush of remaining words building up behind Fluttershy's hand. Feeling the surge of bravery she had experienced at the gala, Fluttershy moved her hand and blurted, "Would you like to get some tea with me?"
The silence couldn't have lasted more than three seconds, but it dragged on for an eternity. Moondancer turned around, her fully visible eye wide. "Um..." She cleared her throat, but when she spoke again, her voice was still shaky.
"That's very kind of you, Fluttershy. Unfortunately, I will be busy for the foreseeable future." Before Fluttershy's spirits could crash, Moondancer met her eyes. "But... perhaps... before you head off for college I could squeeze in a tea date with you."
Fluttershy's heart crawled up to her throat. "That would be nice," she said in her mousiest voice by far.
"Then it's a date." Moondancer smiled and twiddled her finders before exiting the shelter.
It was only after the door closed did Fluttershy remember to breathe again. She couldn't believe it. She had asked a girl out! She had asked Moondancer out! And she had said yes!
Fluttershy gave a high-pitched, nervous laugh. She could not tell Rainbow. Or Sunset.
*******
Sunset wobbled out of the Gravitron spinning ride, her body readjusting to the lack of centripetal force pressing on it.
Twilight would have loved this ride. She could calculate how fast my head is spinning.
She shook her head and grounded herself in the moment. No more thinking about Twilight until she got home. She was having fun with Trixie. The magician girl stumbled out of the ride and clutched Sunset's shoulder to keep steady.
"Why is the world still spinning?"
Sunset smirked as she untied Spot's leash from the guard rail and scooped him up, almost sending Trixie toppling over. "The world is usually spinning."
"You know what Trixie means!" She righted herself, then grabbed their bag of prizes. "Was that the last one?"
"Unless you want to go on the merry-go-round." Sunset jabbed a thumb at the carousel of brightly colored horses.
"Trixie thinks that would be an anti-climactic end to our adventure."
"Agreed." The two shared a giggle and moved toward the vendor stalls. The last two hours had been spent riding almost every ride at the fair. They got some relief from the heat at the log flume ride and were both nearly sick from the tilt-a-whirl. Halfway through, they took a break at the doggy corner to feed Spot and give him a chance to run off-leash.
When she had stopped sulking and opened herself up to the experience, Sunset found the fair enjoyable. She talked and joked with Trixie while they waited in line, and while most of the rides couldn't compare to the thrill of flying on her own wings, they were still fun, especially the plunges some of the roller coasters made.
It had all served as a nice distraction from Twilight. Sunset had managed to go the entire time without checking her phone. Still, as she and Trixie approached the first tent of trinkets, Sunset pulled her phone out and her heart sank at the empty inbox.
"Blegh." Trixie stuck her tongue out. "It's times like this Trixie is glad she's single."
"Is that by choice?" Sunset asked with a smirk and a raised brow.
"Trixie will hex you."
"I'm joking," Sunset said dryly. "I'm sure someone will find you irresistible someday."
Trixie flipped her hair. "Of course they will. Trixie is not only great and powerful, she is also charming and beautiful."
"And so humble."
"Trixie is glad you see her finer qualities." She stooped over a display case and looked at the glittering jewelry inside. "Now, either tell Trixie what's wrong or stop looking at your phone like a lost puppy."
Sunset looked down at Spot, who looked up at her with big brown eyes asking for pets. She put her phone away and obliged.
"After what happened with Adagio, I feel like Twilight has been growing distant. Both from the group and... from me. And Rarity says I should give her space to let her find her self-worth again with this internship, but that's all she's been doing! I just want to spend some time with her before she goes away."
"Oh my gosh," Trixie groaned. She straightened up and whirled to face Sunset. "Then just tell her you want to spend time with her and go do it. Even if she acts ungrateful at first, eventually, she'll realize what you're trying to do and appreciate it."
Sunset scratched the back of her head, cheeks red. "Heh, again, sorry."
Trixie waved a dismissive hand. "Apology accepted. But, see? It worked in the end. Trixie can't believe you've been moping about that this entire time."
"I just don't want to make anything worse."
"You're her girlfriend. She's in love with you," Trixie deadpanned. "Go remind her of that. I seriously doubt you can make things worse with that."
To Sunset's surprise, Trixie had a point. It had worked once on the Ferris wheel. However, the fact that Sunset had to go do it again proved it hadn't been that effective. Still, if it got Sunset one more date and instilled some reassurance into Twilight, she'd do it. Honestly, Sunset felt silly that she had let this sit for so long. Yes, Rarity was right and Twilight needed the space to find her path, but Sunset needed Twilight.
Wow, you sap. Our days of being a cold loner are so over.
"Thanks, Trix," Sunset said, standing up again. "You give surprisingly good advice."
Trixie gave her a full smile that reminded Sunset of Artemis. "Another one of Trixie's stellar traits, yes. But also, your problem isn't that difficult." She moved over to the other side of the tent, freeing up space in front of the jewelry section.
Sunset browsed the silver trinkets, many of them glittering with fake gemstones. One did catch her eye, however. She waved the vendor over and pointed to it. "Could I have that one please?"
She made her purchase while Trixie was distracted by wooden carvings. Apart from the box, Sunset didn't ask for any packaging. She walked over to Trixie and held the box out.
Trixie put down the mask she was examining and took the box. "What's this?"
"A gift," Sunset said. "For my sister."
Trixie's cheeks turned scarlet. "Oh... you didn't have to get me anything."
"Then give it back if you don't want it; that cost a pretty penny."
Trixie clutched the box to her chest and blew a raspberry at Sunset's outstretched hand. When Sunset retracted her hand and laughed, Trixie finally opened it. Resting on the white cushion was a silver crescent moon. Trixie pulled the necklace up, eyes alight with amazement.
"Sunset, it's beautiful."
"Yeah. I thought it could match mine." She tapped her sun necklace.
Stowing the box in her pocket, Trixie slipped the chain around her neck and let the moon fall on top of her breastbone. "How do I look?"
Sunset gave her an appreciative smile. "Great and powerful as always."
Looking surprisingly bashful, Trixie turned away. "Come on. Let's go home. That's enough sappy feelings for one day."
Sunset agreed silently. And riding so many rides had left her surprisingly tired. The three maneuvered their way out of the fairgrounds, the sun finally setting and bringing the heat down with it. As they made their way to the car, Sunset looked down at her own necklace.
Mom, Dad... I hope you guys are doing well. And I hope I'll see you again someday. But in the meantime, I'm doing pretty good.
*******
Twilight looked up at the whiteboard wheeled next to Starlight's desk. Yesterday, after Twilight had told Starlight everything she had learned from Stygian's journal, Starlight had filled the board with copious notes. Coming in today, Twilight found the board overflowing with Post-it notes, pictures, and red string. It looked more like a conspiracy board.
Starlight poked her head out from behind the whiteboard. "Hello, Twilight, welcome in! Would you like some coffee? We have a busy day today!"
"Hello, Miss Starlight," Twilight said stiffly. "No thank you. I'm not allowed to have caffeine."
Despite sharing what she knew about magic, Twilight couldn't shake her newfound unease of being around Starlight. There were also lingering traces of resentment for being lied to, or as Starlight would say to soften it, 'misdirected.'
Though Twilight was reassured the chances were slim, the possibility that Tirek or Tempest could pop in at any moment never left her peripheral thoughts. And, of course, there was the underlying guilt stemming from keeping her friends and Sunset in the dark about what she was doing. Her last date with Sunset felt like a lifetime ago.
But she squared her shoulders and gritted her teeth. She was too far in to back out now. If a little discomfort and heartache meant saving her friends and the world, then so be it.
Starlight stepped around the whiteboard, a mug of coffee in hand. "That's a shame." She took a long sip. "So, I went over our notes from yesterday--"
"I noticed."
"--and added a few of my own, as well as initial ideas on how we might correct Merlin's little mistake." She tapped one of the notes. "All we have to do is open up a portal to that pocket dimension. I know it sounds difficult, but, we already know it's been done before!"
"But we don't know how," Twilight argued. "And nothing in Stygian's notes mentions how Merlin did either."
"I'm sure a lab full of top-notch scientists can figure it out," Starlight said chipperly. "I have Night Glider bringing down our particle accelerator as a starting point."
Twilight gave an uncertain shrug. "I guess particle physics is one place to start. But, unless we can build a hadron collider, I don't think we'll find much progress."
Starlight took a contemplative sip of her coffee. "Building a collider isn't impossible, just time-consuming. And expensive. And Moondancer's already nagging that we've gone over budget this month. But we need to do something."
Twilight made short paces in front of Starlight's desk. "If we at least had a reference to pull from. All of your technology was based on magic we've previously seen."
Starlight nodded. "And we haven't seen anyone hop dimensions."
Twilight stopped pacing and gasped in realization, then quickly recoiled.
"You thought of something?" Starlight asked, an eager light in her eyes.
"Um, yes... maybe? I... I don't know." Twilight bit her lip. Despite all the information she had spilled, she had never mentioned Sunset hailing from a different world. Magic was one thing, extra-dimensional aliens were another.
Before Twilight could come up with a lie, Starlight gasped with an epiphany. "Sunset's from another dimension!"
Twilight's heart froze. "You know about that?"
"Moondancer mentioned it," Starlight said airily. "I didn't believe her until I met the other Sunset from this world. If we can find what the foreign Sunset used to travel to our dimension, perhaps we can use that as our reference!"
Twilight inwardly cursed. She couldn't lead Starlight to the portal statue, could she? And as far as Sunset had told her, the portal only led to Equestria. So, how much help could it be?
Starlight laid a hand on Twilight's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm not going to harm Sunset or her home dimension in any way, Twilight. I just want to know how she got here. It could be the key to bringing magic back to this world."
That was true. It was the reason Twilight chose to stay. Still, she bit her lip. This felt like some violation of trust, even with Starlight's promise.
But if the technology we make is based on the Equestrian portal, not only could we potentially bring magic back, we could open our own portal to Equestria!
It would be the greatest gift Twilight could ever give Sunset. And that was assuming this line of research even yielded results. With the portal dormant, Twilight had her doubts. So, what was the harm?
"Okay," Twilight said, swallowing the shakiness in her voice, "I'll show you."
> 18. Spiral
Guilt or exhaustion? Twilight wasn't sure which made her more irritable. It had been a long day. Her hands and eyes hurt. And no matter how much she justified her actions, the guilt still gnawed at her heartstrings.
It'll be fine. You just have to make sure everything goes right. Make this all worth it.
"Ouch!" Her hand snapped back as a stray spark of electricity bounced up her glove and shocked the exposed part of her skin.
"Are you alright?" Moondancer called.
"I'm fine!" Twilight snapped. She was more angry at the magical electricity, but the last thing she wanted was Moondancer's concern.
They were in the basement that housed the Deus Ex Machina. Said machine was out of its armory and lying on a workbench. Twilight tinkered with the exposed wiring, following the schematics Moondancer and Starlight had drawn up and making minor tweaks to it. Rearranging some of the conduits would theoretically increase the magical output by one percent. It wasn't much, but if this was the weapon to defeat Tirek, every bit of power counted.
She picked up the soldering iron and resumed her work. There wasn't a lot left to do--Moondancer had been working on this for over a year. The last thing remaining was to test it, and Twilight had no idea where or how they would do that.
She flinched at the idea of testing, and the soldering iron hit a wire and sent another jolt of magical electricity flying through the air. This time, it bounced off Twilight's goggles, though she still yelped at the crackling ball of energy attacking her face.
"Twilight!" Moondancer rushed over from the console. "Are you--"
"I'm fine!" Twilight said hotly, swatting the stray bolt away. "It's just some static discharge."
Moondancer stopped an arm's length away and stood awkwardly. "If you're sure. Yes, the wiring can be surprisingly finicky. I cannot count the times I was shocked myself."
She's trying to make small talk again, Twilight thought, rolling her eyes. She made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat to acknowledge she heard Moondancer but otherwise remained silent.
Moondancer sighed and walked back over to the control panel. "I heard you and Starlight are conducting your first portal test soon. Congratulations."
Twilight flinched again. Thankfully, she hasn't started the soldering iron yet. Yes, she and Starlight were entering the next phase of the Arcane Access Project. Today had been what could be argued the most critical step in their endeavor: taking magic from the statue portal.
It hadn't been a lot, at least, Starlight said it hadn't been a lot. But when Twilight watched as Starlight not only revealed that she too had a shard from the Staff of Sacancas, but proceeded to siphon the magic from Sunset's gate home, the guilt threatened to overwhelm her.
Still, she soldiered on. It was far too late to back out now. Starlight was going to open a portal to magic one way or another. The least Twilight could do was be there to make sure that's all she did.
When they returned to the lab, work began immediately on a way to redirect the power they had absorbed into a dedicated machine. Twilight had told Starlight the portal was geared toward one destination only.
"Perhaps. But that's because it's attuned to the magic of that world. If we gave it a different focal point..."
Twilight had excused herself halfway through the initial construction phase. Depending on how fast Starlight worked, they could be running preliminary tests by tomorrow.
It'd be great if it worked off the bat. But what if we open a portal to Equestria instead? What would Starlight do? How much restraint would she have over the idea of studying magic-laden ponies? Could Twilight stop her? She shook her head. One step at a time. First, they needed to see if they could even harness this power.
"Twilight, are you okay?" Moondancer asked.
Twilight looked over at her. "I told you, I'm fine," she said tersely. "It was just a little shock."
"No, I mean how are you doing? You're tense."
"No I'm not!" She heard the defensiveness in her voice and grumbled. "It's nothing."
"Twilight... you don't have to do this," Moondancer said softly.
"Yes, I do. Because you're right; Tirek is going to come back sooner or later, and the last thing I want is for my friends to fight him. And if they do have to fight..." She clenched her fist. "I want us to have every advantage we can get."
Moondancer bowed her head. Just when Twilight thought the conversation was over, she whispered, "You just don't seem like yourself."
Twilight gnashed her teeth and slammed the soldering iron onto the workbench. "I'm sorry. I'm working with morally dubious people doing morally questionable things, trying to revive a soul-sucking warlock, and lying to my friends all the while! So you'll have to forgive me if I'm a little high-strung!" She hated to admit it, but she took some satisfaction watching Moondancer flinch.
"I'm sorry," Moondancer said. She didn't speak again.
With a composing breath, Twilight picked up her tool and resumed working. Every night since she had become embroiled in this conspiracy, she had contemplated telling her friends everything she had learned and what she was doing. But her initial conversation with Moondancer stopped her from going through with it. Someone someday was going to have to fight Tirek. And if her friends found the Rainbow of Light and did it, they would either lose or push the problem off to a future generation. Twilight couldn't let them stop Moondancer and Starlight yet. And if she told them now with nothing to show for her deception, they would only be upset with her, Sunset most of all.
"One way through," Twilight whispered to herself. "I'll help finish off Tirek and give the world magic again."
*******
Sunset awoke to the clunking sound of her phone vibrating against her nightstand. She rolled over and picked it up, finding a text from Rarity and only mildly disappointed it wasn't from Twilight. Rarity wanted to know if everyone could meet up at Sunset's house in an hour, she had something critical to discuss.
Interest peaked and stomach empty, Sunset rose from bed and started her day. She had a plan today: ask--not demand, but firmly request--Twilight spend actual time with her.
Just because you're nicer does not make you a doormat. Go and get your girl, filly!
Sunset firmly nodded to herself in the mirror as she brushed the bedhead out of her hair. She had just enough time to finish getting dressed and eat breakfast before the first of her friends knocked on the door.
"Howdy, Sunset," Applejack said as she crossed the threshold.
"Morning, A.J. Any idea of what Rarity wants to talk about?"
"Not a clue."
"Maybe she's finally made the greatest dress in existence!" Pinkie suggested.
"Gah!" Sunset jumped back and looked toward the front door she swore she had closed. "Pinkie, when did you get here?"
Pinkie skipped by her. "I came in behind Applejack, silly!"
Sunset looked at Applejack. Applejack shook her head. Sunset decided to drop it.
The doorbell rang again not long after, and Sunset's stomach fluttered when she opened it and saw Twilight.
"Hi, Sunnykins." She leaned up and gave Sunset a quick kiss.
Sunset's mouth went dry and her stomach dropped to her toes. It was like she had been hurdled eight months back in time to when they first started dating and everything was new and exciting and terrifying.
"H-hey, Sparky." Sunset frowned. She could see the first traces of bags under Twilight's eyes. "Are you okay?"
Twilight looked quizzically at her. "Of course, I'm f--" A powerful yawn cut her off. "I'm fine."
Sunset crossed her arms and gave Twilight a patient look.
"I'm just a little tired," Twilight reassured. "I have a lot going on, you know that."
"Yeah, I do," Sunset said, stepping aside to let Twilight in. "And I kinda want to talk about it later."
Twilight fumbled with her backpack as she set it down. "O-oh?" She let out a nervous laugh. "Am I in trouble?"
Sunset cocked her head. "What? Of course not. I just feel like--"
The doorbell rang again, and Sunset sighed in annoyance. "I promise, you're not in trouble or anything. Let's just talk after this, okay?"
Twilight gave a hesitant smile and nodded before heading to the living room. Sunset knew from experience a partner wanting to 'talk' was an ill omen but she hoped Twilight didn't work herself up over it.
One after another, the rest of her friends arrived, and the Lulamoons joined them around the table. Rarity stood up and clasped her hands together.
"Thank you for meeting on rather short notice. But, I have a theory--"
"Hypothesis," Twilight corrected, pushing her glasses up.
"Hypothesis, yes," Rarity repeated, holding back a sigh. "I would like to test and would like all of you to witness it in case I'm right. Artemis, sir, could we see the Rainbow of Light chest, please?"
"But of course. Just a second." Artemis pulled the wizard hat off his head and reached inside, rummaging around like it was an office drawer. "Ah, here it is!"
He pulled out the crystal chest and set it on the table. Each of its six sides shone, even without a central light on it.
Rarity reached into her handbag and pulled out a fine red beret. She took a deep breath and crossed the fingers on her free hand, then brought the beret up to the chest. Everyone leaned forward to get a close look.
But nothing happened.
Rarity pursed her lips. "I was certain..." She tapped the beret against the chest.
One of the keyholes emitted a purple glow that grew in luminosity until it concentrated into a straight beam that hit the red beret. Just like with Pinkie's wristband, a ball of white light rose from the hat and floated over Rarity's hand. The light expanded and formed a shape before dissipating, leaving behind a golden key with a handle shaped like three interlocked diamonds and a single, thin tooth that looked like a sewing needle.
It fell neatly into Rarity's hand and she smiled from ear to ear. "I knew it!"
Artemis jumped to his feet. "Incredible! We have two keys now! How did you figure it out?"
Rarity set the beret triumphantly on her head and spoke in a quick, excited voice, "Yesterday, Coco came to the store and she brought me this as a gift. But, after she handed it to me, I swear I saw a rainbow light flitter over it. And I had this feeling--this warmth inside of me. Then, I remembered what Twilight uncovered and about the virtues of the world aligning."
She took a sobering breath and said in a steadier tone, "I took advantage of Coco before. But, I learned from that mistake and made up for it by doing everything I could to give her the support she needed. I think that personal growth--me tapping into the truest part of myself--I think that's what gave me my key!"
Sunset steepled her fingers and pressed them to her lips. "The Elements of Harmony already picked you to represent them in this world. It's like, you just needed to prove yourselves again. That you really resonate with your virtues."
"Okay," Rainbow said slowly, "but, why the hat?"
"Well, you never just find the key to something," Artemis reasoned. "They're given. These keys have to be given as gifts, perhaps from the person who you helped or helped you learn a lesson."
Rainbow threw her hands out. "So, we have to help someone, learn something about ourselves along the way, and hope that person gives us a thank you present afterward? Six times? Seriously, it's like Merlin didn't want anyone to use this thing again."
She crossed her arms and threw herself back in her chair, a petulant frown on her face. Her eyes drifted downward and her frown eased up as a curious light shone in her eye.
"Nah, no way. Too easy." She lifted the tassel of the scarf she wore around her waist and tapped it against the chest.
Just like with Rarity, a keyhole lit up with a sky blue light before it turned into a beam and struck Rainbow's scarf. A ball of light floated up, and the key it produced had a cloud-shaped handle while its body was shaped like a lightning bolt.
Rainbow reached out and took it, mouth open in awe. She turned it over, then held it out for everyone else. "Awesome." She looked over at Fluttershy specifically and smiled from ear to ear. "Awesome!"
"We have three keys," Selena said breathlessly. "I don't believe it."
Applejack took her hat off and removed a red brooch Sunset had never seen before. After giving it a once over, Applejack leaned in and tapped the chest with it. Her keyhole shone orange. Light hit the brooch and from it, a key with an apple handle and a leaf for the tooth materialized.
"Four!" Trixie shouted. "Four keys to the Rainbow of Light!"
Sunset couldn't believe their luck. Or was this destiny at work? Either way, they were two steps away from stopping Tempest's plans in their tracks.
"Umm..." Every head snapped toward Fluttershy, who flinched under the sudden spotlight. "I... might have my key? Maybe? It's..."
She slid a silver bracelet off her wrist and pressed it against the box. For the fourth time that day, the chest glowed, pink this time. With a singular beam and a ball of light, Fluttershy's key came into existence, one with a butterfly handle and a heart-shaped tooth.
"Five keys!" Pinkie yelled, pulling hers out of her hair. "One more and we win!"
Artemis pat his chest, looking like he was seconds away from passing out. "All my life I dreamed... but to actually be the generation of Lulamoons to find, reclaim, and see the Rainbow of Light..."
Rainbow turned to Twilight. "So then it's you, right?"
Twilight, who looked discernibly pale, jumped in her seat. "What? What do you mean?"
"Like, you have the last key. Or you will. 'Cause, Princess Twilight isn't here, and it would be really stupid if the last key was actually hers since she lives in another world."
"Umm, Y-yes, logically that would make sense, but.... I don't have magic, so..." She was visibly shaking. Sunset put an arm around her, but Twilight only tensed up further.
"In that case, prepared to be shocked and awed!" Trixie said, jumping to her feet. "Trixie is now certain that the sixth key goes to her! The dawn of our victory is nigh!" She reached into her blouse and produced the crescent moon necklace Sunset had gotten for her yesterday.
Everyone sucked in a sharp breath as she stooped down and touched her necklace to the crystal surface.
There was no reaction.
"What?" Trixie tapped it several more times. "Come on! Trixie wants to be a key-bearer!"
Artemis rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, sweetie. You're a Lulamoon; that alone is a grand enough title! You are a guardian of the Rainbow of Light!"
Trixie straightened up and crossed her arms. "Trixie wants to be more than just a guardian," she grumbled.
Applejack spoke up. "Well then, it's Sunset, ain't it?"
Sunset looked at everyone looking at her and shifted in her seat. "I mean... it's a possibility. I would prefer it to be one of us over the princess, but, I don't know. The best we can do is keep an eye out."
It was certainly possible that Sunset could inherit the last key. She, who had fought against demons both inner and external to redeem herself and find a place among her friends. Now, the only reason she didn't want it was to spare Twilight's feelings.
"Hopefully, we find it soon," Rainbow said, twirling her key around her finger. "Otherwise, it's gonna be real inconvenient if we all have to run back here halfway through our first semester. I mean, I'd be cool with it but, you know."
"What should we do with our keys in the meantime?" Fluttershy asked.
"We need to keep them somewhere safe," Rarity said. "After coming this far to get them, it would be criminal for us to lose one."
"Rainbow," Applejack said out of the corner of her mouth.
"Hey, I can be responsible for something this important!" The key flew off her finger and clattered onto the coffee table. She scrabbled over, grabbed it, and held it against her chest, eyes narrowed at Applejack.
"Maybe you all should keep the keys and the chest together," Sunset suggested. "That way we know where everything is."
Artemis tapped the brim of his hat. "I promise on our family's honor to keep them safe."
Rainbow released a defeated sigh. "Fine." She reached over and stuck her key into one of the locks.
The other girls followed suit, locking in five of the six keyholes. Sunset almost thought it was comical; the blue chest with five golden handles sticking out of it almost looked like an overturned bug.
Artemis levitated the box up and into his hat, the mouth widening to accommodate the box's size. "Whatever happens next, I'm proud and delighted to have met each and every one of you! You girls truly are spectacular!"
"Heck yeah, we are!" Rainbow said, pumping her fist. "One more key and we save the world! Again!"
"I, for one, can't wait to put this Tirek business behind us," Rarity said. "It's causing a layer of stress that has been terrible for my skin. Actually, would anyone like to accompany Coco and I to the spa later today?"
Fluttershy raised her hand. "Oh, I would love to!"
"Hard pass," Rainbow said, firmly crossing her arms.
Rarity narrowed her eyes. "I'll get you in there someday, Rainbow Dash."
Twilight stood up but kept her eyes on the floor. "I actually should be going. Busy day at the lab."
Applejack got up too and stretched. "Yeah, Ah got farm work to do."
"And I'm gonna go visit Sonata and Aria!" Pinkie proclaimed. "Ooooh! I should get Sonata a gift for getting me a key!"
Everyone prepared to head their separate ways, Rarity pestering Rainbow one more time. Sunset spotted Twilight ducking out of the living room without giving anyone a proper goodbye.
"You know you don't need magic to get one of these keys," Sunset said, catching Twilight before she could reach the door. "You just need a pure heart. And I don't think hearts get any purer than yours, Sparky."
Twilight looked back, and Sunset wasn't sure what to make of her expression. Was it discomfort? Fear? Whatever it was, Twilight quickly covered it with a tired smile.
"I appreciate it, Sunset. It's fine, really. I don't need a key. I just..." Her smile fell and she looked at the floor again.
Sunset stepped closer. "What is it?"
"I... it's just..." She bit her lip. "Do you really think this is the only way to beat Tirek?"
Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. "I mean, it's the easiest way to beat him, right? Unless you came up with something else?"
Twilight frantically shook her head. "No, no! I just, um... noticed a pattern. Megan used the Rainbow of Light and sealed him away, only for him to come back. And then Merlin did the same thing. Now, he's coming back again..."
"Hey, if we could find Tempest and stop him before he even gets here, we would. But if Tirek does find a way to come back with a body, we'll stop him before any harm is done."
Twilight looked up at Sunset, an odd look of dread in her eyes. "But aren't we just putting off the problem by sealing him away again?"
Sunset slowly raised an eyebrow. "Not if we put him somewhere no one will find him. What are you getting at, Twilight?"
"I'm just considering... maybe we need a more... permanent solution?"
Sunset leaned away from the insinuation Twilight had dropped. She blinked once, and in the split second of darkness saw her demonic self hurling a murderous fireball at six girls and laughing all the while. Sunset shuddered and turned away.
"The old me might have agreed with you," she said in a subdued voice. "But I can't do that, no matter how bad Tirek is. We stop Tempest if we can, and if not, we use the Rainbow of Light and put Tirek and his amulet somewhere no one will ever find."
A hand reached out and touched her arm. "I'm sorry, Sunset. I'm just scared of what we might have to face to win."
Sunset turned back toward Twilight. "I know it's scary. But, my people don't believe in the death penalty. And after what I've gone through, neither do I. Tirek probably can't be redeemed, but we're not executioners. I'm kinda surprised you would bring up the idea."
Twilight looked away. "Sorry. I was just thinking... I don't know. Maybe I'm working too hard."
Sunset reached out and cupped her face. "Which is what I wanted to talk to you about. I know how much that internship means to you, and I'm glad you're doing it. But... we haven't done anything together in almost a month. I really miss you, Sparky. And I would really like to do something with you tonight."
She could feel the heat from Twilight's cheek as it turned red. "Oh... I guess it has been a while since we did something other than a chess match, huh?" She leaned into Sunset's hand.
"You're busy, I get it. But, you're leaving soon, and..." Sunset closed her mouth, feeling a lump form in her throat.
Twilight reached up and brushed a tear from the corner of Sunset's eye. "I'm sorry. I never meant to neglect you. I've been..." She took a deep breath. "You're right. Let's do something tonight, just the two of us. Oh, I know! We can have a movie night and finally watch Revenge of the Sith!"
She cupped a hand over her mouth and said in a falsely labored voice. "Soon, your transition to the nerd side will be complete."
Sunset giggled, then laughed, then doubled over, clutching her sides. "Sweet Celestia, you're such a dork! I love you!"
Twilight giggled in turn. "Love you, too. So, it's a date?"
"Definitely!"
"Awesome! Glad you two worked that out!" The girls turned and found Rainbow and the rest of their friends waiting at the kitchen threshold. Rainbow gave them a facetious smirk. "Now, can you stop blocking the door?"
*******
Twilight clung to the idea of having a date night with Sunset. It was her only life preserver in the raging sea of stress and fear. But even with it, she felt like she was drowning. It had taken every ounce of willpower not to have a panic attack as her friends revealed their keys at the Lulamoon house. They were one key away from having the power Moondancer warned against. Even with Pinkie's key appearing a month ago, it had felt like a lofty dream.
Now, the fantasy was suddenly very tangible.
And Sunset... Twilight knew it was a longshot, but Sunset rejecting any other plan to stop Tirek besides the Rainbow of Light confirmed Twilight's fears: that Moondancer was right, and if Twilight did tell her friends what she was doing, they would put a stop to it.
Twilight got off the bus and walked up the hill to Equilibrium Labs, shoulders hunched and head low. She couldn't imagine Sunset's reaction if she found out about everything Twilight had done--everything she was about to do. And while she desperately looked forward to a simple night of watching movies with her girlfriend, Twilight would have to put on the facade that everything was fine.
Even if everything does play out in Moondancer's favor, what will Sunset think when she finds out I played a part in killing Tirek?'
There's no doubt she would be disappointed. But, the good of getting rid of Tirek outweighed the bad of how they got rid of him, didn't it? And Twilight would still rather face a little ire than watch her friends fight the most dangerous person to walk the earth.
Twilight entered the lab, waved hello to Amber, and went to her locker. She pulled her lab coat out and threw it over her shoulders.
"One way through." Some said it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Twilight had never subscribed to that belief before but felt it was applicable now. She would apologize as many times as she needed after her friends and family were safe.
"First, we have to change the world." She made her way to the elevator and called it with her key card. Down in the lab proper, Starlight and a host of scientists were in an offshoot, making final preparations on their first portal device.
Twilight could see components of the linear particle accelerator making up the new, bulky machine. With its wiring still exposed in places and long cables connecting it to the magic containment unit in the other room, Twilight thought it looked like someone's interpretation of a futuristic ray gun.
The barrel had tesla rings coiling around it and a flat disk near the open nozzle. Its base was plated in gold metal and had two open slots with the shard of Sacanas inserted into the back one. On the back of the machine was a panel with only two buttons and a dial.
A glass partition split the room in half. Twilight stood with the others and the machine on one side, while the nozzle of said device had been fitted through a small hole cut in the center.
"The first model is always crude," Starlight said as Twilight approached. She typed in a few notes onto her tablet before giving Twilight her full attention. "Welcome! Rough design aside, what do you think?"
Twilight gave the portal machine another once-over. "I mean, as long as it functions properly. It isn't like we're trying to market this."
"Exactly! And you showed up at the perfect time, Twilight! We just need to do a few final checks before we can test this baby!"
Twilight inhaled deep through her nose and tried to exhale the butterflies in her stomach. "I'll help however I can. But I still have doubts about where the portal will open up to."
Starlight walked over to the portal device. "I understand your trepidation. But, I hypothesize that, if the magic is removed from its primary unit, that being the statue, and given a new focal point, it would act like new coordinates. The statue is the focal point for the portal magic to link specifically to Sunset's homeworld. Well, if we give it a new focal point of earth magic, maybe it will open a portal to where the rest of it is!"
"Interesting hypothesis," Twilight said, nodding. "But that's assuming the magic that powers the portal and the magic that opens it to Equ--Sunset's home are two different things."
"True. But with magic, we're always making assumptions until we're proven right or wrong."
Starlight ran Twilight through some of the more technical aspects of the experiment while they finished putting the portal device together. When the last of the plating had been welded on, Night Glider rolled out another long cable and attached it to the open slot in front of the shard of Sacanas.
"We're going to channel magic directly from the containment unit into the focus chamber," Starlight said, strapping a pair of goggles over her eyes. Twilight and the others followed suit and gathered behind her as she stepped up to the control panel. "I want copious notes, Double Diamond!"
Diamond gave a dutiful salute and held up his tablet.
"Alright, Arcane Access portal test number one! Let's make some science, people!" Starlight turned the dial a fraction and hit the green button.
The lights in the room immediately dimmed as the portal device began to whir loudly. A few pops and crackles from within made Twilight fidget. She was not in the mood to explode.
The machine rattled and hummed louder, and from the nozzle, a white beam shot out and struck the back wall. From the point of impact, a twisting splotch of white energy formed and grew, like a cloud of gas. The glass partition began to rattle, and Twilight felt gravity shift forward.
"Come on, stabilize," Starlight grunted.
The miasma continued to writhe. Instead of holding form, it began to flicker and distort.
"Increasing output by ten percent!" Starlight called as the machine grew louder. She twisted the dial and the beam grew brighter. Wind whistled through the gaps in the partition. Still, the portal struggled to hold a form.
"Pushing to thirty percent!"
The miasma grew wider, almost forming into a circle, yet it still blinked in and out of existence, and Twilight could see nothing beyond the veil of white light.
"Forty percent!"
The beam sputtered. The machine let out a loud hiss and whirred like an overheated computer. Overhead, the lights blinked on and off. The circle of white collapsed back into a blob and started to break apart. Twilight's hair pulled toward the collapsing hole.
"Starlight!" she yelled.
Starlight gave a frustrated huff but turned the dial down and hit the red button. The beam ceased and instantly, the portal vanished. The lights returned to normal, and Twilight's tress fell back against her cheeks.
With a sigh, Starlight lifted her goggles and turned to face the others. "Well, nothing exploded, so I would say our first test went fairly well. DD, did you get everything?"
Diamond, who was still furiously typing, nodded his head.
"Excellent. Once we go over our notes, maybe we can figure out why it wouldn't stabilize. We were so close!"
Twilight raised her hand. "I might have an idea."
Starlight smiled eagerly and nodded for Twilight to go ahead.
"The magic that operates the portal is based on the cycles of the moons, both ours and Sunset's. According to her, they need to both be full, which happens every two and a half years or so. And remember, these are all assumptions, but maybe the magic we siphoned from the portal still has that caveat as well?"
Starlight rubbed her chin. "That muddles my hypothesis that the magic for the portal and the magic for the destination are separate."
"Not entirely. They could still be two separate components that have some overlap."
"But that still leaves us with the problem of completely separating that element of the spell. If we could do that, I'm certain we can get this portal to work."
Twilight closed her eyes in thought. The shard of Sacanas copied the magic of the portal verbatim. If they could take just the base idea of it and rebuild on top of it, then Starlight was right; they could make a new portal easily.
A simpler version of the staff.
Twilight snapped her eyes open. "Dr. Starlight, the machine that Moondancer is using! How exactly does it work?"
Starlight blinked, taken aback. "It's like a storage device. It was meant to absorb and accumulate magic."
"Like the Staff of Sacanas?" Twilight asked, leading her on.
"Not quite. We didn't have the Staff of Sacanas when we built it, so that machine just takes magic and stores it as raw energy."
"So it breaks down magic into a simpler form?"
Starlight gave a slow, understanding nod. "Hypothetically, yes. But we haven't been feeding it anything very complicated. At least, Moondancer hasn't mentioned powering it with anything high-level."
Twilight bounced up and down on her toes. "What if we did feed it something more complex though? With the shard, we could make a modified device that could potentially break down the magic of the portal! From there, we could have a new power source that could bypass the moon limitation, or at the very least, amplify the power of the machine!"
Starlight clapped her hands together and popped a heel. "Oh, Twilight! What would we do without you?"
Twilight stopped bouncing and blushed. "You would have figured it out eventually."
"Maybe so, but you figured it out first. Don't sell yourself short." Starlight turned to the rest of the group. "You heard the scientist. Let's get back to work! Before this week is over, we will have a portal open!"
*******
Sunset ran the brush through her hair a few more times before smiling in satisfaction.
"You know, I'm still kinda mad at sword lady for the unwanted barber cut," Shimmer said, leaning on the open bathroom door, "but I gotta admit, this short hair is a lot less maintenance."
"Yeah, the pixie cut looks good on us," Sunset said, spritzing herself with a hint of perfume.
"Looks good on me."
"Sure, sure." Not even Shimmer's endless snark could rain on Sunset's parade.
"Gotta admit, this is the happiest I've seen you in a while. Is watching a movie with your girlfriend really that important to you?"
Sunset slipped past and ducked into her room to grab her vest. "I'm just happy to spend time with her. That's all I want."
"Huh." Shimmer looked quizzically at her. "You really love this nerd, don't you?"
Sunset gave Spot a pat on the head then walked out to the hall. "Yeah. Was that not clear before?"
Shimmer shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I've just never been in love before. Horny, sure, but I've never loved any of the guys I slept with."
"Sometimes I can't believe we're the same person." Sunset headed down the stairs. "I'm off. Probably won't be back until late. If I'm really lucky, I can get through the entire night without hearing how smart and cool Starlight Glimmer is."
"What?"
Sunset froze at the pitch Shimmer's voice had reached. She looked up and saw her doppelganger's face pale with fear.
"Uh, Starlight Glimmer," Sunset said slowly, a hot stone of dread dropping into her stomach. "Twilight's boss at her internship."
"Twilight works for that maniac?"
"Maniac? Why is she a maniac? What do you know about her?"
Shimmer took the stairs three at a time and grabbed Sunset's collar when she reached the bottom.
"It was her! She's the one who split your soul in half! She's the one who put that demon inside me! She calls herself a scientist but she's just a lunatic!"
Sunset slumped back, held up only by Shimmer's firm grip. "Tartarus below," she whispered hoarsely. This entire time, she had assumed it was Tempest. But apparently, Tempest had more allies than just Moondancer.
And Twilight was working for one...
Did she know? She couldn't know, could she? Twilight wouldn't knowingly work for someone allied with Tempest. Did Starlight know who Twilight was? Whether she did or not, Twilight was in trouble!
"What else do you know about her?"
Shimmer released her grip. "Not a lot. She's researching magic and souls and all this other mumbo jumbo. She's got a whole team."
Sunset pressed her fingers to her temples. "And you didn't think to tell us this before?"
"I didn't think I needed to! You all had plans and stuff and were already fighting Tempest and her goons! Plus, I did tell you they had a lab underground somewhere!"
"Auugh!" Sunset yelled in frustration. She grabbed her keys off the counter and ran to the door. "Go tell the Lulamoons what you just told me and anything else that might be helpful. I gotta go tell Twilight."
She ran out and slammed the door before Shimmer could answer. Barely giving the engine time to start, she revved her motorcycle and peeled out of the driveway. Sunset's thoughts raced faster than her bike, and like the wheels, circled over and over again.
Twilight wouldn't know. She would have said something. But what if Starlight knows? Why hasn't she done anything? Twilight's in trouble either way.
The setting sun painted the sky in luminous hues of orange and pink, a mocking tranquility to Sunset's state of mind. She reached Twilight's house in record time, hopped off her motorcycle, and ran up the steps. She rang the doorbell twice and tapped her foot impatiently, waiting a short eternity for Twilight to answer.
"Hi, Sunnykins," Twilight said perkily as she swung the door open. "Ready for--"
"Starlight works for Tempest!"
Twilight's bright smile dissolved as her face paled. She stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. "W-what do you mean?"
"She works for Tempest!" Sunset started pacing the length of the porch. "Tempest took my soul out but apparently, Starlight is the one who experimented on it! Shimmer just told me! She probably has something to do with how they want to resurrect Tirek! I'm so sorry you had to find out this way, Twilight! "
Sunset took her by the shoulders. "She hasn't hurt you, right?"
"N-no! Of course not!" Twilight gently moved Sunset's hands off her shoulders. Her fingers were damp and clammy. "Is Shimmer sure it was Starlight?"
"Yeah, she seemed pretty damn sure. I don't think you would forget who placed a demon inside you."
Twilight tapped her fingers together. "Th-that's true. Umm... maybe I should go talk to her about this--"
"You can't go back there!" Sunset said incredulously. "If you tell Starlight you know, what do you think is going to happen?"
"I don't know! But I can't just not show up anymore!"
"Twilight, they could just use you to get to the rest of us!"
"I mean, she hasn't so far, right? Maybe she doesn't know who I am."
"All the more reason not to go back there! Why would you want to after..." Sunset gave Twilight a thorough look. She stood duckfooted, fidgeting with her fingers, and was looking everywhere but into Sunset's eyes.
"You knew?" Sunset whispered, an iron fist closing around her chest.
Twilight jumped and finally looked at her. "N-no! I mean, I had some suspicions but... I... I... I didn't know about the soul part," she finished meekly, shoulder bowed.
Sunset pressed her hands against her cheeks to stop herself from screaming. She took a constricted breath and asked in her most controlled voice, "How long have you known?"
"A little over a week."
Sunset threw her arms up and let them drop to her sides. "Cool. So, is that what we're doing now? We're keeping secrets from each other?"
Twilight flinched. "It's-it's not like I wanted to. But I... I just--"
"Okay then," Sunset said, an unfamiliar heat rising through the cold grip around her chest "What exactly is this 'internship' about?"
Twilight kowtowed further. "I can't tell you."
"Excuse me?"
"I signed an NDA--"
"That's bullshit, Twilight--this woman split my soul! Don't try to hide behind the law for crap like this!"
Twilight cupped her hands over her eyes, fingernails clawing just above her eyebrows. She threw her arms out and shouted, "Magic! We're studying magic! We're doing the thing I've been dying to do all year!"
"Congratulations, you're studying magic with a crazy person who's complicit in trying to help a warlock take over the world, and you lied to me about it!"
"I had to!"
"Why? To what end?"
"I can't tell you!"
"Why not?"
"Because you would stop me!"
Sunset jabbed a finger. "If you know that I would stop you then it must be a dumb idea!"
Twilight swatted her hand away. "Why is it when I do something dangerous, it's a dumb idea?"
"Because so far, that's what the track record's proven! You ran off to fight Adagio on your own, and now, you're working for Starlight Glimmer and by proxy, Tempest and Moondancer!"
"I have to work with them! It's for the greater good!"
"And what 'greater good' is that?"
"We're going to stop Tirek!"
Sunset threw her arms out again. "That's what the Rainbow of Light is for!"
"It's not going to work!"
"According to who?"
"Moondancer--"
Sunset's nostrils flared. "So you're going to listen to Moondancer over me? Over the rest of your friends?"
"Only when she's right!" Twilight stamped her foot. "The Rainbow of Light isn't a permanent solution!"
"That's what you meant before? You're going behind our backs and working with the people we're trying to stop so you can figure out how to weaponize magic to kill Tirek?"
"It's more complicated than that!"
"Oh yeah? Then explain it to me!"
"I can't! Especially if this is how you're reacting already! I can't trust you not to interfere with this!"
Sunset leaned back, a furious jolt running through her. "You can't trust me?"
Twilight tried to take a calm breath, but when she exhaled, all she succeeded in was fogging her glasses. She turned her shoulder to Sunset. "I'm sorry. But I promise, everything I'm doing, I'm doing for you and the girls."
Sunset clenched her jaw. "That's really hard to believe right now."
"Well, I don't know what you want from me."
She wasn't sure what impulse drove her to do it. There were too many crowded and angry thoughts. But Sunset ponied up in a flash of golden light, struck her arm out, and grabbed Twilight's wrist.
"Science powered by magic! The new great equalizer!"
She watched Starlight with her arms stretched wide. This was everything she had wanted. The study of magic. The betterment of humanity. And Twilight could help.
The scene shifted in a whirl of colors.
Twilight paced her room, still coming down from everything that had been thrown at her today. Starlight, Moondancer, Tirek. Was she doing the right thing? She wanted to believe she was. At least, she was doing this for the right reasons. She was going to help revolutionize the world. She was going to make sure her friends didn't risk their lives again!
She clenched her fist. This time, she wasn't going to be useless.
"Let go!" a distant voice cried. The scene shifted again.
Canterlot High School. Twilight stood with Starlight and Double Diamond in front of the marble white statue at the front of the school. Twilight looked up at the rearing horse. Was it a coincidence that this particular statue led to a world populated by talking ponies? Or had the original maker of the portal done this thinking they were funny? How old was the portal anyway?
She shook her head. This wasn't the time for leisurely curiosity. She watched as Starlight held up her shard piece. It was bigger than Adagio's--a solid diamond-shaped chunk with sharpened points. Starlight pressed one of the edges against the flat surface of the plinth.
Twilight bit her lip, watching arcs of white energy pull away from the portal and into the crystal shard. Starlight gave a full-toothed smile of triumph, the light show reflecting in her eyes.
"Okay, I think that's enough," Twilight said.
Starlight evidently didn't hear her, because she kept draining the magic away. Perhaps it was Twilight's imagination, but the ivory base seemed to be growing dimmer.
"Starlight, please--
"Stop!" Twilight yelled, ripping her arm free from Sunset's grasp.
Sunset stumbled backward. Her heel slipped off the top step of the porch, and she tumbled down onto the stone walkway, the back of her head smacking the pavement. When the stars faded from her vision, she looked up to see Twilight glaring at her, devoid of any sympathy.
"I can't believe you!" Twilight said, voice cracking. "You just... just violated my thoughts!"
"What else was I supposed to do?" Sunset snapped back, rubbing the back of her head. "You won't tell me anything!"
"That gives you no right to use your powers like that! You know I hate that!"
"Oh no, don't you dare guilt me!" Sunset got to her feet. She could feel her phoenix form trying to burst free, but she tightened her grip on her powers. "What did Starlight do to the mirror portal?"
Twilight winced, her visible anger giving way to guilt. "It's just an experiment--"
"Just an experiment? Twilight that's my only way home! And you just let her drain magic from it? Have you lost your mind?"
"I'll be able to open you a portal to Equestria any time if we can get this to work!"
Sunset opened her mouth to yell more, but no words came out. Static crackled through her mind. Molten fury coursed through her veins. This was all dangerously wrong. She had never yelled at Twilight like this. She never had a reason to.
She didn't know what else to do. She couldn't think of anything else to say. Twilight had crossed so many lines in such a short span of time, it made Sunset dizzy.
"I don't know what to do with you," Sunset said breathlessly, stepping back from the house. "I don't even know who you are right now."
Tears streamed down Twilight's face. She balled her fists and yelled, "I'm doing this for your sake!"
"I didn't ask you to do any of this!" Sunset yelled back. "You're going behind my back and you're playing with things you don't understand!"
"Don't tell me I don't understand! I know what I'm doing! I want to understand!"
"Okay. Then understand this..." Sunset tried to breathe in, but her tightened chest wouldn't allow it. "As long as you're working with Starlight... you're not dating me."
The sun had fully set. Sunset stood in shadow as the street lamp behind her flickered on. The porch light turned on and illuminated half of Twilight's face. A pain like Sunset had never seen before was etched in her eyes.
Twilight choked out a sob and said, "You don't really mean that."
Sunset grabbed her own arm and dug her nails into her skin to stop herself from crying too. "Yeah, I do."
"I'm trying to help! I'm going to make the world a better place!" With the cracks in her voice, Twilight sounded half mad.
All Sunset could do was shake her head. She turned away. "Then you can do it without me."
Twilight shouted her name, but Sunset put her helmet on, revved her motorcycle, and rode off. She didn't know how she made it back home with tears in her eyes. She ignored the Lulamoons when they called out to her after she crossed the front door.
She made it to her bedroom, slammed the door behind her, and collapsed onto her bed. Only then did Sunset finally cry. She cried harder than she ever had in her life.
> 19. What Drives Humanity
Sunset woke from another restless sleep and immediately shut her eyes when her head fog and nausea returned in full force. Once they passed, she rolled onto her side and reached for her phone on the nightstand; a few messages from the Lulamoons, one innocuous picture from Rarity.
Nothing from Twilight.
Pain shot through Sunset's heart. She dropped her phone and huddled in on herself. Tears streamed down her face as she fought against dissolving into another fit of sobs.
She had spent almost two days in her room, getting up only to use the bathroom, and to tell her surrogate family the briefest version of what happened between her and Twilight. No one disturbed her. They texted her, asking if she needed anything. Selena had left a plate of food on her desk.
Sunset hadn't responded or eaten.
Even now, two days removed from their spiraling argument, Sunset struggled to believe it had ended the way it did. Her breaking up with Twilight? She always thought if it happened, it would be the other way around. It didn't feel real.
Sunset tried to tell herself it wasn't etched in stone. All Twilight had to do was stop working with their enemy. But the fact that Twilight hadn't immediately quit and sided with Sunset... the fact that Twilight had let Starlight drain the mirror portal... that she was working with the woman who split her soul... that she had gone behind her back to team up with Moondancer...
Sunset squeezed her eyes shut, hot tears streaking down her face. She clutched her heart and let out a miserable whimper. How could Twilight, her first love, her confidant, the person Sunset trusted above all others, hurt her this badly?
Spot, sweet and loyal, hopped up onto the bed and licked away Sunset's tears. His cold wet nose was a tiny balm to the heated flush emanating off Sunset's face.
She had broken up with Twilight. No delusion could change that. Sunset hated that she had given Twilight an ultimatum, but the fact that Twilight hadn't picked her spoke volumes. Sunset couldn't understand it. How could Twilight pick Starlight and Moondancer over her?
"I'm doing this for you!"
Weaponizing magic. Experimenting with the mirror portal. Working with the people trying to bring Tirek back to life. And then claim she was going to kill him.
Sunset gripped the sides of her head. Something about this didn't add up. What was Twilight not telling her? Why would she ally herself with people like that and lie about it?
Broken up or not, Twilight was in danger, from herself and those around her. And whatever they were working on was a danger to the world at large.
Sunset balled her fists. She needed to do something. She needed information. And since she wasn't getting anything from Twilight, she'd have to get it herself.
With a deep breath, she mustered up the strength to sit up. Spot gave a happy bark and wagged his tail at his risen owner. She gave him a loving scritch and promised him a treat for his faithfulness over the past two days, then gathered her strength again to throw the covers off and get out of bed.
Lightheadedness hitting full force, Sunset staggered the four steps between her bed and her desk and collapsed in her chair. The vegetarian lasagna and salad Selena had left for her was stone cold, but Sunset wolfed it down anyway.
When her meal had settled, she grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and headed to the bathroom. Her reflection caught her before she made it into the shower. Her eyes were puffy, and she had a rat's nest for hair.
The hot water and shampoo at least took the external drudgery away. Being clean and freshly dressed was an incremental mood lifter. She was still tired and her heart still ached. But at least she was doing something other than laying in bed crying. Now, she had a goal to pursue.
She banged on Shimmer's door. "I need to talk to you." Her voice was still croaky.
Shimmer opened up and gave her a rare sympathetic expression. "Hey. You doing okay?"
"No. I need your help."
"Listen, I don't know how to heal a broken heart. You're better off asking Selena."
"Not that," Sunset snapped. "You're good with hacking and stuff. I need you to help me hack into Starlight's servers or something and figure out what they're doing. Twilight--"
Sunset cringed at the memory of two nights ago. "Twilight refused to tell me what they were working on. But it has something to do with Tirek and my only means to get home. I need to find out what it is."
Shimmer nodded slowly. "Okay, that's something I can do. But, hacking isn't as simple as you think it is. I doubt she'd be storing research on magic and demons and stuff on the cloud. If her server is private, which it probably is, I'm going to need to go to its source, and I have no idea where that is."
"Equilibrium Labs. It's on the outskirts of town. We go there, we hack in, we find out what Twilight is hiding."
Shimmer rubbed her hands together. "I like this plan. Getting back at Glimmer and showing off my professional skills at the same time. When can we get started?"
"Right now," Sunset said, popping her knuckles.
Shimmer gave her a devious smile. "And I thought today was going to be boring." She stepped back into her room and gently tugged her laptop free from beneath a sleeping Jormungandr. The two girls then moved over to Sunset's room where Shimmer quickly made herself comfy on her bed.
"Alright, first, give me the address of this place your sorta-maybe-still girlfriend keeps going to."
Sunset ground her teeth and resisted the urge to shove Shimmer off the bed and pile-drive her into the floor. "I don't know the address; you're gonna have to find the address yourself. What are you doing?"
Shimmer clicked open a few folders on her computer, one of them labeled 'Canterlot Municipal Building Archives'. "If I can get the address, and the building isn't more than fifty years old, I should be able to pull up its layout plans. I've got a backdoor into some of the more detailed plans the city doesn't share with the public."
Sunset just nodded and looked over Shimmer's shoulder as she scrolled down a list of digital files. She couldn't believe she was planning on a break-and-entry scheme with her human counterpart--and into her girlfriend's workplace, no less. Despite all the strange things she had done, this still took the cake.
"I think this is it!" Shimmer clicked a link and a top-down blueprint popped onto the screen. Sunset couldn't say with confidence if it was or wasn't the lab; she had only seen it from the outside the one time she had dropped Twilight off. Shimmer, however, seemed confident as she sped read through the accompanying notes.
She tapped a hallway on the left side of the building. "Okay, her office is one of these two rooms over here, just off the entry hall."
"How do you know?"
Shimmer's smirk reflected on the laptop's screen. "I've been doing this a long time, kiddo. I know how to read things like this and make basic deductions. Look at the shape. See how these are smaller than the rooms over there? I would guess those are the labs or testing areas. And that one is too small to be an office. It's probably a supply room."
Sunset nodded, following Shimmer's fingertip as she traced it around the blueprint. "Okay. So, what's the plan?"
"Simple. We drive over, distract the security at the front, you sneak in..." Shimmer pulled a small black USB drive from her pocket and gave it a teasing wave. "And stick this into Starlight's computer. My little friend here will do the rest."
"Why don't we just sneak in a night?"
Shimmer barked out a short laugh. "For something like this? It'd be easier to do it in the daytime and just say you got lost if you get caught. Besides, you're not ready for a nighttime heist." She reached out like she was about to pat Sunset's head, but caught herself and resumed focus on her screen.
Sunset huffed derisively through her nostrils but didn't argue the point. Shimmer was the expert here. "Okay, so all we need is a guaranteed distraction. And a car."
*******
Like everything else Pinkie owned, her car was bright pink and covered in stickers, while the seats had colorful covers and smelled like frosting. Sunset had been relegated to the backseat while Shimmer rode shotgun. While initially annoyed, Sunset took continued amusement as she watched Shimmer's growing disgruntlement over Pinkie's music choice. She blasted bubblegum pop from the Lulamoon's house all the way to the lab.
"I can't believe I get to be part of a top-secret spy mission!" she said, finally turning the music down as they parked at the base of the hill leading to the laboratory. "And I get to be the best part!"
"Yep!" Sunset said encouragingly. "You just gotta distract whoever's up front. So bring your A game, Pinks."
"I always bring my A game!" She hopped out the car and began cartwheeling up the hill.
Sunset got out and walked over to the passenger window, unable to wipe the capricious grin off her face. "You ready?"
Shimmer glared at her. "I'm gonna strangle her. Then, I'm gonna strangle you."
"Yeah. Can't believe there was a time when I hated her too. But she really grows on you after a while."
"What, like mold?" Shimmer shook her head in disgust then pulled out the USB device. "Stick this into Starlight's computer, wait thirty seconds for it to link to my computer and open an access point, then grab it and get out. Don't be afraid to ditch the pink one if shit goes sideways."
Sunset took the USB and pocketed it. "I don't leave friends behind, including you."
Shimmer opened up her laptop and waved a dismissive hand. "Yeah, yeah, friendship is magic and junk. Just go get the job done so I can have a good time."
Sunset left Shimmer in her surliness and jogged to catch up to Pinkie. She had downgraded from cartwheeling to simple skipping. At Sunset's approach, she turned around to converse, now skipping backward up the hill.
"So we just gotta sneak onto this evil Starlight lady's computer, and then we'll learn what the bad guys are up to?"
"Yep, that's the gist of it." The amount of willpower Sunset had to exert to not break down and spill everything to Pinkie was herculean. She hoped the excitement over their 'secret spy mission' would be enough of a distraction to keep Pinkie from empathically honing in on Sunset's inner turmoil. Not to mention she had no idea how to tell any of her friends what happened between her and Twilight.
Equilibrium Labs came into view, the imposing satellite dish clawing at the sky. Pinkie stopped to 'oooh' at it before her eyes fell on the sign posted at the front entrance.
"Huh... 'Equilibrium Labs.' Why does that sound familiar?"
Sunset remained silent, struggling to come up with anything that wasn't a lie.
Pinkie gasped. "Wait! Isn't this where Twilight works? Has Twilight been kidnapped by the bad guys?"
"No!" Sunset said quickly, putting a hand on Pinkie's shoulder. "She, uhh... doesn't know yet what Starlight might be up to. That's why we're on this spy mission. We need to make sure Starlight is up to something and find out what it is before we tell Twilight. Just in case we're wrong."
Pinkie's panic evaporated. "Oh, that makes sense!" She slid a hand down over her face, transitioning to a serious expression.
"Let's do this!" She marched up to the sliding doors, becoming all smiles the second she stepped over the threshold. Sunset followed behind her, glancing about the innocuous lobby. Nothing about the potted plants or sitting table screamed 'mad scientist' to her. The electronic bulletin board just showed pictures of machines, presumably projects the lab was working on.
The woman at the front desk looked up from her computer and gave a warm smile as the two girls approached. "Salutations! Welcome to Equilibrium Labs, where our motto is: for the good of humanity! How can I help you today?"
"Hello! My name is Diane, and I'm doing an in-depth blog report on all the science happening around Canterlot!" Pinkie reached into her hair and pulled out a pen and notepad. "I was hoping to ask you some questions."
The lady, whose nameplate read 'Amber' nodded politely, seemingly unphased by Pinkie's hammerspace. "Well, Diane, I'd be more than happy to call up one of our scientists to answer some of your questions."
"Actually, I wanna ask you! My blog has a unique angle! 'Science from a non-science perspective'! I wanna ask the ordinary people what they think about all the cool science stuff happening!" Pinkie said without missing a beat.
"I see. Well, I promise to answer to the best of my ability."
"Yaay! First question: I ate a magnet one time when I was seven, but not really seven, but kinda actually seven because I was born on Leap Day, so my birthday only happens once every four years, but my parents are nice enough to throw me a party anyway, but their version of a party is different from my version of a party because they're kinda really old school and traditional and minimalist, not that that's a bad thing--I still have a lot of fun because we still have cake and games and my mom will tell us a story from when I was really, really little, even if I already know the stories because I can remember most of my childhood, even the really early stuff; like the time we went to the desert for vacation and a condor tried to carry me off, I think because I got too close to its nest, but then my sister--my big sister because I have one big sister and two little ones--she threw a rock at and hit it in the beak and then caught me as I was falling, which was really cool because I was like three and she was only six! Isn't that cool?"
Amber gently cocked her head to the side, still smiling politely. "It is. But, what was the question exactly?"
"Oh right, the magnet! So anyways..."
Sunset watched and listened as Pinkie launched into another meandering story. She slowly edged herself closer to the left hallway, but Amber's eyes flickered in her direction every few seconds.
Pinkie, in her savviness, caught on as well. "Okay, next question!" She set down her notebook and reached into her hair again, this time producing a bottle of cola and a bag of salt.
"So, you know that one fun thing where people drop mint candy in soda and it explodes?"
"Yes?" Amber said hesitantly...
Pinkie unscrewed the top of the soda bottle and unzipped the bag of salt. "Well, apparently, it also works with just sand or salt! How big do you think the explosion would be, and what are the scientific benefits?"
"I don't think--"
Before she could finish her sentence, Pinkie dumped the salt into the bottle and watched with maniacal glee as it immediately fizzed up and erupted a geyser of drink and foam that ricocheted off the ceiling and rained down on everyone.
"Oops, I guess that was too much!" Pinkie shouted over the hissing bottle, still spewing soda. "And you're all wet! Here, I can fix that!" Pinkie pulled a paper towel from her hair and attacked Amber's glasses.
"I'll go get more!" Sunset said as the fizz finally died down. She gave Pinkie a thumbs up and tiptoed down the hallway. She wiped off as much soda as she could from her vest, impressed and annoyed by Pinkie's ingenuity as the stickiness set in.
Sunset came to the two doors Shimmer had marked as possibly being Starlight's office. Neither door was labeled, and Pinkie could only keep the secretary distracted for so long, so she went for the door with the shuttered window next to it.
Closing it as softly as she could, Sunset looked about the unassuming room. Much like the lobby, nothing here struck her as belonging to an evil scientist dedicated to taking over the world. There was a bookshelf, a small couch, and a desk off to her right with a little houseplant sitting next to--
"The computer!" Sunset said in an excited whisper. The laptop was open to the lock screen, a picture of a woman Sunset assumed was Starlight Glimmer laughing and hugging a scruffy-haired young man with a wispy orange goatee and round glasses.
Sunset looked to the side and found the USB port. She pulled the drive from her pocket and plugged it in, watching as a loading bar popped onto the screen.
'Establishing connection', it read.
"One, two, three..." Sunset counted out loud, tapping her finger on the desk with each count. A knot formed in her stomach, and with each second, it got a little tighter. The sounds of Pinkie messily cleaning up the front desk flittered on the edge of her hearing peripheral. Hopefully, no one else would come running up to see what had happened.
"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen..." Sunset whispered. She stopped tapping. Did she hear a third voice? She strained her ears but it was hard to discern. Her heart picked up speed. Why was she nervous? She could fight her way out if she had to. But she was still breaking and entering. Publicly, she was in the wrong, and if anyone reported her to the police...
"Twenty-four, twenty-five..." Someone was coming! She could hear heels clicking against the linoleum. Sunset looked at the loading bar, almost entirely green. "Twenty-eight, twenty-nine..."
A shadow passed across the window blinds. Someone was right outside.
Thirty! Just as she finished counting, the loading message was replaced with 'connection established.' Sunset yanked the drive out and dropped down underneath the desk just as the doorknob turned and clicked open.
The footsteps continued inside. Sunset slowly pressed a hand over her nose and mouth to mask her breathing. From the gap between the desk and the floor, a pair of closed-toed heels appeared. They moved to the side of the desk. Any more, and the owner would no doubt be able to see Sunset.
They stayed in place for a moment before turning and leaving. The door clicked shut a second later. Sunset kept a hand over her mouth and slowly exhaled. She waited another thirty seconds before shoving the USB into her boot and climbing out from under the desk.
"Gotcha."
Sunset stumbled, nearly crashing into the bookshelf. Heart racing, she spun around and found Starlight Glimmer next to the door. She eyed Sunset like a cat about to play with its food.
"Now, why on earth would you be in my office?" she asked, smugness dripping into her voice.
"I..." Sunset cleared her throat, buying herself two seconds to get composed. "I was looking for paper towels or anything to help clean up the soda in the lobby."
Starlight nodded like she understood. "Very considerate of you. But, you know, you spent an awfully long time under my desk."
"Dropped my contact. And I thought if I popped up then, I would scare you."
"Again, so considerate. And contacts are simply awful, aren't they?" Starlight tittered. "Always falling out at the worst moment."
Sunset chuckled as well, doing her best not to sound nervous.
"Well, I appreciate you trying to clean up the mess. But I think your friend has it all covered. You can run along now."
"Yeah, no problem." Sunset stepped around the desk, her heart rate accelerating as she got closer to Starlight.
"Before you go," Starlight said sweetly, "could you empty your pockets? l know that must sound rude, but, security measures and all."
Sunset reached into her pockets and pulled out her wallet, keys, chapstick, and phone.
"That's everything?" Starlight asked innocently, eyeing the contents.
"Yep," Sunset said. The USB dug into her ankle.
Starlight raised her eyes to give Sunset a calm, calculating look. Her smug smile had dropped to become something unreadable. She clicked her tongue before speaking. "Do you know the two primary forces that have driven humanity to come so far? What has pushed us to so many great heights and allowed us to survive against so many odds?"
"Umm..." Sunset hovered her hand over her phone. "No?"
Starlight's lips curled into a knowing smile. She gently tilted her head to one side. "Curiosity." She tipped her head to the other side. "And fear."
"I see..." It wasn't often Sunset faced someone so inscrutable. Even Moondancer, enigmatic as she could be, still had cracks in her mask. Sunset's only read on Starlight was that she knew what she was doing and had complete control of the conversation.
"Curiosity is the progenitor not just of science, but for humanity's advancement as a whole. The hows and the whys are what led us to discover, to think, to build and build upon. Could we create medicine to stop this disease? If so, how? Could we find a way to transport goods faster? If so, how? Does matter exist on a scale smaller than an atom? Could we weaponize that knowledge?"
Starlight clapped her hands behind her back and leaned forward. "If so... how? And why?"
Sunset kept her face as neutral as she could and hoped Starlight couldn't hear her thumping heart in the pause between words.
Starlight stepped around Sunset, almost brushing shoulders as she passed. She put a hand on the desk. "Curiosity brought you into my office. Not to look for some paper towels but because you wanted to learn something. Isn't that right, Sunset Shimmer?"
Sunset kept staring ahead at the opposite wall. "You know who I am."
"Please, it's not hard to guess. Whether or not you know it, you have a very remarkable presence. Plus, Twilight speaks so fondly of you."
Sunset tensed her shoulders.
"Ah, and that brings us to fear," Starlight said, picking up a pen and twirling it between her fingers. "What drives us to fight so desperately to survive and thrive. Fear of failure. Fear of death. Fear of being forgotten. Fear of looking back and finding our whole lives were wasted or otherwise pointless. Fear of being unable to protect what we love. It has driven people to kill, steal, lie, cheat. To build walls and monuments to gods. And to create weapons that would make others afraid instead. That's the why. That is why we continue to learn and build. So that our curiosity is sated... and to stop being afraid of the unknown and make others fear us instead."
Starlight set the pen down and circled Sunset, returning to the door. "I care not for what you think you've found, Sunset; it matters little to me in the end. I have what I want, and what has been put in motion cannot be stopped. Go ahead and run back to your friends and tell them whatever you've learned."
Sunset put a little weight on her left foot, leaning toward the door. "Really? I can go just like that?"
"Of course," Starlight said, twinkling her fingers toward the exit. "I could keep you in here and call Tempest so she can come and take your soul. But I don't want to. You're too fascinating, Sunset. I still have so many questions I need answered."
She stuck her bottom lip out and batted her eyelashes. "And it would just crush Twilight's productivity if something happened to you. She already seems out of sorts from something you did to her."
Sunset clenched her jaw.
Starlight smirked and stepped into Sunset's personal bubble. "However, I should make one thing clear: yes, you and I, at least from your short-sighted perspective, are on opposing sides. No doubt, we shall soon have to stand against each other on some sort of battlefield, each of us fighting for what we believe is right. I do look forward to that moment, Sunset. I would love to see your magic up close."
Her voice dropped to a whisper, devoid of all warmth and sugar. "But if you get in my way, if you push my research backward, if our paths cross prematurely, and only one of us is allowed to walk away... mark my words... it will be me who does. I may not know magic, but I know you. I've seen your soul. And it's more fragile than you think."
She stepped back, the warm smile decorating her face again as she gestured toward the door.
Sunset stared into her eyes, still finding nothing concrete to latch onto. Starlight stared back at her like she hadn't just made a none-too-veiled threat. Sunset shoved her things in her pockets and backed up to the door, her gaze never leaving Starlight's.
"And there's the fear," Starlight said softly as Sunset crossed the threshold. She shut the door, turned on her heel, and power-walked to the lobby.
"Let's go, Pinkie," she ushered.
Pinkie, who was hopping on one foot and waving a rubber chicken around, gave a quick bow. "Thank you for answering my questions! I'll make sure to cite you in my report! Bye!" She hurried after Sunset before Amber, hair mussed, could respond.
"Did you get it?" Pinkie asked as the doors slid closed.
"Yep." Sunset kept walking as fast as she could, letting gravity pull her faster down the hill.
"Sunny, are you okay?"
"Nope." They reached Pinkie's car. Before Shimmer could give a snarky comment, Sunset tugged the USB out of her boot and tossed it through the window. She yanked the door open and sat down. "Pinkie, start the car. Drive."
Pinkie, in a rare act of apprehension, did as she was told without a word. She gave the car some gas as she pulled a U-turn and headed back down the road.
"What happened in there?" Shimmer asked, twisting in her seat.
It wasn't until Sunset fumbled putting her seatbelt on that she realized her hands were shaking. "I met Starlight."
Both Shimmer and Pinkie sucked in a sharp breath.
"She just let me go," Sunset said in a daze. "She said it doesn't matter what we find out. Something's already happening and can't be stopped."
"And what, you just believed her?" Shimmer asked, looking incredulously disgusted.
Sunset shuddered. "I don't know. Something about her... just made me freeze. She's not like Adagio or Moondancer--she's smart... calculating."
Shimmer snorted. "She's not smart, she's crazy."
Sunset turned to face the window as Pinkie pulled onto the main road and headed through the city. If Starlight was crazy, she hid it very well. Sunset saw only competence. A methodical charisma that had caught her completely off-guard. No, Starlight wasn't crazy, but she was dangerous.
"How long will it take you to get into her files?" Sunset asked.
"Depends on how tight her encryptions are," Shimmer said, fingers dancing on the keyboard. "My decryption program will do most of the work and once it breaks through, I just gotta sort through her files. Am I looking for anything in particular?"
"Anything on Tirek." Sunset's clenched her jaw, snapshots of her argument with Twilight flashing through her mind. "Or portals."
Sunset's whole body snapped forward, restrained by the seatbelt pressing into her abdomen before slinging her back into her seat. Outside in front of Pinkie, tires screeched and horns blared as they too came to sudden stops.
"What hap--" Sunset got her answer before she finished the question. In the reflection of the glass office building ahead of them, a large orange tail slipped around a corner. Even amongst the cacophonic traffic, she could hear a hauntingly familiar song.
"Please tell me that's not Adagio," Sunset said with preemptive exhaustion.
"Okay," Pinkie said with a nervous higher pitch, "it wasn't Adagio."
"Celestia dammit!" Sunset unbuckled herself and threw open the car door. She got out and ran over to the passenger window. "Take the wheel, get home, and finish getting the data. Pinkie, come on!"
Pinkie scrambled out of the car while Shimmer jumped into the driver's seat. Traffic had come to a crawl, but that didn't stop cars from honking at Sunset and Pinkie as they marched down the road. They reached the sidewalk and turned a corner, just as the orange tail rounded another building.
An ear-splitting caterwaul blasted down the street and struck Pinkie and Sunset, bringing both girls to their knees. Windows around them cracked and car alarms blared.
Clutching her skull, Sunset struggled to her feet. People were screaming and running now, abandoning cars and shops. Sunset shouldered past oncoming civilians and continued after the mirage of Adagio.
Please don't be what I think I saw! Please don't be what I think I saw!
"Hello, Canterlot!" a sickeningly familiar voice boomed through the streets. "Adagio Dazzle here with a surprise performance for all of you!"
Sunset rounded the corner and ground to a halt. Floating above the street was Adagio, dressed in her outfit from the Battle of the Bands. Her hair was longer, her eyes were bathed in red light, and purple wings kept her aloft. And hovering higher in the air was the incorporeal visage of her true form, the massive yellow hippocampus with its teeth bared.
"How?" Sunset shouted.
Pinkie ran up beside her. "Look on the bright side," she said, trying to smile, "at least it's only Adagio."
Adagio raised her hand and fired a blast of magic at an office building, shattering the glass walls and raining shards onto the civilians below.
"Yeah, too bad she's the strongest and still has half of our powers!"
Pinkie shrugged haplessly.
Another screech from Adagio's siren avatar brought Sunset and Pinkie to the ground again. Sunset clenched her teeth and pressed her hands over her ears, but the wail drilled through and left her disoriented. It had been horrible before. Now, it threatened to leave her deaf.
When Adagio finally took a pause, Sunset pulled out her phone and opened up the group text chat. She typed out a quick emergency message, then swapped her phone for her mask.
"Come on, Pinkie," she said, fitting her mask over her eyes and jumping into phoenix mode. "We're crashing Adagio's concert."
"Oooh, good superhero line!" Pinkie pulled her mask out of her hair and jumped to her feet. "Following your lead, Phoenix!"
Sunset leaped into the air, forming a fireball in both hands as she closed in on Adagio. She threw her hands together, combining them into a larger conflagration, and fired it at Adagio.
Adagio, who had her back turned, spun around, threw up a red diamond shield, and dispersed the fire. "There you are! Just the nuisances I was hoping to draw out!"
"Wish granted." Sunset snapped another fireball into existence. "Before we kick your butt, how the heck did you get your powers back?"
Adagio sneered, showing off her violently sharp teeth. "A very friendly witch decided to give me enough power to almost be myself again! In exchange, all I had to do was fight you miserable girls. I was all too happy to oblige!"
A witch?
A blast of magic from Adagio sent Sunset diving toward the street to avoid it. She could ponder later. She hurled her fireball up at Adagio who weaved out of the way and shot back with a firework. Sunset rolled out of its path and watched it collide with an empty car, shattering its windows and denting the metal.
Pinkie vaulted onto the car's roof and shot her own fireworks at Adagio. The Siren threw her shield up, but the force of Pinkie's explosions was enough to at least drive her back. She retreated higher into the air, then raised her arms and became completely still.
The translucent monster siren, which had been unmoving up until that point, unleashed a roar that grew in pitch until it was wailing again. Sunset struggled to keep herself in the air. Though her magic dampened the pain the noise induced, her eardrums still throbbed violently.
Pinkie raised her hands, the tips of each of her fingers alight. With a yell Sunset could barely hear, Pinkie fired a rapid volley of light into siren-Adagio's chest. The wailing broke into a roar of pain, and the beast retreated down the street.
"Good job, Pollyanna," Sunset said, rubbing her ears.
"Thanks!" Pinkie blew a wisp of smoke off her index finger. "I call that one Sassaflash!"
Siren-Adagio flew back toward them, a sphere of yellow energy in her mouth. She spewed it forth, and Sunset and Pinkie simultaneously fired their magic at it. The two powers collided and detonated on impact, the shockwave knocking all three players backward.
Sunset heard screams and emergency sirens as she skidded across the pavement and into a lamppost. She pushed herself up and looked about the street. Shopfronts were damaged, glass and debris littered the street, and a car was on fire. People were running away as fast as they could, some snapping pictures on their phones even as they fled.
I can't believe Adagio is attacking the city in broad daylight! We can't fight here!
As if to further her point, Adagio's human form broke out of whatever trance she was in and fired a blast of magic at an apartment over one of the shops. There was a scream as the wall broke away and a young man fell out.
Sunset jumped into the air, knowing full well she wouldn't make it in time. Before she could move, a pink blur flew down the street, caught the young man, and dropped him off at the end of the block before zipping back to Sunset's side.
Rainbow, in her disguise, gave a look of disgust up at Adagio. "You're sick, you know that?"
Adagio responded by raising her shard-embedded glove and ensnaring a car in her red glow. It rose into the air and flung itself at the two girls.
Rainbow grabbed Sunset by the wrist and pulled her out of the way, zipping down to the far end of the block. Sunset blinked rapidly to reorient herself. She clenched her fists and burned her flames hotter.
"Help as many people get out of here," she told Rainbow. "Pinkie and I will keep her distracted."
Rainbow saluted and sped off, grabbing someone out of the path of another flying car. Sunset launched herself into the air again, hands aflame. Adagio had her back turned, and Sunset reached out to grab her wrists. The Siren spun around and bobbed left, dodging Sunset's hands. Sunset struck again, reaching for the red pendant this time. Adagio ducked, but Sunset managed to run her fingers through the tip of her massive hair.
Adagio screamed and high-kicked Sunset in the jaw. Her teeth violently clacked together, and she flew back while Adagio shook the fire out.
"You miserable urchin!" Adagio created a large cut of diamond and sliced at Sunset with it. Sunset flew to the right, but the shard cut through her wing. Sunset cried in pain as her wing flickered out and she spiraled to the ground. She skidded onto the asphalt and landed on her hands and knees, still feeling a phantom pain in her reignited wing.
She heard a rush of wind and threw herself forward as Adagio came down and plunged the diamond shard into the ground. She thrusted her palm forward and blasted Sunset with a burst of energy, knocking her into the side of a car.
Bruised and aching, Sunset got to her feet and raised her fists in front of her face. Adagio sucked in a deep breath, then was launched into the air by a bright pink explosion.
"You big bully!" Pinkie yelled, throwing firework after firework at Adagio and sending her higher into the sky. She was only freed from the assault when she gained too much altitude and Pinkie missed.
At level with one of the taller buildings, Adagio raised her arms again, and her hippocampus sprung back to life with a roar.
They can't attack at the same time! That thing is just an extension of Adagio!
Siren-Adagio opened its maw and fired a ray of energy that shaved off the roof of the car Sunset was resting against as it rushed toward Pinkie. She blasted a firework at her feet and propelled herself high into the air, then shot another at the siren's open mouth.
It twisted away, taking the blast on the cheek instead. While it recovered and as Pinkie was falling back to the ground, she threw another blast at Adagio herself. It struck the Siren in the gut and sent her into the side of a glass building.
Pinkie leaned back in her fall and hit the ground hair first, the fluffy mass acting as a cushion and bouncing her back onto her feet. She took a moment to spin in place and pose with two fingers next to her eye.
A new wail drew Sunset's attention down the block behind them, where a squadron of police cars had parked, getting as close as they could with the build-up of abandoned cars blocking their path.
Harshwhinny got out and raised a bullhorn to her mouth. "All of, lay down... whatever you're using as weapons and put your hands in the air! You're all under arrest!"
"What? But we're the good guys!" Pinkie shouted back.
Sunset looked at the row of police officers behind Harshwhinny dressed in riot gear and armed with lethal weapons. "I don't think they're in a mood to differentiate."
Siren-Adagio let out a roar that turned into another charge of energy. It took aim at the gathered officers and fired.
"Run!" Sunset screamed.
A few turned or tried to duck, but none of them had time to move out of the way. The condensed ball of magic flew at them, only to collide with a wall of interlocked diamonds.
Rarity and Applejack, both in their disguises, floated over the stunned police force on shimmering blue platforms. Harshwhinny in particular looked dumbstruck, staring with her mouth agape.
The Siren roared again in fury and fired another pulsing laser directly at Rarity. She encased herself in a crystalline dome, while Applejack hopped off her support platform, grabbed the nearest empty car by the front fender, and hurled it at the beast. To everyone's surprise and dismay, the car sailed right through the projection and crashed at the other end of the street. Siren-Adagio grinned hungrily at them.
Rarity flicked her wrists forward, and the wall of diamonds broke apart and rushed forth, slicing and stabbing into the siren. Though there were no residual marks, the beast roared in clear pain. The second Rarity ran out of diamond shards, Pinkie hit the siren with a high-powered firework and sent it careening back into the glass building, shattering the windows.
Sunset scanned the other buildings for Adagio herself but didn't see anyone in the immediate vicinity. She tensed as she heard the sound of fluttering wings, and prepared a fireball. But, turning around, she was delighted to see Fluttershy descending toward her.
Fluttershy put a hand on Sunset's shoulder, and a pink aura washed over her, healing all of the wounds.
"Thanks."
"Of course," Fluttershy said before jumping over to check on Pinkie.
Sunset turned back toward the police force and shouted, "See? We're on your side!"
Harshwhinny raised the bullhorn. "You're vigilantes and causing just as much damage as that monster is! If you're on our side then stand down!"
Applejack and Rarity took their place next to Sunset. Applejack jabbed a thumb in Harshwhinny's direction. "Somethin' tells me they ain't gonna take 'no' for an answer."
"They're gonna have to," Sunset said defiantly. "Just because they've got guns doesn't mean they're a match for Adagio. And we promised Sonata and Aria we wouldn't kill her, just lock her away."
"Speaking of..." Rarity pointed. The siren beast was shaking itself out of a daze and climbing out of the building.
"What's the plan, Phoenix?" Applejack asked.
Sunset traded her phoenix powers for her base pony form and placed a hand on Applejack's shoulder. Sunset felt some of her magic leave, and Applejack's aura blazed brighter.
"Keep this area clear of any stragglers and keep an eye on Adagio. If you think you can hit her with something, hit her," Sunset said, jumping back to phoenix form. "The rest of us will keep the monster off balance and hopefully take her down."
Applejack tipped her in acknowledgment. "On it!"
"Halt!" Harshwhinny yelled as Applejack turned and ran off. She cursed and turned her attention to the remaining three. "You're all officially under arrest!"
"Hold that thought!" Sunset shouted back as siren-Adagio rose into the air and snorted in fury. It inhaled and unleashed another earsplitting soundwave. Sunset could see the ripples in the air. Rarity threw a shield in front of them, but while it blocked the force, it couldn't block out the sound.
The rest of the police force fell to their knees. With a single beat of her wings, Sunset rocketed herself up above the siren and rained fireballs down on it. A red shield quickly encased it, vanishing when Sunset took a pause. The Siren charged forward and rammed its head into Sunset, sending her careening back onto a fire escape.
Pinkie took over, bombarding siren-Adagio with another Sassaflash attack. Forcing itself through the barrage, the Siren swung its tail and slapped Pinkie away. Rarity blocked the sweep and retaliated by slashing a diamond down the behemoth's side.
While it reared back in pain, Sunset leaned over the fire escape and unleashed a jet of fire at its chest. Instead of a roar, Sunset heard a distant scream swirling with rage and pain. The siren retreated down the street while Adagio broke through a skyscraper window, eyes an even deeper red than before.
A broken pick-up truck flew up at her. Without looking at it, Adagio caught it in her magical grasp and hurled it back at Applejack on the ground.
Applejack leaped out of the way, avoiding the cacophony of crunching steel. She jumped again when the sidewalk beneath her ripped itself free of the earth and floated up next to Adagio. Several more chunks followed, and she hurled them at each of the girls in sight.
Sunset vaulted over the railing and dropped to the sidewalk before she could get crushed, raising her wings to block the falling debris. Applejack merely punched her projectile into hundreds of pieces. Pinkie dove into a slide, narrowly avoiding hers, while Rarity raised a shield, defending her and the police cowering behind her.
Adagio didn't relent. With a snap of her fingers, a red doppelganger of Harbinger appeared and rushed after Rarity. She then pointed at a fire hydrant which promptly exploded, unleashing a geyser of water. With a single point, the geyser curved toward Sunset.
"Crap--" was all she got out before being punched with gallons of water and slammed into a wall. The pressure was too great. She couldn't move, and she couldn't gasp for air without water flooding in. Her fire tried to burn hotter, but not even magic flame could stand up to the amount of water dousing her.
Just as quickly as it started, it stopped. Sunset fell to the ground, coughing and spluttering. Looking up, Sunset saw Applejack holding the wolf back from biting into Rarity, who had encased the water spout in a crystal dome, already completely flooded. Adagio fended off Pinkie while firing back with fireworks of her own. She noticed Sunset was no longer drowning and switched targets, launching a crimson blast at her.
Sunset tried to fly out of the way, but in her drenched state, her wings struggled to reignite. A suit of crystal surrounded her upper torso just as the firework hit, and while she was still knocked backward, most of the pain had been mitigated.
The armor flew off of Sunset, morphed into a disk, and rushed at Adagio. She blocked it with a shield of her own, but the second she dropped it, a well-timed blast from Pinkie threw her back into another building.
Applejack, who had the wolf in a chokehold, slammed it into the ground, full force. It whined and evaporated into glimmering dust.
The astral siren took over again, running a hoof through the air like it was about to charge. Rarity took the dome full of water and closed the bottom, creating a crystal container, and hurled it at the siren. It smashed into the beast's chest and dropped a deluge of water onto the street.
With a scream of increasing fury, the siren flew into the air, briefly lost in the sun just overhead. Taking a deep breath, Sunset willed her fire to reignite. Curls of smoke rolled off her clothes at first before her wings and tail burst back to life. With a few test flaps, Sunset leaped into the air and hurled a fireball at the siren.
Adagio's projection saw the blast coming near and spiraled out of its path. It made a lap in the air, then divebombed the girls, emitting its loudest screeching shockwave yet as it descended.
Sunset covered her ears, creating the minimalist barrier. Below her, her friends cringed and recoiled in pain, their mouths open in drowned-out agony. Pinkie fired a burst of light at the siren, but it deftly dodged and continued to wail. The noise reverberated in Sunset's skull and rattled her teeth.
The wail suddenly dropped to a muffled yell. A hexagonal sphere entombed the siren and its shriek. Noticing its prison, it began to thrash about, the shield flashing with each hit.
Sunset shook her head to clear some of the ringing in her ears, and her eyes caught something. Atop a smaller office building partly shaded by the taller towers around it, Sunset spotted not Adagio, but a figure in a dark robe. They would have blended into the shadows if not for their silvery hair drifting in the wind. Sunset narrowed her eyes. Something about that figure was familiar.
"Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ack--!"
Adagio flew back out of the building she had been hiding in, followed by a blue and pink blur that kicked her straight down into the middle of the street.
Sunset circled down and landed, keeping a good distance from the real Siren. Her friends gathered around her, including Fluttershy, having emerged from her hiding place to give quick healing touches to her friends.
Rainbow hovered over them, a victorious smirk on her face. "Just give up already. It's six against one--you can't win!"
Adagio pounded a fist against the concrete and pushed herself onto her hands and knees. "I will not lose to the likes of you! I refuse to be continuously beaten like this!"
"Ugh!" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Really wish we could use the Rainbow of Light right now and like, banish her or something. You wanna find that key anytime soon?"
"We don't know if I'm the key bearer."
"I don't care who it is right now, I just want to get rid of Adagio."
"Why you!" Adagio got to her feet, but before she could do anything else, Rarity encased her in another shield.
"Let's decide on something soon," she said, wincing as siren-Adagio continued to thrash. "I can't keep them both contained forever."
Sunset pulled her phone out. "I can call Artemis. He can probably find a place to lock them up."
"Ahem."
The girls looked over their shoulders. Ms. Harshwhinny had her bullhorn out again.
"We... thank you girls for your services, despite your vigilante nature and wonton destruction. We will apprehend this criminal from here. This is your one and only chance to leave before I change my mind and arrest all of you."
As if to emphasize her point, from down the other end of the block came an armored police truck flanked by several more squad cars.
"We should take their offer," Fluttershy suggested.
"Agreed," Sunset said. "Let's strip Adagio of her stuff then get out of here."
There was a dark flash, the sound of shattering glass, and a clap of thunder, all within the span of two seconds. Rarity swooned and fell to one knee, holding her head in her hand.
Applejack rushed to her side. "What happened?"
"I... I'm not sure. Something really strong hit my forcefield."
"Adagio's free!" Pinkie cried, pointing up to the siren in the sky. It was already forming a sphere of energy.
Sunset put her hands together, creating a fireball to counter it. Rainbow tensed her muscles to charge Adagio still on the ground.
Before anyone could make a move, both Adagio and her avatar disappeared, leaving behind wisps of black smoke.
Sunset twisted her head about. "Where'd she go?"
A wall of black flames rose and cut off both the approaching police car and the unit behind them. The police startled back, and when one tried to force his way through, he shot backward and landed on the ground, twitching.
Curls of smoke circled before the wall of flames at the other end of the street. A plume of fire rose and the cloaked figure Sunset had seen on the rooftop appeared from it. Looking at her straight on, Sunset fully recognized her.
"Apalla?" Sunset's fireball went out. Apalla's soul was supposed to be in the Soul Lock. And her body was supposed to be buried.
Apalla's lips curled up in a cold smile. "Not quite," she said, devoid of the lively, if slightly manic voice Sunset remembered.
Sunset reignited her fire. "Who are you?"
"In body, I unfortunately inhabit the descendant of my mortal enemies. In spirit, however," Apalla's smile widened. "I am Lord Tirek."
> 20. For Every Soul
A chill blew across the street. Sunset's flame sputtered again. Their archenemy, the person they were training so hard to defeat, was here before them? He had a body? He had Apalla's body?
Sunset tried to keep her breathing steady. For Tirek to appear right in front of them in broad daylight... This had to be a trap. Her eyes fixated on Tirek's neckline. She could see the chain of a necklace hiding underneath his cloak.
"Dumb enough to show your face to us?" Rainbow asked. "Cool! That means we can finally kick your butt and move on with our lives!"
"Rainbow wait!" Sunset yelled, stopping Rainbow mid-lunge. "His Soul Lock!"
Tirek gave a dark chuckle. "Do not worry. I'm not going to take your souls. Not yet anyway. I have need of you for just a little longer."
"We're not playin' your game anymore!" Applejack shouted. "You're here now; why don't we settle this?"
"Tsk. The people of this age lack patience. Though I suppose I am one to talk, as I find mine running thin as well." He lifted a hand from his cloak and traced a finger around the outline of the Soul Lock hiding beneath. "We'll all get what we want soon."
Sunset clenched her teeth, resisting the urge to bombard him with fire. "Why are you here?"
Tirek smiled again. "Straight to the heart of the matter. Well, Sunset Shimmer, I would like the Rainbow of Light."
Sunset heard each of her friends suck in a breath. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, drawing on her old instincts.
Tirek gave a short chuckle. "Do not lie to me, child. I know you have it, or at the very least, you know of its existence."
He shook his head, and his smile turned into a disgusted sneer. "In every age I walked, there were misguided fools on a crusade from the gods to stop me. Djinn and shamen. Wizards and knights. And now, 'superheroes'. All of them wielding the Rainbow of Light to undo my work.
"You are merely the next instruments the gods will use to stop me." He clenched his fist. "You and the accursed kin of Megan. It seemed obvious that you were their latest pawns, but your shows of so-called 'heroism' were so meager, that I found myself unconvinced. You wasted my time using these paltry powers, instead of revealing the rainbow to me. And so I had to escalate things ever greater, hoping you would show me what I knew you possessed."
He locked eyes with Sunset. Sunset narrowed her own. Something clicked in her mind and she gasped.
"All the monsters we've been fighting this summer! They were from you! I thought Tempest was trying to get us to generate magic, but you were trying to see if we would use the Rainbow of Light!"
"I believe you call it, 'killing two birds with one stone.'" Tirek stroked his bare chin. "I thought, surely a rampaging monster of Adagio's caliber would get them to use it. Only to hear that you can't. But you do have it."
Sunset's eyes flickered in Rainbow's direction. Her jaw was tight and her cheeks were a burning red.
Tirek folded his arms behind his back. "So, as you cannot use it for whatever reason, I would ask that you hand it over."
"Even if we did have it, why the hell would we hand it to you?" Sunset asked.
"Because I am trying to help this world!" Tirek bellowed. He held out his arms. "Created by careless gods who saw us as nothing more than playthings; they abandoned this place when they grew bored! During their rule, they allowed corruption to spread and disease to fester! No matter how pious one was, it was on the gods' whims if they would help or not."
Tirek lowered his arms and spat on the pavement. "And now, without them, humanity is worse. More corruption, more war, and worst of all, cut off from magic! We've been denied our true potential!"
He took a deep breath and folded his arms behind his back again. "So you see, I would use a tool like the Rainbow of Light against the true villains of the world: the gods that ignored and abandoned us. And in their place, become a new god that would usher in a golden age for humanity. But if it is truly inaccessible, then I would remove it from play so it can't be used to stop my mission."
Sunset threw her head back and laughed. "Okay, I get it now. I understand your whole deal." She leveled a hand at him, flames burning brighter.
"You're insane," she finished flatly.
Tirek snorted in disgust. "I wouldn't have expected you children to understand. Not with your minds tainted by Megan's ilk."
"No, we understand," Pinkie said, shaking her head. "You're just cuckoo for Coco Puffs."
"Enough of this." Tirek extended a hand toward Sunset. "This is the last time I'll ask with civility. Give me the Rainbow of Light."
Sunset widened her stance, fire dancing in her palms. "No."
A shadow crossed over Tirek's eyes. "You children clearly don't value your lives or your souls if you think challenging me is wise."
Applejack put her fists up. "We'd rather fight than give up the best weapon to put you down."
Tirek raised his other hand, sparks of magic coalescing at his fingertips. "If you spurn my mercy then be forewarned: when I take your souls, I will mangle your bodies. So that when my new world comes and I release all those who aided me on this path, your souls will have nothing to go back to."
Even with her attention focused on Tirek, Sunset felt the tension enveloping her friends tighten to a chokehold. She could also feel their unyielding resolve. Yet her own faltered. They were facing Tirek, a millennia-old warlock, possessing Apalla's body, a witch who had to be comparable to Artemis. And a single misstep would cost them their souls.
"Wait!" Sunset shouted. She threw an out, signaling her friends to stay back. "I challenge you to a magic duel!"
"What?" Rainbow shouted. "Sunset, have you lost it?"
"Sunset, you can't!" Rarity protested.
Sunset ignored them. "Just you and me. If you win, I'll tell you where the Rainbow of Light is. But if I win, you go back to hell."
Tirek threw his head back and laughed with a sinister enthusiasm. "I have seen your soul, Sunset Shimmer, felt its radiance inside my lock. You are clever, determined, and yes, you have power worthy of consideration. But you are not a fool. We both know you cannot defeat me."
"Yeah, seriously!" Rainbow said, flying closer to Sunset. "Not by yourself!"
Sunset kept her eyes forward. "I might surprise you."
Tirek laughed again. "You're certainly welcome to try. I accept your challenge, Sunset Shimmer."
Sunset started forward, but Rainbow grabbed her arm. There was a rare look of genuine panic on her face. "Please tell me you know what you're doing."
"Of course I do," Sunset said, forcing a smile. She slipped out of Rainbow's grasp and walked forward.
With a sweep of his arm, Tirek erected another circle of black fire around them, trapping them in an arena that took up the entirety of the road. He rolled up the sleeves of his cloak but otherwise left it alone.
"And just so we're clear, no soul sucking during the fight either," Sunset said, taking a fighting stance.
"Oh, but of course not. Not that I'll need it anyway." Tirek flashed her a savage smile.
Sunset took a deep breath. It was a gamble with near-impossible odds, but there was still a chance. And this way, if she failed, her friends wouldn't pay the price.
"Begin!" Tirek clenched a fist and thrust it skyward.
Sunset had a split second to jump sideways before a spear of earth and cement erupted from the earth and nearly impaled her. Two more broke from the ground, and Sunset propelled herself into the air, the fiery boundary of the arena rising with her. She threw her palms out and blasted a flurry of fireballs down at Tirek.
Tirek raised both arms overhead, and a funnel of wind enveloped him. The fireballs hit the wind tunnel and merged into it, creating a tornado of fire. Sunset halted her attack and watched Tirek reappear above the twister. With a flick of his fingers, it moved toward Sunset.
With a growl, Sunset flew right toward it at top speed. She broke through the funnel, feeling a sharp increase in temperature but little else. She launched up to a smirking Tirek and aimed a fist at his face.
Tirek blocked it with the outside of his arm and deflected all of Sunset's follow-up punches and kicks. Sunset pushed back and aimed a fireball directly at his chest, but Tirek caught her arm and, with shocking strength, reeled her up before flinging her down to the ground.
She slammed into the cement, aching despite the protection her magic aura gave her. Gasping in pain and powers flickering for a moment, Sunset pushed herself onto her elbows and saw the fire tornado heading in her direction again. She forced herself to her feet, extended her arms, then yanked them back in. The fire rushed toward her, bathing her in its warmth as it spiraled like ribbons up her arms and around her torso.
Sunset took the rest of the fire and condensed it into a single sphere. She hurled it at Tirek, still floating in the air. As it approached, Sunset saw him ready his hands. She made a quick separating motion with her hands, and the fireball split in two before Sunset clapped her hands together and brought the flaming sphere back together with Tirek in the center.
Tirek, who had shot a spell forward, couldn't move before the fire collapsed on him. Sunset clenched her fist to make it detonate, but instead of an explosion of fire, the flames flash froze into a sphere of ice.
"Come on!" Sunset opened her palm and took aim.
Sections of the surface of the ice ball melted into rippling water. Spouts erupted and turned into tendrils as they twisted down to Sunset. She blasted one of them, creating a spray of steam, but the watery tendril enveloped her arm and held fast. Another ensnared her leg, and the two pulled in opposite directions.
Sunset grit her teeth as her bones popped and tendons stretched. Another tendril reached down for her free arm. Sunset concentrated as much heat into her hand before the water reached her. Upon contact, it fizzled into vapor, and Sunset chopped a wave of fire at the water rope holding her leg. It burst into steam, freeing half of her body, but the one holding her by the arm then flung her into the wall of fire blocking them from the rest of the city.
The fire didn't burn; it was like Sunset had hit a warm floor. Sharp, prickling pains erupted just beneath her skin. But Sunset didn't scream or flail. She lay on the ground, powers fading, fog clouding her thoughts and dimming her vision. Despair dug its thick talons into her heart.
I can't win, Sunset thought. The world is doomed. I'm sorry, girls. I'm sorry, Twilight.
"Sunset, get up!"
Through lidded eyes, she could see her friends just beyond the black flames. They screamed her name again, and a jolt of vitality struck Sunset. Despair's grip slackened, and the fog cleared from her head.
Sunset pushed herself up onto shaky feet. "Not done yet," she said, fire flickering back to life.
The sphere of ice and water above her shattered with an echoing crack. Tirek emerged and immediately fired a volley of crackling dark arrows down at Sunset.
With a few quick hops and twirls, Sunset dodged the initial onslaught before propelling herself into the air. She sped straight for Tirek, drawing her fist back to strike. Tirek merely smirked with superiority, raising his hand for another spell.
At the last moment, Sunset banked to the right and instead of coming in direct contact, shot past Tirek, her fiery wing cutting through his torso.
Tirek roared in pain as Sunset banked and came around for another pass. She crashed into a barrier and rolled head over heels backward. She extended her wings to catch and right herself, only for thin fingers to close around her throat.
"My amusement has run thin, girl," Tirek growled. He tightened his grip and flung Sunset to the ground.
This time, Sunset caught herself before she hit the pavement, using her wings to come to a soft landing. She took a deep breath and massaged her throat. Above her, Tirek looked about the broken street. His eyes landed on one of the glass office buildings. With an upward strike of his hand, a black tear erupted up the front of the building, shattering the glass.
Tirek swirled his hand above his head, and the glass swirled with him, becoming a glittering tempest above the street. With a downward strike, the glass rained upon Sunset.
Sunset threw both her arms up, a pillar of fire rising with them and surrounding her completely. Hot shards of glass broke through and sliced into Sunset's arms and legs. She cried out but increased the heat of her flames, shattering or melting a majority of the glass assaulting her.
Glittering dust cut her cheek and she winced, losing concentration and letting in more shrapnel. Her face, her stomach, her shoulders, every part of her was nicked and sliced, and with every cut, her concentration faltered further.
Sunset fell to one knee, gasping as the pain accumulated. She gave one final gout of intense heat before her fire extinguished itself and she collapsed onto her hands.
The few remaining pieces of glass dropped to the ground around her with soft tinkles. A cold wind scattered them away as Tirek descended in front of Sunset. She forced herself to look up and glare at him.
"Yield, Sunset Shimmer."
The burning rebellion inside Sunset screamed at her to refuse. She looked at her arms, thin streams of blood running down them. She turned her gaze to her friends, looking on with concern and fear. She wanted to keep fighting. And if she was on her own, she would have. But if she went down, Tirek would just move on to the rest of her friends.
Survive.
Through clenched teeth, Sunset said, "Fine. I yield."
Tirek made a throaty chuckle. "A wise decision." He stepped closer and leaned down.
"Now, tell me everything about the Rainbow of Light."
"Sunset, you can't!" Applejack yelled.
I don't have a choice. I'm so sorry, Artemis. Sunset closed her eyes. "Artemis has it. It needs six keys to open. We only have five. And no, we don't know how we got them. They just appear when they're ready."
When she opened her eyes, Tirek had a sinister smile that did not belong on Apalla's face. "Of course Artemis has it. I could have guessed, but one can never be too sure. As for these keys, well, all the more reason to keep you around for now."
Triek gave an exaggerated bow. "My thanks, Sunset Shimmer. I hope you find that key soon. I'll be back to collect it and your souls in due time."
In a flash, he and the black flames were gone.
The girls rushed over to Sunset, Fluttershy quickly putting her hands on Sunset's back. A healing wave washed over Sunset, closing her wounds and easing her physical exhaustion.
"Are you okay?" Rarity asked, kneeling next to Sunset.
Sunset shook her head.
"Why?" Rainbow asked, concern eclipsing her anger. "Why did you do it?"
"If we all tried to fight, he'd still win. And he'd take some of our souls with him. We were gonna lose no matter what. I just wanted to control how we did it."
She staggered to her feet. "We have to get to the Lulamoons. Tirek will probably strike now when he thinks he has the advantage."
Rainbow punched her fist into her open palm. "Then let's get go--crap!"
In another flash of light, Adagio and her siren avatar appeared in the middle of the street again. High above their heads, she let out a scream of frustration.
"Damn that witch for interfering!" Adagio looked down and despite a vein bulging in her neck, she gave them a predatory smile. "You! You're all still here! Good; I wasn't finished yet!"
"You can't be serious!" Pinkie cried.
Adagio threw herself into the air, dodging Rainbow's initial attack, then erecting a barrier around herself to repel all of the follow-ups.
"Maybe you're right: I can't beat you on my own! So let's even the odds!" She raised the Sacanas shard in her palm and vanished in a red light. Her avatar, however, remained behind. It opened its mouth.
"Aaah aaah ah. Aaah ah."
The melody descended upon them, drifting on the air currents blowing through the streets of the city. Magnified by the hippocampus. Sunset looked up to find its source, but couldn't spot Adagio anywhere. She turned her attention back to the beast and lobbed a fireball at it. It winced and writhed, but continued to sing.
The song played all around them, and the police force, previously hunched with tension now stood upright in a hypnotic trance.
The music stopped, but Adagio spoke, her voice coming from her avatar. "Can you really trust these girls to protect you? They're hiding their faces behind masks and call each other little codenames to protect their identity. Look at all the destruction they've caused! The people they're trying to hurt! I'm trying to stop them! And you should too, by any means necessary!"
Sunset's fiery hair and wings flared. "You lying--"
She had never heard a gun go off before, outside of movies. Firearms smaller than airship cannons were a foreign concept when Sunset arrived in this world. It was far louder than she had expected and made her jump ten feet into the air and her breath catch in her throat. That two more shots followed in close succession didn't help either. Two car windows exploded and there was a loud plink as a bullet pierced a lamppost.
"Holy shit!" Sunset yelled.
Rarity threw her arms out wide and brought up a dome of crystal around the group. The police were smart enough to stop shooting, but a few officers in riot gear made their way to the front and banged the butts of their guns against the barrier.
Sunset beat a palm against her heart to calm it down. It surged again when a dense ball of magic crashed against the top of the forcefield. Adagio's laugh echoed from on high.
"Let's see how you like being helpless and imprisoned!" She fired another blast, and Rarity flinched from the impact.
"Sunset, what do we do?" Applejack asked, hesitant fists raised.
"Uhh..." Another blast hit the dome. Sunset switched to her ponied-up form and laid a hand on Rarity's back. The barrier solidified with an extra sheen, and Rarity stood up straighter and more vigilant. But Sunset knew that would only last a few minutes, and she couldn't keep doing it.
A swath of officers moved aside, and two heavy-set men walked over from the armored truck, each carrying a battering ram. One moved to the other side of the prism, and they both began to hammer away.
Bam!
Rarity held firm, looking confident, but Sunset was all tension. They couldn't fight the police, especially when they were already surrounded. She looked at the guns trained on them and the siren hovering in the sky.
Bam!
Sweat gathered on her forehead. She needed a plan. Her friends were looking to her for a plan. They couldn't lose to Tirek and Adagio!
Bam!
"Sunset?" Rainbow's voice lacked any of her usual confidence. Her eyes were on the fresh reinforcements of police vans and armored trucks.
Bam!
Sunset's mind raced through scenarios, but they never got further than a twitching finger gunning down one of them when Rarity lowered her shield. No matter how fast Rainbow was or how strong Applejack. And if the officers did miss or show mercy, Adagio wouldn't.
Harshwhinny raised her bullhorn again, now speaking from the back of the mob. "We will give you one chance to come quietly! Put your hands behind your head and surrender!"
The girls all turned and looked to Sunset. She had to make the call again; choose the best path for survival. If this was their only way out without dying, Sunset had to take it. She clenched her fist until her hand cramped. Twilight, Starlight, Tirek, Adagio. Nothing seemed to be going the way it should.
"This is your last chance! We will break through this barrier, and you will be subdued by any means necessary!" Harshwhinny barked. Green mist swirled in her eyes.
"Fine!" Sunset yelled. "We surrender! We'll come quietly."
"Sunset, you can't be serious!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"We're not fighting our way out of this!" Sunset gestured to the fifty-odd officers with varying levels of firearms, and the siren circling above them. "And I don't think help is coming."
"I... but we... we can..." Rainbow made a few wild gestures with her arms to emphasize the plan she didn't have before they flopped to her sides. "We lost?"
"For now," Sunset said, trying to reassure herself more than the others. "Just for now. We'll find a way out of this."
Five pairs of uneasy eyes melted what little confidence she had. Still, they all nodded and complied, putting their hands up and powering down one by one. Rarity took a deep breath and let the barrier fall.
Sunset flinched at the chorus of dozens of guns being cocked, but no shots rang out. The police troopers advanced on them from every side while Adagio laughed maniacally overhead.
"Take them far away! Lock them somewhere until they starve to death! Make sure they never see the light of day again!"
Her thralls obeyed, one officer roughly grabbing Sunset's arms and forcing them behind her back before cuffing her.
"I'm sorry, girls," she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
"It's okay, dear," Rarity said as they were marched toward the armored trucks. "Like you said, we'll find a way out of this. Somehow."
But as Adagio's laugh boomed throughout the city, Sunset's hope in her own words faded. She had spared her friends' lives but at what cost? She had sold the Lulamoons out to Tirek, gotten her friends arrested, and couldn't stop Adagio. There was no backup this time. She had failed as a leader.
Sunset bowed her head, shoulders shaking as she held back a sob. "I'm so sorry."
*******
Artemis drew a circle in the air with his wand. Inside it, he drew a sigil and capped it off with two more circles on either side of the first. With a flick of his wrist, the rune flew forward and pressed itself against the surface of the forcefield surrounding the entire Lulamoon home.
Beside him, Trixie copied his hand motions, drawing a shakier but still viable rune as well. It hovered forward and stuck itself just below Artemis'.
"One dispel rune alone is already very potent," Artemis said, confidence rising over the frustration of the last half-hour, "so two should definitely be able to break this! On the count of three, Trixie!"
Trixie readied her wand and nodded.
"One, two, three, Lulamoon!"
In synch, they both thrust their hands forward, and the dual sigils glowed a bright blue against the black-tinted bubble. More symbols spiderwebbed out from the first two, weaving across the forcefield and bathing the lawn in blue light. The forcefield rumbled and Artemis heard cracks...
The sigils immediately disappeared and the blue light faded, leaving everyone in tinted shadows again.
"What?" Artemis yelled. "How? That's one of my strongest spells!"
Selena ran up and slashed at the barrier with her longsword. Instead of being thrown back like she had the first time she tried, the barrier wobbled like gelatin. "It's weakened though. If you try again, maybe we can break through."
Artemis grunted in bitter agreement. He knew he was getting older, but his magic wasn't that hindered yet. No, someone exceptionally powerful put this shield up. His only suspect was Tempest, and if she had gotten this much stronger since the last time they fought...
He shuddered and raised his wand. Problems for later. They needed to break out of this confinement and get to the city. He drew another circle in the air, and the bubble snapped out of existence, forcing Artemis to shield his eyes from the direct sunlight.
The glare faded, but he knew his eyes were playing tricks on him when he saw not only Tempest but Apalla standing on the sidewalk in front of the house. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, but Apalla was still standing there, arms folded behind her back. Artemis looked to Selena. Her pale face and wide-eyed shock confirmed he wasn't hallucinating.
"Alli?" he asked, throat constricting.
Apalla placed a hand over her heart. "Aw, how precious. You have a nickname for your sister," she said with a simper. "You know, a long, long time ago, I used to have a nickname for my brother. Then the gods decided to grant him an early and unjust death."
It was as if an Arctic wind stripped Artemis of all his breath. His wand dropped from his trembling hands and he clutched his chest. "You... you... what are you... but you're not... she's supposed to be..."
Tempest chuckled darkly. "It was rather touching, you throwing a funeral and everything for her. But the truth is, Night Shade and little Moondancer kept Apalla's body perfectly preserved, hoping that someday, we would give her soul back. And if Moondancer keeps cooperating, we might still grant that request."
She gave a sinister, full-toothed smile. "But right now, you stand in the presence of Lord Tirek!"
Tirek. Artemis hunched forward. Tirek is out... and he's using Apalla.
"You monster!" Selena shouted, tears falling down her face. "Get out of her body this instant!"
If he's using her... then I can't fight her. I can't fight my sister.
Tirek pursed his lips. "Rest assured, I would be all too happy to remove myself from one that carries Megan's blood. But my own body is not quite ready yet."
I thought her body was buried. But if we can get her soul back and push Tirek out...
Selena brandished her sword. "Then return to hell where you belong!"
Tirek simply smiled. "You wizards are the same in every generation: brash and belligerent. You don't even know why I'm here."
"You got tired of hiding and want us to kick your butt!" Trixie said, pointing her wand at Tirek.
"Silence your whelp, Artemis, lest she end up like your sister."
Artemis snapped his head up. He stared at his sister--no, Tirek--and clenched his fists, the bitter cold replaced with boiling magma. "Hurry up and get back in your own body so I can send you to kingdom come!"
"Hmph, of course the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." Tirek shook his head. "I am just as eager to get rid you you as you are of me. But, I need you to do me one small favor first."
Trixie stuck her tongue out. "We would never help you!"
Tirek flung his hand out at Trixie, and a burst of black fire erupted from his fingertips. Trixie drew a circle in front of her lightning quick and produced a quick shield to take the blast. The impact was still strong enough to knock her off her feet and throw her back onto the porch.
Artemis bellowed and grabbed his wand on the grass. As he lifted it, tendrils of grass rose and coiled around his arm, bringing him back down and embedding his wand hand in the lawn.
Selena rushed at Tirek in Artemis' place. Tempest leaped forward, pulling a shadowy sword from nothing and clashing with Selena's blade. They exchanged a flurry of attacks, dancing off the front lawn and into the driveway.
Tirek looked on in amusement for a moment before striding over to a kneeling Artemis. "Your family has an unnecessary need to escalate affairs that could otherwise be rather simple."
"There's nothing simple about you conquering the world!" Artemis spat.
"Liberating."
"What every tyrant says to justify their campaign."
Tirek sighed. "Ignorant as always. This is a waste of breath, but I'll ask regardless. Where is the Rainbow of Light?"
"Unfortunately, we lost it ages ago," Artemis said between gritted teeth.
"I'd be inclined to believe that if your friend Sunset Shimmer hadn't already told me you have it."
Artemis went rigid, heart stopping for a moment before anger pulled magic into his free hand and sparks danced on his fingertips. "What did you do to her?"
"She's unharmed, though currently occupied with one Adagio Dazzle," Tirek said, curling his lips into a smile. "I spared her soul as thanks for the information."
Charged with magic, Artemis threw his free hand up. Tirek grabbed his wrist and leaned out of the way of the fireball. Artemis tried to wrest his other hand free, but not only were the grass tendrils too tight, Tirek dug his heel down where Artemis' wrist rested.
Tirek loomed over him. "Give me the Rainbow of Light."
"I would rather die."
"You will in due time." Tirek tightened his grip, black flame igniting over his hand, and a searing pain shot through Artemis' wrist and down his arm. "But not before I get what I want and you beg for death."
"Unhand my father!" Trixie's voice said in stereo.
Looking up, Artemis saw three Trixies flanking him and Tirek, wands at the ready. With an annoyed growl, Tirek fired a bolt of magic from his free hand at the Trixie on his left. It passed right through her, and the one directly behind him unleashed a line of steel cable that wrapped around his arm and connected to the tip of her wand.
Trixie yanked Tirek away from Artemis, and Artemis felt the grass loosen around his entombed arm. He wrenched it free and before Tirek could use his other hand to strike Trixie, Artemis copied his daughter's spell and coiled cable around Tirek's right arm.
The two Lulamoons pulled in opposite directions, but Tirek yanked back, grabbing each cable with the opposite hand and shooting fire up their length. Trixie and Artemis detached their coils and jumped back when the tendrils of fire reared up and struck like snakes.
Artemis danced back and pointed his wand at a sprinkler. The cap popped off and a jet of water streamed out to douse the fiery cables. With the water flowing onto them, Artemis snapped his fingers and the jetstream froze, immobilizing the rope.
A light cheer and a smatter of applause drew Artemis' attention across the street, where a small collection of their neighbors looked on. They cheered again at the sight of Selena and Tempest moving their duel to the middle of the street, Selena delivering a lightning-fast parry and riposte to her opponent.
"Why the tense look?" Tirek asked, raising a hand. "You love having an audience, don't you?"
"Don't even think about it," Artemis warned.
Tirek tilted his head toward the pedestrians, a malicious smile on his stolen face. "Only if you don't force my hand. Though speaking of hypothetical hostages, I would like to remind you of your little niece."
A vein bulged on the side of Artemis' neck. "Leave her out of this!" He readied a new spell at the tip of his wand. He didn't want to hurt Apalla, but he refused to let Tirek take Moondancer's soul too.
The roar of an engine stopped Artemis before he made a move. Selena dove out of the way of a pink compact car, leaving Tempest to get slammed and caught on the front bumper. The car jumped the curb and crashed into Tirek as it screeched to a halt, sending both its victims flying two yards over. The gathered crowd screamed and fled in terror, finally catching on that this was not a show.
Shimmer stepped out of the car, laptop under one arm. "Real glad I took the surface roads now. Never would have made it here otherwise."
Over on the lawn, Tempest and Tirek were already getting back on their feet, looking more annoyed than anything else.
"Dammit, she's still alive!" Shimmer cursed.
Tempest rolled her shoulder and shot Shimmer an annoyed look. "So this is where you've been hiding? I'm surprised they took someone like you in."
Tirek gave Shimmer a quizzical head tilt. "How did you get back so quickly?"
"My lord, that's this world's Sunset Shimmer. She's deadweight," Tempest said with a dismissive handwave.
Shimmer tossed the laptop into the grass and raised her fists. "Come over here and I'll show you who's 'deadweight'."
"No thanks." Tempest moved to the side as Tirek fired a massive bolt of magic.
Artemis jumped over and cast a quick shield to negate it, but just behind the dissipating blast was Tempest. She delivered a roundhouse kick to Artemis, knocking him sideways into the car.
Shimmer jumped in and traded a quick series of flurry of jabs and blocks with Tempest until the commander struck like a viper and grabbed Shimmer by the throat. She hoisted and tossed Shimmer over her shoulder where she landed at Tirek's feet.
As she scrambled up, Tirek reached into his coat, and Artemis watched as a quick flash of light danced across his vision.
Shimmer's body slackened. "The laptop... for... Sunse..."
The spark of life faded from her lidded eyes. She dropped to her knees, then fell face-forward into the grass.
"No!" Trixie screamed.
Artemis jumped back to his feet. "Tirek, you monster! Release her!"
"She can have her body back when I rule this world," Tirek said, stowing the Soul Lock back within the confines of his robes. "Now, surrender the Rainbow of Light, or the next soul I take will be Moondancer's."
Trixie raised her wand over her head, a spell charged at its tip. "Not if we stop you here and now!"
Tirek looked at her, unbothered. "You're certainly welcome to test that idea. Let's see who's faster: your magic or mine. But if I get away, Moondancer's soul is forfeit. I'm sure her mother will be very understanding."
Trixie's hand stayed aloft, but Artemis saw it begin to tremble. He tightened his grip on his own wand. Was he about to gamble Moondancer's safety? He looked down at Shimmer's soulless body. He had already failed to save one person today. His fondness of Shimmer wasn't high, but Sunset cared about her. Now, he had to tell her of his failure.
All Tirek had to do was teleport. Artemis couldn't outspeed that. And even if he could stop, the only way to permanently stop Tirek was to...
Kill my sister.
Artemis' mouth turned into a salt flat, and he gagged at the idea. He knew it was what Apalla would have wanted. But standing before her, looking into her eyes, hearing her voice even if it was all in possession of Tirek... How could he put down his own twin sister?
"Fine," Artemis croaked. He lowered his wand. "You win."
Slowly, he reached up and pulled his hat off his head. Reaching in, he rummaged around until he felt the cool, smooth surface of the chest and lifted it out, keys still locked in their slots.
Tirek held his hand out, and the chest floated from Artemis' grasp to his. He looked it over, the corner of his mouth raised in dull amusement. "So, this was Merlin's plan? Lock away magic, lock away the Rainbow until only the chosen and worthy could use it? Typical magician." The chest disappeared in a burst of dark flame.
"It's funny what sentimentality can do to us," Tirek said, flickers of flames still dancing on his fingertips. "Protecting your niece, even though she's a traitor. I am a man of my word though: I will not harm her. You, however..."
He generated a black sphere in his palm.
"Die here."
Tempest forward and slashed at Artemis with a reformed blade. Artemis ducked and spun out of the way, Selena quickly taking his place.
Tirek unleashed his stream of fire. Artemis threw up a wide shield, the flames ricocheting off in every direction. Tirek's calm demeanor made it look like he was putting in little effort, but the force of the flames left Artemis straining to keep them at bay.
"Trixie, grab Shimmer and the laptop and go to the island!" Artemis demanded.
"But--"
"We'll be right behind you! Go!"
Trixie bit her lip but nodded. She pointed her wand at the folded laptop sitting on the lawn, a foot away from being crushed by Tempest and Selena's renewed dual, and drew it to her. Clutching it in her arms, she took a deep breath and vanished from the porch.
She reappeared again next to Shimmer's unmoving frame. Trixie put a hand on Shimmer's back, spat at Tirek's feet, then vanished again.
Tirek ceased his flames. He raised both arms and the ground quivered, cracks splintering in the road behind him. A chunk of the street tore up from the earth, and Tirek hurled it at Artemis.
Artemis swiped his wand through the air, and the entire boulder turned into a collection of large bubbles. With another twirl, the bubbles turned into overly large doves that split into two flocks. One turned around and divebombed Tirek while the other flew over and harassed Tempest.
Tirek shot a bolt of lightning from his finger, reducing one dove to feathers while another landed on his shoulders and pecked his head. Tempest disengaged from Selena to slash at the birds, turning them back to bubbles whenever she cut one through.
Artemis sprinted over, grabbed Selena by the arm, and twisted the world around them. They drifted through nothing for one second, saw a thicket of trees another, then fell backward onto a rollercoaster that shot them forward through a tunnel of color and sound.
They both hit the sand, sliding forward and kicking up a cloud of dust. Artemis lay there, eyes closed. Everything played back in his mind. He couldn't sort through it. All he could think was, what have I done?
"Mom, Dad!"
Artemis raised his head. Trixie came out from beneath the shadow of a tree. Shimmer sat slumped against its base, expression vacant.
Trixie wrapped her arms around Artemis, then shared an embrace with Selena. "I'm glad you're both okay."
Artemis opened his mouth to speak some of his usual bravado. Of course they were okay; they were the Lulamoons! It would take more than measly Tirek to stop them! But the words died before they even reached his throat.
Artemis looked up at the pinkening sky overhead. They weren't okay. They were far from okay. He may have single-handedly doomed the world.
"What do we do now?" Trixie asked, helping her mother to her feet.
Artemis didn't answer. He got up too, leaving his wand on the ground, and walked to the shoreline. The sea was glassy and blue. Waves quietly brushed against the shore in a slow, rhythmic trance.
His family joined him on either side. Trixie took one hand and Selena took the other. No one had anything left to say. They all stared out at the sun setting on the horizon, listening to the waves lapping against the shore.
> Falling Star I: Twilight
Twilight didn't know.
Down in the lab, phone stored away in her locker, furiously working on their latest project. How could she have known about what was taking place downtown? It wasn't until everyone came up for lunch that Twilight was made aware. The two televisions in the lunch room had been turned up and were broadcasting the news in stereo.
"The attack appears to be at an end. The monster, best described as a floating sea dragon, has become stationary, hovering just over 3rd Street. We cannot get a visual on Adagio Dazzle, confirmed to be at least partially responsible for the destruction downtown. Meanwhile, six vigilantes, who many eyewitnesses report had superpowers, have been arrested and taken away. Their identities have not been shared at this time. As of right now, we have no idea what the amount of injuries or possible casualties are."
Twilight stared as the camera panned about a torn-up street. Cars were overturned, shop fronts were broken, and several office buildings were completely devoid of their glass windows. The large yellow beast Twilight had seen at the Battle of the Bands floated over the block, eyes unblinking.
"Our helicopter was able to capture this footage of the fight," the anchorwoman continued as a shaky video popped onto the screen. Familiar figures squared off against the behemoth that was Adagio's Siren form. A jet of flames shot out from the side of a building, sending the monster into a fit of rage. Adagio herself soon appeared and caught a truck a disguised Applejack had thrown at her.
"There is still no official response from national authorities. The mayor has declared a state of emergency and urged everyone to stay indoors. Needless to say, people are in a panic, and rumors are already circulating online--"
Twilight turned and bolted out of the cafeteria, labcoat flapping behind her. She reached her locker, slammed it open, and grabbed her phone.
Adagio downtown. All hands now!
She had missed it. Sunset's first message in days, and she had missed it. Twilight didn't care if it was in the group chat; Sunset had asked for everyone. Magic or not, she could have helped. Maybe they could have made up. Maybe Twilight could have gotten her to understand.
Twilight had been a ghost since that night. She haunted the world with a single purpose: finish the portal. If they finished the portal, they would have magic. If they had magic, they could stop Tirek and make Sunset a new portal home. And if they stopped Tirek and made a new gate to Equestria, then maybe Sunset would forgive her.
The moment Sunset had rode off on her motorcycle, Twilight wanted to call and beg her to come back--throw away everything she had been working on. Instead, she had retreated to her room and sobbed until she fell asleep. Because she knew she was doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Because this was one of the scenarios Twilight had wanted to avoid.
She kicked the locker, tears rolling down her face. Everything was falling apart. It wasn't enough Sunset was furious with her, all her friends had been arrested as well. She should have been there. She should have fought with them. How was she supposed to help them from here?
"Are you all right, Twilight?"
Twilight quickly wiped her face and turned around. "Y-Yes, Dr. Glimmer. I'm fine."
Starlight gave a sympathetic shake of her head. "It doesn't take a physicist to see what's going on. Those were your friends, correct? I'm guessing Sunset was among them."
Twilight sniffed and nodded.
Starlight placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "I'm sorry. People often fear what they don't understand. But, it's not too late. You can still help them."
Wiping away her remaining tears, Twilight asked, "How?"
"Once we reintroduce magic to the world, they won't seem like dangerous oddities, will they? Perhaps they're still charged with vigilantism, but that's better than being locked up in a secret government facility."
Twilight supposed that was better, if only marginally. It was a faint light, but she had nothing else to hold onto. Other than her friends breaking out of prison on their own and getting into even more trouble. No, Twilight needed to rescue them, fast.
Starlight steered her back to the cafeteria. "Let's get you some food first. I know it's hard but you need to eat. Then, we can get back to work," she said in a sweet, motherly voice.
Twilight wasn't hungry, but heeded Starlight's advice. She scarfed down her food and bolted back to the lab with hardly a word to anyone else. Sitting on the workbench she and Starlight shared was a far smaller but potentially more efficient version of Moondancer's magic absorber. This one looked like a makeup compact, purple and circular with glowing blue lines. It sat open, with wires dangling out from its inner chamber leading back to a containment device with the shard of Sacanas inside.
Pulling her goggles over her eyes, Twilight resumed her work. She adjusted the circuit boards, reevaluated the magical formulas she and Starlight had created, and configured the inner containment system. Sparks of magic occasionally wound their way down the cable and into the amulet.
So focused was Twilight on her task that she didn't notice another presence in the lab until someone knocked on the corner of the table. She snapped her head up and grated at the sight of Moondancer, looking at her with the pitying expression she had given all week.
"What do you want?" Twilight asked, barely keeping the coldness out of her voice.
Moondancer clutched a hand in front of her chest. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw the news and... I got worried. Especially after your friends..."
"They'll be fine," Twilight snapped. She looked down at the device. "Once we finish this, everything will be fine."
"Twilight--"
"Moondancer, please don't distract my hardest worker."
Starlight and the rest of the lab personnel trickled through the door and returned to their stations. With her ever-calculating smile, Starlight approached the workbench and looked down at Twilight's progress.
"I wish I had the money to give you a paid Internship. With all your hard work and dedication, I would give you a raise, too," Starlight said.
Twilight didn't take to Starlight's praise as she once did but felt her cheeks blush all the same. "I'm putting the finishing touches on our containment unit. It won't be able to store a lot of magic, but if our calculations are correct, and if we get a little lucky, it should be able to filter the magic from the portal."
"And once we combine it with our portal device, the wall between our world and the world of magic will come tumbling down." Starlight rubbed her hands together.
Moondancer fidgeted and made a noise in the back of her throat, but otherwise, said nothing.
Twilight made her final adjustments and detached the wires from the pendant. Carefully closing it shut, she turned it over and screwed in the back plate. The blue lines of the pendant lit up with a gentle luminescence, and it hummed to life.
Twilight held it aloft between her and Starlight. "It's working," she said with whispered awe.
Starlight smiled. "Moondancer, be a dear and escort Twilight to Canterlot High. She has magic to gather."
She placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "I hope you're ready to change the world."
*******
Sunset sat on the hard bench, head bowed low, mask off, face streaked with dried tears. Fresh ones still fell occasionally, but she had stopped crying in earnest an hour ago. Now, she was too exhausted to be sad. All she felt was failure.
Applejack and Fluttershy had tried repeatedly to share words of comfort and confidence, but they fell on numb ears. Eventually, the girls too fell silent. The three of them rode with two armed guards in one of the trucks that had arrived to arrest them, their friends rode in the other. She had no sense of how long they had been driving.
She and her friends were off to Celestia-knew-where, her worst fears realized. They would be contained, poked, prodded. The last shred of defiance in her told her to make a break for it. But even if they did miraculously outmaneuver all of the guards, their faces were known now. Their families were in danger.
And the Lulamoons...
Sunset squeezed her eyes shut, new tears pooling and falling down her cheeks. Tirek had no doubt confronted them by now. It wasn't an impossibility that they had survived. If fortune favored them, perhaps they even beat him. Yet Sunset couldn't help but assume the worst. When the Lulamoons saw whose body Tirek was using to walk about...
First Twilight, then her encounter with Starlight, then all of this. Just after they had collected five of the six keys. No, fortune had turned against them.
Sunset grunted and rolled her shoulders. With her arms bound behind her, they had grown impossibly stiff. She wanted nothing more than a hot bath, and to take a nap and wake up one week in the past.
"Either of y'all gonna tell us where you're takin' us?" Applejack asked.
One guard sat in between Applejack and Fluttershy. The other sat next to Sunset opposite of them. Eyes hidden by mirrored visors, mouths thin lines, they said nothing.
"Can Ah have mah hat back at least?" The confiscated stetson sat alone in the corner.
Neither guard so much as turned their head.
"Figures."
"What's going to happen to us?" Fluttershy asked, her voice hoarse.
"We'll be fine, 'Shy," Applejack said. She said it with such confidence that Sunset almost believed her.
The trucks jerked to a stop, sliding everyone forward. Sunset crashed into one of the guards, who quickly shoved her back into place. Through the thick metal plating, Sunset could hear scuffling and shouting. The guards readied their rifles and aimed at the back door. Outside, the fighting grew quiet.
The door to the truck unlocked and creakily swung open, afternoon sunlight pouring in. Yet no one was waiting on the other side.
One guard crept forward, keeping low to the floor. When he reached the door, a jet of light hit him, and he vanished in a puff of smoke. When it cleared, a green frog sat where the guard had been.
"What the--" was all his partner got out before a beam hit him as well, and he too transformed into a small amphibian, his gun clattering to the ground next to him.
All three girls looked at the frogs, then looked at each other, each with the same mystified look. Before they could contemplate, the doors swung wide open and revealed three figures silhouetted by the sun.
Trixie hopped into the truck and ran over to Sunset, throwing her arms around Sunset's shoulders. "You're okay!"
"You're okay!" Sunset exclaimed. "I... I thought... Tirek..."
Trixie pulled away and reached behind Sunset, tapping the cuffs with her wand and instantly unlocking them. Sunset winced as she moved her arms forward and rubbed her wrists.
"Thank you."
Selena helped Sunset out of the truck while Trixie freed Applejack and Fluttershy. Rarity, Rainbow, and Pinkie were already waiting outside, along with a host of frogs, hopping and croaking about on a dusty country road.
"How'd you find us?" Applejack asked, stepping out with her stetson back on its rightful place.
"Thankfully, your magic is a lot easier to track than our enemies," Artemis said. There was no bravado in his voice, only exhaustion.
Sunset walked up to him, eyes tearing up again. "Artemis... did... did Tirek...?"
He looked away. "He did."
She hunched forward and cupped a hand over her eyes. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault! If I didn't tell him where it was, he was going to..."
Artemis pulled her into a hug. "And if I didn't give it to him, he was going to take Moondancer's. It seems we both have a weakness for the people we care about."
Sunset felt him squeeze harder as he said in a weaker voice, "He took Shimmer's."
"What?" Sunset looked up into his face, seeing his age catch up to him. But... how?"
"She tried to help. And she paid the price."
Sunset slumped further into Artemis' embrace. As much of a pain Shimmer could be, she didn't deserve that. She had opened up, she had helped them. Crass and ornery as she was, Sunset considered her a friend.
"We should go," Selena said. "We need to regroup and come up with a plan."
"What about them?" Rainbow pointed to the frogs.
"The spell will wear off in a few hours," Trixie said with a dismissive wave.
No one made further comments. They teleported in groups, heading not back to the Lulamoon household, but to the leygate in the forest behind Canterlot High. Sunset stepped into the tree housing the gate, feeling herself jolt forward at eye-watering speeds until she stumbled out onto the sandy beach of the Siren's old island.
On this side of the world, night had freshly fallen, the sky transitioning from dark blue to black with stars popping to life.
Sunset took a few steps forward and saw her sitting against a tree, head lilting to one side. Sunset dropped to her knees in front of Shimmer. Her eyes were half-open and devoid of any cognition. Her breathing was slow and shallow, possibly the only thing her body could do without its host.
Cupping a hand to Shimmer's cheek, Sunset whispered, "I'm sorry." She then realized she was touching Shimmer with her bare skin, yet there was no accidental peeking into her memories. Probably because there was no soul with memories to see.
She heard movement behind her. The rest of her friends gathered to give condolences. Sunset didn't hear much of their apologies or platitudes. She was fixed on the surrealness of seeing a version of herself without a soul. For how different they were, they were still the same person to a degree. Now, she was the only Sunset Shimmer walking around this dimension.
"I'm going to make this right," she said, guilt evolving into resolve. Her sparks of rebellion ignited and forced her to stand up and face her friends. "I'm going to fix this."
"We're going to fix this," Selena said. She held out Shimmer's laptop. "She wanted you to have this. We haven't checked it yet."
Sunset gratefully took it and flipped it open. "We were out trying to get information on what Starlight is working on when everything went to Tartarus."
"Who's Starlight?" Rainbow asked.
Sunset didn't answer, even as she felt everyone's eyes on her. She ran her finger over the laptop's touchpad, navigating Shimmer's software, stalling out the conversation she knew she had to have with her friends. She didn't want to say it aloud again. The more she revisited that night, the more real it became.
The progress bar for the decryption program read one hundred percent. Sunset clicked a button, and the screen changed to an all-black background littered with dozens of folder icons. Some had clear-cut names like, 'Antigrav Device', 'Telekinetic Glove', or 'Teleportation'. Others were more coded, with names like, 'Project Stardust', 'Deus Ex Machina', or 'Resurrection Project'.
"It's gonna take forever to find anything," Sunset muttered.
"Sunset, what are you looking for?" Rarity asked. "Why did you and Shimmer need information from this Starlight person?"
Pinkie shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Well, see, Starlight is Twilight's boss, and she may or may not be evil--"
"Pinkie," Sunset said, lifting her head and giving her a pointed look.
Pinkie tapped her fingers and smiled sheepishly, but Rainbow stepped forward. "No, hold up, what the heck is going on? Twilight might be working for the bad guy?"
"Where is Twilight?" Applejack asked. "She never showed up for the fight. Is she okay?"
Rarity looked into Sunset's eyes, despite Sunset trying her best to keep her gaze on the computer screen. In a gentler voice, Rarity asked, "Sunset... what's wrong?"
"Everything." Sunset closed the laptop and turned toward the dark jungle. "Everything is wrong. Starlight works for Tirek. She's the scientist behind his planned revival. She studies magic. And Twilight... Twilight knew."
Sunset clenched a fist as the tears started down her face. The ember of determination was already flickering. "Twilight knew and she didn't tell me. She's got some crazy idea about using magic and killing Tirek. And it has something to do with the portal to Equestria." Sunset hiccuped.
"And... and we fought. And we said things. And she refused to tell me what was going on... So I... I..."
Her legs buckled and her knees hit the sand. Rarity's arms were around her from behind as a fresh wave of sobs broke free.
"Crap," Rainbow said breathlessly. "I didn't think that was possible."
Fluttershy wiped tears from her own eyes. "Wait, but where is Twilight right now?"
"Probably at that stupid laboratory!" Sunset said.
Applejack let out a slow exhale. "Well, at least she ain't downtown right now. So, Starlight is tryin' to revive Tirek, but Twilight thinks she's tryin' to kill Tirek, and somehow, your way home is involved. Ah get why you wanted that info now, but why didn't you tell us about this sooner?"
Sunset shook her head, her red and gold curls falling in front of her face. "I couldn't. I just couldn't. I didn't want it to be real."
Artemis conjured a handkerchief and handed it down to Sunset. "While I wish we had time to help you heal, Sunset, I'm afraid we still have pressing matters to attend to. Not only does Tirek have the Rainbow of Light, Adagio is still attacking downtown."
"Not to mention turned the police against us," Applejack said. She paled. "Oh no! They've seen our faces! What if they come after our families next?"
"Since they think they still have you, and Adagio is probably too busy gloating in the city, no one will come for your families just yet. We still have some time," Artemis said. "That being said, Adagio's an immediate threat that needs to be handled."
Sunset wiped her eyes. "What should we do?"
Selena picked up her scabbard leaning against a tree. "You girls should stay here and try to sift through Starlight's notes. Rest and recover. We'll go put an end to this Siren nonsense."
Trixie tentatively leaned forward. "When you say 'we'..."
Artemis nodded. "Yes, sweetheart. You're coming, too."
"Yes!" Trixie jumped and twirled her wand. "Adagio won't know what hit her!"
Sunset got to her feet. She wasn't going to argue. She wasn't even going to ask to come with. She just gave each of them a hug in turn and said, "Please, stay safe."
Artemis kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry about us. A Siren is no match for three Lulamoons. We'll see you soon."
Trixie gave Sunset an extra hug, then hurried after her parents. One by one, the three of them stepped up to the tree and vanished into the leygate.
Sunset sat down again, legs crossed, laptop in her lap. Her friends gathered around her, Fluttershy sitting on the outskirts with her knees pulled up to her chest as she watched the black water.
"What's going to happen to us?"
"I don't know," Sunset said, staring down at the computer. Even if they stopped Adagio and Tirek, their identities would no doubt soon be known to the rest of the world. At the very least, to government officials who could make their lives very, very difficult.
"We'll figure out something," Rainbow said, putting an arm around Fluttershy and giving a confident smile that didn't reach her eyes. "We always do."
"Yeah!" Pinkie cheered. "We're the good guys! We always win in the end!"
Sunset almost smiled at the naive optimism. She flipped the laptop open again and resumed her search. She didn't know how they would get out of this, but she knew what the next step was.
Rarity gave a discerning eye over Sunset's shoulder. "Do you know what you're looking for, dear?"
"Not entirely. I just know whatever they're planning has something to do with the portal." The files had no rhyme or reason to their organization. Sunset randomly clicked on one and found subfolders for journal entries and schematics. She clicked deeper and found a blueprint for a machine she couldn't make heads or tails of. She backed out to the main page and looked around again.
"Hmm..." Rarity pointed to a folder with a manicured nail. "Try that one."
"'Deus Ex Machina'?"
"Well, they seem to think magic is going to solve all their problems. Fitting, is it not?"
Sunset shrugged in agreement. She clicked it open and found similar subfolders. She clicked the schematics first and blinked at what she saw.
"Woah!" Rainbow shoved her head next to Rarity's. "Is that a mech suit?"
From what Sunset could make out, it was indeed some kind of suit of armor made to run on magic. Hand cannons to fire, rockets to fly. Sunset wasn't sure if this was ambitious or ridiculous.
She clicked back to the subfolder and opened up the journal.
'Progress is going well according to Moondancer. The biggest unknown is just how much magic will be needed to make it operational. Basic functions seem to be at optimal levels. Combat and flight? It's impossible to say how effective it will be without any real way to test it. She's been pouring magic into it for months but I feel like it's a rather huge gamble. Hopefully, upon completing the Arcane Access Project, we can find a way to properly test its capabilities before putting it in action.'
"Arcane Access?" Sunset whispered.
She clicked out and scanned the folders until she found her target at the top left of the screen. This one had no subfolders, just a long list of documents. 'Hypothesis 1', Hypothesis 2', 'Practicality Report', 'January Experiment', 'March Experiment'. Sunset scrolled up and down until her eyes caught one named, 'Breakthrough'.
'Twilight has told me about what really happened to the magic of this world! Sealed away! In some sort of pocket dimension! Fascinating! But also incredibly frustrating! How can one person decide what happens to all of the magic? More importantly, we now know where the lost magic is. If we can find a way to access that pocket dimension, we can bring magic back to the world!'
Sunset's heartbeat quickened. She closed the document and opened one titled, 'August Experiment'.
'Our first portal test failed, but we're closer than ever! I thought using the Sacanas shard to pull magic from the portal to Sunset's homeworld would be enough to open our own. But, it seems there are limitations in place on that magic that interfere with it properly mingling with human magic. Instead, brilliant Twilight came up with a possible solution! If we can break the foreign magic down to a simpler state before integrating it with our own, we just might be able to pry a gate open!
The rest of the group now hovered just behind Sunset, each of them breathing down the back of her neck. She scrolled past some scientific jargon to the last paragraph.
'Update: Our compact storage device is almost complete! I suspect it could be done as soon as tomorrow! As soon as it is, we'll field-test it and begin our second attempt. I can taste how close we are to making history! Once the magic is unleashed, I'll be able to finally finish regenerating Tirek's body. This world will have magic, and I'll be one step closer to having Sunburst again!"
Sunset's eyes dropped to the bottom of the page. It had been dated from yesterday.
"They're going to drain my portal," she said in a hoarse whisper. "They're going to try and open a portal to let the magic back into this world and finish reviving Tirek!"
"It could be as soon as today," Rarity said, hand over her mouth.
"But wait," Rainbow said, leaning back, "if the whole world has magic again, won't that make us stronger?"
"It'll make Tirek stronger, too," Applejack pointed out. "You saw what he could do. And that's before he even gets his real body back."
"Plus, he has the Rainbow of Light now," Fluttershy said, shaking.
"If they do this, the deck is stacked in his favor." Sunset snapped the laptop shut, cutting off their main source of light and casting them all in shadows. "And they're using my only way home to make it work!"
"That's assuming it does work," Rarity said. "They're trying to rip a hole in space. What happens if that fails?"
Sunset stood up, eyes adjusting to the darkness. "I don't want to think about it. We have to stop them."
"What about the Lulamoons?" Fluttershy asked.
"We might not have time to wait for them! Starlight could be opening the portal any minute now!" Sunset took a deep breath. "It's now or never."
There was a pause before Fluttershy asked in a softer voice, "What about Shimmer?"
They all turned to the woman sitting underneath a carob tree. Sunset's heart tightened at the sight of Shimmer's catatonic state. The hospital jumped to mind first, but it was far too close to Adagio's line of sight.
"We'll take her home for now," Sunset said. "She'll be safe there, hopefully."
Applejack scooped Shimmer up and gently set her over her shoulder. Tucking the laptop under her arm, Sunset turned for the leygate, but this time, Pinkie's soft voice stopped her.
"And what about Twilight?"
Sunset froze. Their entire fight played back in her head in an instant. Sunset was just supposed to trust Twilight after she had lied? Trust Starlight after she had split her soul in half? Trust Moondancer? No. Especially when Tirek was this close to winning. But what exactly could she do or say if they ran into each other again? Twilight wasn't going to just give up.
"I don't know," was all Sunset could say as she stepped into the leygate.
*******
Twilight and Moondancer shakily touched down on the lawn of Canterlot High. Moondancer put Twilight down and immediately doubled over, her wings of light evaporating into a white mist.
The flight over had not been nearly as fun or as elegant as any time Sunset had carried Twilight. Twilight couldn't bury her face in Moondancer's chest whenever she got too scared to look down, and Moondancer only stared straight ahead, dead set on not meeting Twilight's eyes.
The experience made Twilight pine for Sunset even more. But the hurt and anger on Sunset's face, the invasion of privacy she had inflicted, the lack of trust... it brought Twilight back to the present reality. Sunset didn't appreciate what she was doing, but soon, she would.
"Are you okay?" Twilight finally asked Moondancer, still breathing deep with her hands on her knees.
"Yes, I just... just need a minute. Using that level of magic without the Archon Amulet is strenuous."
Twilight didn't press further. She just hoped Moondancer could fly them back to the lab safely. She took a moment to look at her old school. She had made more memories in the eight months she had spent at Canterlot High than in the three years at Crystal Prep. She wondered what kind of irony it was that the only friend she had made at that place was now the only one standing beside her here.
Crystal Prep hadn't been bad. Back when Twilight thought Moondancer was just the richest girl at school and not a witch colluding with a magic scientist to overthrow a warlock. They studied in the library, and practiced music after school. Twilight even attended the plays Moondancer would perform in.
But Canterlot High? Yes, everyone mistook Twilight for her princess counterpart at first. But once that cleared up, Twilight got six new friends she came to treasure like her family. Watching Flash's band play, group activities after school, Halloween, the Winter Ball where she and Sunset first kissed. The Battle of the Bands, Spring Break, Prom, Graduation. And everything in between.
Twilight hadn't known you could get so much out of life in such a short span of time. Her own life had become a story she would have read as a kid. Even with things how they were now, part of her wanted to do it all again.
"Are you okay?" Moondancer asked, finally recovering.
Twilight turned from the main building and faced the rearing marble horse standing proud on its plinth. "I'm fine. Just reminiscing a little."
"Twilight..." Moondancer tentatively reached a hand out but quickly retracted it. "Listen... you don't... maybe this isn't such a good idea."
A synapse short-circuited in Twilight's brain. She snapped her head toward Moondancer and arched an eyebrow. "Which part?"
Moondancer flinched back at her clipped tone. "I... I don't know. I know you're scared and you want to help your friends--I know how much they mean to you. But, this portal idea is starting to feel... risky."
"Excuse me? Now you want to tell me this is risky? I know how risky it is! Do you know what I've already had to lose to get this far?"
"You were never supposed to be a part of this in the first place!" Moondancer yelled, fighting back tears. "I told you, I didn't want you pulled into any of this! I knew how dangerous it was. And now that you're here, I'm scared something bad is going to happen to you! I don't... I don't want you to end up like me!"
Twilight focused on Moondancer's mask. "Don't worry. Unlike you, my plan is going to actually work."
Moondancer flinched again like she had been hit. "Twilight, listen, please--"
"No, you listen! I've already had to lie to my friends and family about what I've been doing. And guess what? Sunset found out and broke up with me!" Twilight dug her palm into her aching heart and fought down the urge to cry.
"So I guess you got what you wanted in the end!" She said between her teeth. She unclenched her jaw and continued, "She's probably already told the rest of our friends what happened, so I can only imagine what they think of me! And now, they've been captured by the police and are probably being handed over to Homeland Security or the FBI! Right now, there's only one way this ends: we open a portal, restore magic to the world, and you kill Tirek!"
Twilight turned back to the marble base, her reflection glaring back at her. She pulled the magic storage device from her pocket and held it up.
"I'm not going to end up like you. I'm not going to fail. Not this time."
She flipped the compact open. Its front lid lit up, the blue lines first, then the purple ring at the center. It hummed, a purpled ball of energy coalescing at its center. The slumbering portal faintly glowed in response, and visible tendrils of magic arched out from the base and into the device.
The compact grew hot in Twilight's hands. It shook and jerked like it was trying to free itself from her grasp. Twilight kept a tight hold on it, pulling it back from the portal when she thought enough magic had been gathered. It pulled back, attracted to the source of magic like a magnet. She pressed a hand to the top to force it closed, but it held with surprising resistance.
Moondancer jumped in, one hand on Twilight's arm to keep the jerking storage unit stable, and another on top of Twilight's hand, throwing her weight down to snap the lid closed.
With a tremendous tug, Twilight and Moondancer ripped the device out of range from the portal and shut the lid. The humming stopped, but the lights continued to flash. Twilight panted, heart racing from the effort and the exhilaration. She glanced at the portal, and her heart slowed to a crawl.
Near the center, a glowing crack had appeared. It was only as long as her pinky finger, but still obvious to anyone passing by.
Twilight scrambled forward and put a hand on the marble. It felt cold. Was that normal? She had never gotten a chance to study it properly. Had she drained all of the magic from it?
"We should probably head back," Moondancer said, oblivious to Twilight's plight.
Twilight ran a finger over the crack, watching a tiny piece of marble flake off. She swallowed the dread building in her stomach. She had told Sunset they could just make a new portal to Equestria later. But what if they couldn't? Had she just stranded her girlfriend in this world forever?
She took a deep breath and caught herself before she spiraled. No, she could fix this! If they could open a portal to a pocket dimension, they could easily open a portal to Equestria. Or at least replicate this one so that it would open in two years.
Shoving that anxiety into a corner of her mind with the rest, she faced Moondancer and nodded. Moondancer closed her eyes, and after a few seconds of concentration, her white wings appeared behind her. She scooped Twilight up, bridal style, and took to the sky.
Neither said anything as they flew back to the lab. From the air, Twilight could see a plume of gray smoke rising from downtown. Her knuckles turned white as she imagined Adagio running free, doing whatever she wanted now that her friends were indisposed.
If no one's taken care of you, I know the first thing I'll do when I can use magic.
She tried to breathe out her resentment and look up to Moondancer. Like on the way here, she kept her focus straight ahead. Twilight could appreciate that. Maybe Moondancer had truly given up on pursuing her.
Twilight frowned. She again wondered if her words had gone too far. Moondancer was just trying to look out for her. In her own, hypocritical way. Twilight pushed the worry aside. She could apologize later.
*******
Sunset tucked Shimmer into her bed and laid her laptop on the nightstand. Jormungandr slithered from under the bed and curled up on Shimmer's stomach.
"I'm sorry," Sunset whispered. "Because of me just being here, you got caught up in all of this. I don't know if you can find your own way out of the Soul Lock, but I'm here if you need an anchor. And I'll do everything I can on this side to set you free."
She turned and walked out of the perpetually dim room, leaving the door open. Spot padded by her side, looking up at her and whining in concern.
"She'll be okay. And I'll be okay once all this is over."
Sunset walked downstairs and met her friends standing around the living room. Tension, uncertainty, and mourning mixed in the air and made Sunset's neck hair stand on end.
"You sure this is the best place to leave her?" Applejack asked.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Sunset sighed. There was pressure building at the front of her skull. "I don't know. Once the Lulamoons clear out Adagio, maybe we can move her to the hospital. Right now, it's the best idea I have."
"We can worry about Shimmer later," Rainbow said. "If Tirek has all the magic he wants, it's not gonna matter where she is."
"Right." Sunset shook out her shoulders, trying to reset her nerves. "Shimmer said when Starlight had her, she was in an underground laboratory. I bet Equilibrium Labs has a sub-level or two."
"Aww," Pinkie whined. "A secret laboratory would be totally cool if we weren't breaking in there to stop our best friend from opening a possible doomsday portal."
"I know, right?" Rainbow said.
"We're really going to break in?" Fluttershy asked.
Sunset gave a tired shrug. "You want us to call the police? We break in, beg Twilight not to do this, and break the machine if we have to."
"While I agree with the end goal, this feels like vigilantism," Rarity said. She caught Sunset's withering glare and sighed reluctantly. "I know, I know. We don't exactly have a plethora of options. But even if we do stop Starlight, what are we going to do about the police? And Tirek?"
"I don't know!" Sunset yelled, making her friends jump and Spot retreat behind Fluttershy. Sunset dug her palms into the sides of her head. She was more frustrated than angry, and right now, she couldn't point to where her frustration was located. Everything, everything was a knotted mess.
"I don't know," she repeated in a more defeated voice. She took a short breath and said evenly, "Look, I know what I'm going to do. Starlight can't be trusted to open a portal to let the magic back in, especially now of all times. I don't know what's going to happen in there. I don't know if it's the best choice. Maybe it all ends poorly. But right now, this is the only plan I've got. You girls don't have to come with me."
"Screw that," Rainbow said immediately. "We're not letting you walk into enemy territory by yourself."
Rarity nodded. "Just because I have trepidations doesn't mean I'm not behind you."
"Yeah, time to start the vigilante arc of our superhero story!" Pinkie cheered.
"Let's do what we have to to save the world," Applejack said.
Fluttershy gave a hesitant nod. "I just don't want anyone else to get hurt."
Sunset's heart swelled at her friends' devotion. The feeling was dampened by the voice in her head telling her she was steering them wrong. She ignored it and simply said, "Thank you."
Rainbow waved a hand to the door. "C'mon, we've got a mad scientist to stop."
The girls filed out of the Lulamoon house. Sunset knelt and gave Spot one last pet and a kiss goodbye. He licked her cheek for good luck.
Outside, the girls passed Pinkie's car, sitting in the middle of the lawn with a dent in its bumper. Sunset assumed it was a leftover from whatever confrontation had happened between Tirek and the Lulamoons.
Pinkie hugged the side of her car and whispered, "Don't worry, Bubblegum, I'll come back for you." She ponied up and launched herself skyward with a firework.
The others powered up and took to the sky in pursuit, Rarity lifting herself and Applejack on a crystal disk.
Sunset's stomach squirmed as they crossed the Canterlot suburbs and inched closer to the northern outskirts. She couldn't believe she was heading back to the lab hours after she had tried to sneak in. Starlight's words rattled around in her head. She had controlled that conversation and threatened there would be consequences if Sunset interfered.
But Sunset refused to sit idly by. And while Starlight's threat filled her with apprehension, what made Sunset really shudder was knowing she would have to confront Twilight again.
*******
The lab door hissed open, and Twilight strolled through, making a left to the offshoot room housing the Arcane Access Project. Starlight was waiting inside, looking like a proud parent when Twilight entered, tailed by Moondancer.
"Right on time!" Starlight said. "The modifications to the portal gun are just about done! All we need is our new battery!"
Twilight held the storage device out, and Starlight took it with reverent giddiness. She turned it over, admiring the blue and purple glow.
"This time, it'll work. I can feel it. Are you girls ready?"
"Yes," Twilight said, clinging to her determination and using it to smother her fear.
Moondancer said nothing, only giving the smallest of nods.
Starlight allowed Double Diamond to finish tweaking a panel on the machine before she stepped up and slotted the storage device into the back slot on the top. Twilight knew something was different from their first attempt, because the entire machine thrummed with new power, and the tesla rings around the front nozzle sparked with purple energy.
"Initiating final checks," Night Glider said, attaching the cable leading to the central magic harvester to the first slot of the portal gun. Double Diamond closed the door and shut the five of them inside.
Twilight's entire body trembled with anticipation. This was only the second test, yet something inside her told her this was the one.
Hang on, Sunset. I'll find a way to get you out. And then, you'll see I was right.
"We're ready, Doctor," Diamond said, already taking notes on his tablet.
Starlight stepped up to the panel. "Fail or succeed, this is the closest we've ever gotten to realizing our dreams. But I've got a pretty good feeling today. Arcane Access portal test number two, initializing!"
Everyone slid their goggles down. Moondancer merely took a step back. Starlight turned the dial and hit the start button. Like before, the lights dimmed as the machine came to life with an electrical yawn. Light gathered at the opening of the nozzle, circling it as the machine hummed louder. It rattled a lot less than before, raising Twilight's confidence.
The light danced for a few more seconds before the nozzle fired a steady stream to the back wall. A white blot grew at the impact site, stretching and reshaping itself as the portal tried to stabilize.
"Twenty percent," Starlight said, the light of the miasma reflecting off her goggles.
The glass partition separating them from the test zone wobbled. Strands of Twilight's hair floated forward. The energy beam held steady, but the portal refused to take shape.
"Thirty percent!" Starlight turned the knob.
A thrum separate from the machine filled the air. The miasma stretched to fill more of the wall. It looked like it was trying to hold a circular shape but couldn't figure out how.
"Forty percent!"
Twilight swore she could feel the ground trembling. The lights overhead blinked on and off. The glass wall shook more forcefully. But unlike last time, the beam still held, a solid line leading to a ovular white mass fading in and out. Still, if there was anything beyond the veil, Twilight couldn't see it.
"Fifty!" Starlight shouted with desperation.
The ground was definitely shaking now. Twilight's hair tugged toward the portal, and a crack appeared in the glass. One fluorescent light popped out of existence, then another, and another.
"Starlight!" Moondancer yelled.
"It's almost there! Fifty-five percent!" Starlight gave the dial one more turn.
The machine shook. Twilight's goggle band pressed against the back of her head. More cracks spread across the glass. But the portal was now a complete circle, and glowing brighter with each passing second. Arcs of white light struck out of it.
"It's working!" Starlight yelled! "I think it's working!"
The machine made a loud pop, and a panel snapped off it before flying forward and attaching itself to the glass. Smoke hissed from the exposed wiring.
"Shut it off!" Moondancer demanded.
Starlight snapped the dial back to zero and hit the red button. The beam died instantly, but the open gate to another dimension remained.
The shaking came to a stop, and the force of gravity eased up, though Twilight's hair still fluttered forward. She lifted her goggles and stepped up to the glass.
"Are we sure it worked? I don't see anything in there."
Starlight raised her goggles as well. "We opened it to somewhere! We opened a portal! Humanity has broken the dimensional boundary!"
Moondancer took a half-step forward. "She's right. I... I can feel the magic." She frowned. "Something's wrong."
Twilight looked back. "What..."
The air vibrated again, a soft thrum that rapidly grew in intensity until Twilight could see the ripples in the air. The sound of a hundred sheets of paper being torn at once scratched against Twilight's ears. Gravity lurched and shoved Twilight's back against the glass wall.
"Twilight!" Moondancer screamed, hair whipping in front of her face.
"What's happening?" Twilight cried.
Starlight held onto the control panel as gravity tried to pull her forward too. "Something's wrong with the portal!"
*******
Sunset and the girls landed in front of Equilibrium Labs, masks on. Pushing the doors open, they found it empty, an 'out to lunch sign' on the receptionist's desk.
"Rainbow, check the building," Sunset ordered.
"On it." Rainbow sped away, and nine seconds later, she skidded to a halt next to Sunset. "There's a few people about, most of them are in the classrooms. I saw some elevators down the hall that only go down."
"Sounds like a secret lab to me!" Pinkie chirped.
Rainbow led the way to a small offshoot with two elevator doors. She jabbed the down arrow, and one elevator immediately opened. The girls filed in, and down they went.
The lights flickered as they descended, dimming and jumping to full brightness at uneven intervals. It shuddered to a stop, and the doors opened to reveal a short corridor with a steel sliding door at the end.
"It looks like we need a key," Fluttershy said as they approached, eyeing the key card panel.
"Nah, we're good," Rainbow said. "A.J.?"
Applejack popped her knuckles and wedged her fingers in the tiny gap between the doors. Muscles flexing, aura shining, Applejack forced the doors open, the metal screeching as it was forced back.
Eight or so scientists in a square laboratory were on the other side, each of them recovering from the sudden assault on their ears. They stared in surprise at the sudden appearance of six masked girls.
"Woah, how'd you get in here?" one with poofy blue hair asked.
"The door, silly!" Pinkie said.
"The same way you're going out," Rainbow said. She zipped forward, grabbed the young man, and brought him out to the far end of the corridor. She ran back in and repeated this with every other scientist until the room was empty.
Before any of them could fully grasp what had happened, Applejack grabbed the doors again and pulled them shut, crimping the two halves together so they couldn't be opened again.
"We're sorry!" Fluttershy called through the door.
Sunset took her mask off and looked around the room. Desks and workstations were scattered around at odd positions and littered with notes, diagrams, and odd-looking machines. Oddest of all was the cylindrical device suspended from the ceiling. Within the thick glass, motes of light danced and flitted about.
"Magic," Sunset whispered. She brought her gaze down. There were several doors leading deeper into the lab. Twilight and Starlight had to be inside one of them.
The ground trembled, knocking machines and mugs off of desks and sending electrical currents down the wires spilling out from the device overhead. The tremor only lasted a few seconds.
Applejack twisted about. "Was that an earthquake, or..."
Goosebumps coated Sunset's skin. She couldn't say what, but something was wrong. It felt like she was slowly having her blood drawn.
"Does anyone else feel that?" Rarity said, rubbing her arms.
Pinkie shuddered. "It kinda feels like--"
The glass container over their heads exploded. Sunset raised her arms to block the falling glass but caught sight of the motes of light zipping off to the left. When the glass stopped raining, she made to run toward the door they had disappeared behind, but quickly stopped and put a hand to her chest, feeling briefly winded. Her fire flickered and dimmed.
Rainbow gripped the side of her head, her pony features fading in and out of existence. "What's happening?"
Sunset didn't answer. She steeled herself and ran for the door, but like the entrance, this one needed a card key. "Applejack!"
Pony ears popping back to life, Applejack stormed over and gripped both sides of the door, throwing them open with a yell.
Sunset had two seconds to take everything in. Starlight clinging to a golden ray gun device. Moondancer grinding her heels into the ground to stop sliding forward. Two scientists running in place to escape the pull of gravity emanating from a white hole on the other side of a glass screen... that Twilight was pressed against.
Sunset jumped forward as the glass shattered and Twilight was yanked backward toward the portal. She grabbed Twilight's right hand with both of hers. Between the strands of her whipping hair, she saw Moondancer grab Twilight's left, wings of light beating back against the pull of gravity.
Twilight's legs were already engulfed by the white light, now steadily shrinking. Sunset beat her own wings faster, her phoenix form suddenly harder to maintain. She could feel her strength, no, her magic quickly depleting.
"Sunset..." Twilight looked at her with wide, fearful eyes.
"I got you, Twilight! I got you!" Sunset shouted over the sucking roar of the wind.
Moondancer pulled Twilight's arm, tears falling forward into the vortex. "Don't let go! Don't let go!" she chanted, more to herself. Like Sunset, her wings were struggling to stay manifested.
There were shouts and thuds and scrapes behind Sunset. Pieces of metal and wire occasionally shot by into the portal. She ignored all of it. She kept her eyes on Twilight and pulled with all her might. It was a losing battle. Twilight inched deeper and deeper into the shrinking gate.
"Sunset, please!" Twilight gripped Sunset's hand as tight as she could.
"I've got you, Twilight, I promise!" Sunset pulled with all her strength, but it was like fighting a hurricane.
Sweat poured down Moondancer's face. She screamed as she pulled on Twilight, then screamed again as her grip slipped and her wings threw her across the room.
Twilight surged backward, shoulder-deep in the portal now. Every muscle in Sunset's body strained as she made one last desperate bid to keep Twilight from sinking further. Like Moondancer, she let out a defiant roar and heaved, but the portal heaved back.
"Sunset," Twilight said, the portal up to her neck, "I--"
Sunset's flames went out. Her grip and strength failed. Twilight's hand shot out of her own, and she disappeared into the portal as it swirled closed. Sunset hit the floor, Twilight's glasses dropping next to her. The wind died, the pressure stopped, and everything was quiet.
> Falling Star II: Sunset
Twilight was gone.
Sunset knew. She could feel her friends. She could feel Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. The Lulamoons. Even Shimmer, though she was faint. She could feel the tethers to their souls. They were all a part of her, anchoring her own soul, making her whole.
She couldn't feel Twilight.
She was only aware of these tethers because she couldn't feel Twilight. The bonds to her friends had been natural, ever-present. Twilight's sudden absence was comparable to losing a limb; it had been such a part of Sunset, she couldn't comprehend it being gone until it was.
She pushed herself up onto her knees and looked at the spot where the portal had been. Nothing. Sunset could still feel Twilight's grip in her own. Her last expression of confusion and terror was burned into Sunset's mind so that when she finally blinked, it was clear as day on the back of her eyelids.
Twilight was gone. Her soul was gone.
Even still, despite the growing, splintering pain in her soul, despite the space that Twilight had just occupied remaining empty, Sunset spoke out in a quivering, scratchy voice.
"Twilight?"
No response came.
She vaguely heard actions behind her, but none of them sounded like Twilight. Her mind discarded it, splitting into two layers. The top layer moved at a sluggish pace, replaying the last minute of her life over and over again, looking for a hint that would disprove the reality that Twilight had just been pulled into a collapsing void. The bottom layer moved at rampant speeds trying to decide her next course of action. Did she cry? Did she scream? Did she fight? Did she just run?
The two layers mashed together, and short-circuited her brain, forcing her to repeat her last action.
"Twilight!" she called again, a little louder this time.
Twilight did not answer her.
Weak sparks jumped between her synapses, urging her to do something. But she didn't know what. And Sunset felt that if she moved, she would break. Not just her person, she would break this moment in time. If she made a physical action, it would push time forward and solidify Twilight being ripped from her. But if she stayed still, there was a chance things could be undone; she could call Twilight back.
She had to call Twilight back.
"Twilight!" she yelled.
But time moved forward. And Twilight did not return.
Sunset broke from her frozen position, desperately grabbing her chest like she could hold in the grief fighting to explode outward. She tried to breathe, but someone had stolen most of the oxygen from the room. She doubled over, trying to suck in what air she could, when she saw Twilight's glasses upturned on the ground. Her hand went for them instinctually. They were warm.
A weak sob escaped from Sunset as she pressed the glasses to her chest. "Twilight..."
Her ears attuned to the world around her. She picked up muffled crying just behind her, and turned to find Moondancer on her knees, face pressed into the floor, hands gripping the back of her head as she sobbed. "No... no, no..."
Starlight stood next to the ruined remains of a machine, wearing a defeated expression. "My portal... my protege."
Applejack held the two scientists by the back of their coats, staring at the spot where Twilight had been, grief and disbelief in her eyes. The rest of the girls stood crowded around the door, their pony features absent.
Sunset absently placed Twilight's glasses in one of her vest pockets. She got to her feet, staggering backward and forward as her world tilted to and fro. Her foot nudged a glowing circular device, and she stooped down to pick it up.
Magic prickled her fingers as she held it. Equestrian magic. This device had touched the statue. This was the culprit. Sunset's grip tightened, the urge to crush it rising.
"Aaaaugh!"
Every head turned to the source of the scream. Starlight stomped her foot several times and threw her shaking fists down. "We had it! I had it! We were this close! Now, my most brilliant worker is gone!"
"Bring her back!" Sunset screeched. The dam was breaking; every emotion threatened to pour out at once.
Starlight glared at her. "You think I wouldn't if I could? Look at our machine! And I don't even know what went wrong! It could take weeks to make another attempt!"
"I don't want your excuses!" Sunset's hair snapped like a fire trying to rekindle itself. "Give me back my Twilight!"
"I can't!" Starlight slammed the side of her fist into the broken portal machine. "And you're in no position to make demands of me, Sunset Shimmer! You've broken into my laboratory!"
"And you sent my girlfriend into oblivion!" Sunset's eyes were wide with fury. She slipped the circular device into her other vest pocket and stepped closer to Starlight.
Starlight clenched her jaw and looked away. "And that is a terrible, terrible loss. Twilight was the most brilliant asset I had."
Sunset froze mid-stride. Her throat convulsed as her vocal cords worked overtime to form a word. "Asset?" she choked out.
Starlight snapped her head back, eyes wide with guilt. "No, I didn't mean--"
"Asset!" From deep inside Sunset's soul, a blistering heat sparked. Whatever exhaustion that portal had inflicted on her burned away. Her blood boiled, possibly, quite literally as her internal temperature rose like she had swallowed fire.
"She was smart, considerate, compassionate!" Sunset seethed. She dug her nails into her chest again. The dam was on its last legs. "She saw the best part of me when I couldn't! I loved her! I loved her so much! And you took her away!"
Starlight took a backstep toward the door. "I did no such thing! Twilight did everything of her own volition! She knew the risks involved. It's deeply regrettable, and if there were a way to get her back, I would do it." She tapped a finger against her chin.
"Perhaps if we worked together, we could bring her back? Surely, you have a similar understanding of magic as she did. Perhaps even better. We could make a new portal and rescue Twilight in due time." Starlight paused to think. "If she's still alive, that is."
The dam broke, and Sunset yelled, the pitch rising until it sounded like a bird of prey. Her wings and tail roared back to life, blazing like a wildfire. Her hair was a dancing pyre atop her head. But instead of their usual orange and yellow glow, the fire blazing off Sunset was a molten red and hot enough that she could feel the spike in temperature. She didn't care. Steam curled up from her eyes, her stream of tears evaporating the second they fell free.
Moondancer finally looked up from her kowtowed position and scrambled back to the wall with a yelp, hand over her mask. Sunset ignored her. She had only one target.
"You're right, Starlight; my soul is fragile," Sunset said her voice crackling like a bonfire. "And you found the one thing that could hurt me the most. Now, you're going to reap the consequences."
******
"You know once we go down there, it's going to turn out just like Greece."
Artemis didn't respond immediately to his wife. He kept his wand up to his eye, using it as a telescope to see the ground floor from the abandoned high-rise his family occupied.
In the time that had elapsed between Sunset and her friends being arrested and the Lulamoons returning to the city, Adagio had made herself a queen in all but name. She lounged on a red velvet loveseat carried by four civilian thralls, eyes green and empty. A group of police officers acted as the procession as Adagio was paraded down Main Street.
She occasionally sang a few hypnotic notes, usually when any unenchanted officer or civilian got too close--that was to say--within a half-block radius. Adagio's siren form circled above, amplifying Adagio's voice and occasionally firing a beam of magic. Never to kill, at least. Adagio aimed at buildings or at the feet of fleeing groups of people. All of it was just so she could keep feeding off the city's fear.
"I am well aware, turtle dove," Artemis said, looking at the scene with disgust. On one hand, Artemis didn't think it would be that bad. This time, there was only one Siren and three of them. On the other hand, this one Siren had more power than the other two ever did, and already had an armed guard surrounding her.
The second they made their move, Adagio would be on high alert. And like with Tirek, she would show little to no mercy. Adagio would go for the kill.
Artemis lowered his wand. "Our family sure has made a lot of enemies over the years."
"And triumphed over each and every one!" Trixie said, raising herself to full height, pride in her smile. She only came up to Artemis' chin. He was glad. No matter how old she got, Trixie would always be his little baby girl.
His heart hurt over how much she looked like Apalla, especially when she smiled with the level of bravado only a Lulamoon was capable of. Artemis fought the muscles in his jaw from turning downward. Tirek had the Rainbow of Light, but he didn't have his own body yet. Which meant the easiest way to ensure the safety of the world was to...
He blinked hard. No, one thing at a time. First, they dealt with Adagio once and for all.
"That's right!" Artemis said, regaining his vigor to match Trixie's. "Which means the only question is: how do we take down this one?"
Trixie spun her wand around her finger. "We could just turn Adagio into a toad." Her wand hit her thumb, and she fumbled before grabbing it with both hands and continuing like nothing had happened.
"While nothing would give me greater joy," Artemis said with a longing sigh, "she has enough magic to resist a simple spell like that."
"She does, but her guards don't," Selena said. "We neutralize her security force so we're only dealing with magic instead of bullets."
Artemis nodded. "We'll all need to strike at once. The second one of her guards disappears, Adagio will know we're here."
"You handle the guards, love. Trixie, make as many illusions of us as possible--keep Adagio confused." Selena raised her scabbard. "I'll get the necklace off of her."
Artemis rubbed his neck. "Try not to be too good at your job, dear."
Selena just smiled. "Ready, family?"
"Trixie was born ready!"
"No more songs for this Siren!" Artemis pointed his wand skyward. "Lulamoon!"
He teleported and reappeared on a corner store awning just behind Adagio's procession. Four more of him appeared at various spots down the street, including right in front of Adagio.
She sat up in her makeshift throne, eyes flaring with hatred. "Wizard!"
"Sea hag!" the copy said. The real Artemis fired a rapid round of frog spells, hitting all of Adagio's guards and leaving only green amphibians behind when the smoke cleared. Adagio swiveled about, noticing the additional Artemises surrounding her.
They were joined by four Selenas coming from four different directions. Adagio jumped and floated away from the street, but a fifth Selena launched herself from a third-story window and grappled Adagio, wrestling her into a messy landing on the pavement.
"Unhand me, you worthless--"
Selena flipped Adagio onto her front and had one arm locked when two of Adagio's throne bearers tackled her.
Artemis circled his wand over his head and flicked his hand forward, casting two coils of rope out. Both found their marks and bound the two men's arms to their sides. Selena got to her feet, but Adagio was already high in the air again.
"Oh look, two Lulamoons," she said, eyes vanishing into deep pools of red. "Now all we're missing is--"
A bolt of magic hit her in the back. Adagio snarled before flipping around and spotting Trixie ducking out of sight in their high-rise hiding spot. Adagio flung a bright firework, exploding the wall and shuddering the building. Trixie fell out of the newly made hole, frantically waving her wand and disappearing halfway through her fall.
With a yelp and thud, Trixie landed next to Artemis. She jumped to her feet and brushed her hair out, smiling like it had all been part of her plan.
"And now, the family's all here," Adagio said with sinister sweetness. "I already took care of those blasted Rainbooms, so it's only fitting you would be next!"
Artemis shared a quick look with his wife and daughter. All three of them nodded in silent agreement. They would add insult after the injury.
"How dare you lock our friends away!" Trixie said, pressing the back of her hand against her forehead. "I guess that means we'll just have to fight harder for them!"
"Fight all you want! This city is mine, and so are the people!" Adagio clenched her fist and vanished in a red flash. The monstrous fish stopped aimlessly circling and opened its mouth, Adagio's terrible song spewing from its throat.
Trixie fired bolts of magic up toward it, but Artemis closed his eyes and concentrated. In the darkness, he could see wisps of magic flowing through the air. Beside him was a bright font of it: Trixie. Across the street was a dim glow: Selena. And one block over, hiding in a parking garage was a bloody red silhouette.
"You can't hide from me," Artemis said with a smirk. He teleported, landing behind a concrete pillar. Adagio's song echoed off the walls in a haunting stereo that made Artemis want to claw off his ears. He peeked around the pillar and down an avenue of parked cars. Adagio stood at the end, eyes closed.
Gunshots rang out from where Artemis had just been. His fatherly instincts almost took complete control to teleport him back to Trixie. He took a calming breath. Trixie had faced far worse than a few handguns. She would be fine.
Alright, Adagio. Let's see how well you sing with your lips glued together! Artemis charged up a spell then leaped out from behind the pillar and fired. The sticky green substance he had conjured sailed and hit the wall behind where Adagio should have been.
Artemis heard the crackle of magic behind him but felt nothing. Adagio yelped and the crunch of metal echoed through the garage. Artemis turned around, cape swishing as he did. Adagio was scrambling to her feet, and the car behind her sported a scorched and dented fender.
"You forgot my cape reflects magic, didn't you?"
Adagio aimed her palm at Artemis' face and fired. He ducked to the side and retaliated with a rope spell that bound Adagio's ankles together. She hobbled two steps before hitting the ground, then opened her mouth, no doubt to scream in Artemis' face. He didn't give her the chance. With another flick of his wand, more green goo shot out and covered Adagio's mouth.
She lifted her hands to try and pry it off, only to succeed in getting her fingers stuck.
Artemis snickered. "You're really not that tough without your sisters."
Adagio's eyes flared. With a hateful look, she disappeared in another flash of red light.
Artemis sighed and closed his eyes. She couldn't have gone far. In the darkness, amidst the streams of magic, he could see Selena and Trixie fending off the unseen civilians. Twisting around, he saw a massive silhouette speeding toward him. He opened his eyes to see the siren's maw yawning wide, a ball of energy at the tip of its tongue.
He teleported just as the beast fired, reappearing on an adjacent rooftop and watching the fourth floor of the parking garage explode. Dust and fire plumed out from the balconies, and a chorus of distorted alarms warbled beyond the smoke.
The beast snapped its head to Artemis and fired another mass of energy. Artemis widened his stance and gripped the hem of his cape. The ball was upon him, and he threw his cape out reflecting the attack. While the energy itself didn't harm him, the force of the blast still sent him flying across the roof and over the edge.
The ground flew toward him. Artemis swung his wand in a wide circle in front of himself, and gravity slowed down, dropping him gently on the sidewalk. Across the street, Selena nerve-pinched an enthralled civilian and gently lowered him to the ground.
"How's Adagio?" she asked.
In the distance, the siren beast let out a roar that shook the ground.
"Oh, you know. Angry as usual," Artemis said.
Trixie warped in, panting. "Okay, Trixie has turned enough people into frogs to open her own aquarium. And yet, more officers keep popping out of nowhere!"
"The good news is, I've managed to shut Adagio up for..." Artemis tilted his head. It was faint, but he felt an... emptiness? No, something was leaving. The summer wind whipped through the streets of downtown, but Artemis felt something else brushing past him.
Trixie looked over her shoulder, then at her father. "Do you feel that?"
Artemis nodded. "I do but..."
Selena raised her hand and ran it slowly overhead like she was feeling for something. "The world's magic... it's... leaving?"
Artemis closed his eyes. Selena was right: the wisps of magic, once flowing in all directions, were being pulled somewhere. Then, it stopped. The streams hovered in place for a moment before aimlessly drifting through the darkness again.
"What on earth is happening?" he asked, mostly to himself. He opened his eyes to see Trixie looking befuddled, and Selena with a grim countenance.
"I have a bad feeling something's happened to the girls," she said.
Artemis nodded. He hoped they were still on the island, but whatever had happened to the magic, he had a sinking suspicion it involved them too.
A piercing screech dropped all three Lulamoons to their knees. The astral hippocampus loomed overhead, and hovering above it was Adagio. The slimy goop was gone, but Artemis could see claw and burn marks around the edges of her mouth.
"Unlike those spectacular losers, I'm not going to make you endure what I endured! I'm just going to kill you!" Adagio surrounded herself with diamonds and began to sing, her avatar amplifying her voice.
Like they had been hiding just out of view, police officers and enthralled civilians appeared and began to surround the Lulamoons from all sides. The song faded out, and the troopers cocked and aimed their guns.
"We WiLl Be AdOrEd!
"TeLl Us ThAt YoU wAnT uS!
"We WoN't Be IgNoReD!
"It'S tImE fOr OuR rEwArD!"
Artemis clapped his hands over his ears and ground his teeth at the worst singing he had ever heard. It was enough to make his skin crawl.
It had a similar effect on the enthralled. They dropped their weapons, tried to cover their ears, and groaned in agony over the caterwauling. So strong was the awful singing that it was enough to lift the green haze from their eyes.
"You two!" Adagio screeched.
Artemis twisted around. Walking down the block, voices cracking as the warbled off-key, were Sonata and Aria. The closer they got, the more people fled, rushing to get as far away from the noise as possible.
Both girls paused to take a breath, and Aria glared up at Adagio and said, "Seriously, you're just gonna go full supervillain now?"
"Half this city is under my control!" Adagio shouted. "I've gotten further on my own than I ever did with you two holding me back!"
Aria pinched the bridge of her nose. "Been here five seconds and she's already blaming us for her screwups. This is why I left."
Sonata clasped her hands in front of her. "Dagi, please, you don't have to be evil anymore! And we don't have to feed on hate and fear!"
"Although it is pretty tasty out here," Aria muttered.
Adagio responded by having her siren charge up and fire another pulse of energy directly at her sisters. Both girls turned to run, but Artemis put himself between them and the energy ball and twirled his cape, reflecting it right back to its sender.
The hippocampus was struck, and Adagio cursed, doubling over in pain. In that moment of distraction, Artemis pulled a smoke bomb from his sleeve and threw it against the ground. A cloud of blue smoke engulfed half the block, and Artemis grabbed Sonata and Aria's wrists, dragging them off to the side.
"Trixie, illusion time," he called. He and the two Sirens settled into an alley, and when the smoke cleared, half-a-dozen Trixies, Artemises, and Selenas littered the street.
Artemis turned to Sonata and Aria while Adagio screamed in rage and started firing magic blasts at the dodging doppelgangers.
"Why are you here? And where's your parole officer?"
Aria gave a blase shrug. "Well, we were picking up trash by the side of the highway when we thought we saw Adagio. Then we heard Adagio's screaming."
"We decided we wanted to come and confront her, so we may or may not have used our screams to knock everyone else out and steal the bus to drive here," Sonata said, palms up and smiling.
"Too bad traffic proved to be a nightmare to get through. We had to ditch the bus and start walking. Anyway, we're here to help." By her distant tone and perpetually bored expression, Artemis wasn't sure if Aria even believed her own words.
"You're going to fight your own sister?" Artemis asked.
Sonata nodded. "Remember what we told you? Dagi probably isn't going to stop unless someone makes her. We just wanna make sure nothing super bad happens to her."
"Better the hospital and jail than the morgue," Aria said, crossing her arms.
Artemis copied her, giving the girls a discerning eye as he thought. It wasn't that he didn't trust them at this point; between giving Pinkie her key to the Rainbow of Light, showing them the leygate, and just showing up here and driving the mob away was enough proof that they had a change of heart. Artemis still wasn't particularly fond of them, but that's what therapy was for.
No, it was their willingness to fight their sister.
They had it easy. They didn't have to kill Adagio, just knock her out and lock her away. Tirek had the Rainbow of Light, and if he got into his real body, would be nigh unkillable. Meaning if Artemis wanted to protect the world, he would have to fight his twin to the death.
Never, in his entire life, did Artemis think he would ever have to raise a hand to his twin sister. They had been together through thick and thin, parting only for a few years when they separated for college, then joining for a world tour with Selena accompanying them. Losing her had been the worst day of Artemis' life.
He envied the Sirens. Their situation, and their willingness to fight one of their own.
"Alright," Artemis said with a nod, "you can help."
Trixie teleported in with Selena on her arm, the hem of Trixie's dress singed.
"There's only two copies left, and they're just running in circles, so Trixie thinks Adagio will catch on any second."
"Aaah aah ah. Aaa ah."
Artemis growled. "She's going to throw as many people as she can at us and hope we get overwhelmed."
"Our voices may totally suck now," Aria said, making no attempt to hide her bitterness, "but they're still magic. You saw what happened; we can nullify Adagio's song."
Trixie dug a finger into her ear. "Too bad it disorients us, too."
Artemis gave his wand a thoughtful spin around his finger. "It's risky, but I could cast a sound-dampening spell around the three of us. We either fight with no sound..."
"Or with the worst sound we've ever heard," Trixie finished.
Sonata rubbed her throat, a hurt look on her face. "It's not that bad."
Selena walked to the mouth of the alley and peeked out. "We need to make a decision now. Our copies are gone and the mob is mobilizing."
Artemis tightened his grip on his wand. "Alright then. You two," he said to the Sirens, "stay close but try to keep out of sight. Sing as much as you can to keep the enthralled away. Trixie, Selena, once I cast the spell, keep moving and keep Adagio off-balance."
Everyone gave an affirming nod. Aria followed up with a lazy salute. "Try not to die. I still don't really like you guys, but you're our best hope at stopping Adagio."
"The feeling's mutual," Trixie said, sticking her tongue out.
The two parties broke off, and Trxie and Artemis joined Selena near the alley entrance. "I can't believe we're fighting alongside the Sirens," Selena said.
"In times like these, I'll take any ally we can get," Artemis said. He raised his wand and drew a large circle above all three of their heads. "Lulamoon!"
Silvery dust drifted from the sky. and covered Artemis' ears like warm hands. Adagio's singing, the shouts of the civilians, the whispering wind; all of it faded until Artemis could only hear his heartbeat. He looked behind him. Sonata and Aria's mouths were open, and Artemis felt his skin crawl. He couldn't hear them, but his body still felt their distorted magic.
With a single gesture, he beckoned his family to follow him out to the muted street. The crowd Adagio had mustered was already dispersing, grasping their heads as they staggered into shops and offices. Overhead, Adagio mouthed something and pointed at the Lulamoons.
Artemis just smiled at her and shrugged.
Shaking with rage, Adagio threw her hand out, and her siren roared down at the street. Artemis held onto the brim of his hat, feeling the force of the soundwaves, but little else.
He drew a playing card from his sleeve and tossed it toward Selena. Halfway through its arc, he hit it with a quick bolt of magic. The card tripled in size until it was the length and width of a skateboard and hovered just off the ground.
Selena jumped on it, and it zoomed her up to the sky. She drew her sword and slashed at Adagio, the blade soundlessly striking a diamond barrier. Adagio retreated, nervousness starting to overtake her anger.
Trixie teleported away from Artemis' side, reappearing on the lip of a nearby building. The hippocampus took notice and fired a blast of magic, destroying part of the rooftop. Trixie, however, remained standing.
From across the street, a greater burst of magic hit the avatar and sent it careening into the building. The real Trixie stood on the opposite roof and jumped up in victory.
Adagio, now looking panicked, turned and fled deeper into the city, Selena in hot pursuit.
Artemis smirked and twirled his wand, another spell forming at its tip. Maybe he couldn't fight Apalla. But he could do this.
******
Starlight rushed past the rest of the girls, elbowing her way back to the central lab.
"Go ahead and run," Sunset snarled, "but there's nowhere to go!" She kicked off the ground and blazed past her friends and after Starlight.
"Sunset, wait!" Fluttershy called.
Sunset didn't listen. She flew straight for Starlight, fist drawn back. Starlight looked over her shoulder and dropped into a slide, narrowly avoiding Sunset's first swing. Sunset lapped the lab and dove at her again as she reached a workstation. Starlight grabbed a wristband off the desk and ducked, Sunset's hand brushing through her hair.
Sunset wasn't going to just throw a fireball at her. No, she wanted--needed to get her hands on Starlight and beat the apology out of her. She turned and threw herself at Starlight again.
The scientist held her wrist up, and a blue shield materialized and bounced Sunset across the room.
"This confrontation is meaningless!" Starlight snapped. "Both of us lost something today."
Sunset shook herself off from the surprise defense. "You lost something? You're the reason she's gone!" she shouted, steam still pouring from her eyes.
"You're really blaming me for a freak accident?"
"You shouldn't have been messing with my way home! You shouldn't have dragged Twilight into it!" Sunset dive-bombed her.
Starlight held her shield up again, and Sunset slammed into it, digging her fists in to break through.
"Stop, both of y'all!" Applejack yelled. Her pony features appeared for a few seconds, then vanished in a burst of light.
Tears ruining her mascara, Rarity looked between Sunset and Starlight and said, "We're all hurting right now, but this isn't going to solve anything!"
"I know that!" Sunset shrieked. Her hands shook against the hard light shield. It was taking all of her strength not to break down right at that moment. "But I need to... I need..."
"Need what?" Starlight sneered. "Someone to blame? You don't want to blame Twilight for her own agency and decisions, so you want to pin the blame on me!"
"You exploited her!"
"I did not!" Starlight threw her weight into her arm and shoved Sunset away. "She came here of her own volition! I merely showed her what true progress and potential looks like!"
Sunset clenched her fists. "Oh yeah? Did you show her what it looks like when you rip out someone's soul? When you tear it in half? When you put someone's darkness inside someone else?"
Starlight waved a dismissive hand. "If she asked, I would have. Twilight came to understand that everything done here is done for the greater good."
"What 'greater good' is there in reviving Tirek?" Rainbow asked.
"If he's true to his word, a new golden age for humanity." Starlight closed her eyes and said longingly, "And I get back what I've lost."
She opened her eyes and said, "It's not too late, you know. Help Tirek in his little crusade, and he might reward you by bringing Twilight back."
"I refuse to help that lunatic!" Sunset yelled.
"Nor should you!"
Sunset turned her head. Leaning on Fluttershy, eyes red and swollen, hair disheveled was Moondancer. Fluttershy helped her further into the room until Moondancer grabbed a chair and collapsed into it.
She took several trembling breaths before speaking to Starlight. "I warned you after she found out. I never wanted her anywhere near all of this! Especially Tirek! I told you not to let anything happen to her!"
Starlight put her hands up. "Moondancer, we can fix this."
"You can't fix this!" Moondancer screamed, jumping up and kicking her chair back. She pointed up to the broken container hanging over the center of the lab. "How can you fix this?"
"We'll get more magic!" Starlight said, an edge of desperation to her voice. "And if we have to rely on Tirek for just a bit longer, then so be it! We'll all get what we want in the end; just trust me!"
"Trust you? Trust you?" Sunset spoke up, indignation spiking again. "Twilight trusted you and look what happened to her!" She rushed at Starlight again and met her shield once more.
"Enough, Sunset Shimmer!" Moondancer yelled.
Sunset kicked at Starlight. "Not until she admits she was wrong! Not until she apologizes! Not until she gives Twilight back!"
"Alright, you've thrown your tantrum, now enough's enough!" Starlight said. "I'm furious about my machine exploding, but you don't see me lashing out like a child!"
"You took away Twilight!" Sunset struck the shield again. "You used her for your stupid magic projects!"
"She was wonderful, and I do feel bad," Starlight snapped, stepping back from the force of Sunset's blows. "But I will use anything and anyone I have to elevate humanity and get my Sunburst back!"
Sunset's eyes dilated. Starlight bit the corner of her lip and looked away.
Jumping back, Sunset curled her fingers, flames gathering at the tips to resemble talons. She rushed forward and blitzed Starlight's shield, striking over and over, the hard light flickering and warping more and more with each strike.
With one final uppercut, the shield faded out, and Starlight fell backward onto the floor. Sunset pinned her, digging her knees into Starlight's arms.
Starlight struggled to free herself, but Sunset proved herself immovable. She gave Sunset a defiant glare instead and said, "Now what? You're going to kill me? Some 'hero' you are!"
Sunset looked down at her, claws raised. All of the anger inside her told her to strike. But a voice in the back of her head told her to stop. Starlight was misguided, amoral, and hypocritical. She was on Tirek's side. But she didn't deserve to die.
Still, Sunset couldn't put her hand down. Even if Starlight wasn't directly responsible for Twilight's vanishing, she had led her down this path. Convinced her that bringing back Tirek would be good in the long run. Even if Starlight was right, the cost was already too great. Yet she was already prepared to move on. She didn't understand the pain burning through Sunset.
Sunset's hand trembled, her fiery claws flickering. "I want to hurt you... so bad," Sunset choked out, watery tears running down her cheeks again.
"Go ahead," Starlight spat. "Prove that deep down, you're still that demon you fear so much."
Sunset curled her hand tighter, claws, blazing again. She wanted to do it. It would be so easy to do it. Deliver a fraction of the pain she felt.
"Sunset, don't!" Fluttershy called, echoing the voice inside her. "You're better than that! Twilight knew you're better than that!"
It was true. Twilight was the first person to truly believe Sunset was better than this. All of Twilight's confidence in her. All of her compassion. All of their conversations. Twilight had told her again and again that she wasn't evil.
But now...
Sunset let out a guttural scream. Her powers flared, fueled by the unrestrained release of her sadness, fury, and pain. She screamed until her throat was raw, then slammed her hand down.
There was an audible crack as the floor tile next to Starlight's head split.
Sunset's fire died. She rolled off Starlight, huddled her legs against her chest, and sobbed. Five pairs of arms wrapped around her, and Sunset cried harder, feeling the absence of the one pair she needed the most.
> Falling Star III: Apotheosis
It took a while to get the lab door open. Applejack's powers came back in short spurts, lasting five to ten seconds at a time. Eventually, she managed to uncrimp the door and push it open just enough for people to start squeezing out.
No one was sure what to do about Starlight. Within the parameters of the law, she technically hadn't done anything illegal. And while Sunset would have loved to tie her up and toss her somewhere where she couldn't help Tirek, they had no means by which to do it.
Both parties could only glare at each other as the remains of the Spectacular Seven showed themselves out of the laboratory, Moondancer awkwardly following behind them.
"All of our hard work," Sunset heard Starlight bemoan to her two assistants. "It's going to take months to fix our containment unit alone!"
Sunset's temper flared. She almost turned around to go scream some more at Starlight, but Rarity's ginger hand around her shoulder kept her moving forward, half carried by her friends.
The six of them crowded into the elevator. Moondancer stopped at the threshold and stepped back. "I'll just... wait for the next one," she said in a hoarse whisper, her bloodshot eyes on the floor.
Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but the doors closed in Moondancer's face and carried them up to the ground floor.
The rest of the building appeared empty. No other scientist confronted them. The receptionist was still out to lunch. There weren't even any police, which had briefly crossed Sunset's mind in the elevator.
"What are we going to do now?" Pinkie asked as they crossed through the lobby.
Sunset didn't answer. Her throat hurt from crying. Starlight's machine broke, so she wouldn't be opening a portal anytime soon. That evened the odds against Tirek. If they could get the Rainbow of Light back, they still had a chance to turn things in their favor.
But they did still have the police and the public to deal with. When the frog spell wore off and the guards learned of the girls' escape, their families would be the first to be questioned.
And speaking of families, what was Sunset supposed to tell Twilight's? How could she explain that their daughter had been pulled into collapsing portal?
Sunset stumbled, held up only by Rarity and Rainbow. She wanted to stop. She wanted to sleep. She wanted time to think, to grieve. But, she knew she had to keep going. They had to plan and act quickly.
The girls stepped out to the front lawn, just as quiet as the inside of the building. The sun was beginning to go down, casting rays of orange light through the trees.
"So, what exactly happened back there with our magic?" Rainbow asked. "And why is it so hard for us to pony up now?"
"Starlight's portal malfunctioned," Moondancer said, coming up behind them. She stopped at the edge of the curb and stared off into the trees. "It did open a portal to this world's lost magic. But for whatever reason, it began pulling the magic away instead of pouring back in."
"Why?" Rainbow asked again.
Sunset's muddled thoughts mashed together. Even in her exhausted and depressed state, her mind couldn't help but ponder an answer. Fortunately, it didn't take long for her to stumble on one.
"Magic begets magic," she said emotionlessly. "Smaller magic is attracted to a larger magical source. There's probably a lot more magic in that pocket dimension than there is out here."
Moondancer grimly nodded. "Sounds believable. So, the magic tried to go back to its source. And because of that, Twilight... Twilight..." She cupped a hand over her mouth and fell to her knees, sobbing anew.
Fluttershy ran over and put an arm around Moondancer's shoulder. Sunset quirked an eyebrow. Even in Fluttershy's near-infinite kindness, something about that seemed weird. She didn't have the energy to care at the moment. Rainbow looked like she too wanted to protest, but likewise, rolled her eyes in dismissal.
"We should probably get back to the, uh... somewhere safe," Applejack said. "Hopefully, the Lulamoons have done somethin' about Adagio."
"Yeah," said Sunset. Then, Artemis could be in charge, at least for a little while.
She took a few steps forward, then stopped and pressed a palm to her forehead. A pressure was building, and Sunset felt it quickly spread throughout her whole body. Her skin tingled and her spine bent. It was like a lightning storm was approaching, and intensifying gravity as it got closer.
"Okay, you all feel that too, right?" Rainbow asked, looking around.
Rarity nodded. "I'm getting an uncomfortable feeling of deja vu."
"Sshhh!" Sunset held a finger up. "Do you hear that?"
Everyone held their breath and strained their ears. Even Moondancer held her sobs in and looked around. Faintly, the tinkle of glass drifted on the evening breeze. It sounded like something was cracking ever-so-slightly.
"What is it this time?" Applejack whispered.
Sunset's pony ears burst to life on top of her head, and her exhaustion burned away like she had taken a shot of pure adrenaline. Around her, her friends ponied up as well, and judging by the surprise on their faces, it hadn't been intentional.
"Did our magic just come back?" Rainbow asked.
"Maybe the effects were temporary?" Rarity guessed.
"Girls, what's that?" Pinkie pointed to a spot out on the front lawn. Sunset stepped closer and rubbed her eyes, unable to process what they were seeing.
A jagged, glowing crack stretched across the grass, with offshoots splintering out like the branches of a tree. Sunset looked on with horrid fascination, watching the grass the crack spread over dissolve into glittering dust. The more the break in reality spread, the stronger the pressure became.
"Is Starlight doing this?" Rainbow asked.
Sunset shook her head, ominous dread pooling in her core. "No... I don't think so."
The cracking intensified, the splintered lines spreading out until it resembled a jagged spiderweb. When it had spread over almost half of the front lawn, it finally shattered like glass, shards of earth and grass falling into a white void. Wind rushed out and knocked everyone to the ground.
The gale only increased, and Sunset felt the exact opposite of what she had experienced inside the lab. Magic was flowing. It felt like she was in Equestria again. It was a different kind of magic, but it permeated her being and filled her lungs.
She forced herself up and edged closer to the hole in the earth. At first, all she saw was white nothingness. Then, a figure emerged, slowly rising out on wings of the deepest night.
Her skin was dark purple, with her hair another shade darker. It billowed upward like wildfire and sported familiar highlights of pink and violet. She wore a purple dress with a low neckline, long, fingerless gloves, torn stockings, and heels that glowed with an unearthly pale light. That same light made up the grooved, spiraled horn sprouting from her forehead. A long tail hypnotically swished from side to side behind her.
The creature rose higher into the air, eyes closed, arms spread like she was in a trance. Sunset looked up at her, in awe, in confusion, in horror. She felt the missing tether in her soul reattach itself.
"Twilight?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The creature opened her eyes, revealing small red pupils that almost vanished in a sea of teal, while magical flame ignited around them like a sinister pair of glasses. She let out a soft chuckle, then gripped her head and let out a mad cackle.
"I understand, hahahaha!" she said, a slight gravely distortion in her voice, "I understand everything now!"
She laughed again, and the pressure around everyone increased, forcing Sunset down on one knee. She kept her head up, heart pounding as she kept her gaze locked on the familiar presence above her.
"Twilight, is that you?"
The figure looked down at her and gasped, delight dancing in her dilated eyes. "Sunnykins! My love!"
Rainbow pushed herself onto her hands and knees. "No way. That's Twilight?"
Twilight clasped her hands next to her cheek, noticing the entire crowd before her for the first time. "My friends! You're all here! I missed you all so much!"
Applejack, strong enough to stand, asked, "Sweetheart... what happened to you?"
Twilight laughed. It wasn't the laugh Sunset knew: the shy giggle whenever Sunset kissed her, or the jubilant chuckle whenever Twilight found something truly funny. There was an unhingedness to this new laugh; an edge that made Sunset's insides turn.
"I found the magic," Twilight said with excited delirium. "Well, it's more accurate to say, I fell into the magic. I floated there for what felt like forever! But the magic came to me. So much magic came to me! And then, I understood. Every formula, every function, every contradiction!"
She held her hand out. A mote of blue fire burst to life. Before everyone's eyes, it solidified into a chicken egg. The egg wiggled and cracked, and a tiny blue whale crawled out on a set of six insect legs. The whale then turned into bubbles that sank toward the ground.
"I can do anything now," Twilight whispered. "This world's magic makes no sense. But I can make it make sense."
The pressure in the air alleviated, and Sunset got back to her feet. "Twilight, I'm... I'm really happy for you. I'm glad you're okay. I..." Sunset didn't know how she felt. Yes, she was overjoyed Twilight was still alive. But, was this actually Twilight? Sunset could feel the magic radiating off of her. And one look into Twilight's eyes told her the magic had done more than just change Twilight's appearance.
Twilight drifted down to Sunset and placed a hand on her cheek. Despite its warmth, Sunset's entire body shivered and her breathing quickened.
"I missed you," Twilight whispered into Sunset's ear. "I wanted so badly to see you. To show you what I can do now. You don't have to fight. When I'm done, you'll never have to fight again."
Sunset swallowed. "Done with what?"
Twilight looked her straight in the eyes. "Remaking the world."
"What?"
Removing her hand, Twilight drifted back into the air. "This world is chaos. And so is its magic. So, I am going to reset both. I will create a new, orderly paradise, with new, orderly magic to go with it. I told you: only I can make it make sense," she said with a perfectly calm veneer.
Pinkie slowly tilted her head to one side. "Aaaand.... What's gonna happen to this world?"
"It'll be erased," Twilight said simply. "Out with the old, in with the new. Of course, you'll all be fine. I'm taking you all with me. Even you, Moony!"
Moondancer, down on her knees with a look of horror on her face, shook her head. "You can't do that."
A manic smile broke out across Twilight's face. "Of course I can! I have the power of ruin and creation in the palm of my hand! I can do anything!"
She struck her arm out to the side, and everything from the elbow up appeared to have vanished into nothing. Twilight pulled back and watched her arm slide into view like it had been hidden behind a curtain. She held in her hand what appeared to be a moon rock.
"I can warp space!"
Twilight closed her fingers around it. When she opened it again, a solid gold bar sat in her palm. It bubbled and liquified, losing its color as it melted between Twilight's fingers, turning into water. The streams coiled up one arm and down the other before settling into a ball above her opposite hand.
"Reconstruct matter!"
She tossed the ball up into the sky. Sunset followed it, gasping at the scene above her. She was staring down at herself and all of her friends gathered in front of Equilibrium Labs. She looked down again, seeing open air, and let out a yell as she dropped. It was a short fall, as she and everyone else landed exactly where they had been.
"Bend reality!" Twilight drummed her fingers together in front of her mouth. "So yes, I think I can do that."
Sunset took a step forward and raised her hands in a non-threatening fashion. "Twilight... I'm happy you have magic. But maybe, you have too much of it."
"Too much?" Twilight blinked out of existence and reappeared right in front of Sunset. She reached out and pinched Sunset's cheek. "Is someone jealous? Are you sad that I'm not your damsel in distress anymore?"
Sunset stepped back. "No, that's not it. It's just..." She shook her head. "You're messing with forces you don't understand."
"I understand better than you!" Twilight snapped, her cordiality vanishing instantly. "I did the research! I tried to put the pieces together! I have been rewarded with pure power! All my efforts to make sense of this chaotic mess have finally come to fruition!"
Twilight hovered back and clenched her teeth. "But of course, you're not happy for me. Anytime I do something a little dangerous, it's a dumb idea.'"
Sunset flinched. "Twilight, this idea isn't dumb, it's crazy. The world isn't perfect, but you can't destroy it!"
"I prefer the term 'remake'. And I don't know why you're complaining. You're coming with me! All my friends and family! Everyone important to them! The smartest people in the world! All of the innocent! All of the worthy!"
Twilight extended her hand.
"But you most of all. I want you, Sunnykins, to rule by my side. Think about: a perfect world! No more sickness, no more injury, no more death! Just us, studying the secrets of the universe with everyone we care about in pure bliss."
"And everyone else?" Sunset asked, dreading the answer.
Twilight gave an uncaring shrug. "Whatever happens to the leftovers of this world, happens."
Sunset stepped back. She thought losing Twilight had been the worst pain she had ever experienced. But seeing Twilight like this, twisted and maniacal and cold. Sunset felt sick. "Twilight, this isn't you."
Twilight scowled. "Yes, it is. This is the ultimate form of me. I have been blessed by magic and unlocked my full potential!"
"I know that's what it feels like right now," Sunset said slowly. "I know what it feels like to have that much magic coursing through you. I've been there, I've had that power! You feel like you can have everything you've ever wanted! Twilight, I made that same mistake--you know I have! You know how that magic overwhelmed me! That's what's happening to you right now!"
"Except I'm not overwhelmed!" Twilight snarled, her hair surging and snapping in all directions. "Unlike you, I can have everything I want! I'm not a failure anymore!"
Sunset put her hands together pleadingly. "No one ever thought of you as a failure, sweetie."
Twilight raised a glowing blue hand and curled her fingers. The same light appeared on the corner of Sunset's vest, and she was jerked into the air and hoisted in front of Twilight.
"Sunset!" Rarity called.
Her friends all took uncertain steps closer, but the fire around Twilight's eyes flared, and a wicked tempest burst forth, throwing them all into the parking lot. Twilight turned her red eyes back to Sunset.
"You think I'm a failure," she said in a manic whisper. "You couldn't trust me. You didn't think I knew what I was doing. You always thought I needed to be rescued."
"That's not true," Sunset said with a shaky breath. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you. But you didn't give me a good reason--"
"Sometimes you have to take risks to get results!" Twilight shouted. Her magic shook Sunset by the collar. "Everything I did, I did for you! I wanted to understand how magic worked! I wanted to help bring it back into this world, not just so I could have it, but so anyone could! So I would never have to see you or Shining or anyone else in a hospital again! So that we could have enough power to kill Tirek and permanently end this cycle!"
Twilight raised a gentle hand and ran her thumb along Sunset's cheek, stopping just below her lip. "I wanted the power to protect you," she said softly.
Ice ran down Sunset's spine. Twilight's touch was warm and loving. Yet, Sunset felt only twisted perversion on her skin. "I'm glad you have it. But I need you to let a little bit of it go."
Twilight's thumb dug into one side of Sunset's chin, and her remaining four fingers followed suit on the other. "You really do just want me to remain on the sidelines. To remain helpless! You're so desperate to keep playing the hero!"
Sunset reached for Twilight's arm. "No, I just--" She had forgotten she had ponied up. Her fingers curled around Twilight's wrist, and the scenery around them vanished in a pool of light.
No other scene resurfaced. There was only nothingness.
She was falling, drowning. She could breathe but every breath was fire and the pressure crushed her lungs. Her skin tingled, then buzzed, then rippled. Something was trying to get in; it was blanketing her from all sides. Angry claws dug into her mind, prying it open and letting in more pain.
No, not pain. Knowledge!
But why did the knowledge hurt so much? She couldn't make sense of it. Millions of images flashed in her assaulted mind. Whispers flowed into her ears. Tales of the impossible. Deeds done and undone. Past, present, and future spoken in one breath.
She could see infinity reaching out before her, reaching out to her. She could touch the seams of reality. The secrets of the universe flooded every fiber of her being, drowning her senses. She was everything and nothing. The void smothered her further, burning, stretching, remaking. Twilight screamed.
And Sunset screamed with her, ripping her hand free.
Her eyes returned from pandemonium and found Twilight looking at her with an almost sultry pout.
"You see now? It hurt. It hurt so much. But it was worth it, to come back to you like this. What truly hurts is you not understanding what I'm trying to do."
Sunset took deep gulps of air. "Twilight, I do understand--"
"No you don't!" Twilight flung Sunset to the ground. She skidded and landed on her back, right at the feet of Applejack who pulled her up.
"This world is broken!" Twilight yelled. "The magic is broken! I'm the only one who can see it, so I'm the only one who can fix it! I can fix everything! I can protect everyone! I can build paradise! Why won't you let me?"
"Twi, the world may not be perfect," Applejack said, "but it don't need that type of extreme fixin'! You're talkin' about lettin' other people die!"
"Only the bad ones!"
"And who's going to decide that?" Rarity asked. "You can't be judge, jury, and executioner for all of humanity!"
Twilight's face darkened. "So you're all going to reject me, too? I should have known better. We all picked Sunset to be the leader, didn't we? She always knows best, so of course you side with her."
Fluttershy sniffled. "No, Twilight, we just think--"
"Silence!" Twilight's magnified voice shook the pine trees surrounding the campus. Birds fled from the branches, only Sunset couldn't hear any panicked cries. She couldn't hear her own breathing. She looked at her friends. Rainbow opened her mouth to yell, but nothing came out.
Smirking in satisfaction, Twilight drifted over to the curbside where Moondancer still sat on her knees. She stared at Twilight as she approached, an utterly haunted look on her face.
"You'll join me though, won't you, Moony?" Twilight asked in a syrupy sweet voice.
"Join you?" Moondancer's shuddering voice broke through the silent barrier.
"I can bring her back, Moondancer. I can bring them both back. Your parents. You can live happy and free in my new world." Twilight extended her hand down. "Just believe in me."
Moondancer looked absently at Twilight's outstretched hand. Her lips trembled. "Believe... in you..."
"Moondancer, don't!" Sunset begged, but the words were smothered in the silence.
"I..." Moondancer looked down and gripped the hem of her white dress. "Tempest told me I could have my mother back. Tirek told me he would give them both back. I just had to join them. I just had to obey." She let out a jittery laugh and her voice went up a pitch.
"I'm so tired of making deals with devils."
"It's not a deal, Moony. It's a promise," Twilight whispered.
Moondancer snapped her head up. "They promised me, too. But they were only lying."
Twilight pouted. "I would never lie to you. We're friends."
"No, we're not!" Moondancer slammed her fists against the ground. "You're not Twilight! You're not my Twilight! You may sound like her, but you're not!"
Moondancer's eyes vanished into a lake of white energy. She got to her feet, pearly wings sprouting from her back. "I will not be used by another monster! I won't be lied to anymore! I won't be anyone else's puppet!"
She rose into the air and put her palms together. "Return my friend to me!" She fired a beam of white light at Twilight.
Twilight held her palm up, and a small portal ripped open in front of it. Moondancer's attack was sucked in, and from behind her, another portal opened and unleashed the beam into Moondancer's back.
Moondancer screamed once in pain, then again in frustration. A white rapier materialized in her hand, and she charged at Twilight with a flurry of slashes and stabs.
With effortless grace, Twilight evaded each attack, her smile growing wider with each of Moondancer's misses. Moondancer made a broad downward slash, and Twilight folded her wings in front of herself. Moondancer's rapier recoiled with a sharp ring like she had struck a steel wall.
Twilight emerged from her wings and struck her hand out, grabbing Moondancer's sword hand. She twisted until Moondancer dropped her blade, then spun around her back and whispered into her ear.
Whatever she said sent Moondancer into a screaming rage. She flipped forward, heels kicking into Twilight's chin. Moondancer followed up by spinning around and blasting Twilight in the chest, knocking her higher into the sky.
The blast looked like it hadn't done any damage, however. Twilight brushed some of the scuff off and looked at Moondancer with a crooked smile. "I wish you hadn't done that."
Twilight disappeared and popped up behind Moondancer, a sphere of pulsing purple energy in her hand. She fired and caught Moondancer in the back, then teleported again, appearing on Moondancer's right. She fired again, scoring another hit, then teleported above and attacked again. On and on, Twilight danced around Moondancer, laughing with every shot she took. Moondancer tried to fight back, but every time she fired, Twilight had already moved onto the next position and struck back.
Twilight appeared above Moondancer again, but instead of a magic attack, she dove down and slammed her heel into Moondancer's chest. The poor girl shot out of the sky and hit the grass, rolling to a stop at the lip of the hole in reality. She didn't get back up.
"Now then, there will be no more debate on this topic." Twilight turned her attention back to the girls. "I have the magic now, and I'm going to do as I see fit. You will thank me later." Her last words sounded more like a threat than a reassurance.
Sunset felt her voice return. Tears building behind her eyes, she said, "Twilight... you know we can't let you do this."
Twilight covered her mouth and giggled, sending goosebumps across Sunset's skin. "You're going to try and stop me, Sunnykins? Pray tell, how?"
Sunset clenched her jaw, body shaking.
"Hahahaha! See? You can't! You wouldn't lift a finger against me!" Twilight teleported, appearing once again right in front of Sunset. Only this time, she stood upside-down in midair, her Chesire grin reversed into an ecstatic frown. "Or would you?"
"Don't test me, Twilight," Sunset said, trying her hardest to keep an edge to her voice.
Twilight turned her cheek toward her. "Go ahead then. Hit me."
Sunset could barely close her fist. This creature barely sounded like Twilight, barely looked like Twilight, but Sunset's soul knew this was indeed Twilight Sparkle.
"I'm waiting!" Twilight brought her face closer.
Sunset lifted her hand, tiny embers jumping across her knuckles. But she couldn't phoenix up. She couldn't even finish her swing.
Twilight pouted. "Maybe you just need some help."
Fire engulfed Sunset's hand, though it didn't burn her. It felt like her own powers, warm and comforting. Yet, like with Twilight's touches, there was a perversion hidden beneath the heat.
Twilight moved her cheek an inch from Sunset's fist. "There! If I'm the bad guy, then fight me!"
Sunset's hand trembled. She unclenched her fist and looked away. "I can't."
"Hehehe.... Hahahahahaha!" Twilight laughed in Sunset's face. She gently tapped Sunset on the forehead, and the force was enough to drop her to the floor.
"Twilight, stop!" Rainbow yelled. "We're your friends; what are you doing?"
"Proving that I'm in control now!" She teleported and wound up hovering over Pinkie's shoulder. "Proving that I'm not helpless!"
She warped again, returning to hover in the air above everyone. "Proving that you can't stop me," she growled, eyes narrowed. She raised her hands, holding them inches apart from one another. In between her palms, a small orb formed, colorless before transitioning from pink to purple to indigo. It grew in size from a soccer ball to a beach ball.
The wind picked up and swirled around Twilight's magic. Sunset got back up, skin prickling again from the magical output. She wanted to phoenix up and disrupt whatever spell Twilight was generating. But without knowing what it was, Sunset feared it would only make things worse.
Twilight flashed them a feral grin. She held a hand under the swirling mass of purple energy and hurled it up into the evening sky. Even as it grew more distant, it continued to grow in size.
"What is that?" Pinkie asked.
Holding her hands against her cheeks, Twilight released a dreamy sigh. "The beginning."
"No!" Sunset yelled. "Twilight, you can't--"
"Enough!" Twilight's magnified voice echoed again. "No more debate! No more of your prattling!"
"Twilight, please!"
"And enough of that name! Twilight Sparkle was too weak to protect herself or anything she cared about. But not I. I am her evolution! I will reshape the world to magical perfection, and I will protect everyone in it, even my poor, ungrateful friends!"
Her horn glowed brighter, and the flames around her eyes danced. "It is the start of a new day... and the end of an old one. A new era is coming! And I am that bridge. I am the end and the beginning! The zeroth hour!" She flared her wings out and stared hungrily at her orb of magic, now resembling a second moon in the sky.
"I am Midnight."
Rainbow's blue aura brightened. "That's it! This is for your own good, Twi!" She zipped into the air, leaving a rainbow contrail behind.
A blur whipped past Midnight, leaving her recoiled as she clutched her stomach. The blur came back around and struck from behind this time. On the third pass through, Midnight moved to one side and slashed open a portal. Rainbow tried to draw to a halt, but had already crossed through the tear when Midnight sealed it again with a trace of her fingers.
"Rainbow!" Fluttershy screamed. "Where did you send her?"
"Paraguay, I think," Midnight said with a shrug. She threw her head back and laughed. "Oh don't worry. Little Rainbow will find her way back eventually."
Sunset couldn't take anymore. With an agonized yell, her phoenix powers ignited and she launched herself into the air. "Twilight, enough is enough! You need to stop this!"
Midnight dangerously narrowed her eyes. "It's Midnight now. And I refuse! I'm doing what Twilight never could! I'm going to help the world!"
"You've already helped the world! You've helped our friends!" Sunset pressed her hands over her heart. "You've helped me! You've helped since the first day we met! If it wasn't for you, I don't know if I would have made it this far! You wanted to be my friend, not because someone else asked you to be, but out of the compassion in your own heart. Even after learning all the terrible stuff I did, you still stuck beside me."
Sunset teared up and her throat tightened, strangling the words trying to get out. "You put up with all of my brooding and temper tantrums. You love me despite what I am and what I've been. You, Twilight; you're what I dreamed about when my soul was trapped. You're the reason I found my way back. You're the reason I keep fighting! You're the reason we even had a chance to beat the Sirens! You're the reason we found out about what happened to this world's magic!
"I'm sorry if we ever made you feel like you were stuck on the sidelines! And I'm sorry I didn't trust you before! But I need you to trust me now! All that magic you have is warping your mind! You can't remake the world! So please, stop. Come back to me, Sparky. I love you."
Midnight had watched her, unblinking, face inscrutable. When Sunset finished, a soft smile graced her lips. She floated closer and cupped Sunset's face.
"I forgive you. And I love you, too, Sunnykins."
Sunset froze mid-smile. Something hard and cold was creeping along her cheek. Her entire body was stiffening. She turned her head. Purple crystal was creeping down her neck and across her shoulder. She stretched an arm out. "Twilight, stop!"
"I love you," Midnight repeated. "And that's why I'm doing all of this. To make a better world for us. But I know you. Maybe you won't fight me, but you'll try to stop me. Always needing to play the hero."
The crystal had coated Sunset's entire left arm and was spreading across her chest and torso. It crawled up her back, putting out her wings and tail.
"So, I need to make sure you can't interfere." Midnight's insane grin reappeared. "Don't worry! You'll make an adorable trophy girlfriend!"
"Twili--!" Sunset's cry was cut off. The crystal encased her mouth and the rest of her body shortly after. Yet, she was still conscious. Through her crystal prison, she could still see the world, albeit tinted through purple fractals. She couldn't breathe, yet she didn't need air. And despite her ears being covered up, she could still hear Midnight laughing.
She was set on the ground, one arm outstretched in desperation, the other still pressed against her heart. She was forced to stare straight ahead at the hole in the ground, Moondancer still lying at its edge.
"Twilight, how could you?" Rarity shouted.
"Continue to object and you'll share the same fate!" Midnight snarled. "Why is it so hard for you girls to understand that I'm trying to help humanity!"
A pause.
"In fact, if you're not going to understand, I should get someone who does."
Right on the cusp of Sunset's line of sight, Starlight phased up through the ground and landed feet first on the lawn. Eyes wide, she quickly patted herself down, as if to make sure she was all there.
"What... what happened?"
"Doctor Starlight!" Midnight sang. "It's so good to see you again!"
Sunset took brief pleasure in seeing the shadow of fear in Starlight's eyes. "Who are you? What are you?"
Midnight floated into view. "I was once Twilight Sparkle. Our portal machine did work! I was taken to the lost magic and it has chosen me as its new host!"
Starlight looked from her to the chasm in the ground. Curiosity quickly eclipsed any fear. "Fascinating..." she whispered.
"I understand its secrets now, Doctor. And the secret is, none of it makes sense. Just like this world, the magic is twisted and wild. Corrupted! But I can remake both!" Midnight pointed to the sky. "I will create a new world of perfect order and magic!"
"Please, don't listen to her!" Pinkie shouted. "She's still our best friend, but she's completely loco in the coco right now!"
Midnight pointed a finger past Sunset's head and fired a quick jolt. She expected to hear a scream or cries of distress, but no sound reached her ears.
Looking content, Midnight continued, "I have the power now, Starlight. You don't need Tirek. Join me, and I will return Sunburst to you."
"Deal," Starlight said with no hesitation. A giddy smile danced across her face. "Sunburst! A world of magic! Humanity at its apex! Of course I'll help!"
Sunset tried to scream, but her vocal cords were completely crystallized.
Midnight looked over to the girls just outside of Sunset's range. "You see, friends? See how easy it is just to accept change? Such loyalty deserves a reward!"
A pale flame appeared over Midnight's palm. It circled in her hand before blasting out and striking Starlight in the chest. Starlight staggered back, looking winded. She took several deep breaths. Then, a smile crept across her face.
"Magic," she whispered.
"My first task for you, Starlight, is to start gathering those you believe worthy to go to the new world! Starting with--"
A firecracker struck Midnight in the head, the only proof Sunset had that her friends were still in commission.
Midnight let out a ferocious growl, hair billowing again. "Starting with my ungrateful friends!"
Both Starlight and Midnight left Sunset's field of view. She could hear blasts of magic. Yet she remained immobilized, helpless to render aid.
I need to get out! I need to stop her!
Sunset didn't want to fight Twilight. She was the last person in the world Sunset wanted to face. But if she didn't do something, the entire world was going to get torn apart.
But how was she going to get out of this prison? She couldn't move, she couldn't even struggle.
Physically, I can't. But maybe...
Heat blazed in Sunset's chest. She drew on her phoenix fire, letting it run through her veins. She imagined breaking free from the crystal, her magic surging and giving her strength. She could feel it rising, giving her the energy to struggle and chip pieces of the crystal.
"Applejack!" Fluttershy cried, breaking her friends' silence.
She wasn't working fast enough! She needed more fire! She needed the strongest heat she could produce to even have a chance at breaking out!
If she could furrow her eyebrows, she would. She didn't want to do it, but Sunset thought back to her emotions when Twilight had first disappeared into the aether. Her pain, her fury at Starlight, her fresh grief.
A new heat surged. Sunset clung to it, remembering how badly she wanted to make Starlight feel what she felt. Her anger at knowing she had failed to save her girlfriend.
The crystal chipped and cracked. Sunset inwardly roared. She imagined what would happen if she failed now; if Twilight got away with her insane plan.
The crystal shattered, Sunset emerging with a vicious yell, her wings and tail blazing. She spun around, finding her friends hiding inside Rarity's diamond dome with Starlight and Midnight assaulting from both sides with bolts of magic. Everyone froze and stared at the newly freed Sunset.
Midnight's shocked expression gave way to a bemused smile. "Ha... haha... hahahahahaha! Of course you broke out, Sunnykins! Only you could!"
She blinked away from Rarity's barrier and reappeared just over Sunset's shoulder, casually lounging in midair. She stroked Sunset's fiery locks. "Oh, Sunnykins. It looks like I'm going to have to break that rebellious spirit of yours. Even if it is one of your cutest attributes. If crystal can't hold you, I'll have to think of something more creative."
Sunset swatted at her, striking air as Midnight warped away again. A blast of magic struck her from behind and threw her onto the blacktop of the parking lot. She scrambled to her feet and looked around, but Midnight was nowhere to be seen.
Something burbled under Sunset. She looked down to see pavement bubbling and threw herself into the air as the whole parking lot regressed into a tar pit. Another force of magic struck Sunset in the head, and she flew down toward the gurgling sludge. The area just beneath her twisted and rose as if to embrace her.
A diamond manifested in between Sunset and the ground, catching and speeding her to safety over the grass. Rarity had forgone their protective dome, leaving Pinkie and Applejack to duel Starlight and her burgeoning powers.
Without Midnight to back her up, Starlight was quickly overwhelmed. Pinkie hit her in the chest with a firework, and Applejack followed up with a haymaker, knocking Starlight into a light post. She groaned and slumped to the ground.
Midnight tutted into Sunset's ear. "We'll have to work on that." Sunset spun around, finding no one.
"Oh, friends," Midnight said in a sing-song voice that came from every direction, "you're starting to get on my nerves!"
Dusk was falling. The shadows were lengthening. And Midnight's sphere of magic colored the night sky with a purplish hue.
Sunset made a short rotation, hands raised in defense. "Girls, I think it's time for you to go."
"Hold on," Applejack said. "What about you?"
"Right now, Twilight wants me the most. I'll cover your escape."
"See?" Midnight's voice dripped from the shadows. "Always needing to be the hero. The self-sacrificing play. It's cliche, don't you think, love?"
Midnight burst from nothing and tackled Sunset to the ground, pinning her arms. "But if you really want some alone time with me, who am I to decline!"
Rarity threw a diamond at her. But with a flash of Midnight's horn, the projectile bounced off a purple barrier and fell to the side.
"Sassaflash!" Pinkie cried, firing a volley of fireworks from her fingertips.
Midnight folded her wings around herself and Sunset, blocking out their friends and the rest of the noise. "What's it going to take for you to join me?" she asked with a purr.
"I can't," Sunset said, shaking her head. "I can't help you destroy the world."
"Remake," Midnight corrected. She leaned in closer, lips centimeters away from Sunset's. Her breath was warm and odorless. "Please, love. Join me. We can rule together. Perfect order. Perfect harmony."
"I've seen harmony, Twilight," Sunset said, her entire body quivering. "And what you're talking about, isn't it."
Before Midnight could rebuttal, she was shoved off by a charging Applejack. With a furious snort, she rose into the air and aimed a finger at the cowgirl.
Sunset stood in between the two and threw her arms up, raising a wall of fire between herself and her friends. "Go, tell the Lulamoons what happened!"
"But, Sunset!" Fluttershy called from beyond the flames.
"I'll be fine, I promise."
She heard Applejack stomp her boot. "Consarnit, Sunset! Fine, but we're comin' back for you! For both of you!"
Sunset heard the flap of wings, the hum of magic, and the crack of fireworks, and knew her friends were on the move. She focused all her attention on Midnight who returned a lazy smirk.
"I could go after them, you know. Just to prove you wrong. But, I'll take your bait, Sunnykins. Now what?"
Sunset lowered the firewall. "Now we talk, one last time. I get wanting to fix the world, but is destroying it and creating a new one really the best option?"
"It's certainly the most efficient one." Midnight held up her hand, and a small model of Earth appeared. "Who knows what'll happen if we just try to integrate magic into the world as is? We've already seen how unpredictable it can be. And your Equestrian influence hasn't helped."
She closed her fist, crushing the planet. "But if we start at zero and build from the ground up! Weave magic into the foundation of the world! We can create a perfect system!"
"The world doesn't need to be perfect."
"It needs to be better!" Midnight's eyes flashed a deeper shade of red. "So why not aim for perfection?"
"Because you're not a god, Twilight!" Sunset stomped her foot. "You can't be the one to decide these things! No one should!"
Midnight folded one arm under her bust and held her cheek in the other, contemplating. "What makes a god? Is it divinity? But then, what is divinity? I certainly have the powers of a god."
A new smile stretched over her face. "Midnight Sparkle, Goddess of Magic. I like the sound of that." Midnight began to laugh, and a gale whipped up. The magical pressure returned, and it felt like someone was pushing on Sunset's spine.
"Come, Sunset! Bow before your new goddess!" Midnight said, spreading her arms.
Sunset dug her feet into the ground and straightened her back. "I bow to one person. And you're not her."
Midnight's smile dissolved into a sneer. "Then if you won't bow, you'll cower!" Electricity crackled around her right hand, and a purple blade of energy snapped to life in her grasp. She rushed and slashed at Sunset.
Sunset beat her wings and flew backward, feeling the heat of Midnight's saber as it grazed her shirt. Midnight vanished, and it was only from watching Moondancer's fight that Sunset knew Midnight would strike from a new angle. She leaped forward, hearing the static of the blade hum past her ear.
She heard Midnight's giggle from above and jumped to the side as she came down and struck the earth, shooting purple sparks up from her strike.
"What's the matter, Sunny? Aren't you going to fight back?" She spun on the tip of her heel and slashed again.
Sunset didn't answer. She jumped back and raised another wall of fire between them, then took flight toward the treeline. The world rippled around her like water, and Sunset found herself flying straight into the grass, hitting it face-first.
She spit out a clump of grass and stood up. Midnight's purple blade slammed into Sunset's gut, sending a paralyzing current through her whole body. Her nerves seized up and spasmed, and the point of impact left a crispy burn mark.
Sunset flew back from the force and collapsed near the void. She wheezed and managed to prop herself up on one arm. "Twilight, stop," she coughed.
Midnight hovered above her. "I don't want to. I don't want to hurt you either, but you continue to be obstinate."
Sunset pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing at her burn. "You can't remake--"
"Stop telling me what I can and can't do!" Midnight screeched, bringing her blade down.
It was instinctual self-defense. Sunset raised her hands and turned away. Gouts of fire erupted from her palms, and she heard Twilight screech in agony. Sunset quickly closed her fists to stop the fire, but it appeared too late. Soot danced in the air, and ash lay scattered on the ground.
Sunset hyperventilated. She crawled over to the ash-stained grass Midnight had hovered over only a moment ago. Static crackled through her mind, preventing her from processing the true weight of what had just happened. "Twilight?"
Nausea riled her stomach. She wildly looked about. "Twilight? No! No!" Sunset looked down at her hands in horror.
I can't... I can't have... I didn't mean to...
"Just kidding," a gleeful voice sang in her ear.
The blistering burn and convulsing shock of Midnight's blade struck into her back and threw Sunset across the lawn again. She spasmed painfully for several seconds before her muscles relaxed and she could breathe again.
"You can't hurt me, Sunnkykins," Midnight said with a condescending laugh. "But you should have seen the look on your face!"
Sunset balled her fists and pushed herself up. In one swift motion, she spun up and threw her hand out to strike.
Midnight caught her arm and hoisted her in the air. She pursed her lips and said, "Did you actually try and hit me that time? I don't know if I'm hurt or impressed." Her grip tightened.
Sunset tried to wrench her arm free, kicking her legs and pulling on Midnight's arm. She sucked in a deep breath when Midnight squeezed even harder.
"Oh, Sunset. What to do with you?"
A whine was Sunset's only response. Midnight's grip was ironclad now. Sunset could feel her muscle and bone bruising.
"I really want to show you the utopia I can see in my head." Midnight gazed longingly past Sunset, eyes wide, pupils tiny. "If you saw it, you'd understand. All the knowledge I have. All the power I have. I could do it. And look at this world. Disease, war, corruption, death. So much suffering and pain. I have to do it."
"Twilight, please, don't," Sunset begged.
The grip tightened. Dark shadows crossed Midnight's face. "'Twilight' isn't doing anything anymore. My name is Midnight now. Tell me you at least understand that."
"Twilight--"
Snap!
"It's. Midnight."
Sunset opened her mouth, letting out a soundless scream. Sharp ringing pierced her ears, and black lines crossed her vision. She had never known pain this intense, this concentrated before. Her fire extinguished, and her aura flickered out.
"Hmm, so high amounts of pain can nullify your magic. Ah, there's always more to learn!" Midnight said.
Sunset beat a weak fist against the hand holding her. "Please... let go."
Midnight frowned. "Even now, you're still fighting against me. You're going to keep trying, even though you can't win. It really does hurt to see you struggle like this." She quickly brightened. "I know what to do with you."
She brought Sunset over to the edge of the broken hole in the world. The white light of the void lit up the darkened grounds. Midnight looked down at Moondancer, hand hanging off the edge.
"Poor Moony. She's already suffered so much. I think this will be good for her, too." Midnight nudged Moondancer with her foot and rolled her off into the chasm. Sunset watched in shock and dread as Moondancer sank into the portal.
Midnight turned her attention back to Sunset. "Don't worry. I can get you out whenever I want to. Think of this as a little time-out. I'm going to build a whole new world! And when it's done, I'll come and get you both! Then you'll see I was right all along!"
She held Sunset over the pit. Sunset desperately dug her fingers into Midnight's arm. "Twilight, don't!"
"See you soon, Sunnykins!" Midnight released Sunset's arm.
Sunset hung on to Midnight, sweat coating her palm. She made the fatal mistake of moving her free arm. Pain burst from the break Midnight had created and sent a shockwave through the rest of Sunset's body that almost blacked her out. Her grip weakened, and a simple shake from Midnight cast her down into the void.
"Twilight! Twilight!" Sunset screamed, watching the human world drift further away. The edges of the portal closed in, obscuring her view until all she could see was Midnight and the purple orb hanging in the sky behind her.
Sunset reached her hand out, but Midnight merely laughed. She waved as Sunset fell backward, the human world drifting further away. With a snap of Midnight's fingers, the portal sealed shut, leaving Sunset to sink ever downward into the abyss.
Volume IV End
> 00: Midnight
Artemis had to commend Adagio for sticking out the fight for as long as she did. Between her sisters nullifying her hypnotic song and the Lulamoons batting her around like a toy, Adagio had put up a decent fight, doubly so when a surge of magic rushed through everyone and gave Adagio a second wind.
Whatever influx of magic had swept through Canterlot gave Artemis and Trixie a boost as well, and between them and Selena's speed and grace, Adagio remained on the back foot, and in the case of her siren avatar, the back fin.
When the sphere of magic appeared in the sky and cast an eerie purple pall over the city, Adagio used the momentary distraction to finally teleport away, taking her avatar with her.
Artemis took a deep breath and shook out his wand hand. He looked up at the pulsing sphere and shuddered. It was a spell and an extremely powerful one at that. What it would do, he couldn't say, but he bet his entire store it wasn't anything good.
He canceled the mute spell, wincing as sound rushed through his ears: cars honking as more people fled downtown, wind rushing between buildings, and to his trained ear, the faint static of magic.
Trixie, Selena, and the Sirens ran over to him, Aria and Sonata massaging their throats. While Artemis still wasn't fond of them, he gave credit where credit was due. Singing (if it could be called that) for almost an hour straight was no small feat.
Trixie pointed up to the sphere. "What is that?"
"Someone's charging a spell," Artemis said.
"Tirek?" Selena asked.
Artemis pulled on his goatee. "I don't know. I don't recognize the magical signature coming off from it."
"Unless it's about to explode, we have more important things to worry about," Aria said, her voice croaky. "Adagio got away again!"
"No she didn't," Artemis said with a smirk. "I know where she warped off too."
"You do?" Selena asked. "You never have before."
"Before, she didn't leave a massive trail to follow." Artemis pointed south. "Her siren avatar is literally just a magical projection. An admittedly powerful one at that. I felt it the second she popped up again. She's in the Everfree Forest."
Trixie bounced on her toes. "Then let's go get her!"
Artemis spun his wand. "My thoughts exactly."
"Oh, hahaha! There's no need for that," a new voice said.
Everyone swiveled about, trying to find the voice's origin. It sounded familiar to Artemis, yet it also sent goosebumps up his arms.
"You've done a fantastic job so far, friends," the voice continued. "But Adagio and I have some unfinished business. I'll take it from here, so please, sit back, relax..."
Artemis rotated one more time and nearly jumped out of his skin as he locked eyes with a winged purple girl hovering inches from him. Blue fire danced around her manic red pupils.
"And don't touch my spell," she said, a thin line of malice hidden behind her smile. In a blink, she vanished.
"What the heck was that?" Aria asked.
Artemis put a hand against his pounding heart. "I... think that was..."
"Artemis!"
He turned around again. From down the broken street came four familiar faces, Rarity at the forefront. She skidded to a stop in front of the Lulamoons and the Sirens.
Wiping tears and mascara away, she said, "We have a problem! We have a lot of problems!"
*****
Pathetic that we ever lost to a spoiled brat like her.
Midnight didn't teleport into the chateau; that would have been too easy. No, she allowed her body to become as vapor and blend into all of the shadows the old manor provided. She was everywhere and nowhere, and she had Adagio surrounded.
The Siren sat in the main foyer, leaning against the banister of the stairs. She was covered in cuts and bruises, and her messy volume of hair managed to look even more disheveled.
"I had them! I had all of them! If those two hadn't turned traitor!" Adagio let out a petulant scream.
Noisy and miserable, Midnight thought lazily. Every eye in every shadow stared at the creature. No matter the angle, Midnight saw nothing redeeming about her.
Her friends said she couldn't be judge, jury, and executioner for all of humanity. Of course, Midnight disagreed. She had infinite knowledge and unlimited magic, what more could one ask for to pass judgment upon others and carry it out? And Adagio had wronged her. She deserved the right to judge and execute the woman.
Besides, she wasn't even human!
Adagio pushed herself off the banister and limped toward the kitchen door. She pulled it open and immediately stepped off into a dark chasm.
Midnight laughed as she listened to Adagio's shriek. Pulling herself from the shadows, she dove into the swirling darkness after her. Adagio flailed her arms, fruitlessly grasping for something to stop her fall.
"Hi, Dagi," Midnight said, her physical body rematerializing.
Adagio stopped screaming and stared at her. "What the... who are you?"
Midnight didn't answer. She smiled and snapped her fingers, and the world shifted from vertical to horizontal. Adagio slammed back into a wooden chair and steel manacles clamped over her wrists.
"Adagio Dazzle," Midnight sang, looking down from her judge's bench. "You've been charged with numerous crimes."
She pulled out a roll of parchment and unrolled it, watching it flow down her desk and end at Adagio's feet.
"All of them quite serious. The worse one being..." The scroll lit on fire, smoldering into ashes that shaped themselves into an image of a skull.
"You almost killed my brother!" Midnight shrieked. In a kinder tone, she asked, "How do you plead?"
Adagio stared down at the skull, a rare look of fear on her face. She snapped her head up to Midnight and squinted her eyes. "Twilight Sparkle?"
Midnight stood up and grinned. "In the flesh. But I go by Midnight Sparkle now, Goddess of Magic."
Adagio dared to laugh. "You, goddess of magic? Please, there's no way a nobody like you--"
With a snap of Midnight's fingers, Adagio's mouth disappeared. Her eyes bulged in horror, and she desperately flailed in her seat.
Midnight hurdled over the bench and landed on the polished floor. She leaned in and stroked Adagio's cheek with a finger.
"You wanted to see me again, didn't you? Wanted to see how all my anxiety and anger and fear would taste after you had beaten me and left it to fester?" Midnight grabbed Adagio's cheek and dug her claws in. "So, how does it taste, hmm? Are you satisfied yet?"
Adagio shook her head, pulling away from Midnight as hard as she could.
"Hehehehe.... Hahahahaha!" Midnight let go and drifted back. "You don't know how much I hate you. You don't know how many fantasies I have about finally getting revenge for everything you put me and my friends through!"
Adagio kicked her legs, muffled noises coming from where her mouth should have been.
Midnight just grinned. She looked over to the pulpit. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"
Two rows of Cadence and Shining Armors rose. In one voice they said, "We the jury find the defendant guilty on all charges!"
"Naturally. Now, the question is, what shall the punishment be?" Midnight clapped her hands twice and the courtroom dissolved, dropping Adagio onto the grassy hill in front of the chateau back in the Everfree. She clambered to her feet and clenched her fists.
The hippocampus rose from the trees and rushed at Midnight. Three feet from her face, Midnight waved her hand, and the astral siren shattered like glass.
Eyes wide, Adagio broke into a sprint for the trees. Roots broke up from the ground and wrapped around Adagio's legs, locking her in place. She snatched and clawed at them, but the more she broke away, the thicker the remaining ones became.
Midnight descended before her, laughing softly. Magic was so much fun. "Tell me, Adagio, how does it feel to be the prey this time?"
In a flash, Adagio's mouth reappeared. She doubled over and took several deep breaths. "If you think I'm going to beg, you're sorely mistaken."
"Haha! I know better than to think that! You're an unrepentant bitch! Even if I dragged you to death's door, you would never apologize for the things you've done."
Adagio glared at her. "Then what are you going to do to me?"
Midnight tapped a finger against her lip. "An excellent question. I could just leave you here. Let you simply expire when this world comes to an end. But no, I think we can be more creative than that."
She snapped her fingers. "Hehehe... hahahaha! I know what we can do with you! How about a little dose of irony?"
Adagio's glare melted, and the fear returned. "What?"
Midnight raised her hand. "You just love to hypnotize people. Get them riled up and do things they don't mean to do. Make them hurt the ones they love. You love taking away their free will."
"No! Don't you dare!"
"Let's see how you like it!" Midnight said with a hungry grin. She tapped Adagio's gem.
Adagio trembled as a wave of purple spread out over the red gemstone like ink spilled on a page. "N-no! Stop..." Her voice faded out as her eyes glossed over.
"Now you get to be enthralled! Now you get to lose yourself and have someone else tell you what to feel! Now you're under my spell!"
The roots fell away and Adagio was released, a calm, dreamy expression on her face. "Yes, Your Grace."
Midnight laughed again. A goddess was going to need servants after all.
A singular applause snapped her attention to the tree line, where out walked a familiar-looking woman. She had silver hair that went down to the small of her back and purple eyes that reminded Midnight of Moondancer. In fact, the woman's face as a whole reminded her of Artemis.
Midnight cocked her head. "You're Apalla." She narrowed her eyes. No, something wasn't right. The house was being occupied by someone else.
"Tirek!" she hissed.
"Ah, so you can see through to my true nature," Tirek said with an amused smile. "The level of magic you possess is truly impressive."
Midnight made a mock bow. "I am so glad I have your approval. Moreover, I thank you for coming to me! Now, I can get rid of you for the sake of my friends!"
Tirek raised his hands in a calm, placating fashion. "I'm sure you've heard numerous tales about me. And if we must come to blows then so be it. But before we duel, I would like to voice my reservations about your plan."
Midnight bared her teeth. "What do you know about what I have planned?"
Tirek pointed up to her sphere of magic, visible above the clearing. "I can feel the magnitude of power that spell contains. It's on a level that could alter reality on a massive scale. So I can take a few guesses on what it is you want to accomplish with it."
Static crackled across Midnight's hands. "I'm going to remake the world. I'm going to create a new paradise where no one gets hurt or sick, and anyone can use magic! Once I fix it into a new, orderly system."
Tirek smiled and nodded. "An admirable goal. However, it won't work."
Midnight clenched a fist and her hair billowed. She had already had her friends reject her plan, she didn't need to hear it from her friends' archnemesis! She thrust her palm forward and unleashed a beam of pure magic. It ripped through the trees, leaving behind a scar of charred earth and smoldering twigs.
"Impressive."
Whirling around, Midnight found Tirek standing on the porch of the chateau.
"I say it won't work, not for a lack of power or vision on your part, but because the gods won't let it," Tirek said with a calmness like he hadn't just been shot at.
Midnight raised an eyebrow. "'The gods'?" So, Starlight and Moondancer were right: you truly believe in gods?"
"Of course. I have seen their power. I have seen their blessings. And I have seen their neglect." Tirek folded his arms behind his back and started to pace.
"They are fickle and scornful and seem to have left this world to fend for itself. But it is still their world. And the gods are possessive. I'm sure watching us struggle in our lives still brings them some level of amusement. But, if someone were to disrupt their creation, remake this world so it is no longer under their thumb..."
Midnight scoffed. "They would be upset? Like a child that had their toy taken away?"
"And they would take it back." Tirek stopped pacing and looked at Midnight. "For all of your newfound strength and magic, even you could not fight an entire pantheon alone."
Midnight pursed her lips. Did she believe in gods? Her mind dragged her back to the void, where she saw infinity. In between the threads of knowledge and whispers of truth, she could see the shapes and faces of beings ancient and untold.
And then there was Midnight herself. She had declared herself a goddess. So surely there were other beings with her level of power. As much as she hated to admit it, maybe there was a kernel of worth in Tirek's words.
Tirek sensed her consideration and his lips curled in a smile. "Everyone wants to paint us as monsters. But we both want to create a better world. I want to rid this realm of the gods that abused it, and you want to create a perfect paradise. And so I ask..."
He held his hand out. "Can our goals not be complementary?"
"An alliance?"
"A truce, but an alliance is not out of the question either. I see no reason why we should be in conflict with each other beyond petty, personal, emotional squabbles. But we are beyond such things, are we not?"
Were they? It was true Midnight's friends had rejected her. And Tirek was standing right here. She could rip out the source of her friends' anxieties right here and now. But would they even be grateful? From what she had witnessed in the last few hours, probably not.
She sneered. No, her friends would not understand until the deed was done. And if Tirek was telling the truth, the deed couldn't be done until the old gods were out of the picture.
A marriage of convenience. Until Midnight had what she wanted.
She sat in the air and crossed one leg over the other. "Go on." |
"Wait!" | pre | "Ah...um...I see..." Fluttershy stammered, suddenly looking very uncomfortable, "I'm not exactly the strongest flier...you should ask Rainbow Dash...she's a really good flier..."
That's a bad idea in more ways than one...although I would like to see Rainbow again...
"Well, I was actually hoping for Rainbow to not know about this..." I said, unable to make eye contact with the soft-spoken mare, "I don't want her to think less of me."
"I understand," Fluttershy said, placing a hoof on my shoulder, "I'll help you in any way that I can."
"Oh thank you Fluttershy!" I exclaimed, turning to look at her with a grateful smile on my face, "I can't tell you how much this means to me!"
"Now, now, I said I would help you, but you're still not leaving this bed for the rest of the day!" She admonished me, "But first thing tomorrow I'll teach you everything I know." She said softly, smiling a cute little smile at me, "I'm kinda surprised you don't remember flying, you always were such a great...EEP!" Next thing I knew, Fluttershy had covered her mouth with both of her hooves and had retreated to the other side of the room.
Wait, what did she mean by that?? "Shyfly, what are you saying?" Damn, there's that nickname again!
"N-nothing Cloud! I just figured th-that a pegasus as athletic looking as you would've been a great flier!" She said, obviously lying.
"Fluttershy, how would you know that I was 'such a great flier'? Why do I keep calling you 'Shyfly'? There's something you're not telling me! I want some answers!"
"I-I'm sorry Cloud, but I don't know what you're talking about," Fluttershy squeaked from behind her hooves.
"FLUTTERSHY!" I yelled, jumping out of the bed, spilling soup everywhere. Goddess my head! I collapsed onto my knees, then pushed myself back up and marched over to her, "I'm sick and tired of everything I know being hidden from me by my own mind! I don't need you to do the same!
Fluttershy didn't respond, hiding behind her hooves and refusing to make eye contact with me.
I pulled her hooves away from her face and forced her to look at me, "Fluttershy, tell me what you know."
"I-I don't know anything..." She whispered, breaking our eye contact as tears began to form in her eyes.
"Look at me." I said coldly, moving back into her line of sight, "Tell. Me. The. Truth."
A/N: Yay for Twilight kisses! :3 and of course yay for lots of Fluttershy! (Or should I say ʸᵃʸ?) The end of this chapter was surprisingly hard to write cuz I didn't like being mean to her...but I think this'll turn out well for the plot! Anyway, the main reason of this author's note is for name ideas for the earth pony in Cloud Runner's memories! So if anypony reading this has any ideas they think are good for her name, or just general ideas for the plot in the future feel free to message me! I'll try to update as fast as I can! :D |
"Wait!" | "Oh Goddess...what have I done?! | "Oh Goddess...what have I done?!"
By MrAnderson92
I stared at Fluttershy, my gaze unwavering, as I waited for her to come clean. She knows me from somewhere. I'm going to find out what she knows! I guess that explains why I call her Shyfly...because I've met her somewhere before! But where??
"Um...well...we, uh...we met a long time ago...when we were just fillies..." Fluttershy murmured, so quietly that I almost thought I imagined it, "our parents, um, introduced us when we were really little, and we, um, played alot together. You started calling me...Shyfly...um...because I was so timid you used to tease me...you said that a fly would, um, be more noticeable than me, so you, um, started calling me Shyfly. You always stood up against the bullies for me and helped me with my flying once we got older..."
Gah! This isn't bringing back any memories! I need more! "When was the last time you saw me Fluttershy?"
"It was...it was at a summer flight camp one year..." Fluttershy said, a little calmer now that the truth was out, "it was actually the same year I got my cutie mark, which made me sad because I wanted you to be there when I first got it...because I was there when you got yours but when I tried to find you you had already left..."
"Wait, you were there when I got my cutie mark?? I asked, pushing Fluttershy up against the wall, unaware that I was still holding her in what most ponies would call a 'suggestive' position, "What was it? Do you remember??"
"Um...no..I don't...I'm sorry," She whispered, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks as I moved closer to her, "It was so long ago...since I last saw you...I almost didn't recognize you because you changed your manestyle..."
My mane used to be different? "How was my manestyle back then?"
"You just had it completely straight...covering the right side of your face...your mom would always ask you to change it because you had such a handsome face...eep!" Fluttershy squeaked, her blush intensifying till her whole face was red, quickly breaking eye contact again.
"Aww Fluttershy did you think I was cute?" I teased, a gentle smile on my face as my innerselves battled. This isn't helping! Let's just stop all this! No! There must be something that can help us! Just a little more! It's pointless! She's told you everything! Not quite everything...
"Fluttershy," I began, "I need to ask you something-" But I was cut off. By the one pony that would blow this situation WAY out of proportions.
"Whoa now there Romeo! I thought what we had was special!" Rainbow Dash said loudly as she flew into the room, "But from the looks of things it seems clear that you're definitely not a one-mare kinda stallion am I right?" She asked as she glanced from me to Fluttershy, as if waiting for a show.
"Looks of things? What do you mean by..." I trailed off, as the image of how Fluttershy and I were positioned right now sunk into my mind, "Oh Goddess!" I yelled as I jumped away from Fluttershy, "I'm so sorry Fluttershy! I didn't realize what I was doing!"
Rainbow jumped in to reply before Fluttershy could. "Don't worry about it Cloud, I can think of at least one mare here who wouldn't mind you doing that." She said with a sultry wink in my direction. "In fact, I think she would encourage it." She finished, flanks swaying from side-to-side as she walked over to stand by Fluttershy.
She's totally walking like that on purpose...to try and get my attention...and oh my goddess did it work...You do realize we're totally putty in her hooves right? Oh yes, but I bet her hooves were made to mold this putty! Oh Goddess, one sashay of those flanks and you're mostly brain dead! At least get to know her before doing anything brash with this wild mare! Oh, I'll get to know her alright...like just how 'wild' she can be...
"Alright Rainbow, the reason I was holding Fluttershy like that was because I was asking her some questions." I explained quickly, wanting to get the matter resolved as soon as possible.
"And what questions were they?" She asked in a low voice as she strutted over to me, "Were you asking her if she liked it? Oh I bet you were you naughty, naughty colt." She sighed into my ear as she rubbed up next to me, "I was thinking we could spend the day together, you know, hang out, get a bite to eat, have a normal day?" She asked as she pulled away, the look in her eyes making me unsure if she was seriously asking me.
"You're asking me to hang out?" I asked incredulously, "You're not just gonna take me back to your house and tie me up with a little bow on my head are you?" I inquired, nervously laughing as I did so.
"Well there's always that option if things get boring later," Rainbow said with a wink as she turned to go through the door, "hurry up with Fluttershy 'Cloud 9' because I want my turn!" She ordered as she left, her hips swaying back and forth, causing me to stare as she left.
"Um...oh my...that's ok you can just go!" Fluttershy faltered, her face redder than a red delicious apple, "There's nothing we need to finish up!"
"But Fluttershy!" I said urgently, "What about my flying lessons?"
"Oh...right.." She replied, thinking as she looked past me to the clock, "I guess they'll just have to wait. I can't imagine Rainbow leaving us alone now...after that whole spectacle..." she finished nervously.
"You're probably right," I sighed as I began to move towards the door, "thank you again for taking care of me Fluttershy, and for telling me about our past. I'm sorry for being so mean to you. But I hope you understand that I had to."
"I do...but thank you for apologizing," Fluttershy said quietly, "have fun with Rainbow."
"Well...thank you?" I said, not completely sure that's the best thing she could've said to me, "Any tips about the flying?"
"O-oh...um...only one comes to mind," She stammered, "you always used to tell me to never give up and to always trust my instincts. But the most important thing you always said was that a true flier must feel it inside of them."
"You know...that does ring a bell," I said, "thank you for the advice Fluttershy. Will you tell Twilight I'm alright? And that I'll go see her soon. For that matter, where does she live?"
"Oh, she lives in the library! You didn't know that?" Fluttershy asked, giving me an odd look, "But she put you in her own bed!"
Ah, that explains the bed in the library. Wait, I was in TWILIGHT'S bed?? I...she...no...nooooo....
"Ah, that makes sense," I said, opening the door with one hoof, "I guess I'll see you later huh Shyfly?" I asked with a playful wink.
"Yeah I guess so." Fluttershy said sheepishly, with a little blush in her cheeks, "Goodbye Cloud."
And with that I walked outside, straight into Rainbow Dash's arms as she pushed me up next to Fluttershy's door, fiercely pressing her lips against mine, prying my mouth open with her tongue and proceeded to dominate the inside of my mouth with it. I pushed back with my own tongue and she relented, allowing me to enjoy the feeling of her mouth, before forcing my tongue back out and our tongues wrestled for dominance as we kissed ferociously. After holding the kiss for what seemed like an eternity, neither one of us wanting to be the first to admit we needed to breathe, we both pulled back, panting, crazed looks of lust in our eyes as we tried to catch our breath.
"Well...what...happened...to a...normal day?" I managed to gasp out between breaths.
"I got...bored...while waiting...for you..," Rainbow panted.
"Does...this mean...you're going to tie me up?" I asked, grinning slyly at her as I did so.
"Depends on if you're going to try and run," Rainbow replied, a seductive gleam in her eyes, "because then I'd have to catch you and punish you for running away." She whispered as she began to kiss and nibble on my neck.
I pressed my face into her mane, letting a soft sigh escape through my lips as she stopped what she was doing and proceeded to kiss me again, a little gentler than before but still fierce enough to give me the feeling that even us kissing was a contest with her. Well Twilight certainly wasn't lying when she said that Rainbow loves a challenge...and this is one contest I am not going to lose!
After a short while, which still seemed like ages, we broke apart again and pressed our foreheads together, looking into each other's eyes as we tried to catch our breath. Again.
"You are...a much...better kisser...than I hoped..." Rainbow panted as she rubbed her muzzle against mine.
"Well...that's what...you get...when you want the best..." I panted, flashing her a cocky grin.
"I don't know...about the best," She murmured into my ear as she bit my neck. Hard. "I think I already have that position filled."
"I beg to differ," I whispered as I bit into her mane and pulled equally hard, a small gasp escaping her lips as I did so. I pulled away from her and grinned slyly at her, raising an eyebrow in an unspoken question.
"What?" She asked, blushing at the look in my eyes, "What's going through that mind of yours?"
"Oh quite a lot I can assure you," I said quietly, looking deep into her magenta eyes, "would you consider it presumptuous of me to ask you out to dinner some night?"
"Please, I don't even know what that means!" Rainbow said, laughing at my use of a fancy word, "But I would love to go to dinner with you Cloud. And of course, what might happen afterwards." She finished with a sensual smile.
"Great!" I said, a large smile on my face, "I'll meet you at your place tomorrow at six! Sound good?"
"Actually, can we make it seven? I like to nap for a few hours around four or five in the evening." Rainbow said with a sheepish grin. "And how about I'll meet you at the fountain in Ponyville's town square? It's closer to the restaurants and all."
"That's a great idea!" I said, pulling her into a hug, "Tomorrow at seven then! It's a date!"
"Alright!" She said with an excited look on her face, "I look forward to it! But I gotta get going, weather patrol and all. I'm sorry for just leaving like this but I'm already late as it is!" And with that she was up and away, leaving me staring up at her in wonder. I totally just asked Rainbow Dash out. After an amazing make-out session. Why didn't I ask Twilight out? 'Cause you were busy remembering random facts about your past remember? Ah...right. I wonder how she would have responded...why in Equestria are you wondering that? You have a date with Rainbow Dash! You can't just go ask Twilight out now! Good point. I should go look for a place to stay.
So, with Ponyville as my destination once again, I set off at a happy trot. Being completely lost in my thoughts about ideas for tomorrow's date, I didn't even see a certain purple pony until I had almost ran into her.
Oh look, it's Twilight! I wonder if she knows where I can stay...oh but first a drink, I'm parched after kissing Rainbow!
So I quietly walked off towards the small river, not wanting to disturb Twilight, until I hit a certain protruding rock and fell straight into the river. Sputtering, I climbed to my hooves, shaking the water from my coat.
"Oh hi Cloud! I'm glad to see you up and about! I was wanting to talk to you." Twilight said.
Stupid rock. It must've planned this. Yes, because that rock just wanted to RUIN your life right? Oh shut up.
"Hey Twi," I said, grinning abashedly as I walked out of the river, "what did you want to talk about?"
"Well, it came to my attention that the whole reason you went to Fluttershy's house in the first place was to talk to me correct?" She asked, making it sound more like a statement than a question, "Well, thanks to...certain events....that transpired after we met, we never got the chance to talk." She finished with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Ah, right," I said, blushing myself under the circumstances, "well, I mainly wanted to apologize for what had happened at the party Pinkie Pie threw for me. I know it must've upset you."
"Oh...that's alright Cloud. You did have alot to drink at the party," she said with a small smile, "I was glad you showed up, I had something to tell you!"
"Really? What do you have to tell me?" I asked, excitement and nervousness rising up inside me simultaneously.
"Well, if you would be ok with it, Spike and I cleared up the spare room and put another bed in there..."
"...Okaaaay?" I said, trying to get her to say more.
"And, if you wanted to I mean, you could stay in the spare room at the library till you remember who you are..."
"Oh. Oh! You're inviting me to stay with you?! I'd love to Twilight!" I exclaimed excitedly, happy that my house problems are solved and that I'll get to spend time both in a library, which has knowledge that might help my amnesia, and with this wonderful mare.
"That's wonderful!" Twilight squealed, enthusiasm plainly showing on her face, "We should celebrate!"
"Brilliant idea!" I said, "I'm up for anything besides a Pinkie party!" I interjected, chuckling heartily at the memory of the party. The bits I remember at least...
"Great! Then tomorrow we should meet at Ponyville's fountain and go to dinner! How does seven o' clock sound?"
"That sounds excellent Twilight. I can't wait!" I exclaimed, excitement growing inside me. Hey genius... "It's a date!"
"Ok! I guess I'll see you back at the library later then! So we can get you settled into your room and everything," Twilight said with a happy smile on her face, "Goodbye Cloud!" And with that, she cantered off towards Fluttershy's cottage.
I, on the other hand, continued down the path towards Ponyville. I have a date with Twilight! Yes. Yes you do. And it just so happens to be at the same time as your date with Rainbow Dash. Oh...no...Oh yes. You are in quite the pickle now Cloud Runner. I...can't believe...this...
"Oh Goddess...what have I done?!"
A/N: The bold italicized wording in Cloud's thoughts stand for the more rational side of his mind. Just in case it was confusing anypony. Also, the noose is tightening for a name for Ms. cream colored earth pony, please send me any ideas you may have! :3 |
"Wait!" | "...Aw hayseed..." | "...Aw hayseed..."
By MrAnderson92
I stood, frozen in the middle of the path to Ponyville, as I wrestled with my myself about everything that had transpired in the last couple of hours. What am I going to do?? Well, the RIGHT thing to do would be to talk to either Rainbow or Twilight and break off the date you have with them. But they're both so excited...I don't want to hurt either of them...Look, you don't have to necessarily 'hurt' either one of them, if you really have to you can just reschedule one of the dates. Huh...that seems like a plausible idea. But with whom should I reschedule? Well, to me the most logical choice is Twilight. You could reschedule your dinner from tomorrow night to tonight, celebrating your moving in on the very same night that you do! Brilliant! Next time I see her, I'll ask her to dinner tonight instead! I started walking down the path again, taking in the sights, and even stopping to smell a rose.
Once I got to Ponyville, I decided to seek out advice from the one pony I knew I could find right now. I headed over to the Carousel Boutique and knocked on the door, only to have it opened by a trio of little fillies wearing red capes.
"Oh hey there mister!" The little white filly I ran into (literally) said when she noticed it was me, "Are you hear to talk to my sister?"
"Yes I am," I said, smiling down at the three fillies, "your name's Sweetie Belle right?"
"That's right! And these are my friends Apple Bloom and Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle said, tilting her head to a light yellow filly with a rose colored mane and tail, sporting a large red bow in her mane, and an orange pegasus filly with a fuchsia mane and tail sporting a cocky, overconfident look on her face, "and we're the CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!!" All three of them yelled at me with great force, "my sister isn't here right now though." She finished.
"But ya sure are welcome ta wait with us!" Apple Bloom said excitedly, "You can help us think of some ideas ta get our cutie marks!"
"Ah, so you three fillies are trying to get your cutie marks together?" I asked, "You know, I don't have my cutie mark either!"
"REALLY??" All three of them shouted at me.
"But you're so old! How do you not have your cutie mark??" Scootaloo asked me incredulously.
"Well girls, I actually have amnesia. So I don't know my past. I barely even know my own name! So my cutie mark disappeared because I no longer know who I really am, and what my purpose in life is."
"Oh...well you can be an honorary Cutie Mark Crusader!" Sweetie Belle said excitedly, "Come on in, we can think of some ideas to do till my sister gets here!"
"Haha, sounds like fun girls," I said, "let's start brainstorming!" Well...maybe this will help me find my cutie mark! Do you honestly think that these fillies might just happen to stumble upon your special talent? It's worth a try! These fillies are really happy! I'm going to play along, what have I got to lose?
"What should we try first ever'pony?" Apple Bloom asked, pacing back and forth in front of all of us as we sat on Rarity's almost-too-fancy-to-touch couch, "There's just a whole mess of things we haven' tried yet!"
"Oh! We could be Cutie Mark Crusader Ghost Hunters!" Scootaloo suggested.
"That's ridiculous Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom said, "Ghosts don't even exist!"
"And if they did," Sweetie Belle piped up, "how would you go about catching one?"
"You don't know for sure that ghosts don't exist Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo said angrily, prompting Apple Bloom and her to start arguing profusely over the possibility of ghosts.
I get the feeling this kinda thing happens alot with these fillies. I smiled and just watched as the two fillies verbally battled. "Hey, where did Rarity go anyhow?" I asked Sweetie Belle, turning over to her on the couch.
"Oh, she had to go out for supplies," Sweetie Belle replied, "apparently she's making dresses for her friends Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle. Do you know them?"
"Oh yes...indeed I do," I muttered, my dates with both of them looming in my mind, "they're the reason why I'm here to talk to Rarity actually. I have a bit of a problem..."
"Did somepony say problem?!" Apple Bloom asked loudly, breaking away from her argument with Scootaloo, "Maybe we can be Cutie Mark Crusaders Problem Solvers!!"
"Hey, yeah!" Scootaloo agreed, the two of them eagerly walking over to me, "What problem do you have with Rainbow Dash and Twilight?"
I think they're a little too young to help me with this problem...well that's what you get for 'playing along.' Oh shut up.
"Ah haha...sorry girls I think you're a little too young to be helping me with this particular problem...but I'm sure somepony in Ponyville could use your help!" I said, trying to steer the conversation away from my problem.
"There must be!" Apple Bloom said excitedly, "Come on Cutie Mark Crusaders! Let's go help somepony!"
And with shouts of agreement from the other two fillies, the Cutie Mark Crusaders ran out the door, right past Rarity, who was levitating inside many bags of materials. Why in Equestria does she need all this material for two dresses?
"Ah, hello Rarity," I greeted as I slid off her couch, "I have a problem, and I was hoping you could help me out with it."
"Hello Cloud! What seems to be the problem?" Rarity asked as she used her magic to begin measuring my body size.
"Uh...well first off, why are you measuring me?"
"For your suit of course!" She exclaimed, giving me an incredulous look, "Don't tell me you already forgot that I was going to give you a new suit!"
"Oh right, that." I said sheepishly, I totally forgot! "Actually, I have a much more pressing matter to attend to, and I could really use some advice."
"Well let's not take too long sweetie, I simply must get to work on these dresses! They're for Twilight and Rainbow Dash you know. They BOTH have dates tomorrow night! Why, once I heard the news I knew I HAD to make them some new dresses to impress their colts!" Rarity rambled, finishing up her measurements and tossing her tape to the side.
Impress their COLT you mean...Well don't just stand there like an idiot, ask her what you should do! "Actually Rarity," I said quietly, "I'm the colt that Rainbow and Twilight is going out with. Through some unfortunate events that befell me, both the dates happened to get scheduled at the same time and I don't know what to do! I don't want to hurt either Rainbow OR Twilight, but I can't think of a way to resolve this without somepony getting hurt in the process..." I trailed off, looking down at the ground.
Rarity gasped, a little melodramatically if you ask me, "You mean they're BOTH going out with YOU?"
"Well...yeah!" I said, slightly offended at the tone of her voice, "Why do you say it like that?"
"Well, practically everypony knew that Rainbow had a thing for you," Rarity said, "she could barely keep her hooves off you!" You don't know that half of it... "But I never expected Twilight to be so forward as to go out with you so soon after meeting you!"
"Well, I don't really know if the date with Twilight should be considered a romantic one," I said slowly, "we're going to celebrate the fact of me moving into the library with her."
"Dearie!" Rarity gasped, "Of course there's going to be a romantic element for that date! She asked you to live with her and you said yes! She obviously wants to spend more time with you!"
"Well, then I'm an even bigger idiot than I thought!" I said exasperatedly, "And to top it all off, I'm getting some memories of a pony who might've been my marefriend before I got amnesia! But I'm also attracted to Rainbow Dash AND Twilight and I'm looking forward to my dates with them but I'm not sure if I should! I don't know how I should deal with all of these feelings!!" I finished loudly, practically yelling inside the boutique.
"Ok Cloud, calm down," Rarity soothed, "the first thing that you have to do is to decide which one you wish to date tomorrow."
"Well that's much easier said than done," I grumbled, "but let's say I do that. What do I tell the mare I decide not to date?"
"The truth dearie." Rarity said simply, "That's the best thing you could tell her."
"I suppose...but how am I supposed to choose??" I asked desperately.
"Search your heart hun, you'll find the answer you need inside yourself." Rarity murmured, giving me a quick hug.
Yes, that helps us ALOT...Oh shut up, at least she's trying to help us. I sighed, "You're right Rarity, I have to go somewhere quiet and think this over for a good long while."
"I think that is a great idea Cloud." Rarity said with a smile.
"Any suggestions on where I could go?" I asked mildly, the only place coming to mind is over at Fluttershy's, which wouldn't be the best idea since Twilight is probably still there.
"Well, you could go down to the lake, or into the field right outside Ponyville," she offered.
"Oh, I know! I'll go to the Everfree Forest!" I exclaimed, "Thanks a lot Rarity, you give some great advice!" I said as I walked out her door, "I'll be sure to let you know how it all turns out! Good luck with your designing!" And with that, I was out of the Carousel Boutique and heading down the path to the Everfree Forest.
After skirting around Fluttershy's cottage, I found myself at the entrance to the Everfree Forest. "As long as I stay on the path, I should be able to find my way out easily! After some quiet alone time, I'm sure I'll have my mind made up!" And with that being said, I started off into the forest.
Twilight Sparkle had just left Fluttershy's house after a short chat, and had started her way back to Ponyville when a thought struck her, Maybe I should find Cloud and see if we should just have a get together of all our friends instead of just a one-on-one kind of a thing... she thought. I don't know if I'm ready to be in that kind of atmosphere with him...Oh there's Applejack! I'll ask her for advice!
"Hey Applejack!" Twilight said cheerily, walking over to her friend.
"Well howdy there Twi!" Applejack greeted heartily, turning to face Twilight, "Whacha got goin' on?"
"Well, I was wondering if I could ask you for some advice..." Twilight trailed off.
"Advice concerning what sugahcube?" Applejack asked curiously.
"Well...it's about Cloud," Twilight said quietly, a blush growing on her face, "he and I have a date tomorrow evening to celebrate him moving into the library, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to be in that kind of situation with him yet..."
"Hold on there a sec sugahcube," Applejack said hurredly, an odd look on her face, "you said the two of ya have a date tomorrow? Now ya'll are sure of that?"
"Yes, I am!" Twilight answered, beginning to get confused, "We said we were going to meet at the fountain in Ponyville square at seven. Why do you ask?"
"Oh...uh nuthin' Twi," Applejack said, quickly looking away from Twilight's eyes, "if ya'll are looking for some advice about that there colt, you should go 'n' talk to Rainbow about 'im. I'm sure she can help you out."
"Yeah, she probably can," Twilight muttered, "do you know where I can find her?"
"Actually, I just saw her over at Sugahcube Corner talkin' with Pinkie Pie." Applejack said, nodding her head over in Ponyville's direction, "If'n ya'll hurry, you should be able to catch her."
"Thanks Applejack, I can always count on you." Twilight said, smiling at her friend, "I'll see you later alright?"
"A course you will Twi," Applejack said, smiling right back at her, "bye now!"
And with that, the two mares went their seperate ways, Applejack heading in the direction of Fluttershy's house, and Twilight heading to Sugarcube Corner.
OF COURSE she would advise me to ask Rainbow Dash, Twilight thought darkly, Rainbow couldn't keep her hooves off Cloud if she TRIED...
Soon enough, Twilight was walking into Sugarcube Corner, and spotting Rainbow and Pinkie over by the counter walked over to them, "Hey Rainbow...can I ask you something?"
Well damn...where the hay am I?
I looked around, scanning the forest around me, looking for any sign of the path that I somehow lost. I was RIGHT on the path! I honestly don't know how you managed to lose the path. Oh man oh man oh man, I gotta get outta here! Did it ever occur to you that Rainbow Dash and Twilight might find out THEMSELVES about your little mess-up?
That thought made me fall on my rump. "Oh Goddess...that would be awful..." They would hate me! They would just think I was leading them on!
I yelled in frustration, the stress of my emotions and finding out I'm utterly lost finally getting to me. You know what you have to do to get out of here right? What would that be? You have to learn to fly again Cloud.
"...Aw hayseed..." |
"Wait!" | "The...the moustache..." | "The...the moustache..."
By MrAnderson92
I walked through the forest, trying to find an clearing with enough room for me to learn to fly. Unfortunately, since it was in fact a forest, I couldn't see the clearing for the trees. Well that's obvious you idiot, if there weren't any trees then you would already be IN the clearing! I know that! Shut up!
After an indeterminable amount of time, I was still surrounded by trees. I started running, as fast as I could, in some random direction, searching for some bit of sky so I could at least try and determine the time of day. But everything seemed to be for naught, as the part of the forest I was in was so dense that no amount of sunlight (or moonlight, depending on what time it was) could show through. I finally stopped, panting for breath, and sat down against a nearby tree. I guess I'll just have to try to learn to fly without a large open space...Makes you regret coming into this damn forest huh? Yes, indeed it does.
"Yeah Twilight, I guess I could help you out," Rainbow Dash said shrugging, "what's up?"
"Well, I wanted to ask you for some advice..." Twilight trailed off, an embarrassed look on her face.
"Really? YOU came to ME for advice?" Rainbow asked incredulously, "Why me? Why not Rarity or one of the others?"
"Well...it has to do with Cloud." Twilight said, looking Rainbow Dash in the eyes, "And Applejack said if I was asking for advice about him I should ask you."
"Oh." Rainbow said, suddenly looking rather unsociable, "What advice could I possibly give you about him?"
"Well, Cloud and I have a date tomorrow, and I'm just not sure if-"
"Whaddaya mean YOU have a date with him??"
Whump! Ow...Indeed. That one hurt a bit more than others. I think I'm getting the hang of it though...Oh please. Don't even try to fool yourself. That was horrid and you know it. Yeah...it was...Remember what Fluttershy said. You have to feel it inside you.
I picked myself off the ground for what must've been the one hundreth time and looked up at the tree I kept climbing for altitude. This isn't working! No it isn't. Maybe we should start smaller. Smaller?? I'm somehow managing to mess up GLIDING TO THE GROUND! How much simpler can you get?? Maybe we should try just hovering. Right here, hovering a foot above the ground. Simple enough for you? Don't try and challenge me...I'm you. You can't goad yourself into a challenge. Ah...so deep down we're just a chicken, or a Scootaloo, as that little Apple Bloom would say. I am no chicken! Says the guy who won't try and hover a measly 12 inches above the ground. Fine! I'll show you...myself...whatever!
I put on my game face, and extending my wings to their full wingspan. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to find my inner focus, but whenever I closed my eyes I began to think of Rainbow and Twilight, and my heart would start to beat faster, knowing that at literally ANY time now (I never did find out what time it was), they could find out about my diabolical double date and start to hate me!
Stop it. Focus on what you know. You are Cloud Runner. Live up to your name.
I felt my heartbeat slow as I began concentrating on the absolutes in my life, however few they may be. As I started to flap my wings, I felt a strange sense of calm come over me as a sudden realization struck me. Twilight and Rainbow don't matter right now. If I don't learn to fly then I will probably die here. I HAVE to do this.
I began to flap my wings harder, feeling my wings begin to take the weight of my slim flier's body. I grinned, knowing that with my calm realization about my possible demise, I had found what I had been missing: True determination. But it wasn't from trying to save my own life. It came from the decision I had made before I found out I was lost. Rainbow Dash and Twilight deserved an explanation, and I wasn't planning on going anywhere until I gave them one.
I laughed triumphantly as I noticed I was a FEW dozen inches in the air, not noticing my increasing height due to my concentrating. Well well well...looks like I showed...um...myself? Indeed you did. Pat on the back time. Just don't fall again.
I laughed again as I glided towards the ground and pulled up, flapping my wings increasingly harder as I soared towards the branches above me. With the practiced aeronautical acrobatics of one who had been doing this all their life, I twisted and turned between the branches, using them as my own makeshift obstacle course, before I closed my wings and dove at the ground.
Aaaaaaand...now! I opened my wings and pulled up at the last second, closing them again as I pulled off a backflip and landed on all four hooves. Now THAT'S how we do it where I come from! Wherever that is. ...Touche.
I took off from the ground again, going much faster than last time, trying to find an opening in the treetops. With my new point of view, finding an opening to get out was much easier than I could have hoped, and before I knew it I was speeding out into fading daylight. Oh Goddess! How long was I in there?? Well I think it's doubtful that you were in there for more than a day, so this is probably the evening of the night you scheduled your dates with Twilight and Rainbow. I hope I'm right..
"STALLION-STEALER!"
"COLT CLIPPER!"
"HE ASKED ME OUT FIRST!"
"AND THEN HE ASKED ME OUT! WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT HOW HE FEELS ABOUT YOU?!"
"HE'D MUCH RATHER BE WITH ME THAN WITH AN EGGHEAD LIKE YOU!"
"THEN WHY WOULD HE AGREE TO MOVE IN WITH ME?!"
"BECAUSE HE HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO LIVE!"
"WELL I'M SURPRISED YOU DIDN'T OFFER YOUR OWN BED WITH YOURSELF AS A COMPLIMENTARY BLANKET!"
"AND WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"
"IT MEANS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MEANS! YOU CAN'T KEEP YOUR HOOVES OFF CLOUD!"
"WELL HE CERTAINLY DIDN'T KEEP HIS HOOVES OFF OF ME EITHER!"
"AND YOU THINK HE JUST LAID MOTIONLESS AS I KISSED HIM?!"
"AT LEAST MY KISSING DIDN'T MAKE HIM LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS!"
"WHEN I KISSED HIM I BROUGHT BACK A PART OF HIMSELF! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT ABOUT YOUR KISSING!"
"MY KISSING TOOK HIS BREATH AWAY!"
"Um....girls?"
"AT LEAST I DIDN'T HAVE TO TRY AND SEDUCE HIM TO GET HIM TO KISS ME!"
"NO, ALL YOU DID WAS TACKLE HIM TO THE GROUND!"
"G-girls? I really don't think-"
"WHY DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD GET CLOUD??"
"BECAUSE HE ASKED ME OUT FIRST!"
"BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW I WANTED TO GO OUT WITH HIM THEN!"
"YOU JUST SAID THAT YOU WEREN'T SURE IF YOU WERE READY FOR A ROMANTIC SETTING WITH CLOUD! YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE TWILIGHT!"
"GIRLS!!!"
Twilight and Rainbow Dash backed down from their intense argument and looked in shock at their usually timid, soft-spoken friend.
"That's better," Fluttershy said, an intense glare in her eyes as she stared down her longtime friends, "now I know you two are arguing about Cloud, and over who deserves to get him. But he isn't a prize! He's a pony, just like us! He's quite capable of making his OWN decisions in life, especially over whom he loves!"
"Yo-you're right Fluttershy," Twilight said begrudgingly, as Rainbow muttered her agreement, "the only pony who can truly decide this is Cloud himself. We have to find him."
"Yeah, and kick his tail for making dates with both of us and not bothering to cancel either one!" Rainbow said angrily.
"Now Rainbow, do you really think Cloud would try to play both you and Twilight?" Fluttershy asked in a calming voice.
"I don't know! And you know what else? NOPONY ELSE KNOWS EITHER!" Rainbow shouted, tears beginning to form in her eyes as the argument over this mysterious colt continued, "Not even Cloud himself! He might've just had his fun with us and moved on! Why did we trust him??"
"DO YOU REALLY THINK CLOUD WOULD DO THAT TO US?" Twilight shouted up at Rainbow Dash, who was flying agitatedly around Sugarcube Corner, "WHAT HAPPENED TO LOYALTY?"
"OH DON'T ACT LIKE YOU WEREN'T THINKING THE SAME THING!" Rainbow shouted back, flying down into Twilight's face, "YOU'RE JUST AS SCARED AS I AM THAT HE DOESN'T REALLY HAVE FEELINGS FOR YOU!" She yelled, tears flowing freely down her face, "We're both foals Twilight. Simple naive foals."
"Yes Rainbow," Twilight said, trying to keep her voice level, "that thought did cross my mind. But I truly believe that Cloud is a meaningful colt. He wouldn't do that to either of us."
"Then we're both even bigger foals than I thought before," Rainbow said angrily, beginning to fly towards the door, "because I believe that too."
"Wh-where are you going Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked, worried about her friend's current emotional state.
"I'm going to find Cloud, and I'm going to get some answers." She stated firmly, glancing back towards her two friends, "Are you coming with me?"
"Yes," Twilight replied, walking over to the door, "Cloud should be over at the library by now. We can question him there."
"I-I think I'll stay here and help Pinkie clean up this mess..." Fluttershy said quietly, wondering just where exactly the pink party pony had gone.
"Alright then," Rainbow said as she and Twilight left Sugarcube Corner, "let's go."
I was back beneath the treetops, zooming through the branches as fast as I dared, pure adrenaline flowing through my blood as time after time I narrowly missed branches with my inuitive flying abilities. Damn...Fluttershy was right! I AM good at this!
Soon though, it got too dark underneath the treetops to fly, so I flew back up into the night sky, heading for a river that marked the midway point to my journey back to Ponyville. Oh man...it's really getting late...Yes it is. Maybe Twilight's getting worried? Maybe she'll try to find you, enlisting the help of some of her friends? SHUT UP! I should be back before anything too extreme happens...
"OH MY GOODNESS! WHY MUST THIS HAPPEN TO MEEEE?"
WHAT THE HAY IS THAT??
"SPIKE!" Twilight yelled as she and Rainbow Dash burst into the library.
"What is it Twilight?!" Spike exclaimed, greatly scared at the expressions on the two mares' faces.
"Nothing important pipsqueak!" Rainbow Dash said angrily, "Just tell us where Cloud is!"
"Cl-Cloud?" Spike said, confused, "Um, he's not here. I haven't seen him all day!"
"Great. Just great." Rainbow snarled, turning to Twilight, "I thought you said he'd be here!"
"He should've been!" Twilight spat back, "I don't know where else he could be at this time!"
"Um, if I may intervene here," Spike piped up, "I believe Rarity said something about making a suit for Cloud. I, uh, just happened to pass her by earlier today." He finished hurredly, a blush quickly forming on his cheeks.
"He must still be at Rarity's!" Twilight and Rainbow said simultaneously, "We have to hurry!"
And off they sped, leaving one very confused baby dragon in their wake.
"Cloud. Is. Going. To. Get. It." Rainbow Dash spat as she and Twilight sped toward the Carousel Boutique.
Holy Mother of Celestia WHAT IS THAT THING??
I frantically swerved to avoid being hit by some rampaging river beast, who was writhing in what was either extreme rage or extreme agony, and flew straight back into the treetops.
It's too dark! I can't see! I CAN'T S- CRASH!
Antagonizing pain lurched through my body. I was rendered unable to scream as the breath is ripped from my lungs as I tumbled through the branches to the forest floor below.
WHUMP!
G-goddess...that thing...what was it's problem?? I must say that beast, whatever it was, did have one fabulous moustache...or at least half of one... Please shut up...
Clop...clop...clop...clop
"Well well well you clumsy colt, into the ground you crashed you dolt!"
Who said that?? I snapped my head around, trying to locate the source of the mysterious voice, but the sudden movement proved to much for my injured body, and I collapsed back on the ground.
"It seems you have suffered great injury, I must ask that you let me see!"
I nodded my head dumbly, feeling darkness beginning to envelop me. But before it wrapped me in it's warm embrace, I summoned the strength to mutter one last thing.
"The...the moustache..."
A/N: Hoo boy! I felt good writing this chapter, I think I captured the intensity I was trying to display between Rainbow Dash and Twilight! And our hero just can't seem to catch a lucky break can he? Hahaha, just wait! There's alot more to come before Cloud's story is finished! |
"Wait!" | "Fly you foals!" | "Fly you foals!"
By MrAnderson92
"Oh Cloud," Rainbow murmured, "I was beginning to worry about you."
"You never have to worry," I murmured back, nibbling on her ear as she sighed into my neck, "I'll always return to you." I grabbed hold of her and rolled us over so she was underneath me.
"Good," Twilight whispered as she kissed me passionately, "It gets awfully lonely in the library sometimes."
"Well then it's a good thing I'll be living there with you then." I murmured as I kissed her neck softly, "You'll never have to be alone again."
"That's good to hear," She said as she rolled back on top of me, "I wasn't planning on letting you slipping away again." Rainbow said seductively as she began to kiss me ferociously, rubbing her hooves along my sides.
I placed my hoof behind her head and pulled her deeper into the kiss, rubbing her flank with my other hoof. After we broke the kiss, I placed my hooves on her shoulders and flipped her over on her back, staring deep into her blue eyes.
"I missed you so much Cloud...why did you leave?"
"I'm sorry..." I said quietly, "I promise I'll always return to you Shyfly..."
Fluttershy gave me a soft kiss on the lips, "ʸᵃʸ..."
"AH!" I yelled, bolting upright in the bed I was in. What the hay...Why was Fluttershy in my dream? Well you obviously have some feelings for that mare. She's important to you because she was a part of your past. That's true...maybe I should talk to her. Yes, do that. Right after Rainbow Dash and Twilight kill you. Right...I gotta get back to Ponyville!
"Um...hello?" I called out, "Is anypony home?"
"Ah good morning you injured colt, it seems you had a nasty jolt!"
There's that voice again...and it's still talking in rhyme!
"Uh...who are you?" I asked, searching for the source of the voice, "And for that matter, WHERE are you?"
"If searching for me is such a chore, just look for me beside the door."
I glanced over to the door, and saw the pony I had to thank. Wait...that's no pony! It's a zebra!
"Ah, hello there!" I said carefully, "My name is Cloud Runner."
"It is nice to meet you Cloud, Zecora is my name, of which I'm proud."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Zecora," I said, smiling over at her, "But could you tell me what happened to me?"
"Well, you swerved to avoid a serpent of the sea, and in doing so you ran into a tree." Zecora said, "Where I walked by and found that you had fallen upon the ground, and noticed a wicked sprain had cursed your wing, where I brought you here and made you a sling."
"Oh...why thank you Zecora!" I said gratefully, "How long have I been unconscious?"
"You have been out for a few hours, which gave me time to go collect flowers." Zecora informed me, "Flowers for a special brew, which will ease the pain that must plague you."
"Oh...so it's morning now?" I asked. Goddess...everypony's probably worried sick! Either that or they're extremely angry at you. I know! I gotta get out of here! "Hey Zecora, do you know the way to Ponyville?"
"Why yes I do," Zecora said, "in a short while I'd be happy to guide you."
I smiled happily at her, knowing that this nightmare was almost over.
FLASH! I was a young pony, walking next to a zebra that looked like Zecora, but it couldn't possibly have been her. We laughed and bumped our hooves together, then started racing for a house that was close by....FLASH! Now I was walking side by side with Fluttershy, telling her about my adventures with my someone named Zak, and she just listened in awe...FLASH! Now Fluttershy and I were walking somewhere late at night, when I heard the sounds of a fight coming from an alley close by...FLASH! I stood by the zebra from before, both of us injured but grinning at each other. "Hey now Zak...you didn't think I'd just leave you hangin' now did ya?" I asked, laughing at the situation. He thanked me for standing by his side, and Fluttershy gasped as she walked into the alley, unwounded, but astounded by what she saw. Then I noticed a flash of light and a deep warmth spreading from my flanks. "Cloud!" Fluttershy squealed, "You finally got it!"
"Hello? Anypony home?"
I opened my eyes to see Zecora standing over me, a worried expression on her face, "H-hey Zecora..."
"Ah, it is good to see that you are awake, I thought maybe you were bit by a snake." Zecora said, a relieved smile spreading across her face, "But maybe you would like to tell me about, exactly what it was that put you out?"
"Ah, well Zecora," I began, "I have amnesia. And...I just had some memories come back. I always black out when it happens...it's kind of annoying." I admitted, "But it is nice to learn more about my past."
"Well do you think you are well enough to move?" Zecora asked, "Remember that you don't have anything to prove. We can leave for Ponyville at any time, I suggest we wait till you're at your prime."
"No, I'm ok!" I said hurredly, "I have to get back to Ponyville as soon as possible!"
Twilight had collected all her friends inside the Carousel Boutique, and they had been up all night looking for Cloud. "Come on girls," Twilight said urgently, "there must be somewhere we haven't looked!"
"I already told you ladies!" Rarity exclaimed exasperatedly, "Cloud said something about going to the Everfree Forest to think about what he was going to do!"
"He wouldn't be dumb enough to go in there and stay there all night!" Rainbow Dash argued.
"Unless he went 'n' got himself lost..." Applejack said thoughtfully, "Ah think we should go into the Everfree Forest an' look fer 'im!"
"Um...I think that's the best thing we can do..." Fluttershy said quietly, "Maybe we can go ask Zecora to help us..."
"That's a great idea Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly, "It's been awhile since we've talked with her! This'll be exciting!"
"Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow shouted, snapping Pinkie out of her own little world, "We have to focus on finding Cloud! He could be seriously hurt! And if he isn't he's GOING to be..." She finished darkly.
"Ok girls, here's what I think we should do," Twilight said, taking control of the situation, "I think Rainbow, Applejack and I should go into the forest to look for Cloud, and the rest should stay in Ponyville in case he comes back on his own."
"Okey-dokey Twilight!" Pinkie said loudly, "I can plan a party for when he gets back!"
"Oh he'll be getting a party alright," Rainbow said darkly, "a special party that Twilight and I will throw for him."
"Oh! You already have a party planned??" Pinkie asked excitedly, "Are we all invited??"
"No Pinkie," Rainbow sighed, "Only Twilight and I can be there."
"Oh..." Pinkie said, her hair deflating, "Okay...I'll just have to throw another party for the rest of us!" She exclaimed.
"Alright girls, do we all know what we're going to do?" Twilight asked, receiving confirmations from all her friends, "Then let's move out!"
Zecora and I walked along a path, not going as fast as I would've liked as my stupid bandages and injuries slowed me down considerably. But Zecora seemed fine with our current speed, and I got the feeling that she was used to going at her own pace.
Hmm...so I had a zebra named Zak for a friend when I was younger...and he and Fluttershy were there when I got my cutie mark...whatever it was, and whatever it meant...
Zecora and I were walking in silence, as I was too lost in my own thoughts to hold a meaningful conversation. I can't get that dream out of my head...the way the mare I was with kept changing...especially when Fluttershy showed up...You're life is totally messed up right now isn't it? Yeah, it is. And I still don't know who that earth pony is! She might not even be anypony important! Judging from my memories, she was or still is somepony important to me! And I'm going to find out how important!
Zecora and I kept walking along the path in silence. Until I finally had to break the silence.
"Hey Zecora," I started, "is the path to Ponyville a long one?"
"Usually it does not take so long, but sometimes the trip I like to prolong."
"Ugh, I wish I wasn't hurt! Then I could just fly back to Ponyville!" I exclaimed, "I don't see how things can get any worse..."
"Worse things can always occur, it is up to you the lessons you infer." Zecora stated, glancing over at me as she did so, "What troubles ail you my friend? Maybe I can help you bring them to an end."
"Well, first off, I still have amnesia," I started, "that's an important one. The other more immediate problem is that I made two dates with two different mares for the same time tonight."
"It seems your situation certainly is bleak," Zecora said, "Who are these mares of which you speak?"
"Um...a pegasus called Rainbow Dash and a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle." I informed Zecora, not noticing her expression change to one of shock.
"Those are the mares you wish to date??" Zecora asked alarmingly, "With them both, you must come straight!"
"You know them?" I asked, equally shocked, "I know I need to come straight, but I got lost in this forest! I've been trying to get back to Ponyville so I can talk to them about it!"
"Do not worry my new friend, I'm sure your relationships with them you can mend." Zecora reassured me, "Those mares are very kind, I'm sure that they will not mind."
"Thank you Zecora," I said, smiling over at her as we increased our pace slightly, "I'm glad you found me in the forest."
"I am glad as well my friend," Zecora replied, smiling back at me, "for soon your troubles shall be mended."
Oh these mares just won't quit with all their fussin' Applejack thought tiredly, as Twilight and Rainbow alternated between arguing over the situation and completely ignoring each other. Ah just wish that this whole mess were over with.
"Hey wait a minute," Rainbow Dash said suddenly, "isn't it a dumb idea to look for Cloud on the path? If he was still on the path then he wouldn't be lost now would he?"
"Well...that's actually a good point Rainbow," Twilight said, not looking at her friend, "If we want to try and find Cloud, we'd have to leave the path."
"Alright ya'll, here's what ah'm thinkin'," Applejack said, "Ah'll go on ahead to Zecora's place, while you two look for Cloud."
"That's a good idea AJ," Twilight said, "does that sound good to you Rainbow?"
"Well, I can't think of a better idea," Rainbow said begrudgingly.
"Alrighty then everypony, let's go find us a forgetful colt!"
It was getting much easier to talk with Zecora, as our short walk turned into a long trek to Ponyville. But on the inside, I was still being tormented by my thoughts. This is taking too long. I have to find Twilight and Rainbow before it's too late. Also, my wing hurts. Really bad. Shut up, I think our Twilight/Rainbow problem is much more important than our sprained wing! Maybe right now. Just you wait till it has to be amputated. It's a stupid sprain! It's not going to be amputated because of a stupid sprain!
"Cloud?"
"Sah huh whuh?" I said, shaken out of my reverie by Zecora's voice, "What is it Zecora?"
"Do you hear that? It sounds like somepony's in combat."
I stopped and listened carefully, straining my ears for whatever Zecora was hearing. I could faintly hear the sounds of somepony yelling and some monster roaring in the distance.
"Cloud! There ya'll are!"
"Huh? Applejack? What are you doing here?" I asked incredulously.
"Me 'n Twi 'n Rainbow came into the forest to find ya! And here you are!" Applejack said excitedly, "Now we can all get outta here! But," she continued, suddenly turning serious, "you best tread lightly around Twi and Rainbow right now. They're some o' mah best gals and I won't stand for one o' them bein' hurt by you."
"Wait," I said, equally serious, "they're in the forest RIGHT NOW? Where are they??"
"Well, we didn't think ya'll would be on the path, so they decided to search the forest for you." Applejack said, "But here ya'll are! Right with Zecora! Looks like Ah made the right choice!" She chuckled.
I looked over at Zecora, and she stared at me with a concerned look on her face.
"We must go and find those mares!" She said urgently, "Because I think they are in quite the snare!"
I nodded, and turned toward where I heard the sounds of battle. "You two stay here. I have something I need to do."
And with that, I ran off into the forest, with Applejack calling after me and Zecora keeping her from following me.
Sorry Applejack, I have to do this alone.
Gah! Dammit Twilight! Why did you have to get hit by that branch??
Rainbow was crouched in front of Twilight, trying to protect her friend from the manticore that had snuck up on them a short while ago. The manticore roared and charged them both, forcing Rainbow to pick Twilight up and move out of the manticore's reach yet again.
I can't keep this up much longer... she thought desperately Somepony help us!
"HEY! GET AWAY FROM THEM!" Cl-Cloud?!
I leapt in-between Rainbow and the manticore, staring at the beast as it eyed me warily. My wing hurt, the bandages Zecora put on me tight around my midsection, but I barely noticed the pain knowing that I had somepony to protect. And, no matter what, I was going to protect Rainbow and Twilight.
"Rainbow," I said quietly, still staring at the manticore, "take Twilight and head that way." I flicked my tail in the direction of Zecora and Applejack, "I'll catch up with you as soon as I can."
"I'm not going to leave you here with that thing!" Rainbow said, a certain undertone in her voice betraying her fear, "After all Twilight and I've been through over you I'm not going to walk away as you face it alone!"
"It's fine Rainbow!" I said firmly, feeling a familiar warmth pass over my flanks as a flash of light illuminated the forest around us, "This is what I'm meant to do."
"But..."
"Fly you foals!"
A/N: Well, another chapter comes and goes. So to explain the dream sequence (in case anypony was confused) everytime Cloud switched positions the mare changed, from RD to Twi to RD to Fluttershy. There was only one mare at any given time in the dream, she just kept changing personas. I'll try to update again later tonight, but if I don't then I won't be able to update again until sunday. Thanks again all you guys for reading my story! I hope you're enjoying it! :3 |
"Wait!" | "I had the craziest dream..." | "I had the craziest dream..."
By MrAnderson92
I stared calmly at the manticore, keeping its attention on me as I listened to Rainbow Dash carry Twilight over to Zecora and Applejack. Well, what's your battle plan? Keep it distracted long enough for the others to get away, then lose it in the forest. And if it follows you? Then I'll go faster! Ah, this plan can't POSSIBLY fail.
The manticore roared at me, trying to scare me into running, but I stood my ground and stared it straight in the eye, unflinching. It leapt at me and swiped at me with its claws, but thanks to my nimble, agile flier's body I was able to stay just out of reach of those deadly claws. We should give it a name. Why in Equestria would we want to do that? Then I could try to taunt him...her...it...whatever! I'll be able to verbally fight back! Fine, how about Steve? No that's a stupid name for a manticore. We should call it Corey! Oh yes, because that's SOOO much better than Steve. Alright fine, I won't name the damn manticore!
I grinned at the manticore, who was beginning to get frustrated with its inability to hit me. But I forgot one important thing about manticores. Namely that they have a scorpion-like tail at their disposal. And it was that very same tail that allowed the manticore to get the upper hoof.
"AH!" I yelled as the manticore's tail slammed into my side where my sprained wing was, flinging me up against a tree. Ow...at least I avoided the stinger. Not entirely. It snagged on your bandages. Oh crap...Zecora's gonna kill me..Well she's going to have to wait in line behind the manticore, Rainbow Dash and Twilight!
I felt the bandages slide away from my body, trying to hold my bad wing as close to my as I could, but extending my good wing, trying to think of any advantages it could give me. It can make me more agile! I'll be able to dodge its attacks easier! True. Or you could use your one good wing to go on the offensive. Actually fight back.
I used my wing to give me a little more distance away from the manticore's claws, and jumped nimbly over its tail as it tried to impale me again. Flapping my good wing as hard as I could, I moved towards the manticore and kicked it in the jaw, using its shoulder as a means to propel myself away from the manticore. My assault on its jaw only angered the manticore even more than it already was, and it leapt at me before I landed on the ground. I did the only logical thing I could at that time, which was to dive under the manticore as soon as I touched the ground. Fortunately for me, the manticore completely missed me, and instead ran straight into a tree trunk. Well now...this might just work!
I continued to goad the manticore into charging me, only to dodge out of the way at the last second and having the manticore run into trees. But I could tell that the manticore was beginning to wise up to my tricks. It's not going to work again! I have to finish this now!
I had only one idea on how to beat the manticore, and it was crazy. Totally. Bucking. Crazy. Rainbow Dash would be proud of this idea. Yeah, if it even works. Only one way to find out!
I ran straight at the manticore, and ducked underneath his outstretched paw as he tried to tear my face off. Knowing full well that what I was about to attempt was idiotic, I headed for the manticore's tail before it could turn around. Grabbing its tail in my mouth, I dug my hooves into the ground and started pulling with all of my strength. Astoundingly, the manticore began to get dragged around by me, as I continued to spin in a small circle, slowly gathering speed and eventually getting lifted off the ground from the gathering force. I spun faster and faster, hearing the manticore roar in frustration at being unable to get me to stop spinning him around in a circle. I felt my muscles begin to give way, and with a loud battle cry, I released my jaws grip on the manticore tail, hurtling the manticore straight into a thick oak tree. I collapsed to my knees, keeping a steady eye on the manticore in case it got ready to retaliate again. Please, for the love of Princess Celestia, stay down...I honestly cannot believe that worked! Thankfully, that last blow the manticore took from the mighty oak tree had rendered it unconscious, so I was safe to lay on the ground, as my muscles screamed at me in protest of what had just transpired. I did it...
Oh! I got my cutie mark again! I jerked my head around, wincing at the pain in my neck as I did so, "Oh Goddess that's gonna hurt real bad in a little while." I groaned, as I folded my wing in to look upon my cutie mark.
My cutie mark consisted of two clouds, the larger one on the right side of the smaller one, and had a shooting star traveling from one cloud to the other, with the tail of the shooting star ending at the bigger cloud and the tip of the star just touching the smaller cloud. I finally have my cutie mark! And its meaning? I'm like a shooting star. I'm the hope that some turn to in an otherwise dark and cold night. Zak needed my help in my past, and I brought him hope when I showed up to help him. Rainbow and Twilight needed a miracle, and I brought them hope when I saved them from the manticore. You can't count Twilight, she was busy being unconscious remember? Whatever, you know what I mean.
I began to hear voices as I lay on the ground, still watching the manticore. That's probably the others, beginning to worry now that the manticore has stopped roaring.
"There he is! He's ok!" I heard Rainbow Dash yell from somewhere above and behind me. Then I heard everypony gather around me as they noticed the manticore laying over by the tree.
"Holy Celestia," Applejack said, the awe apparent in her voice, "did you knockout that manticore Cloud?"
I nodded my head, not looking at anypony, anxious butterflies raging in my stomach.
"Well it certainly is quite a feat, when a manticore is singularly beat." Zecora said, beginning to walk away from us, "I must return to my abode, I am quite sure you'll find the road. Goodbye my friends." And with that said, she disappeared into the brush.
Twilight staggered over to me, obviously still hurt by her run-in with the manticore, and buckled in front of me, giving me a tired look in her eyes. Rainbow flew over and laid down next to her, their bodies touching from the close proximity.
"Cloud," Twilight began, but Rainbow cut her off.
"We are going to talk, here and now." Rainbow said firmly, looking me straight in the eye. I could tell just from looking at them that they had been up all night, looking for me. And yet they're still beautiful... I knew I couldn't look much better, with a wing sprained and covered in cuts and bruises from my attempts at learning to fly. I began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Twilight asked, a confused look on her slightly angry face.
I just shook my head, smiling at the mares in front of me. I struggled to get to my hooves and stumbled over to them, collapsing just in front of them.
"Thank you..." I murmured, giving both of them a quick nuzzle on their foreheads, "I don't deserve your friendship after everything I've put you through." I continued, looking at them in the eyes, calmly switching from one to the other, "Judging from the looks of things you already know about the dates I planned with both of you correct?" I asked them, receiving rather perturbed nods from both of them, "Good. Saves me a bit of explaining." I chuckled, "First off, I was not trying to play you two. I just want to get that right out in the open. But this is where things might get a little confusing. I DO have feelings for both of you. I'm quite sure of that. I also know that I don't want to hurt either of you, or to have you angry with me." They nodded slowly, hanging on my every word, "So...the real reason as to why all this happened...I'm an idiot. I spent a very long time thinking about it before I got lost in these infernal woods, and that was the real reason why this happened. I wanted to date both of you. I still do actually."
"Twilight," I said, looking directly at her, "I was extraordinarily happy that you invited me to stay at the library with you. I think some of the books in there might be able to spark my memory into coming back, and I was overjoyed at the thought of spending more time with you."
"Rainbow Dash," I continued, looking over at the cyan pegasus, "I asked you out because I truly wanted to get to know you better, better than just some overly hormonal ponies who can't keep their hooves off each other," I said, smiling at the memory of her kissing me ferociously.
"Then there's my memory." I said slowly, "I keep recalling memories of an earth pony with whom I may have a relationship with already. I'm going to have to find out about her before I can truly be with either of you." I informed them, noticing the crestfallen looks they wore on their faces, "But that doesn't mean I can't spend time with either of you!" I assured them hurriedly, "If you two wouldn't mind, I would still like to have dinner with you two some night. Either together or apart. I don't want to lose our friendship because of my stupidity..." I began to trail off, realizing how long I had gone on rambling, "I'm so sorry..." I whispered, tears forming in my eyes as I hung my head, finally getting everything off my chest that had gathered within the last few days out in the open.
I felt Rainbow Dash and Twilight lay down on either side of me, so close that their sides constantly touched mine, and nuzzled each side of my neck, the feeling as their pent-up emotions released in tears rubbing off on my coat. I looked over at both of them and lightly kissed them on the forehead before we all lay together and cried quietly, glad that all that had happened between us was over at this moment in time. I heard Applejack go over to Rainbow's other side and lie down next to her. I started feeling bad because I completely forgot she was there.
After a short while of us lying there I decided we had to get going before the manticore woke up. I stood up, silently motioning with my head that the others should follow me, and we all walked close together as we moved toward the edge of the Everfree Forest, nopony wanting to ruin the moment that had obviously passed between us.
We reached the edge of the forest rather quickly, and standing in the open sun, knowing that I could finally go somewhere and rest, I felt a massive wave of fatigue wash over me, almost causing me to collapse again. Apparently one does not get much rest when they're unconscious...
I turned to look at the ponies who had gone through so much torment because of me. They looked so tired, barely standing upright, looking back at me with quizzical expressions.
"If'n ya'll excuse me," Applejack said, stifling a large yawn, "I gotta get home 'n sleep!" And with that Applejack started trotting away from us, heading to her home.
"Hey," I said quietly, still looking at Rainbow and Twilight, "I'm going to tell you what we're going to do." They both looked at me, questions practically written all over their faces.
"We're going to go to the library and sleep," I started, then smiled a tired smile, "and then I'm going to take you both out to dinner when we wake up. Sound good?"
Twilight and Rainbow almost fell over with the effort it took them to nod their heads, so before we all fainted from exhaustion, we all started walking down the path to Ponyville together.
Well it certainly seems that you dodged a bullet. Indeed I did...Zecora was right. These mares are wonderful...I really am lucky to know them. Indeed you are.
"So wait'll you hear this," I said, laughing quietly to myself, "I had the craziest dream..."
A/N: I felt warm and fuzzy inside as I wrote this chapter :3 I'm going to continue writing tonight, so keep your eyes open for another chapter just in case! :D Seems like things are finally turning around for Cloud! |
"Wait!" | "Let's go clubbing!" | "Let's go clubbing!"
By MrAnderson92
By the time I had woken up, the late morning sun had moved into late afternoon, although I had the sneaking suspicion that a whole day had passed. I glanced to my right and was rewarded by the sight of Twilight laying up against me, her head resting on my right hoof. I looked to my left and saw Rainbow Dash, lying perpendicular to me, resting her head upon my withers. Hmmm...they were much more tired than I was. I can't wake them now. Sorry to bring this up, but we have a problem. What would that be? How are we going to take them to dinner without bits? Oh crap! I totally forgot!
I tried to think of a way to get enough bits for my date with Rainbow and Twilight later, but none came to mind. At least, none that would rationally work. Well now...I obviously didn't think this through. Of course you didn't. You were exhausted. That's a good reason to not think things through. Maybe so, but now what am I going to do??
I got up carefully, using my wings and hooves to slowly lay Rainbow on the ground without waking her. I walked out of the library and looked around Ponyville, still trying to think of a way to get bits for tonight. Maybe they'll just keep sleeping. You can't rely on that possibility. Also, they're not going to sleep FOREVER. Good point.
I continued to walk slowly through Ponyville, quietly greeting anypony that greeted me, avoiding eye contact as much as I could.
"Why hello there!" I was greeted cheerily by a rather well-proportioned magenta pony with a two-colored pink mane, "You're Cloud Runner right?"
"Yes, yes I am." I replied, giving her a small smile, "I'm sorry but I don't know your name..." I trailed off sheepishly.
"Oh, but where are my manners??" She asked, a horrified looking flashing across her face, "My name is Cheerilee, I'm the schoolteacher here in Ponyville!" Mmmm....yes Miss Cheerilee you have to teach me a lesson now...What the hay is wrong with you?? Well...she IS rather shapely...Keep it in your flanks. Besides, what about Rainbow and Twilight? Ok, good point. But she IS kinda hot. And she's a teacher. The sexiness has been doubled! Maybe so, but you need self-control. That's why you're here. ...touche.
"Oh I see." I said, my smile growing larger, "I take it you were at the party Pinkie Pie threw for me?"
"Oh yes, I had a wonderful time." Cheerilee said, smiling at me, "And if I remember correctly, you had quite the evening yourself." She stated, winking at me.
"Ah...which part do you mean?" I asked, nervously laughing, unable to recall that particular night due to my alcohol consumption.
"You...don't remember?" She asked, going wide-eyed and blushing slightly at the memory, "You and Rainbow Dash were certainly getting quite...intimate." She informed me, her blush growing heavier by the second, "If you don't mind me asking, is she your...marefriend?"
"Ah! No, no she isn't!" I exclaimed, perhaps a little too loudly, judging by the looks I received from ponies passing by, "I just...got a little carried away from drinking too much." I finished sheepishly, looking away from Cheerilee as I did so.
"Ohh I see." Cheerilee said, a little laugh in her voice, "Well I suspect she would be one lucky mare if she was." She said, giving me another quick wink, "You know, there was quite a commotion about you a couple days ago."
"There was?" I asked cautiously, "Why?"
"Oh, apparently a few ponies were really worried about where you were!" She informed me, "I heard about it from Rarity over at the Carousel Boutique, she was making a new dress for me."
"Oh Goddess..." I muttered, "I wasn't expecting Rainbow and Twilight to bring the others into this!"
"Oh, so what happened? If you don't mind me asking that is..." Cheerilee trailed off, looking embarrassed.
"Nah, I don't mind." I assured her, "It is somewhat of a long story though...would you like to walk with me to the Carousel Boutique while I tell it?"
"Sure!" Cheerilee exclaimed happily, "I don't have anything planned for the rest of the day!"
And with that we started walking together towards the Carousel Boutique, me telling her everything that had happened to me since I woke up in the tree, obviously leaving out some of the more personal things, such as details of kissing Rainbow and Twilight, and the rather intimate dream that I had. Her reaction to it all wasn't quite what I was expecting.
"Wow...you kissed them both and got dates with both??" Cheerilee exclaimed, "Looks like somepony's certainly a player!" She laughed, "No, I'm kidding, I'm sure you're not that kinda colt."
"Thank you," I said, relief flowing through me, "I know what I did was stupid, but I was totally out of it!"
And when I told her of how I fought the manticore in the Everfree Forest, she stared at me with her eyes wider than I've ever seen anypony's eyes go before, "You really beat a manticore all by yourself??"
"Well...yeah!" I said, blushing from embarrassment, "It's...it's not that big of a deal!"
"Um...actually Cloud...it IS a big deal!" Cheerilee said, astonishment spreading across her face, "I can't think of anypony who's beaten a manticore alone before!"
"Oh...well...um...yeah," I stammered, embarrassment growing rapidly, "I had to protect Rainbow and Twilight...I really didn't care what happened to me at that moment in time..."
"Well then aren't you a regular knight in shining armor?" Cheerilee asked me, a sneaky glint in her eye, "I bet your 'non-marefriend' wanted to thank you for that didn't she?"
My jaw dropped. Literally. She can't be implying...that can she?? Why not? Because she's a teacher? "Well," I said nervously, a blush quickly forming on my cheeks, "actually once the fight was over Rainbow, Twilight and I had a big discussion over everything that had happened in the last few days, then we all went back to the library and slept together."
Cheerilee's eyes got really big as a very deep blush began to form on her cheeks, "Y-you mean that you...ummm...with both? S-simultaneously?"
My eyes got as big as hers as my face turned into a giant red delicious apple. Oh my goddess she thinks that I...with...BOTH?? Indeed she does. You didn't quite word that in the smartest way. "NO!" I exclaimed, "Goddess no Cheerilee! I didn't have a threesome with Twilight and Rainbow!
"Well that's certainly good to hear Cloud." I heard somepony utter sharply behind me. Uh oh...
I turned, my face turning to an incredible shade of crimson, to look into the irritated eyes of Rarity. "Ah...hello there Rarity."
"Hello." Rarity said coldly, "What's this I hear about you, Rainbow, and Twilight?"
"No! You don't understand!" I exclaimed, "I told Cheerilee here," I tried to gesture towards her but she was gone. Whoa...where'd she go?? "Umm...anyways..I told Cheerilee that Rainbow, Twilight and I slept together at the library, and she misunderstood and thought I meant we...you know...got physical, when in reality we all walked inside...and collapsed in exhaustion." I explained, hoping that Rarity would calm down, "I actually came over here to tell you everything that's happened."
"Very well," Rarity said, defrosting slightly at my explanation of the misunderstanding, "come inside, please."
This is not going to be pretty...
I followed Rarity into the Carousel Boutique, and she slammed the door shut with her magic. I tensed, dread coursing through my veins as nervousness dominated my stomach.
"So tell me Cloud...Why did you go to the Everfree Forest?" She asked authoritatively.
"Umm...I went to the Everfree Forest so I could be alone while I try to think about what I was going to do about my problem with Rainbow and Twilight..." I said slowly, trying to get everything right.
"Then what went wrong?" Rarity demanded, "Do you have any idea what you put Rainbow and Twilight through?? They were up all night, yelling at each other and worrying over where you were! All because you just HAD to have your cake and eat it too!"
"Rarity," I said, "If you'll just LISTEN to what I have to say everything will be clear! I KNOW I messed up alright?? But I fixed it!"
"Alright," Rarity said firmly, "I'm listening." And so I told her of everything that had happened to me since I stepped into the Everfree Forest. When I got to the fight with the manticore, her reaction was the one reaction I dreaded to hear. "You mean Twilight and Rainbow put themselves in extreme danger to try and find you?! They almost DIED Cloud!"
"You think I don't realize that??" I yelled at Rarity, "I'm well aware of the fact that they could've died Rarity! Why else do you think I would go face the manticore alone?! I had to protect them, no matter what the cost! And I did!"
"It's a good thing you did!" She said coldly, "Otherwise the rest of us would've hunted you down and made you wish you never forgot your memory."
"It's a little late for that Rarity," I informed her, "I've been wishing that ever since I woke up in that tree."
"Then maybe you should just go stay in that tree!" Rarity said angrily, "If you'd rather never have come here to Ponyville in the first place!"
"I don't regret coming to Ponyville at all!" I said exasperatedly, "I just regret coming here with absolutely no idea of who I was!"
"Then maybe you should leave until you know who you really are!" Rarity shouted at me.
I stepped back, feeling as if Applejack had just bucked me in the chest. Th-those words...
FLASH! The cream-colored earth pony and I were fighting, tears of frustration running down her face as she questioned what I cared about most. "You just don't care anymore Cloud!" She shouted at me, "All you care about is that stupid competition! It's an obsession!" "It's not an obsession Hazel Swirl." I said quietly, "I have to practice for the Best Young Flier's competition. I've never put the competition before you. You should know that." "Well I used to think that!" She said, sobbing hard, "But now I just don't know anymore! You spend all your time either flying, attempting some dumb trick, or sitting under that damn maple tree writing in that stupid flight journal!" "The flight journal that YOU got for my birthday last year!" I said loudly, "You know I've always wanted to meet Spitfire! That's why being the Best Young Flier is so important to me! Well you need to decide exactly what is most important to you! Me or Spitfire!" "Goddess, I'm not in love with Spitfire!" "Well I'm starting to think you don't love me either! Maybe you should leave until you know who you really are! Equestria's 'Best Young Flier', or the colt I fell in love with!" "Fine!" I shouted, "I WILL leave!" And so I did, out into the dark night.
When I came to, I was in an incredibly soft bed with silk sheets lying on me. Whoa...I want to meet Spitfire? I don't even know who Spitfire IS....and I really messed things up with Hazel Swirl...Should you even care? You can be with Rainbow or Twilight now remember? NO! Not until I've settled things with Hazel. Very well. Then find her and settle it. I will.
I sat up in the bed, and took in my surroundings. Judging from the state of this room I'd say I'm still in the Carousel Boutique. "Hello?" I called out, "Rarity?"
"Oh...good you're awake." A familiar voice said quietly, "Rarity came and got me after she put you in bed. I was beginning to worry about you Cloud...especially after you disappeared.." Oh...I wasn't expecting HER to be here...
"Ah...hello Fluttershy," I murmured, looking around for her, "so am I to understand that you've been taking care of me again?"
"Um...yes...I did..." she said quietly, still hidden from my sight, "Are you ok Cloud?"
"I'm trying to find you.." I whispered, unsure why we kept talking in lower voices, and how we could still hear each other, "Where are you Shyfly..?"
"I'm right next to you..." Fluttershy murmured as her hooves wrapped around my neck, kissing my cheek before nuzzling my neck, "Just as I'll always be..."
"Good..." I said softly, and with that I turned and kissed her deeply.
When I next came to, I was in a different incredibly soft bed, with different sheets, but they were still silk. The main difference, though, was that Fluttershy was no longer with me. "Fl-Fluttershy?" I called out, "Shyfly where are you?"
"Calling for Fluttershy now? Moving past Rainbow and Twilight so soon?" That's most definitely NOT Fluttershy...
I looked around the room and spotted Rarity sitting on a ledge by a window. Oh crap...What the hay did I do now? Seems like your subconscious played a trick on you. "Ah...well that was a really lucid dream..."
"You had a dream about Fluttershy?" Rarity asked, walking over to where I lay, "DO tell me all the details."
I felt the blood rush from my face as the prospect of telling Rarity about my rather intimate dream about Fluttershy. "Well...ah...you see..." I stammered, trying to think of a way out of this, "It was..." Oh I know! Ask her how long you've been unconscious! But Rarity had already pounced on my hesitation.
"Oh my!" Rarity gasped, "Don't tell me that the dream was risque in nature?"
"Well...in a sense yes it was." I said semi-defiantly, "I was in a bed like this, ALOT like this actually, and Fluttershy was next to me and we kissed. But that's all we did!"
"Why in Equestria would you dream about Fluttershy though?" Rarity wondered, "And why do you call her Shyfly? Is there something you're not telling me?"
"No! Well, kinda," I said sheepishly, "Fluttershy and I used to play together when we were foals. But then my family moved away and I haven't seen her since. Until I had come to Ponyville of course." Rarity pondered over this information with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Well...has this happened before?" Rarity asked me.
I blushed, thinking of the dream that I had of the three desirable mares I've met since I came to Ponyville, "It happened once before, but in that dream there was one pony I was with, but she kept switching between Rainbow, Twilight, and Fluttershy..." I trailed off awkwardly, unable to look Rarity in the eyes.
"Well well well..." Rarity murmured as she placed a hoof upon my brow, "You don't have a fever so that's good, do you have any idea why you would pass out?"
Wait...what about my dreams? Hmmm...interesting. She's going off on an entirely different tangent. I wonder why... "Well, actually Rarity I passed out because I had some memory recollection. Some pretty important recollection, actually."
"Oooh! Do tell dearie!" Rarity exclaimed, a bright gleam in her eye, "Tell me all about it!" And so I did. I told her about all of the memories that I had recently gotten back since I left her boutique just a couple days beforehand. She listened calmly as I climbed out of the bed and stretched all my limbs, taking extra care in stretching my left, sprained wing. Well...just some minor pain now...Probably good to fly on, but not for prolonged periods of time. Good idea...Of course it is.
"You had a zebra for a best friend?" Rarity asked me, surprise obvious on her face, "Where exactly did you live?"
"Well...I don't exactly remember Rarity." I said, "I haven't gotten that part yet." Although I'm going to need to start somewhere if I want to try and find Hazel...
"And what about this...um...Hazel Swirl?" Rarity asked, a thoughtful expression on her face, "You can't morally be with Rainbow OR Twilight if you're already with somepony!"
"I'm well aware of that fact Rarity." I sighed, "I've already let Twilight and Rainbow know about that situation."
"Well did you tell Fluttershy?"
"Did...did he tell Fluttershy what..?" A small, timid voice squeaked from the doorway. Oh damn it!
A lone pony walked into Ponyville, the late evening sun illuminating his muscular body underneath his crimson coat, gleaming off his unicorn horn, broken off approximately five inches from the base, his white mane hanging straight over one-half of his face. Three little fillies who were running around playing suddenly stopped dead in their tracks when they saw him arrive into Ponyville. One of the fillies, a light yellow pony with a bow in her hair walked up to him and gave him a friendly greeting, but quickly scampered off thanks to the scowl upon his face and the glare she received from his ice blue eye. (His hair covered the other one) "Ha. Why would he be hiding in this pitiful excuse for a town?" He spat on the ground, tossing his head to move his mane, "I'd have never figured him to be a coward where his friends were concerned." He chuckled, reaching a hoof into his onyx-colored vest, withdrawing a letter that he had received just two days prior. He read over it again, making sure he had not misunderstood its meaning. Finding that he had not, he put the letter back into his pocket and smirked. He can't hide forever...and certainly not from me.
I just stared blankly at Fluttershy, who still stood in the doorway to what I assumed was Rarity's bedroom. Crap. I REALLY didn't want to tell Fluttershy about these dreams...What if she takes it the wrong way? Well it looks like that's a risk you're going to have to take.
"Wh-what do you need to tell me Cloud?" Fluttershy asked shyly, walking slowly into the room, "Is...is it serious?"
"No! No Fluttershy, it's not serious." I said, a little too loudly, "It's just some...dreams that I've been having." I said quickly, jumping into it with all four hooves.
"Ah, dearie, I almost forgot!" Rarity interjected, "Your suit is just about done! Let me go downstairs and finish it up for you while you two talk up here." And before I could object to her leaving, she was gone. Damn...she teleported...
I turned to face Fluttershy, who by that time had walked right up next to me, so close that our noses almost touched. I swear I had gotten lost in her eyes before I heard her quiet voice snap me out of my reverie.
"Um...Cloud? Ar-are you ok?" She asked, a worried expression on her face, "Do you need to sit down?"
"Ah...no...I'm fine Fluttershy," I said quietly, "I do have something to tell you though, about the dreams I've had."
"Oh, you do?" Fluttershy said, suddenly looking very nervous, "Wh-what happened in your dreams..?"
"Well...I had two dreams of a somewhat...intimate nature.." I told her slowly, "And you happened to be in them..."
"I-I was??" Fluttershy asked, blushing furiously as shock flashed across her face, "Wh-what do you mean when you said they were intimate??"
"Well by intimate I meant that we seemed to be in love...and we kissed. Both times. Then I woke up." I informed her, "It mainly consisted of us promising we would always be there for each other..." I trailed off, realizing I was beginning to ramble on again.
"So you...have feelings for me..?" Fluttershy asked, her face turning an even deeper shade of red, "Ha-have you always had them?"
"Well...I'm not entirely sure what the implications of the dreams are..." I said, "I mean, in one of the dreams you turned into Rainbow Dash and Twilight, so right now I'm basically confused about all of this, and I still don't know what I'm going to do about Hazel Swirl!"
"Wh-who's Hazel Swirl?" Fluttershy asked, a befuddled look on her face, "Does she live in Ponyville?"
"Ah no Hazel...um...Hazel is...hmmm..." I paused, trying to figure out how to explain my current relationship with Hazel. Thankfully, I was saved by Rarity walking into the room with a beautiful cobalt suit. Holy Celestia...is that the suit she made for me?? It certainly is a beautiful suit.
"Here we go Cloud! It's all done!" Rarity told me happily as she examined my reaction.
I swear my eyes were sparkling as I walked towards Rarity and this beautiful suit. I was physically unable to look away from it. This suit...is MINE...I can't believe it! "Rarity...it's beautiful! Thank you so much! I absolutely love it!" I began to babble about how much I loved the suit, completely oblivious as I began to caress the fabric between my hooves.
"Also," Rarity said, cutting into my fantasy of wearing the suit, "I gave you a big bag of bits for you dates with Rainbow and Twilight." That snapped me right out of my daydream.
"Whoa now Rarity," I said hurriedly, "I can't possibly accept that!"
"Oh yes you can!" She assured me, "After all, you did save the lives of two of my best friends!"
"Whoa...wh-what are you t-talking about?" Fluttershy stammered, alarm showing plainly on her face, "What happened?"
"Ah..." I uttered, totally forgetting that Fluttershy didn't know what had transpired in the Everfree Forest, "I'll fill you in later ok? I'll walk you back to your house and tell you there." I said quickly.
"Oh...um...alright..." Fluttershy murmured, instantly making me feel guilty of hiding something from her. Snap out of it! You're going to tell her soon!
"Well...Thank you again Rarity!" I said, "I honestly cannot thank you enough for all this!" I looked in the front pockets of the suit and found the bag of bits that Rarity had talked about. Opening the bag, I noticed that it was absolutely FULL of bits. "Whoa...Rarity this is way too many bits!"
"Absolutely not dearie!" Rarity said firmly, "You saved Twilight's and Rainbow's LIVES! No price can be put on that!"
"But it's way too much!" I tried to protest, but Fluttershy cut in.
"Um...Cloud...You may as well take it...Rarity is extraordinarily generous when it comes to matters like this."
"She has a point there dearie," Rarity said, smiling at me as she handed me the suit, "I'm not taking anything back and that's final!"
I tried to continue to give her back at least SOME of the bits, but as Fluttershy had predicted, Rarity would have none of it. So, as I continued to thank her endlessly for the suit and bits, Fluttershy and I left the Carousel Boutique and began walking towards her cottage. An awkward silence fell over Fluttershy and I as we walked, until I was struck by a sudden realization.
"Oh no!" I exclaimed, "I have to get back to the library!"
"Wh-what..?" Fluttershy asked, suddenly looking astonished and relieved simultaneously, "Wh-why do you need to?"
"I told Rainbow and Twilight I'd take them to dinner when we all woke up!" I informed her, itching to get to the library before Twilight and Rainbow woke up and discovered that I had left them again, "I'm so sorry Fluttershy but I really really need to go!" And before Fluttershy could respond, I had taken off into the air, stretching my wings as I quickly flew to the library.
I went through the door to the library as quietly as I could, thanking Princess Celestia herself that neither Rainbow Dash nor Twilight had woken up yet. Wow...they must've been EXHAUSTED... I smiled as an idea formed in my mind.
"Hey you two," I said sweetly, nuzzling first Twilight, then Rainbow awake, "you're going to be late for our dinner tonight!"
"Mmmmmph...I can't make it tonight Cloud..." Twilight murmured as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, "I simply have too much to do here at the library, and Spike can't take care of it all by himself..."
"Ah...well then we'll go to dinner another night!" I assured her as I nuzzled into her neck, "What about you Rainbow?"
"I'm totally free tonight baby!" Rainbow exclaimed, full of energy after sleeping for so long, "You know, I heard there's a club here that has DJ Pon-3 there tonight!"
"Alright!" I said excitedly, bumping my flank against Rainbow's, "Let's go clubbing!"
A/N: Whew! Literally took me ALL day today to write this chapter! Couldn't think of a good way to end it so that's why it's about twice as long as the other chapters. Cloud better enjoy his peaceful time while it lasts, things are going to begin to heat up once again for our unfortunate protagonist! I love you guys! |
"Wait!" | "Prepare myself for what?" | "Prepare myself for what?"
By MrAnderson92
Rainbow and I walked briskly from the library, being buffeted by a strong evening wind as soon as we closed the door. Immediately Rainbow started flapping her wings and took off from the ground leaving me (literally) in the dust.
"Hey come on slowpoke!" She called down to me, "I wanna see those wings of yours at work!" She finished with a sly wink.
I grinned up at her, feeling my wings begin to unfurl of their own accord. Well now...why do this now? She wants me to show her what I can do! And the idea of that turns you on? Um...I guess so? I'm not averse to a little exhibitionism. I physically felt my grin turn devious. And if Rainbow gets to watch...well I'm more than happy to oblige. Yes, I can tell. MUCH more than happy to oblige...
I took off, flying a circle around Rainbow Dash as I observed her figure while she flew. She may be a blunt, overly athletic persona while she was grounded, but in the air she was lithe, and graceful. I could honestly say that I had never seen a more beautiful sight than Rainbow floating in mid-air, flapping her wings steadily as she turned to watch me fly. I felt my blood rush, getting a charge through my body as I knew she was watching ME, her eyes were on ME, and it electrified me. I dove underneath her, pulling up to a stop right in front of her.
"Like what you see?" I asked her in a low voice as I wrapped my hooves around her mane and pulled her in for a kiss. While not nearly as explosive as our first kiss, I felt something there that wasn't there before. A...certain type of warmth. Caring, compassion, a tenderness that definitely wasn't there for our first kiss. I pulled her in closer to me, our bodies beginning to rub against each other as the kiss grew more passionate. I could feel the compassion between us begin to turn into a competition again, so I thought it prudent to break the kiss while I could still feel my lips.
"I must say," Rainbow murmured into my ear as we nuzzled each other in mid-air, "I do desire to spend more time with this spectacular body of yours..." She sighed as I chose that particular moment to nibble playfully at her ear.
"Oh so you're just in this for my body huh?" I asked her merrily, pushing her away from me with an expression of fake shock on my face, "I should've known you were all about being physical!"
"Hey now, what're you trying to say Cloud?" Rainbow asked mockingly, "Would you rather I stop being so...physical?" She asked me, quickly moving closer to me as she smiled sensually.
"Hey now!" I exclaimed, grabbing her hooves and pulling her up against me, "I never said that!" I looked into her rose-colored eyes and gave her another small kiss. Hey, what about Hazel Swirl? She doesn't exist right now. Tonight, it's only Rainbow and I. Very well. Just don't do anything rash. With Rainbow? That's practically impossible! Ok, Now that was just ridiculous.
"Hey," Rainbow said quietly, breaking into my thoughts, "we should probably get going so we don't miss Vinyl Scratch at the club."
Vinyl Scratch? "Who's Vinyl Scratch?" I asked, a quizzical look upon my face.
Rainbow's jaw dropped as she looked at me, pure astonishment showing on her face, "Vinyl Scratch?? You know, DJ Pon-3?"
"Ooooh," I said, suddenly feeling very stupid, "I feel like I should've known that..."
"Ah it's ok if you didn't," Rainbow assured me, "since you have amnesia and all. I just hope you don't turn out to be an egghead!" She laughed, lightly punching me in the shoulder.
"Hey, what's wrong with being an egghead?" I asked, lacing my voice with mock anger.
"Well, no offense to Twilight or anything," Rainbow said, "but being an egghead isn't exactly cool ya know?"
"I see," I said slowly, "I, for one, hope that I AM an egghead."
"Why would you want to be an egghead?" She asked quizzically.
"Because then I can go around telling everypony that an egghead beat the famous Rainbow Dash in a race to the club!" I said quickly, pushing away from Rainbow and flying off in the direction of the club. I glanced over my shoulder to see Rainbow's face turn from one of astonishment to realization to confidence as a cocky grin spread from ear-to-ear. She quickly took off after me and we raced side-by-side, neither one of us really caring who won, because we were just enjoying the moment together. You know, this is something Twilight couldn't give you. What do you mean? Twilight's a unicorn. She wouldn't be able to fly with you. I know, but I'm not going to base my decision on that alone. I heard the rhythmic sounds of the club before I saw it, bright lights flashing in time to the music. I slowed down, allowing Rainbow Dash to fly ahead of me as I descended to the ground.
"Ha!" Rainbow gloated as she turned to face me, "Looks like the egghead lost!"
"Oh please," I scoffed at her as I walked up, "I let you win and we both know that. Besides, I never said I WAS an egghead remember?" I stuck my tongue out at Rainbow as I bumped our flanks together.
"Maybe so," she said, moving closer so we were constantly touching, "but I still would have kicked your tail in a real race!"
"I'd like to see you prove it!" I challenged her, feeling my wings unfold subconsciously. Really? This again? What can I say? She pushes all the right buttons. Keep it in your flanks lovercolt. "Of course, I'd have to be flying backwards in order for that to happen!" I said, grinning cockily over at her.
"Oh I will prove it!" Rainbow retorted, "And maybe we can make it interesting?" She asked me quietly, stopping me in my tracks as she nipped at my ear.
"Oh? And how can we do that?" I murmured innocently as I planted a small kiss on her cheek, knowing full well what she meant.
"We make a bet." She whispered as her hooves wrapped around my neck, grazing her lips against mine.
"Oh really?" I whispered back, placing my hooves on her hips and bringing her closer to me, "And what exactly would the stakes be?" I asked softly, our lips brushing together.
"Oh we'll settle that when the time comes." She said in a sultry voice, "I for one, already know what I want."
"And what would that be?" I asked, raising my right eyebrow to give Rainbow a quizzical look.
"You'll find out when we make the bet." She said teasingly as she pulled me in for a deep kiss. We didn't hold the kiss for very long and after we broke apart from each other we started walking towards the entrance of the club. As soon as we got there though, the bouncer stopped us.
"Yo, cutie marks?" He asked us gruffly, giving us a dead-pan stare. Rainbow and I lifted our wings and showed him our flanks, after which he let us in the club with no more hassle.
Inside the club was a plethora of dancing ponies, multitudes of flashing lights, and incredibly poppin' music. I noticed the DJ pony that was at my Pinkie Party up on stage, working her magic (literally) on the deck in front of her. That's odd...What is? We were never introduced to her...yet we already knew who she was. Ah, you mean at the Pinkie Party right? Of course I do. What else could I be talking about? Relax, somepony probably mentioned her name. No. Nopony mentioned who she was. We were on stage remember? Oh. Right. She might hold a clue to our past! No! Tonight is about Rainbow! Not about finding my past! But who knows when we'll get another chance to talk with her? No. I'm not going to worry about that. Because tonight, it's only Rainbow and I.
I followed Rainbow over to the bar, claiming two stools right as their former occupants left to go dance. The bartender, a tall and thin unicorn stallion, trotted over to us.
"Well hey there Rainbow, I haven't seen you here in awhile!" He said as he greeted Rainbow warmly, "And who, may I ask, is this lucky gentlecolt?"
"Cosmo, this is Cloud Runner, Cloud meet Cosmo!" Rainbow introduced, "His real name is Cosmopolitan but he prefers Cosmo. And he can make any drink in Equestria!"
"Damn straight I can!" He boasted confidently, "So what'll you be having tonight Rainbow? Your usual?"
"Better make it two Cosmo!" Rainbow exclaimed, "We have a long night ahead of us and I'm gonna get this colt hammered!" Something tells me I'm not the only pony who's gonna get 'hammered' tonight...Seriously? What the buck is wrong with you? Oh please, like you'd try and stop me! That is besides the point! No it isn't!
Cosmo suddenly planted two rainbow colored drinks in front of Rainbow and I, "Alright Rainbow that'll be four bits."
"Hey Cosmo this one's on me." I interjected, placing the four bits on the counter, "As are all the rest of the drinks we get tonight."
"Oh ho!" Cosmo exclaimed heftily, winking over at Rainbow, "Looks like somepony finally snagged her a date!"
"What's that supposed to mean??" Rainbow said defensively, "You've met some of my dates before!"
"Yeah Rainbow, AFTER you met them here and AFTER they all had a few drinks in them!" Cosmo guffawed, slamming his hoof into the counter as he tried to regain his composure, "This is the first time you actually arrived with a date!"
"So?" Rainbow mumbled, suddenly taking a strong interest in her drink, "It's not like you need to point it out..."
I placed my hoof on Rainbow's shoulder, trying to comfort her as I turned towards Cosmo, "Hey, thanks for the drinks." I told him, "I'll let you know if we want anything else okay?"
"Alright dude! You two have a good night now, ya hear?" He said as walked down the bar to serve some other ponies.
"Hey Rainbow," I said quietly, leaning closer to her so she could hear me, "you okay?"
"I guess so..." She said softly, turning over to face me, "I just wish he didn't say that."
"Aw, who cares what Cosmo thinks?" I said, taking a quick sip of my drink. Holy Goddess that's good! "All that matters now is that we're here together. And besides," I continued, winking at Rainbow, "I'm glad I'm the first date you brought here."
"I am too Cloud." Rainbow said, giving me a quick peck on the lips, "But tonight has barely even started!" She exclaimed suddenly, downing her whole drink as I stared at her, completely flabbergasted. "Well?" She asked, looking at me with a cocky grin on her face, "You just gonna sit there while I outdrink you?"
I grinned back at her as I grabbed my drink. This mare's right up my alley! "Yeah, you wish!" I challenged, as I too downed the colorful beverage. Hot DAMN that's a good drink! Just don't do something you'll regret. Like I'd regret doing anything with this wild mare!
"Now THAT'S more like it!" Rainbow yelled, her grin growing even wider as we turned to find Cosmo, but Cosmo had already found us.
"Hey there you two," He said, winking at both of us, "anything else I can get ya?"
"Yeah!" I said before Rainbow could answer him, "Two shots of the strongest you got!" We'll just see who can outdrink whom! This is a terrible ideeaaaghgm... What? Ah buck it, I have a competition to win!
"Uh..you sure 'bout that Cloud?" Cosmo asked cautiously, "I mean...that stuff has quite the kick."
"You heard 'im Cosmo!" Rainbow exclaimed, an excited gleam in her eyes, "I guess he just wants to lose big time!"
"Well...alright then." Cosmo said, turning to go find the bottle.
I turned to Rainbow, an idea suddenly forming in my head, "Hey Rainbow," I asked slyly, "how about we make that bet right now?"
"Really?" She asked, looking at me with her eyes half-closed, "Want to lose the bet that quickly?"
"I'll make you drink those words!" I said defiantly, "What shall the stakes be?"
"How about the loser has to do whatever the winner wants for the rest of the night?" Rainbow suggested seductively, leaning closer to me to kiss my cheek. However I intercepted her and pulled her in for a kiss.
"Alright you lovepegasi," Cosmo said, levitating two shot glasses in front of us, "you two be careful with this stuff now."
"Will do Cosmo." I assured him as Rainbow and I picked up the shot glasses, "It's not like she'll last very long or anything."
"Oh. It. Is. ON!" Rainbow shouted as she wrapped her hoof around mine and prepared to take her shot.
"Damn right it's on!" I shouted back as I suddenly began to have doubts about this. What if I lose? Then you'll have tooghs... Gah, that stupid rainbow drink was stronger than I thought! Oh well, I can't back down now! Here goes nothing! And on the count of three, we both tilted our heads back and took the shots. It felt like somepony had slammed a hoof into my throat, "Oh my Goddess!" I exclaimed, my throat burning.
"Holy Celestia that stuff is strong!" Rainbow said, grimacing as she felt the effects of the shot herself, "But it does only get easier from here on out!"
"Doesn't matter how easy it gets," I informed her cockily, "I'm still going to win! And then you'll have to do what I want!" I said, giving Rainbow a big grin and a wink.
"No way!" Rainbow laughed loudly at the prospect of me beating her at anything, "Tonight you're going to be my slave!" Mmmm...maybe I should just lose...Can yoasdfoin evidfh... Whatever. I'll go for one more then I'll call it quits. Then I'll be Rainbow's 'slave'...I felt my wings extend quickly, a blush forming on my face as Rainbow cocked her eyebrow as she noticed, "Well well, looks like someone might want to lose now!" She teased, leaning in and brushing a hoof along my wings. I snapped to attention, stimulation suddenly coursing through my body as she rubbed my wing. I quickly got off my stool and walked over to Rainbow, wrapping my hooves around her waist (which was level with my chest.) "Hey now, what about our bet?" She asked quietly, looking down into my eyes.
"Buck the bet," I said softly, leaning up to kiss Rainbow, "tonight I'm all yours Rainbow."
"Mmm I already knew that," She murmured into my mouth, "tell me something I don't know."
"Well let me see..." I said, massaging her folded wings to their full wingspan quite easily, "I DO enjoy dancing..."
"I know that too." Rainbow said, hopping down from her stool, "I want you to tell me something I DON'T know!"
"But Rainbow," I said innocently, "I thought wanting to learn things meant you were an egghead!"
"Well...I...Oh shut up!" She stuttered as she kissed me, pulling me over to the dance floor. We started to dance, eventually setting our movements to be in time to the beat. I slowed my movements, focusing mainly on the way Rainbow moved her body. I watched as the lights danced over her lithe, muscular body, moving her wings as well as her body in time to the music. Goddess...this is like a dream...bjdsdidhdsd....sidfhwo. She's so beautiful...
The crowd around us suddenly got very dense, pushing us closer together, but at the same time they all seemed to disappear. Rainbow's body pressed against mine as we both danced, our wings splayed out, shamelessly showing off our emotions to anypony who cared to look. I placed my hooves on Rainbow's shoulders, slowly beginning to rub her upper arms as we grinded our bodies together. Rainbow placed her hooves around my neck, pulling me in for a kiss while I moved my hooves down to her sides. Time slowed to a stop, everypony else was gone, the only thing on my mind was Rainbow Dash. Our kiss grew more passionate as my hooves trailed down to her hips, when, on an impulse, I pressed my right hoof into her cutie mark.
"Ooooooooh." Rainbow moaned, her hot breath pouring into my mouth, "Th-that felt amazing..."
"Oh really?" I murmured, smirking as I suddenly found myself in control, "Then maybe I should do it again?"
"Yes...please....do it!" Rainbow gasped, abruptly pulling my mouth against hers fiercely, shoving her tongue past my lips and dominating my own tongue. Ooooh no you don't...I started rubbing her cutie marks with both my hooves, getting a smug grin as she began to gasp and moan. Suddenly, Rainbow pulled away from me, her eyes filled with lust.
"What are you doing?" I asked slyly, winking at her as I did so.
"Let's go." She said hungrily, spinning me around and pushing me towards the door.
"Go where?" I asked innocently, knowing full well she was probably going to drag me to her house if I didn't cooperate.
"I'm taking you to my house, and then you're going to be my slave 'cause I won the bet!" Well...I don't have a problem with that! fjffjdfisdhighidhsdhg. Indeed. I should go through with it.
"Oh alright," I said, walking on my own so she wouldn't have to push me anymore, "let's go then!"
We left the bar, moving a little too quickly for my head, and I had to lean against a tree for a short while so my mind would stop spinning. "Hey Rainbow," I heard myself say, "where do you live?"
"See that cloud way over there?" She said, pointing to a cloud in the distance that had a small rainbow on it. Why is there a rainbow on that cloud..?
"You mean the one with the small rainbow on it?" I asked quizzically.
"Yep! That's the one!" She said happily, looking over at me with a sly gleam in her eyes, "Just wait'll you see the inside!"
"I bet it's amazing," I said, still trying to get my head clear, "why don't you go on ahead and I'll catch up?"
"Oh fine," Rainbow said with a small pout on her face, "but you better not take too long! I get things set up quickly." And with a seductive wiggle in her rump, she took a few steps and took off, heading for her home in a slight serpentine fashion.
"Whew..." I sighed, beginning to walk down the street towards her cloud. I hope I can fly up there....I can barely even walk! I continued walking down the path, trying not to swerve too much, when I was suddenly aware of how alone I was. The street I was on, usually having at least somepony else on it at any given time, was completely empty. Silent. What the hay...where is everypony? I continued walking down the street, stopping abruptly as I felt somepony's gaze piercing my back. I turned around quickly, and saw a brief flash of scarlet as I was picked up and violently thrown into the side of a nearby building.
WHAM!
"Ahh!" I yelled as I fell to the ground, snapped sober by this sudden attack. Who the hay was that?? I turned and faced my attacker, only to find that the pony had disappeared. Uh oh. Where'd he go? Well, he's obviously not in front of us, and it makes sense for him to not be below us. He can't be to the left because this building is in the way. I'd try looking up. Looking....up? I glanced skyward and jumped backwards as a crimson pony slammed the ground where I just was. Holy Celestia! Who is this guy?? I studied this newcomer, this unicorn, and immediately noticed that his horn was broken.
"I finally found you Cloud Runner!" The crimson unicorn said in a brusque voice, "Prepare yourself!"
Tons of questions were pouring through my head, but I only asked the one question that was predominant in my mind.
"Prepare myself for what?"
A/N: Whew! This chapter took me much longer than it should've! I got distracted by an awesome twitter-clone called rainbowdash.net, if any of you guys haven't been there yet you totally should! One last thing, I'm getting too many story ideas DX I want to write all of them but I'm already so busy! So chapter updates will be coming even slower, so please bear with me! Love you guys! |
"Wait!" | "...Yes Ma'am..." | "...Yes Ma'am..."
By MrAnderson92
I stood in front of this crimson pony, mind still a little fuzzy from clubbing with Rainbow Dash, trying to think of any reason why this unicorn would randomly assault me. Unless it isn't a random attack...You can worry about that later. Right now you have to beat this guy. Yeah yeah, I know.
"So....Who exactly are you?" I asked, buying myself a little time while my mind frantically tried to think of some way I could beat this guy.
"Don't play dumb Cloud! I've come here for my revenge!" Needless to say, my idea wasn't working out.
"I assure you, I am not playacting right now." I said cautiously, getting a better look at our surroundings while keeping a wary eye on this stranger, "I have amnesia, so I honestly have no idea who you are."
"A likely story." The stranger said menacingly, "But no matter. Time to die Cloud."
...This is bad. Oh you don't say? START FLYING GENIUS! I turned and took off as fast as I could, only to be brought to a sudden stop as the unicorn's magic grabbed hold of me and flung me into a nearby tree trunk.
WHAM!
Ugh...holy teats of Celestia...I looked up just in time to see his horn flare up as he picked me up and slammed me into the ground at his hooves.
WHAM!
I struggled to get onto my hooves, but the unicorn colt put his front hoof on my head and pushed me back down.
"I waited too long for this Cloud Runner." He said as he increased the amount of pressure on my cranium, "This is going to hurt you A LOT more than it hurts me!" I felt a sudden release of pressure as he lifted his hoof up and prepared to crush my head with it.
Welp, never thought it would end like this...
"CLOUD!!"
I looked up just in time to see a familiar purple unicorn tackle the crimson unicorn off of me.
"T-Twilight?" I stammered, as I pushed myself to my hooves, "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to go visit Fluttershy because she wanted to talk to me, but I heard a lot of commotion coming from over here and then I found you with this guy! Who is he anyway?"
"I honestly don't know Twilight." I said as I looked at the strange pony.
"Stop lying to everypony Cloud Runner!" The crimson unicorn shouted, "You lied, you cheated, and ultimately ran away from your responsibilities, just like you always did! You left your family, abandoned Hazel, and are hiding out in this rathole of a town claiming you have amnesia! I'm ashamed to have ever been your friend Cloud Runner."
Whoa whoa whoa. WHAT?? "Wait, we're friends?" I asked stupidly, "But you're trying to kill me!"
"We're no longer friends Cloud. That ended when you left everypony behind."
I stood there for a few minutes, just looking at this unicorn, wishing I knew what he was talking about. I glanced at Twilight, who was staring at me with a look that pierced my soul. I looked back at the crimson unicorn, and in a flash of discovery, I found his name in my foggy memories.
"Look Supernova," I said loudly, "I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about. I just now remembered your name! But I'm sorry, I really don't remember doing anything like that."
"Then that's your problem Cloud." Supernova said quietly as he turned away from Twilight and I, "One day, your little maretoy won't be around to protect you. And when that day comes, I'm going to end this once and for all. Goodbye Cloud Runner." And he turned around and walked away.
"Thank you Twilight," I said, looking over at her, "If you hadn't shown up I would've died."
"Don't mention it Cloud." Twilight said as she stared at the receding unicorn, "But don't you think we should go after him?"
"No Twilight..." I murmured as I started walking in the opposite direction, "This'll get resolved in due time."
"Alright..." She said as she walked with me, "So...who was that guy?"
"His name is Supernova." I said, keeping my gaze focused on the ground in front of me. "Apparently we used to be friends, and he despises me now because apparently I ran away from everything in my past."
"So...did you run away from your past?"
"I don't know Twilight. I don't like to think of myself as the type of pony who runs away from his responsibilities."
"But apparently he IS the type of pony to run away from relationships." A menacing voice said coldly from somewhere above us. I looked up to see Rainbow Dash hovering about ten feet above us, glaring at us (especially me) with eyes that looked ready to kill. "What the hay is going on here?"
"Ah...Rainbow!" I said wearily, not liking the way this seemed to be going, "You will not believe what I just went through."
"Oh no Cloud, I'm quite sure I already know what you two have been through since I went off to my house." Rainbow said through gritted teeth, the anger in her eyes betraying her cool demeanor, "Now that our date seemed to be over you were just going to go be with Twilight huh? I see how it is..."
"No Rainbow! That isn't what it's like at all! I got att-"
"SAVE IT!" Rainbow shouted, making me cringe with the tone of despair in her voice, "I trusted you. I thought you really cared..."
"But...I do care..." I trailed off as Rainbow turned and bolted away for her house.
"Wow..." Twilight said, astonishment clear on her face, "I've never seen Rainbow act like that before..."
"It's because she's...ah...inebriated," I informed Twilight, "She's not in her right state of mind. I'll talk to her once she's sobered up..."
"That's probably a good idea..." Twilight said as she looked around at the empty street, "So...Do you want to head to the library? I can make up the guest room for you..."
"No...I think I'll head to Fluttershy's with you if that's ok." I said, looking at Twilight, "There's little chance of me getting to sleep anytime soon anyways. Also, my right wing hurts so I thought maybe she could wrap it up for me."
"Oh, alright." Twilight said, beginning to trot off in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage, "Hurry up slowpoke!" She called back over her shoulder, "I was supposed to be there already!"
I nodded my head, more to myself than to Twilight as I trotted behind her. I can't believe that just happened. You can't really blame her can you? You told her to go on ahead, and when she came back to look for you she found you with Twilight. I know. But I still wish she'd have let me explain what had happened. You'll just have to wait. Give her some time to cool down. Besides, she was dru-
WHUMP! "Ow..."
"Well that saves us having to knock I guess." Twilight said, suppressing a giggle as she looked at me sitting on the ground holding my slightly bruised snout, "How did you not see Fluttershy's door?"
"I was deep in thought geez..." I said, getting back to my hooves.
"About Rainbow?" Twilight asked, giving me a worried look, "I'm sure that everything will work out between you two."
"I hope so...I didn't expect her to overreact like that..."
"W-what happened?"
"Well like you said Cloud, she was intoxicated. She'll understand once you explain what happened with Supernova."
"W-who's Supernova?"
"I hope you're right Twilight. I don't want Rainbow to hate me over this."
"E-excuse me..?"
"She won't." Twilight assured me, "Rainbow is one of the most loyal ponies I know. The worst thing that might happen is that she might not want to be in a relationship with you anymore..."
"I know...But that is pretty bad...Not that I don't like you anymore, 'cause I do, but I didn't want things to turn out like this. I wanted to make the decision myself, between you and Rainbow and Fluttershy, not have it made for me because of some crazy unicorn from my past trying to kill me." You DO realize what just slipped out right?
"WHAT??" Twilight and Fluttershy both exclaimed simultaneously, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN-"
"BETWEEN ME, RAINBOW, AND FLUTTERSHY??"
"SOME CRAZY UNICORN TRIED TO KILL YOU??"
"Uh....." I said stupidly, my mind instantly kicking into overdrive, "Well would you look at the time, I gotta get going!"
Yes, that is the genius that my mind came up with. I turned quickly and prepared to run away, but suddenly I was enveloped in a magical purple aura that stopped me in my tracks.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Twilight shouted as she lifted me into the air. Turning to Fluttershy she said sweetly, "Fluttershy, may we trouble you for a few minutes of your time?"
"U-um...Yes Twilight, you may." Fluttershy said, stepping back into her cottage to give Twilight enough room to levitate me inside. Twilight was right behind me, giving me a look that made me wish I was still fighting Supernova. She dropped me (unceremoniously I might add) onto Fluttershy's couch and stood next to Fluttershy as they stared at me with looks of worry (Fluttershy) and thinly veiled contempt (Twilight)
"So..." I started to say, but Twilight cut me off harshly.
"When were you planning on telling on telling me about this?" She asked angrily.
"Well, actually, I-"
"Excuse me Twilight, but if it's alright with you I'd like to hear about this unicorn who tried to kill Cloud first..."
"Well, you see-"
"Of course Fluttershy. I understand you must be worried."
"Well of cour-"
"Oh I am...I don't want anypony getting hurt."
"Trust me, me ne-"
"I can't promise that he'll make it through the night unscathed though Fluttershy."
"In case you forgot, I'm already-"
"I understand Twilight...I can tell you're really upset..."
"But it was just-"
"Thank you Fluttershy. Well, what happened was that after Rainbow and Cloud had finished their date, Cloud told Rainbow to go on ahead to her house."
"Wait, shouldn't I be-"
"Then when he was alone, he was attacked by a crimson unicorn pony named Supernova. I showed up and stopped him from killing Cloud, then he started saying some unsavory things about Cloud."
"Oh my...What kind of things?"
"They were all lie-"
"He started saying something about Cloud lying to everypony, abandoning his past, and running away from his responsibilities."
Fluttershy gasped at this obvious heresy against my good nature, "Th-that doesn't sound like the Cloud Runner I knew growing up..."
"I'm sure it doesn't Fluttershy. I'm sure it doesn't."
"But who exactly is this Supernova?"
"He's a uni-"
"He's a pony who claims that he and Cloud used to be friends before Cloud left his old life. Now he's vowed revenge against Cloud for what he did."
"Oh my goodness! That's terrible!"
"Yes, I suppose it is. So what did you want to talk to me about Fluttershy?"
"O-oh...well...ummm...I was...hoping we could...talk in private...if that's okay with you..."
"That's fine with me Fluttershy. Will tomorrow work for you?"
"Yes Twilight...That's fine with me..."
"Good. Now if you'll excuse us," Twilight said as she levitated me with her magic again, "We're going back to the library to have a nice long talk." And with that she dropped me (again, unceremoniously) outside.
"O-ok Twilight...I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodbye Cloud." Fluttershy said quietly as she closed the door behind us.
"Alright Cloud." Twilight said, staring at me with a scary glint in her eyes, "We're going straight to the library."
"But Twili-"
"NO BUTS! Now MARCH."
"...Yes Ma'am..."
A/N: Here's the next one guys. Sorry for the massive break. A lot of stuff has gone down in my family and I wasn't able to update. But most, if not all, of the drama is over so I'll try to update way more often. I'm really sorry everyone. I'm working on the next chapter of my other story next, so if any of you are reading it stay tuned for an update on it. On a lighter note, Cloud seems to have a dark side to his past. Or does he? And now he's pissed off both Rainbow AND Twilight. Things can't get much worse...or can they? |
The United Griffon Front | pre | "I will. I promise." Then the unicorn mares gives each other one more hug before they let go and went off their different ways. Rarity got to the Unicornia carriage and got on board just before it was being pulled away by two giant white wolves.
Bluebell got to Dark Razor's side of the field and before she knows what's going on two hippogriff soldiers came behind her to handcuffed her hands behind her back and a other hippogriff soldier in front of her to put a magic blocking ring on her horn. "Just a quick something in case you were gonna do something." Dark Razor said getting a hateful look from the unicorn mare right before she hears a explosion causing her and the drakegriff emperor to see that the royal Unicornia carriage was up in flames. Bluebell was shock at first before she turns around to face Dark Razor but the drakegriff used his amulet to put a sleeping spell on the unicorn mare and a hippogriff soldier was able to catch her right before she hit the ground. "Take her inside the carriage.'' Dark Razor ordered and the soldier nodded just as the drakegriff face a other soldier. "Send word to the minotaurs that the royal bloodline of Unicornia has been killed off and they can begin their invasion." The soldier nodded and begins flying to Minotaur territory. Dark Razor mean while was trying how perfect his assassins got to Unicornia at night to place a magic bomb on the carriage of the royalty of Unicornia that way his slave trading can go even farther. "So much for Blueblood, Queen Majesty, Sweetie Belle, and especially Ms. Rarity Belle." |
The United Griffon Front | Chapter 14 | FOUR YEARS AFTER THE FALL OF PONYVILLE
Four years... four long years since the war between the United Griffon Front and Equestria had started and it was fixing to come to a close with the U.G.F. on the winning side. That thought was going through Shining Armor's mind over and over again as he was standing on top of a wall of the last fort in Equestrian control. It was the middle of the day with the unicorn stallion wearing his royal guard uniform and was looking at the huge army of griffons, hippogriffs, zebragriffs, changelings, and finally ponies surrounded the fort he was in. Shining Armor remembers that in the second year of the war Dark Razor made a statement that any ponies that would join his empire would be grated full rights within the empire and would not be enslaved. After that very few ponies joined him but as the war was turning in the drakegriff's favor a lot of ponies was starting to lose faith in Princess Celestia and Princess Luna as well being scared of becoming a slave so they joined the U.G.F. with the hope of not being a slave. The fort that Shining Armor was in is actually in the north west of Canterlot and it was very important because the fort is a gateway to the Crystal Empire, his home, and if this fort falls then the Crystal Empire would open to invasion and that would make the alicorn princesses to surrender immediately.
The fort was about the shape of a square with a huge stone wall all around it. The wall had spikes at the top of the wall and their was four small post stations at each corner. The fort was design to hold five hundred soldiers to protect it but the siege was going on for nine months now and all that's left was a hundred and nineteen men including Shining Armor himself. Not only that but at the beginning of the siege the changelings set up wagon size rubies all around the fort and then the rubies made a red transparent dome over the fort. The dome stopped any unicorns from using their magic and it was stopping the pegasus ponies from using their wings to fly away. But there was a good thing about the dome and that was actually the dome was infecting the United Griffon Front army as well which means that all of the griffons, hippogriffs, zebragriffs, changelings, pegasus and unicorn ponies can't use their magic and wings as well. But as for Shining Armor he didn't care about the siege because he was thinking about on one thing... what happened to Cadence and Twilight. Ever since this war began he haven't seen both his wife and little sister all because they were sent there to help make peace between Equestria and the U.G.F. but clearly that was only a trap to capture one half of the alicorn royalty and then start the war.
But that wasn't the only thing that was going through Shining Armor's mind as he was also thinking how Equestria has no allies in this war. He remembers that the dragons and reform changelings would not join the war on the ponies side because Spike was capture in the fall of Ponyville, the kingdom of Unicornia was being destroy by the Minotaur Confederacy, the zebra empire being in a civil war, the buffalo tribes made a deal with Dark Razor to keep out of the war in return that all of Equestria's desert territories would be theirs, the diamond dogs being a good business with the U.G.F., the deer kingdom being too scared to enter the war, the donkey and mule union in hip deep of gold because of the arms race when the war began, and how there was still bad blood between the ponies and the caribou clans. Shining Armor just signed as he can see that war was fixing to be lost and he doesn't know what will happen if he ended up being capture again. Will he be killed off? Be a slave to some creature for entertainment? He just doesn't know. "Sir do you have a moment?" Came a voice making Shining Armor to look at his right to see none other than Flash Sentry standing there.
"Of course Sentry. You may speak." Shining Armor reply.
"Thank you sir. I have counted all of our food and water. And frankly sir we only have enough for two more days." That was not good news for Shining Armor. With only two days of food and water the unicorn stallion needs think of something and fast or else himself and evey other royal guard in this fort will surly die.
Mean while in the U.G.F. camp there was a huge tent that was big as a house with the inside having a king size bed at the right and there was a work desk on the left. On the desk was the naked form of Starlight Glimmer with her breast on the hardwood, a magic blocking ring on her horn, and was moaning away with her master thrusting his shaft into her. Her master was none other than the pegasus stallion Thunderlane himself and he was so far the only pony general of the U.G.F. army. Unknown to most ponies Thunderlane was a spy for Dark Razor before the fall of Ponyville and he also wanted something better for his little brother, Rumble, live and being a spy for the griffons was the kicker to make sure that himself and his little brother was the way to bo it. Thunderlane groan deeply as he cums inside of Starlight making the unicorn mare to cum herself. Her mind was already broken long before the siege began and she passed out after her master pulls his cock out and shoots a few cum shots on her back. Thunderlane puts up his slave mare and drops her the ground right next to the bed before he chains her right leg the bed's headboard. The pegasus stallion mean while just puts on a blue no sleeve shirt and a pair of black pants before making his way back to the desk. Thunderlane vowed complete loyalty to Dark Razor when he took command of the U.G.F's fifth army and begins the siege of Fort Frost no matter what it will take. "General are you in there?" Came a voice outside the tent.
"I'am in here Griff. You may come in." Thunderlane reply and a very dark green male griffon came into the tent wearing red blood armor showing that his home kingdom was the griffon kingdom that was the next-door neighbor of the dragon territories. "Is the tunnel ready?" Thunderlane asked.
"Yes sir. All we have to do is to set the greek fire bombs underneath the main keep of the fort and the defeaters will don't know what hit them."
"Good. When night comes we will begin the last fight to take this here fort." Then Thunderlane sees that Griff was unsure of him. "Is there something the matter Griff?"
"Only one sir. Why did you join the empire before this war began and l know you wanted to make sure that your little brother has a good life but... is there something else then that?"
Thunderlane couldn't help but to chuckle at the question. "(chuckle) Well it's funny how you're ask. You see back Ponyville l usually drug mares, fucked them, and leave them completely knock out on the floor. But l can never get one for myself well forever. Until l heard that the United Griffon Front was fixing to united all of the griffon kingdoms l saw my chance to finally have a slut of my own along with a few more and show my little brother how to own a slave mare like he did with that bitch Flitter." That was true because after a few days when Ponyville fell Thunderlane drugged Flitter just enough to have Rumble to have his way with the older pegasus mare. "Besides with me being a general it was just a bonus to make sure that Rumble has a good number of slave mares like his big brother."
Griff couldn't help but to smile to hear that. "Well l guess that reason enough to put mares in their place."
"To true my friend, to true." Then Thunderlane pours two cups full of red wine and handing one to the male griffon. "A toast to the end of the war and winning it."
"I hear that." Then the pegasus stallion and male griffon hit their cups together and begins to drink down their wine for tonight will be the last night of the siege.
________________________________________________
EIGHT HOURS LATER
Shining Armor was in his office trying to find a way to win the siege but he was getting nothing but losing battles in his head and was beginning to think that it was useless. Then he hears a massive explosion followed with the unicorn stallion falling into a hole in the floor after it formed below himself. Shining Armor fell about ten feet until he landed on his back and was also back outside. He groaned while getting up and after he was also to stop seeing stars he looks up to see that the whole keep was up in flames. Shining Armor gets to his feet just as all of the other royal guards was beginning to grab buckets of water and was throwing the water into the fire. One of them was Flash Sentry and after he throws some water into the blaze the pegasus stallion sees his commanding officer making him to give the bucket to a other royal guard before running to the unicorn stallion's side. "Captain Armor are you okay?"
"I'am fine Sentry." Shining Armor reply while getting his bearings. Then they heard a other explosion behind them making both of the stallions to look at the wall with a section completely blow away. Then Shining Armor knows what's going on. "Get everypony out of the fort NOW." After Shining Armor yelled the order there was a other explosion other at the bunker of the west wall making it go up in flames with a other section of wall with it.
"EVACUATED." Flash Sentry yelled just as the living quarters and mess hall explode at the same time. Soon every royal guard stopped fighting the fires, grab what they need like food or medicine, and was beginning head to the emergency escape tunnel that goes fifty yards straight down before it makes a complete right turn towards back to Canterlot. "Captain come on let's go." Flash Sentry said before a other explosion forced him to go underground with the last of defeaters. Shining Armor had to grab a bag full of medicine and water before he begins to run at the tunnel. Just as he was about to enter the tunnel....
BOOM
... a explosion happened inside the tunnel and the shockwave tossed the unicorn stallion five feet in the air before crash landing on a wooden cart. Some of wood got broken during the explosions and after Shining Armor crash a sharped wooden shaft was sticking into his right leg. The unicorn stallion beared his teeth as the pain was going through his leg before he looks back at the tunnel. Shining Armor can only stair at the fire coming out of the tunnel and then he fines out he was played like a fool. The U.G.F. must have fine out about the escape tunnel and set fire bombs all over the fort by going underground. Then Shining Armor noticed that there was no more explosions just as he hears footsteps behind him making the unicorn stallion to look at his rear to see a dark gary pegasus stallion with a light green and white mane and tail in black full body armor along with griffon soldiers wearing bloom red armor and zebragriffs with their short spears in hand. Then Shining Armor remembers the pegasus stallion's face after he visited his sister's place six years ago. "Thunderlane?"
"It's been a long time Shining." Thunderlane said just as the unicorn stallion gets back on his feet despite the pain from his right leg. "I see you are the only one left now."
"I can't believe it's you." Shining Armor snapped. "I mean how could you do something like this."
"Hey l am only doing what needs to be done at winning this war. Now that Fort Frost is no longer under the princesses control they will surrender to Dark Razor and this war will be finally come to a end." Then a griffon and a zebragriff came up and grabs Shining Armor by the arms. "I have to say it's a good thing you're the only that come out alive from those explosions."
"Oh yeah why?" Shining Armor asked while still fighting the pain from his right leg. "So l can become someone's puppet for your so called emperor."
"You ready don't know do you? You see the zebra civil war is fixing to come at a close like this one and with the winning side that we have been supporting the new empress of the new zebra empire has taken a liking to you." Then Thunderlane turns to one of the griffons who happens to be Griff. "Take him to the media tent we need him in full health."
"Yes sir." Griff reply before he and some other griffons took Shining Armor away. As for Thunderlane he can only smirk at his victory and for him all he has to do is send a letter to Dark Razor to tell him that the war has been won. |
The United Griffon Front | Chapter 15 | ONE WEEK AFTER THE FALL OF FORT FROST
Canterlot city the home of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna was being falling apart on itself as all of the citizens was locking themselves in their homes as four lines of U.G.F. soldiers was marching down the main hallway straight towards Canterlot castle. In the middle of marching army was Dark Razor wearing his jade chest plate armor, his amulet around his neck, and a chainmail loincloth while sitting on a throne which was on top of a parade float with a huge pile of equestrian gold behind and the float was being pulled by timber wolfs. Soon the U.G.F. army stopped right in front of the main gate to the castle which it has a group of royal guards standing in front of the gate. There was a very quiet moment between the royal guards and the U.G.F. troops until a all too familiar black body armor pegasus stallion landed in front of the royal guard. "You stallions stand aside." Thunderlane said.
Then a green earth pony stallion stepped forward and said. "We don't take orders from traitors."
"Really now. Are we going to have trouble even though your princesses sent a message to my leader tell him that they surrendered." That got the earth pony stallion very angry. "So you ever stepped aside or my friends here will have a fun time removing you.... with their weapons." That got the first three rows of the U.G.F. soldiers to grab their swords and spears. ''So what do you say." The earth pony stallion gave the griffons one more look before he stepped aside along with the rest of the royal guard. "Good answer." Then the griffon troops got to the gate and opened it before they were matching once again.
When they got in front of the castle Dark Razor ordered his troops to make sure that every room empty out of everything and brought out into the courtyard. As the troops was doing that Dark Razor along with Thunderlane and twenty zebragriffs got to the throne room and after opening the double doors there stood Princess Celestia and Princess Luna in the middle of the room. Princess Celestia was wearing a orange sun dress while Princess Luna was wearing a slivery dress with midnight black edges on the sleeves. Dark Razor stepped in front of the alicorn princesses to give a short bow, getting back up, and saying. "It's a honor to finally meet the both of you in person."
"Don't even think that you belong here Razor." Princess Luna snapped. "If you hadn't took over Fort Frost l would personal leaded a attack against your so called empire."
"Luna please." Celestia said while putting her right hand on her sister's left shoulder. "Dark Razor as you already know that we surrendered to you and you would have us as prisoners in return that you would will not take any ponies in Canterlot to become slaves in your empire yes?"
"On my honor as a drakegriff yes. All of the ponies in Canterlot will not be enslaved." Dark Razor just as two zebragriffs got behind Celestia and Luna to handcuffed their hands behind their backs. "Don't worry this will only be a short few moments as we go to the courtyard." Then the drakegriff, pegasus stallion, the twenty zebragriffs, and the two alicorn mares begin their walk back to the outside world. As they were walking down the hallways both Celestia and Luna can that the U.G.F. troops was forcing all of the castle staff out of the castle and was also ransacking all of the rooms just to find something to have. Soon all of them was back outside where there was a huge bonfire burning away anything that was being threw from the castle on the left side of the courtyard. Mean while on the right side there was two giant crystals that spired each other upwards for fifthly feet and was surrounded by crimson hive changelings wearing blood red cloaks covering most of their bodies. Queen Scarlett was there too wearing a crimson roman battle armor with a her helmet underneath her right arm.
The alicorn mares was walking to the crystals just as Queen Scarlett see them. "Ahh so this is the two legendary princesses l heard so much about." The changeling queen said while also looking at Luna's perfect hourglass form. "I see that you are prefect for my hive."
"And what do you have in mind to do with me you parasite." Luna snapped making Queen Scarlett to only laugh at the princess of the night.
"Oh believe me you will know soon enough."
"Please ladies business before pleasure." Dark Razor said as they came up to the center of the double crystal spire. "Would the both of you be so kindly stepped right here please."
Soon both alicorn princesses stepped into the center of the spire just as Dark Razor and his men stepped away from the crystals. "I don't like this one bit Tia." Luna said as both of them had their backs touching each other. "I have a feeling that they are going to turn into dust."
"If they wanted to kill us they weren't do it back in the throne room." Celestia said just as the cloaked changelings was beginning to say some strange words from their mouths. "But l do have a feeling that l know what's going to happen to us." Soon the crystals begin to glow white with the air spinning around over their heads. Luna was starting to get nervous and just about to teleport herself and her big sister away until two white beams of energy shot out from both of the crystals and each beam hit the alicorn mares right on their horns. Then they could feel their magic was being drained out of their bodies with new beams coming out of their eyes and mouths. What felt like forever all of the beams disappeared and then the two alicorn mares fell to their knees after feel a little weak. After shaking her head a little Princess Celestia wanted to see if her feeling was right by trying to put some magic in her horn... only to feel nothing happening. "Just as l thought."
"What do you mean." Luna asked before she tried her own horn and also feel nothing. "What in the name of..." The princess of the night gasped as she tries to also use her wings... only to see that they are not unfolding. "What has happened to us?"
"Simple your highness." Dark Razor said as the two alicorn princesses was brought up back to their feet and was removed from the crystals. "The crystals here has drained ever ounce of magic in your bodies. Therefore you two can't no longer use magic norn your wings but still being immortal."
"And don't worry about the night and day shifts you two always do." Queen Scarlett said while also pointing at the cloaked changelings. "These are my best of the best changeling mages from my hive. They will do the shifts now that the crystals has your magic in them." Then she looks at her wristwatch to the time and begins to grin. "And just in time too. Look closely." Then the changeling mages being to say strange words once more and then the two crystals begin to glow. Soon the sun was beginning to set and then the moon was beginning to rise and it stopped until the sun disappeared from the shy and was replaced with a full moon. Both Celestia and Luna couldn't believe their eyes as they just saw that only they can do. "Now that is out of the way l will take my prize and go home." After Queen Scarlett said that she grabs Luna by the arm and throws the alicorn mare into a nearby wagon. Luna was about to get up but the changeling queen jumped on top of her while a changeling soldier closed the door. "You have no idea how long l have waited for this moment." Queen Scarlett whispered while ranching down with her right hand to pull up the alicorn mare's dress a little and going under the dress. Luna was confused at first but she gets the idea when she feels the hand between her legs. "A long time indeed."
Celestia can only watch as the carriage was being pulled away by timber wolfs and can also hear her sister cursing though the window. "Be strong Luna. Goodbye." Celestia whispered before she turned to the drakegriff emperor. "And what are your plans for me."
"Funny that you should ask." Dark Razor said as a other carriage stopped right next to them. "The Prime Minister of the Minotaur Confederacy has always had a eye for you and since l have very good connections with him l am very should that he would increase my slave trading if l give him the one and only Princess Celestia." Then two western griffon soldiers took Celestia by the arms and got her into the carriage. "Have a nice trip to your 'wedding'." Then the carriage was pulled away just as Dark Razor went back inside the castle to check up on something. After many rights and many lefts the drakegriff emperor along with two desert kingdom griffons made it to the dungeon where his special project he was working on for the last four years was entering the last vase.
There was seven naked mares in seven different dungeon cells with their heads covered by a helmets that was also coving their eyes. There was also tubes that was connect to the helmets with crimson changeling pheromones going into the helmets and the helmets was also showing imagines of being a submission slave mare to her master and let him do whatever he wants with her body. There was even more tubes with the drug know as Pure Pleasure flowing through the tubes. Each mare was laying down on the dungeon wall beds the tubes connected to their breast, mouth, and marehood with the Pure Pleasure going inwards to their bodies. Dark Razor chuckled to see who is each mare really is. The first two was the spa pony twins Lotus and Alon Blossom they have been connected to the helmets and tubes ever since one week after the fall of Ponyville. The third mare was actually the pegasus mare Spitfire and she was capture after the fall of Cloudsdale and she has been connected to the helmet and tubes one month after she was capture. The fourth mare was the pegasus mare Vapor Trail she was capture after the fall of Las Pegasus and has been connected to the helmet and tubes two weeks after her capture. The fifth mare was the unicorn mare Bluebell and has been connected to the helmet and tubes ever since she was taken to U.G.F. territories on the day when her siblings and cousins was killed by that explosion on the Unicornia carriage. The sixth man was the unicorn mare Fleur De Lis she was capture after the fall of Manehattan and was connected to the helmet and tubes four days after her capture. The seventh and final mare was the zebra mare Zecora and just like the spa twins she has been connected to the helmet and tubes one week after the fall of Ponyville.
The reason why Dark Razor has these mares because even though he won the war, he can't enslaved all of the ponies just about under 3/4th's of the Equestrian population to make sure that pony race doesn't die off. But he still needs someone to look over his new territories as a governor and who else there someone from the equestrian royal family. But all of the alicorn mares of Equestria has been now enslaved therefore Dark Razor will have to go to someone else who isn't a alicorn. There are only two of the royal family that is not a alicorn and one of them, Shining Armor, is now the new slave to the new empress of reorganized zebra empire. That only leaves one person left... Prince Spike Sun Drake.
The adopted son of Princess Celestia world be a perfect governor since he is royal blood by adoption but still royal blood. That's where the mares come in because of several reasons. One was that both of spa pony twins is related like the mares Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Two is that Spitfire is completely fit like Rainbow Dash. Three is that Vapor Trail is nice and kine like Fluttershy. Four is that Bluebell is smart and intelligent like Starlight Glimmer. Five is that Fleur De Lis is very generous like Rarity. And six is that Zecora is a exotic mare like Twilight Sparkle. Spike pretty much live with seven mares for a few years and each mare Dark Razor chose for Spike is exactly like the main six and Starlight Glimmer. If Dark Razor can get the greedy side of the young drake to serviced out Spike will become the new governor for Equestria. Dark Razor chuckled at the plan for the young drake but there was also he was thinking about inside his head. "I wonder how Shining Armor is doing within the zebra empire." |
The United Griffon Front | Chapter 16 | TWO WEEKS AFTER THE FALL OF FORT FROST
Shining Armor was slowly opening his eyes. He doesn't remember that much after he lost the fort to the United Griffon Front. All he remember was that after a couple weeks of traveling in a caged wagon, the griffon troops that was holding him prisoner made it to the border of the Zebra Empire where a group of zebra soldiers was waiting for them. After the griffons gave Shining Armor to the zebras and leaves for their homeland a zebra soldier grabs the unicorn stallion before giving a hard punch to the face. After that Shining Armor really doesn't know what happened. Soon he finally open his eyes to see that he was in a room with sandstone walls, roof, and floors. There was a balcony on the left side of the room with a slide glass door letting day light into the room. On the right side of the room there was a very long book shelf full to the brim with scrolls and bottled potions. There was also six pillars made out of sandstone showing Shining Armor that the room was the size of a house. The floor had a long green carpet that goes to the double doors, which was on the opposite side of the room, to the bed which Shining Armor was laying on. The bed was a 3X king size bed with leopard skin blankets, snow leopard skin pillow cases on all eight pillows, and one more thing...
... a naked Shining Armor on top. The unicorn stallion had no clothes on what so ever and not only that but all four of his limbs was tied to each corner of the bed. Shining Armor tried to use his magic but instead he said. "Ow." After he just legalized that there is a magic blocking ring on the base of his horn. The unicorn stallion was thinking of a other way to get out of this mess until the double doors open and closed. Shining Armor looked at the doors to see a zebra mare there and was walking towards the bed. She had her mane down and was also brushed to the right side to her head, she was wearing a sliver tribal top covering her E cup breasts, a bright red tribal loincloth, two golden earring rings on her left ear, and she had green eyes. This wasn't the first time Shining Armor meets a zebra mare after all he did met Zecora back over at Ponyville a few years before the war but this was the first time he was meeting a zebra mare with himself naked as a family pet which made him. "(gulp)." The zebra mare was getting closer to him so Shining Armor tried to pull the ropes that was holding he down on the bed but it was no good as the ropes was very strong and was also very tight on the bed posts like a workshop vice.
"Ahh it is very good to see you awake at last." The zebra mare said while being at the unicorn stallion's right side. "I must admit, l am sorry for my guards for knocking you out. They were just making sure that you wasn't gonna make any trouble."
"Wait a second 'your' guards." Shining Armor said. "Then that means..."
"You have guessed it. I'am the empress of the new zebra empire, Ritala." Ritala said while getting on the bed. "You are very lucky that l convince the drakegriff emperor to have you here or else you would be in his gladiatorial fighting games by now."
"And why you wanted me?" Shining Armor asked while getting a very dirty look from the zebra empress making him to. "(gulp)." For the second time.
"It is simple really. You see l never like the stallions of my kind. They are always like to be the one that gives the orders instead of taking orders. But you pony stallions are perfect to be dominated and to be submissive to any mare that takes you into a bed." Then Empress Ritala gets off of the bed and heads to the book shelf. After a minute or two she grabs a pink purplish potion before getting back on the bed. "This here is Kamyla. A energy booster potion that made and design only for pony stallions just like the other three stallions l had my fun with."
"O-other stallions?" Shining Armor said shakily. "W-what other stallions?"
"I glad you asked but first." Ritala then uncorks the bottle and stuffed Shining Armor's mouth with it. The unicorn stallion was trying his best not to drink it but the zebra mare saw that so she uses her other hand to cover his nose. Soon with the lack of oxygen Shining Armor had no choice but to let the potion slowly into his stomach. When the bottle was emptied Ritala throw the bottle away and tells him about her other pleasure stallions. "You see, you are the forth stallion l had into my chambers. The first one was Braeburn of the Apple Family a very muscular earth pony who l had my hunters kidnapped before the civil war and he gave birth to my first foal a colt. The second one was Silent Knight a very militarize pegasus stallion from a long line of soldiers in his family. I managed to buy him from the U.G.F. slave trade from the group of ponies that was capture from losing a fort from your coaster beaches. He was the one who helped me to give birth to my second foal a filly. Then there was Super Nova a cute bat pony stallion that had many mares looking at him with lustful eyes and also dreaming about being with him in bed. And believe it or not he came here on his own trying to make peace with me and the rebels who rise against me but should have known better. He did help me with the twins however (chuckle)."
Then Ritala noticed that Shining Armor's shaft was at full mass and ready to be played with. That made the zebra empress smile. "Since you had your fun with that slut of a alicorn you once called a wife, let's us see that how good you are with a zebra mare." After Ritala said that she took off all of her clothing showing her black tits and pussy lips to the unicorn stallion and that somehow made his shaft to twitch a few times. "Getting excited are we now (chuckle). Well believe me you are gonna love this." Then the zebra mare puts herself on top of Shining Armor with her head above his stallionhood and her pussy lips above his head.
Shining Armor was sweating arrowheads as he was trying to think a way out of the horny zebra mare's bed. "Wait a minute. Let's not mmm." The unicorn stallion didn't finish his sentence when Ritala let's her hips go down and into Shining Armor's mouth. That made the zebra empress to moan a little as she couldn't control himself anymore and let's her head go down before she swallows up the cock of her fourth stallion. Ritala bobbing her head up and down on the unicorn stallion's shaft all the while she was girding her hips into Shining Armor's mouth. As for Shining Armor this wasn't the first time he was tied to a bed because he was married to Cadence but something different as he was forced to do this. With each gird from the zebra empress hips a good amount of her pussy juices was going inside the unfortunate stallion's mouth and somehow to him Ritala tastes like grapes with a hit of lemon. That wasn't all as his shaft was being suck on by the zebra mare's mouth which was causing Shining Armor to moan into her pussy lips. The moaning from the unicorn stallion was also causing Ritala to moan as well with her mouth still sucking onto the stallion's shaft. Then Ritala gets idea to use on Shining Armor like she used on Braeburn when she first got him. She let's her right hand to travel down until she feels Shining Armor's ball sack and begins to give a few good squeezes. That gotta Shining Armor to begin groaning and buck his hips upwards into Ritala's mouth as the pleasure was building up inside of him. Shining Armor wouldn't have admit but this is very pleasurable even it was against his will but if Cadence caught him like this she would have been very angry or like to jumped into the fun. Soon Shining Armor was feeling the pleasure was fixing to come out of his shaft and Ritala noticed that to by feeling a few twitches on her tongue so she deiced to give the finishing blow by giving Shining Armor's balls a huge squeeze. That was enough to make the unicorn stallion to cum give a long groan and also cums straight into the zebra mare's mouth.
After a minute Shining Armor stops cumming just as Ritala lifts her hips off of his face. As for Ritala she takes her mouth off of the unicorn stallion's cock and was breathing new air. "Ahh you have a most wonderful taste Shining Armor. No wonder that whore of a princess of yours had her fun with during your marriage." The zebra empress said before she moved her body with her pussy lips hanging above the unicorn stallion's still hardened cock while looking down on his face. "And now you will know what happens when you rut a zebra mare." After that she plunges her pussy lips downwards with the unicorn stallion's cock inside of her. Shining Armor gasped when the zebra empress took his whole shaft into her marehood then he begins groaning when she begins to go up and down onto his shaft. Ritala don't hesitated to thrusts herself to Shining Armor's cock but she didn't know that his cock was very thick and stretching her pussy walls like none of the other three stallions she has for her pleasure. Back at the unicorn stallion's side of the rough love making he was groaning with each downwards from Ritala's marehood onto his shaft. This was the first time he was inside a zebra mare's private area and this time he had to admit that this feels wonderful. The unicorn stallion's shaft was covered in the zebra empress pussy juices making it easier for Ritala to go downwards on the cock below her.
Soon Ritala couldn't hold herself up anymore so she with a smirk on her face she let's her top half of her body go downwards and smashes her huge boobs on the unicorn stallion's face. Shining Armor was caught completely by surprise when the zebra empress did that and now he was barely getting any air when both of the zebra mare's big breasts was covering both his mouth and nose. Unknown to Shining Armor that Ritala actually did this to Silent Knight when she first got him into her chambers and she just loves how the pegasus stallion was trying to breathe through her soft breast... just like Shining Armor is doing right now. The unicorn stallion was indeed trying to breathe with the soft flesh in front of his face but when he tried to do a breathe inwards Ritala took the opportunity to put her left boob into his mouth forcing him to suck on it. "Oh yes that's it, don't stop." Ritala moaned out as she doubles her hips to go even faster. "That's right you colt just keep doing that. Cum inside of me. Make me pregnant with my next child... our child." Shining Armor was trying so much to fight it but it was useless as the pleasure was building up in his balls. Soon the zebra empress was going faster and faster as she can feel the pleasure was also building up inside her system mostly around her womb. Soon after two more minutes of thrusts her hips downwards Ritala made one more before she let's out a cry of pleasure with her pussy lips tighten around the unicorn stallion's cock inside of her.
When Shining Armor feels the zebra mare's pussy lips was squeezing on his shaft him he couldn't hold it anymore. The unicorn stallion once again let's out a big groan as he was unleashing his stallion seed inside the zebra empress pussy lips before it was felling up her womb to the brim. Both the zebra mare and unicorn stallion was stuck like this for a few minutes until finally both of them stopped cumming. Ritala gave a long sign before she gets herself off of Shining Armor's shaft and face letting him breathe at last. "My my Shining Armor you are the perfect stallion." Ritala said as she was putting her clothes back on.
"So are we done now?" Shining Armor asked hoping for a yes.
"We are but my sisters want some fun too."
That gotten the unicorn stallion to look at the zebra empress in disbelief. "S-s-sisters?"
"Indeed. GIRLS." Ritala shouted making the double doors open. Shining Armor looked at the doors just in time to see over two dozen zebra mares looking back at him with lustful eyes. "Have fun girls." Ritala said as she left the room, leaving Shining Armor to the horror of the very horny group of the zebra empress's sisters. |
The United Griffon Front | Chapter 17 | THE CRIMSON CHANGELING HIVE
Princess Luna, or just Luna for short, was being pulled by a leash that was connected to the black collar around her neck though out the halls of the home of the crimson changelings. She was being forced to walked thanks to the four changeling soldiers around her and a fifth soldier was pulling on the leash taking her to the place the alicorn mare needs to be at. Ever since Luna got to the hive a whole week ago she was forced to wear different and very revealing outfits for that whole week until finally the changeling in charge of her new 'uniform' for her new life as the personal slave to the changeling queen. Luna is wearing a small white transparent maid's apron around her waist showing her marehood, white knee socks, a maid's tiara, a black corset that was only covering the lower half of her body leaving her breasts hanging out, both her mane and tail was tied up into a bun, and finally there was three tattoos just above her breasts that said 'Queen's New Maid' in white ink. Luna vows to fine a way to kill that horrible changeling queen that forced her into this, fines and free her older sister Celestia, and somehow get their magic back if it will be the last thing she will ever do. But for now the alicorn mare has no choice but to buy her time until she will have her freedom back and for good.
Soon the small group ranched a pair of very large wooden double doors with two changeling guards in front. "We have brought the queen's new slave." The fifth changeling soldier said while also giving a tug on Luna's leash forcing her to stepped forward. "The queen is waiting for us. Kindly open the doors please." The two guards nodded before they opened the doors and let the group into the queen's bedroom. Luna can that the walls, floor, and ceiling was crimson red with strange soccer ball size sacks hanging on the ceiling that was glowing red for light. There was a balcony on the left and a large table with all kinds of sex toys on it to the right. In the center of the room was a extra large queen size bed with the sheets, pillows, and blankets all crimson red. On top of the bed was a naked changeling queen doing something that made Luna's eyes widened in complete shock. Queen Scarlett has a huge cock that was minotaur size and she was rutting a unicorn mare that Luna met before. It was a naked Twilight Velvet who disappeared at the fall of Manehattan. The alicorn mare was looking at the sight in complete shock while the changeling soldiers just smirk to see at their queen breaking a other mare for the hive. The sex show came to a end when Scarlett groan and cums into the unicorn mare making her cum as well.
Soon Twilight Velvet's hands and knees gave out on her and she fell on the bed completely knock out by the lack of energy. As for Queen Scarlett she just pulls out her unnatural cock out of the unicorn mare and pushes her off of the bed making the unicorn mare to fall to the ground with a THUD. Queen Scarlett then turns her head to her guards before saying. "You may unhook her boys and then leave please."
"Yes my queen." The fifth changeling soldier said before he unhooks the leash from Luna's collar and he with the other changelings leave the room with the doors closing behind them. As soon they were alone Luna runs towards the bed and was throws her fist to the changeling queen only to be caught in the queen's red magic.
"You really are a warrior princess aren't you?" Scarlett mocked before her magic was holding the alicorn mare completely.
"I swear l will have my revenge for what have you done to my and my sister's people though out the war for your 'use'." Luna snapped to only make Scarlett to giggled a little.
"(giggle) Revenge is a bitter taste for my hive and we had plenty of that horrible flavor when the western griffon kingdom was at war with the zebragriffs over twenty years ago." Then Scarlett gets off the bed and uses her magic to make Luna to stand up completely straight. "Now let's us talk about your new rule in life. You are now my personal maid from now on and don't think because your still immortal that doesn't mean that your will out live me. We changeling queens are immortal just like you alicorns." That got a glare from the alicorn princess. "And of course you will perfect for my little idea of my."
"And what does that mean." Luna demanded.
"You see l need a daughter and you will give birth to her."
That got Luna to look at the changeling queen with shock fill eyes. "W-what."
"It is simple actually. A changeling hive is nothing without both the queen and the princess. I have bred every single unicorn, pegasus, earth, bat, and zebra mare l can get my hands on but unfortunately they all only giving me more future soldiers for the hive. Until one day l realized that in order to have a daughter l will need a very powerful mare in order to give me the future princess of the hive and who better than to help me with that then no other than the former Nightmare Moon." Luna was now sweating with nervousness as Queen Scarlett was now planning to use her like a foal factory. "Now let's get you ready for your first breeding." Queen Scarlett opens her mouth and crimson changeling pheromones came out of her mouth before the red mist hits Luna right in the face. The pheromones got to work no more than a second after they hit Luna making her feel hot under the collar.
Soon the alicorn mare was starting to feel that her tits was getting hard and her marehood was getting wet. Queen Scarlett then uses her magic to forcefully to make Luna to bend over with her hands touching the bed while her hooves was still on the ground. The changeling queen then gets behind of Luna to see that the alicorn mare was already wet like a kitchen sink and that made her grin. "I have tasted so many mares over the years but l always wondered what a alicorn mare would taste like. Time to fine out." After Queen Scarlett said that she got down on her knees before she plunges her forked tongue into the princess of the moon's pussy lips. Luna couldn't help but to moan at the moment when she can feel something long and skinny going into her private parts. As for Scarlett she was getting the taste she always wanted to know and that taste was the flavor of blueberry ice cream the kind of ice cream that someone will have for a late midnight snack. Queen Scarlett was indeed having a good time of eating out her new maid's pussy lips but there was also the other thing that the changeling queen was also getting out of the alicorn mare's pussy lips. And that was lust. Queen Scarlett was sucking out the very emotion of lust out of Luna's body system which was making Luna feel even more pleasure.
The alicorn princess was trying to stop her moans from coming out of her mouth but it was proving impossible to do as the changeling queen's tongue was going deep inside of her marehood. Luna was wondering how many mares suffered at the clawed hands of the changeling queen before she feels the tongue was going into her very womb making her to gasped in pleasure and also couldn't believe how long Queen Scarlett's tongue was. Unknown to the alicorn mare Queen Scarlett used her shape shifting powers to make her tongue to grow longer as she did to Twilight Velvet and so many other mares though out the years. As the changeling queen was still doing her tongue lashing Luna was starting to feel a very warm feeling though out her whole body making the alicorn mare's own tongue to hang out of her mouth. What she didn't know was the pheromones was still doing their work of making pleasurable waves in each body system of the alicorn mare and that was only making Luna to moan even louder then before. Queen Scarlett mean while can feel Luna's clitoris was rubbing against her lower lip giving the changeling queen a idea. She brings up her left hand and begins to pitch it making Luna to yelp in both surprised and pleasure. Soon Luna was starting to feel something around her stomach area and that was making her eyes to roll in the back of her head.
Queen Scarlett mean while can see that the alicorn mare was getting close to cumming do to the sounds of her moans. After a couple more minutes Luna couldn't hold it a and she cums straight into the changeling queen's mouth. The alicorn mare was screaming out in pleasure as her body juices was being swallowed down by the very happy Queen Scarlett who was enjoying the sweet taste of mare cum. Soon after a whole minute of cumming Luna finally stops cumming and was breathing in new fresh air. As for Queen Scarlett she was enjoying the last of the alicorn mare's cum before she swallows it down and gets back up. Luna was fixing to believe that it was over until she feels a couple of hands on her hips making the alicorn mare to look back over her shoulder to the female changeling and her very hard cock. "Funny thing about being a changeling." Queen Scarlett said while pointing her shaft at the entrance to Luna's pussy lips. "We can always change our body parts for something else more fun." Then she thrusts her unnatural cock into the alicorn mare all the way though. The alicorn princess screamed at the top of her lungs when she feels the very large cock was inside of her before the screaming stopped and was replaced with her moaning. The changeling queen wasted no time to fuck the alicorn mare as she can feel her shaft being squeeze down by the mare's pleasure hole.
Queen Scarlett was in a world of her own. Fucking this alicorn mare has always been her dream ever since she first lay eyes on her during the battle of Great Hoove Hill two years ago. As for Luna this was on a nightmare as she was being used like a sex toy for this changeling queen's pleasure. The alicorn mare can feel her insides being tossed back and forth with each thrust inwards into her body making the alicorn mare wished that she was killed instead of this. The changeling queen mean while was absolutely loving this because out of all of the mares Scarlett impregnated clearly this mare was extremely tight beyond of the other mares. "Perhaps she will give me more than one daughter." Queen Scarlett thought to herself as she was continuing her attack on Luna's pussy lips. Back over at Luna's side of the rough love making she was feeling her stomach was being pushed with each thrust making her to look down at her mid section to see a very big bugle poking out of her body making her to go wide eye in shock to see something like that. The alicorn mare was hoping that the changeling queen's monster of a cock was the only thing she has to worry about that's until she feels a slap on her right cutie mark making her jump. Queen Scarlett likes to mess with her breeding pets during the love making with some hard spanking.
With each thrust Scarlett gives to Luna she will spanked one side of the alicorn mare's rear end making her unknowingly tighten her marehood around the queen's unnatural cock. Queen Scarlett give a few grunts as she can feel the new tightness around her shaft making her to double her thrusting into the former princess. Luna can feel each thrust from the changeling queen's cock and each spank on her cutie mark making her head begin to spin as the pleasure was starting to get to her head. With each spank Queen Scarlett was giving to the alicorn mare it was starting to leave a red hand print on her cutie mark and that made the changeling queen to make a wicked smile and begins to make her spanks even harder than before. The new hardness of the spanking was making Luna to give a lot more yelps than her moans. Soon Luna was starting to feel that feeling again and just like the last time it was around the area of her stomach. Queen Scarlett was starting to feel something as well but this one was in her shaft as it was starting to twitch a lot. "Show time." The changeling queen thought to herself before she just let's go. With a groan escaping her lips Queen Scarlett unleash a wave a changeling cum straight into the alicorn mare. Luna feels the cum going straight into her and it was enough to make herself cum too. For a whole five minutes both the alicorn mare and the changeling queen was stuck like this with Scarlett still cumming inside her breeding mare's womb. What seems like forever to the former princess she finally feels Scarlett stops her cumming and was breathing new fresh air. Queen Scarlett sighed after the pleasurable moment but she wants more. The changeling queen then uses her magic to grab a butt peg from the table that was sliver with a ruby on the flat end. After spiting on it thanks to her long tongue she stuffs it into Luna's tail hole making the mare yelp again. "This is not over my pet." Scarlett said. "I know that because you are over a thousand years old that it won't be easy to impregnate you. But l don't mind waiting it out as it means l will have a lot more fun breeding you ever single time l fuck you." Luna only panic when she heard that. "Now as a zebra stallion would say to his breeding slave. Get ready whore, because here comes some more." Then Scarlett begins to thrusts again as Luna was now starting to think she will never see her freedom ever again. |
The United Griffon Front | Chapter 18 | ONE WEEK AFTER THE SURRENDER THE MINOTAUR CONFEDERACY ROYAL CASTLE
Within one of the many rooms there was one room that had a inside waterfall with many female creatures in it... without any clothes. There are female dragons, griffon hens, zebra and pony mares, and finally there was female kirins. A creature species Celestia thought was only a myth. Ever since the alicorn princess got to the castle of the Minotaur Confederacy a week ago she gone through many baths in the waterfall and the pool which was the spot the water was falling into with the other female creatures. Soon she discovered that they all was members of the royal harem to the Prime Minister of the Minotaur Confederacy. Also when she was taking those baths the harem members helped out their new 'sister' to get ready for Celestia's big night with their master. They helped the alicorn mare with potions that they rubbed all over her body and each time they do it, the potions somehow made Celestia's body more sensitive at each bath. Soon the head maiden of the harem, the former kirin queen Rain Shine, was making the finishing touches on Celestia's new clothes she most wear for her new life from now on. It was a very revealing harem outfit which it was the exactly same harem outfit that some of the other harem members are wearing too. A light almost white pink veil that was not transparent over her mouth, two transparent purple long veils that connect to from her shoulders to her wrists letting them hang loosely on both of her arms, a golden collar that was wide around her neck which almost looked like her old one but it was also connected to a wide transparent golden breast current that was covering both of her huge breasts, and finally there was a fiery orange loincloth that was not transparent covering her marehood.
Celestia blushed under her mouth veil as she looked herself in a nearby mirror before Rain Shine took Celestia's hand and went out of the waterfall room. The hallway was being guarded by at least 50 or so minotaur soldiers that had black body armor and was armed with crossbows or spears. Celestia can feel the grazes from the soldiers as herself and the former kirin queen walked on by down the hallway. Soon after five minutes of walking both the harem slaves made it to a large set of dark brown double doors and Rain Shine quietly opened the door on the left and took Celestia inside. The room itself was large as a ball room with tall windows on both sides letting moonlight go through, the ceiling was painted black which was the same color of the walls, the floors was covered in a slivery carpet, and finally there was other harem slaves lined up on both sides while sitting on their knees. But these harem were different because as they were still wearing the same harem outfit but they were all pregnant.
Some from two or eight months in which made Celestia look with confusion to see pregnant female dragons and griffon hens because their kinds usually have eggs instead of being pregnant. Rain Shine then took the alicorn mare to the end of the large room and there was seven or eight harem slaves that was not pregnant and was doing a group belly dance. In front of the belly dancing group was a very large king size bed with black bed sheets and blood red pillows. Sitting on the edge of the bed was Celestia's new master... Prime Minister Kessen of the Minotaur Confederacy. A minotaur bull that had a pitch black fur coat and finally dark magic eyes much like the former unicorn stallion Sombra. This wasn't the first time Celestia met Kessen before because thanks to the dark magic inside his body he was immortal just like her. Then Celestia noticed something a young unicorn mare between his legs licking on his huge shaft. The alicorn mare can only see that the mare was wearing the harem outfit just like all the others and was also pregnant but Celestia can see the mare's mane and tail she made the alicorn mare gasped as she knows that unicorn mare. "Sweetie Belle." She whispered making the young unicorn filly to look over her shoulder and went wide eye to see who said her name. Then Celestia turned to Kessen before saying. "Out of all the terrible things you have done Kessen this was the lowest of them all."
"Oh come now Celestia." Kessen said in a very low and deep voice. "Sweetie Belle here is lucky to be alive unlike the rest of her family." Then the min bull turned to the unicorn filly and simply said. "Leave." Sweetie Belle did just that with putting her veil back over her mouth and went to the left side of the room before she sits down on her knees. "I already know that Dark Razor was planning to kill the royal Unicornian bloodline and so l just sent one of my best mages to teleport the young mare right before the explosion." Then he turned to Rain Shine. "Join your sisters for my viewing pleasure." Rain Shine bowed in submission before getting in front of the dancing slaves and joining them. Then the minotaur bull's horns lit up with dark magic and before Celestia even knows it she was walking towards the bull before falling on her knees before him. "You have no idea how long l have waited for this moment." Kessen said while cresting the alicorn mare's right cheek. "Every time that we meet over the centuries l have always looked to the lovely body of yours and believe that you're were born to be one of my harem pets to one day give birth to my young sons. And now that time has come." Then Celestia was once again no longer in control of her body as she took off the veil. "But first you must prove your worthlessness to bear my future sons."
Then he grabs Celestia's head and plunges his shaft into her mouth. The alicorn mare gagged the second the minotaur cock was inside her throat right before Kessen forced her to bobbed her head back and forth onto his shaft. The minotaur prime minister groan as Celestia's throat was so very warm just like Rain Shine's after he conquered her kingdom three years ago. As she was going back and forth Celestia was forced to only breath though her nose but in doing so the alicorn mare was also breathing in the minotaur bull's musk and sweat which was some how making her wet at her marehood. What she doesn't know is that the potions she washed with was starting to effect each time she was breathing in the minotaur's musk and sweat. As for Kessen he was clearly enjoying the blow job Celestia was giving him like in his dreams of her but this was way better than the dreams as he took both of the alicorn mare's ears and started using them like handles. When Kessen started using her ears Celestia was now forced to take the minotaur's huge shaft all the way down until her nose bumps his furry waist and was forcibly pulled back until only the cock head was the only thing in her mouth than the whole thing will repeat itself much to Kessen's fun and pleasure.
Celestia was trying everything to see if this was nothing more than a bad dream with the hopes that her sister will popped out of nowhere and stops this nightmare. But it was still all too real as Kessen was now forcing the alicorn mare onto his shaft so much that his furry ball sack was hitting Celestia's chin with each thrust forwards. The minotaur bull mean while looked at the belly dancing harem slaves in front of him and he can only imagine Celestia doing a perfect belly dance for his viewing pleasure. Then he looks to the right side of his bedroom at the line of pregnant harem slaves and also imagines Celestia sitting on her knees with a blank look on her face and being pregnant with one of his future sons. Those two very thoughts made the minotaur bull's shaft twitch and he begins to double his movements on Celestia's throat. As this was still going Celestia can hear grunts and groans from Kessen's mouth and also she can feel the vines on the minotaur bull's shaft was starting to popped out and was rubbing against her tongue. Other at the Prime Minister's side Kessen can feel himself getting close to cumming with the feeling around his stomach and his ball sack still hitting Celestia's chin. Soon after two more pumps Kessen gives out a big groan before he forces Celestia to go completely down on his shaft as he unleashed his minotaur baby batter into Celestia's throat.
With Kessen's large shaft all the way down her throat Celestia had no choice but to swallowed down spurt of minotaur cum down to her stomach. What felt like forever to the alicorn mare Kessen finally stops cumming and gives a sign of satisfaction before he pulls his still hard cock out of Celestia's mouth. The alicorn mare coughed out some little drops of cum before she puts the veil back on to hide her embarrassed and blushing face. "Good your already learning." Kessen said making Celestia looked at the minotaur bull with a confused look on her face. "Your beauty is only my to look at from now on." Then once again Celestia can very the dark magic taking hold of her body and soon she fines herself facing the belly dancing slaves with Kessen's shaft poking her marehood. "Now you are ready to be my.... forever." And with that Kessen forced Celestia to go down and a second later the alicorn mare screams at the top of her lungs. Then they screaming stopped and was replaced with the moans of pleasure when Kessen begins to thrust upwards into Celestia's pussy lips. The alicorn mare couldn't stop the moans that was escaping out of her veiled mouth as she feels the minotaur bull's huge hands was on her hips. As Kessen he was finally fucking the very alicorn mare he dreamed of for so many centuries and she was unbelievable tight too as if she was never fucked before.
Unknowingly to the prime minister of the Minotaur Confederacy is that Celestia over the centuries she had never the time to have a pleasurable time with a stallion in a bed besides her time as a 18 year old teen. Celestia mean while was moaning with each thrust into her marehood as she can look down to see a bugle at the spot where her stomach is at. Celestia then noticed something on the belly dancing slaves and that was a slave tattoo where their wombs should be. She looked at the two lines of harem slaves and sure enough they all have a slave tattoo as well including Sweetie belle. She was wondering why they have the tattoos until Kessen brings his right hand to undo the right side of the veil making it hang on the alicorn mare's left side before he forces Celestia into a kiss. Celestia went wide eyes when the kiss started as she was now moaning into the minotaur bull's mouth and his grunts into her mouth. Soon the minotaur bull begins to double his thrusting into the alicorn mare's pussy lips making Celestia's eyes to go at the back of her head when the pleasure was starting to be too much for her. As for Kessen he can feel himself already getting closer to cumming thanks to his new harem pet's extremely tight pussy lips and he wants to make sure that Celestia will remember this day no matter what.
The minotaur prime minister puts his left hand on the spot of Celestia's womb and with a little dark magic a slave tattoo was placed. When the alicorn mare feels the dark magic on her womb it was too much to bear as she unleashes a wave of mare cum onto the minotaur bull's shaft. As soon Kessen feels Celestia's pussy lips was tightening around his cock he couldn't hold it anymore and let's his cum go out of his shaft and begins to paint the alicorn mare's pussy walls white. The both of them was locked like this with their body juices spraying onto each other and their screams was going earth other's mouths. Until finally both of them stops cumming at the same time before Kessen brakes the kiss and let's his shaft slide out of Celestia's marehood.
Celestia couldn't talk at all as the rough love making took all the energy she had. But for Kessen he was fine as he can see that the alicorn mare's bottom half was big as a beach ball like if she was carrying triplets of his future sons. The minotaur prime minister smirk at the sit of his new slave looking like if she was already pregnant.
Then Kessen leads into Celestia's left ear and whispered. "Our son will be the first of many." |
The United Griffon Front | Chapter 19 | CANTERLOT TWO WEEKS AFTER THE SURRENDER
Spike was nervous. More nervous he has ever been as he was in a carriage being pulled by timber wolf power in the streets of Canterlot. As the carriage was going through the streets Spike can remember every day since he was captured by the U.G.F. and he was surprised when the griffons treat him like he was one of their own. The young drake ended up getting the best room of a four star hotel and gets his own maid while being watched by the zebragriff guards that was assigned to make sure that Spike doesn't leave the hotel. Spike tried a good number of escape plans during the first two years of his captivity but the zebragriffs was always one step ahead of him. But they didn't lash out against him and always put Spike back inside the room. As for the maid Spike was surprised that the maid was in fact the griffon hen Gabby wearing a maid's tiara, a black transparent bikini top showing her tits, a black microskirt that stops above her pussy lips, a long transparent white maid's apron showing her pussy lips, a black silk choker around her neck, black knee socks and elbow gloves, and black high heels. When Spike first saw Gabby wearing a very revealing maid's uniform he couldn't swear that the griffon hen wasn't Gabby at all. Over the years Gabby served him for his time in Griffonstone and all the while the griffon hen was also teasing Spike with her body.
Over the first two and a half years Spike tried to resist the urge to grab Gabby and rutted her brains out but one day Gabby started calling the young drake 'master' and when the sun lower at the end of the day he couldn't take it any longer. On that very night he rutted the griffon hen until morning came with Spike out of energy and Gabby completely covered in dragon cum. Ever since that day Spike felt like he went overboard to the female griffon and now she calls him master like if she was is slave to clear his home, look after the house hold pets, sucking on both of his dragon shafts... Spike shook that part out of his mind as he looks down to see Gabby rubbing her head against his leg like a pet. He can also see that he was wearing a sliver chainmail loincloth, a crimson red jacket with black edges on the sleeves, and a golden chain necklace around his neck. It was one of many uniforms he found in the closet of the hotel room and if he knew that he was going to Canterlot Spike would've put something that doesn't make he look like a nobleman for the U.G.F. Then he looks out the window to see the new changes to the great city and the new slave trade area in the place that used to be the market place. Then Spike couldn't sworn that he saw Filthy Rich selling both his wife and daughter to a zebra stallion.
But Spike didn't have time to look back behind him as the carriage was going to the courtyard of Canterlot castle. The young drake can see that the statue of his adopted mother was replaced with a statue of a griffon warrior pointing his sword upwards to the sun as the carriage was coming to a stop. A griffon soldier came to open the door and let's Spike out of the carriage he can see royal guards piling up their usual golden armor in a pile before going to a nearby line of tables to grab a complete set of pitch black body armor. Then Spike feels his shoulder being tapped and looks to fine Thunderlane in black armor. "Hey Spike long time no see."
"Thunderlane." Spike gasped as he and the pegasus stallion hugged each other and gives a pat on the back. Then they broke the hug right before Spike asked. "What you doing here?"
"Oh nothing more than being the top general of Dark Razor's new territories." Thunderlane reply making the young drake to look at his friend with shocked filled eyes. "That's right l am a general for the U.G.F. and l see that you got your own slave." Thunderlane pointed at the submission griffon hen at Spike's feet.
"Um she's not my slave." Spike said while trying to think of a different word. "She's my um my maid."
"Yeah a maid for bucking." Thunderlane laughed at making Spike blush. "Oh don't worry your get the use to having slaves. I know because l have some slave mares back at my place. But no time my old friend Dark Razor wants a talk with you." Then the pegasus stallion took the young drake inside the castle not noticing the wide eyes from Spike after hearing the words slave mares. As Thunderlane was taking Spike inside the castle, Spike couldn't help but to look at the new charges made to the walls like all kinds of weapons hanging on racks or the stained glass windows of his friends and his mother have been replaced with images of Dark Razor, Queen Scarlett, or the many battles that happened back during the war. Soon the pegasus stallion, young drake, and griffon hen came to a large set of double doors that was already open making Spike to see that both of the royal thrones was no longer there and a large black oak oval shaped table sitting on the center of the room. And there sitting on two chairs of the table was Dark Razor wearing his jade chest armor, his amulet, and his chainmail loincloth. Right next to him was a crystal unicorn mare with a dark purple fur coat and a dark blue mane and tail. She was wearing a long red dress with a cut on the left side show her left leg while also wearing white elbow gloves.
Thunderlane, Spike, and Gabby was making their way to the drakegriff emperor and crystal unicorn mare as a royal guard came up wearing his new black body armor with a tray of red wine in glasses. "Ah the very dragon l wanted to talk with." Dark Razor said shaking Spike's hand. But as for Spike this wasn't the first time he met the griffon and dragon hybrid emperor because Dark Razor met Spike several times over the last four years. "Come have a seat." Then Spike and Thunderlane took a seat next to each other with Gabby sitting on the floor next to Spike as the royal guard finished passing out the drinks and left. "Now before we get started with business l like you to meet Schorl Tourmaline head of the Equestria Trainers' Society."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Schorl said making a wave of hello to the young drake and pegasus stallion.
But Spike was completely confused as he never heard of the Equestria Trainers' Society before. "May l ask what is your society?" Spike asked.
"I glad you asked. You see 1,000 years ago l was one of many harem slaves to King Sombra but when the alicorn sisters defeated him and my home was banished l was free. When the Crystal Empire came back with me along with it l thought to be enslaved again until you and Princess Cadence defeated him. Over the first two years of my new life l couldn't get all the things Sombra did to me.... and l loved it all." That got Spike to look at Schorl with shocked eyes to hear someone that wants to be enslaved. "But during my time as a slave l also did things to the other slave mares that made me with powerful. So l thought to myself why l should have all of the fun while l can help others to embarrassed this feeling of dominates. So in secret l slowly made a society of noblemen and women to have slaves of their own and train their slaves how to fellow orders. Just like your slave as she was trained by a minotaur slaver herself." That got Spike to move his shocked filled eyes to Gabby to see giving a small nod of yes to her master's face.
"Now that's out of the way l have a proposition for you young Spike." Dark Razor said.
"For me?"
"Indeed you see that the war between my griffons and the ponies are over l am going to war again but this time my empire is going against King Dainn and his caribou." That got Spike to look at the emperor with a other confusing look. "King Dainn might have slaves too but his barbaric ways of ruling his kingdom will not do and he is now neighbor to the north he is too dangerous of a neighbor to not think worry about. And so while l'am away l need some creatures to be governors in my outer territories while l'am in Griffonstone or out in a war. I have already picked out the other governors of my griffon, zebragriff, and hippogriff territories besides Griffonstone." After Dark Razor said that alarm bells was ringing inside Spike's brain as he thinks where this conversation is getting at. "But for my new Equestrian territories l believe that the honor of the new governor should be you."
"Alright way a go Spike." Thunderlane cheered giving the young drake a few pats on the back.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. Me?" Spike said while being completely shock by the news. "You want me to be your new governor of Equestria?"
"Indeed." Dark Razor said. "You might be a dragon but you're were raised by ponies therefore you know about what ponies need to eat, drink, how they work, how to get money, and other things."
"Plus your the adopted son of Princess Celestia so basely your royalty." Schorl Tourmaline added making Thunderlane look at Spike with a smirk along with a rise eyebrow.
"Adopted son?"
"Long story Thunderlane." Spike said to the pegasus stallion before going back to the drakegriff emperor. "But why out of all of the nobleman or generals of Equestria you had to choose me for this job. I'am never done anything like this before."
"And that's why Schorl Tourmaline is here with us." Dark Razor said pointing at the crystal unicorn mare. "Running a large piece of territory might not be the same of running a society but she knows how things that needs to be done and she can help you with a other thing."
"What's that?"
"I can help you on how to have fun with your slaves." Schorl said making Spike to gag on his drink for a second before swallowing it down and looking at the mare completely shock. "This is a new time young Spike and comes with it slaves. You might think that slavery on ponies is the most horror thing there is but you don't know what happens to a male dragon when he gets teased with sexual things he needs to show a female creature to be a slave and become submission. Which you already have showed to Gabby and claim her as your own."
"But that wasn't me." Spike protested. "That was my greedy side who has a mind of it's own."
"But you did claim her afterwards. Didn't you?" Dark Razor said pointing at the fanged bite mark on Gabby's right shoulder. That made Spike blush as he completely forgot about the bite mark. "And besides if you don't take this job l will have no choice but to leave a griffon in charge and what do you think when a griffon is in charge of a pony population." That got Spike to think with horrible imagines of al of the ponies being enslaved instead of only most of them. And even that didn't happen the griffon will most likely will cut the number of food so down that the ponies will have no choice but do anything to have some food. Then a other imagine showed a large number of mares being forced into the castle for a party to be the 'entertainment' for all of the party quest of a lot of male griffons and creatures.
With those thoughts making him 'gump' in fear before he turns to the drakegriff emperor and the crystal unicorn mare with the words. "Alright you win. I will take the job."
"That's what l needed to hear." Dark Razor said as a blue pegasus mare in very revealing maid's outfit with a tray that has a contract on. She leaves it on the table and would have walked away if it wasn't for Thunderlane to grab her arm and forced her to sit on his lap with his hands playing her breasts making the mare moan. Spike look at his friend with a embarrassed look to see that the pegasus stallion was actually liking this before he turns back to the drakegriff emperor. "This here contract will prove that you will be the new governor of my Equestrian territories and watch over it while l'am not here." Then Dark Razor gave Spike a pen and a minute later Spike signed his name on the dotted line. Dark Razor looked it over and after seeing everything is in order he gets up along with everyone else before he sticks out his hand and said. "Spike welcome to the United Griffon Front." Then the both of them shook hands with Spike hopping he did the right thing. |
The United Griffon Front | Chapter 20: Part 1 | ONE WEEK AFTER SPIKE GOT TO CANTERLOT
Spike was sitting on a bed that was a king size bed of his new room as he was wearing nothing but a pair of green shorts. The room used to be his adopted mother's room but it has been completely changed with the walls painted a very dark blue, the same color to the roof, and golden carpet on the floor. The bed itself had a light purple veil like blanket hanging overhead, made with black oak, dark purple blankets, and three body pillows that was green. The room was being lit by sunlight though the double glass doors of the balcony as Spike was thinking on how he was doing in the past week. The crystal unicorn mare, Schorl Tourmaline, stay true to her word as she helped the young drake on how to run things for the Equestrian territories as governor for Dark Razor while he was marching his army towards the Caribou Mountains. Spike fine out to make sure that all taxes will be counted and shipped for Griffonstone, how to make sure that the number of slaves won't go too high or too low for the slave trading, how to give each guard a number of golden bits for their payroll, the same thing to the castle's staff like the maids or the cooks, how to pick what ponies or any other creatures to be drafted into the army 'if' that needs to happen, and other things. But soon Spike's thinking stopped as he hears a few knocks on his door.
"Come in." Spike said as the door open to let none other than Schorl Tourmaline who was wearing a long blue dress with yellow elbow gloves. But she didn't come alone as seven more mares entered the room which made the young drake's eyes popped out to see who they were. It was Fleur De Lis or Fleur for short the famous super model, Bluebell a unicorn mare Spike sees as a cousin, Lotus and Alon Blossom the Ponyville spa sisters who he haven't seen since the attack on Ponyville, the captain of the Wonderbolts Spitfire, Vapor Trail a pegasus mare he only met a couple of times before the war, and finally the zebra mare Zecora who has her mane completely down instead of her usual mohawke. The seven mares was wearing the same thing that was making Spike's heart beat a lot more faster. A transparent green loincloth showing their marehoods, a large collar around their necks that kinda look likes Celestia's neck piece but it was sliver instead of gold also the collars had one purple transparent breast current covering their big boobs but showing their harden tits, a black transparent veil over their mouths, and finally earrings that was on their left ear and they all look like flower made out of emeralds. Spike can only stair at the seven mares before Schorl Tourmaline steps into his eye site.
"Spike say hello to your new slaves." The crystal mare said making the young drake to look at her with widened eyes.
"S-Slaves?" Spike said shakily.
"Don't worry you will love this." Then Schorl clapped her hands twice and Fleur stepped forward in front of Spike. The young drake doesn't know what's going on until Fleur took her mouth veil off and kissed Spike on the lips. Spike was taken back when the unicorn mare kiss and at the same time he didn't see Schorl cast a invisible spell on Spike. Spike's eyes then turn into slits as some how his greedy side was taking over. When Fleur broke the kiss and puts her veil back on Spike grabs hold of his shorts and rips it off of him to let both of his twin shafts to come out. The young drake's shafts was a fleshy color pair of cocks with both of them having knots at their bases. Soon the super model gets on her knees before she lifts up her breast current and starts giving Spike a boob job on both of his shafts. The young drake groaned when the soft flesh of Fleur's big boobs was rubbing his twin shafts like she done this before. As for the other slave mares they were starting feel like if they were going into heat when they saw their future master's shafts. Bluebell was pitching her right tit while folding her left boob, Lotus and Alon was kissing each after they took off their mouth veils, Spitfire was on her knees as she was rubbing her pussy lips with both of her hands, Vapor Trail was laying on the ground while she was licking Zecora's marehood who was on top of the pegasus mare eating out her panther's pussy lips. Over at Schorl Tourmaline she was sitting on a nearby dark green recliner with her right hand between her legs and rubbing her own pussy lips though her white side-tie panties. The crystal unicorn mare had it admit as she can see why the very mares Dark Razor brainwashed with sexual things that had Spike in it to get into heat at the very sit of the young drake's twin cocks because they were a couple feet long. As for Spike he was still groaning from the boob job as he can remember one time he met her before during a time when Twilight was asked to be at the castle and he went along with her. But soon he forgets about the past as Fleur stopped the boob job before she puts her breast current back down and gets on the bed. The young drake can see the unicorn mare clawed to the headboard before she stops in front of it with the mare on her hands and knees before she sticks out her rear end. Then Fleur moves her tail to the right side to let Spike to see her very pussy lips and can also see they were very wet.
"Are you ready for me master." Fleur said as she use her right hand to spread her pussy lips. "I am a very horny mare for a rough rutting." Spike couldn't control himself as he gets to Fleur before he grabs her hips and plunges both of his shafts into the unicorn mare's pussy lips and tail hole. Fleur screams on the top of her lungs when she feels her master's cock was inside of both of her pleasure holes before she begins to moan when Spike was now thrusting his hips into her's. Spike can never believe that a unicorn mare like Fleur can have two very tight pleasure holes as it was in the proof of her pussy lips and ass was getting tighter with each thrust. As this was going down Schorl was still sitting on the recliner before she clapped her three times and then the other six mares got off the floor and started get on the bed. They began to show that Spike was in charge of them with Bluebell getting to his right side before taking off her mouth veil and gives Spike a kiss on the lips like Fleur did. Spike lended into the kiss as he can feel that Zecora was on his left side and begins rubbing both of her tits on his scaly arm. Both Lotus and Alon got to their master's back before they started giving her a nice and soft message with their hands all over his back.
Then Spitfire got to Fleur's front side before she goes under the unicorn mare and begins to suck on her tits making Fleur moan even louder. And finally the pegasus mare Vapor Trail got to the young drake's tail before she gets over it and begins to rub her pussy lips against the spines which made her moan like the unicorn mare who was still being rutted by her master's twin cocks. As for Spike he was clearly enjoying the treatment he was getting from the six mares as he was still being squeeze down by Fleur De Lis's pussy lips and tail hole. Over at Schorl she can see that Spike was indeed enjoying which made her smirk before she casts a other invisible spell to the young drake's head. Spike was still rutting Fleur until out of nowhere a vision pops inside his mind. The vision was showing Spike doing some paper work on a desk as he was having both of his twin shafts being suck on by both Fleur De Lis on his top shaft and Vapor Trail on his bottom shaft. The vision replays itself for a minute or two before it disappears leaving Spike to think maybe, just maybe, having slave mares is not that bad after all. But he soon forgets about it as he can feel a pleasure building up inside of his body which it was making himself to double his thrusting that made Fleur to moan a lot more faster.
Then Spike let out a roar of pleasure as he begins to unleash a wave of dragon seed into both of Fleur's pussy lips and tail hole. As for Fleur the unicorn mare begins to cum herself when she felt her master's baby batter going inside her body. After a couple of minutes of cumming Spike stops his baby batter wave and at the same time so did Fleur. Over at the recliner Schorl knows that she wasn't finish with the young drake yet so she fires a other invisible spell straight to Spike's head. The young drake was biting down on the unicorn mare's right shoulder to mark her as his mare for live right before the invisible spell hits him. Spike let out a grow before he pulls out of Fleur and grabs both of the spa twins Lotus and Alon. The young drake flip to his back right before he puts the earth pony mares over his cocks with the pink mare on the top one and the blue mare on his bottom on facing each other. Both Lotus and Alon know what their master wanted to do with them so they lower themselves onto the young drake's shafts. Both of the earth pony mares let out a gasp when they feel their master was deep inside of their pussy lips then Spike begins to thrust upwards into both of the spa mares. Both Lotus and Alon begins to moan when they feel that their master begins to rutted into their pleasure holes and they were loving it.
Then the other slave mares didn't want to miss out on the fun so went on to begin to join in. Zecora was the first to show up with her pussy lips hanging above Spike's head and when the young drake sees the zebra mare's marehood he grind before he plunges his forked tongue into the zebra mare's cunt making her to moan right before she was forced into a kiss from Fleur. Then Bluebell grabs her master's right arm to put it between her legs and a second later she begins to feel her master's fingers to play her own pussy lips making her to moan like her fellow harem sisters. Over to the left Vapor Trail grabs the young drake's other arm but of her pussy lips she brings up her master's arm between her breasts and Spike begins to folding making the pegasus mare to join in on the moaning. Spitfire begins moaning as well when Spike wraps his tail around the pegasus mare one time before the young drake thrusts the tip into her marehood. As this was going down both Lotus and Alon couldn't help but to embarrass each other with a kiss after they took off their mouth veils. Over at the recliner Schorl smirk at how everything is coming along perfectly at Spike's training with his new harem slaves. Soon the crystal unicorn mare then fires a other invisible spell to the young drake's head while he was still busy with the mares.
Spike was indeed enjoying himself right before a other vision popped up inside his mind. It was himself taking a bath in a very large bathtub with Lotus and Alon washing his back while Zecora and Bluebell was ridding both of his twin cocks while Spitfire was kissing Spike on the lips. The vision of himself was replaying for a couple of minutes or more until it disappear like the first one. The vision got Spike to begin to think if slave mares don't want to be free as they want nothing more than to be a submission mare willing to do whatever he orders. But soon he forgets about that as he begins to feel the pleasure in his body again making him to once again double his thrusting. When both Lotus and Alon feel that their master's thrusting double they can only to continue to moan into each other's mouths though the kiss. Soon the young drake couldn't hold it anymore and begins to cum straight into the wombs of the earth pony mares. The spa pony twins can feel their master's cum was going inside of their bodies which it was enough to make them both cum at the same time.
Soon after a minute all three of them stopped cumming but Spike wasn't done yet as he pushed the other slave mares out of the way, took the earth pony mares off his cocks before putting them together with their backs facing him and their shoulders touching each other, and Spike bites down on the shoulders. After he finished marking the spa ponies Spike growled again as there are four more mares to mark and make them his forever. |
The United Griffon Front | Chapter 20: Part 2 | Spike couldn't control himself as his greedy side was telling him that everything is alright before he grabs Zecora and puts her on her right side. The bed creek a little as Spike grabs the zebra mare's left leg and puts it over his shoulder before he rams his twin shafts into the zebra mare. Zecora only moan when she feels her master's huge shafts in her pussy lips and tail hole with the top shaft in the pussy lips and the bottom shaft in her tail hole. Then the young drake begins to move back and forth into the zebra mare making Zecora to feel like the happiest mare on the face of Equestria. Soon the other harem mares got in the love making.
Fleur got to her master's right side before takes off her mouth veil and once again gives Spike a loving kiss on his fanged snout. Then both Lotus and Alon got in front of the moaning zebra mare before they lifted her breast current and begins suck on her pitch black tits with Alon sucking on the left and Lotus on the right. Over at Spike's left side was Spitfire as she takes off her mouth veil and gives her master small licks on his scaly neck. Behind Spike was Bluebell as the unicorn mare lifts up her breast current and begins to rubbed her big boobs between the young drake's wings. And finally the pegasus mare Vapor Trail was right next to Fleur to begin to rubbed, folded, and pitch the unicorn mare's breasts making her moan while still kissing her master.
Over at the green recliner Schorl Tourmaline was still watching the young drake making rough sex to his new slaves while she was still rubbing her pussy lips though her white panties. Back over to Spike he had to admit that he always wanted to rutt Zecora all because each time he met the zebra mare in her treehouse she was always wearing the usual brown loincloth and brown strip over her huge breasts making him to have sexy dreams about the zebra mare in most of his nights. As for Zecora she was moaning though her black transparent mouth veil as she was still being hammered by her master's twin shafts.
The zebra mare was beginning to think how happy she was to be pounded by her master as she knows that this will be her service to him for the rest of her life and she was ok with it. Soon Spike begins to double the thrusting into the zebra mare as he can feel pleasure around his mid section and Zecora was also can feel pleasure around her own mid section as she was now moaning even faster than before. Then neither the young drake or the zebra mare couldn't hold it anymore as Spike roars into Fleur's before he cums into the zebra mare. As soon she feels her master's baby batter was inside her womb and tail hole making Zecora to cum as well.
Over at the recliner Schorl was smiling to see that Spike made love with four out of seven of his new slaves just as the young drake stopped the kiss with Fleur and bites down on the zebra mare's right shoulder. "But Spike's training isn't over yet." The crystal unicorn mare thought to herself and fires a other invisible spell to the young drake's head. Spike let out a other growl before he went to grab Spitfire and place her on her back. Spike then moved the pegasus mare's transparent green loincloth to the side before he thrusts his twin shafts into her with his top shaft in her pussy lips and his lower shaft into her tail hole.
Spitfire was caught completely by surprise when her new master begins thrusting into her pleasure holes but she knows it's not her place to judge as she lets her master take complete control of her body. Then like before the other harem mares join in on the rough love making starting with Bluebell as she takes off Spitfire's mouth veil before siting on the pegasus mare's face making her to lick into the pussy lips of the unicorn mare. Then Zecora got to Spike's left side to rubbed her big boobs on his arm and Vapor Trail began doing the same thing to Spike's right arm. Lotus then gets to Bluebell's right side before she took off both of their mouth veils and she kisses her harem sister and Bluebell only moans in Lotus's mouth as Spitfire was still licking her pussy lips.
Alon then got behind of the young drake before she begins to rubbed her pussy lips against the spines of her master's tail making her moan with rub forward. And lastly Fleur got to Bluebell's left side to take off her own mouth veil before she lifts the unicorn mare's breast current up and begins to suck on the left tit making Bluebell to moan even more than before. As for Spike he was completely blow away on how tight the wonderbolt captain's pussy lips and tail hole. Which made he think if he can make her still do her training before pleasuring him before he starts to see a vision inside his head. The vision was showing both Zecora and Spitfire riding his big twin shafts as he was lying down and licking Vapor Trail's pussy lips. The vision stops there just as the young drake was once again can feel the pleasure building up in his mid section making Spike to double his thrusting into the pegasus mare. Spitfire can feel her master's thrusting was going a whole lot faster than before which it was making the pegasus mare to moan louder into the pussy lips of her fellow harem sister as she was also tighten both of her holes for her master's pleasure. After a couple more thrusts Spike couldn't take it anymore and cums straight into the wonderbolt.
Spitfire screamed at the top of her lungs into pussy lips of Bluebell as she was unleashing her pussy juices all over Spike's top shaft. After a minute or so Spike stops cummimg including Spitfire but the young drake wasn't finish yet. He pushes both Bluebell and Lotus out of the way before he bites down on the pegasus mare's left shoulder marking her as his mate. Over at Schorl Tourmaline the crystal unicorn mare was smirking to see Spike marked a other mare as his property but she knows that the young drake is not finish yet so Schorl Tourmaline fires a other invisible spell to Spike's head once again. The young drake let's out a other growl before he grabs Bluebell.
Spike lays down on his back and grabs hold of the unicorn mare's arms before making her back facing him and plunges his twin cocks inside her pleasure holes. With his top cock in her tail hole and his lower cock in her pussy lips Spike begins to thrust into the unicorn mare that he no longer sees as a cousin but as a mare for good rutting. Bluebell was moaning when she feels that her master's cocks was inside both of her lower holes she knows that she was letting her master do whatever he wants to do with her and that was alright with the unicorn mare.
Then once again the other harem mares join in on the party with Vapor Trail sitting down on her master's snout and letting him to started eating out her pussy lips. Then Zecora got right next to the moaning unicorn mare to lifted up her breast current and begins to suck on her right tit. Spitfire then to do the same thing but with Bluebell's left tit and with both of her tits being suck on it made Bluebell to moan even louder. Fleur then got right next to Vapor Trail to take off both of the mouth veils only to kiss on the moaning pegasus mare like the loving slaves they are. Then finally the spa pony twins, Louts and Alon, got behind both Zecora and Spitfire to rubbed their pussy lips at the same time with both of their skillful hands. Over at the recliner Schorl Tourmaline can see that the young drake was plowing Bluebell like piston that shows that Spike is almost complete with his training but not there yet so she fires a other invisible spell. Spike was enjoying the taste from Vapor Trail's pussy lips until a other vision showed up in his mind. The vision was showing Spike himself laying peaceful inside a pool with Zecora and Bluebell in his arms rubbing his chest with their hands as Vapor Trail was ridding his twin cocks. The vision ended right there making Spike to believe that he can have a indoor pool made in the castle for a little party with his friends and some slave mares for entertainment.
But soon he forgets about the idea as once again the young drake can feel pleasure building up in his mid section making him to double up on his thrusting into the unicorn mare. Bluebell can feel her master's thrusting was going faster than before as she can feel something building up around her stomach which was causing her to have her own tongue hanging out of her mouth. Soon after one more thrust Spike roars into Vapor Trail's pussy lips as he was shooting his dragon seed deeped into the unicorn slave mare. As for Bluebell when she feels the very hot dragon cum going into her womb and tail hole she screams through her mouth veil as she was cumming all over her master's lower cock.
After several moments of unleashing pleasure juices both the young drake and the unicorn mare stopped cumming with Bluebell breathing in new fresh air. But then Spike pushed Vapor Trail and Fleur away before he gets up and bites down on the unicorn mare's left shoulder. Back at the recliner Schorl Tourmaline can see that Spike was getting closer to finish his training and there was only one more mare to go. The crystal unicorn mare fires a other invisible spell hitting the young drake on the head and a few seconds later he was growling before he grabs Vapor Trail. Spike got off the bed before he places the pegasus mare on her legs on the floor and her hands on the bed with her rear end sticking out.
Spike wasted no time to begin thrusting in and out of Vapor Trail's pussy lips and ass making the pegasus mare to begin moaning her head off. Vapor Trail wanted to make sure that her master was still having complete control of her body so she begins to move her hips backwards and now with each thrust her master's twin shafts was always inside of her. The other harem mares soon join in with Spitfire getting in front of her fellow pegasus mare before she puts her own pussy lips on Vapor Trail's mouth making the moaning mare to begin licking the pussy lips in front of her. Over at Spike's right side Lotus took off her mouth veil and gives her master a loving kiss while on Alon got behind the young drake to message his wing joints. At Spike's left side Bluebell rubs her head against the young drake's scaly chest like the loving slave she is. Then Zecora got right next to the moaning Spitfire before the zebra mare takes off both of their mouth veils and kisses Spitfire on the lips while she was still moaning. And lastly Fleur got under of Vapor Trail to folded and pitch the pegasus mare's bouncing tits making Vapor Trail to moan even louder into Spitfire's pussy lips. Back at the recliner Schorl Tourmaline can feel herself getting close to cumming all over herself as she can also see that Spike is ready for the final lesson of having slaves and before long she fires her last invisible spell.
Spike was enjoying the tightness from Vapor Trail's pussy lips and tail hole before he sees a other vision inside of his mind. This one was different from all of the others as Spike can sees himself sitting on a throne with all seven of his harem slaves being pregnant and sitting on the floor right next to him while in front of him was a dozen other harem slaves all wearing the same harem outfit as his first seven slaves. As the vision was playing over and over again inside his head Spike finally realizes that having slaves for his pleasure was completely fine with him as he can have more than the seven mares that are with him right now.
But soon he forgets about as he feels the pleasure building up in his mid section for the sixth time. The young drake begins to double his thrusting and when Vapor Trail feels the thrusting was going faster she was moaning a lot more faster as she can feel herself not that far as well. Then finally Spike couldn't hold it anymore and roars into Lotus's mouth as he unleashes his dragon seed into the pegasus mare below him. As for Vapor Trail she was cumming as well the second she feels her master's cum was inside her very womb. Over at the recliner Schorl Tourmaline cums herself though her panties while holding in her screams. Soon Spike stops cumming before he broke the kiss with Lotus and was breathing in new fresh air. Then he feels Bluebell removes herself causing him to be confuse. Spike turns to his left and before he knows it his lips was touching Schorl's. They stood there for a minute before Schorl brokes the kiss with the bewildered dragon. "S-Schorl?"
"Tell me your handsome dragon have you thought about marriage?" The crystal unicorn mare said making Spike blush as he looked into the lustful eyes of the mare before him..... before he grins. |
The United Griffon Front | Epilogue | FIVE MONTHS LATER
Spike was sitting on a throne made out of both black oak and sliver as he was wearing a black tuxedo with his new bride on his lap. Schorl Tourmaline wearing a complete wedding dress cubbies with her new husband as the new wedded couple and their guests was enjoying the site of Saddle Arabian slave mares dancing the day away in the Canterlot throne room. Each slave mare was wearing the same thing which was gold in color. A transparent bocas top, a transparent sarong tied to their right side, and transparent veils over their mouths. Some of the guests was enjoying the show, especially some stallions with lustful eyes, while others was enjoying their food and drinks at their tables.
The Saddle Arabians was the newest slave trade partners to the U.G.F. a little bit after Dark Razor conquered all of the caribou mountains which was a delightful for Equestrian stallions as Saddle Arabian mares are very beautiful. But the only one that was not enjoying the show was Dark Razor who was wearing a black jacket with sliver edges on the sleeves, his amulet, and his sliver chainmail loincloth. The drakegriff emperor was giving the crystal unicorn bride a sour look as this wasn't part of the deal he made with the mare. The deal was if Schorl Tourmaline would help Spike become the new governor for his new Equestrian territories without getting in a place of power of his empire and she broke it.
By becoming Spike's wife Schorl Tourmaline become governess of the Equestrian territories along with her husband. Dark Razor would have her killed off if he didn't need the young drake but unfortunately the emperor does need Spike to make sure that nothing goes wrong therefore leaving Dark Razor with no choice but to let the crystal unicorn mare become governess. The emperor will just let out all of his anger on Twilight when he will gets home always. Then there was Queen Scarlett of the crimson changeling hive wearing a blood red short dress with golden knee socks and she was in a very happy mode today because her plan with the former princess of the moon worked. After mouths of nonstop rutting Queen Scarlett finally got Luna pregnant with her daughter and she only have to wait a other few mouths until the alicorn mare gives birth to her daughter.
Then after Luna gives birth she will have one whole month of rest and relaxation until Scarlett will fucked a other into the alicorn mare... then a other, then a other, then a other and so on. Soon her hive will finally be complete. Then other at one of the tables was a female caribou that goes by the name of Asha who was now the new governess of the Caribou Mountains. After Dark Razor conquered and killed King Dainn he made the sister to the mad caribou king the governess of Dark Razor's new caribou territories in order to reshape the whole caribou culture completely.
For the better.
Over at a other table was the Prime Minister of the Minotaur Confederacy Kessen himself wearing a sliver chest armor and army green pants. He was enjoying the belly dancing slave mares as he was also thinking how much time had passed since he got Celestia pregnant and was ready to pop his first son from the alicorn mare and then he will impregnate her again just to show her that Celestia was now his property forever. Across the table from the minotaur bull was the zebra empress Ritala wearing a green miniskirt with a matching loincloth, a golden bocas top, and a sliver chain necklace around her neck as she was rubbing her pregnant belly.
She was pregnant with Shining Armor's colt thanks to the dark magic mages that told her that she was pregnant with a colt. Ritala was smiling at the thought of all of her sisters also had fun with the unicorn stallion though out the whole day after the zebra empress got pregnant and at the day's end Shining Armor was completely tired out from a whole day of breeding. But after a month of rest he was tied to a wood stage just outside of the royal castle and almost every zebra mare of the zebra empire had their way with the unfortunate unicorn stallion who is still tied to the wooden stage today. On one of the tables that was closer to the newly wedded couple was Thunderlane.
The pegasus stallion was wearing his black body armor with the rake of general on his right shoulder. Thunderlane became Spike's right hand stallion ever since the young drake became governor and always had Spike's back when there was a problem with the rest of Equestria. Not only that but Thunderlane became a nobleman of Canterlot with his little brother, Rumble, moving in with him including all of their slave mares together. Back at the throne Spike was enjoying the show of the belly dancers and his new wife on his lap but he couldn't help but to think back to a curtain changeling king and female dragon lord of the dragons. It seems that both Thorax and Ember was starting to grew more closer to together a little bit after the war started.
And as the war was entering it's third year Thorax told that he loves the female dragon and Ember felt the same to him. The both of them got married one mouth after the war had ended and with the marriage it united the reform changelings and the dragons under the banner of the new kingdom of Drakeling Alliance. Spike just chuckled at the thought of his two best friends getting together like that before he looks down at the base of the throne to see Gabby and the first seven harem slave mares he got from Schorl. The griffon hen was still wearing her very revealing maid's outfit while sitting on roughly ten eggs that was gray with green and purple spots.
Those eggs are his future children after Gabby pushed them out about a month ago and now she was keeping them warm until they hatch in eight months time. Gabby wasn't the only one with children on the way as the seven harem slave mares was at least four months pregnant with young kirin children that was also Spike's. Schorl Tourmaline can see that her new husband was looking at the eggs underneath the griffon maid and the pregnant seven harem slave mares before she turns to husband saying. "Don't worry Spike l'am sure that you will be a good father to the future little ones. And when l am pregnant you going to be the best farther who will always have a great time with your new family." Then the crystal unicorn mare gives Spike a kiss on his lips with him only thinking one thing only.
"I love my new life." |
The United Griffon Front | Bonus chapter: The Queen and the Milf. | SECOND YEAR OF THE U.G.F.-PONY WAR
BATTLE OF MANEHATTAN
It was the middle of the day and the battle for Manehattan was fixing to come to a end with desert faction griffons and crimson hive changelings breaking the city's defenses and was pouring into the streets. A force of royal guards and local police officers was fighting as hard as they can but they're enemies was a very large force that they were overwhelmed and then they were killed off or captured to be slaves. In one of the back alleys there was the one and only Twilight Velvet wearing a light blue short sleeve shirt and a red skirt that stops at her knees. The reason why she was there because she was looking for her husband, Night Light.
Both Velvet and her husband was in Manehattan to see what they could do to help for the war effort but instead they were caught in the middle of a huge siege. When the last of the defenses fell both of the unicorn ponies got separated and now Velvet was all alone by herself. The unicorn mare poked her head out into the streets to see what was happening out there. She can see that she was behind enemy lines with the stallions being tied up and the mares being forced to stripped off their clothes and let the griffons or changelings do whatever they want with the mares. And Velvet was seeing a lot of pleasurable acts being forced onto the mares.
The unicorn mare would have teleported away to a different hiding spot if it wasn't for the wagon size rubies that made a giant red dome surrounding the big city to stop unicorns from using their magic and to also stop pegasus and bat ponies from flying away. Twilight Velvet was walking backwards until she sees a door to her left and fortunately for her it was open. After going through the door and locking behind her, the unicorn mare finds herself in a hallway of a five star hotel with most of the doors closed. The unicorn mare slowly walked past the doors, hopefully that they were not occupied with any griffons or changelings. Then as she was fixing to walked back a elevator a black hand grabs her arm and pulls her into the elevator.
Everything was happening so fast for Twilight Velvet as she was only see a pair of crimson hive changelings was ribbing off her shirt and skirt leaving her bright purple bra and frilled panties before they use some crimson red slime to tie her hands behind her back. After the elevator got to the top floor and the two changeling soldiers was forcing her out into the hallway. Twilight Velvet was scared if what would happen if she do what was told so she was doing what the changelings was telling her and that was. "Keep moving unicorn mare. The queen wants to see you." She doesn't know who was the queen to the crimson changelings but she was also confused about why she wanted to see Twilight Velvet in the first place.
As they were going down the hallway, Twilight Velvet can see that most of the rooms was open with changeling soldiers having their way with some pony mares that was captured in the streets. For example Velvet saw a completely naked Coco Pommel on her hands and knees while on a bed being rutted by a changeling soldier in her marehood and a other changeling soldier in her mouth. Soon Velvet don't had time to watch the whole thing as she was pushed in front of a large double doors at the end of the hallway with two more changelings guarding it.
After the changelings undid the slime bonds they opened the double doors before pushing her into the room and closing it behind her. Twilight Velvet can see that the room had a sliver floor, a black ceiling with a golden upside down pyramid chandelier, a window on the right side letting the sunlight into the room, and finally a 3X king-size bed with royal purple blankets and body pillows. But on the bed was what made Twilight Velvet blushed as she was seeing a completely naked white bat pony mare riding a changeling queen's cock with the both of them panting as they was getting closer to the end. Soon the changeling queen gives out a big groan as she was cumming into the bat pony mare.
After a couple of minutes the mare passed out due to the lack of energy and fell backwards with the queen's cock still very hard shaft sliding out of her pussy lips. Then the changeling queen pushes the bat pony mare off of the bed and making a big THUB when the mare landed on the floor before she looks at the still blushing unicorn mare. "Ahh. The one and only Twilight Velvet." The changeling queen said before getting off of the bed. "I have looked forward for this for several weeks now." The unicorn mare would have run away if the queen was already one step ahead of her by holding the unicorn mare completely straight in a crimson red magical hold on her body.
"W-who are you?" Velvet asked in a shaken voice showing her fear to the female changeling.
"My name is Queen Scarlett of the Crimson Changeling Hive of the Volcano Wastelands." Queen Scarlett answered before she takes a deep and said. "You are my newest breeding slave." Then she unleashed her crimson pheromones into the unicorn mare's face. Twilight Velvet was surprised of that before the pheromones hits her and then two seconds later the unicorn mare begins to pant with her tongue hanging out, her tits getting very hard, and her pussy lips getting very wet. Queen Scarlett can see that the pheromones have worked before she used her magic to ripped the bra and panties away and forces the unicorn mare to bended over with her hands resting on the bed.
"Let us see what you tasted like." Queen Scarlett said before she dives in into the unicorn milf's marehood with her very long forked tongue. Twilight Velvet yelped the instant the female changeling's tongue before she begins to moan when the insides of her pussy lips was being licked all over. As for Queen Scarlett she was hoping that this milf would taste exactly like grape juice but the unicorn mare taste like grape flavor champagne and that was even better. The female changeling begins to make her tongue go a little faster just to have more of the unicorn mare's tasty pussy juices and that made Twilight Velvet to moan a little more louder.
As this was going down Twilight Velvet was wondering why she was being attacked in a pleasurable way instead of being tied up like some of the mares back in the streets. Unknown to her Queen Scarlett had been planning this for over two months now because she thinks that if this unicorn milf can give birth to two powerful unicorns, one being the prince of the Crystal Empire and the other becomes the princess of Ponyville, than why not try to see if this mare can give birth to a changeling princess for her hive. But right now Queen Scarlett was too busy drinking away her newest breeding slave's tasty pussy lips. The unicorn mare was trying to at least she can kick the female changeling away but her magic was too strong.
Queen Scarlett mean while was enjoying her meal of fresh pussy juices until she gets a idea to make this milf really moan in pleasure. Both of her hands was on the unicorn mare's hips until the female changeling brings her right hand to both pitch and rub Twilight Velvet's little clit. The unicorn mare was now starting to both pant and moan at the same time as she was still being eaten out by the hungry changeling queen. Back at the female changeling side she wasn't only feeding off by the unicorn mare's pussy juices but also all of the lust energy from the unicorn mare's emotional feelings and that was more flavorful than what the changelings from the badlands hive used to eat before they became friends with the ponies.
But like before she can't get worried about that now as she was still eating the unicorn mare's pussy lips. Soon after after a few minutes of being eaten out Twilight Velvet was starting to feel something around her stomach area and that was making her moan even more so then before. As for Queen Scarlett she can tell that her new pet was getting closer to cumming just by the sound of her moans and the increase of her pussy juices so she doubles her tongue lashing. And that was enough for Twilight Velvet as she was now screaming her head off as she was now cumming into the changeling queen's mouth.
After a couple of minutes of cumming the unicorn mare stops and was breathing in new fresh air. As for Queen Scarlett she was swallowing down the last of her newest pet's sweet juices and now she wanted more fun to have with her new slave. The changeling queen uses her magic to make Twilight Velvet to get on the bed and was laying down on it with her big boobs facing the ceiling and her head hanging off the edge of the bed. Twilight Velvet was wondering what was going on until she was forced to swallowed down Scarlett's giant unnatural shaft. The changeling queen purred when her cock was in the unicorn milf's mouth before she begins her thrusting.
The unicorn mare had done something like this before with her husband but she was on her knees that time, not laying down on the bed with the shaft being forced down her throat. Queen Scarlett can feel her whole cock slide very smoothly in her newest pet's mouth and throat which it was very pleasurable for the female changeling and so she just keep on thrusting. The changeling queen's hands is holding the unicorn mare's head by both of her cheeks to keep her steady while Scarlett continues her oral attack on the milf's mouth. Twilight Velvet mean while was trying to breathe though her nose as she couldn't do with her mouth but in doing so she was breathing in the female changeling's hot, sweaty, musk.
The musk was somehow making Twilight Velvet feel even more horny than she was before the pheromones. As for the changeling queen she was panting as she was still thrusting her unnatural cock into the unicorn milf's throat, as it the shape of her cock can been seen on Velvet's throat front side. As this was going down Twilight Velvet feel like that she was being destroyed by a very large piece of steel pipe going inside her whole body from her mouth and throat. Queen Scarlett mean while was starting to hiss in pleasure as her cock was somehow being squeezed down by the unicorn mare's throat and that caused her to begin doubling her thrusting making Velvet to start gagging in response.
"Oh yes." Queen Scarlett hissed. "You and I are going going to make sweet music together once we get to the main event." Twilight Velvet didn't know what she meant but she soon forgets about it as she was starting to feel the cock inside her throat was twitching in her mouth and throat. She knows what this means as like before she had done something like this before with her husband but unlike the last time Twilight Velvet doesn't want it. But she had no choice in the matter as Queen Scarlett once again gives out one big groan and pushes her shaft all the way down as she was cumming into the unicorn mare's mouth and throat much to Velvet's dismay.
After a moment or two Queen Scarlett signed as she stopped cumming and pulls her large shaft out of Twilight Velvet's mouth. The unicorn mare was hoping that it was over but then her body was put on the edge of the bed with her hands in her lap. "Sorry about that my dear but each time I've get into a rutting mood, I can't help myself." Queen Scarlett said before sitting right next to the unicorn mare. "I can see why so many of my changelings wants a go with you." Then she begins to use her hands to rubbed the unicorn mare's breasts. "Your body, especially your giant boobs here, is a fine one for breeding. You should count yourself lucky that l got to have you for myself."
"You can't d-d-do this." Twilight Velvet shuddered while trying not to moan with her boobs being rubbed. "Why you h-have to be in t-t-this war?"
"I glad you asked. You see it all started back when me and my big sister, Chrysalis, was being trained by my mother and first changeling queen in changeling history, Queen Draco. She was training us on how to rule with a iron fist and how to destroy anything that stands in our path. But mother always, and I do mean always, favored her oldest daughter instead of her youngest. When she died in the changelings entered a civil war that still goes out to this day, me and Chrysalis went our separate ways to make our own hives. But of course Chrysalis was the better one out of all of the other queens and created her hive in your princesses's badlands that got her to make some alliances with several. But right after my sweet little nephew, Thorax, made that coup and overthrow her they have cut off all ties with the badlands hive. And now I've finally have a chance to make my hive the most powerful hive of them all. But of to do l needed one very powerful ally in order to show myself out of my big sister's shadow and Dark Razor was the ally I needed. Soon after he conquered the western griffon kingdom, I showed up to make a alliance with him in order to make sure that the other queens can see my greatest in this war. I've already gotten at least six hive queens in my new alliance and a dozen other queens starting to make arrangements to be part of my alliance. Soon not only l will have the U.G.F. backing me but all of the other hive queens of our world will part of my alliance in trading the goods we get. And when I said the goods, I meant all of the slave mares l am catching in this war."
That made Twilight Velvet shuddered in fear as the image of a huge army of both griffons and changelings not only taking Equestria but also the entire world. ''But for now l'm back in my rutting mood again."
Right after Queen Scarlett said that Twilight Velvet finds herself on her hands and knees with her head facing the headboard. The changeling queen got behind of the unicorn mare and right before the milf could protest Scarlett thrusts her cock into her all in one go. Twilight Velvet gives a huge scream when the huge shaft was in her marehood before she begins to once again moaning as the cock inside of her was going back and forth. Queen Scarlett hissed in extreme pleasure as she was loving the smoothness of her newest pet's breeding hole was a perfect fit for her shaft. The changeling queen was showing no mercy by slamming her hips on the unicorn mare's hips.
Queen Scarlett got her hands on the moaning unicorn mare just over her hips to keep Velvet on the same spot as she was being destroyed by a pleasurable way. Twilight Velvet was trying to say something to this whole thing stop but all that was coming out was even more moans as she can feel her insides being pushed back and forth with each thrust. Back at Queen Scarlett she was absolutely loving the tightness from her newest breeding pet's pussy lips which was making more mare juices and it was also making the bed below them wet. But the changeling queen didn't care about a wet bed because as long she having her way with the unicorn mare's pussy lips she was in paradise.
As for Twilight Velvet she was thinking on the all of the years she had sex with her husband, his own shaft never got this deep in her body like the female changeling's own shaft is doing now. She had never done something this rough before even with her husband but now the unicorn mare's pussy lips was the most rutting they ever will get in this new life of hers. Back at Queen Scarlett she gets a idea to make this milf really scream by taking her right hand and begins to spanked Twilight Velvet's cutie mark. This was making the milf to both moan and yelp at each thrust and spank as a red handprint was starting to show on her right butt cheek.
Between thrusting her unnatural cock into the moaning unicorn mare's pussy lips and the spanking she giving her rear, Queen Scarlett was enjoying the site of her newest breeding slave's face being stuck between pain and pleasure. Soon the female changeling can feel her shaft was beginning to twitch and that only made her to begin to double her thrusting. With the new speed from the changeling queen's shaft Twilight Velvet was starting to feel something around her stomach area for a second time. Then after a several of more minutes of thrusting very hard Queen Scarlett gives out a other huge groan and cums straight into the womb of the unicorn milf. When she feels the warm and slimy changeling seed inside her system, Twilight Velvet once again cums for a second time and her pussy juices was splashing onto the female changeling's legs.
After a couple of minutes of cumming the unicorn mare finally stops cumming before going to sleep due for the lack of energy. As for Queen Scarlett she pulls out her cock out of her slave's pussy lips before putting a magical barrel on it to make sure that she does get pregnant with her future daughter. After putting on a crimson red no sleeve shirt and skirt that goes down to her feet, Queen Scarlett was about to teleported her pet back to the hive until a few knocks from the doors stopped her. "Come in." Then a griffon soldier came in and she knows this griffon. "Ahh Griff good to see you again. Did you killed the pony l wanted out of the picture."
Griff smirked before saying. "Yes your highness. Night Light is no more." |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | pre | It's who everypony is. You'll understand in time.
"No." Fear enforced, bullheadedly. "I don't want to understand. I just want to be me. I want to be good. And even if it hurts. I'm gonna be good. I'm gonna make up for what I did..." He was getting tired.
You cannot overcome without first accepting, my little Nightlight.
Fear felt his eyes growing heavy, frowning deeply. "I'm not... Not gonna. You can't make me." In his mind's eye his mother's gentle smile permeated as he drifted off to sleep. Full of regrets. Full of anger at himself.
The colt's pendant glimmered and shimmered.
==========================================================================================
Waking up late was a pleasure Fear was not familiar with. Usually he woke up in the middle of the night from a vivid nightmare that dissolved quickly even as he tried to grasp what had terrified him so badly. Sometimes screaming, sometimes sobbing, and other times he woke up gulping down air as if he'd been starved of it. But for once he'd had a peaceful night's rest. Of course everything felt a little hazy and sluggish. It was a bit difficult to move and he had to put actual effort into it, but eventually he pushed his mother up and off of him and sat up on the couch, rubbing his eyes clear of sleepy crust. A moment later he noticed something. He gave a few sniffs at the air, perking up.
Crate was sitting at the card table reading a book. He paused and set it down to glance back at his guest. "Oh, kid, you're awake. Welcome back to the land of the living. Angel's making breakfast. Just some leftovers. Nothing major."
Fear was in awe. "Oh, no... No problem. It's been a long time since I had breakfast."
Crate grinned. "Well you're in luck then, kid."
Fear got up off the couch and moved into the run-down kitchen, walking up to Angel and sitting down next to her.
Angel spoke up first. "How'd you sleep sweetie?"
"Better than I have in awhile. Though it's strange. It's really hard to move and talk. Feels like I'm moving through mud."
The mare looked at him in curiosity. "Hm? That's strange. Maybe you're just groggy, honey."
Fear affirmed. "Yeah, maybe."
The door slammed open with a loud crack when it hit the wall.
Fear turned around, seeing Crate already moving to confront the pony that had nearly caved it in. "What on Equus are you doing?" Crate was barely finished speaking before his jaw dropped and he found himself with a number of new holes in his chest. He looked down at himself. He'd barely felt the knife slice through. He looked up, blood leaking out of his wounds and filling up his innards. He gave a little cough, spittle and crimson flying. His eyes rolled back into his skull and he fell over onto his side, his heart pierced. "What...?" He croaked out before his eyes dimmed.
Angel's face paled and she screamed. It was blood curdling. It sent shivers through the nerves.
Fear was just staring in horror, his face gaunt and terrified as he stared at the pony in the doorway. He didn't understand what was going on. Just a second ago everything had been fun and good and warm and kind. But now... Who was this pony?
A charcoal black unicorn with dust coating everything stood in the frame, looking down at his kill with a sinister smile, chuckling to himself. He had a frizzy lapis blue mane and tail, with a red bandanna tied around his head. The stallion's cutie mark was a wibbly wobbly clock. His eyes were a pure, lifeless onyx, yet charged with a yellow glimmer that was not lost on the colt. Fear took a step back.
"Hmm... I didn't expect an entire family."
Fear's ears flattened against his skull. No, this had to be a nightmare. There was no way.
Angel pushed Fear behind her and threw a rusted knife through the air with telekinesis propelling it at the stallion. "GET AWAY!" She yelled out, horror in her voice. "GET AWAY FROM US!" She screamed.
The unicorn didn't even hesitate. As if he'd seen it coming before it even happened the stallion's knife, stained with multiple sources of old blood, was in the way of the projectile and deflecting it away. "Yes, yes. Fight me. Exciting." His voice sounded deranged and rapid. The unicorn rushed forward.
Fear didn't even know what was happening. He was in too much shock, his mind and body paralyzed. It didn't help it was hard to do anything in his... Groggy? State. One moment Angel was reared back on her hind legs in surprise, letting out a frightened whinny, the next she was collapsing to the floor in a heap like her bones had melted under her weight and now she was just... Nothing. But. Flesh.
Fear took a step back. He looked up at the unicorn. "Who... Who are you?"
The unicorn licked the blood off his knife with a broad, flat tongue as he encroached on Fear. "Hm. I suppose I can tell you that. You're going to die anyway."
Fear's pupils were dilated as far as they'd go. Expanded until they were infringing on the boundaries of his eyes. His irises almost non-existent. He was cowering.
The unicorn smiled. "Chrono Corona, kid. I'm not natural."
Fear was confused for a moment. Not natural? The mystery cut through the terror like a blade through hot butter. But before he knew what was going on, the knife was impaling him, shanking into his body ceaselessly, leaving wound after wound. He could feel the warm blood flowing through his body. Leaving his circulatory system. He felt heavy. And light all at the same time. It burned. He blinked a few times as he fell to the ground. Bleeding out. He gasped for air. Or at least he tried. His lungs had been punctured. He couldn't breathe. He was dying.
This was it.
This was the end.
Everything started to go black.
Fear wasn't ready to say goodbye.
The colt bolted up on the couch in the darkness, his mother falling away from him as he gasped loudly for air, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. His chest heaving. He nearly fell backwards. What was that? What had that been? That was more vivid than anything he'd ever experienced. And the memories weren't leaving him. They were clear as day. More traumatizing than anything he'd ever experienced. The next thing he felt was anger. So much rage. He wanted to hit something. He could feel Crate's and Angel's souls. They were still alive. Unlike in the dream.
That was another thing. Looking back on it. He'd felt their souls. He'd felt them become extinguished. It'd been like a light going out. He was sweating profusely. So much perspiration. The couch under him was a little moist. He shook his head from side to side. Trying to figure things out, clenching the blanket in his hooves and pulling it and his mother against him. Then he winced, eyes crossing. There was a sudden flood of... Something. He nearly fell off the couch as he swayed from side to side, feeling nauseous. Everything was dizzy. And his perspective had shifted. He felt like he was up in the air looking down at his body. It was incredibly disorienting. He closed his eyes and tried to ride it out. Hoping it'd leave soon. He knew he had a lofty imagination but this was so much more... Lucid.
As he waited he started describing his dream to his mother, in detail.
I don't know what to tell you, my little Nightlight. Maybe you should leave?
Fear nodded. "Y... Yeah. It's dangerous here. That was way too real." Fear looked around for a long time and decided on a course of action. "I can't leave them without letting them know," he hissed out worriedly. He went to the bookshelf and pulled out a book at random, flipping to the back cover and tearing out a page. He fiddled it with his magic as he held it in front of him
What would he say?
The colt thought about it for awhile, before moving over to the card table and hopping up into the chair, floating one of the pens over to him and pulling off the cap. He tried it out and... Thankfully, it worked. Just took a little scribbling before it started writing. He almost panicked for a moment!
Thank you, Angel, Crate, for all your kindness. I will never forget it.
Fear realized something. It had been nagging at him for awhile but...
I realize now that the world doesn't revolve around my feelings. And I shouldn't always act on them.
He paused. Then continued writing, staring at the page.
I wanted to tell you in person that I'm going to try my best to be a better equine. That I'm going to change. But I think danger's coming here and
Fear hesitated. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, the air flowing into his lungs and hilting there. He held it for a long time. It felt good to have oxygen again after his... Dream? He proceeded to write more. It was all rather sloppy, but he was trying his best.
I'm going to head it off at the pass. I don't know where it's coming from, but I'm confident I'll find it. You might want to take everypony and leave Refuge for a day. Just in case.
The colt frowned deeply, cocking his head to the side.
Also I love you two. A lot. I'll miss you both. Take care.
Fear felt satisfied with that. He left the otherwise blank sheaf of paper on the table and started gathering up his things. Setting his saddlebags on his back and curling his mother's hooves under her before strapping her around his barrel along with his Garand. "I hope you're ready for a fight Mom." He whispered determinedly. "Because we're going straight into one." He had no idea if he'd be able to win or not. But he had to try his best. "The world doesn't revolve around my feelings." He repeated. "And it's not going to wait for me to stop being scared. Besides, I've killed a few raiders. I can take on this pony." His voice cracked as he said that. He was going to do his best, and if he died then that was okay. He was ready. As ready as a colt could be.
Fear stepped outside and looked to the right, then the left. Where was he supposed to go? Which way was the stallion coming from? He grimaced and came up with an idea, noticing things were beginning to get misty. Vision was becoming more and more difficult. Hopefully it'd clear up by the morning. Otherwise there was no way he was going to be able to snipe Corona. If he was real that is.
The colt hoped the stallion wasn't real and he was just having an overactive imagination.
Fear slipped his pre-war coin out of his saddlebags and held it in front of him. As his mother had said, if he ever had trouble making a decision, the best bet was to flip a coin and trust in fate to guide him right. It was all he had. It was all he could do. He'd already told them to leave the village. Fear put force into one side of the coin and snapped it into the air. He watched it tumble around in the sky before coming back down. Sun, the way out of town. Moon, the way he came. He caught it in his magic and looked at the result. It was a sun. He was unsure, but he accepted it and started on his way. Loading his rifle all the while.
DJ-P0N3's voice blared from his radio. "Late night broadcast for all you nocturnal ponies out there! Make sure to take care of yourselves, even when the wasteland says you shouldn't. You're no use to anypony dead! Now tonight I'm going to regale you all with one of the old stories of Daring Herb Dashwood and Argyle Patch. Strap in children, it's going to be a long one!" |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Era of War | It was early morning. The air was heavy with a thick milky mist that was like a steamy, opaque mirror. Concealing everything within a few feet and creeping onto the surrounding buildings of the small outpost like an infestation, the substance blending in with the faded walls and rusted iron doors. There was no nook, no cranny that the thin gas did not reach. Even the cloud cover above could not be seen through the bulky clumps of moisture. The only thing that seemed to penetrate the damp bubble of fog were the relaxing jazz tunes belting out of Fear's radio, but even that became muted and gargled once it got far enough.
Fear had no idea how far he'd traveled, only that the mist had gotten worse. But he knew he'd have to set up soon and hope for the best. He knew he'd have to turn off his radio. He swallowed as he made his way off to the side of the main road, his hooves crunching in the packed, desiccated dirt beneath him. It felt so old and dusty under him. Like it would break apart any second. It was so unhealthy. Fear rested his back against a wall, sitting down on his haunches and looking around. He really didn't want to turn off his radio. Maybe just a little while longer?
Time passed and he was given a break. The mist began to melt away as morning broke apart, the moisture settling like an old house late at night. Fear looked down the road the way he'd been going, wondering if he should keep moving or wait here. It was a decision that nagged at him. He felt so anxious, and the radio was still going. What would it be like when it was off? He grit his teeth and rolled his jaw in circles, glancing down with his eyes at the rifle he'd laid on the concrete. His horn lit up as he reached out, flicking the switch on his mother's radio. Immediately the sound cut off like it'd just clipped out of existence. Fear's breathing quickened. His eyes darted from side to side. The saliva dried up from his mouth. Everything became quiet. A palpable silence was all that remained, putting pressure on his bones. A quiet, buzzing tension that made his ears ring. Fear looked this way, that way, then down the road, leaning forward. The vague shadows, the faint outlines, all of it seemed much more pronounced. Every minor shift in the near motionless wasteland felt like an earthquake. As time passed it felt like his blood was boiling. His eyes quivered and his legs tingled. His tail hiked up and he got down onto his belly, sliding his mother off of his back and against the wall. He waited, pulling the Gallop around and guiding the butt into the crook of his shoulder, looking through the scope, down the main road leading out of the outpost as the pendant jostled around his neck. The cracked cement under him felt uncomfortable on his limbs, just adding to the displeasure he felt in this situation. He was putting everything into killing this stallion, if he was real. An incredible intensity that settled over him. He was afraid. He knew it was irrational. That he'd come all this way, wait all this time, just for a stallion that might not even exist. His blood boiled with the power of heated nerves at the fact the stallion could just go around him, or could have come from a different side.
The colt was investing so much effort into this one idea, that it would work out. Taking the biggest risk of his life. His ears twitched as even more time passed - all of it going at a snail's pace, the minutes feeling like an eternity, everything in him just wanting it to be over. Whole body flushed with sweltering heat that made him sweat, switching between that and an ice cold that chilled him to the bone, making his body shiver and his teeth chatter, every ten or so minutes. It was becoming unbearable. But still he endured. After all, what would happen if he gave up? What would happen if he did not confront this here and now, if he didn't try?
It took much longer than it should have, and by the time there was a dot on the horizon walking closer, casually, without a care in the world, Fear was on the verge of giving up. Feeling sleepy and occasionally leaning onto his rifle as if he'd pass out any second. But once he saw movement - that slow, nonchalant sway - his eyes peeled back and he focused the scope.
Inky, powder black coat.
Frizzy, electric blue mane. Sticking out of a red bandana.
Flicking that familiar blood-stained knife into the air with telekinesis, causing it to spin. So aloof.
As he came closer Fear recognized that wibbly wobbly clock cutie mark.
Fear's breath hitched in his throat. His eyes going wide, pupils quivering. His jaw hung open, spazzing out like a fish out of water. He couldn't... Couldn't believe it. The memories came flooding back. Being shanked to death, over and over again, new holes being made in his flesh. Bloody slits fit for caps like some kind of jukebox. He felt the burn of every stab, the feeling of blood creeping through his body. The light-headedness. He tried to shake himself out of the paralyzing reverie, using sheer will to shatter through the glass box compressing his body in a compromising position. He ground his teeth together so hard his jaw ached, powering on, every muscle in his body straining from anxiety. Tensed to the max.
Staring down the sight, barrel pointed at the stallion, everything felt suddenly so easy. All he had to do was get over that momentary fright and then it was done. All he had to do was pull that simple little trigger and end this stallion's life before he could do anything terrible. Fear smiled deviously. It was just so... Clear. He felt mellow and loose for a lingering moment. Fear figured he'd go for a chest shot, right in the heart. Make him suffer before he died. Yes, that sounded good. After all, Chrono Corona had probably killed before, so why not? Fear adjusted the rifle by a bit, lined it up, and fired.
BAM!
He missed.
Fear's eyebrows rose. That was strange. He rose his head. The stallion had just completely swerved to the side at the last second, just as he was pulling the trigger. There was no way that was possible. Did he know Fear was there? Well, it didn't matter, there was no way he could repeat that. You can't possibly sense when somepony's going to fire a gun, unless you're me, and Fear knew he was too far away to ever be sensed. Right? Fear adjusted the barrel again, this time aiming for a headshot. His anxiety was picking up again in a wave, slowly rising, threatening to crash against his psyche. Fear swallowed hard and fired.
BAM!
Another miss. His head just tilted to the side, bullet whizzing past like it was nothing.
Fear looked up again. Suddenly that dot was getting a whole lot closer. Way too close for comfort. The colt looked through the scope again. The stallion was charging. Fear panicked, his heart thumping in his chest, beginning to sweat, his hackles rising on end. His breathing came in labored pants. Pupils shrunk to pinpricks. What is going on? What is happening? How!? The stallion had stopped flicking the knife in the air and was now levitating it in a diseased looking etheric aura right next to his own face.
Okay, there's no way he can dodge while he's charging like this. Fear prepared one more shot, down two valuable bullets so far. He fired again. And again missed. The stallion just leaned to one side. Away from the bullet. Barely adjusting his balance to keep himself standing.
Fear fired wildly, blasts of light spilling from the barrel of his rifle like a dragon spitting flames. Cracks echoed in the air. Every bullet was dodged, his shoulder hurt from the recoil. Fear stood up as the stallion got to him. He brought the rifle into the air, narrowly blocking a stab from the knife. His Gallop twitched in place as the knife pulled back and was about to stab again. Fear sensed the intent, his eyes going wide as he threw himself to the side just barely, just in time. Every sense in his body quickly grew harried and tickly. His breath caught in his throat. The air quickly became charged with pure magic, seeping from both their horns. Fear's sixth sense went into overdrive over the course of seconds. He wanted to counterattack but the knife swiped horizontally. He reared back onto his hindlegs, barely avoiding it.
"HOW DO I KEEP MISSING!?" Fear's voice was frantic, a rhetorical question he didn't expect a response to.
"You're not like the others. Not quite raider, not quite innocent, and you dodge well." The voice was calm and concise. Too succinct to be properly equine. And nowhere near civilized.
It was becoming a dance with Fear barely staying on all fours, looking for an opportunity to strike as his hooves waltzed across the ground. He could tell the stallion was trying to drive him into a corner, and Fear reacted to everything with instinct, hardly able to make sure there were no buildings behind him. Fear rolled and tumbled around, bouncing onto his hooves, trying to read the stallion's brain. "WHAT ON EQUUS ARE YOU!?"
No matter how much Chrono moved and spoke, he never ran out of breath, never needed a moment to recharge. He just kept coming, kept swinging. It was unnatural and lethal. "I am a science experiment." Fear could feel the intent behind those words. To tire him out or get him distracted. He couldn't listen much if at all if he was to keep focusing on the desire to kill him with that knife! "Ministry of Arcane Science. An attempt to cross the flawed destiny-telling powers of the Crystal Heart with a pony." The knife kept swinging, and Fear was barely staying out of the way, occasionally blocking with his Gallop as he got further and further from his gear. "I have been in cryostasis for a long time," his words came out in a bit of a jumble, trying to distract his opponent by making him think about what he'd just heard. "And I think it is about time I show... Well." He laughed, sourly. "I, little colt, am what happens when ponies mess with time."
Fear saw an opening during the laugh and twirled the rifle around, until it was laying point blank against Chrono's body. He didn't hesitate or anything, just firing. Another miss. He was out of the way as soon as it'd happened. Fear's jaw gaped as he brought it around and tried to crack Chrono across the head with the butt of it. Yet the stallion ducked and grabbed it in his telekinesis, using Fear's overreach against him. He wrenched it away from his grip with the sound of straining rope and shattering glass, throwing it off and to the side where it slammed into one of the buildings of the outpost and clattered to the ground. "Now let's see just how long you can last without that rifle."
How do I beat something this impossible? Every attack I throw at him he just dodges like it's nothing, and- Fear ducked a slash of the knife. It whistled in the air over his head. -and keeps on coming. I have nothing that he can't dodge in my arsenal. Nothing I have can beat this!
Fear heard his mother's voice caressing his mind. When everything seems lost, take stock of all you have and do a brainstorming session. Words Storm had said many times in the past when one of them were stuck in a dire situation.
As Fear bowed out of the way, wove to the side, and narrowly brushed with death on multiple occasions, he tried to come up with a way out of this mess. He needed something smart, something that Chrono couldn't get away from. His body was becoming sluggish and lethargic, slowly but surely. He knew he couldn't keep up much longer, getting barraged with a cut every some odd seconds. It stung but it was nothing compared to what a full hit would feel like. Reading and writing wouldn't help him right now. What else had Mom taught him? He winced as he avoided a brutal stab, then ducked as the knife tried to cut open his throat, causing him to swallow hard. Chrono was truly the most vicious pony he'd ever met, he would without a doubt kill every single pony in that village without a second thought, without a moment's reprise. He tried not to get distracted but he couldn't help but realize that only a machine gun or something could stop this obstacle.
Panting hard, muscles aching, essentially screaming at him to give him a break or face the consequences of full on collapse, it was taking everything Fear had to stay in the game. Anger and adrenaline being the only things surging through him to keep him going. His sixth sense the sole aspect that was keeping him a step ahead, and even then, Chrono always knew where he was going to move. The whole scenario was an excruciatingly cruel tango between the two of them that was pushing Fear to his limit. A fierce samba of stabs, spins, ducks, leans, and slashes. I am so fucking pissed this guy would consider killing good ponies like Crate and Angel. I can't believe I'd considered doing the same. I was horrible! THIS is the kind of equine that killed my mother, not those innocents! Everything was on the line, the whole village. His journey to find something he'd lost. And he couldn't think of a way out, constantly getting distracted.
Fear, focus! You need a way to stop him from using his magic, right? That's your goal. What do I know about unicorn magic? The memories flashed in his mind. Back and forth motion of magic through the horn. But how would that help? I can overload the thaumic gland! Or crush it or- or something! With raw magic! Fear had his idea. But he needed an opening. Fear banked to the side out of the way of an overhead swing. Chrono had easily ripped the rifle from his grip, so he couldn't do it while his enemy was using magic. I need an opening! Fear stared at Chrono as he kept dodging. I need to stun him!
The gashes were getting deeper, blood trickled from his cuts. It was becoming a race against time. His body would give out any second now. The air tingled from the outpouring of ether in the environment. Fear's face was full on panic mode, ears flopped against his skull. There are ways to leave a pony out of breath, ways to knock them out. He didn't have much magic to spare but... But. He remembered hitting his head a few times and getting a concussion. How can I do that to Chrono!? Something he can't dodge, something he can't dodge! Fear repeated incessantly in his head. He needed to rattle his brain up. He had only one chance.
"You're strong enough to eat, kid! Maybe if I devour you I'LL become stronger!"
Surprise lit up on Fear's face as the knife perforated his chest, but he'd had enough presence of mind to leap back on instinct, keeping it from piercing a lung. Blood was flowing though. Too rapidly for comfort.
Fear's small body couldn't take much more. Alarm purged everything from his body, including hesitation. He slammed his teeth shut and went for it. The colt's horn lit up, a tendril of telekinesis shunting up into Chrono's nostril. This time it was Chrono's turn to look surprised. The sudden sensation of warm air rushing through his snout was enough to make him pause.
No stopping.
No giving up.
No surrender.
Fear latched onto that unicorn's brain and put some oomph into his magic, firmly grasping it and violently shaking it, slamming it in one deft movement against the inside of his skull.
As if realizing what Fear was trying to do, as it happened, Chrono tried to shove the knife into where Fear's chest was. Was. Fear stumbled to the side. He felt woozy, but he saw what he needed. The stallion's eyes crossed from the concussion then rolled around discrepantly, dropping the knife, his horn going dark and letting out a yelp. Pain and adrenaline inspired Fear, stumbling from side to side as if he couldn't get his hooves under him.
Chrono's hooves on the other hand weren't responding at all. His knees buckled under him and he fell, blacking out for a second. A crucial, integral second. Even as Chrono tried to catch himself Fear was already acting. Fear's horn lit up again, this time magic surrounded his enemy's horn. Fear took a step forward in defiance of his death. "I won't let you hurt Crate and Angel, and you're NOT. KILLING. ME!" Pouring on the juice, the energy funneled down through the crystalline nerves, touching the stallion in a way he'd never experienced before. As he was trying to get back onto his hooves, confusion crossing his face, Fear clamped down like a nutcracker with all his might, energy crashing into the thaumic gland and nearly making it explode.
Agony.
Suffering pulsated in Chrono's skull. His entire brain was on fire. It was like a muscle had been completely obliterated, right in the center of his brain. Everything was wobbly, he could hardly stand. His breath hitched in his throat. He screamed.
Bloody.
Murder.
"WHAT DID YOU DO!?"
Chrono's magic didn't respond when he tried it, only managing to give off sickly sparks. He backed up, his legs feeling weak under him. He held his head, eyes squeezed shut, screaming again. A blood curdling, dangerous scream like a cornered animal.
It was now or never. Fear stamped on the ground, swiping the knife from off the ground next to him, his body feeling weak, blood pouring from his wound. He felt cold. "Because I'm their hero and they believe in me!" What little strength he had left for magic was pumped into holding the knife, slicing it through the air across Chrono's throat. It whistled, tearing intimately into his jugular, ripping apart his larynx and esophagus. Shredding it open and revealing it to the world. A veritable fountain of blood was exposed from the ruptured artery. The stallion's eyes rolled into the back of his head as Fear stood disobediently. He stood tall. A breeze whipped across his body as he watched Chrono gurgle and bleed out for a few seconds. Soon enough however, he was shuffling lazily back to his saddlebags.
It felt like an eternity to get there. The entire time he reveled in his endorphin rush. The pride of a job well done, and the exertion he'd put his body through. He laughed a little. "Even a science experiment is still just an equine." It helped alleviate some of the tension and trauma he was experiencing, but if he was being sincere he was pretty sure he died and he was just dreaming, that he'd wake up soon.
Eventually he made it. He opened up the flap and pulled out the health potion as he fell to his knees, his brain a little sore. Popping the bottle open he downed it in a few quick gulps. His weight felt like too much to handle right now as his vision vignetted. As the medicine flowed into his body steam began rising off the wounds from the heat being generated in his cells, forced to divide at an unnatural rate. He was healing. His blood was coming back. Fear gasped. As the high began to fade he felt his anxiety return. The air was heavy with the scent of ozone. Fear reached out and flicked on his radio. He closed his eyes as the jazz tunes filtered out and melted away his stress and fright. Comforting him. He gathered up his saddlebags and mother, even as exhaustion tried to sweep him away into sleep. His mother's legs were curled under her as she was placed on his back.
Fear shook his head, lifting up his head and cackling like a witch, just like his mother used to sometimes do. All while stumbling over to his Gallop, having remembered where it landed. He slurred to his mother. "I did it Mom," he said woozily. "I fucking beat his ass. I fucking killed him." He laughed, his snout wrinkling up, the high returning, a power high the likes of which he'd never experienced. "I feel like I'm soaring through the sky, above the cloud cover." He was sure it wasn't the momentary blood loss. "I've never conquered something that impossible before. It's like I shook off radiation poisoning with sheer will alone." He threw his head from side to side again emphatically. "This was incredible! This story is just... Impossible." His voice faded. "No one would believe me." He shook his head one more time. "Still. Mom. It felt good, doing the right thing. It was nice to kill though in order to do it." Fear finally made it to his rifle and collapsed, all his stamina drained for now.
You did well my little Nightlight. Congratulations on a good job. Rest now.
"Thanks Mom. I love you. I can't believe how out of my league that guy was." Fear realized then that he had a choice to keep moving or go back. "I don't... Don't deserve to go back. I did the right thing. I don't doubt that. But I've still done wrong things before." He sounded sour, solemn. "And the call of a journey is echoing in my mind. It's pulling me forward."
You can do as you wish, my little Nightlight. I believe you will do the right thing.
Nodding once, he stilled his body. "Thanks Mom. It was amazing, proving myself that way. I've never felt so alive; so accomplished." He was still damaged but... "Maybe I'll get to do it again. Protect others with my life, and prove that I'm the dominant unicorn." He looked back toward the stallion, petulantly sticking his tongue out at the lifeless corpse. "Get fucked you stupid asshole." He snootily tilted his head up. "I win. You lose. Better luck... NEVER! Hah!"
Fear pulled his mother off of him and held her against his body, nearly encompassing him with her stuffed form. He held her tight, dragging a hoof down along where her spine once was, using what he had left of his telekinesis to wrap the stuffed legs around his body. "I regret not staying long enough to get victory snuggles from Angel. I deserve them but... This'll do." His mother wasn't the same as before, but it was good enough. "Someday I'll get to experience that again." He sounded uncertain, but it convinced him for now. He rested his head against her body. Not sure but... He could've sworn he felt her presence. His eyes went limp as he was lulled to sleep. Was it his imagination or did he feel a hoof gently stroking over his back, caressing him into a nap?
Whatever. Angel was right... Somehow... Somehow she'll always be with me. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Nightmare Worth Dying For | It had been a long time since his fight with that horrible unicorn. Fear had lost count of the days. The months. Had it been a year? Two? Four? He wasn't sure. All he knew: he was doing better. Or at least that's how it felt. His abilities were progressing. Enhancing. It still felt like acid was deep in the pit of his stomach 24/7 but by now it had become just backdrop along with everything else. He was spending a little more time around other ponies, which was healthy for him. Still talking to his mother on a regular basis though. His body was too small to do any meaningful scavenging so unfortunately he had also begun selling his body occasionally for extra caps as well as room and board, though it strangely always left him feeling energized and full, as if he'd had a quality meal. It gave him something to rely on aside from buying cans of food to eat from. Fear only found it fortunate that he wasn't being explicitly taken advantage of and abused, even if sometimes he thought he deserved it. Nor was he being enslaved to work industry (of which there was likely only one place that held such work: Fillydelphia) amidst radiation and taint that would destroy his body - it was the small victories. Among all this, he at least found joy in making a profit by doing irregular jobs that required fighting. For now though, he was just getting settled down for sleep. He still regretted leaving Crate and Angel, but hopefully the letter had been enough. Everything was lonely despite finding others along his journey, those traveling like him and those trying to make a living.
Night time had come all too soon, and although the only difference between day and night was a vague shadow that cast over the land beneath the cloud cover, it was more than enough for Fear, who had grown up in it, to nestle under a blanket and drift toward sleep. A blanket affectionately given to him by a mare he'd helped with various services, some more questionable than others. Sleep came easy in his full state, vitality regenerating during his rest. Necklace glimmering around his neck.
Dreams came swiftly. Before Fear knew what was going on he was deposited in a blank, dark abyss. An ominous deep vantablack void that knew no beginning and no end. The only existence he was aware of was his own. There was a deep feeling of agoraphobia penetrating deep inside of him, and he could no longer hear his radio, which made the unalterable silence deafening. His eyes crossed over his muzzle as he looked around. There was a familiar feeling of sluggish movements, like in his first dream with Chrono Corona. His body just blurred into place around him. There was no actual breathing. Just... Being. Fear blinked a couple times, then squinted, leaning forward and looking into the distance. If he didn't know any better he could swear... Things were melting, permeating into existence all around him. As if he just needed to adjust his focus and suddenly everything came into vision. He looked around him all around in a spherical 360, twisting and tumbling as he floated in zero gravity. Billions of thin threads of silver, shimmering gossamer could be seen stretching across the vast, limitless expanse. With many connected in clumps that stemmed from less threads further back, like a tree. So much light was being given off like an unending starfield that he had to shade his eyes.
With everything coming into his awareness eventually a long, flowing tube of gasoline-like spectral glossiness faded into his sight. It had no foundation, just like every other gathering of strings, but this one was every color of the rainbow, and some he'd never seen before. It was incredible, so beautiful; he was entranced. Before he knew what he was doing he was zooming toward it at an indescribable speed, faster than light. Something about all of this just... He just knew. The word 'exoverse' popped into his mind. And somehow he knew that this wasn't actual distance. And if it was, his thoughts and will were guiding him. He had no corporeal form. He was only what his consciousness believed he looked like. These ideas floated about, as if something was whispering the information to him. It was mysterious and very disconcerting, but he accepted it with ease. It didn't feel malignant. It just felt like it wanted to help him. Of course while there was the distinct sensation that whatever was speaking to him wasn't clean nor pure of heart, it certainly wasn't out to get him. Surrounding him were ribbons and fibers of... What are those? The answer came from a gentle, succulent voice that was nearly indiscernible from his own. Timelines. Various destinies. Fear just nodded like it was the most normal thing in the world, accepting it for what it was. There was no panic. It just felt like regular everyday life. There was nothing in him that could get worked up. At least not much. Everything felt hazy. As swift as his movements were, like long range teleportation between the white lines, it was like moving through molasses, something smearing across his face like riding a motorcycle through humid air.
Eventually he got to his destination, the tube of rainbow light more prodigious than anything he could ever imagine. He wasn't even near it but it looked more enormous than even the cloud cover back in reality. He was surprised by it. Then, slowly, ever so slowly like a snail, it began to fizzle and pop, little disturbances forming along the shell like a TV gradually losing its picture. He watched it, and saw even more gleaming white wires deep beneath the surface. Numerous, uncountable floss-like cords. It was unfathomable and if he wasn't able to just... Let if flow over his mind it would have driven him insane trying to comprehend the mass. It was like a world was opening up to him.
The quarantine has lifted. The words sounded so full of amusement and pressure, like it was trying to coax him into exploring more. But somehow Fear knew that if he did, he would become addicted with what he saw. That he wouldn't be able to give up that vision. It was incredible, and he couldn't quite concentrate with the sheer power at his hoof tips.
Then Fear caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Sputtering, spasming motion far in the distance. Near one of the timelines. It was then he noticed, that the longer he spent in this... Exoverse, the more he was able to see. He burst into action solely out of curiosity, rocketing through the endless inky atmosphere filled to the brim with silk bridges as he blinked occasionally. He tried to call out to the voice but it would not answer. It usually only came unprompted. Unprovoked. He could not garner it into responding to him. But that was fine.
When he made it his body came to an abrupt halt, but he didn't feel any lingering momentum. It was just moving then stopping. As suddenly as he had began, he had ended. Fear looked over the flickering timeline, noticing something was trailing along it, mashing it up between... Teeth? It looked like a large hedgehog-ish creature, but it was no more natural than anything he had ever seen. With a spiky shell and a head made of... Flower petals? Fear only knew what flower petals looked like from images on terminals his mother and him managed to find. Then he drew nearer.
Stop.
Fear obeyed. The command had been concise and rather powerful. He looked around him for the voice.
If it eats your consciousness your body will be no more than a husk.
Fear looked back to the creature, one word coming to mind as he stared at it, watching it devour the timeline in bits and pieces, flakes of it flitting out from behind it. Dirge. The colt gave a firm nod as if understanding. As if everything about it was natural. It was feeding. Something had guided it to this timeline specifically. This timeline was not a good one. He didn't know how he knew that, and he didn't know why, but it seemed obvious.
What is all this?
The voice finally responded with the same word as before, echoing in his consciousness and making it thrum like a vibrating string instrument. Exoverse. As if that was all he needed to know. It felt so beyond him, yet so close. Easily within his grasp if he just reached out and took it. Fear watched for awhile longer, staring as the ring of teeth that went on forever chomped down and consumed the timeline.
You are ready to carry.
The voice continued.
Your choices are so important.
There was no end. Fear spiraled.
Every version of you comes here eventually.
Fear's head throbbed, he squeezed his eyes shut.
Knowledge is at your hoof tips.
Grunting and tumbling, Fear felt everything growing distant and vague.
Use it responsibly.
Bolting awake, Fear's eyes popped open. He wasn't sweating this time, but... That had been an incredible experience. He didn't remember all the words clearly. Just something about responsibility. He gazed at his pendant, something drawing him to it. However he knew it was dangerous. Was this why his mother carried it around with her everywhere? Why she never let go of it? Was she... Fear felt so tired. Was she addicted to it? He was being pulled back into sleep as he thought of his future. Closing his eyes once more, he drifted off. Sweet jazz tunes and exhaustion lulling him to sleep.
===================================================================================
Fear's dreams returned in full force as he laid under the blanket so lovingly provided to him. He was in a dark cavern. Full of crystalline structures jutting up out of the ground and sticking out of the ceiling. A collection of stalactites and stalagmites made out of varying colors of quartz, some lucid and some opaque. Others cloudy and others filled with sprites of gas.
A monotone voice once said "With the right stone, you could rule all of Equestria if you wanted to."
There was a gentle, yet oppressive force of magic in the area. Surrounding a throne made of the stuff covered in gold gilding, were piles, hills, and mounds of colorful and faded bottle caps alike. With heaps of weaponry ranging from loaded pistols to balefire bomb launchers. All collected in one spot like a sizable hoard, with loose ammunition scattered around. Behind the throne was a treasure trove of food that had been collected over time, along with a wagon with chiseled crystal wheels, made for easy magic usage. Sitting in the throne was a crimson eyed Fear, his pendant flashing rose. His stuffed mother was nowhere to be seen, having been disposed of long ago in an effort to move on to where he was now. He had an "elbow" on the armrest, holding his head in his hooves as he looked at the intruder before him, a smirk spread across his face. On his head was a crown made of fused together bullets that could still explode with the right stimulation, and on his back a tattered, pre-war, crimson and ermine cape like a king might wear.
Fearei felt like he'd accomplished something important. Something nopony else could do. Like he'd finally brought some level of peace to the wasteland and this was his castle. A place where his abilities came in full force. Where he could sense the entire wasteland. Where he could reach out and touch the minds of others so directly. Control their emotions. Thought police. And if they didn't obey he'd just manipulate others into doing his bidding. It was easy enough, and he got enough sleep each day to recover. And this hoard was his payment. At his side a corrupted version of a sword he somehow knew he'd found at an antique shop.
But there were those who resisted his command. His rule. His greatness. His kingliness. And one of them was standing in front of him. A mare with a snow white coat. It reminded him of his mother. Curly purple hair and tail flawlessly manicured. Pearl-tipped horn. Violet eyes with blue ellipticals. She had a heavy set, saddened expression. On her flank an abyssal delta with vantablack shafts of light emitting from it. She stood there, the pinnacle of grace and beauty like her father. Fearei didn't recognize this mare. She had eluded his awareness. His sight. And he didn't understand why. But when he tried to mouth words they didn't come out. It was like he had been silenced. Muted. But it was more like it was difficult. And to try and talk required heavy breathing.
"You... Dare... Face... Me...?"
Fear was talking in his sleep.
The mare nodded once. There was a sword by her side as well. With indigo rod-like handle and silver blade. Crescent moon etched into the pommel. The mare was as cool as the night, and looked to be a couple years older than the stallion across from her. The mare pulled it from its cloth scabbard strapped to her body, and held it at the ready, pouring into it positive emotions. There was an emotive thrum of power.
Fearei grimaced. "So that's... How it is... I... Give you... Everything... And this... Is how... You repay me...?" It was so difficult to speak. He was muttering quietly while he slept.
The pendant around his neck, in reality, glimmered a little.
Her voice was melodic. Dutiful. Purposeful. "You have become no more than a monster, Fearshatter." Elegant. Perfect for a noble, had she been born before the war ever started. Her enunciation was seamless.
Fearei screamed, his aura flaring to life as he pulled his own solar-themed sword and shot it out straight for the mare, intending to pierce her heart, negative emotions filling the blade and creating a buzz.
The mare's sword didn't even hesitate, coming to its wielder's defense like it meant nothing, gliding through the air and slamming into the others' blade, redirecting it and then sliding it up and away. The mare sprinted at Fearei who brought the sword down and around, charging forward.
The two differently sized ponies clashed, hooves on hooves, swords individually trying to overpower the other. Chilled charcoal magical aura against warm vanilla ambience. There was the clap of hooves and the clash of metal, cling cling shing, ricocheting off of each other as they both tried to claim the upper hoof. The mare was at peace. Fearei was violent. He wanted to keep everything he had worked so hard to achieve. So hard to find. He had given everything to get to this spot and he wouldn't have it taken from him.
Both stallion and mare tried underhanded tactics. The mare tried to yank Fear off the ground and dangle him, strangle him by the end of his cape. Fear sliced the fabric clean off in one fell swoop. He retaliated by trying to grab her heart in his telekinetic field. She countered by trying to finish him off while he was distracted.
Neither of them could gain the advantage no matter how hard they tried, clear as day that they were sussing each other out with empathy as they battled against each other for dominance. Their minds were starting to tire. Their brains beginning to throb. They were both tied so intricately to magic but neither of them allowed defeat. Their hooves started connecting with the others' bodies. Trading blows. Punches, bucks. Cracked ribs. Bruised muscles. Black eyes. Dislocated jaws. Slam bam smack jam. Their bodies were fatigued. After a prolonged struggle the two made one last ditch attempt to end the other, their swords shearing through the air.
Both stallion and mare were impaled on each others' blade. Through the chest. Down to the hilt. Both pony's eyes widened. Their jaws dropped. They twisted each others' sword. The mare kept her eyes open, smiling victoriously, feeling peace overcome her. She was ready to die.
Fearei on the other hoof panicked. He was frustrated. Angry. So many negative emotions. Their swords pulled out of each other with a shlick. Fearei snapped his sword a few times, flicking the unwelcome blood off. The mare did no such thing. She wanted the blood of the other on her hooves. It felt right. The stallion though. He felt himself fading. No amount of will was saving him from this. From fate itself. From the crashing down of karma upon his soul. Of this mare, so deeply connected to him though he could not understand why. He felt himself fall to the ground. Blood was pouring out of his wound with every beat of his heart. It cascaded out like a broken pipe. He felt his vision dimming. He cursed to himself. Everything lost. He felt everything falling away.
And he woke up in a cold sweat, eyes rolling around asynchronously from the sheer vertigo and sense of disassociation pumping through him, feeling like he was going to puke or exit his body and ascend into the clouds. It had been a clear, vivid warning. One that seemed so far away and so unlike him. Yet it seemed so enticing. No. He would not be that. He would resist such an outcome. Perhaps one day though, he would find that mare from his dream, that he'd never seen before, but still recognized.
Fear frowned deeply, very concerned after what had happened after his last nightmare with the same vivid sensations. But like his last nightmare, he had changed things, right? He could change them again. He looked over to his Gallop, picking it up and setting it in his lap, examining his weapon thoroughly before beginning the process of disassembling it with telekinesis after unloading it. He removed the trigger assembly, tapped until the stock came loose, the attached sten-like bit coming with it. Unhooked and slid out the spring. Removed the follower arm pin and operating rod catch. Lifted out the magazine slide. Drew back the operating rod, then rotated it up and pulled it away. Slipped out the bolt. Undid the lock screw and took off the gas cylinder. And finally slid off the hoof guard. He reached for his saddlebags with his magic and took out the weapon care kit that once belonged to his mother, starting the calming ritual of caring for his firearm. Applying lubricant to the parts that needed it, and admiring the operation of such a fine machine as he explained his dream and nightmare to his mother, both still clear in his mind. Jazz tunes echoing around him so he had something to work to. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Ameliorate | Nuclear winter may have been over for 180 or so years but there were still those moments in time where instead of the cloud cover that curtained the starry sky from the wastelanders below absorbing heat, it did no more than reflect and protect them from the warmth, be it due to soot or other atmospheric phenomenon that wished nothing but to see those down below suffer. The past month had seen a lot of that, with temperatures usually decreasing to somewhere a little below freezing. Snow had fallen recently during what would have normally been a rainstorm, so there were a couple inches of the crunchy powder scattered across the ground everywhere that didn't have upper protection. Because of this, it smelled just like snow, which is to say every other smell was far less pungent and everything just felt slower and ponies could see their breath.
During all of this Fear was taking shelter within an old war-torn factory, his body heat keeping him warmer than most would feel. The radiating warmth absorbing into his fluffy coat of dark gray fur, as unkempt as it was, despite the tangles here and there. There was debris all around him. Old assembly machinery, conveyor belts, compressors, branding equipment, the works really. There were a combination of large and small cardboard boxes, crates, and trash in the area. Garbage ranging from buckcake wrappers all the way to office supplies that had fallen from areas once inhabited by desk job ponies due to earth tremors from the bombs falling.
Fear himself was making the most of this treasure trove of items by strapping appropriately sized cardboard boxes around his legs and over his head, horn poking out of a hole he'd made, as well as over his barrel. All of them broken down and then put back together with packing tape. This was his home; this was his playtime; this cardboard was his armor. Fear was pretending to fight off piles of boxes that were crafted in the shapes of robots using a terrifyingly weak version of telekinetic bullet. Building up the psychokinetic pressure in his horn and blasting it like a paperclip slingshot into the boxes. Barely even making a dent. But it was enough.
Storm's stuffed body, Fear's Gallop, and his saddlebags were laid in a corner of the factory nearby him as he continued to fight off his imaginary foes, playing as any colt should, even if technically he was growing too old for these little games of pretend. Overall, he was making a lot of noise, boasting like any good hero should about how he was going to eradicate all threats to Equestria and yelling out his motives to bring harmony back to such a glorious, bright land full of sunshine and rainbows.
It was during his play, and in part due to it, that he didn't sense the filly coming up to him until it was nearly too late, his horn glowing as he prepared another bolt of telekinesis and whipping around, jaw slack. If anything he looked incredibly silly standing there covered in cardboard boxes printed with logos and information with his horn lit up and jaw hanging open, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
The filly, who Fear immediately recognized as the mare from his dreams, just younger, due to it being seared into his imaginary retinas, had a look of sly bemusement on her face, as if she were secretly making fun of the colt for his antics. Her smirk spreading from ear to ear, her head twisted to the side lightly as she held a hoof against her lips. There was a balletic rigidness to her. Stiff posture yet loose muscles. Unlike the mature, slender mare with elegant curves the mare from his dream had, this filly had more of a lankiness, which was still different compared to Fear's stoutness. She clearly hadn't finished developing. However her amethyst mane and tail were as beautiful as ever, and those violet, gem-like eyes with their entrancing sapphire ellipticals seemed to pierce into his soul. She also wore a pair of heavy duty, durable saddlebags. Fear knew that while she was clearly judging him slowly, she was not a threat. She didn't have the color of a threat in his mind's eye, and neither did the whispers of her soul feel malignant and damaged. If anything those whispers spoke of purity, wisdom, and superiority.
"Why exactly are you making so much noise? Do you not know being so loud will attract predators? Where is your mother, colt?" The filly spoke like she was older than she clearly was, though the way she carried herself gave her a few extra years. There were also no contractions in her speech patterns, as if she'd intentionally cut all such improprieties from her lexicon, neither were there any syllables wasted. There was no room for failure and weakness when you were her. The air around her was smug, but open-minded. Her voice was melodic, dutiful, full of purpose. Like she'd found her calling long ago and she would cut down any who got in her way.
Yes, this was definitely the mare from his dream, albeit far more obvious about who she was, and far less gentle.
"I'm Fearei Shatter. Who're you exactly?"
The filly felt emotions in order. One, she was flummoxed by his improper speaking, clearly, rolling her eyes in a small arch and shaking her head. Second, she was a little flustered because as silly as the colt was, he was kind of cute. Clearly damaged. But trying his best. And further, he hadn't even come close to answering her question. Foremost, there were many tumultuous emotions running through the colt's head, and his facial expressions showed each and every one of them. From recognition, to feigned offense, to calm.
"I..." The filly hesitated, pressing a hoof against her chest and tilting her head into the air, gently closing her eyes. "I am Ameliorate Reverie. And you would do well to remember that. Are you going to answer my question or not?"
Fear just grinned stupidly, his tail hiking up, saying the first thing that was on his mind. "I dreamt about you, you know."
Amelio was completely thrown off guard by that little statement, recoiling back as if she'd been slapped. A powerful blush flowed across her face as her lips tensed up and undulated a bit in concern, her ears flopping back against her skull. While she was clearly still frustrated her question hadn't been answered, she was just as clearly enthralled by the fact somepony had dreamt of her. "Oh? What was the dream? Was it something grand and extravagant like me?" She recovered her composure and pressed the hoof against her chest again, standing tall and wiggling the front of her body.
Fear noticed the filly's embarrassment and interest easily. Huh, she was fun to tease. Fear took a step forward and flicked his tail to the side. Maybe he should tease her more. "Hmm... Well. I don't know if you'd really like to hear it. Are you really interested in hearing about my little old dreams?"
Amelio snorted. "Not even slightly." Her face wrinkled up a little in frustration at being teased as she felt the colt drawing closer to her. Fear was clearly not armed, and he did not seem like a threat.
Fear rolled his eyes and shrugged as he sidled up next to her. "Really? Well that's too bad because it was really interesting. I dreamt the both of us stood above the entire wasteland, ruling it all together as lovers." His eyes were lidded, intentionally flirting with the filly.
Amelio huffed and sat back on her haunches, pulling back her forehooves and thrusting them out, shoving Fear over to his side, who yelped as he took a tumble from the filly's strength. Fear started laughing a little as he got back onto his hooves and Amelio spoke. "I really doubt that." able to tell he was lying, but still clearly interested. His flirtatious behavior was a little new for her. A reluctant, squeamish grin crossed her face. "I always did want to be a leader of some kind however." She nodded once, firmly, putting her head back into the air snootily. "As in a council member of Friendship City or something to do with Tenpony Tower." She paused for a moment as Fear dusted himself off, his cardboard armor having deflated slightly from the fall. "You know, ponies say Princess Luna was capable of dreamwalking. I never really thought about it before but would that not be interesting and beautiful, to manipulate dreams and watch how ponies react?"
Fear shook his head, smiling doofily. It was interesting seeing a filly his age, or near his age. She was probably a year or two older than him. "I mean maybe. I don't like interfering a ton." Amelio's face visibly fell. That certainly seemed at odds with that blatant blood lust deep inside of him. Still, Fear clearly wasn't lying. Sincerity was etched across his face and engraved in his young, feminine voice. "As for what I was doing... I was playing Mega Mare. Have you heard about Mega Mare? Mom always told me stories of her when I wasn't listening to the DJ."
The filly's smile returned again at those words, happy to finally hear about what he was doing.
"Also, I know I'm being a little loud, but I didn't feel any wild monsters around. I guess I indulged a little too much though."
There was no way for Fear to compare her disposition to the moon because he'd never seen it, but if he had he would. Mysterious, bright, intelligent, calm, shimmering. Flawless from far away with little craters when you looked closer at what made her who she was. Amelio cocked her head to the side as she spoke "You are a dork. And not really, Dad primarily tells me about-"
Fear interrupted her rather readily, before she could mention her father's stories about his time in Chicoltgo, chirping out. "Yeah, I'm a dork, but I'm proud of it!" He closed his eyes and looked smug. "And why don't I tell you some stories and we can play together?"
Amelio smiled a tiny bit, shaking her head and rotating her eyes in a wide, condescending arch. This was incredibly juvenile, and she was a little upset about being interrupted - this colt was very rude - but Fear's enthusiasm was infectious, and she couldn't help but adore how honest he was about how dorky he was in a place as unforgiving as the wasteland. It was attractive. She had to work out some of his wrinkles, perhaps, but he seemed like he'd make a good friend at the least. "Sure, why not? I have a half hour to spare."
"Well in that case let's get you outfitted in some armor." As Fear went about collecting papery wafer-thin boxes he began explaining the basis. "Essentially Mega Mare was this fictional hero during war-time Equestria who was built by Doctor Applebloom. The second in her line following Alpha Mare, a red android compared to Mega's blue. It was their job to bring harmony and prosperity to Equestria, but the other doctor, Wiz Caesar, a zebra that was working with Dr. AB ended up stealing Alpha Mare and all the other androids they were working on together in order to try and rule the world."
Amelio sighed at the explanation. It was simple enough, but incredibly silly.
Fear just continued, ignoring her. "Mega Mare was thus outfitted with the latest weaponry and magic in order to put a stop to the zebra doctor's plans and bring harmony back to Equestria, by whatever means necessary. But unlike the Caesar's bots Mega Mare was not allowed to hurt actual equines, despite being able to make her own decisions. The three laws of robotics." Fear began reciting. "A robot may not hurt an equine or, through inaction, allow an equine to come to harm. A robot must obey all orders by equines except when it conflicts with the first rule. And third, a robot must protect its existence as long as it does not conflict with the first or second law."
The filly was a little surprised by Fear's knowledge and memory. Her eyebrows raising.
As Fear finished outfitting Amelio with packing tape and cardboard, Amelio having shifted her saddlebags to the corner where Fear's laid, Fear gave a curt nod. "Your name is Alpha Mare, and it is your job to help me spread everlasting harmony throughout Equestria by beating up all these robots and machinery." He threw out his foreleg to gesture to the whole factory. "We just gotta beat 'em up with telekinetic bullet. Are you familiar with it?"
Amelio shook her head. "Not really. I only really know a light spell and some special things my father taught me."
Fear grinned. "Well you're in luck. To use telekinetic bullet all you have to do is gather up a bunch of pressure in your horn until it feels like it's gonna explode, then direct it and release it. It'll cause a bullet to fly out of your horn."
Amelio did just that, gathering up a ball of telekinesis. Compressing it and thinning it out into a dart, and then releasing it at one of the boxes. Unlike Fear's it managed to make it jiggle and created a cavity, nearly piercing it. A little more power and she'd have an incision.
"Alright then Alpha! Let's get going!"
There was a giant, stupid smile on Amelio's face. She felt so incredibly silly, but this was rather fun. "Yes Mega, let us go!"
Fear laughed as they began fighting their way through towering boxes and defunct machinery, running over conveyor belts and jumping across holes and avoiding sharp spikes that would grind them into meat strips if it were still operating and they fell in. Jumping the gaps was difficult and they sometimes had to help each other with their telekinesis to lighten their weights and allow them to leap higher and farther, but they were quickly climbing the dangerously, precariously placed debris as they fired and tore into the boxes around them, which they occasionally acted like they were being attacked by and screaming and laughing. It was overall a good time, and soon they were up to the offices.
Mega and Alpha resorted to calling each other sister as they started over-turning desks and peppering lamps and old terminals with telekinetic darts, peppering everything within range. Shattering glass and tearing apart this and that. Going through the motions of a craftily laid out war factory dungeon
Eventually they came to the primary terminal, having beaten up even robots that had long ago stopped functioning due to their security being turned off. Mega cried out. "It's the dreaded Terminal Mare! We have to put a stop to her otherwise she's gonna turn on the self-destruct and we won't be able to escape! Come on sis'!"
Alpha just rolled her eyes again, smiling broadly as they started jumping around on top of everything and firing bullets at the terminal.
"It's not enough Alpha! We need to combine our powers in one big shot! But be careful we can't afford to get hit!"
Alpha nodded and jumped to Mega's side and they put their horns together, Amelio's long and almost royal. Fear's horn stubby and appropriately belonging to a pipsqueak. They generated energy together, pouring their magic into the tips of their horns. Black and white swirled together between them like yin and yang, coalescing into a giant telekinetic bullet. They crafted and tempered it, hammering it into a giant charged shot worthy of their combined powers. "Three! Alpha cried.
"Two!" Mega replied.
"One!" Alpha finalized.
"FIRE!" They both shouted at once.
The force of the telekinetic bullet whistled through the air as it flew loose, shredding through the terminal and deactivating it for good. Too bad for anypony who wanted to use the terminal, but good for the two of them who'd had such a good time.
"Yeah! Sis! We did it!" Mega cried in victory.
Alpha clapped her hooves against Mega's as they "reverted" back to their normal selves, falling on the ground and laughing, holding their bellies.
Fear and Amelio eventually made their way back to the entrance of the factory, looking at the wreckage of everything they'd destroyed and toppled over. Still laughing occasionally. Fear was the first to speak. "Haha! No zebra leader stands a chance against our power!" He puffed out his chest, grinning like a hero with blazing crimson eyes. As violent as they looked, they seemed almost tame.
Amelio just stared at Fear, shaking her head a little. She found herself slipping into the quicksand of attraction. Falling for his confidence, dorky honesty, and overdramatic bravery. Everything he'd exhibited during their little game, and everything she could feel from the whispers of his soul. He had clearly done... Wrong things in his life. She could sense the blemishes, the stutters and stammers of every whisper. The lack of full security in who he was. He was slowly crumbling, that much Amelio could tell. But perhaps they could help each other. He was a cute little colt. Amelio draped her foreleg over Fear's shoulders as they wandered back to the front of the building. They got their saddlebags and other gear together, Amelio's having been hanging out atop Fear's protectively. Eventually Fear strapped Storm to his back once more. And with that they left the factory behind. The filly watched Fear for awhile as they walked together to... Well, she had no idea where Fear was going, but she was going back to her father.
Fear honestly just wanted to hang out with this new filly for awhile longer. It wasn't often he found others his age and that wanted to play with him.
Amelio finally broached the one topic that interested her the most a minute later. "Who is that mare on your back, and why do you carry her?"
Fear winced and twitched for a second as if something had hit him. Still. It always... Felt better talking about it. As if he was able to give a word of warning or to just enjoy regaling ponies with the tale. Nopony ever stuck around though, or was it that he never stuck around? But since this pony might stick around and since she seemed nice to stay with... Maybe he should go into more detail? He looked back behind him at the oversized stuffed plushie strapped to his back with a cord. "Well, she's my mother." He sounded hesistant and unsure. He knew others felt uncomfortable.
And uncomfortable Amelio did feel. Fear was clearly very damaged. She eased out the words she thought she might regret. "What... What happened to her?" It was clear Fear didn't want to let go, and she didn't blame him for that, even if she knew it was unhealthy to carry your stuffed parent. She'd never do anything like that.
Fear looked back and nodded. "Well... It was early in the morning."
=========================================================================
Amelio seemed to know exactly where she was going as Fear told the story in vivid detail to his new friend. They were headed to a specific part of a nearby outpost named Notres. At least that's what the sign said. A lot of the letters were faded with time. It looked like a warning sign instead of a welcome one. Not that anyone knew but it once said 'No Trespassing.'
The air was chilled and cold, everything solid and slow. Things were sluggish and dry. It poked against the skin and crystallized the fur given enough time and lack of heat. It was like someone taking a brush to the body and gently grazing over it. Things were still, and the snow crunched under hoofsteps. Fear and Amelio were heading into the outpost limits and toward one of the buildings in particular. Amelio seemed to know exactly where she was going, homing in on a signal only she could feel, or at least that only she was familiar with.
A few moments later as they approached, the door opened and out stepped a dazzling old stallion with youthfulness in every bit of his features, only more pronounced by his thin lips, which were a vague simulacra of something familiar and cozy. Yet despite the youth, his perfectly combed mane was a pure glistening platinum, like threads of gossamer covered in morning dew. The silken hair and tail were curly, twisted, and suave, perfectly coiled as they reflected light like sparkling stars. A short, swirly pearl-tipped horn jutted up out of his forehead. His smooth, short, luxurious fur coat was beautiful, a calm, gorgeous periwinkle blue. His eyes a pure pool of indigo that looked like glossy ink or jewels, full of life and fire despite the weary undertones to his being. The cutiemark adorning his flanks was glorious, albeit shamefully greyed out as if a chemical had been used to make it monochrome. As is, the symbol was a large mirror with ornate trim and two drama masks overlaid. One sad with a darker shade, the other happy with a lighter tint. On his back were a pair of durable, light brown saddlebags that looked almost good as new, somewhat full, evenly weighted, and without much detail. Aside from a sheathe on one side holding a sharpened black knife with a slightly curved ivory handle. In a word, he was magnificent, and looked like he belonged in pre-war Equestria as an actor.
Amelio gestured to the stallion who was coming down the steps leading to the front door and spoke. "Fear, this is my father Simulacrum." She turned to her father then. "Dad, are you finished with your errands?" It was odd how flawless and proper Amelio's mannerisms were aside from the casual way she referred to her parent.
Fear looked from Simulacrum to Amelio and back again, understanding right away just how somepony like Amelio could have been sired. Fear himself was gradually falling for Amelio too, as if it were love at first sight. There was discomfort about his feelings, but he couldn't deny he enjoyed playing pretend with her, and was interested in doing more. He'd just have to wait and see what the future held.
Simulacrum stepped into the snow, grinning a bit. Even that was somehow charismatic and charming. With a nod, he responded. "Yes, Ame, I'm finished. Right on time too." He looked to her little friend and stiffened, visibly flinching at the sight of the dead body sewn up. Then he eyed the pendant around the colt's neck, hiding his emotions on the surface. All that registered between the two older foals, one nearing her teens, was a hint of surprise. "Hey there kid, what's your name?"
Fear was a little put off by the surprise, but then again all ponies seemed to feel that way regarding his mother. "Fearei Shatter. It's nice to meet you Simulacrum."
Sim's eyes glassed over for a moment.
Amelio looked between the two as Fear asked what was wrong.
"Nothing kid, just call me Sim, that'll do." Sim gave Fear a hesitant smile and shrugged. There was a warm, fatherly look to his eyes. As if he had perfected it over the years. Or maybe he had always had it in him. "Say, you didn't kill your mother did you?"
Fear shook his head. "Nah. Though how'd you know she was my mother?"
Amelio piped up right after Fear, saying "no, he didn't. He told me the story about it and he's definitely not lying. Raiders killed her." Very quick to his defense. Her eyes wide with a little concern.
Fear glanced to his new friend and tilted his head. "You can tell whether or not I'm lying?" Sure Amelio could have just been protecting him with that, but if she was Fear would have felt her lying.
Sim chuckled. It had a cozy bitonal attribute. High pitched and low pitched all at once. But there was little questioning it, as it just felt like a trick of the vocal cords. "She's an empath. Why? Are you one too? Also, regarding your question: she's a full sized mare, and you wouldn't carry around just any random pony with you I assume."
Fear's smile was unending and powerful as he nodded emphatically. "Yeah! Of course I am! I can sense ponies around me in a pretty big distance, I'm no slouch!" The explanation sated him well enough.
There was a little uncertainty in Sim's eyes. Fear sensed discomfort but it was probably because the stallion didn't trust him yet. After all most ponies didn't immediately trust a pony that was carrying around a dead pony. Some just assumed he was a raider like all the others. Thankfully for him he easily passed for as young a colt as he looked, if not a little younger, and further he didn't wear blood-soaked raider armor. Nor did he wear leather saddlebags. Anyways, that was fine, these two ponies felt really good. Amelio was kind and felt like she had a lot of integrity, even if easily corrupted, and Sim felt like he was being mildly dishonest, however he was kind enough. He had probably just done horrible things too, accounting for the blemishes in the whispers of his soul. And overall he was a very extravagant source of light despite that. He felt like a sun who just wanted to nurture ponies. Fear was about to ask about the empathy thing, as he hadn't met anypony like him before but...
"Why don't we get settled for the night? You can come with us. We already have a little encampment set up a little ways outside town off the road. Would you like that?" Sim clearly didn't mean it, but it was easy to tell what Amelio was feeling just by how she defended him.
Amelio started jumping a little, looking between the two males. "Yeah come on! Let us go! Let us camp for the night! Together!" She was excited and giddy, sitting on her haunches and clapping her hooves together, excited to have a playmate.
Fear shrugged, grinning nonchalantly. "Sure, what do you do for a living anyway Sim?" The three started on their way as the stallion began explaining his expertise.
"I'm a comfort horse. Probably the best of the best if you ask those I've taken care of. I do everything from foalsitting to massages, all the way to actual sex. Though my real talent lies in acting. I've done a few tiny plays but nothing major. Where are you from kid?"
The colt was very impressed, looking at Sim in awe. "Wow! I always kind of wanted to try out a life like that - being a comfort horse I mean - I've done it before. But I can't really stop fighting. I hate myself for it but I'm always drawn to it." Sim seemed concerned at that, but ignored it. "I myself grew up in the wasteland, but my Mom's from Stable 47 out by Stalliongrad." Fear turned to his mother and spoke to her, nearly chirping. "These two are really interesting Mom!"
They certainly are, sweetie. There's something off, but they seem very kind. I'm happy for you my little Nightlight.
Fear beamed to the utmost while the other two looked on in concern.
Sim lifted a hoof, turning it upward. "You ever been there or thought about going there? It's technically your home too after all." This caused the colt to wither a bit.
"Welllll... No." Fear admitted. "But I've thought about it a bit. Seems like it could be kind of fun I guess." He nodded his head to the side.
Sim bounced his saddlebags into the air a bit as he adjusted himself. "Well! Why don't we escort you there? I'd love to visit that stable too, or any stable for that matter. Maybe you can even put your mother to rest where she belongs. Where she began."
Amelio squeaked. "Yes! That would be very cool! Road trip!"
Fear grinned and nodded sheepishly, shrugging a shoulder. "Sure, I'll consider it." Truth be told he was contemplating running away. He didn't want to give Storm up. She felt so good to talk to. But it'd be wrong to leave them high and dry when they just wanted to help him and... It wasn't like he was doing anything else. Stable 47 might even have answers about his mother and the pendant she carried. Be able to tell him things about her life growing up so he could get to know her better. Storm had always been incredibly personal and private, even around him. So maybe he should. Besides, the stable probably wouldn't ask for his mother back. He knew it was delusional denial, but he refused to give her up and was falling into the desire to visit.
Sim's invigorating smile returned. "Well then, the next leap will be the leap home."
"Huh?" Fear was confused. That sounded weird.
Amelio rolled her eyes. "That is something Dad always says to keep us in high spirits, as if there is some kind of home waiting out there for us. He says he learned it from an old radio play."
Sim chuckled that same weary yet energetic laugh. "I've told you Ame, your grandparents are waiting for you to come visit again." He ruffled Amelio's mane with a hoof. "It's your home as much as it's mine."
Amelio grumbled. "Yes, but I want a real home. Somewhere I can be the leader of. I want to be incredible. I want everypony to look up to me, respect me, and adore me. I want them to come to me for all their problems, for my leadership. I want them to respect me."
Sim just grinned while Fear felt enticed by the filly. The colt decided to tease her a little. "Well you can lead me any day," he sultrily said with a clearly seductive tone. Sim rolled his eyes.
Amelio blushed deeply and looked away as they got to a stack of firewood.
Sim opened up his saddlebags. Fear could see some bags of caps, a fancy spark lighter with a picture of the alicorn Princess Luna engraved on it, two canteens - one with a gash running along it horizontally, and another bag of something round and spherical - they looked squishy. Sim took out the lighter and pulled open the cap, holding it in a turquoise telekinetic aura. He hit the switch with a 'kachick' and the flame fwooshed into being. After lowering the flame to the dry wood, it eventually caught flame, becoming engulfed especially as Sim lit both ends. There was always at least a little dead wood still remaining for things like this.
The group got comfortable, and Fear finally decided to ask the question most pertinent on his mind. "So Meels is an empath too, right? What do you guys know about it?"
Amelio was about to say something before Sim interjected. "We might tell you eventually. If you can prove you're trustworthy." Amelio scoffed.
"But he is super trustworthy!"
Sim just glanced to her.
"Sorry Dad." Amelio deflated, staring at the ground.
Sim gave an understanding nod to his daughter. "I trust you Ame, but he's a little wild. Throwing around anything and everything." His head turned to Fear. "I want to know you're not too impulsive before we share information with you, Fear."
Fear was a little bitter at that, but he didn't resent them. He could understand what they were saying. "I mean I kind of get it. I'll prove myself! Don't worry!"
Amelio sulked. "Sorry Fear. We will tell you soon."
Sim then pulled out the bag full of spherical goods and opened it up, popping out two strange, magenta, grape-like orbs. With a closer look Fear was able to see juicy fluid coursing around inside, swirling about like his cutiemark. He floated one over to Amelio who took it in her charcoal magic. Slipping it into her mouth and chewing.
"What are those?" Fear was curious as ever.
"Our dinner for tonight." Sim was as forthcoming as ever.
"Can I have one?" Fear queried.
Amelio took up the mantle for this one. "I do not know if they would affect you or not honestly. They are special and only energize certain kinds of ponies."
Fear was a little confused and left out, but dropped it. They had their secrets. As irritated as he was, this explained why Sim felt like he was hiding stuff. Besides, they'd been kind to him so far. While he tried to stop dwelling on it, he went through his own saddlebags and pulled out a can of cream corn, popping the hatch lid and peeling it backwards, exposing the contents. He held it out in his telekinesis over the open fire, whose flames were licking at the air. It was moments like this he appreciated being a unicorn, even as he tried not to get a full head on his shoulders. After all, it was nice to be able to cook things without risking burning himself, without needing to rely on utensils.
Amelio piped up. "So Fear, do you know any scary stories meant for stuff like this?"
Fear contemplated it, tapping his chin with a hoof. "Well I mean I know a few. Have you ever heard the one of Slenderstal?"
Amelio shook her head. "Never. Tell us."
Fear tried to determine where to begin, rolling his jaw with the hoof and squinting at the cloud cover above as he reveled in the heat of the flames. "Well, Slenderstal is this huge, slender pony as his name implies. He's said to have been as large as the princesses. A completely white pony dressed in a black suit and tie. His legs were as long as the branches of the tallest tree, with a face completely blank of any features. Nothing but empty skull covered in flesh and fur. No eyes, no mouth, no snout. His ears don't even have holes. The most dexterous thing on him are these really long, slim, greasy tentacles that sprout from his back to help him capture little colts and fillies."
The colt continued. "They say he drives ponies mad. Never quite revealing himself for real except to foals, who he steals away to do Celestia knows what to them." The flickering flames caused light to dance across Fear's features, leaving him encased in shadows here and there, and covered in light in others. Constantly shifting. "This particular story is about a particular filly who was out wandering through Manehattan's run down shops all on her own. She was looking through an old boutique, exploring the various dresses that had survived the bombs going off and darkness had settled in. It encroached around her like a monster ready to swallow her whole."
Amelio was rapt with attention; although uncertain that she believed a word of it. It sounded too weird.
"Well, eventually the little filly found a great big mannequin wearing a suit of the highest quality fabric. She admired it for a long time, before finally looking up at the one wearing it. She didn't quite expect what she saw. A heavy weight overcame the filly. She felt like she was suddenly drowning, couldn't come up for air. It was an unhealthy obsession with this mannequin that suddenly moved. Its tentacles coming down to pick up the little filly and hold her at eye level. They locked eyes with each other, and as the filly's mind was broken, snapped in two, she was finally set down. Thoughts ran through the filly's head. Wild, corrupt thoughts. She needed to serve this entity. This entity that wore clothing of the finest silks. She needed to be with him. And the only way she could be with him was..."
Fear paused, pulling his can from the fire and setting it down in front of him, waiting for it to cool as steam rose off of it.
"You guessed it. She eventually went home and later that night she killed her parents, seeing the figure from the shop out of the corner of her eye the entire time she was doing it."
Amelio snorted and rolled her eyes. "That was not very scary. You almost had me going though. You kind of rushed through it at the end. And besides, how does he see without eyes?"
Fear fumed and huffed, crossing his forelegs over his chest. "I don'know, I always assumed he used, like, empathy or something to locate souls. Doesn't matter. If you don't like it, you do better."
Sim was enjoying their antics as he laid by the fire, relaxing to scary stories that hardly had any basis in reality as far as he knew.
Amelio grinned sinisterly. "Gladly. This story is about a mare by the name of Bloody Merry Gold. They say she is one of the many dangers you can encounter within Canterlot's pink cloud. Her entire body is emaciated and mutilated, the clothing from her death fused to her flesh and blood cascading down her entire body. They say she was around the day the pink cloud was released and got caught in it, her coltfriend leaving her to die in the bathroom of their house while he ran to try and escape in one of the bunkers. Only he never made it."
There was a pause as the fire illuminated Amelio, making her seem more silly than terrifying.
"According to legend, you can meet up with Bloody Merry's eternal spirit if you go to Canterlot at night and find a mirror, broken or not does not matter. And cry in front of it her name three times. They say depending on whether she takes a liking to you, she either stabs you to death with mirror shards, leaving you to bleed out on the floor due to how angry she is for being left to die, or she takes pity on your poor, worthless soul and pulls it out of your body through your mouth, and whisks it away into the night, leaving your body a husk to be claimed by nature while you remain with her in agony forever. And that is the legend."
Fear rose an eyebrow, not believing a word of it as he chomped and chewed on his food. "Well, that wasn't much of a story, but you certainly told it well so... Good job." He gave her a genuine smile, his compliment sounding and feeling sincere.
Amelio's face flushed with crimson heat again. "Th-thank you, Fear."
Sim shook his head. "Alright kids, time for sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."
Fear shrugged as Amelio and he laid down on the ground, the snow around the fire melted. The radio helping lull him to his rest.
Amelio, curious, inquired: Fear, do you have to keep that thing on all night?
Fear nodded as he closed his eyes. "Definitely. Turning it off always gives me an anxiety attack." The filly seemed satisfied by that, albeit worried, and tried to enjoy the sound of the smooth jazz tunes that were nearing their end.
"I'll wake up during the night and put some more wood on the fire," said Sim comfortingly.
As the jazz tunes ended, DJ-P0N3's voice kicked up. "Remember children, family is the most important thing in the wasteland, and family is more than just those related to you by blood! They're those who choose to stick by you in the worst of times and the best of times. They're the ones we share life's happiest and most miserable experiences with. Through thick and thin, family is with you." |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Changelings | The whooshing of howling wind was ever present today. It had been about five days and it was snowing again. If the elegant flakes of frozen water came down any harder, any thicker, any more violently it would have been a full on blizzard. As it was it was rather calm and quiet, with a vague mist permeating the area. It was cold enough for ponies to see their breath, wispy trails of steam coiling about in the air and rising upward, mixing with everything else. While it wasn't chilly enough to be dangerous, it was certainly enough to be excruciating. Sim was taking the lead, his head up and following an unknown path. A trail only he could see. He always seemed to know where they were going, as if he'd been around long enough to have an internal map. That or they were just shuffling along a road. It was hard to tell which to be honest. Fear and Amelio were merely huddled up together for warmth. Well, Fear was. As powerful as his body heat was it was just nothing compared to the warmth Amelio was giving off right now. It confused the Tartarus out of Fear, he couldn't explain it, it was just another mystery heaped onto everything else that they wouldn't answer no matter how much he annoyed them by asking. Which was about three times so far. He could tell that no amount of prodding would get an answer. Amelio was cracking, but she believed heavily in her father.
Fear respected that. It reminded him of how he felt about his mother, which currently had a curtain of powder covering her body on his back.
In order to have something to do, primarily because Fear was bored and there was no way they could play traveling games in this weather while trotting, he decided to break the silence like shattering glass with a monotonous question. "Are you sure you can't tell me what's going on?"
Sim just shook his head, not that Fear could see it. It was a combination of denial and also Sim was impressed at the colt's persistence. Sure he had tried to distract him with other forms of conversation but Fear always seemed to be able to drag the topic right back to the things he wanted to learn about.
Amelio on the other hand was about to respond in good humor, able to read Fear like a book, but perked up instead. Her head reaching up into the air, ears standing erect.
Fear stopped with her. "What's wrong?" A moment later he felt it too. It was clear the older filly had more time to practice her craft.
"Dad, stop. There are..." Amelio's ears flicked. "Five ponies. A lot of malignancy. And maybe five others. They feel weary."
Sim halted and looked back to the others, trotting over to them.
Fear piped up, glancing from Amelio to Sim. "Slavers, you think?"
Sim nodded. "I'm sure of it. We have no idea how heavily they're armed."
Amelio left Fear's side as Sim told him to turn off the radio. While the wind might've masked it up to this point there was no reason in giving their location away. Fear hesitated, reluctantly lighting up his horn and flicking the switch. The smooth jazz tunes cut off instantly. Immediately Fear's eyes darted from side to side, his breath hitching in his throat and beginning to sweat, his limbs tingling. The father and daughter were busy whispering to each other. Fear moved a little closer to try and make it out, but the last thing said, the only thing he caught was.
"You're up Amelio. I'm counting on you. We don't have time to avoid them."
Amelio gave a firm, defiant nod with pursed lips, pushing her mane back as she unclipped her father's knife holster and unsheathed the black blade, gripping the ivory handle in her charcoal magic.
Fear wasn't sure what to make of this. He wanted to kill the slavers and free the ponies on account of them being slavers (most likely), but didn't know what he could possibly do. He looked past Amelio and Sim. There was no way to see clearly through the snow and mist, so there was no way he could be of much use as a sniper, even if someday he might be able to sense where a pony was simply by feeling out their soul. Besides, there was also no high ground to hide in, even if the low visibility would conceal him too. Further, it was a lot of bullets. Five total provided he didn't miss one of his shots. And they'd be moving around after the first two blasts.
No, there was no way for Fear to help in this situation. He looked to his new friends, cocking his head to the side as Amelio suddenly vanished from his vision. Like she'd never been there at all she was suddenly just... Gone. Masked by snow and mist. Her entire body invisible. Fear's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and bulged out a little. "What??" The confusion was evident in his cracking squeak of a voice. It sounded like he was asking a question about a question.
Sim moved over to Fear and sidled up next to him, using his turquoise magic to yank Fear against his body, laying down in the snow, coaxing Fear's muscles to kneel with him. "Down here, Fear." Sim draped a foreleg over the colt's back. It felt warm and comforting. Too warm. Unnaturally warm. Though the fatherliness present within it was intoxicating. Fear felt Sim's regulated, calm breathing and firm heartbeat, closing his eyes.
"What's she doing Sim?"
Sim smiled down at the colt with a tenderness in his gaze. "I don't like killing because it takes too much time off my life and I prefer talking things out nowadays when I can. But I've done it many times despite disliking it. Amelio's taking care of this group for us. We want to help the ones who've been captured after all." Sim's grip around Fear tightened, squeezing him close and nuzzling into his mane.
Wait what? Fear thought to himself, vision bolting toward Sim's face with jaw agape as if he was about to have a conniption from the strange information.
Amelio was busy sneaking up on the group. Winding around them in a circle. Magical vibrations radiated out from her horn. Illusions of the highest quality - the quality of a noble - leaked from her and entered all ponies in the vicinity. Covering up the noise of her hooves in the snow. Hiding her breathing and body, whose entirety was transformed into a sheer alabaster. The illusion also masked the knife she was carrying next to her, which was quickly molding and melting. Changing shape. Lengthening outward into a short pole, a blade pricking at the end and extending outward like it was made of light before permeating fully into a physical construct. Still a white handle with a now giant, crescent, inky black blade. A miniature scythe that looked like it could decapitate anything with the right motions and enough pressure.
Amelio's eyes sharpened, swiftly transitioning into that of an owl's. Her gaze pierced through the hazy weather and stared at the ponies. They were in an arrowhead formation. Four behind the cart, two on both sides a fair distance away keeping track of what was happening, and one in the front taking point. The cart, complete with blanket-covered cage on top, was being dragged through the snow by a burly earth pony that they intended to sell. Amelio brought the scythe close to her body as she wound around, snaking through the snow and coming up to one of the ponies from behind. They were all armed to the teeth with primary and secondary firearms, thick cloaks covering their bodies and keeping them warm, as well as carrying full saddlebags. Amelio grit her teeth, narrowing her eyes and sneaking up right on the first pony's heels, glad that they weren't having any sort of perverted or macabre discussion like slavers and raiders were wont to do. A telekinetic ring wrapped around the first stallion's muzzle as the scythe cascaded around, slipping up against his throat. The tip brushing against the side of his neck.
Amelio didn't hesitate.
The stallion did. His eyes went wide, every muscle in his body stiffening from the sudden phantom sensation of a sharp edge pushing into his neck. He didn't have a single moment to contemplate it any further because a second later...
There was a brutal swipe.
The scythe penetrated through the fur and flesh, incising the head right off the shoulders. The body slumped into the snow as a fountain of blood sprayed up and tainted the white with gore, the head thumpfing into the snow and creating a small crater where it landed. The pony's eyes were bulging out, his jaw opening and closing as if to say something. The light in his eyes quickly went out, going dull and vacant. Not even having time for final words.
Amelio grimaced and lifted her head into the air. She hated killing. She hated the texture of blood on her hooves and the taste of it on her soul. But doing things nopony wanted to do was what leaders did, and she wanted to be a leader. So she'd bear any burden in an effort to be somepony others could look up to. Amelio flicked her head to the side as she approached the other pony on the opposite flank, none of them any wiser. Quickly beheading each and every pony in the back before they knew what hit them. Not even noticing their brethren collapsing lifelessly by a single filly's hoof.
Back with Sim and Fear, the stallion had finally responded. "It's complicated Fear. Maybe you'll understand someday. You're still just a colt after all." Sim gave Fear a teasing wink, causing Fear's cheeks to puff outward, eyes glaring holes into Sim as he grumbled in frustration. He accepted it though. He might be able to annoy answers out of Amelio but Sim was like trying to yank something out of hardened concrete. His answers were held in tighter than teeth. Besides, he was still dealing with an anxiety attack, barely keeping his breathing under control as he rested against Sim's comforting body, sandwiched under his mother's.
Amelio had deadly precision. Perfect and lethal. She was a Lunar Reaper. A Moon Angel of Death. And she didn't stop there. Fear could feel each 'red light' leaving his awareness one by one as the filly continued her rampage through the snow, finishing it off by going up to the pony taking point and slicing away the unneeded part of his body as if it were vestigial. As soon as Fear felt the last cancerous light go out he flicked on his radio, immense relief flooding into him and making him sigh in bliss.
There was a loud scream and a whinnie as the bulky stallion's eyes, the one dragging the cart, dilated, suddenly rearing back onto his hindlegs from the sight of a guillotined pony. He was desperate to escape, thinking they'd just been ambushed by raiders someway, somehow. But being hitched to a cart made it slow and difficult to escape.
The commotion in front of the concealed cart caused the ponies in the cage to stir and stand. A raspy voice sounded out from within. "Powerhouse... What is it?" There was concern etched into it.
The stallion named Powerhouse screamed again. But there was a sudden shush as Amelio appeared from behind him, as if from out of nowhere, her body back to its original appearance "Shh! Keep quiet! I am helping you escape!"
Powerhouse stared at the lanky filly with disbelief in every piece of his body, one eyebrow risen high on his face. But he didn't have time to protest as he was quickly being unhitched with telekinesis, leaving him to go free.
"Hang there for a second, I need to get your friends out of their cage."
"Powerhouse? What is..." There was a fit of coughing. "Is it?"
Powerhouse finally responded in a gruff voice. "I... I think we're being rescued?" The stallion was frazzled, his heart finally calming down after the unexpected attack. Quickly moving over to the slaver that was in front of him and gathering up his gear, wishing he'd been the one to take him out and save his kin.
Disoriented, surprised gasps echoed in the cage combined with baffled muttering. Amelio hopped up onto the cart as the scythe reformed back into a knife, the blade slipping into the hefty unicorn-proof lock. It began to change shape once more, filling out the keyhole and sliding the tumblers into place. When it was finished Amelio wrenched it to the side, clicking it unlocked, pulling the artificial key out and yanking the door open. The knife quickly reverting back to its normal shape.
Amelio gave the others inside a nod. "Get all the slavers' gear and get out of here, you lot. Take care of yourselves."
The ponies were restless, trying to get up and work their legs once more. They looked like they hadn't seen actual light in a couple days. The one who'd spoken to Powerhouse looked to Amelio with gratitude. "Thank you. We don't even know your name but you've done so much for us. We'll take these weapons and... And everything back to our village to help protect it."
The filly grinned cutely. "You do that. And my name is Ameliorate Reverie. I will likely see you again, I am sure."
The stallion nudged the filly with a hoof as they all passed by her and started collecting up the gear. Amelio was swift in getting back to the others.
Fear could sense Amelio coming and glanced from the direction she was in to Sim. "How... How did she do all that?"
Amelio shrugged as she came into view, then looked pleadingly to her father. "Dad? Can we please tell him now?"
Sim seemed to get a sadistic glee out of leaving Fear in the dark. But maybe it was time. He'd stayed silent and seemed to know when he was outmatched. Maybe he wasn't as impulsive as they'd assumed. There was always a chance. "I suppose we can tell him some things. What do you want to know first, Fear?"
Fear considered it, looking back and forth between the two, surprised they were finally giving him answers. His face hardened, knowing that Sim wouldn't explain the comment from before. Just anything involving Amelio most likely. He could feel the exhausted ponies from earlier leaving the area. "Well I suppose let's start with the fact Amelio released those ponies. I've picked locks with telekinesis by feeling things out before but that takes five minutes at least for even the simplest locks. I timed myself once."
Sim shrugged. "Well. That knife I carry around with me," the same knife Sim was sheathing again after Amelio hoofed it off to him, "is made from changeling carapace. They're incredibly valuable because pumping them full of any kind of magic will enable them to transform into whatever you will. Almost anything."
Fear's eyebrows rose. "So you two are changelings?"
Sim grinned and leaned against Fear, staying close to him in order to keep him warm. "I'm half. Amelio is a quarter. My mother was a changeling. Her name is Emulae. Changelings need ponies to survive, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. I'm sure you've noticed, but I'm under the impression Amelio's desire to be influential and a leader is the changeling side of her primarily, a desire to be a queen. And maybe something to do with her mother." Sim's body became rigid at that moment.
Fear took the hint. Amelio's mother was probably a point of contention, or maybe a sour thing. Perhaps their mother had died too? He wouldn't bring it up.
Sim visibly relaxed when the inevitable question wasn't asked. Perhaps Fear wasn't nearly as impulsive as he thought?
The colt was busy recalling stories of changelings. How dangerous purebred ones could be. How they transformed and became all sorts of horrible monsters at will. That it took powerful weapons to take down the strongest ones. But they could also easily be starved to extinction and almost had after the war. He also remembered myths that the same radiation from the end of the war caused them to mutate into terrible beasts. Fear looked toward his mother with lidded eyes and grumbled. "This explains a lot, Mom."
It certainly does, honey!
Sim could tell what was going through Fear's head. Of course, who wouldn't think of those stories? "They're not all dangerous. Some changelings, for whatever reason, will go so far as to reproduce with ponies, or if they can manage it, other species. Their fluctuating genetics allow genes to combine unlike most others. It's a matter of survival, and sometimes a matter of attraction. After all, a changeling pony hybrid has two, possibly three sources of nutrition. Still, most changelings prefer to lie low, because the Steel Rangers see them as a threat and unnatural."
Fear recalled stories his mother told him about the Steel Rangers. How they were hoarders of technology and had their own way of living. Created by Ministry Mare of Wartime Technology: Applejack, they usually believed they themselves were meant to survive. Also that there were detachments of them with differing beliefs. Most of the ponies below the elders, the leaders of the Steel Rangers, were essentially brainwashed and hardly ever thought for themselves. According to her at least, they had no individuality or freedom. If they did, then it was just to decide which detachment they wished to follow.
There was a deep desire within Fear to befriend one, or at least test himself against one. Irrational, and probably crazy, but still there.
Fear came to the obvious conclusion, remembering one of his primary questions. Something that had been bothering him for awhile. "Okay, so is that what those things you ate are? Are they made of love?"
Amelio was surprised by the question as she laid down on her belly in front of the two males, her eyes widening.
Sim snorted amusedly. "Indeed. They're heart cherries. I take some of the love I drain from a pony when I comfort them and use an old changeling technique to morph it into a physical substance. Then I put it into one of my canteens. Eventually I take it, water, and changeling resin to create them."
Fear was uncertain, fidgeting in place. "Is the feeding process painful? And changeling resin?"
Sim shook his head. "Not even slightly, Fear. In fact it can become addicting like a drug. And all changelings can produce a gooey resin from their teeth. Transformation magic mixes with a special substance and expels as a slime, eventually drying and hardening."
The colt cocked his head to the side in curiosity, his ears flopping. "It isn't? Well that's good. What's it like?"
Amelio spoke up first. "A... Lot of ponies become concerned that it will hurt. After all, it is such an intrusive process, why would it not?" Sim just nodded once.
"Indeed, it is actually very pleasant. My mother did it to me when I was young just so I would know what exactly it was I was doing to other ponies, and so I could more easily cater the process to each individual. She believed it was important."
Fear shrugged. "Well okay then, what's it like? I mean I don't really want it to happen to me right now, but maybe you can describe it?"
Sim considered it, and Amelio responded. "It is... Interesting. I will describe the process." She introduced. "It starts often with cuddling, or any remote physical contact. Sometimes it involves light nibbling, but the real bite is metaphysical."
Fear interrupted. "What's metaphysical mean? Actually wait I think that word was in my book once." He quickly corrected himself. "It's like, uhh..." Fear tried to think of the word for it. "It's like when something is beyond physical, or a sort of spiritual physical right? Sometimes emotional?"
Amelio nodded. "Yes. It is the metaphysical fangs that matter, not the physical ones. A changeling will puncture the consciousness of a pony. It starts with a..." She hesitated. "Sharp, anxious sensation. It surges through you, but is quickly replaced by an unending calm." Amelio's eyes darted from side to side during her explanation, as if searching the world for the words she needed.
Sim tried to explain it in better detail. "It's a little like... What's a good metaphor?" He tapped his chin with a hoof, looking up into the air. "Like the calm you get after eating a really good meal. You feel lethargic and incapable of much of anything. It's very blissful. Then a warmth takes root in the belly, expanding outward like a web, ensnaring your being and leaving you breathless, while a comforting cold spot forms at the base of your neck, around the spine. It's chilly and makes everything tingle. It's as if a spirit passed through you."
Fear nodded, understanding it so far. He could almost imagine it. "I might ask you all to try it on me sometime so I can experience it for myself."
Amelio smiled. "I would gladly show you, Fear. After the cold spot begins, goosebumps start flowing along the skin like waves of pleasure. That is when the feeding begins. Emotions, particularly love, are slurped out through the fangs. You can feel them leaving you so clearly it is rather... Passionate. And intimate. You hardly know it is happening. Just that you feel incredible. The remaining emotions slosh around inside of you and feel more apparent. As it continues there is a sense of rightness and fulfillment. It is like you are achieving something glorious, a feeling of purpose that nothing can really compare to."
Sim added. "It is like a venom. You believe you are serving the hive. Just subconsciously knowing you are giving to something greater than yourself. It leaves you groaning and feeling like jelly. I have only been to a spa once, in Friendship City. And I would compare much of it to that."
Fear was curious. "Is that why it's so dangerous? It sounds really amazing."
Amelio nodded. "Yes, Fear. While there is some danger in going too far, draining too much love or too many emotions from a subject, the primary concern is in a pony becoming addicted to the sensation."
Sim finished. "After the feeding process, a sense of anticipation and anxiety floods the subject as the fangs pull out. Then the emotions bubble up to the surface of their consciousness and congeal like a scab, leaving everlasting peace in its wake. Depending on how much you take out, the subject will start to feel... Distant. Disassociative. And light-headed." Sim's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he searched for the right words. "It is very pleasant, peaceful, and hazy however. No matter how much is taken out you feel tired and sluggish. You just want to rest because you can hardly think straight.
Fear wondered. "I've heard talk of headaches afterward. What's that about?"
Amelio grinned, batting a hoof. "That is purely a long-term effect to constant mental control. Once the subject finally comes out of their state of relaxation and suggestibility..." It was hard to remember all these words! "They will sometimes get a headache. That, too, is because it is like a drug. Like painkillers, the mind becomes unused to thinking for itself and it becomes difficult to function alone."
Fear kind of wanted to experience it for himself. It sounded fun. But all drugs were addictive. "You know, this reminds me. I often feel full and energized after sex. Do you think I might be a changeling?"
Amelio rolled her eyes. "I mean it is not insane but still unlikely... I think?"
Sim opened his saddlebags with magic and pulled out a heart cherry. "Here, try one. Who knows? Maybe you'll be able to experience it."
Fear took the heart cherry as Sim continued talking.
"Also that explains your other question. The reason our body heat is so centralized and radiates out from us so well. Just gets trapped. Is due to basic application of changeling magic."
"What else can changeling magic do?" Fear proceeded to pop the grape-like orb into his mouth. The effect was immediate as he chomped down, causing the liquid to gush out of the fluid-dyed resin and into his mouth. Fear looked like he'd been zapped with electricity, his entire body going rigid, muscles locking up and eyes bulging out even as he laid there next to Sim. His eyes then rolled up into the back of his head as his mouth hyper salivated over the meal, his maw becoming slick. Fear shook his head a little, eyes crossing and lips puckering up a moment later as if he'd eaten something sour. Then, before he knew it, his mouth twisted up as his body melted, eyes lidding and legs going weak. Fear relaxed on his barrel as he experienced his first dose of pure, unadulterated love. The water just seemed to bring out the taste even more. It was more chocolatey than anything he'd ever experienced in his life. And so much more... Fresh. "Mmmmnfff..." The energizing effect was fast acting. He felt like he'd had a full meal in no time at all.
Sim and Amelio laughed pretty loudly at his dramatic and vocal reaction to what they'd become accustomed to.
"The first one is always a doozy," Amelio stated. Then sobered up. "Guess he is indeed a changeling. Who would have thought?"
Sim nodded. "It is. As for your question Fear, changeling magic can be used for all sorts of things. The imagination's the primary limit, but it's also determined by just how much changeling you have in you. It can be used as a weapon for those well-versed in transformation. You can increase the durability of your muscles, and even give yourself more. You can form carapace over your fur in certain places, the amount depending on how strong your changeling side is. Or for pure-bred changelings just toughening what is already there. It can be used for pleasure, such as forming cilia somewhere on or in your body, or even prickly barb-like studs. There's also auto-lubrication, and so many other uses."
Fear thought about it, clearly in awe as he wondered just what Sim was capable of.
Sim didn't stop there. "As you might expect, due to all this transformation capability, changelings are also heavily immune to diseases, infections, and viruses due to our high mutation rate and evolution. However, because of this they're also predisposed to dangerous cancers. We are far more susceptible to them than any pony. Radiation can be dangerous. It might have the unintended side effect of making some stronger, but that is so rare it's basically .1% of changelings. It's not worth even attempting. And even then it doesn't work all the time." He shook his head.
Fear nodded, understanding. "So if changelings are prone to mutations, is that what empathy is? Is it just a mutation?"
Amelio decided to take this question, tilting her head to the side. "Empaths are what they are due to the fact they have the same crystalline nerves that fill a horn also filling their entire brain. Webbing throughout it. Fused to the neural matter. It causes them to be sensitive to magic, and because it is attached to the parts of the brain that involve emotional processing, it allows for a sixth sense. And as I am sure you know, magic, destiny, souls. They are all carefully intertwined like a Gordian knot. You cannot pull one apart without potentially doing irreparable damage. That is why souls and destiny are forbidden magics and only zebras are familiar with it."
That sounded a little scary to Fear. He swallowed hard.
Amelio lifted a hoof and raised it into the air. "Anypony can generate the mutation. I suppose it is not too surprising it occurred to both of us. There are other various evolutionary things changelings can experience. Benefits and detriments both. Empaths themselves come in all shapes and sizes from what I have been told. Any creature can develop it, though most exhibit it in different ways. We experience it like an antennae through our horns. Others might feel it as vibrations in their hooves, wind currents on their wings, or maybe see something when they look in another creature's eyes. It is all dependent on how the quirk manifests."
Fear was impressed by... All of this. How could he have ever forgotten a filly like Amelio in his dream vision? It made no sense. "How do you know all this?" He asked in an awe-filled tone.
Sim shrugged. "My mother connects to her old hive mind now and then, and she taught me so much. I asked her about the empathy long ago one of the times I visited her, then explained it in detail to Amelio. It is possible for hybrids to connect to the hive mind, but they cannot usually do it from far away, so..."
Fear latched onto one part of that. "Hivemind. Does your mother come from one hive or the hive?"
A smile spread across Sim's face. "There are multiple hives. Queens primarily, but sometimes kings. They are expressions of their hive. Emulae comes from Viola's hive. Their expertise is in infiltration and reproduction. Utilizing stealthbuck-levels of camouflage to the point of near invisibility, and secreted aphrodisiacs. Here."
Fear cocked his head to the side. 'Here' what? He got his answer without even asking the question a moment later when he caught something out of the corner of his eye, bolting his vision over to stare at it. It was... A changeling?
Covered in glorious black chitin, the changeling towered up to nearly Princess Celestia's full height when she was in her prime. She had brilliant amethyst eyes with watermelon pink polka dots sprinkled about like some kind of exotic flower. Crystalized sap of the same hue as those dots was strung along her long legs and drenched over her sharp, long horn, like an encasement of translucent armor flowing over pure ebony carapace. As black as a calla lily. With very few holes in her form to speak of unlike most changelings. There were overlapping plates along her abdomen and neck. Around that neck was a mane of pink fur, like a gorgeous fluffy moth, the same hair forming a tuft on her head and flowing from the dock of her tail, looking like a rod of fuzz. The shell on her back was a brilliant, gleaming violet with a glossy surface. Her wings a sparkling, glimmering fucsia. Insectoid in appearance. Protruding from her skull were a pair of jagged ears that looked more like a crown of seashells than aural sensors. The figure in front of him said something, but he couldn't quite make out what it was. All he knew was that her voice was potent and viscous. And the power he could feel her exuding produced a strange clarity like putting on glasses, it stuck fast and didn't let go. Her presence was like nectar that seeped into everything around it. Still, it was calm and had a hint of sedation. Fear wasn't sure he could continue remaining in such a presence. But just as fast as it appeared, it was gone. Vanished from his sight.
"How did you do that?" Fear asked curiously, his eyes wide in a combination of fear and excitement. "I saw her like she was actually there!"
Sim considered telling Amelio to try her thaumic connection with Fear but decided against it. Then shrugged. "It's simple illusion magic. It goes hoof in hoof with transformations. Amelio used a combination of the two in order to conceal herself and her weapon from the slavers and slaves. Once she gets good enough she'll be able to also disguise the heat she gives off when it comes to organic infrared vision. Robots can't be fooled by those illusions however, only transformations."
Fear thought about it, impressed at how far Amelio had come. Whereas Fear had learned to be a sniper, sort of, Amelio had clearly learned how to be a stealthy killer. "What are the other hives?"
Amelio just kept quiet as Sim spoke. "There are big ones and small ones. The other one I'm personally familiar with is Solanum's hive. His excels in subjugation and combat. They're able to stretch their bodies in any way as if they're rubber without the use of transformation, and are often capable of injecting paralyzing venom through their fangs. Some can even secrete a numbing poison from their hooves. There... Are rumors that some have discovered how to harness, and are aided by the mutative effects of radiation rather than being harmed by it. But I don't know the full legitimacy of that rumor. Still, if you ever come across one you should never engage."
Fear caught something out of the fringes of his vision once more. Another majestic and regal changeling covered in chitin of the purest black. It looked a little like latex in how it shimmered in the light. The form reaching taller than Viola had. His eyes were a piercing, sickly golden hue. His ears were a pure eggshell white, as were his wings. Overall he wasn't nearly as entrancing in appearance as Viola, and he had many holes in his legs and lancing, curved horn. However, his voice was another matter entirely. It was toxic when it touched the ears. Seeping in like liquid poison and getting into the cracks of the head. It was multi-tonal and impossible to resist. Impossible to rebel against. It took all of Fear's will just to not fall into place from the sheer power in it. And his presence was just as commanding. Like a thick miasma that brought Fear nearly to his knees in worship. He couldn't understand why he was so easily swayed by such a... Monstrous creature. He was clearly bad news. And just like that the vision wasn't there anymore.
Still. Instead of being scared, Fear was curious if he could befriend a ling from the Solanum hive. Or have a friendly spar. See which was better, their physical attributes and transformative powers or his... Well, he only had a Gallop, so certainly not his guns. Too bad.
Sim spoke up again. "Speaking of changeling attributes, you may also be intersex like I am. In that you can lay eggs as well as fertilize somepony."
Another illusion overcame Fear. In front of him were a trio of eggs. They looked like peeled, lime-green oranges with translucent surfaces. A foggy, swirling interior. Thin, bulging dark-green blood vessels. And a dark green yolk deep inside that was faintly throbbing. They sat in a pool of neon green, pasty, gooey, slick, and oily fluid that Fear recognized as being nutritional in nature. The illusion was a little uncomfortable and squicked him out slightly, causing him to close his eyes and cover them with his hooves.
Amelio was also flush from the sight, not feeling comfortable either.
Sim just laughed. "You know kid, given you love to tease my daughter so much you sure can't take any teasing yourself."
Fear just huffed, glaring off to the side.
"Also, changelings don't usually need to worry about STDs, so I'm sure you're fine on that front."
The colt hadn't thought of that at all. That was interesting. And kind of a relief. "So how do I go about laying these eggs? And just find out if I can, in general?" It was good to remain informed!
Sim grinned. "Thattaboy. You're more mature than you let on. All you need to do is put pressure on the perineum-"
Fear cut off Sim. "What's the perineum?"
Sim shook his head. "Uh, right. It's the taint. The part just behind your testicles."
Fear was still a little uncomfortable about this whole conversation, but understood it was better to understand his body than to claim ignorance when he could be knowledgeable.
"Essentially all you do is put pressure there and it forces latent transformation magic to switch around the tubes, allowing you to deposit eggs from your pouch, and also morphs the penis. It also causes a numbing agent to be released that painlessly relaxes cervixes. Of course, genetic material must still be supplied for fertilization."
Fear nodded along, taking it in stride. Amelio on the other hand clearly was not enjoying this conversation very much. Though she'd had it maybe a year or two prior. Fear though decided he'd try it another time. When he was alone. "Hey Mom why'd you never tell me any of this?"
Because you're too impulsive, my little Nightlight.
There was also the fact that she never told him anything new, he realized.
Sim piped up. "She probably didn't want to make you worry. I'm sure she couldn't tell you how to manipulate that part of you anyway, so it makes sense."
Fear affirmed that with a nod. "I suppose... It's not like I ever knew my father so it makes sense. I'm sure he just ran off on her after having me. That seems like a very wasteland thing to happen." Though he did recall his father was technically a hero in the eyes of some ponies, as was his mother, that didn't mean he was a good father. "I don't particularly hate him for it though. I mean it's not like we couldn't get along without him and, who knows? Even if he was there doesn't mean Mom would have survived. He could have died sooner. Just because you're a hero doesn't mean you're invincible." He looked to his mother, a small fit of disassociation creeping on him, making him feel like his awareness was rising off his body and he was looking at himself in the third person.
Sim just stared at Fear longingly.
Amelio found the words to be oddly wise and realistic. Fear was clearly a humbled pony, and not very judgmental. She thought about how her father was a hero, and how he was eventually going to die too from either another pony or natural causes. And due to his disease Amelio would likely forget his existence one day. Life was miserable.
Fear broke the mood by asking the other question on his mind. "What were your parents like Sim? Why'd they get together? Was your father scared of changelings?"
Sim smiled broadly. "A lot of ponies are scared of changelings, but not quite like back when there was propaganda about us. There's still a lot of fear because of a changeling's appearance, and the fact there is little to no knowledge about love, other emotions, and how a changeling interacts with them. But my father was a very brave pony and loved all creatures equally. Even Hellhounds."
Fear recalled Hellhounds. They were those gruesome, brutal mutations of a regular diamond dog. Dangerous as all get out. Fear wondered if they were loyal friends if you managed to get close to them. Even he didn't want to try his hoof at fighting one though. They were literal beasts in combat, from what his mother told him, and not to be trifled with. Fast as a speeding train, and as powerful as one too. And those deadly claws... Fear shuddered.
"If my father, Pumpkin Pep, ever found one that enjoyed his food he'd offer a friendship with them. Emulae loved what he had to offer the wasteland, and loved him for his spirit. He had the qualities of pony kind that she couldn't get enough of."
Fear 'huh'ed. "I hope I get to meet them someday."
Sim shrugged again, rolling his shoulders. "I'm sure someday you might be able to."
Amelio felt a little uncomfortable. "Hey Fear? Can you read us more of that book?" She kind of wanted to escape into another world.
Fear grinned. "I thought you'd never ask! Sure!" And with that he began pulling out his novel, Tormented. All while they stood up to get going, with Amelio hanging out next to Fear's side and helping keep him warm with her body heat.
Continuing where he left off, Reiki and Sunrise had been getting to know each other for quite awhile, going on dates and really hitting it off. They were there for each other when they needed one another, and were growing closer by the day. Eventually they decided they ought to get married, after all no better time than when things were at their saddest and most stressful to do something happy and memorable. There'd also been stories lately that were being kept lowkey about ponies being gripped with War-Time Stress Disorder, an ailment similar to PTSD but not treated nearly as well. The Ministry of Morale was picking up those thought to be a problem in order to 're-educate' them into being joyful. It was a little disconcerting, but it was better that than leaving them to suffer right?
Unfortunately Sunrise was called to the front lines soon after. Things were going well for awhile, as they sent letters back and forth, counting down the days to the end of his tour of duty so they could have their ceremony. But one day the letters just stopped coming. And soon after a pony came to Reiki's home with the terrible news. Distant Sunrise had been killed in combat. Reiki was beside herself with sorrow, feeling like she'd lost a piece of her soul. She was weak and couldn't even leave the house. Caramel Frame came to her house now and then to help get her on her hooves so she wouldn't be taken away, but it was difficult. Especially since Frame was dealing with some misery of her own, having lost her brother some time before in a freak accident. They tried to be there for each other but eventually it wasn't enough and Reiki was taken away, never to be seen again.
Or at least that's what Frame thought. Frame missed Reiki too dearly. Her work was suffering too. And as Reiki started to make herself a home in the brainwashing institute, going along with whatever parties and plans the Ministry of Morale had for her, trying to keep her in high spirits, she found herself slowly sleeping more and more. It seemed a lot of the ponies there were beginning to do that. And every one of them had a common thread. They were seeing their loved ones a final time in their dreams. There were so many patients there, from those who were the sole survivor of an airship accident to those who'd gone crazy from stress and did something they regretted. And eventually Reiki had that same dream. A dream of a manor that Distant Sunrise led her into. She began to sleep more and more, just for a chance to catch up with him in that mansion so that she could speak with him one more time. And during that time Caramel Frame was brought to the same facility. They were together again, and quickly falling under the sway of this strange curse.
Fear decided to take a break there for the day.
Amelio was curious. "I wonder if you can actually meet dead loved ones in your dreams. I wish there was a way to learn how to dreamwalk."
The colt grinned and flank bumped her, barely even budging the filly. "I'm sure if anypony can figure it out, it's you."
Amelio blushed a little. "Thank you, Fear."
Fear continued, waggling his eyebrows. "I mean I'd love to have you rooting around in my dreams doing weird things." He giggled a little.
Amelio huffed hard, snorting a little and shoving Fear over onto his side, forcing him to crash into the snow. Fear just laughed.
"Of course I'd also love to be able to see others, especially you, one more time." He gave her a little wink.
Amelio just looked up, snootily. "Well, maybe I would consider visiting you if you stopped flirting with me for one single second." Both of them could tell Amelio loved it though. "But yes, I hope you would visit me too." She turned to her father. "That goes doubly for you, Dad!"
Sim laughed and twisted his head around to stick his tongue out at the two of them. "Perhaps. Who knows?"
DJ P0N3's voice echoed out of Fear's radio. "Remember, children! Be careful where you step in life. The wasteland is a dangerous place and learning can create trouble. Information is more valuable than caps, and far more perilous. Knowing the wrong things can make you enemies. But in the end, they can also bring together allies. Be careful who you trust." |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Healing Home | Life seemed a little more definite for Fear as of late. Understanding more about who he was made pieces fall into place, giving him understanding he'd never had before. Yet there were still missing parts of the puzzle. He'd talked it over with Amelio and found out she'd never experienced sensory overload when she was young due to her empathy. Why had he been different? Why did he search for something he could not find? What was he looking for? Something told him that the answer to these questions were the same, and when he found out he'd never be the same again. Sim had given no more than a noncommittal grunt, and Amelio had cited brain abnormalities as a possible cause.
Fear had noticed over time that Sim was often ambiguous with his answers. And pushing for answers rarely got him anywhere. Sim was tight-lipped and Amelio had been a good little daddy's filly throughout. Even if she knew the answers to certain questions she would not betray her father. While Sim never told a lie, he was never bluntly honest either, which was something Fear could tell hurt the stallion.
Things were still snowy, with lots of crunchy alabaster icing coating the ground; however it was all far more clear and crisp, completely lucid. The group could see for at least a mile, as if they were looking through rinsed lenses. It felt as if they could shatter the monochrome picturesque scene with a simple buck of their hooves, with how sterile and chilled it all was. Jazz music filtered through the air, creating wibbly wobbly vibrations and keeping them all company during their trek into the Stalliongrad city limits, passing through a solemn, traditional residential zone that was near the outskirts. Fear's and Amelio's sixth sense on alert. So far things had been silent and empty. As usual, Sim seemed to know where he was going. The stallion had said it was because he'd seen a map of various stables multiple times on a pipbuck, Stable 47 being among them. Fear couldn't believe his luck honestly - it seemed too good to be a true, but Sim was obviously sincere. No hint of deceit in his explanation.
Truth be told, Fear knew essentially what a pipbuck was, and they were going to a place that had a lot of them. Before now he'd never seen one, not even on his mother. His mother had told him they were given to everypony, or nearly everypony within a stable. They had a lot of memory storage, and were basically terminals for the foreleg that allowed ponies to do many things. Like use the Eyes Forward Sparkle spell, something that his empathy was similar to in that it allowed a user to differentiate between hostiles and friendlies. There was also the Stable-Tec Arcane Targeting Spell, which his mother's talent was very much like. In that his mother could speed up her perception of time in order to have longer to think or analyze a situation. The primary difference was SATS allowed for instant targeting with a firearm, and oftentimes even a melee weapon. The comparison caused him to miss his mother ever more. No matter how much she seemed to be there, she clearly did not have the same capabilities she used to. She could no longer brainstorm and help him through things. Fear whipped his head from side to side rather vehemently, trying to shake out the thoughts and pull himself from this particular swamp he'd sunken into many times before. To help with that, he tried to think of other questions he could ask about changelings, a subject he still didn't know enough about in his opinion.
"So how exactly is your memory so good, Sim?" Fear's questioning nature seemed to never end. He was always diving into the smallest niches for information to the point it'd make other ponies frustrated, Sim clearly found it very entertaining. As demonstrated by that disarming smile he always wore. He seemed to especially enjoy the way Fear always managed to find a way to steer the conversation back to one of his previous questions.
"Well..." Sim's eyes rolled this way and that, collecting the right words. "I have a few specific memories stored on a sort of... Alternate space. Kind of like on the air? It's a modification of what makes up a changeling hivemind. A spell taught to me by my mother. It exists around me, constantly fueling back into me and anypony attached to me as long as I have the magic to upkeep it. It takes the form of an illusion or a daydream when I access it. Amelio can also connect with it sometimes. I might allow you to as well someday."
Fear was in wonder at the idea changelings had some way to hold memories safely with magic, cocking his head to the side and looking at the strange, dazzling stallion. "I assume it takes more magic the more you're storing."
Sim grinned, his eyes looking off to the side as if to see behind him. Impressed with how quick Fear was at figuring things out. He knew the colt would be a danger to anypony trying to hide a secret given enough experience interrogating others. "Yes, and I often switch things around to make it easier to hold. Someday it'll all be given to Ame when it's my time to leave this world. If you run out of magic or energy, or have others constantly accessing information and putting it back over and over again, the memory starts to deteriorate. Which is why some need to be refreshed, and it's better to only use it sparingly."
Fear shuddered a bit at the morbid revelation. Losing memories was not something he was comfortable with, nor was he comfortable with Sim eventually dying and leaving Amelio and him on their own. They'd hardly been together and he already felt this way. "Alright then. Moving on. Meels, you, and I all like art. We've talked about some of the playbooks and novels you have at your parents' home in Neighvada."
Amelio nearly swooned at the mention of those books. "The story about the reindeer of Hearth's Warming past, present, and future are my favorite!"
Fear just shook his head, smiling bemusedly toward the filly. "Exactly. Are all changelings like that? Do they all enjoy art, Sim?"
The stallion fell deep in thought for a moment as he tried to figure out how he was going to explain. Becoming inundated with explanations that overlapped each other. "Changeling aesthetic is a..." Fear kind of knew what that word meant. "Strange thing." Sim was silent for a moment longer, trying to recollect. "I see the beauty in everything, including changeling lifestyle. I see magic in what is usually practicality. There isn't much actual art in changeling society, but there are good feelings. All lings have a purpose and a place, even drones. They all contribute something. They sometimes tell stories." His thought process changed tracks. "Emulae loved pony art and..." Sim was clearly trying to get his words in order, experiencing something rather heavy. "Some changelings have taken the practice of doing the same kind of art as ponies, tried to keep traditions alive. Sort of? But with their own species. Using their own way." He paused. "Something I realized long ago, and that you should too, is that there can be art in every little thing. Even in order, even in practicality, there is something to be admired that can stimulate the mind.
Fear noted that Sim was on the verge of rambling, but found the lesson interesting. The stallion wasn't quite like his mother when it came to teaching.
"Whether it be the beauty of chittering conversations, the dance of a fight, the muted colors used in hive construction - which are mostly greens and blacks, with some purples, yellows, and whites depending on the hive - you can find art everywhere. It's like finding a silver lining. Though things every changeling loves to do are relax, enjoy a good meal, and converse with each other. They love to learn and evolve, and often they'll relax in slime pools."
Fear was curious, it wasn't quite the answer he was looking for, but what he focused on was the last part. "Okay, what's a slime pool like?" It didn't sound gross to him. Something about it was comforting.
Sim nodded his head a little, rubbing a hoof along his chin. "They're essentially recesses in the ground full of a strange slime. I've only experienced one once when my mother took me on a trip. They feel cozy to rest in, for a changeling it's like being back in an egg. For a hybrid it's like being back in the womb or egg, whichever you developed in. The calming, hypnotic glow to it all leaves you in a trance and regresses you back to better days, even if you've never experienced those better days. There are restorative properties to it for fur coats and chitin, and gives a gentle glisten. It flows into every crack and leaves you feel like you're being molested, but not uncomfortably. It's more like it knows exactly where to touch you to relieve all your stressors, but it's not alive." Sim shrugged, shaking his head. "It's a little like an alien mud bath, but far more sticky. It just melts right off when you get out though. Prolonged exposure to the substance allows a changeling to become more flexible in how much love they can store too." Sim rested his head against a hoof and sighed. "I haven't been to one in ages. I'd like to go again. They're usually found underground where moisture has built up and changelings have lived."
Fear lingered on that description, trying to imagine it. Deciding to dwell on that rather than his previous thoughts. He wondered if he'd ever get a chance to have such a magical experience. "
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It had been a rather long trot but the group eventually made it to... Where was this? Fear looked up at the sign on the multi-story building they were in front of as his two partners entered without much fanfare. Fear cocked his head to the side, trying to read the dirty, gritty thing. Par's'l I'd's'ries. Fear wondered what it could have once said. As it was it made no sense to him. But Sim seemed to know. He clearly recognized the letters... Somehow. The stallion was certainly strange. But he quickly followed in after them.
The deserted lobby was grand and a little extravagant, with many planters, hanging from the ceiling, between rings of couches, and rimming stairwells leading upward. Except every planter had nothing but dry, brittle plants remaining if anything at all. The dirt was gray and dead. The lighting in the messy place was non-existent, and supplies scattered all over the ground and stuffed and strewn haphazardly in desks, cubbies, and across the ground. The only light came from the exterior. Fear looked around the intricate waiting room, seeing doors on the upper levels, and hallways on the first floor. The stairwells had glass and steel wire railings, some kind of art nouveau thing. What used to pass for lighting in the place had come from paper shade orb lamps.
Fear noticed he'd been left behind a moment later and quickly reached out with his sixth sense to find the others again, racing toward one of the hallways and through a door. It was some kind of reception area with a desk, some more desiccated planters, some rickety old chairs. Sim was currently tapping slowly over a keypad lock, entering a series of numbers that he seem to have memorized. Yet it was clear Sim wasn't as good with terminals as Storm had been. Just by watching him. Amelio was looking over his shoulder.
"What is in there, Dad?"
Sim grinned. "A surprise. I told you I've seen maps before. And stable locations are often the same. With reception areas like these that are out of the way. This one just happens to be in a pharmaceutical company."
Fear watched as the keypad beeped and two cylindrical steel rods that were holding the door in place shunked out of their sockets with a loud mechanical noise. Allowing them entry.
Sim opened up the door and gestured into the black abyss that led downward. "You two want to go first or would you prefer me to?"
"Is it safe?" Amelio asked.
Sim shrugged. "I mean, you tell me. You two are the empaths."
Fear laughed. "There could be robots."
Sim pointed a hoof at Fear. "Right you are Fear." He paused. "But if you two don't want to see it before me that's fine." Sim's horn took on a white glaze like a heated up piece of metal, before that molten energy slithered up his horn and formed an orb of light that illuminated the area. "Follow me you two."
Fear and Amelio obliged, with Fear closing the door behind them after Sim requested it. "So what's down here, Sim?"
Sim just smiled. "Stable 47, Fear. Your home."
Fear wasn't sure he believed Sim. No, he believed that it was Stable 47 (though he didn't know what to expect) but he didn't believe it was his home. "What was the code for that door anyway? And how'd you know it?"
Sim wasn't surprised. The question was bound to come up. Fortunately he'd been prepared. "129472. I learned it from the hacker pony that showed me the map of the stables. She'd been to a lot of places, and had gathered a lot of information." Sim hoped Fear wouldn't ask for a name. He couldn't lie about the name. Fear would know something was up. The mare who'd given him the locations had also gotten them from other terminals, so that part wasn't a huge deal.
Fear didn't ask. Whether because he knew better or because he wasn't interested was uncertain. Sim would probably offer that information anyway if he was going to.
As they got to the bottom of the next set of stairs they were in a large, open, dusty room with four columns holding up the ceiling. Motes of grime littered the air, floating about after having been stirred after who knew how long. Amelio was the first pony to gasp when she noticed the amount of equine skeletons littering the ground around... Fear gasped second at seeing the great big steel door that was more a giant gear than an entrance to a facility. It was gray and maybe a little rusty with 47 painted on it in big, blocky, yellow letters. The paint was chipping away so it appeared faded. Fear moved up to it, pressing a forehoof against the solid, dense metal. It felt smooth, and like it could withstand numerous explosions.
"How do we get in?" Was Fear's first question, while Amelio tried desperately to avoid stepping on or near any skeletons, walking daintily with a disgusted expression on her face, staring at the corpses with a shudder rocking through her body. Skulls, ribs, spines with tail docks, tibia, and so many other various pieces were sprinkled around, some connected to the whole and others... Not.
Sim gazed around as his spell lit up the room for the most part, casting shadows of the three of them and the columns. Empty of everything except for death. "Well provided the cameras are still functioning, they'll see us eventually." It was at that point Fear noticed a speaker connected to the wall next to the door. He started looking around at the ceiling in the corners for a camera.
The first thing that happened was a spotlight flicking on and beaming down at the front of the door. A spotlight that flickered a few times and looked as if the glass had been partially damaged. They could feel the heat radiating off the old thing. Fear lifted his foreleg to shield his eyes, while Sim and Amelio just contracted their pupils and looked somewhere that wasn't directly at the light. Soon enough there was a loud crackle and a fizz. A ringing sounded out from the speaker next before everything cut off and a voice erupted. The only other sound being Fear's radio.
Her voice was beautiful, eloquent, strong, and powerful. The voice of a singer and a leader. It was rather aged but still full of determination. A commanding tone laced into the words. There was a tinniness to it from the speaker. "You do not look like Steel Rangers. Who are you?" The words had a hint of threat to it that could not be denied. As if they were one step away from being shredded into strips.
Fear hesitated. Amelio and Sim kept silent. Fear stiffened and held himself tall a moment later, narrowing his eyes, still not finding the camera. "I am Fearei Shatter. This is Simulacrum," he gestured to the stallion, "and Ameliorate Reverie," then motioning to his closest friend. "We are..." He looked to the others again. "Guests I think?" Fear looked back at the door, then spotted the camera out of the corner of his eye and looked to that, stepping over to it. "My mother told me she came from this stable."
The camera focused a little as the mare remained silent for a moment. "What was her name, why are you carrying my daughter on your back, and what proof do you have?" There was an accusatory tone. After all, who would not be wary of seeing their daughter on a small pony's back?
Fear steeled himself a little, gritting his teeth and holding himself confidently, a confidence he didn't entirely feel. He pulled the pendant off from around his neck with telekinesis and held it up to the camera. "She was your daughter?" There was some awe in his words. Just some. He shook his head a little. "Her name was Brainstorm. I couldn't bear to live without her so... I stuffed her. And she always carried this pendant with her."
Silence reigned once more. It was a little while later that the voice picked up again. "How can we trust what you say, and that the pendant you carry is the right Seer's Eye?"
Fear stumbled a little, running a hoof through his mane. Swinging his head from side to side. How could he prove any of this? "I uhh... I don't know." Seer's Eye? Is that what it's called? "I mean is there really a way you can trust either of us three?" He paused. "I can at least tell you what I've seen in it though. I've seen miraculous things. It's saved my life a few times by showing me visions of possible futures. Where to go sometimes. And it's shown me things I should avoid. It's really weird because it seems to have a mind of its own. It only shows me things it..." There was uncertainty. "Thinks I need to know?"
Amelio looked at Fear in earnest curiosity, her ears flicking. Sim was just silent, as if not surprised by any of this. Though like always, it didn't show. He'd been hiding things from Fear since the start.
Fear continued. "I've seen this thing called an exoverse before," he said, trailing off. "Where many timelines exist. It's maddening. And it's tempted me a few times to go scrying through it in more detail, to look at those special timelines. But... I don't want to end up like my mother. I just want to... I just want to change things?"
The mare finally spoke up. "Welcome to Stable 47, Son of Breinstorm. We are trusting in your nature as a pony." The way the voice enunciated the name made it clear that Fear's spelling and pronunciation was wrong. There was a subtle nuance to his mother's name that was hard to speak, but it seemed possible to do.
Fear, Amelio, and Sim looked at each other in wonder, Sim less so, before a moment later the sound of grinding metal echoed in the room. The vault door beginning to roll away, sliding over its tracks in order to reveal the interior of the shelter.
There was a dimly lit foyer on the other side. Full of pipes running along the walls, gun metal gray colors. Rather bland and drab. The entrance had a catwalk-like, cheese-like grating rimming it with a few steps leading down onto bumpy metal plated flooring. The foyer led to a corridor that split off into three different paths. The middle leading to an elevator that went further down.
"Stay at the entrance. I will be there to see you soon and guide you around." Then the speaker cut off with a crackle.
Sim was the first to make his way in, marveling at everything with a straight face. Taking in the sheer technological wonder. Amelio followed in on his heels, their hooves clanking on the metal. Fear went in next while thinking about what his mother had told him about stables. That they were created by a corporation called Stable-Tec, founded by Applebloom, the president, with the vice presidents Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. That every stable was created to protect groups of ponies from the inevitable destruction of Equestria. Some even had zebras in them? He couldn't remember for sure. And that nearly every stable had been devised not only to preserve life, but also with some kind of experiment in mind in order to find out what went wrong in the past and fix the mistakes in the present. For the future.
Waiting felt like an eternity as they sat around, all three of them not wanting to go against orders, especially with the ceiling turrets trained on them, and even more because Amelio and Fear were afraid they'd get lost if they tried to explore without a pony to guide them. Sim spoke up after a while. "Never thought I'd be here..." There was a sense of longing to his voice, before he swung his head from side to side. Modifying his statement. "In a stable." Amelio made her way over to her father and nuzzled into his side.
The mare came in some time later. "Hello you three. My name is Freiya Song." She was absolutely beautiful. Especially her voice, which they could now hear in its full glory. The siren-like nature of it. It was calm, melodic, dutiful, and brimming with purpose. Yet there was an inherent compassion that spoke of a mare that, while willing to do horrible things for the sake of her ponies, she was also a mare that would gladly take time out of her schedule to visit a pony at the clinic to sing them a song with her darling voice.
The others were somewhat in awe of the sight. Admiring Freiya's long, curly locks of peppermint crimson and white mane, thick and swirly tail of the same colors. Her excellently groomed and trimmed charcoal gray coat of fur. Her kind, dynamic, and energetic emerald green eyes that seemed to sparkle just right. The white freckles on her cheeks combined with her agely wrinkles along her forehead, cheeks, eyes, and body. Her long, conical horn as sharp as a pin with a groove flowing over it in the shape of an eddy. A large, indigo ribbon tied into her mane, and the sweet, fandango pink treble clef with a heart in the middle for the swirl on her flanks as a cutie mark. Further, she looked even more professional given the clothing she was wearing. The pale blue stable barding meant specifically for utility, with pockets on the shoulders and a zipper going down the middle, with a faded yellow gilding and blocky 47 printed on both the popped collar and back. Then there was the pipbuck on her right foreleg - a technological armlet; a dark gray bracelet with buttons, wires, speaker, and a dark-green screen with all sorts of information calibrated into it, from text storage, inventory management, and maps all the way to radio reception, combat assistance, and vitals. It had ports, a recess for holotapes, as well as an extendable cable built in that allowed her to jack into terminals. While large and in charge, it wasn't as bulky as one would expect, nor as weighty.
Freiya gently tilted her head to the side, eyes lidding as she stared at Fear. "So... This is my daughter's progeny." The mare closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. A smile dared to form on her face, warmth flowing into her eyes. "My sweet, deafening little storm cloud had quite the son."
Fear was reluctant, raising a foreleg and bending it at the knee, unsure of what to make of all this. The uncertainty etched into his face.
"It seems your mother followed her father's naming conventions when she had you. That is sweet."
Confusion flowed onto Fear's face, twisting his muzzle up. "What?"
Freiya was considerate for a moment. "My late husband, Silver Speech, was a lover of puns and portmanteaus." Given the look on Fear's face, Freiya elaborated. "Those things when words can be used in more than one way, or when words are combined to form one." She dipped her head. "Breinstorm." There was that pronunciation again. "R-e-i was his idea. And it seems our daughter put 'rei' in your name as well."
Amelio looked as if she'd been struck. Fear didn't notice it, but Sim did. He could almost read her mind. He knew what was going through her head. Amelioreit. After all, he had told her of that once. The filly looked to her father, and her father just shook his head as if to say 'not now.' Amelio was uncertain, but obeyed.
Freiya continued. "Come here, Fearei. Give your grandmother a hug. Growing up in the wasteland is no easy task, I am sure."
Fear hesitated, but slowly moved up to her, wrapping his forelegs around her neck and squeezing tight.
"That Gallop is a weapon she took from here, by the way. I am glad you have taken care of all her belongings."
Fear started to tear up, his eyes becoming glassy.
"You are home now, Fearei."
Fear squeezed his eyes shut as salty water began to drain down his cheeks. His face twisting up in pain.
The hug lasted a long time, Amelio confused all the while. But eventually, like all things, it came to an end as Fear sniffled and hiccuped before pulling away.
"I do not know if it appeals to you," Freiya began, "after all, I hardly know you. But would you like to be our next overstallion? You have brought such a valuable item to us. Valuable to our survival. It is only right we offer you the opportunity to learn and grow as your mother did, so that you may be able to take the place she once held."
Amelio's confusion was replaced by unending envy. She glared daggers at her friend for a moment. It was terrible he was being offered such a position so easily! Without even proving himself first.
Fear... Didn't know what to make of this offer. He took a step back, closing his eyes and holding his head in a hoof. The fact of the matter was... I don't deserve it. I killed that colt. His father. I left a mother without. It's been haunting me for a long time. I don't know how long. Ever since I parted ways with Crate and Angel I guess? Ever since I fought Chrono Corona. He looked up at Freiya. I realized I didn't deserve to go back. I became what hurt me. And I don't deserve this now. I'm probably too stupid to be in that position anyway. Even with all the teaching and books in the stable that my mother could appreciate while she lived here. I'm nothing like her. She was more incredible than I'll ever be. Fear shook his head. "No. I don't think so. But Amelio might be." He gestured over to the filly, surprised he hadn't heard a plea from his mother. Perhaps he had this decision all under control. Sort of.
Amelio's look of envy switched immediately to one of gratitude. Her cheeks rising up over her eyes from the smile she gained.
Freiya was startled, but content. "Is that something you would like Ameliorate?" The filly was clearly proud that the mare had remembered her name so easily.
Amelio acknowledged Fear. "What would you do if I became overmare?"
Fear thought about it, shrugging. "I don't know. I don't think I can stay cooped up in a stable. I'd probably just leave again eventually."
Freiya saw the conflict in Fear's eyes. "You could always be one of our scavengers, Fearei."
Unsuredness penetrated Fear. He remembered his changeling heritage. His guilt. No, I don't deserve to live in a place like a stable peacefully. "Thank you, but no."
Amelio nodded. "Then as loathe as I am to admit it, I do not accept it either. I wish to stick with Fear. I care about him immensely." If anything she was probably a little obsessed. She admired him from what felt like afar.
And that was something Fear was very aware of. I really don't deserve her loyalty. I don't deserve any of this.
You do deserve it my little Nightlight. You need to move on.
Fear focused on that. I'll make my own decisions, Mom. The tone was a little rebellious.
Freiya gave a nod too. "That is fine. I will at least try to prepare a gift for you and your friends before you leave, as thanks for letting me see my grandson and bringing my pendant back." She paused, uncertain. "You are bringing the pendant back right?"
Fear shrugged. "I mean... I don't want to grow addicted to it. What would you use it for anyway?"
Freiya smiled wearily. "The Seer's Eye can be used for many things. It can be used to gather information that is no longer available in books. With it at our disposal the only thing limiting us is materials. We will also be able to be aware of potential threats before they come. An experienced scryer can easily determine what is and isn't. It can also inform us of the best thing for us to invest in with enough time and effort spent gazing into its depths." She reached out to Fear. "Do you understand the full nature of the Seer's Eye, Fear?"
Amelio was at a loss for words, just staring at the ground. Everything was a little much. Sim's lips were just pursed.
Fear shook his head. "No, I don't think I do. What is it, exactly? I didn't know it even had a name."
Freiya rotated her eyes in a wide arch bemusedly before chortling at the fact her daughter had never explained it. "It was a long-term joint experiment between the Ministry of War-Time Technology and the Ministry of Arcane Science. It was an experiment to discover what made the Crystal Heart from days long past tick, and how to replicate its ability to see various destinies, and improve upon it. The original Seer's Eye is lost to time, this is just a recreation. One of our distant ancestors, Rei Fate, was the original wielder. She was a fortune teller. Her talent was giving light to others. And Equestria needed to understand that talent."
Fear thought back to Chrono Corona. The odds are unlikely, but I suppose that with the limitless timelines out there, it was inevitable that one would be this one. "Why can destiny be changed? Isn't it a fixed source of power?"
Freiya grinned, showing the life still left in her. "Destiny is transient and malleable by its very nature. There are very few certainties, and what certainties there are, aren't as certain as you'd expect. There are so many opportunities and possibilities. So many ways cutie marks for instance, can manifest. So many ways an individual can go about their life. They can give up their destiny and even foster a new one so long as the power is there. So long as it is, it can grow. But when it is cut off, there is no going back."
Fear was baffled, and it showed on his face. "Isn't that all forbidden magic though, like soul stuff?"
Freiya chuckled. "It is indeed, but there were so many experiments back then, and the Crystal Heart was a natural occurrence. Most fields of study were forbidden, and those that weren't were under heavy lock and key. But that's enough about this." She shook her head. "I only have one more question before we get the lot of you sorted out. Is there any possible way you'd be willing to let my daughter stay here?"
Fear snorted, rolling his eyes. He had little control over himself in that moment as he sarcastically remarked: Not unless you have something of equal value to exchange.
Freiya's eyes squinted knowingly. "We... Might have something like that for you to appreciate. If we could make a doll of your mother, my daughter, would you be willing to let us have her body back?"
Fear legitimately considered it. Genuinely. He couldn't really decide, looking this way and that as if he could find answers in the corners of the properly lit room. "I mean... Maybe." Fear's voice was as quiet as a whisper. How can I say no to THAT? Fear recalled Angel's words that his mother would always be with him. They wriggled into his skull and made a home so long ago, and they were constantly coming back.
Amelio finally piped up. "It is alright if you are not willing to let go yet, Fear. Someday you will be ready, but you do not have to rush it."
Fear held his head in a hoof. What would Mom want? "Why did Mom leave the stable anyway?"
Freiya pressed a hoof into her forehead, sighing. "She was always such a freedom lover. Could never sit still. She was all over the place, getting into every nook and cranny, learning every little thing she could. Becoming skilled at hacking into things and looking at restricted files. She even managed to find some we never even knew about with her developing skills. She wanted to be a teacher, to pass on everything she learned. To write non-fiction. She wanted to aid the wasteland itself. We could not stop her. She was set to be the next overmare, but soon after the ceremony she just... Took off with the Seer's Eye and her specialized pipbuck. She couldn't stand to be held down."
Fear couldn't help but giggle a little. "Yeah, that's Mom. I'm not surprised it took her so long though. She always had difficulty following through with risky moves. She reprimanded me for being reckless a few times."
Freiya chuckled. "Yes, that is my deafening little thunder cloud. Always so full of energy, but always so anxious. Never certain."
Fear nodded a few times in understanding. "Well, I want to be what my mother couldn't. So I'll give you her. I'll make the reckless decision. Mom's not here well enough to stop me, and she deserves to finally rest." Maybe there was a hint of resentment still left, but it was small.
Freiya gave a nod in return. "We will get to work on the doll right away." She turned to the others that had so far been mostly silent. "And what would you two want as gifts?"
Amelio was startled out of her reverie by the question. She hesitated before asking a question in return that had been on her mind for awhile. The reverence she had in her voice for Freiya was immense. "You said your daughter discovered many things and that the Seer's Eye can find out even more. Do you know anything about dreamwalking?"
Freiya ahhed. "Yes, we have a book on it in fact. There weren't many copies of it. It was given to us solely because the skills talked about in it can be used with the Seer's Eye. However, multiple ponies here have read it and we can compile the information into a new copy once more, if you want it?"
Amelio shifted from hoof to hoof, gratitude present on her face. "R-really? That would be splendid, thank you. Are you sure?"
Freiya nodded again, this time with closed eyes. "One hundred percent. Besides, Storm would want that information to get out of this stable a little. Teaching was her life." She then turned to Sim. "And Simulacrum, what is it you desire?"
Sim gave a charming smile. "Please, call me Sim. And do you have any extra pipbucks? I've always wanted one."
Freiya thought on it for a bit. "Certainly. I suppose we can gift you one. You know we will be able to find you if we ever need to right?"
Sim grinned, tilting his head to the side. "That's the plan, yes. I wish to be able to store information on something, and to be able to hack terminals easier."
Fear was curious about that. Perhaps his spell was not perfect? Sim had said as much.
Freiya's face softened. "In that case, yes, we can do that for you. Would you like a copy of the songs I've written and sung with my late husband to go with it?"
The stallion's face brightened like an intense light bulb, clearly enticed. "Yes! I would love such a thing! I might even bring them to Tenpony Tower someday and have them copied so the wasteland can enjoy them like Fear is right now."
The radio was still going strong as a matter of fact even down here. Well, almost. There was a little white noise. Barely noticeable.
Fear took the pendant back off again and hoofed it over to Freiya. "Here. Take this. You guys need it more than I do." There was a hint of concern in his voice, as if he couldn't bear to part with it, but he was anyway. After all, it'd saved his hide a few times and it was a reminder of his mother.
Freiya took it and put it around her neck. The Seer's Eye glimmered like a glint in somepony's eye.
"Your choices are so important." Freiya and Fear said at the same time. They looked at each other and then smiled.
"Come with me now you three, I will show you to the rooms you'll be staying in for a few days."
Fear followed Freiya out.
Sim called to Amelio. "One moment please Amelio." Then he called after the others. "We'll be right behind you. I just need to speak to my daughter real quick." The stallion waited for them to be out of earshot, watching them head down the elevator. Then turned back to Amelio. "Ame, I'm sorry to have hidden this from you, but Fear is your brother."
A multitude of emotions crossed Amelio's face, but there was an ever present awareness as if she'd suspected it. "So... He is the one you gave that to." She looked off to the side as she said it, pursing her lips. Then looked down at the ground, almost feeling as if she was betraying her father. "I still love him you know. I... I cannot get enough of him." She paused. "When did you know?"
Sim smiled. "When I first saw your mother on his back and her pendant around his neck. And I don't expect you to stop. There's a lot of your mother and me in both of you. It's not surprising you find yourselves attracted to each other. But please, do not tell Fear yet. I do not want him to know. I want to keep it secret for as long as possible."
Amelio honestly wasn't even certain Fear could be held down by just one mare. It was true many changelings indulged in polyamory due to their very nature of being reproductive. But Amelio was more monogamous. Still, she was a good filly. She listened to her father. She was against keeping it secret, but she knew about Sim's disease, and she understood what was at stake. She respected her father. She nodded once. "I will keep it secret Dad." She turned her head toward the elevator where Fear and Freiya had disappeared to. "So that is my mother, hm?"
Sim confirmed with a grunt and a nod. "Yes, Storm is your mother. The one who helped me in Chicoltgo, where you got your saddlebags from."
Amelio wrapped her forelegs around Sim's neck, hugging him close. "I am sure he will be happy to know you are his father."
Sim was wary, it was carved into his face. "I just don't want to hurt him, Ame. On accident or on purpose. I've always loved him."
Amelio closed her eyes. "I understand. I will help you take care of him. It is a good thing he never heard the stories you told me about your efforts in Chicoltgo."
Sim nodded uncertainly, not even sure if Fear knew about Storm's part in that. "I was also happy he did not ask about your shared mother when it came up awhile back. I was surprised he didn't ask why I reacted to him the way I did when we first met, but I suppose he was just used to those reactions."
The two parted from the hug and headed for the elevator.
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It was a day or two later. The stable's cafeteria was incredibly colorful overall. After all, it was a place where many ponies met up to have food and shoot the breeze. With red and white checkerboard linoleum tiles and multi-colored tables, booths, and chairs. There were also pieces of art on the walls from ponies in days long past that had used what materials they could get a hold of, either from outside the stable or inside, in order to spruce up the place. It was also filled currently, though not to the brim, with colorful pastel ponies in stable barding, each with a pipbuck of their own. All with a general genetic understanding of color theory.
Fear and Amelio had come to the cafeteria in order to have something to eat, and were currently nomming on canned veggies, brought straight from the wasteland. A recent and clandestine acquisition. It supplemented what little farming they could do. What little fruits and veggies they could get were frequently deformed or malnourished, as if they hadn't quite had the catering they needed.
"So that's what Mom told me. That Discord is constantly bringing things in from another dimension or something so that wastelanders always have more, even though it's never enough. Keeps the chaos but allows us to survive." Fear shook his head.
Amelio looked sour. "That sounds stupid. But it does explain how we are still discovering things to scavenge to this day."
Fear nodded as he took a bite of his string beans. "How've you been sleeping lately by the way? I haven't asked yet."
Amelio looked off to the side. "To be honest it has been almost a dream come true, having a bed like this. I have not gotten to sleep in one many times. And while the pillows are clearly old and well-used, it is nice to have something to lay my head on."
Fear grinned and winked. "You do know you're always welcome to lay on me right? I can be your pillow."
Amelio rolled her eyes and grinned right back. "Of course you would offer. I am sure you just want to get between my legs." She joked.
Fear nodded. "Well there is that, but I also want you to be comfortable." The sincerity in Fear's statement was intoxicating.
Amelio blushed, hiding her face behind a hoof. "Ugh, Fear..."
Fear shrugged. "The bunk beds are good but I'm even better."
Amelio just hid further, squeaking and cowering.
Fear turned the conversation away. "So Amor Fati. The next overstallion. What do you think of him?"
Amelio thought on it, spinning her can of food around in circles. She felt kind of nauseous so it was difficult to eat. Her hooves also felt a little prickly. Eventually she began to eat though, not wanting it to go to waste. "Well, he seems rather nice, albeit a bit... Zealous. I hope he will be good for the stable." She finally stated. "I know he had a crush on your mother when she was around."
Fear looked off to the side. "Yeah, him calling me out wasn't particularly pleasant," Fear grumbled. "Still though, I agree, he seems to have the stable's best interests in mind."
The filly's head hurt a little bit, but she easily ignored it. "Thank you by the way, Fear, for giving me the option to be the next overmare. I appreciate it more than you will ever know. The thought was sweet of you."
Fear shrugged once more. "Well it was nothing really. I knew that was something you'd love. I'm just sorry I held you back."
This time it was Amelio's turn to flirt. "Fear, with you I am never held back. Especially since you seem to enjoy me commanding you around so much."
The colt's face actually flushed red at that. "Yeah, well, you're a good leader so there!" He tried to tease back. Unfortunately Amelio didn't quite take the bait, counting her first win over Fear.
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Fear was in the overmare's office a couple days later. A place with old bookshelves, a terminal, turrets, and knicknacks of all sorts. Including a painting of the alicorn Princess Luna on one of the walls. It was overall rather barebones, but it worked for what it was. Freiya was with him, pulling something out of a box that she'd recently been given. When she lifted it out and floated it over to Fear in a crimson aura, Fear was at a loss for words. He stood there for a long time just... Staring.
It was a tiny plushie, smaller than him, built like his mother. With two gray eyes. It wasn't exactly like her but it was... It was good enough. Fear levitated the plushie over to him, sitting back on his haunches and wrapping it in his hooves, holding it against his chest. It was strange how small it was. It easily fit in his grasp. It wasn't quite the same as the corpse, that much was sure. It couldn't cuddle him back. It couldn't spoon him. But at least this... Could give him comfort. He wondered if he was getting too old for it.
Freiya spoke a little while after. "I am glad you like her so much. Bendy Button spent a lot of effort on her, and tried to get her likeness just right. I know it's not quite the same but, we tried with what materials we had available."
Fear nodded. He... "I understand. Maybe in pre-war Equestria it could have been better, but I accept this." He constricted the plushie a little tighter.
"By the way, Fear, I had a proposition for you. I wanted to know if you'd like to deliver my daughter's eulogy. I figured the honor should go you since you knew her the final days of her life and... I just thought I should offer."
Fear looked up from the floor at Freiya. "What's a eulo..." His eyes widened. "Oh right, that thing ponies do at funerals." He remembered from his novel. "I mean, I suppose I could." He shrugged. I don't know if I'm worthy, or if she'd think me worthy. It feels like I hardly knew her.
You knew me just fine, my little Nightlight. Stop deprecating yourself. You'll heal in due time. You have ponies who believe in you.
They only believe in me because they don't know what I've done.
Crate and Angel believed in you. Everypony believes. I believe in you.
Fear was surprised he was hearing his mother's voice. But it was her, clear as day. Sort of. It was more like a thought, but it had her voice to it. Her lilt. "I... I suppose I can try. I might need help though."
Freiya nodded. "I will gladly help you Fearei. I was hoping you'd ask. Just let me know when you want to do it."
Fear managed a smile. "By the way, I've been wondering." He gestured to the pendant around Freiya's neck. "Tell me more about it. I don't really understand it and I've always been curious."
Freiya didn't know where to begin. "Well... I guess. What did you want to know?"
"I don't know, like... Are there rules to using it?"
"Well, for instance every time a pony puts it on for the first time, they will inevitably be given a vision of their own mortality. Something that's unlikely to happen, but still plausible. It tests your mettle by showing you something that would break a lot of ponies. Make them question themselves, or terrify them into giving it up. A pony might confuse it for a daydream however if they don't know exactly what they are seeing. Sometimes the Seer's Eye will, in order to bring you to terms with the power you wield, show you multiple outcomes of a situation."
Fear recalled the daydreams he'd had the day his mother died. Of being left to bleed out. Of being used as a slave. Of his mother's body being violated in front of him. His teeth ground together. "What did you see when you first put it on?"
Freiya looked to the side ashamedly. "Well, it is certainly something I will never forget. The Seer's Eye was very hard on me. It knew I had experienced a rather cozy life. A sheltered one. It made sure I knew exactly what was at stake for a leader when I put it on. It showed my late husband being captured by Steel Rangers and tortured into giving the location of the stable, the code for the door... And... It was. Very vivid." Freiya's voice was a little stuttery. "It's seared into my mind. We were not treated kindly. The Seer's Eye showed me one of the worst possible outcomes."
Fear rubbed his head with a hoof, just imagining it. "That's... That's awful."
Freiya nodded. "The more sheltered you are from the harshness of life, the more you do not understand pain, the more noble your aspirations, the harder your vision will be. I learned from it that I needed to do everything in my power to keep the stable safe, but I also learned from it self-control. I did not let it break me. I wielded the Seer's Eye as any leader should. If you do not learn self-control, the Seer's Eye will use you, you will not use it."
Fear felt uncomfortable. "Is there anything else you can use it for? I thought about looking into other timelines where I was doing well, or with my mother."
Freiya smiled sadly. "Yes you can use it for entertainment too. But you should not let yourself become engrossed in those visions, lest you be lost forever. We've had ponies in the past who've fallen prey to it. The ponies under an overmare or overstallion watch their leader closely to make sure they are not becoming corrupt, nor that they are breaking from the pressure of the Seer's Eye."
"That makes sense. You have to work together after all. I'm glad it doesn't make a pony invincible."
Freiya bat a hoof. "Hardly. Difficult to take down, but not invincible."
Fear looked at the stable barding and pipbuck on Freiya. "By the way, I've always wondered, how are the pipbuck and barding made?"
Freiya looked down at herself, pressing a hoof against her chest. "Well, we have some automatic sewing machines that use recycled materials. That is, when we need new ones. Usually we just reuse the old ones. Often ponies have a difficult time parting with it due to growing up feeling it against their body. As for the personal information processors, we were given all the ones we have now during the war by Stable-Tec. We have the blueprints for how to build them on the main terminal just in case we find the resources to make more, but usually we just try to keep the population at a certain level because coming up with the components for new ones is problematic."
Fear nodded, a little saddened.
"Do you know what happened to your mother's pipbuck, Fearei?"
Fear thought about it, rubbing his chin with a hoof. "It was one of the few things she told me about herself. She said something about how she crafted a virus on it so that if it was ever taken off of her and studied it would fuck up the machines used to do it. And one day she got the opportunity to fuck up some Steel Ranger shit."
Freiya wasn't pleased with the colt's language, but waved it off. "Yes, she was always amazing."
Fear 'oh'ed. "By the way, that reminds me. How come you could never find my mother through her pipbuck? You told Sim you'd be able to find him?"
Freiya looked a little nervous. "Well... Breinstorm was brilliant and clever. Before she left she deleted her pipbuck registry from the main terminal."
Fear blinked. "Wow, that easy huh?"
Freiya shook her head. "It's not easy. But she knew her way around one. Especially with the aid of her pipbuck. She was capable of many things." She shrugged. "Was there anything else you wanted to know?" The mare was clearly a little embarrassed they'd been tricked by Storm.
Fear thought about it. "Well, one other thing I guess. How did you and my grandfather get together?"
Freiya smiled again and moved over to a picture frame that was sitting on the desk. It was colorless and showed a small stallion with a pair of square glasses on his snout. "Silver Speech was one of our scavengers. His silver tongue was useful for bartering, and he always had an eye for detail. Could talk his way out of the worst situations. He had a confidence and go get 'em attitude I never did, and he talked his way into my heart. We would sometimes look into the Seer's Eye together. I would guide him through it. We wrote some songs together, and sometimes sang together, using the pendant for inspiration."
Fear thought of Amelio, and regretted giving the pendant away. Maybe he could have guided her through the pendant. He shook the thoughts from his head though. He wasn't going back. Just moving onward to the future. "Thank you for your help, Grandma."
Freiya smiled and ruffled Fear's mane with a hoof. "Any time, Fearei. I'll miss you, you know."
"I'll miss you too."
==========================================================================================
Fear had been guided to a small room in the stable with a single, square metal locker in the wall, a lever next to it, and a tall podium to the side with a working mic that was connected to the Stable's speaker system sitting on it. Everything was as drab as everything else. This room was hardly ever used except for cremations after all. Using a spell matrix that was still going strong to burn things, drain it of salt, and recycle what was left into fertilizer. With him were Freiya and a long, tall brown pony that looked like he was from Saddle Arabia just about. He wore a white medical face mask and had a solar-themed cutiemark surrounded by a stethoscope. It was a strange thing all in all, and the pony's onyx eyes and short black mane and tail left him feeling eerie. It didn't help his face was so gaunt with sunken eyes, and was seemingly emaciated. Still, everypony seemed to appreciate him nonetheless. His name was Pike. Apparently Storm and him had grown up together and were relatively good friends. The more Fear learned though, the more he found out she wasn't private with solely her son. She was warm and inviting to everypony, but rarely ever made solid connections. Ponies were always left wanting more from her, but less because she was so alluring and more-so because she was so mysterious and she hardly let anything slip. Though it was also the alluring.
The colt was busy going up to the podium and standing on his hindlegs, leaning on it with his forehooves as he thought about his speech for the millionth time. Shaking his head a little, unable to quite believe it.
Pike spoke to him in a quiet, subdued voice. It sounded so far away and almost hypnotic. But it had emotion lingering in it. So it wasn't monotonous. "Good luck Fear. It's been a pleasure to meet you." The stallion was incredible if Fear was being honest. He was highly intelligent, and had read most of the books in the stable's library at least a few times over. If he'd been a little better at conversing and the talent hadn't been needed elsewhere, he probably could have been the next overstallion. Pike pulled the locker out from its resting position, revealing an oversized tray for ponies to be laid on so they could be shunted inside. The stallion took the stuffed Breinstorm off of his back rather reverently and set her in a dignified position, laying her on the tray, before slowly rolling it shut and twisting the bar that would lock it into place. "Whenever you're ready, Fear."
Fear nodded, looking to Freiya next. "So I just... Push on this?" Fear set a hoof down on a button next to the mic, causing the thing to beep, a bit of a squeal echoing over the speakers in the stable for a moment.
Freiya smiled to him. "You're more than capable of this, Fearei. Believe in yourself."
Fear nodded and took a deep breath, already tearing up as he swallowed hard. "Hello, ponies of Stable 47. I know you all don't know me, but you've probably heard of me. I'm Fearei Shatter. I know for a fact all of you have heard of my mother Breinstorm. Many ponies looked up to her for all sorts of reasons. Many loved her confidence, others adored her vibrant energy. Some had crushes on her. Everypony I have talked to, all of you were sad when she left. I can't tell you how sorry I am that happened, but I also can't tell you how privileged I am to have gotten the chance to be her son." Fear choked a little. "And I'll thank each and every one of you to the end of time for giving me the opportunity to know her. To be with her. For letting her go free."
There was a pause.
"I've been chosen to speak about my mother on behalf of everypony, and I appreciate all your support. More than I could ever say." Fear coughed and cleared his throat. "My mother was a very private pony, as most of you all know. She often kept her own secrets, kept inside her own mind. Rarely opened up, but was always there to lend a helping hoof." Fear closed his eyes. "She often fought, albeit in gentle ways, for what was right. She was a sharpshooter of the highest quality. A professional hacker. An avid reader. A wonderful teacher, and an exceptional mother." Fear stared up at the ceiling. "I remember clearly how she always celebrated my birthday, no matter what we were going through. And more often than not she managed to find a can of tuna for me to eat. She always made me feel special, just like she did with everypony she encountered, even on days that were never really special at all." Fear pressed a hoof into his eyes. "Mom put up with me even when I was weak and useless. She took care of me and felt inspired by me even when I was barely able to do anything. Even when I was silent, shut down, and overwhelmed with sensory input from my empathy, she loved me. She loved me for how much I loved everypony in the wasteland. And never let me forget it. She adored me for my ability to see the silver lining in the darkest of moments, and I wish I could have seen the silver lining in her death. But no matter how much time passes, I'll never forget her. I want to do her proud. I may have failed a bunch of times, but I know... I know she loves me. And always will. Someday all of us will be able to let go of the pain, but today isn't that day. And I hope the ponies of this stable continue to remember her for what she was: an example of greatness." Fear pulled his hoof off the button, letting the mic go dead.
Freiya gave Fear a small round of quiet applause. "Well done, Fearei."
Pike nodded. "That was rather heartfelt. I understand how you feel. I think you managed to connect with all of us. We feel for you, Fear."
Freiya motioned for Pike to begin as Fear pressed his forelegs into his eyes, sobbing his heart out. His entire body was trembling, wracked with sorrow, every muscle under his fur shaking with violent tremors. Tears flowed freely like a dam had been destroyed. A couple years worth of pent up feelings finally leaving him in a huge deluge of negative emotion. There was relief, longing, terror... So many things that Fear couldn't cope with no matter how hard he tried, and he cried it all out, hiccuping and sniffling, the smell of tears and snot filling his nostrils. His snout drained actively as it continued filling up with more and more mucus. Fear shuddered and heaved, shaking his head from side to side. Everything falling away from him even as the crematorium blazed to life and Pike and Freiya came over to him, holding him in their embrace. Trying to comfort the foal who'd lost something dear to his heart.
Everypony in Stable 47 wept.
==========================================================================================
Fear and Amelio were hanging out at the shooting range. The only thing really different about it from any other shooting range was the large mural of a sunset on the back wall made up of paint. The two siblings, though Fear didn't know that yet, had just finished. Fear had been showing off his accuracy and prowess with rifles. They had completed the process by taking all the bullets and casings and emptying them into a bin to be recycled at a later date. They'd been told early on that this was the place where Storm had learned to be the sniper she was in life.
Fear hesitated as they sat in the waiting room of the range. Everything was mostly silent, and they were relatively alone. So they had privacy.
Amelio spoke up before Fear could. "You know Fear, that eulogy you delivered was really beautiful. You expressed your feelings wonderfully. I could tell just how strongly you felt for her."
Fear looked off and to the side. "Yeah... About that." Fear sighed, closing his eyes, not looking at her. "Soon after my mother died I... I did something horrible." He hesitated, trying to summon the courage to tell her. Amelio just listened intently, knowing this was hard for him. "It's been eating at me forever, but ever since the eulogy it's been even worse. And I need to tell somepony before it eats me alive."
Amelio lifted a hoof and brushed it along Fear's cheek. "What did you do, Fear?" Her tone was curious rather than judgmental. She knew he'd done some horrible things after all, she could hear it in his soul.
Fear's chest twitched, his body flinched from her touch. "I uhh... I killed an innocent colt and stallion. He had a mother, the stallion's wife. They're... They're dead Amelio. They're not coming back. The mare, whoever she is. She's not gonna ever have ponies coming back to her." Fear held his face in his hooves, tears starting anew. He grit his teeth, crying openly. Trying to stop. "She's going to be alone, Amelio. She's never... Never going to have that happiness in her life again. Just like I'm never gonna have Mom again. I did something horrible."
Amelio wrapped Fear up in a giant hug, embracing him fully. "Oh Fear... Poor, poor Fear. Shh... I understand." She cooed to the colt.
"I don't know how to make up for it Amelio. Is it even possible?"
Amelio shook her head as she held the colt. "No... I do not know if it is. Hopefully that mare will have a village to take care of her and comfort her where you did not... But that still does not excuse what you did. And nothing will probably ever really be enough. You left a mare without the love of her life, you left her without a precious son. She is probably suffering beyond the norm right now."
Fear glared, that wasn't at all what he wanted to hear, it just made him feel more worthless.
Amelio didn't stop though. "You spread your illness of loss to other ponies, an illness that grips hearts and shreds them into ribbons. And someday you are going to have to pay for the terrible thing you did." Fear squeezed his eyes shut. "You are going to have to face the consequences and either endure them or give into them. There may be no forgiveness from the wasteland."
Fear hung limp in Amelio's embrace.
"But. Fear. As your friend I forgive you. You are going to spend your entire life trying to atone for what you did, and you may never succeed. But the thing is? I believe in the you that exists here and now, Fear. I love you."
Fear felt his heart lighten by just a bit. I don't deserve her loyalty. But I'll make sure I deserve it. "I love you too Meels, and when you become a leader I'm going to serve you for eternity."
Amelio nodded, stroking a hoof along his spine. "I hear your soul, Fearei. I hear the stubbornness inside of you. I hear the will of a leader, and the determination to find a way to keep going even after death. I also hear the rattle, the throes of a little colt who is still crumbling apart and needs to find a way to overcome. But I believe in you. I would be lying if I said your bravery and honesty did not inspire me. They are not traits I am well suited for. My name is Ameliorate, yours is Fearshatter. Our parents believed in us, that is why they named us what they did. They believed in these virtues. These acts. What do you think our cutie marks represent Fear? They are symbols of change. Everything we touch can change. We are not perfect, but it is what we are best at. If anypony can do it, it is us, Fearei."
Fear choked, squeezing his eyes shut and weeping. "I won't let you down."
==========================================================================================
Fear, Amelio, and Sim were leaving the stable some time later. Maybe a couple days. The gear door grinding closed behind them. They watched it shut, the floodlight remaining on for awhile longer so they could see themselves back to the door upstairs. Allowing them to exit very easily. There hadn't been much to do aside from read and hang out with ponies in the stable, but overall it had been a very enjoyable experience. Fear understood now what home was like, or at least he sort of did. He hoped he'd be able to visit again one day.
They walked together up the stairs, exiting the door and making their way through the reception area. Each of the three carrying their gifts. Fear his new plushie on his back. Amelio, her book on dream walking in her saddlebags. And Sim, an old pipbuck on his left foreleg loaded with the music of a songstress, feeding on slight amounts of his magical energy and with more heart cherries.
Fear had also decided, after his conversation with Amelio, that he would one day return to Manehattan and find the village that son and father had been heading to before he killed them. He remembered exactly where he'd done it too. The sight of the skywagon station was burned into his retinas. There was no way he was forgetting any time soon. Fear was confident and refreshed. Emotionally renewed. Amelio and Fear played 'I Spy' as they wandered through the city to wherever their next leap would lead them. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Healing Home: Moment's Reprieve (sex) | Fear choked, squeezing his eyes shut and weeping. "I won't let you down."
Amelio had been attracted to Fear for a long time, and that had only increased with learning just how genuine his soul was. And with his admission of guilt, she couldn't help but admire his bravery. "You will not let me down, hmm?" Amelio leaned in close to Fear, remembering every time he'd ever teased her. "I want to know, Fearei, just how sincerely do you mean that? How will you support me?"
The colt hesitated, trying to think of the right words. He wasn't exactly clear on where she was going with this yet, trying to catch up emotionally. Fear shook his head a little attempting to come up with something. "Well... I'm going to serve you to my fullest ability. Do whatever you need when you need it. With all my heart. I will make sure you're cared for and that ponies realize just how great you really are." They leaned together, their horns tapping together, their breaths mixing together, slithering and tangling about, meshing and merging intimately. "I just... Want to be there for you."
Amelio simpered, her eyes lidding. "Is that so? Well. Not the most romantic thing I would have ever expected to come out of your lips, but certainly enticing." She started to shove Fear backwards a little, toward a wall, pushing him increasingly harder until his back was up against the wall. "You told me once, during our many flirtation sessions, that you knew a lot about ponies. How they tick." The older filly cooed a little as she pushed the smaller and currently awkward Fear up and onto his hindlegs, pinning his body against the wall. Her form towered over his as she stood on her hindlegs too. "Tell me what kinds of things you can do Fear."
Fear cocked his head to the side, immediately knowing where this was going but feeling a tad disconcerted. Still, there was an uncomfortable stirring in his loins, a desperate yearning roiling between his hindlegs. "Well... I uhh..."
Amelio loved having this power over Fear. Leaving him speechless like this. It was far different from their usual banter. Where he left her squealing and uncertain about how things would proceed between the two of them.
"For mares I usually start by brushing along their sides, slowly circling them like a predator. Demonstrating how much I want them, and radiate emotions of lust." Amelio used telekinesis to gently finger his lower lip, pushing it around and making it difficult for him to talk, lightly molesting him. "Get them even more into the mood then they already are and I uh..."
Amelio reached forward, pressing her full lips against his cheek, then planting another kiss against his lips. Soft and tender. "Go on, little Nightlight."
Shivers jolted up Fear's spine from the words, his eyes widening and twitching, pupils dilating and quivering. His jaw lowered and rose a few times, ears giving a flick. "Well I..." His eyes rolled back a bit. "I uhh..."
Amelio grinned, reaching over to Fear's lower lip and gnawing on it, kneading her teeth into the flap of flesh. "Mmh..." She eventually pulled off, looking him in the eyes, forcing his to stare longingly into hers with a little metaphysical force. "I'm waiting. Your leader is waiting." A subtle, imperceptible flash of green surged across her eyes, reflecting in Fear's eyes and burning into his retinas, squeezing past the pupils and worming into his brain. The power of suggestion teasing the lobes and digging in, leaving him feeling more open-minded and a little... Drugged.
Fear repeated the words with what was nearly a swoon as his eyes glazed over. "Leader... Waiting." He nodded a little, trying to recompose himself. "Then I roll them over onto their back, give them a gentle hoof massage and bury my face into their muff. I lick them into arousal, only pulling up to talk about how big my dick is... How wide I'm going to spread them apart." Fear was getting more and more into it. "Tell them everything they want to hear. Then mount them. Perch on their body and slide into them. If I can reach their mouth I even... Even kiss them."
Amelio nodded in understanding, putting more force on Fear's form. "Well, not the most passionate display, but I suppose it is good enough."
Fear's eyes narrowed a little. "Passionate huh? I'll show you passionate!" He wrapped his forelegs around her body and, with a little telekinetic force, twirled the two of them around until he'd slammed Amelio's back against the wall he'd just been on, looking up at her, into her eyes. Fear didn't even hesitate before latching their lips together, twisting his head to the side and ramming his tongue into her mouth, forcing it between her lips and sliding over her tongue. His broad, flat, smooth pink carpet dashing to the side then batting against hers, dexterously slipping up under it and flicking it up, lustfully stroking along the side, sweeping across the top, and pinning it down against her maw. Amelio squealed from the fine, intricate movements, her eyes widening before resting shut. She didn't really fight back, embracing Fear with her forelegs as their tongues brushed against each other and weaved a brilliant celestial tessellation of passion. Fear's movements were oddly articulate and experienced, and Amelio's were a little sloppy and those of a novice. By the time they were done both were breathing heavily through their snouts, snowballing air back and forth between each other as their saliva mixed together in Amelio's mouth. Fear pulled his tongue out and took his lips off of her with barely any sound.
They were both panting. Amelio was feeling electrified. Her jaw was hanging open.
The colt looked into Amelio's eyes. "I want to take you Amelio. I want to give you my seed and make you my bitch."
The camera keeping an eye on the room turned off temporarily.
Amelio was slowly becoming aroused, especially from that kiss. Her mound was becoming swollen and flush. Her clit engorging. Pasty feminine brine leaked out and glazed her nethers, secreting across it, making it glisten. "Is that so? Well what are you waiting for Fear? Get to work on your leader."
Fear nodded dumbly and crouched down, getting on all fours and wandering around Amelio. They changed places, allowing Fear to get up into Amelio's snatch. She could feel his heated breath splashing across the sensitive flesh. A moan escaped her lips as her knees buckled. Unable to have patience, she shoved her crotch into Fear's face. He could feel the spicy, palpable lust and heat between her legs. He gave it a firm smooch as he was smothered, his tongue sliding out of his mouth and gently licking along her folds, again and again, incessantly, gradually slurping from top to bottom, stimulating her clit into winking a few times as he wove his tongue between her labia, eventually locking his lips around one fold and sucking on it, mumbling something incoherent over it and flicking his tongue along it, sliding against it.
Amelio pushed back a little harder, her butt rising into the air a little, causing Fear to stand on his hoof tips as the filly's head touched the ground. Presenting to the colt. Fear continued his ministrations, a vacuous pressure pulling on one of her labia as he continued to draw on it like he was pulling breath, eventually letting go of it and wrapping his lips around her clit, squeezing tight around it, pinching it hard, his teeth occasionally brushing against it threateningly as his tongue swept against it, lapping and lashing like a whip, wriggling against the underside, teasing underneath the hood, sucking hard, his cheeks compressing with every pull of his lungs. It just made Amelio gasp for air as her legs trembled under her, having a hard time staying standing, feeling pressure build up in her loins, leaving her close to climax.
The whole thing was rather obscene. Amelio was light-headed. Fear could hardly get any air that wasn't tainted with the scent of Amelio's pheromones. Leaving him love drunk on sex.
"YES! DON'T STOP FEAR!" A full body shudder wrenched through the filly's body. "Dear Luna I can't take it!"
Fear noticed Amelio's defenses were crumbling solely because she'd used two contractions in a row. His mouth pulled off of her clit, his horn lighting up as telekinetic force clamped around her clit and pinched it hard, rubbing against it all over, grinding into it and creating a heated friction with the pressurized air. Fear puckered his lips and pressed it against the entrance to her pussy, folding his tongue in half and reaming her with the skilled tendril. Punching into her body and pushing deep inside, as deep as he could reach. Ceaselessly pounding into her with the muscle. Lewd squelches and squishes sounding out against his face as he tried desperately to get air. And every time Amelio clenched her kegels around that tongue the more weird it felt, able to feel the squirming, writhing tongue within her even more clearly.
Amelio's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she was finally brought to orgasm, her clit winking as her loins spasmed, her innards around her womb tightening up and squeezing down pleasantly like she was being milked, mare cum jettisoning out of her and all over Fear's face, a long arcing stream gushing out of her and blasting into Fear, leaving him sticky and gooey. Shimmering in the light. The cumming just didn't seem to end, lasting for seconds at a time as Fear continued pushing her over the edge, forcing her to drop into an ocean of orgasm. More pussy grime getting onto the colt. Amelio's chest was heaving as she yanked off of Fear and twisted around, lunging at Fear and shoving him to the ground, onto his back.
Fear looked up at her with lidded, glassy eyes, trying to get air himself as he looked into Amelio's eyes above him, his face wet with her fluids. Amelio pressed her hooves into his chest as she started grinding her cunt against his dick, now fully telescoping from his sheathe. She looked down at his junk, impressed with it. Proportionately, compared to Fear's body, it was large. A girthy, turgid member that laid against his belly. A royal ebony, dark as black licorice. A little pre drooling out of the tip. A strong, tubular curtain rod of muscle running along the underside. A thick, fat medial ring. Rippling veins of various sizes running along the taut surface. And to top it all off, a ridged, flared crown. And Amelio was currently dragging her snatch all over it, getting it covered in glorious clam oil, making it shine bright, Polishing that piece of meaty lumber. Fear moaning deeply from the attention to his slender, trunk-like shaft.
Amelio got up onto her hindlegs, using telekinesis to pull Fear's cock up into the air, standing it up straight, making it perpendicular to his body and slowly sinking her hips down onto it, penetrating herself with what was essentially her own personal dildo. Squeezing down around the fuckspire, feeling like a princess about to be saved by a knight in shining armor. She sank further, like she was in quicksand, diving down onto Fear's breeding rod. Rocking her hips around in circles, from side to side, back and forth. Slowly squeezing him deeper into her.
Fear's entire body tensed up as Amelio took him. Fear bucked his crotch up against hers, as she began sliding up and down over Fear's member, their hips connecting with each other now and then, plapping and slapping together.
Friction built between the two as Amelio tried to coax her brother and closest friend to orgasm after what he'd done for her. Fear unfortunately was a near hair trigger and already close to blowing his load deep inside of her. "Meels! You have to get off! I'm gonna cum!"
Amelio nodded, wanting to feel Fear's cum inside of her uterus, but decided against it, pulling up and off of him with a schlorp and then laying down on top of him, her teats and cunt rubbing into his cock as he approached the cusp of climax too.
It wasn't much longer before Fear felt the orgasm of a lifetime all from his best friend, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he groaned out deeply. Foal batter churning in his balls before flooding through his ducts and powering up his shaft, erupting from his spasming urethra in ropes and ribbons of nutslime. Ejaculating so hard it clipped Amelio's chin and draped over Fear's chest and face, getting him muddy with off-white yogurt, giving himself the icing of a lifetime with his seed. Warm and creamy. Oily, slippery strands and thin threads bridged with sticky clumps and thick wads of pearlescent sperm toothpaste. His balls draining as he was milked for all he was worth by Amelio's and his body.
Fear's head was singing Amelio's praises, going empty and light as he gushed, lights flicking on in his brain and explosions going off within like the fourth of July, pleasure shrapnel shredding through his neural matter and leaving him guhhing and babbling like a foal. A smoky, smoggy haze settling over him, choking out all thought.
Both Fear and Amelio tried to catch their breaths. Their session finally ended. Covered in a congealed mess of both their fluids. Gooey and made of pure passion.
Amelio sighed. "We will be together forever, Fear."
Fear nodded emphatically. "I hope so. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Crystal Clear | Life had continued on as 'normal' for a few days ever since the trio had left Stable 47, exiting Stalliongrad and attempting to get back on the track of Sim's travel route for his comfort horse duties. After all, there were a lot of ponies who depended on him for his services, and always looked forward to seeing him again. He was a special reprieve from the bleakness of the wasteland for some who didn't have special ponies to call their own.
Or so Sim said.
It was also clear by the way he spoke that he'd settle down eventually if it meant giving Amelio the opportunity to learn and grow. It took many caps to get a place in Tenpony Tower, and Friendship City wasn't very easy to gain influence in either.
The snow was beginning to melt, overall things were looking up. Everything was still rather fresh instead of stagnant, not quite cold not quite warm. A nice, mediocre temperature that was reminiscent of a recently made cookie sundae. Comfortable climate for everypony involved, allowing for a lot of relaxation. Surrounding the trio were mostly a host of dead trees, essentially a forest of sorts that was slowly breaking apart, snapping away and becoming nothing more than dust, brittle wood everywhere.
"So, are you three ready to listen to Freiya's songs with me?" Sim had been waiting for Amelio to be ready to take a break with her educational tome, and Fear to finally be prepared to turn off his radio for a little while in order to listen to something much different.
Amelio looked up, having had her snout planted in the book, finally pony-ear-ing the page she was on before sliding it back into her saddlebags. "Hm. Sure, I suppose. You, Fear?"
Fear was hesitant, his face screwing up and lips forming a frown, teeth exposed ever so slightly. He cocked his head to the side before his horn lit up and the switch on the radio flicked off. "Yeah, shoot." The anxiety was ever rampant, but not quite as bad. The tingles were only just barely, and the heat not quite as sweltering. The chest tremors felt more like purring.
Sim lifted his left foreleg, staring at the newly-attached terminal and using telekinetic force to press some of the buttons, navigating through to the memory storage and prepping the data files for playback. "Alright, first one's called Wanderer's Lullaby."
Fear looked forward toward Sim, eyebrows raising. "That... Sounds familiar."
The voice that erupted from the pipbuck's speakers, mingling with the background instrument was vibrant and... No other word for it than thorough when it came to how it affected them. Fear especially.
Emotions could be heard in every lyric, as if Freiya believed each word she was singing with her whole heart, stirring enough to empower a unicorn with how pure and firm the performance was. The voice was like a siren. The enunciation perfect and crisp. Bleeding passion. Dribbling with intimacy. The lows enough to calm a storm or encourage a depression; the highs enough to ensure fright or inject elation. If it was acting it could earn the highest award all on its own. As changelings they could almost taste it. Changelings would revel in it. It was intense. Perfect for a pony like Fear, and overwhelming for anypony not familiar with her, easily bringing them to tears. But that crushing nature of it was incredible, infectious, and intoxicating. Manipulative. It seeped into the brain and changed it. Guided it. Made unused neurons overflow with synapses.
The three were impressed as they listened to each lyric, Fear blinking a few times as he started to tear up, which was becoming rather common for him. His face tensed and he sniffed. He recognized this song. Fear's ears flopped against his skull and he looked down at the ground. "This... This song is the one Mom used to sing to me."
Amelio glanced toward her brother and best friend curiously. "Well I mean it makes sense. Your mother was her daughter."
Fear nodded and held a hoof against his head. "Y-yeah..." The colt felt like he'd been brutally struck in the gut. Everything felt vague and faraway. The physical symptoms of his anxiety lifted like a shroud or a veil. Everything felt all the more... Clear. It was like a final message from his mother. He wanted to listen to it again and again before bed. Just wrap himself up in it like it was a foal swaddle or a thunder blanket. Fear hoped one day he'd find his own way like the song suggested. The song brought back many memories of hanging out with his mother. Learning by her hoof. Eating with her. Being saved by her. Like a final goodbye.
Sim had been intending to teach Fear how to harness his changeling magic and Amelio had been learning how to lucid dream. Methods to become aware she was dreaming, such as looking at something that had words on it, looking away, then looking back and seeing if it was any different. Noticing whether or not everything was stuttery or sluggish. She was also exercising her subconscious with philosophical questions noted within the book, and using meditation. Both entertaining thoughts and learning to deflect unnecessary feelings. There were moments she became lucid and immediately panicked about how long she'd been asleep for, and was unnerved at the idea she'd fallen into a coma and couldn't wake up, which roused her out of sleep within a few seconds, but she was trying her best to become comfortable with the dreaming state.
Another problem that had been arising, though far less mental, were the pin and needle sensations poking and tickling her extremities and other parts of her body. The occasional nausea made it difficult to eat, despite only having a heart cherry once every couple days.
On a positive note, Fear had been talking to his mother far less. Conversing with his new friends or thinking to himself instead. He still heard her voice, but it wasn't common, only coming when provoked.
Back in the present, Fear was finding himself enamored with the songs. Music about optimism in a place as dark as the wasteland. Believing in the better nature of others. It stole his breath away. It didn't quite feel naive, or innocent. Just... stubborn. Like somepony realized they could make a decision to have faith or they could give in and stop believing in everything, and they'd chosen to remain hopeful despite all the agony. Fear knew the background too. Freiya had seen all she needed in the wasteland, so she must've also seen things that encouraged her. A smile graced Fear's lips. The one about treating those burning wounds, the table being set, and the bed being made, reminded him so much of Stable 47. It made him feel warm and fuzzy, like he'd eaten a good stew and it was sloshing around inside his belly. His anxiety squished down more the more as he listened, and he found himself entranced. Sighing blissfully. Then there was the romantic duet between Freiya and who he assumed was Silver Speech. Silver's voice was smooth, silky, and chocolatey. It seemed to dig into all the folds of the brain, squeezing into every little niche and opening up everything, pulling out every secret within. It had so much elocution. The songs ranged from immensely comforting and cozy, all the way to romantic and full of visual words. Some a combination. Some full of longing to see another again.
Fear was at a loss for words during most of them. A distant, empty gaze in his eyes.
The final one though reminded him of a version of the Enclave. Reminded him of the pegasi, who, aside from Dashites - ponies who were branded as traitors to the ones above the clouds - had decided to forsake Equestria entirely during the war in order to make their own little home away from everypony else, in order to escape the traumas and destruction of war. And there they sat to this day, doing nothing more than holing away when everypony else needed help and assistance. Concealing the wasteland with a permanent quilt of clouds. It was a somber song.
When it was all over, Amelio was the first to speak. "Wow, Miss Freiya really knows what she is doing, huh? And her husband was not half bad either. He must have sung a lot while traveling the wastes."
Fear gave a singular nod, still at a loss for words. Not sure he had the strength or energy to speak, despite feeling inspired. A strange contradiction of emotions.
Sim thought about it, sighing joyfully. "Yeah. It was really good. This truly was the best gift I could have asked for. We'll have to make a stop by Tenpony sometime so we can get this music on the radio."
"That'd be cool, yeah." Fear finally eased out in a subdued voice. He couldn't quite feel the anxiety much anymore. If anything everything felt like... a new start. Still, he'd be damned if he stopped listening to DJ-P0N3 and missed a broadcast. But for now, they could just continue listening to these new songs until they grew tired of them.
Sim spoke up over the music as he started back from the beginning with Wanderer's Lullaby. "Fear, I think now is a good time to teach you a couple things." Sim fell back a ways, sidling up next to Fear and guiding him. "I'm going to have you focus internally while we walk."
Fear looked to Sim, all of his muscles loose and lax. "Uh, right, sure." The colt sounded like he was in a daze.
Sim nodded once and continued. "Alright, just close your eyes and lean against me as we walk. Search deep inside of yourself. I'm sure you already know by now that your regular magic feels akin to rushing water. Well, changeling magic feels more like pressurized steam. Hot on contact, hard to hold. Melts everything it touches and quickly evaporates once it leaves your body."
Fear thought about it, searching inward.
"Eventually you'll also be able to force transformations on other changelings and hybrids like Ame and me with enough experience. It's like latching onto someling else's latent magic and just jerking it into place."
Amelio was busy going back to her reading as they continued listening to the songs in order.
Fear hadn't found it yet but he was already curious. "What exactly am I searching for? I know regular magic is more like something generated, but you're telling me I need to find this?"
Sim grinned, flank bumping Fear gently. "Indeed. All your cells are constantly producing it passively. You just need to learn how to grab hold of it and channel collections of it into parts of your body and use it just how you'd use regular magic. You need to learn how to excite the process on a whim, and shove your will into it. Otherwise it'll just keep leaking off of you and going to waste."
Fear's thoughts dwelled on that for a bit before he gazed inward once more, looking for the feeling of... Steam? It would certainly be interesting once he found it.
==========================================================================================
Time had passed. Likely a month. Fear couldn't keep track. Everything just blurred by.
Well it would have if Sim and his pipbuck weren't keeping track of the days. It had a clock on it after all. Checking it showed it indeed had been about a month, a little more. Fear was progressing swiftly with learning the basics, having been taught how to transform love into a physical substance. It required forming a shell out of magic and filling it with pure, raw transformative powers. Then converting the love he was draining into that shell. It was a process that took quite a bit of thought, and the only reason he'd gotten opportunities to practice it was due to Amelio, Sim, and some of Sim's friends that knew what he was, offering up themselves for practice. Fear got the hang of it rather quickly.
The colt had also recently purchased another canteen with Sim's assistance, the first one having been acquired about a year prior. A year? Fear couldn't tell. Either way, he now had two canteens, one filled with water and another with a horizontal gash on it filled with the love he'd been collecting, slowly becoming a comfort horse like Sim. Sim had been teaching him some tricks with transformation, and Fear had come up with a couple of his own, such as forming tendrils on his hooves to help with more articulate movements. Sure he could hardly put it into effect without arousing suspicion, but he could do it! He'd also at one point tried to scare Amelio by turning himself into a tiny version of Slenderstal.
Suffice to say, it hadn't worked.
Amelio actually beaned him across the head with a hoof for trying, then shoved him over and kicked him while he was down. Fear accepted the abuse like a doormat. After all, he kind of earned the punishment. Or at least that's how he felt.
Speaking of Amelio, her headaches had become more prominent, almost always present. Not too terrible as far as pangs went, but still unwanted. It was leaving her a little crabby and worried which, on those rare occasions her composure cracked, caused her to lash out. She always apologized for it though. She was also experiencing muscle weakness and difficulties with her telekinesis. Now and then, without warning it'd just... cut out. The nausea had worsened, which made it very good she didn't usually eat regular food.
Fear and Sim showed concern, but Amelio would always assuage them with warm words. The colt was usually in denial, and when he wasn't he regretted giving up the Seer's Eye, remembering how Storm found the radaway for him when he was suffering from radiation poisoning. Thinking that, perhaps if he had the pendant he could find out what was wrong with Amelio and discover a way to fix it. Amelio could always discern his thoughts and comforted him, telling him the stable needed the pendant to survive, and they would eventually join the wasteland and bring the pendant with them.
Sim's worry could hardly be abated. There was nothing he could do for his daughter and he wasn't used to having something this far out of his control. Sure he had given up control of his life long ago, but this seemed like insult to injury. An injury he'd taken upon himself.
On the bright side, Amelio was becoming more confident in her dreaming. No longer afraid she was going to be stuck in limbo for eternity due to a coma. She was beginning to revel in them, sometimes even daydreaming, her subconscious having become strong enough to handle just about anything. Amelio was learning to use the magic that made up a dream bubble's shell, the inherent energy laced in it to fuel her magic. Even sometimes pulling on her daydreams for strength. Also teaching herself how to perform the Dreamkiller spell. Something that could penetrate even the most impossible of nightmares, piercing through moments when the subconscious actively worked against itself. It took discipline, but Amelio had fought through it with hard work and brutal effort. Her illusion magic had been assisting with the development of those skills.
For now the three were getting settled down for sleep, Fear cuddling his plush and, like he'd taken to, snuggling close to Amelio, forelegs wrapped around her and holding her close. He never wanted to let her go. Amelio drifted off to sleep rather easily.
Before she knew what was going on she was suddenly in a bright and lively casino. Only it was veritably empty except for two figures aside from her. The liveliness was in the sounds surrounding her. Ranging from slot machines flicking along and dinging, cards being shuffled by unseen hooves and telekinesis, all the way to pachinko machines. All of which were things Amelio had never seen before. The colors on everything were pure and overly saturated, almost giving Amelio a headache within the context of her dream as well. Everything was so loud it was difficult to grasp. Amelio was at a green felt card table with freshly lacquered wooden rimming. She was sitting in one chair and next to her was her brother. Though something seemed strange about him. He didn't seem all there. Quickly and easily, she recognized him as just a construct.
Next, Amelio looked across from her as her tail flicked, sitting on her haunches on a stool. The being across from her was large, way too large to realistically fit in the building she was in. Yet, surreally enough, the creature did. It looked like a giant crimson and violet Ursa Major with stellar constellations scattered about, with multi-hued nebulas for a set of eyes that had deep O-class stars radiating light for the pupils. It was an incredible sight, and the presence was alarmingly weighty. Amelio suddenly felt like she was about to be crushed from sheer miasma. Like she was being pulled into a blackhole and everything was as slow as could be. The enormous bear, a bear that gave off the impression of being even larger than reality, was full of so many connecting stars. Except they weren't actually connected. They just solidified the notion that each and every one of them were somehow linked to another, and some had multiple bridges spanning the points, like webs of... something.
Amelio was in awe. Even as the egregious noises surrounding her battered at her skull. Chinging and chiming bells everywhere. The whole scene was crystal clear to her. She watched the giant bear for awhile as it held a deck of cards between its paws, starting to shuffle them in all sorts of ways, consecutively with an unhindered flow. They just flew through the air into the separate piles, seeping together like grains of sand. The cards were extravagant and ornate, with designs on the backs that insinuated... Things. Impossible things. And the fronts were hazy, unable to be read. Amelio didn't understand them no matter how hard she tried to focus. She knew she was dreaming. Everything felt like a dream except for this bear. It seemed much more... Potent. "Who are you?" She asked as the cards cascaded together.
The bear responded simply. "Neur."
Amelio nodded once, rather curtly. "Right. Neur. I know I am dreaming. What is this place?" She gestured to the area around her.
Neur just smiled, his lips pulling back into an excited snarl. "You are in Life, my dear Amelio. But you have choices. Just like your brother, every choice you make is incredibly important. But that is the case for every mortal. It just turns out you have less time right now than others."
Amelio narrowed her eyes, then closed them. Taking a deep breath through her snout. She knew. "Is that so? And what exactly are you?"
Neur grinned a little wider. "You are keen to accept things you have no control over I see."
Amelio shook her head. "It is not that... It is just... I had a feeling the time for second chances had already passed. There is only so much you can do in the wasteland," her voice tapered off as she looked to the side, away from Neur.
Neur gave a firm, comprehending nod. "That is true. There is only so much you can do anywhere and everywhere. But that is the beauty of life. How you choose to live with limited power."
It sounded like there was a whole story laying behind those words, of creatures who had tried to take more power than could be allowed. And who had tried to do dangerous, sinful things to all of creation.
Or was it just a dream?
Amelio pressed a hoof against her head. "That does not answer the question though of what are you? You do not appear to be a construct of my subconscious. You are somehow different. You are more... Solid. You are more like a projection of something far more powerful."
Neur slammed the deck of cards on the table and started flicking them apart from each other before quickly merging them back into one pile. "I am a manifestation of connection. A consciousness made up of every link in existence, spanning across every reality. I am the physical approximation of it. I am ancient. And I have a deal for you," Neur said while putting the deck back into place.
Amelio gave a sly smirk. "Sounds impossible, but if you have a deal I am willing to listen."
Neur continued. "There are many cards in this deck. Resets, second chances, limitless power, timeline divisions, various destinies, meanings, and so many other things. Anything you could possibly comprehend and beyond is in this."
This had to be a dream. But Neur didn't feel like a construct.
Amelio looked at the deck. "And we are going to play a game together for my life?"
Neur chuckled. A deep, uproarious chuckle that had no beginning and no end. It seemed to span all of time and go far further. "Not even slightly. I don't like playing games of chance. It is the silver tongued Fate who does those."
Amelio's eyes sharpened. "Yet you are offering me a deck of cards."
Neur shook his head. "The contents of this deck are a given. I have not rigged the deck, but no matter how much I shuffle things are going to be a certain way."
Amelio looked over to the construct of her brother who had been entirely silent the whole time, just staring at the cards. "And what is he here for?"
Neur spread the cards out. "He is one you are connected deeply to, aside from your father. The connection between you two is so powerful I do not think there is anything that can truly break it forever. The connection between you both is, without measure, limitlessly close, and it is like that in every reality because of just how powerful it is."
Mind-boggling. Amelio was at a loss for words at the implications.
"I want you, knowing what you know now, to decide what in life is important to you. Here and now. By drawing a card. I want you to show me your destiny. What you choose to make of your life. If you are truly great or if you are merely weak and incapable of anything."
Amelio scoffed. "I am perfect. You cannot begin to comprehend my greatness." It was mostly a bluff, but Amelio was confident in herself. She had come this far.
Neur pushed the cards forward. "Then draw a card, and show me what it is you are going to accomplish with your life."
Amelio hesitated. All at once memories flashed through her mind. The most prominent of which were Fear giving her the opportunity to be overmare, and the fact that she was dying. What could she possibly achieve in her short timeframe? Would she leave Fear to fend for himself?
The filly looked to her brother's construct. Really looked at him. Stared into what made him who he was. She reached out a hoof to his shoulder and dragged it along. "Brother..." She knew that no matter what her destiny was, there were only so many things you could do in certain situations. There were innumerable things she could do to try and save herself. If she could figure them out in time.
Neur smiled again. "I'd say you're running out of time, but really there is no such thing as time in places like these. The answer will take less than an instant. If anything, the choice was already made long, long ago."
Amelio hovered a hoof over one of the cards, blinking once. She wanted desperately to choose her own destiny. To choose what her life meant in the grand scheme of things. To decide everything once and for all. To be a leader. But... Her brother. She looked back to him, tracing a hoof over one of the elaborate cards.
Neur read Amelio's thoughts. "His construct is here as no more than a witness to your glory Amelio. He has barely a destiny of his own. You know that as well as I do."
Amelio laughed out loud. It was like a melodic chortle. "Yes, yes. I know. Ever since Dad revealed... Yes. I know." She shook her head. "But he is here. He is more than a witness to my glory. He is my brother. And he should have the opportunity to decide something as well."
Neur leaned forward, his paws clasping the table. "That's a big answer for such a little filly," the bear teased with a grumble.
Amelio brushed her mane back. "I know, right? Can not get much bigger than that. But you should know he has taught me bravery in the face of what you can not control. He has taught me many things. And I am sure there is much I can teach him. I trust him to move on. To be strong. I trust him to make the choice."
Fear's construct came to life next to her, staring at her with wonder, before reaching out for one of the cards. The one furthest away from them. Uncertainty crossed his face. He looked to his sister as he flinched back.
Amelio grimaced. "I trust my brother to ameliorate the wasteland." She was the big sister. She put a hoof on Fear's shoulder. "Do it Fear. You may have many regrets, and you probably always will, but you can rise above them. You are far stronger than me, somepony who has no regrets."
Neur gestured to the construct. "It is in your hooves, Fear."
The construct flipped the card over. Something familiar to the three of them was on it. But it was indecipherable.
Everything went black.
All noise ceased.
The dream ended.
==========================================================================================
Amelio woke up early in the morning next to her brother, not that he knew yet. Yawning and stretching out her legs far from her body. Jaw hinging open to intake air and fill her lungs. She smacked her lips a few times as she looked around, still feeling incredibly fatigued. Probably the illness she knew she had. Her time was limited. What card had Fear drawn? It had been a vivid dream, more than most. She remembered it blatantly. Neur had been a kind soul, she could tell that much. Maybe even a little innocent.
The others would wake up soon enough Amelio knew as she watched the dead wasteland remain dead. There was nothing coming to life right now, but maybe someday. Somehow she knew that... in some way, she'd get to see the wasteland recover. Amelio looked forward to it. In the meantime, she decided to use her time left wisely. Maybe if she finished the dream walking tome she'd find a way to cure Fear of his nightmares. He almost always had them. She remembered many times being woken up by his banshee-like screaming and sobbing. So she started reading through the book again.
Fear woke up next, gripping his plushie even tighter, cradling the Breinstorm doll close to his chest and slowly sitting up, blinking away bleariness. Fear and her talked about much of nothing as they waited for Sim to awaken.
Sim eventually did awaken, with a grunt and a snort. And soon enough they were back on their way traveling to the next village.
As they walked, Amelio requested that Fear finish Tormented.
It had been a long journey through the dream manor for Reiki and Caramel, both using a special camera within their dreams that allowed them to fight back spirits that attempted to subsume them into death. At one point it appeared as if Caramel had succumbed to the snake and holly tattoo, to the pain, and followed her brother to the afterlife. Reiki had woken up with a start and looked to her bunkmate (after all, no better way to get over Wartime Stress Disorder than to have a friend close by!) seeing her surrounded by blinded equine ghosts. Not turning to soot though like all the other victims. Finally, after going back to sleep Reiki had come across the start of it all. The mare who had created the curse in the first place due to a ritual gone wrong. Reiki fought off what had essentially become an embodiment of hurt, the spirit of another who had also lost somepony important after choosing to take the hurt of others.
Reiki got to see her fiance one last time in the sea of the dead, a place with a blazing blue sun, black sky, and deep, dark, glossy waters. All as spirits who were finally freed from the curse got to cross to a true afterlife. It was a tearful reunion, bittersweet as could be, because although Distant Sunrise took the manifestation of Reiki's pain, he had to leave her behind with solemn words.
"If you forget me, then I will truly die. As long as you live, I will live."
It ended with an epilogue of Reiki, Caramel, and a few others who'd managed to survive being discharged from the brainwashing center. The two got their jobs back, and it ended with a beautiful description of a distant sunrise. Normality returning. The war ending. Ponies living happily ever after with a zebra surrender.
The ending only incentivized Amelio to finish her learning before illness finally took her.
==========================================================================================
It was another night of Fear and Amelio sleeping nuzzled together. Amelio was having a strange, incoherent dream about Stable 47, Amor Fati, and a strange filly that was his daughter, when she noticed something off about her dream. She looked up into the corner of the stable corridor and focused. Eventually floating above the ground as her concentration made it feel like her eyes were crossed, everything freezing in place from sheer will alone. She drew closer to the corner and looked at it. On the surface it looked like merely a shimmer, but deeper down, in her subconscious. She could tell it was a crack. She hesitated for a moment, contemplating what it could mean, before the information finally returned to her, eyes widening. She'd been looking for something like this for a long time.
Amelio had been trying to find cracks like these in her dreams whenever she remembered to search, and finally, finally she'd found one. Amelio gathered up the energy from her dream and focused it into her horn as if it was second nature, aiming her Dreamkiller spell at the wall. With a little oomph put into it a solid beam shot out and struck it. The wall worbled and wrinkled, before shattering and crumbling apart.
And with the wall crumbling apart so too did the dream itself entirely erode away. Given enough time at least. Like a bubble popping.
Without warning Amelio was stuck in a large black abyss filled to the brim with a flowing river of bubbles with all sorts of images contained within, reflecting on the surface. Amelio was swept along in the swift current, tumbling away to somewhere and nowhere all at once. She couldn't tell where she was going but she tried to focus once more on that ability of flight, eventually reining control over herself and righting out like a canoe in rushing rapids. She looked around for awhile and began swimming against the flow, drifting along at a lazy pace. Amelio marveled over the sheer number of bubbles within her sight. Still, it clearly ended at some point. Either not everypony was dreaming right now or there just weren't that many ponies still left. Or maybe a combination of the two. Still, it trailed along behind for a ways.
It wasn't until a moment later that Amelio remembered her true purpose. To find Fear's dreambubble and merge with it. Alleviate his nightmares. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on that one goal and tried to find her brother, noticing a number of bubbles flickering red like warning sirens, dimming on the surface to a dangerous rose color. Eventually she found what she was looking for though, a bubble with Fear on the surface. It was him amidst a rainy day next to a skywagon station. It was glaring red too. She zoomed toward it and shoved herself into the shell, covering herself in dreamkiller so that she'd slip right in, burrowing deep and coming out the other side without popping it.
Amelio twisted her gaze this way and that, noticing that the farthest reaches of the dream were currently curtained off by a veil of mist similar to a computer that hadn't yet loaded all the graphics. She was surrounded by towering skyscrapers, many of them chipped away, some fallen to the ground, all of them abandoned. She drew closer to the streets and alighted on the cracked asphalt. She could sense her brother all around her and in one singular place all at the same time. It was a strange sensation, like feeling two of him. It threw her off a bit but still she proceeded along, finding the familiar skywagon station leaking water and a familiar drenched colt who was staring wide-eyed at a lanky unicorn colt with his mane hanging over one of his eyes. He was glaring deathly daggers at Fear, who was leaning backwards and cowering.
The filly got closer and noticed Fear's eyes were bulging out of their sockets, completely bloodshot, and his jaw was hanging open to try and get air, none of which he could. There was a lime green field of magic surrounding Fear's throat - he was being choked to death! His neck compressed until the larynx was flattened inside. The same field covered the colt's horn. Fear's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he tried desperately to collect air, his chest twitching before he began squirming on the ground, rolling from side to side, trying to shake off the telekinetic force. Yet at the same time... He didn't care. He knew he deserved it. He was prepared to die.
Fear's subconscious was giving up.
Amelio didn't hesitate, charging her horn with charcoal magic and lancing out a bolt of dreamkiller magic at the construct murdering her brother. The spear shot through the colt's body, making him fizzle, then surrounded him, causing the construct to glow before dispersing into motes of light with the shattering of glass.
Fear gasped for breath and slammed a hoof on the ground in desperation as he was finally allowed to breathe, both in the dream and in real life. Fear pressed his muzzle against the ground as he heaved for air, his chest rising and falling ceaselessly. He then eventually looked up and around. Finding Amelio he stood up and made his way over to her. He could feel her presence. Her actual being. "Amelio? What are you doing here?"
Parts of the dream began to melt away, becoming more like sludge than vivid constructs.
Amelio just smiled. "You were in trouble so I decided to do something about it. You are dreaming Fear. Nothing more. You do not exist in this time and place anymore." She stated, looking around at everything. "No more than a nightmare."
Fear looked around too, watching it all seem to fall apart and switch to something different. "Th... Thank you Meels. You shouldn't have had to see that. My guilt." His head jolted away from her, unable to look her in the eyes.
Amelio shook her head. "No, Fear. We are in this together. Together, forever. Just like we said." She moved up to the colt and gave him a nuzzle with her muzzle. "Trust me. I trust you."
Fear had a solemn, sorrowful look in his eyes as he turned back to her, his eyebrows leaning outward. "O... Okay. I trust you, Meels."
Amelio nodded, then pressed a hoof on top of Fear's head. "Good boy." She said before ruffling his mane. "Maybe soon I will be able to rid you of those nightmares once and for all. My book is teaching me about how they operate. It is in part magical, and in part due to chemicals in the brain. Adrenaline or something I think. WTSD pills are supposed to help with stuff like that."
Fear cocked his head to the side as he and Amelio laid next to each other in the downpour, both of them getting slick and cool. "That's pretty cool. The book must be really well researched!"
Amelio kissed her brother on the cheek. "It really is, Fear. Maybe someday I will let you read it and you can learn too." She gave him a little wink.
Fear grinned slyly. "Maybe I'll just do it when you least expect it! I can see it now: Fearshatter, destroyer of nightmares!"
Amelio rolled her eyes. "Dream on, buddy." The two of them giggled together for awhile.
Fear frowned. "Really though, I might give it a shot. But for now... I guess you're my guardian angel."
Amelio smiled. "I am more of a moon angel, I am certain. There are pictures of Luna, stars, and moons in the book and I find them to be very lovely. As lovely as me."
Fear shook his head from side to side in disbelief. "You're amazing, you know that?" He huffed. "But sure, you're my guardian moon angel." Fear gave her a kiss back on the cheek. Then hesitated. "Will you stay with me for the rest of the night, Meels?" He paused. "Please?"
Amelio nodded. "Sure. Maybe you can come up with something new for us to do in here. Got any ideas?"
Fear thought about it. "Well, I could always introduce you to my mother I guess."
The filly had a melancholic smile on her face. "Sure, Fear, as you wish."
Fear smiled, his tail whipping back and forth as he summoned his mother's visage. All his memories of her. Amelio could tell it was just a construct based on his memories.
But it would be enough for now. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Dream Diver | More time had passed. Amelio was in the void between dreams for probably her fifth time. She'd been sleeping far more often lately due to fatigue - she knew her time was drawing short. And because of it she was desperate to learn as many secrets as possible. Amelio was exploring the furthest reaches, trying to go beyond her boundaries of a moment prior, throwing all caution to the wind and becoming more and more reckless as she struggled to accept her upcoming death. Sim always carried her on his body nowadays, with Fear and the stallion trying to come to grips with losing their precious companion together. Fear and Sim constantly nuzzling together and weeping over what they knew was coming, Fear especially. He did not want to lose another special pony in his life. But there was nothing he could do.
Amelio always assured Fear that things would be okay when she was awake. That he would grow into a fine stallion one day. But it just wasn't quite enough as Fear hiccuped and sniffled, trying to hold onto her as much as he could, sometimes carrying her himself along with his plushie. Needing her in his life. He just... couldn't let go. But he knew, deep down. It was coming.
The void on the other hand, the liminal space as the book called it, was becoming more and more like a second home. She was powerful here. Becoming capable of so much. She had explored other dreams and gained a handle on the most difficult of aspects. She was finding entertainment value. And learning the deepest, darkest secrets of ponies was enthralling. But still, somehow she knew this wasn't all there was. There was something more out there. She didn't know if it'd be as terrible as some of the worst raiders, or those dreaming of lost loves ones, though she hoped it'd be beautiful like the dreams of non-feral ghouls who sometimes slept, their dreams of pre-war Equestria, despite the occasional nightmares of their radioactive transformation. Still, she knew there had to be something more, an edge, or something beyond. Neur was her only clue, and it was her inspiration to try and break the limits of consciousness. It was that, and a desire to find a way to persist long after death, even if it meant being in a coma for eternity. Perhaps she could even come back and visit her father and brother once she detached.
Either way, she'd come up with a plan. A daring plan, one that she didn't know if it would work. Amelio swam in the river of dream bubbles, closing her eyes and collecting as much energy from all the consciousnesses that she could. Connecting with each and every one of them. Drawing strength. When she opened her eyes the sapphire ellipticals surrounding her pupils became more pronounced. They gleamed, and had sharper edges. The orbits of planets were in her eyes as her sixth sense reached as far as it could. Searching, searching for something deep in the farthest reaches.
There was nothing.
At first.
As she concentrated harder she found something on the fringes. Something so far away, so distant it seemed impossible anypony could ever find it no matter how hard they tried. It would take days of searching just to locate it. But she sensed it, deep in the abyss. Lingering in liminal space. And she took off toward it, rocketing into the inky blackness away from the main stream, heading for where she did not know.
Amelio's curiosity had paid off. There was something out there. On the final frontier. Her lips pulled up into a snarl and her teeth grit as she giggled and snorted in ecstasy, so happy to have found another mystery. A dreambubble that was so far apart. It clearly wasn't a second stream, a second wave of consciousness. No. As she burst past the speed of light toward her destination she knew that something had pulled their dream bubble out of the wave of others to a safer location. A solitary refuge. And she was about to explore it! Amelio had never been so excited in her life. With all the feelings of death and despair lately, this felt like her one chance - she felt so alive. So full of energy even as she felt a little tired within the dreamscape. Her body would not hold her down forever, she was determined. But alongside that...
The filly had made a decision recently. Once her time came, no matter if she found a way to persist after death or not, her final act in life would be to give the remnants of her destiny to her father. She would give him back his life. His ability to make a difference. She would charge him up and give color back to his cutiemark. He would have that energy, the energy of an individual connected to a whole, once more.
Amelio finally reached the ostracized dream bubble, approaching closer and seeping into its gravity space. The orb was beautiful like a marble. There was a giant castle in it, and a courtyard. A bright, vibrant night sky full of stars and a moon. It was not her first time seeing these things. Ghouls had dreams of things like this too. She recognized this from her sleepy travels as Canterlot Castle. It was a giant, enormous, protruding structure on the side of a cliff face, with waterfalls dotting here and there. Fancy architecture all around with undulating spires and riveting, rippling towers. Jutting platforms made of marble and other materials. It was gorgeous, especially under the limelight of the moon, and the twinkling stars above. The castle made of lavenders, alabasters, and honey yellows. The grass and shrubbery in the courtyard garden being made up of the finest greens imaginable. So healthy and lively. More life than Amelio felt within her. After all, she was filled with no more than flickering embers and smoldering ash. She knew her time was coming. Amelio coated herself in dreamkiller and pierced through the dreambubble, coming out from within. She felt the air of a high elevation. So clear and crisp. It brew through her mane and over her body as she made her way down to the courtyard and alighting on the stone pathway, intricately carved blocks making it up. Amelio looked around, then up at the sky, literally gasping.
Above her the night sky was even more beautiful than ever before. There were so many stars, so many glistening spectral colors from nebulae and faraway galaxies that just stole Amelio's breath away. Comets streaked across at regular intervals. This was far more detailed than any night sky she'd ever seen before, as if other ponies had merely forgotten what midnight was capable of. So many celestial phenomenon graced her eyes and reflected back in it.
Amelio shook her head a little in disbelief before eventually wandering toward the castle entrance, no guards to speak of. No other constructs to inhibit her progress. Who could have created this? She was thankful she'd already gotten over the sensation she was going to fall into the unending skies in places like these from previous exposure.
As the filly moved toward the entrance, she wasn't surprised when everything around her melted away and something new dribbled into position like sludge. She was in the throne room. A place full of ornate yet simple stained glass workings on either side that let in moonlight. The designs were all of various simplistic shapes making up complex images, mostly suns and moons guiding little ponies toward... somewhere. Tapestries lined the hallway accented with a scarlet carpet with white rimming. Tapestries with unusual curvy designs and crescent moons topping them. On the edges of the hallway were recesses in the ground for water to flow through, water that came from further back, from six daises, three on either side, that trickled water down into the next. It was clean and pure. Up the curving slants leading to the back wall were two thrones with red cushioned backings, one smaller with a moon above it, and the other larger with a sun above it. And on either side of each were a grand arching door leading further in, backed by respectively decorated stained glass.
Beyond the majesty of the place, which had even more intricacies to it than she could take in on first glance, was a turgid scent hanging in the air. That of battery acid. It was tangy and burned the nose. It became more and more present the closer she got to the royal chairs in back. Amelio shook her head a few times, trying to dislodge the scent from her snout. She'd never experienced this scent before, but it reminded her of something. Either way, Amelio was used to seeing things like this, however not quite this expansive and detailed. If this dream bubble's engineering was so finely tuned than either the pony had a strong subconscious or they had multiple ponies working on it.
The owner of the scent revealed herself soon enough, stepping out from behind the moon-topped throne and staring down the long distance toward the entrance. The mare was tall but not quite majestic. If anything she looked rather sickly. Sticking out of her forehead was a sharp, conical horn revealing herself to be a unicorn. She had a lush, mulberry mane and tail that were thick and heavy, clumps of hair hanging on the sides and back, some of the front of her mane even hanging in front of her miserable, rose-colored eyes. She looked as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders with her gaunt face and slumped posture. There was so much anguish in her gaze it almost forced Amelio to look away. The mare was covered in an exotically silver coat, and had unshorn fetlocks. Overall a huge mess. Her cutiemark however was the most interesting thing of all. A table saw placed between a split planet, sliced all the way through. A cutiemark of destruction. But Amelio couldn't discern just how destructive.
The mare's voice was sharp and slightly raspy, with a violent undertone to it. It spoke of a mare who was brutal and used to forcing other ponies into position. "What are you doing in the throne of my princess?"
Amelio lifted a foreleg and bent it at the knee. "I am Amelioreit Reverie." She had begun using the correct pronunciation of her name now that she knew the full implications about it. She wanted to be proper after all. "I am the daughter of an overmare, and I am here solely out of curiosity. Who are you?"
The mare loosened up a bit as she began pacing between the thrones, her muscles rippling somewhat with each step. "I am Acute Sway. But you can call me Saway. That is my real name as far as I'm concerned." She gave a small nod, as if to confirm that was how things were. "I don't know how long you've been asleep, or how you found this place, but I myself have been asleep for a very long time. I don't know how long."
Amelio cocked her head to the side. "What are you doing here?"
It seemed Saway had not had a guest in awhile, and thus was very forthcoming with the information. Besides, it couldn't hurt too bad to be loose-lipped? "At one point, before Equestria was sundered into ruin, I wished to destroy the world myself. See it toppled and wrecked. Completely annihilated." She shook her head. "I believed it was my talent at the time, even if now I see the true meaning behind such a vicious cutie mark." She swept a foreleg out to the area around her. "Nowadays I remain here, with my Princess of Death. I aid her and protect her, and in return she gives me life. And together, we give each other companionship."
Amelio was at a loss for words if she was being entirely honest. A mare who wanted to destroy the world? Just for the sake of it? No, there had to be more to her than that. She could sense as much. Saway was wracked with guilt and pain. She had seen things. She understood the nickname, sort of. A combination of her cutiemark and the last part of her actual name. If anything the real name also made sense. In a weird way. "Why did you want to destroy the world?"
Saway smiled bitterly, twisting her head from side to side. "Cutiemarks were everything in pre-war Equestria. Held on the highest pedestal, yet most ponies never even understood their true meaning. They just assumed. Everypony told you to follow your destiny, a lot believing in that so blindly they would allow anything to befall them. But I realized..." She shook her head again. "No it doesn't matter. That is all in the past now." Saway looked back to Amelio. "I'm sorry to say but you must either leave, or suffer the consequences." There was a look of fear in the mare's eyes, as if she still couldn't believe a mere filly had found her way to this dreambubble. In fact, she couldn't.
Amelio was rather insulted by the insinuation she was a danger. She felt Saway's fear and took it personally. The filly was close to dying, she knew it. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to explore and learn more, and she was going to divert attention away from her upcoming death by solving mysteries. Besides, sleep was her domain now. "Fine, if that is how you wish to play it. Come at me." Amelio adjusted her positioning, lowering to the ground, getting ready for a fight. She was unabashedly defiant.
Saway started to rise up off the ground, a cold hard darkness surrounding her body like a shell, another body. It wrapped around her barrel and neck. It was full of moving shadows, inky black darkness and bruise-blues. Splotches and ripples. It had a pair of hands and two tendrils for legs. The sight was rather abhorrent, especially those gleaming, pure yellow eyes that pierced everything about her. They were chilling. And the equine face was bordering on uncanny valley.
Amelio lifted an eyebrow in concern. "What on Equus are you?"
Saway smirked as the nightmare head came down over hers like a helmet, fusing their eyes together into a creepy amalgamation. "Nightmares are fused to my core, it keeps my consciousness alive." That explained the look of avid, abject horror in her shrunken eyes. "We must protect Luna. We are Nightmare's Way."
Amelio's first act of the battle was to start firing off dreamkiller lasers from her horn, collecting up the energy and unleashing it in powerful bolts at the collection of nightmares and pony as it rushed at her. It didn't seem to do much of anything to the monster though, just creating small dents. Amelio threw herself to the side when the monster came close enough, having reached back and thrust one of its clawed hands out to try and skewer through her. The sight of those gleaming talons seared into Amelio's retinas.
The monstrous Nightmare's Way dug its tendrils into the ground, creating holes in the floor and causing cracks to web out from the puncture marks as it quickly about faced, lunging at Amelio in an attempt to gash her soul from her body.
Amelio jumped backwards, finding herself shrouded in moonlight from one of the stained glass windows. She barely had a moment to spare before Nightmare's Way followed up with a combo, slicing and dicing through the air, slashing at Amelio to try and remove her from this dreambubble and wake her up. However as the limbs passed through the moonlight, the shell keeping the monster corporeal started to worble and deform, the whole thing wavering. Amelio caught it right off the bat but realized she needed to put distance between her and the monster.
The filly grew a pair of changeling wings and flapped them, speeding away from where she'd just been cornered and making her way to the thrones.
The clawed creature crashed into the wall, causing glass to shatter and the walls to crumble. Falling down upon the mare. Nightmare's Way provided a parasol to protect its host from the shrapnel raining down around them.
"So, you think you are invincible, hm!?" Amelio called out as Nightmare's Way rose into the air and rearranged how its arms were built, turning them into a combination of those and wings, taking off after Amelio.
Amelio wrenched her body in the air, doing a loop de loop, barely avoiding the charging monster that flew right under her. The filly was in control. Gathering up three spells at once into her horn. Concentrating on three different things at once as she hovered.
Nightmare's Way hit the ground, screeching across it, crashing into one of the dishes of water and causing it to break apart on contact, water spilling everywhere and soaking the ground and carpet. The monster let out a vicious screech and threw itself into the air, soaring like a bullet straight for Amelio.
Amelio's charged spell, the charcoal magic surrounding her horn, was leveled at the beast as it came straight for her. Amelio bat her wings one final time and lifted into the air slightly. She put her hooves against the creature, performing a reverse stomach throw. Aiming her horn at the beast's back at the same time. In one fell swoop she unleashed dreamkiller, telekinetic bullet, and a light spell all at once, the plasma seeping off her horn in one deft movement and bursting out the tip like a lightning bolt.
The bolt jammed into the creature's back as Nightmare's Way flew right under Amelio again. There was a hideous scream of agony as the spell burrowed into the creature, getting in deep. The shadows sizzled and popped, white flames bursting to life and burning away more and more of the shell. Saway's body went flying through the air, hitting the ground. She couldn't catch herself with her hooves, causing her to tumble and roll, nearly breaking her neck as she eventually lost momentum, only her physical body keeping the shadows from being ignited deep inside of her. Saway writhed on the ground, screaming for mercy before going limp, her chest heaving.
Amelio was also breathing deep, floating down to the ground and resting. She caught her breath, smiling victoriously before making her way over to Saway, using telekinetic force to pin her to the ground and keep her from moving.
Saway was shriveled up, her form completely bare of shadows. She looked weakened and like she could barely hang on. Her face was screwed up in pain as she looked at her conqueror with terrified eyes. "P-please... Spare me."
The filly looked deep into those rosy eyes of Saway's, glaring at her. Amelio realized then and there she could be a murderer too, because she considered killing Saway once and for all, her chest rising and falling rapidly before calming. The filly felt uncomfortable about that fact. Saway was staring at Amelio with unhinged horror, her life and 'afterlife' flashing before her eyes. Amelio could feel it intimately. Her gaze was hard. "I am going to die soon anyway. I could kill you and take you down with me." Her voice was as cold as ice. A frozen anger. She recalled her brother and his regret. Amelio's eyes narrowed and lidded, then she tilted her head up snootily. "But I am not going to." She considered telling Saway she deserved to rot, but didn't have it in her. She would not hurt Saway like that. She was already defeated.
Amelio considered kicking dust onto Saway's body, but decided against that too. The mare might have contemplated destroying the world, but she didn't know everything about her. Just that she was in pain and had guilt just like her brother. Amelio instead gave Saway a nod of acknowledgement and hurried off to the thrones as her wings receded, moving up the curved slopes to get into the moon door. After all, Saway had said 'Luna' and luna was another name for 'moon.'
The room around Amelio liquefied and dissolved once more, the one ahead of her permeating into existence with ease. Truth be told in dreams things often just switched like a camera cut, but due to the filly's experience with dreams the transition was all the more apparent. Where Amelio came into was nearly indescribable. A long corridor that spanned probably thirty yards. And it seemed to never end no matter how far down Amelio went. It was lined with swirling columns topped with recesses filled with colorful plants, stained glass windows depicting moments during the war, special battles, Equestria's past conquered foes, the six ministry mares, and strange items that Amelio didn't recognize as the Elements of Harmony. The middle of the hallway was lined with magenta, but overall everything were various shades of blue.
At the very end of the hallway, when Amelio finally got closer, she saw two figures. One was a unicorn with a curved horn, mint green mane that was giant, thick, and curly, and a similarly messy tail. Unimpressed gaze, and absolutely mottled coat of gold and pale yellow. Drawing closer Amelio noticed something strange about the ancient-looking, wrinkled stallion. His eyes were an incredibly bright pear green. But the odd part were his pupils. They were draconic-looking; slitted. The stallion was talking to the second figure, a figure who was taller than him by a couple heads.
Luna was grievous, so much so Amelio literally had to look away in order to take a break from the sight once she got close enough to see her. She looked like a desiccated corpse, like all the moisture had been sapped from her body. She was emaciated beyond belief, appearing as if she could crumble away into dust and blow away on the wind with the slightest touch. Still though, she was an incredibly majestic alicorn with lancing horn, frazzled feathered wings, beaming aqua and cyan eyes, and a stunningly commanding presence. Covered in a dark blue coat of fur that looked unhealthy, with some patches of it missing. The worst part of it all though were her mane and tail. While they were extraordinary displays of her starry night, having twinkles of light scattered through the aurora-like magical navy blue hair, it was all slightly grayed and both mane and tail were in tatters, nearly shredded apart. Like strips flowing off of her as if it were alive. With holes here and there like a changeling. When Amelio looked back at the figure she audibly gasped, causing both of them to look up and toward her. Luna was simply ghastly, symbolizing just how far she'd fallen, and how much the pink cloud had damaged her.
The golden stallion looked back to Luna, in her eyes, before turning around. A green aura surrounded his horn and a spell was unleashed, a dart of light firing in front of him and opening up into a giant portal made of pure swirling darkness that the unicorn left through.
Luna held herself tall and regal, looking back to Amelio as the filly drew closer. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head up slightly. "Clarum somnium," she whispered. As she spoke louder, her voice became just as authoritative as her presence. "Who are you, why are you here, and what happened to Saway?" The sound of her voice was loud and in charge, full of royalty. However, there was a sample of terror laced in it. Luna was clearly apprehensive. Amelio could feel it.
Amelio noticed that behind the mare who was twice as tall as her was a tri-hued door of lavender, pink, and indigo with a sun in the center. It was framed with gold. It reminded Amelio somewhat of a vault. She could see bright light seeping out of the cracks. The door couldn't be fully locked it seemed. The filly steeled herself and held herself with dignity. "I am Amelioreit Reverie. I defeated her. I am here to sate my curiosities and understand why this dream bubble is separate from all the others."
Horror penetrated Luna's features. She sounded uncertain, her voice wavering. "You did not kill her did you? Once her dream self is gone she is dead for good."
Amelio shook her head, yet smiled brightly. Confidently. "No. I would never do something like that. Are you really a princess of death though?"
Luna's eyes narrowed. "I guess you could say that, little filly. I am in fact Princess Luna." The mare gave a gentle, weak smile. Full of unsuredness at the fact a mere filly had found her in this place of refuge. In her sanctuary. And managed to defeat one tainted by nightmares. "You do not look like a raider." Luna was clearly scared of Amelio. "However, I am sorry to say that I must fend you off and seal you from this place before you find my treasure."
Amelio glanced behind Luna, looking at what Luna was probably referring to. "What is your treasure?" She didn't have much opportunity to ask though as without warning the glass windows lining the hallway took on a reflective sheen, becoming mirrors. Only Amelio's form was not reflected in them, only Luna's. And just as suddenly, while Luna's body was taking on a gentle shimmer like a star, the entire air around the two of them was becoming dark as night. Creeping into every crack and leaving Amelio unable to see anything aside from Luna (including her reflections) and the door ahead of her. Everything seemed so far away and distant. The filly immediately rose her guard, getting into a battle stance.
The only warning as to what came next were the signs coming from Luna's soul. Amelio dove forward as one of Luna's reflections seared past her, cutting through the air. Coming out of the mirror and nearly grazing Amelio's flanks with one of her wings. "What in Tartarus!?" Amelio squeaked, quickly about facing, then spinning in a 180 once more. Suddenly she was being assaulted by multiple copies of Luna. Amelio only dodging and weaving out of the way of each due to her sixth sense. The copies had no reflected soul but the main body gave off intent. The original body stayed far away and let her fractal counterparts do the work.
Amelio didn't hesitate as she continued to waltz in the hallway avoiding the copies, drawing power from the dream bubble itself, drawing power from Luna herself and pulling it in. Coalescing strength as her telekinesis built up in her horn. Tremors surrounded Amelio as incredible power collected within her. The room started shaking before Amelio released all the built up pressure with a scream. Telekinetic force surged outward, channeling through the entire room. It bashed against the walls and knocked the weakened Luna off her hooves. But the primary purpose was a success. The mirror windows, all of the ones in the hallway burst apart at the seams, breaking into thousands of pieces that crashed against the floor and scattered apart into even smaller shards.
Every reflection worbled out of existence until only the real Luna was left trying to push herself back onto her hooves. "Im... Impressive." She acquiesced. "But can you keep up your struggles to the end?"
Amelio stood tall, squinting at Luna as her shimmering body began to ebb and flicker, flaring light outward and creating many shadows that rushed toward Amelio.
The strange thing was, Amelio felt another power deep within the dream bubble. Pulling on the shell's power itself had revealed it to her. She hesitated, trying to latch onto that other source of power, that distant strength she couldn't quite clarify. As she tried though, the shadows lashed out at her, whipping from every side. Amelio tried to slide away, jump over, and duck under loads of whipping tentacles but before she knew what was happening they were striking and bashing against her. One hit, two, and more again and again battering and bruising her. The sound of physical shadows striking flesh, muscle and bone resounding through the air.
Amelio was at a loss for anything to do. Once the first one happened she was being comboed like it was nothing, her body was going limp. Was this the end? She tried to move, tried to do anything, but was swiftly being juggled in the air, incapable of anything. She looked toward Luna whenever her flipping, tumbling body allowed her to. She was giving off light like a light bulb. The shadows seemed to be receding away from her, not harming her. Was this place just as dangerous to her as it was to Amelio? She tried to catch her breath, having been winded by the... tenth hit? The skin under her fur becoming blemished with contusions. Then the next one struck out at her, right across the head, making her brain jostle, which hurt more than it ever should. She could feel all of it, spittle going flying. Amelio's horn lit up with a black aura, dark as the shadows assaulting her, and tried to cast a spell. A modification of the telekinetic bullet. She pushed energy into her horn and released it in a wave, enveloping her and rippling through the air, batting away the tendrils.
Then Amelio hit the ground in a heap. It was hard to get herself moving, but she forced herself to her hooves and rushed at Luna, slapping away the tendrils she could barely sense coming with a telekinetic force, panting hard and limping.
When Amelio managed to make it to Luna she lunged, rearing back a forehoof and throwing it forward into a shocked-looking alicorn, right into her chest. It connected hard, and it caused the mare to spit up blood as she nearly collapsed to her belly.
The tendrils lashed out at Amelio again and wrapped around her, coiling around her belly, constricting around her neck, and binding her legs, holding them all tight and squeezing down, dragging her away and trying to strangle her as Luna heaved and shook from the pressure of the punch, taking a knee, her eyes full of horror at the filly who'd managed to hit her. She was terrified beyond belief.
Amelio wrestled and struggled, writhing and wriggling on the ground, trying to get free. Her eyes rolling into the back of her head and face turning blue. She had only one opportunity! She needed to grab hold of that power behind Luna and use it for herself! Amelio closed her eyes and focused as much as she could through sheer will, forcing herself to remain peaceful, even as she was growing weaker.
It was as if Amelio was a miner taking a pickaxe to a rock, because once she swung it one last time and cracked open the stone, pure gold revealed itself to her.
And when that happened Amelio felt a surge of power. She tried to direct it into her horn but she couldn't direct it anywhere. It stimulated her changeling nature and forced a transformation the likes of which she had never felt before. With an explosion her body molded into a far taller version of herself, nearly as tall as Luna, with long flowing locks of topaz hair rather than amethyst. The ellipticals in her eyes having enlarged to the point of completely overtaking the violet nature, now they were pure blue. Turning green as wisps of gold energy flowed off of them. Her horn split into branching black antlers, flecks of charcoal energy flaking off of them. Her cutie mark had grown, a multitude of deltas spanning her flanks and barrel, and reaching to her legs. All of them glowing with power. It was like the light of the moon and the abyss itself were all radiating off of her body, giving everything a bright sheen, petals and wisps of the magical energy flowing off of her.
The shadows that had burned away and were now trying to lash back out at her and grasp her again were stopped by the nearly blinding light being emitted by the filly... Mare? It was hard to tell. Amelio looked down at herself, in all her unrefined beauty, then back up at Luna who was taking steps away from her in fright. She clearly wanted to run, but she had nowhere to run. Still, she had one more... One more thing up her sleeve. Her horn took on a colorful aura as she cast one more spell.
Amelio rushed at Luna, but before she could get there she was vaulted off her hooves and farther back, all the way down the hall, her large body clipping against the floor and rolling across it, nearly breaking her neck in the process as she tried to get back onto her hooves, sent all the way back to the entrance from the gust of pressure. But she didn't stop, she steeled her body and narrowed her eyes and galloped back to where she'd been. All while in the encompassing shadows pricks of light began to appear. Before Amelio knew what was going on they were falling, like comets trailing right for her. She wove to the side, then another. More just kept appearing and cascading down toward her like pellets. When they managed to connect they stung like a bitch, burning away parts of her body like it was never there at all. Scraping against her and pulling off flesh. Amelio snorted and decided to put the energy she'd acquired to good use.
With a little channeling of transformative magics Amelio felt her body recede and compact into a large albino snake with golden eyes. Amelio, now in a far more proper form for dodging these bits of light, slithered across the ground, over glass shards and toward her target. Winding closer and closer, nearly swimming over the flooring as sprites of light fell to the ground and melted away like snowflakes.
Luna saw the transformation and felt a pang of fear the likes of which she'd never experienced in her life. It was true she was a far cry from the alicorn she once was but this was... impossible. A mere filly shouldn't be capable of this. Was she even truly a pony? The presence of Luna's consciousness should have been more than enough to stymie any major dream transformations.
Was Amelio a changeling?
The idea scorched Luna's entire being with terror. "WHAT ARE YOU!?" She screamed in the Royal Canterlot voice as her enemy drew nearer. "STOP! I CONCEDE! PLEASE!"
Amelio didn't stop.
There was no ceasing at this point. She was in the heat of the battle. She was still a filly. And she was going to show Luna where she went wrong.
Luna tried to gather more power from her sanctuary but couldn't. It was out of power to give. All that was left was the power allowing everything to remain. Luna tried to back up, seeing her millennia-long life flash before her eyes, even in her sleeping state. She shook her head from side to side as Amelio, like a snake, launched herself at Luna. Amelio's body transformed back to normal as she tackled the alicorn, driving her to the ground and pinning her with a hoof, rearing another foreleg back, about to strike Luna's face into submission. Until she was dead. But she hesitated as she panted, energy cascading off her body.
A light shimmered on her hoof where her body connected with the alicorn.
Suddenly things became far more clear. Luna understood the filly's determination to see things through to the end. "You will die soon?" It was more of an impressed statement than a question. "I can feel it. There is something wrong with your body."
Amelio grit her teeth, her lips pulling back into a furious snarl. She was angry at Luna for holing up in her dreams like the Enclave holed up in the clouds. She considered once more killing the alicorn and taking that treasure for herself so she could try to beat whatever was killing her. "Why should I not take your treasure for myself you coward!?"
Luna actually flinched more at the words than any of the physical threats Amelio posed to her. "Yes, I probably deserve to die for being a coward." The admission stung. Amelio could tell. Luna had clearly thought of this many times. "But if you were me you would have done no different."
Amelio knew she couldn't say that either way. She knew one pony who might be able to, but he wasn't here right now. "So why should I not take it for myself? I want to live like you have lived! I want to continue helping ponies, leading them in their dreams! Why do you get to be so special you coward!?"
The words stung more the second time than the first. But Luna kept her calm, even as her voice wavered. "The power is solely used to keep consciousness within the dream realm alive. When I die it breaks apart. Where the nightmares are a darkness, this treasure, created by ritual, is light. It is a spell to transcend death, only to be used when one is literally at death's door. It is dangerous otherwise, able to leave a body a husk for all of time." Luna shook her head. "If it even works. Transcendi Mortem."
Amelio caught her breath, her body still aching from all the hits she'd endured. She relented though. She'd not heard of this spell. Could only the princess of the night, a princess of death, had heard of it?
"It is a spell built by myself. Meant to save ponies on the battlefield, but it was never implemented. Before I died to the Pink Cloud I used it. I created a power source for myself where my consciousness could continue to thrive. All I had to do was tie myself to it forever. Then I transferred my dreambubble from the stream to here. If you cast the other half of the spell after linking yourself to it, you may be able to live in death."
Amelio sighed, relaxing a little despite herself. Still holding Luna against the ground. "Why do you not help the wasteland more?"
"What I have been exposed to here has been beyond my worst nightmares. Not a day goes by that I do not regret the atrocities that have been committed by ponies and zebras alike, the atrocities that led to the wasteland. Because there are no limits in dreams, I imagine the things I have seen here are so much worse than in reality. No Tantabus could ever torture me as much as being close to other ponies in this dreamscape." As far as Luna knew, Celestia was also dead. After all, how would she know of a pony that had transferred her soul to a machine and no longer slept? "After all the damage I have witnessed, I can not bear to see my little ponies once more. I was blinded by war lust and became the very thing the zebras feared I was. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy by all of us."
Amelio recognized the Tantabus spell from the book. It was a way to create a personal nightmare for yourself that would allow your subconscious to grow stronger, or be used as a way to remind yourself of your failings. Amelio knew if Fear could, he would use one to remind himself of the ponies he killed for all of time. "Is there no way I can convince you to help your ponies again? Or to hold night court or... Or something?"
Luna shook her head. "You would never understand the amount of regret in me. The hurdles I would have to overcome to do something like that. The emotions I have felt. You are pure, Amelio."
Amelio frowned, stepping off of Luna and allowing her to get up. "I know I may not be able to understand, but I know somepony who can. And I may be able to introduce you to them. But first I need to learn this spell. I need to prepare myself."
It may not have been guaranteed to work, but Amelio would try her damndest to survive after death. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Setback | Relentless darkness scarred and scored the scene much like the radiation and taint seeped into the ground. A pall of all-consuming emptiness swallowing up good spirits. These shadows would be far more oppressive than anything Fear had ever dealt with in his life, if they weren't so familiar to him. It was the darkness of death and everything that inevitably led up to it. It was in a phrase, entropy of the highest caliber. An uncontrolled beast that knew no limits and devoured all you loved. All positivity was swept out of those in situations like these like a knee to the gut, where all seemed lost, and was replaced with dire, existential dread. Even those who laughed about it were just coping with the heftiness. No one could hear the damned cries of those who had gone before, because they were dead. So who knew what was left on the other side?
Fear and Sim were together, standing around Amelio who laid on her back on the ground. Her eyes occasionally opening to stare up at the cloud cover above her. Fear was weeping already. He could feel Amelio on the cusp. Close to leaving them forever. His breath left him too because of it. Sim was stoic, the only sign on his face that he felt anything being the deep frown and sunken eyes. He'd clearly lost some sleep over his daughter's condition, it was weighing on him heavily. Fear could feel it in the stallion's soul. He was mourning too, just internally.
Amelio gestured for her father to come closer, beckoning with a hoof ever so softly, like the motion wasn't there at all. Sim acquiesced, moving down to muzzle level with his daughter. Amelio whispered. "Closer. I need... To tell you."
Sim looked over to Fear, then nodded and held his ear to Amelio's maw, covering up the side closest to Fear with a hoof.
Fear wanted to listen. So desperately he wished to know what she was saying to her father. He was sure there were supposed to be no secrets between them, yet...
Sim nodded a moment later, pulling up and looking down at his daughter with a heavy-set expression. "I will tell him. For you, for us. And I will teach you."
Fear questioned readily. "Tell me what? Teach her what?" As curious as ever, even when tears slipped down his cheeks.
Sim denied the colt an answer. Instead after a moment an understanding passed between father and daughter. Amelio's dull eyes lit up for a bit, scrolling from side to side as if analyzing something inside her head. Then giving a firm nod of understanding. "It is... Complicated. But I think I can do it on short notice. There is only one opportunity after all."
Fear watched with interest as he cocked his head to the side.
The moment between Sim and Amelio, who both had their eyes closed, went deep. They felt each others' resonance as a spell between the two was cast. One of the mind and soul, not the horn. Amelio could see within her a chain, a crimson wire-frame chain that made up a four dimensional polyhedron. Amelio felt out its texture. How it spun and spiraled, twisting around ceaselessly. Throbbing and beating like a heart. The chains of destiny. The power of destiny. It was complicated and unfathomable, and Amelio knew this was as close an approximation as she'd ever get of the power that was now at her hooftips. Sim guided her along the journey over their forbidden connection. Having experience with her dreams made it easier for Amelio to see this far inside of her being. And right now it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
Amelio and Sim touched their hooves together. Didn't matter the body part really.
Fear's curiosity only heightened. There was a gentle buzz in the air. Something felt like static. "What are you doing?"
Amelio whispered sullenly. "My final act as daughter and... friend. Giving you both a final gift before I leave, possibly forever."
Fear assumed she meant their uncertainty that there was an afterlife. Amelio hadn't told Fear, didn't want to get his hopes up for nothing.
Amelio winced as she delved further in and clipped out a humongous chunk of the infinitely-sided polyhedron. Tearing it away and feeling something very wrong. So very, very terribly wrong. The sense of dread was unbearable. Her face twisted up into one of pure discomfort.
Sim was there for her, reaching in and doing something akin to surgery, fixing what was leftover and making a three dimensional heptahedron. It was a far cry from what used to exist within her soul. It was so small and vulnerable, the color faded. It looked like strings, barely functioning. It hardly moved.
Amelio gasped hard as she transferred the excised fate tissue, made of pure energy, to Sim. The potential was volatile and heated, writhing around and flailing about out of control. Sim's eyes sparkled at the presence of destiny so close to him he could taste it. He licked his lips as he pulled it into him, face twitching as well as he unthreaded the remains of his, so much smaller than Amelio's, and looped the extra slack around delicately, using hivemind memory in order to achieve it. It was only his second time doing fatum sanitatem, so there was a little sloppiness to it, but it'd be good enough. Sim remembered what Fear's looked like before he'd added to it. More like a polygon than a four, or even three dimensional shape. Suitably, Fear's destiny had looked like it was laying in wait to latch onto anything it could.
Sim felt the power of fusion deep within him. A prismatic glow surrounded his entire body as an amethyst hue returned to his hair, mixing with the platinum and looking like he'd simply regressed in age a couple decades, regaining some youthfulness. His cutiemark recovering its color. The mirror becoming a blazing sapphire, the ornate frame gaining a golden luster, the depressed mask becoming a cool violet, and the joyful mask becoming a sunny pale honey yellow.
Amelio on the other hand, went limp as her eyes rolled into the back of her head from exhaustion, panting heavily. Or at least she would if her breathing wasn't so labored. Her cutiemark had gone from pure black to a wishy washy gray, not even shimmering with shafts of light anymore. Her hair having turned silver as if from old age. She made a motion to Fear for him to come hither. Fear complied. "Before I leave... Fear... I just want to tell you..." Amelio took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Squeezing them. "That I love you. And I trust you. No matter... what happens, I believe in you." Fear was holding Amelio's hooves in his as Sim pulled away from Amelio, looking down at his daughter with a cocktail of gratitude and sorrow in his eyes.
Sim's dying torch had been reignited by the passing of his daughter's own flame.
Fear finally broke down completely, burying his face in Amelio's chest, sobbing his heart out once more. "I don't want to lose you Meels! I can't lose another pony! Not... Not like this." Fear's voice had a hint of solemn resignation to it. As if he knew he had to accept it, despite everything demanding he not.
Amelio shook her head. "Shush, Fear." She tried to quiet his crying. "You have to... say goodbye. If only for a little while. If things go right, I will be back." An ominous air followed the comment.
"What do you mean?" Fear choked out, barely holding back tears in that moment.
"You may see, you may not. I make... no guarantees. Now Fear, I must sleep. Promise me you will... treat my body with sanctity and... burn it."
Sim nodded, giving a little grunt. "We will."
Fear grit his teeth, pulling off only to nod as well. "Yes. We will. You have my word. I'll let you go." It took all of Fear's strength, according to the sound of his voice.
Amelio grinned up at her brother. "You have grown a lot in a short time... Fear. I am proud of you. Now, it is time for us to say goodbye. Possibly for... good. Who knows what the future holds? The Seer's Eye... showed you many destinies. Make yours... the greatest you can."
Fear burst out crying once more against Amelio's chest, getting her fur a little soggy with tears and messy with snot.
"You loser. How am I... supposed to sleep with you wailing on me like this?" Amelio's tone was teasing.
Fear laughed in the midst of his crying. "Shut up. I know you can put yourself to sleep," he countered.
Amelio smiled and closed her eyes, horn lighting up. "True enough, little Nightlight. Cast away the darkness for me. Make my last dreams pleasant." Fear was the red star that lit up the dark side of Amelio's moon.
Fear hiccuped and smiled. "Always. In waking or in dreaming, I'll be there."
It took a few moments, but Amelio's body eventually went quiet, her breathing regulating. And soon after it just... Stilled.
Fear cried even harder, clenching his eyes shut, confused about everything that just happened, smearing his face from side to side. Sim shed a few tears too as he grabbed his daughters saddlebags and put them on his back. "My little filly," Sim whispered longingly, regretfully. An aching emptiness filled both stallion's and colt's heart. Loss weighing both of them down and nearly drowning them. Suffocating them.
Finally, Fear spoke. "Why didn't the pendant warn me this was an outcome?"
Storm's voice was silent.
Sim spoke up instead. "It probably didn't see it as necessary."
Fear glared at Sim as if to demand: not necessary!? But instead he shook his head from side to side violently and cried harder, his eyes screwed shut. "What did I do wrong?" There's no one left to stop me if I go rogue and try to control everything. Well, maybe Sim.
Storm's voice echoed in his head. Your friend will always be with you in your heart.
Sim moved over to caress his son, wandering around Amelio's body to do it. Not wanting to desecrate her by walking over. "You did nothing wrong." His voice was comforting and fatherly. So confident. "Life is just unfair sometimes. I have all sorts of stories about life being unfair. All you can do is gather the pieces and try to move on."
Fear lashed out, yanking away from Sim and shoving him away as much as his short legs would enable. "Life shouldn't have to be unfair! Life isn't unfair. Ponies make it unfair. I don't... Don't know where to begin." I wish I could see the future. Something definite right now of all times. Fear was angry at the stable for making him give up the pendant. But he knew Amelio would tell him he did the the right thing.
You did the right thing, my little Nightlight. Of course Mom would say that too.
Sim tried to give Fear a little time, just looking at his son sadly.
Fear continued. "Ameliorate's dreams will never live. Is this punishment? Was she roped into my sins? Is it my fault? Did I cause whatever killed her?"
Sim shook his head, cooing to Fear. "It was nothing you did. This isn't punishment. Trust me, I've been around awhile. Karma doesn't truly exist. Ponies are given chances for redemption all the time and sometimes they just run out of time. Sometimes life is unfair. I know it hurts, son. It's all about choice."
Fear was at a loss for words for a moment, his crying ceasing like a snap of the fingers. "S-son?" Two emotions flashed through him. First: shock. Next: anger. Fear got up off his haunches and pointed a hoof threateningly at Sim. He didn't know what to say, just pointing maliciously, his leg trembling as it hung in the air. Based on how Fear was shaking, it was clear he wanted to hit something. The feelings were crystal clear all over his strained face. With his clenched jaw and gnashing teeth. Fear looked off to the side, screwing his eyes shut again, more tears cascading down his cheeks. He was about to ask Sim why he left, but then it all came flooding in. All the answers filled him up. Sim was lacking a destiny. Why was he lacking a destiny? Fear slumped forward, feeling as if he'd been struck in the gut. He took a few wavering steps back, throwing his head from side to side in disbelief. His jaw drooped, his eyes bulged out. He was winded, he couldn't breathe. He looked up at Sim. All... all the answers just... lying there. "Why... why did you give me your destiny?"
Sim gazed at Fear pityingly. "You were born without one, Fear. You had what ponies would see as a genetic defect."
That still didn't make any sense. "Why did giving it up mean you had to leave?" Fear knew the answer, but he didn't want to admit it. Destinies were very personal things. He knew that intuitively.
Sim turned his head to the side, looking away. "I'm ashamed to admit the reason for that."
Fear sounded uncomprehending, but he understood it all at once. "I'm... I'm the reason Amelio grew up without a mother." Why didn't they tell him sooner? Obviously his mother couldn't tell him, she never told him anything new. It wasn't actually her, even if sometimes it felt like her. Either way? Probably for the best. "Did Amelio know?"
"Amelio learned of it while we were in Stable 47. She said she still loved you, and I asked her to keep it secret. I didn't want you knowing Fear."
Fear trembled furiously. Squeezing his eyes shut again and breathing hard, his chest heaving as he stood there, knees buckling. He reached a hoof up to try and grab at what felt like a pierced heart.
Sim proceeded. "You aren't the reason Amelio grew up without a mother, Fear. It was both Storm's choice and mine."
"W-why...?"
"We both knew that over time, because you had something I could never have again, opportunities I'd never find... and because I would one day die, that I would grow resentful of you. Eventually. Whether I liked it or not. I would not be able to stop those emotions. And one day I might've done something I'd regret with sound mind. It's why I've not been as warm toward you as I am toward Amelio, and why I kept my distance. Why I didn't originally want you to come with us, even though I'm glad in hindsight you did." Sim's lips pursed. "I'm so, so sorry Fear. I never wanted to hurt you. I thought the best way I could save you was by you never knowing me at all. So I asked Storm to stay silent about me. Storm, wanting me to have a pony to love and take care of, told me to bring Amelio with me."
Fear collapsed onto his belly.
"I'm sorry for leaving you both. I understand if you blame me and don't want to see me, but you're all I have left, and now that I can protect you and teach you what I want to, I want to be better." Sim hesitated. "If you'll give me the chance."
Fear was silent for a long time, hiccuping and sniffling. Still unleashing tears and snot everywhere, his snout plugged up. He could tell Sim was sincere, how ashamed and apologetic he was. Fear laid on his stomach with legs splayed out away from him diagonally. "Amelio... Amelio forgave me. She loved you. It would be wrong of me not to forgive you too. We've both done things we regret, and I don't want to be alone anymore."
Sim grinned a little despite himself, albeit sadly with eyebrows leaning outward. "Then the next leap will be the leap home."
Fear felt a renewed pang of anger at himself for not being able to protect Amelio. All while remembering what his mother told him about his time in her womb. What he was like. How he was always happy and emotive, showing her more love than she could handle. And what he was like when he was born. How he did not cry. "Is that why I didn't cry? My... genetic defect?"
"Yes. You hardly had any individuality of your own. You were born to find a hive, or somepony strong enough to serve. Changelings usually have their own destiny and individuality, but sometimes they are inherently tied to their hive."
Fear thought about it, remembering Amelio saying that only zebras were familiar with destiny and soul magic. He sniffed a little, needing to blow his nose. "Amelio said... only zebras were familiar with destiny and soul magic."
Sim shook his head. "Changelings have learned all sorts of things from others, just because zebra are familiar with it doesn't mean others don't know about it. Really, changelings are as tied to destiny as ponies, just differently.
Fear began sobbing again, realizing new things about himself. Why he was the way he was. Why he'd shut down so much as a foal due to sensory overload; become silent. It was because he was developing an identity of his own, and until then he'd been inundated with every creature and the world itself. That's why Amelio wasn't the same as him, because of his defect.
Sim tried again, moving over to Fear to hold him, comfort him, and let him sob into his coat as he took out his spark lighter in order to burn Amelio's body.
The resulting pyre lit up that little bit of the wasteland, crackling and popping as flesh and bone sizzled.
DJ-P0N3 had been on the entire time, and the next song broadcast on the radio was bittersweet, and oddly fitting for the moment. Fear had heard it before more than a few times.
The light of the fire continued for a long, long time. Almost unnaturally extended. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Changeling Comforts | The atmosphere was brown and stagnant as ever, cool to the touch and not so bad. Still and musty however, with a lot of motes of dust hanging in the air. Especially where Fear and Sim were, under mounds of broken, collapsed stalwart gray highway. Clumps and chunks fallen all around, piled up over each other as if they just couldn't stand the test of time, or maybe they had been around during one of the bombs? It was uncertain, but whatever it was, it had been the perfect home, deep down inside, buried under loads of crumbling concrete and jutting rebar, in a little alcove in the packed, desiccated soil, was a special occurrence not found in many parts of the wasteland. A changeling slime bath.
It was thick and viscous, sticking to itself and becoming slippery with anything else it touched. Flowing along and draining into one large pool. It was bioluminescent and lit up the huddled room of infrastructure in a gentle green glow, like a soupy green sun. With pale olive greens and deep lime greens here and there, most of it oversaturated. The slime thickened in certain places, and thinned in others, roiling around and occasionally glorping when movement disturbed the surface. It was more like a marsh than anything else, but oh so cozy. Like a mud bath, molding against carapace and easing into every pore, nook, and cranny like an invasive tentacle massage, cloy and goopy. It was warm to the touch, nearly hot, as if it absorbed the heat around it and became a sauna of sorts. It felt oily against Fear's and Sim's body, and hardly stuck at all, drooling everywhere, never quite detaching from itself. The light it emitted was a gentle thrumming glow that reminded Fear of something primal and intimate, something all at once familiar and alien to him. Something he'd never experienced but was wholly attuned to. Not only that, but it reminded the colt of something important about his empathy, something he couldn't quite put his hoof on. It gently eased his mind and brought him back to simpler times, seeming to speak to him, whispering to him about better days. It congealed around the colt and stallion, having some suction to it.
"So yes, you will always have a subconscious need to serve, combatting with a deep, heartfelt desire to be on top of everything. A weird contradiction. You'll have to decide how you want to live your life given those conflicting emotions. It's because of your genetic defect and artificial destiny. You haven't found balance yet, nor may you ever; you may always be battling with both those needs and may never find peace. But I'm sure even in chaos there can be a level of contentment." Sim's voice was calm, on the edge of a sigh as he relaxed in the cozy pool.
Fear's eyes revolved around in their sockets, tapping his forehooves on the rim of the pool, the gunk up to his neck. He was uncertain but it explained a lot. He spoke willingly, though it was unclear if it was to Sim or to his plushie that sat in the corner along with the pair's saddlebags, Sim's slumped over Fear's protectively. "Hmm... I suppose that explains my desire to prove myself. I'm always looking for the next big thing to show that I'm the best. Always thought it was the... uhh..." He recalled the word he'd learned from his novel. "Oh right, trauma. That."
Sim shrugged. "I mean maybe. It could be a combination of all sorts of things, since the more reasons we have to do something, the stronger the behavior is."
"This bath is really... clumpy. And, like, it gets everywhere. Maybe too much everywhere. I can feel it soaking into my fur and flesh, pulling out all the bad stuff. You know? I can feel it reaching into my mind? Just sort of kneading at it. Tickling something deep inside of me. It's so smooth."
Sim could tell Fear was mostly talking to his mother. After all... "You've been talking to your mother more." Besides, Sim already understood how it felt, and Fear wasn't the type of pony to broadcast everything he felt.
Fear's eyes narrowed and glanced to the side at his father. "Mh. Maybe. But at least I've been using the radio less." He sounded somewhat hurt, as if offended that he'd been caught on something that was beyond his control, something that he was addicted to. And the radio was indeed off! No chill jazz tunes oozed out of his radio, neither did they escape the speakers of Sim's pipbuck.
Sim caught on and nodded softly. "Yeah, and I'm proud of you. You've been doing really well. I'm proud of you for fighting your gut reactions and weaning yourself off of it."
A faint smile crossed Fear's face as he leaned back. "Mh, yeah, it's been super difficult!"
Sim just grinned back and rested his eyes shut.
Silence in its purest form reigned for what felt like a long time. It was hard to tell how much passed without looking at Sim's pipbuck. The only thing that accompanied them was the pulsating glow coming from the slime bath.
"How are these baths created anyway? You never explained it to me."
Sim chuckled bitonally. "Hmm... well you never asked Fear - didn't know you were curious."
Fear laughed, shaking his head wildly. "Hush, of course I was curious! It just never occurred to me is all." His voice trailed off at the end.
Sim's muzzle scrunched up as he snickered, relaxing again and sighing out his stress and tension. He thought about Amelio for a moment, harkening back to her and the times he'd spent with her. He agreed with himself that he felt bad about it, and tried to think about how good it had been instead. Then he came back to reality. "Well, Fear, spores from a bioluminescent fungus called muco involuta collect in warm, humid, dark environments full of nutrient-rich rocks and dust." There were indeed a lot of rocks around them, looking moist as if covered in a slight dampness. They looked almost too clean. "It overtakes the location and, while creating an oxygen-rich atmosphere, it eventually uses up all the nutrients in an area. Then it expels more spores that eventually float off to other areas or attach to other creatures and lie dormant until the conditions are just right, and as the original fungus dies off and decomposes, it creates large volumes of a nutritious slime. It can only survive in proper conditions. For instance, sunlight burns it so fast it's like it's being devoured, and cold air freezes it swiftly, making it wither and break apart."
Fear was sort of keeping up, there were a lot of big words that he barely understood, only by context could he catch on. It also explained why Sim knew what to look for and what to expect. "So why's it feel so..." Fear's voice stuttered, building up into a crescendo of relief. "Good?"
"Shh, relax, I'm getting there." He peeled open an eye to stare at Fear before continuing. "The reason changelings are so tuned into the slime is due to the fact we are originally born from a carnivorous plant tainted by magic water. It's theorized to have been radioactive. And the special fungus mutated from a cancer-ridden herb, likely due to radiation or magical interference as well, so the two have a lot in common. It reminds many changelings of being back in their egg. You? You weren't born from an egg exactly so you didn't get to experience that. But it still twists that part of you, the part of you that instinctively knows what it's like. It's like being back in the womb for you."
The colt understood the gist of it, but it was still a little to complicated for him. "Is this like the slime that changelings expel from their teeth?"
Sim grinned a little brighter. "Nah. That's different. That's more of a resin that hardens once its been exposed to oxygen for a long period of time. Changelings have a special gland in their teeth that generates a substance which, when mixed with transformative magic, becomes a unique gel. So much comes from such a small place because the magic amplifies and multiplies it, allowing for shape manipulation.
Fear thought on that, his eyes narrowing and staring at the ceiling as he rested, feeling the stiffness leave his muscles the longer he spent in the bath. He spoke in a low, muttering voice. "It's too bad Ame isn't here to experience this with us... I miss her. The way she talked and her peaceful personality..."
Sim could easily see where this was going and tried to head the train off at the turn. Distracting Fear, he spoke up. "Hey, Fear? You wanna learn how to craft a mini hive mind? So you can store memories and connect with others like us?" Sim supplemented the questions by gliding along the side of the tub and sidling up next to Fear, draping a foreleg over his shoulders and pulling the colt in.
Fear twitched, broken from his reverie. "Uh, yeah, sure, why not?" His voice was a little stuttery.
Sim faltered for a moment, trying to put into words such a magical occurrence while Fear listened on intently. Fortunately for the stallion, Sim was good at conveying things into language. Came with the territory of being an artist. And having a teacher like his mother, even if she had taught him more by feeling. "Well, essentially you have to generate an illusion inside your own mind and... sort of... pull it out of yourself. Link yourself by a thin thread and leave it in the air around you. When you get it right it'll feel like you've expanded the size of your own brain. That's the best way I can describe it. And others will be able to feel its presence if you allow them to, and then, if you allow them to again, connect to it. To allow someling to connect to it you must match the vibration of your mind with theirs. Easier than it sounds."
Fear had his eyes screwed shut as he attempted what seemed like the impossible, shaking his head a little in disbelief as he went at it for minutes on end, trying to generate the illusion and then just... Yank it out? As if he was trying to expand it around himself. Eventually, after what felt like too long, he got a small burst of something. Fear's eyes popped open and he yipped. "Yeah! I did it!" The exclamation was full of determination as he lifted a forehoof and threw it into the air. Fear could tell it was small, but it felt like a bubble! "But how do I make the bubble stronger? It feels like it could snap at any second, and can't hold anything!"
Sim pat his son on the back, giving him a round of clopping applause a moment later. "Good job. And it's like turning something into industrial strength. You use transformation magic in a more... mental way, and build more tentative illusion as a sort of... liminal space. And with experience you'll become better at it. As long as you don't go too fast you can make it bigger over time. Hive memory is faulty, which is why there are often changelings whose job it is to keep memories fresh, though it will always be a patchwork job if it isn't sustained regularly." Sim paused, letting Fear splish splash around, riding the high of his victory. "Do you want to learn how to plant suggestions in a creature's head now? Remember, you have to practice this on your own time. And with willing participants."
The colt was beyond happy, forgetting his troubles for just a moment as his tail wagged furiously beneath him. He then nodded emphatically. "Yes, I'd love to!"
"Remember, only use it when there is no other way, or you really have to calm a pony down or get them to do what you want. Only in important circumstances. Also you can cause a mind to revolt against itself if you're not careful, and then the pony may fly into a berserk rage for a time until they come to terms with it or realize they're being influenced."
Fear considered those weighty words. Well, he didn't want Sim to be disappointed in him, and he didn't want anypony else to be either, in life or death. Though does it really matter if they're disappointed in me in death? It's not like they can say anything. The hackles on Fear's back rose up on end a moment later when he felt a familiar presence, a recognizable soul signature. He looked around the room, startled and baffled.
"What's wrong?"
"Just thought I... felt Mom." Fear's voice was far away. Sim's eyes widened and he leaned back a bit, jaw dipping open. "But yeah, anyway, shoot."
Sim shook his head clear. "Basically, you gather up transformation magic and sheer willpower into your brain. You mold it into something they might think for themselves, or imbue it with an emotion of docility, with a believable reason they should feel that way. Then you pump that amalgamation into your eyes. It'll cause an imperceptible green flash to overtake your eyes as the changeling part of you converts it into a spell."
Fear bobbed his head up and down gently, before looking into Sim's eyes and trying it. It took a minute but he got... something. His eyes flashed green for a moment like Sim had said, an attempt to make him laugh.
Sim just grinned and told him to keep trying, nudging him in the shoulder with a hoof. "You're getting there. I almost felt it. You were a little too obvious though." Sim paused and explained more. "Trying to force a suggestion too hard can break a creature's mind if the magic used in it is more powerful than what they have in their entire body. Many creatures are more prone to being swayed a certain way depending on how emotionally volatile they are. All you have to do is guide them around in a circle until they get to where you need them."
Fear stared into the rippling pool of slime, keeping that in mind. "Thanks, Dad." He pressed a hoof against his chin as he lingered in thought. He recalled feeling his mother's presence. I always wanted to hear stories about her. "What was Mom like?"
Sim leaned his head from one side to the other in contemplation, eyes rolling this way and that. "Storm wasn't perfect. She had problems getting close as I'm sure you know." He glanced down to his son as he said that. Then he looked up again, still holding his son close. "It translated into extreme privacy and discomfort when opening up to most ponies. She named you Fearei Shatter because she believed in you to be better than her, and capable of doing what made you uncomfortable or scared."
Fear's bottom lip pushed out in a bit of a pout, feeling a little guilt at not being better. He squeezed his eyes shut and discarded it for now, trying to distract himself. "You have family, right?"
"Yeah, a mother and father. Near Dryfield, Neighvada. They live on a farm on the outskirts of the village, which is made up of an old roadside motel and ancient trailers. They grow sunflowers and mutated pumpkins. The sunflowers are used as food and components for homemade radaway, since sunflowers, once genetically engineered, can more effectively sap away radiation than any other plant. As for my parents: Pumpkin Pep, known as Jack, has a green hoof and knows how to get certain crops to grow even in irradiated areas."
Fear interrupted in his surprise. "What? Does he like, modify the components or something?"
Sim pulled his lips back into a smile. "Something like that. His voice is encouraging. Everything he does, stimulates something in them to be the best they can be. Even if that means mutating in order to survive. Emulae, my mother, loved him for that, for being able to change others simply by being himself. She also loved him for his love of others, capable of doting over the most dangerous or insignificant creatures. He was everything she loved about ponykind's best traits. And she was once a confidant for Queen Viola herself. More durable than any creature I've ever met. Able to endure any problem with a giant smile on her face. Her shell was made of titanium, figuratively speaking."
Fear considered that for a time, before returning to the topic he was most interested about. "You and Mom had dealings with the Steel Rangers before right? In Chicoltgo?"
Sim nodded once. "Yes. When your mother and I were young, we were battle-hardened, naive go-getters just looking to make the wasteland a better place or die trying. We knew the risks and we wanted to prove ourselves capable. We were young and foolish. Shooting first and asking questions later. We were excited about leaving our mark on the wastes. We were both full of guts, but I was reckless while your mother was the voice of reason between us. But even so we were charged with enthusiasm. Either way, I was always looking to get into the arts wherever we went, performing for caps, while Storm was often running cons taught to her by her father." Sim readjusted himself a little, getting comfortable.
"Eventually we reached some settlements surrounding Chicoltgo and learned of some sinister going-ons in the area. We learned that ponies were being used as slaves to help mine helium and find junk to repair some downed airships in the area that a detachment of interested Steel Rangers found. The rangers intended to put them back into commission to help fight the Enclave and anypony else who stood against them. This particular detachment was not at all against using slaves, and were particularly cruel to those not of their brotherhood." Sim shook his head solemnly. "There were also changeling outcasts in the area who just wanted to live in peace, and they got caught up in the trouble as well. They would have been executed if the steel rangers learned about their true nature, or pushed far more brutally than something that was 'natural' like their equine friends."
Sim continued after clearing his throat. "Your mother and I fought valiantly in order to free slaves and make the areas safer so they could go back to the way things used to be before the Steel Rangers came. But then the inevitable happened. They found out where we were hiding and they ambushed us. Most of us got away, but your mother and a couple others were captured. I only know her part of the story because she told me later. Storm explained to me that she was brought to their main bunker so she could be interrogated before being executed for continued crimes against the rangers. Without trial if you'd even believe it. They all knew the kinds of things she'd done. According to her it was written all over her normally stoic face." Sim laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "They took her pipbuck off of her, a specially designed pipbuck made for overmares, and ended up putting it through the grinder. They tried to extract whatever data they could from it, knowing she was from a stable. They'd hoped to find out the locations of other stables, and everything Storm had collected on it. Unfortunately for them and fortunately for us, one thing Storm had on her pip was a rather heinous virus that seeped into their systems and put everything on the fritz. It even got so bad it started wiggling its way into their power armor, shutting down most of them and giving everypony there a time in Tartarus. And only Storm knew how to eliminate the virus." Sim had a giant smile on his face at the memory.
"That's where your Dad comes in. You see, I'd been busy ever since her kidnapping trying to get a bunch of changelings together, though they weren't quite as skilled as me, in order to risk a break in. I didn't know what to expect, or what to do, but I promised them I would take the lead, and if something did happen to me they were supposed to retreat immediately. But I assured them that wasn't going to happen. With a brave speech and everything. We made our way to the bunker as chaos was being let loose. We had a simple time getting in and slaying those that didn't surrender to us. I found Storm in their interrogation room just smiling like an angel. I had never seen such a grin of superiority on her face before then, and it was the sexiest thing I could ever imagine. In the end, we accomplished setting those slaves free. We stayed behind to teach them everything we knew, to both ponies and changelings. It took awhile of hard work, but we achieved it."
Fear was sleeping soundly, having dozed off some point during the story. Just relaxing in the bath that reminded him of safety and family somehow, and enjoying Sim's calming voice.
Sim noticed and sighed. "Mmh, good night Fear. I'll wake you soon," Sim whispered, giving his son a kiss on the head. Then he began singing a song to his son that he'd been working on for the longest time. Every time he'd thought of that little colt, he'd put that energy toward expressing his heartfelt feelings. Not the ones tainted with jealousy and loss, but the ones built on a foundation of love and compassion.
Fear's dreams were simple and clean, dreaming of no more than his father protecting him from his sins against Equestria.
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Amelio had been dragging on the power of Luna's ritual for quite some time now, slowly recuperating her strength. She felt weak and faint. Barely able to hang on. Her consciousness was all that was left of her, and it was slacking. There was so much she was missing. So much of her destiny, so much of her mind. She could barely feel herself at all as she sat on her haunches in the middle of a white abyss focusing on the latent power converging around her. Shining bright on her like the sun on a plant. It was calming and peaceful. Energizing and invigorating. She couldn't get enough. Kind of like when you've just woken from sleep and you can't get enough of your cozy bed, or can't get enough of being asleep. Amelio was in that state, so hard to leave, so hard to do anything. She knew something was gradually sucking at her soul, at her very being. Trying to siphon away everything that made her, her. But she resisted against it, yanked herself back from the brink. Back from nothingness. From non-existence. She still had to see her brother again.
In her mind's eye she could see it, a diamond-like black hole in the center of everything, projecting out black light that took the shape of a giant lovecraftian catfish with terribly long and thick tendril whiskers that whipped and flailed, reaching out to grip any and everything. Its frog-like legs jutting out the bottom tipped with talons that struck the ground and buried deep into it. Claws that could lacerate her apart and scissor her into pieces of her former self. She could feel it coming after her. Could feel it opening its great big maw, those thick and plump lips gaping as a vacuous pressure formed, trying to suck her into its great big gullet. Into the black hole. It was the vast nothingness trying to swallow her whole, leave her as nothing. Her destiny, that three dimensional heptahedron wobbling and barely remaining stable. It was shuddering as wind passed over it, threatening to fall apart into links.
Amelio stood her ground, digging her hooves into the white floor and pushing herself back, trying to get away. It seemed like only a matter of time and eventually it would come for her, it would just suck her into its void. But Amelio was defiant, putting everything she had into struggling even as she healed herself and recharged. Amelio let out grunts and huffs as the creature closed its mouth and lashed out at her, a tentacle whipping around and striking her in the side, rattling her bones and making them crack under the pressure as she was hurtled off her hooves and multiple feet into the air, skidding across the ground and tumbling to a halt.
Gasping for air, Amelio tried to get back up, her body refusing to move. Everything was pain. She was so close. She refused to be pulled in, even as it started sucking on her once more. When it realized she wasn't budging, her will was assaulted all over again. But Amelio was ready. She pushed herself up and jumped over the tentacle, falling back to the ground in a heap, then rolling off to the side swiftly as another tentacle came ramming down onto where she had just been. Amelio let out a sigh of relief, but wasn't done yet. Every piece of her ached like it was sprained, she couldn't take much more. But she needed to do something. Amelio readied herself on swaying legs for the next strike, transforming her foreleg into a sharpened khopesh blade. She jumped up, twirled around, and slashed through it. The tentacle turning into misty darkness as the creature roared and howled with agony. Amelio crashed into the ground again, nearly skewering herself on her own leg. She got up as quick as possible, feeling a dose of strength return to her the more she fought. She wouldn't... give up. She ground her teeth together, a look of pure disobedience crossing her face, anger in every muscle, eyebrows leaning inward ferociously.
Amelio felt the next tentacle come, and the next. They slammed at her. Amelio jumped into the air, using telekinesis to push her body this way and that in order to spin around, becoming a slicing dicing machine of fury, her legs turned into blades, chopping through tendril after tendril of the ghastly creature. Eviscerating and severing limbs. All turning into smoke and ash that fell to the ground and dissipated into the air. Amelio felt some of her strength return, even as her destiny construct threatened to crash around her from how unstable it was, and she charged at the creature like she was on bladed stilts, using her momentum to carry her forward. As the creature reeled in pain Amelio lunged her body at the creature, pulling back her right foreleg and slamming it down into the creature's upper lip, giving it a new piercing, perforating a hole right through to the bottom, skewering it all the way through and into the ground. Amelio grunted as she put all her effort into breaking off that mutated dream part of her, and reformed her throbbing, hurting leg, climbing up onto the creature and swiping her legs through the fins, slicing them clean off. Then throwing herself at the black hole crystal creating the construct, rearing back her left foreleg, and punching it straight into the diamond.
Only it did nothing. Just shimmered.
Amelio fell down onto the writhing creature below her hard, and rolled off to the side, too tired to do anything else. But at least for now... she'd be safe from vanishing utterly. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Mare of the Hour | Life felt like a curtain of white noise for Fear right now; blanketing him like a few feet of snow, smothering him in sorrow and depression; unable to feel much of anything, except that lingering sadness that pierced him to the core. It was like this now and then, but right now it was the worst of all. A gentle thrumming of numbness and solemnity that had no comparison. It left Fear's eyes drooping, nearly trapping them closed, and his jaw unable to move. He laid in an odd contortion on a bed, the bed belonging to a friend of his father's, covered in ancient, thinning, dirty mauve and scarlet sheets with unusual designs splattered across them. One of Fear's hooves dangled off the side and his head rested on a flattened pillow, his head pointed forward; neck twisted to the right; an unnatural angle most would consider painful. With a glassy stare Fear couldn't bring himself to do anything. He was glad they were stopping in Hour Town on the way to Neighvada for a couple days, because Fear wasn't sure he was capable of much.
A gentle sigh that became a tumultuous roar by the end escaped Fear's lips.
Fear couldn't move.
Fear couldn't sleep.
Fear couldn't stand to be awake.
The colt had been thoughtless off and on during his depressive state, occasionally groaning as if in his death throes, before contemplating his guilt over his sister's death and those he had killed once more. It weighed on his consciousness like an anvil, burying him six feet under, making him wish he were dead. He felt strongly, and he cared deeply, and with that self back to the forefront he was, at the same time, not himself at all. He couldn't feel bouncy and excited in this oppressive, miasmic mood. And then the tsunami of thoughts started once more.
How could you get any worse, Fear?
I don't know, kill the whole town? Fuck it. Be glad I'm not worse, stop judging me.
You don't deserve to use that excuse, just because the wasteland's hard doesn't give you a reason to be sour and mope in bed all the time.
Fear screwed his eyes shut, quivering in the bed. He knew it was damaging to think this way, but he couldn't help it.
Try going out and meeting ponies, be part of their life.
Fear let out a snort, his nostrils flaring, eyes peeling open, ruby irises glowing like starlight.
But I don't want to, what if they find out and don't want anything to do with me? Fear curled up in a ball on the bed, shivering as if a chill was penetrating down to his bone marrow. I can't take that rejection.
Fear peered out of one eye when he heard his mother's voice. You're just young and inexperienced. Rejection isn't that hard my little Nightlight.
The colt huffed as he held the conversation with what felt like three parts of him, one of which didn't feel like him at all. Says you, I don't want to experience anymore pain.
Fervor came back at him, as if bouncing off the ropes of a wrestling ring and swinging at him violently. Well you have to, you're not going to get anywhere by being in bed all the time, have some fucking courage. Embrace the pain, enjoy it, because when things finally get better, and they will... when you finally get to breathe, you're going to be happier than you ever have before.
The optimism in those statements was garish and scathing. It felt like a blinding light searing away a vampire's flesh. But I'm not happy, I can't be happy. I lost my happiness many times over.
Fear's inner voice wasn't dead. Then pull it back from the abyss, pull it back from Tartarus, pull EVERYTHING and the wasteland ITSELF out of Tartarus. Just get on your hooves and MOVE, Fear. The colt was starting to think his inner voice was immortal.
Fine. If it'll make you shut the fuck up I'll MOVE.
Fear ground his teeth together and slid out of bed like a slug, hitting the floor in a heap and moaning like a zombie. He dragged a hoof along the floorboards before eventually finding the power in his muscles to stand. His countenance was wobbly and exhausted, as if he hadn't slept in days, but he was up and moving.
Blurring across Fear, melting into sludge, was the abode a friend of Sim's had lent to them for their short stay. With his depression things mixed together and lost all detail and defining features. It was difficult to pay attention while in this soggy mire. Fear eventually left the home, his jaw hinging open and intaking a huge lungful of air until his knees quaked under him, as if he'd just awoken from a coma. Fear smacked his lips and stepped out into the gray and brown wasteland. He looked right, then left. Across from him was a row of houses and other buildings, behind him was the same. It was just one long strip of road with many structures spanning the sides. With a sign on the outskirts that said 'WELCOME TO OUR TOWN.' Which was super weird in Fear's opinion, because who named a town that? It had to be 'hour.' The 'H' must've just been rubbed off to time, after all, most of the other letters could barely be made out. Fear wouldn't let the logic of there not being room for an 'H' detract him.
That stubbornness felt good on his soul. He wanted to believe fleeting, meaningless details. It helped him feel like he had a grip on the world, like what he thought mattered.
Then the background sound of somepony shouting became clear to him. He looked down the road, his jaw hanging open at the sight of somepony preaching.
The mare looked to be some kind of hobo priestess... or something. It caused Fear to cock his head to the side. She was so dusty and dirty, as if she hadn't had a bath in a long time. Maybe it didn't appeal to her? Maybe she didn't have time or opportunity? Maybe she didn't care? Fear took in her visage more. She was an earth pony, interestingly enough. Fear had discarded his unicorn supremacy awhile ago, but there would always be hints of it, those little temptations whispering to him that he was the best solely because he was a unicorn. Fear put himself back on track and examined her more, analyzing her salmon pink mane, the numerous silver streaks arcing through it, how it was wavy with the bangs braided and tied around her head like a laurel, a half-up braid crown, her tail braided as well. It caught Fear by surprise, that such mane styles could still exist. She'd look gorgeous if she just bathed, especially with that intense sky blue coat of fur that could probably use a trim. Fear looked a little closer, noting her cutiemark, an object he didn't recognize, but was a white piledriver. What he did recognize was the symbol of the two sisters seemingly etched into it. Laying right behind her, under one of her rear hooves, was an interesting... object, that Fear didn't understand either. It had three limbs, and at the base, in the middle, was a ring that a hoof could fit through, but it also had marks where the teeth rested. On two of the sides were a pair of short pegasus wings that looked rather high tech, and on the top what looked like a unicorn horn (as long as a rifle's barrel) with an eddie etched into it where, obviously, power surged through. He slowly made his way toward her, her speech becoming more audible by the second as he was yanked out from his reverie.
"Friendship is beautiful! It leads to harmony! And with harmony of the soul comes healing! With friendship we have stability! We all need to band together to make the wasteland a better place! The future is all we have!"
Fear seemed a little put off by Mcshoutsalot in the distance, but was nonetheless intrigued by what she had to say. It wasn't often he heard such optimistic blather spouted from somepony else. Even his father was rather reserved about it.
A pony that didn't quite stand out to Fear, which he would eventually chastise himself for not trying to remember, approached Fear, staring at him, then the mare he was watching. "Are you new here or just young?"
Fear didn't look at the pony, just staring at the strange mare who kept shouting things. "Mh. A little of both." His voice sounded dazed, after all he'd only recently pulled himself out of the murky muck of himself.
"Huh, well that's Faithdriver. She's a preacher. She comes by every few months to speak to us. Very loud and a little obnoxious in public, but in all honesty...? In private she's the sweetest pony you ever met."
Fear glanced to the pony, who was various shades of muted red and brown, then back to this... Faithdriver. Newfound interest summoned to his eyes. He ignored the pony and started trotting up to the preacher with his head tilted to the side. She was saying something about the two sisters and then...
"The Unity doesn't understand! The path to alicorn-hood is not a physical journey, but a spiritual one! It is when we accept our brothers and sisters for who they are that we find harmony, and all three will become one. It is when we put aside our differences and unite that we find the alicorn inside all of us!"
Fear snorted at that, not believing a word of that superstitious mumbojumbo. Still, it sounded very pleasant on the ears, and on his soul. How could he reject it fully?
Faithdriver then noticed she was being watched. She went silent and turned to face the colt. There was a flaming determination in her ocean blue eyes the likes of which he'd never seen. It was as if the fear of Tartarus itself had been driven into her and only given her strength, the brilliance of the sun itself being mined out of the challenges she'd faced. She almost looked like she might blow up at him, like such energy was contained within her that she was a ticking time bomb, but Fear didn't back down. "Hello little colt, what's your name?" Her voice was gentle compared to what she'd sounded like before, as if she were trying to usher in armageddon at first.
"Uh..." Fear was at a loss for words, his eyes dilated past their maximum as he stared at her slack-jawed. Shaking his head a moment later, he cleared his mind and spoke. "Fearei Shatter, miss... Faithdriver?"
"Faith is fine, sweetie. So you heard me preaching huh, Fearei?" Her voice was soft yet powerful, resonating with everything that made Fear who he was. It clawed at his soul and dragged it to the surface, pushing back the haze that was hanging over his mind, exposing him for who he was. It was violating and comforting all at once.
"Fear is, uh, good." He rubbed the back of his head with a hoof, gently caressing his mane. "But yeah, I did. You have a really, uh, powerful voice. I can tell you believe what you're talking about." In his addled state it was a little difficult to come up with a compliment, but he felt like it was right to try.
"Of course I believe! I have many stories, some I've memorized from the good book, and others are my own personal experiences."
The two were quiet for a moment. Faith was kind enough to give Fear time to think, able to tell he was having a difficult time. "Stories huh? Anything inspirational?" The colt found himself more desperate than he'd thought for something incredible, ravenous for the material.
"That depends Fear, what inspires you?" Faith gave him a gentle smile that shimmered in her dynamic eyes.
Fear looked off to the side, his tail whipping to the other, narrowing his eyes. "Well... I've been having a hard time with regrets lately. It's paralyzing, bringing me to a standstill. I can't get out of my... mire."
"So stories of redemption then? I have just the thing."
Fear's attention snapped to Faith at that, feeling numb all of a sudden, but a much different kind of numb. This one was just dumb and dazed than heavy and hazy.
Faith cleared her throat for a moment, and then began what she was... maybe best at? Preaching. "Long ago before the war started there was an impoverished potter, somepony who makes pots, named Golden Link. A mare by the name of Raven Inkwell was busy searching high and low for somepony who could make a special pot for her leader." Faith had a slight smirk on her face. "She eventually came to Link and asked him for his best work. A few days later he produced his results, and wouldn't you know it? It was completely horrible. The most ugly thing you ever did see. Raven couldn't bring herself to look at it, it was such an insult to the senses. She told Link just as much, talking about how she'd never pay for such shoddy craftsmanship."
"Link, with a knowing smile on his face, asked Raven if she might be willing to give him one more chance. Raven, not having much faith in ponies who failed once, was very reluctant to give him a chance. After all he'd just proved himself to be a terrible potter, how could he possibly ever improve? But against what she thought at the time was the right choice, she agreed. One more chance and she'd be back in a week, giving him a little more time to work."
"Well, when Raven came back the next week the most extraordinary sculpted pot was there waiting for her. It was gorgeous, the most beautiful thing she ever laid eyes on. The sheer beauty of it was enough to make her break down into tears. She never believed it was possible that this potter, somepony who had failed to prove himself the first time, could take the raw material and recraft it into something almost supernatural. Raven took the pot, spreading word of the potter's skills and paid him handsomely."
Fear was a little uncertain. It was okay, but he could tell she wasn't done.
"Later, a horrible accident occurred and that once extravagant pot was shattered into many pieces. Raven decided to go get a new one, but was asked by Link to bring her the old. Not knowing what could possibly be done about it, she agreed. After all, he'd proven himself once before. Maybe he just wanted to see his work one final time before it was thrown away? Either way, she humored him. Confusing her, Link told her to come back in a few days, he was going to work around the clock in order to restore it to its former glory. Raven, not knowing what to think, agreed yet again. And when she came back... a miracle was waiting for her. The pot and all its pieces had been repaired with the the finest golden glue she could imagine. It sparkled in the light and gave the once destroyed piece of art a whole new facet to its existence."
"The moral of the story is, we are all artisans that are working on ourselves. As long as we wait to set, we can continue balling the clay up and recreating our sheer potential into something amazing. We do not need to let our past define us if we can continue building ourselves and everything around us anew. And often when the present breaks us, we can rebuild that potential with hard work and the right tools. Our futures are greater than our pasts. Never forget that, Fear."
Fear was tearing up, completely enamored with the story and moral, sniffling a little. It didn't reach quite as deep as he hoped, but it was enough. Not a cure all, but certainly a salve. "When I was younger - I don't know how much, I've lost track of the time - I did an awful thing. I killed a couple innocents..." Fear stroked one foreleg with another. "Maybe more. I don't... really recall. Just my first real kills." He bit hard on his lower lip. "I've tried my life since then to make up for it, but eventually my sister was taken from me, similar to how my mother was. And I just... I was too weak to protect her, to heal her. I was too weak to fight myself. And I was... I couldn't handle myself. And I'm still, to this day, regretting... everything."
Faith lifted a hoof and put it on the stammering, rambling colt's shoulder. "There is still hope for you, for everypony. You are young, you are naive, I can see it in your eyes. You have potential. Fear, never let anypony convince you otherwise. You can make amends, you can change yourself, and you have the power to unite others." The mare glanced to Fear's side, looking at his flanks. "You may end up collecting more ponies than you can imagine within the depths of your whirl. Have faith." The smile on Faith's face was giant.
Fear was... uncomfortable. But inspired. He felt more understood than ever, and it caused a pleasant warmth to blossom in his chest and bubble up his throat, seeping out his eyes in the form of heated tears. They stained his cheeks as he sniffled and sobbed, weeping openly in front of her. Was it understanding, or was he just flattered? He couldn't tell. But for once in what felt like forever there was a true sense of genuine hope, not something he'd created himself, but something somepony else created for him, something that couldn't be killed by natural causes. He hiccuped a few times, feeling like the downward spiral was going in reverse. "Thank you... Th-thank you. Th... thank you, Faith." He gulped down air. "I hope we can see each other again. Maybe... if you want. You can come to Neighvada with my father and me?"
Faith's smile only seemed to grow larger, her eyes sparkling. "I will... consider it, Fear. I will give you my answer in the morning. Until then, take care of yourself."
Fear nodded a few times, trying to catch his breath, and made his way back to the house to rest. He felt more exhausted than ever before all of a sudden, but this time like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he was feeling tired for the first time in his life. His face was gaunt and eyes sunken, rings around them. Everything once more blurred together as he headed to bed in order to finally... finally sleep. All while thinking of his sister. The radiant Amelioreit Reverie.
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The guilty colt's nightmares returned in full force. He was hiding behind a rock, the only cover available to him in the vast, limitless expanse around him, obscured on the edges only by an impermeable fog. He was huddled together with his father, mother, and sister. A giant, ferocious radbeast was stalking them. How had it found them? How had it gotten through their senses? It didn't matter. Everything just fell into place in dreams like this, logic didn't reign. Just feelings. His father and mother, fading in and out, got out from behind cover to try and attack the radbeast. But all Fear heard a moment later was the wet ripping of flesh, moist slashes, and the loud sounds of evisceration and bodies being torn apart and devoured by a vocal eater. Fear cowered, his sister trying to comfort him. They were all alone. Then Amelio said something, Fear tried to stop her, but before he could she was surging around the corner to do what their parents couldn't. Fear spun around to try and pull her back to safety but before he could the fearsome beast was upon her.
But before teeth could sink into his sister's body, a loud bzzorp flashed through the air, coming from nothingness, and blasted into the beast's side, scorching into it and causing the entire thing to glow before splattering into motes of light with the shattering of glass. Fear blinked, and a moment later his surroundings were cleaved by a huge divide, a crevice reaching into the abyss, and it was only growing. Fear yelped and panicked, rushing away from it, trying to run, his sister becoming bleary and disappearing as he suddenly heard a voice.
Fear twisted around, looking into the abyss, his dreambubble shredded apart, and saw in the distance so many different orbs of light sharing with him various images, from garish terrors to warm paradises. His breath hitched in his throat. Then he heard the voice again.
Merging into Fear's sight was his sister. No longer young like she once had been. Now she looked aged and gray. Like she could fall apart at the slightest stress. She looked far more mature and regal too, as if she'd aged decades and Fear had stayed the same. The mare's body was floating in the air, her body dangling under her freely. Her eyes were completely whitewashed, before they eventually regained their violet and sapphire luster as the power receded. A gentle smile crossed her face, and she tilted her head to the side. "Good to see you again, Fear."
Fear's mouth opened and closed like a dying fish, his eyes full of tears. "A... Ame?" The colt moved forward, a disbelieving look on his face. "My guardian Moon Angel?" He gave a loud, ungodly sniff.
Amelio nodded once, confirming it, her face seeming to distort, her motions blurred. Fear's body suddenly felt sluggish, impossible to move. "Yes. Come with me. I have much to show you." Before Fear could react Amelio bolted toward her brother, hooking their forelegs together, and rocketing off with him, an ultrasonic blast being unleashed in their wake. And then soon an explosion of light expelling out from the two, pulsing outward like a ripple on a pond, as they sped up even further. Though there was no wind resistance to speak of.
Everything around the pair became gnarled and morphed, what was ahead of them suddenly behind. It felt less like they were moving and more like everything around them was gliding past them. Fear saw a dot of light in the distance, like a far away star. It caught his vision and held it.
Amelio spoke softly, comfortingly. Stealing his attention away and holding it on her, though Fear's eyes sometimes seemed to pass through her. "I want to tell you about my final dream Fear. The one during my death."
Fear lightly nodded his head. "S-sure thing, Ame."
"Mh. You have always been an inspiration to me brother, and that was true during my final moments. In my dream the three of us were back in Stable 47, and I was given the option to become Overmare once more, eventually. I accepted it because I was desperate to do something with my life. I ended up wearing the Seer's Eye proudly and I helped the stable avert disaster - I led it to prosperity, though eventually you decided you wanted to leave because your guilt was too much. However, I manipulated my dream. I ended up saying all the right things to get you to stay, and be with me. Forever. Despite you learning of our shared lineage. Eventually though, I knew I had to abandon that dreambubble."
Fear had a quiet smile on his face. "I missed you, Ame."
Amelio grinned broadly. "I missed you too, Fearei. And I am glad that you have not come to hate me."
"Pshaw." Fear bat a hoof as they got closer to their destination. "I could never hate you."
"I am happy to hear that, Fearei." She reached over to him and gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek that made Fear blush intensely. "I have been biding my time ever since, gathering my power, recovering my strength. Becoming one with the liminal space beyond what you could ever imagine. I have discovered there is a latent power to everything, even in the deepest reaches. This void exists within something, and when I need a boost I feed on it, nightmares, or Luna's treasure."
"Luna? Princess Luna?" Fear sounded confused.
"One and the same. I found her during my sleep sometime before I died. I made an arrangement with her. You will learn it when we get to our goal."
Fear looked ahead again, noticing another one of those orbs was getting alarmingly close. As they approached Fear put a foreleg over his face, their bodies careening into it. Instead of becoming a smear on the surface they just pierced right on through, together, as brother and sister. Amelio guided Fear, gliding down to the castle courtyard, same as when she'd first arrived there, and then led Fear into the castle.
As soon as the environment changed around them, seeping from one thing to another, having barely a threshold, Fear was caught by surprise when another mare came up to him, her hooves clopping on the carpet and staring deep into his soul with face just looking to brawl, her gaze harsh and violent, glaring daggers into the colt.
It was Saway.
Not that Fear knew that.
Amelio stood off to the side.
"So you're Fearei." There was an appraising expression on Saway's features. "I must say, I'm not impressed. You're missing a certain... oomph." Her voice matched the look in her eyes.
Fear sighed, appearing more weary than ever, as much as when he went to sleep. "Oh... shut up, I'm going through some shit." He looked off to the side.
"No excuses. You have a lot to live up to, Fearei Shatter." Saway slammed a hoof on the ground to get his attention.
Fear stomped forward, his jaw tightening as he got in her face, which was hard given how small he was. Despite that, their muzzles nearly touched, with Fear having to reach up to do it. Amelio let them be, knowing they weren't going to kill each other. "Yeah!? Well maybe I don't want to live up to everypony's expectations! Maybe I just wanna live in peace! I don't have to do shit and you can't make me!"
An indescribable tingling sensation passed between them. Something beyond them, beyond description, that reached into their timeless, limitless souls. It spanned past dreams and waking, past timelines, and past distance. There was a connection there, as if in some small way, they already knew each other.
"I can tell you don't mean that, and it feels like in another life we'd've been dire enemies." Her voice was rough and raspy with murderous undertones.
"S-same." Fear pushed out his lower lip, almost pouting, but not moving from his position. "F-fine. I'll... do whatever. I'm gonna try my best, I guess. I'm just complaining."
Saway gave Fear an indecipherable look, seeming to analyze the colt. "You're a good kid, Fear. Just cut the excuses and be responsible."
The two stared at each other, though Fear was the first to relent.
Saway had a knowing, amused gaze. "You're gonna need my assistance someday."
Fear pawed at the ground as he stared at it. "P-probably. Probably going to need everypony's help someday. So why don't we just be friends?" He looked up at her with a hopeful smile, tilting his head to one side. "I scratch your back, you scratch mine."
Saway smiled awkwardly. "Sounds like a plan, kid." She held out her hoof to seal the deal.
Fear bumped hooves with her, but before he knew it Saway had latched on with sticky hooves and was lightly shaking their hooves up and down.
Amelio flowed past Fear. "Come, Fear. It is time to meet the Princess of Death."
Fear's eyes widened slightly in surprise, his lips twisting up in confusion. "Princess of Death?" He quickly slipped past Saway to follow her.
"Take care of yourself, Kid." Saway called out, pulling inward a little out of a sudden sense of loneliness. Fear waved back over his shoulder to the vicious mare.
"Luna, Fear." Amelio stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh." Fear went silent for a time as they walked down the long hallway that seemed endless, before speaking up again. "So who exactly was that?" The level of curiosity in his voice was intoxicating. "I feel like I know her. It's almost..." he shuddered, hackles rising on end. "Supernatural."
"That is Saway." Amelio's voice gave no leeway one way or another whether she appreciated or confided in the mare. "Far before the war she lived in Pugallup as an only foal, eventually moving in with a wealthy uncle when her parents passed away. She was on the brink for most of her life, trying to decide what it was she was supposed to do, thinking her talent was pushing the world off the cliff. But at the time it was already doing a fine enough job doing that on its own. Eventually she decided to join the Equestrian military to hurry it along, and through it ended up discovering her true talent, sawing apart preconceptions about how the world worked. She had been doing it all her life ever since before she got her cutiemark. Before she knew it she was in Luna's personal guard, her own preconceptions shattered." The two of them passed through the lunar door into the vault room that the mare of the night used as her own personal quarters. "She was not in Canterlot the day the pink cloud hit because she was undergoing an experiment fusing nightmares to her soul in order to keep her living after death. Unfortunately it did not work quite as planned, and she is as you see her now. She was alive for years after the bombs hit though, just clinging to life until her body gave out and her consciousness went to sleep. It was a complex ritual to weaponize the nightmares without letting it consume her identity." She shook her head a little, as if disappointed in one of the many things she said.
Before Fear could react to any of that, of which he had no idea how to, he saw Luna in the distance and gasped, freezing up. "Holy shit, she's a wreck!"
Luna sighed, looking more unamused than ever. Amelio just chortled loudly.
"What is she doing here!? Why isn't she... out there? Doing stuff? Doing something?" Fear was frazzled by this new information, looking from Luna to Amelio and back again.
The princess gave Fear a dirty look as she approached them. She was getting really tired of this, especially from somepony like Fear, she could see his sins. They were written on his face.
Amelio spoke. "She has been horrified by the dreams of destruction so many ponies have had. So many violent, depraved dreams that she has hidden herself away." Then she went silent.
Fear shot both of them an understanding, yet defiant glance. A weird contradiction of expressions.
Luna took Fear in wholly, finding it hard to believe he was capable of what she needed of him, and even more-so, she was reluctant to believe. She didn't want to face her own issues. Besides, she was an alicorn and she couldn't overcome, how could a colt like Fear possibly achieve what she had never been able to? Luna snorted at him.
After a little tension, Fear finally spoke up. "The world doesn't revolve around your feelings, nor mine." A lesson he had learned while with Angel and Crate. "It's okay for things to not be okay." Something he'd only learned just now, when realizing that everypony was in the same boat as him. "It's a process. Life is miserable but we don't have to let it kill our light. I'm..." Fear was uncertain, remembering his mother. "I'm a nightlight."
Luna sighed, her eyes revolving in their sockets. "I have done an enormous amount of wrong, Fear. Countless irredeemable acts have been cast by my hoof. I became Nightmare Moon and hurt my sister and ponies. Even after being redeemed, I still brought Equestria to war over a misunderstanding that turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy. I brought death and suffering to countless: past, present, and future. I condemned an innocent, anti-war confidant and advisor, and I do not know anymore if all I did was right or wrong. My errors in judgment have cost the lives and well-being of so many of my little ponies. I do not deserve to face them, let alone serve them." Luna was looking down at the ground with a sorrowful, heavy countenance.
Fear sucked in a desperate breath of air as there was a pause in everything.
"And even now," Luna continued, "I can feel your pain stabbed through your heart like a stake. Your crumbling will, all you have experienced. You are just as damaged as everypony else."
Fear took a long time to speak, swaying on his hooves from the sheer gravity of what he was told, able to feel Luna's emotions. "You have to come back though. We need you, and we have to redeem ourselves!"
"I cannot be redeemed."
Fear remembered everything in the short period of time, his conversations with Amelio and Faith. "Spirals are a symbol of change. Anything and everything can change, as long as you don't let it set."
Silence permeated the air.
"Well." Luna started. "As Amelio has proposed, I have a test for you. If you can overcome your demons, then I will accept that the wasteland and I can as well, and will continue to watch over their dreams and nightmares."
Fear's eyes lit up, a smile crossing his face, not knowing at all what was in store for him but more excited than ever before. He recognized his chance for redemption, standing tall and proud, puffing out his chest.
Luna guided Fear out of the room at an incapacitated pace, back to the throne room and then to the door behind Celestia's throne. It was just a dark room that Fear, Amelio, and Luna stared into. Fear was just busy thinking. Am I capable of any of this? Really truly? "So, what should I expect? What am I supposed to do? What kind of test is this? You'll hold your end of the bargain right?" He fired off questions rapidly, not even waiting for one answer before announcing another.
Luna refrained from answering all but the last question. "Fearei Shatter, if you can overcome these trials I will do everything in my power to watch over ponies once more." And before Fear could react Luna shoved Fear through the door, then slammed it shut. "Good luck." She called out with a voice full of condemnation. And then the door clicked, locking behind him.
Fear glanced around in the dark void, suddenly very afraid. Before he could react though, the room lit up with a glaringly white light, nearly blinding him. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Fear's Ordeal | Ever since his mother had died, Fear's eyes had been a ravishing ruby; tainted, violent, and ferocious. Full of untamed fury as out of control as his mane. They glowed softly like low class starlight, beaming uncomfortably at those who stared at him for too long. Seething and ebbing against the soul, causing it to crank to a boil the more time was spent around it. It was a disturbing light that never seemed to fade. And right now those very eyes were adjusting to the blinding white light of the room. Blinking away the spots that formed along his retinas.
Fear took a few steps forward, glancing this way, then that, sweeping his head from side to side in broad motions. Everything felt distorted and empty, like there were so many of him in this one very place. It was a strange sensation; hearing your own soul speak to you, whispering of its traumas; bandages; evils; and glories all at once, echoing around you incessantly, never relenting, and Fear was experiencing that right now as everything began to settle in this boundless alabaster room. Fear's breath hitched in his throat as he tried to focus on something, anything within the limitless expanse that stretched out before him, like walls never existed. He twisted around to look behind him, but there was no door, having long ago disappeared.
Trapped. Isolated. All on his own. No ponies to lead him, no followers to inspire him. He was alone. Alone with his thoughts, with everything that made him who he was and beyond. It was crippling and left the colt kneeling down as he tried to come to grips with this solitary existence, where no family nor friends, not even enemies, existed to keep him company nor pull him out of his reveries. He felt like he was in an oppressive dream, weighing down on him and holding him captive. Such was the overwhelming presence of self.
As Fear was nearly brought to tears by the burden of his soul, his chest heavy and breathless, a needle point of darkness was summoned beneath him and slowly encroaching outward. It pulsed outward like a ripple on a mirror, leaving perfection completely disrupted. Fear's head was light and his eyes were lolling about as his body shifted. The darkness swallowed up the ground, spanning forever, beginning to swallow up Fear as well. It felt salty, and thick, like sludge melting around his body and pulling him in. A soggy mire of loneliness and animosity. Fear could feel the sensation of hatred needling into him, piercing his flesh, tickling his mind. The sensation of loss in its purest form, shredding apart his brain and leaving him feeling limp and incapable. It was like every time he'd spent in a depressive state magnified by a thousand. He couldn't... couldn't breathe. Couldn't... couldn't move. It was sucking him in, sticking to his body, glorping around him, the abysmal darkness. It stained his body like ink and warped his body and mind. Leaving him a shadow of his former self. Fear cried openly, unable to sniffle due to the pressure on his lungs and body from the quicksand. He wept openly, everything he'd ever experienced crashing down around him. His eyes were frantic, his nerves frayed.
Fear didn't know what to do. He was falling deeper. First his hooves were covered in muck, now his barrel, then his shoulders. It was creeping up to his neck, daring him to make a move and make the process go faster. Panic pierced the fog, digging into the lobes of his brain like a dire headache and scooping out what little motivation there was. Fear's eyes bolted open, his jaw hanging loose. Fear's hooves clawed at the surface of the gunk, trying to tear it away from his body, trying to yank himself out. Struggling to find purchase on something that had no solid form. It just swept around him and pulled him further in. Every muscle in his muzzle tensed up as his face contorted into sheer fright, eyes wild with fear. A second later, he schlupped down under the surface.
Refusing to breathe, refusing to open his mouth, the colt attempted to hold out for as long as he could, squeezing his eyes shut as he sank into space he'd always feared to go. It was crushing, collapsing around every piece of him, not leaving a single trace of will in him. He squirmed and flailed, trying to get back to the surface, trying to swim, but struggle was being pushed out of his body, bubbles leaving his snout as the murky depths pulled him deeper. What am I supposed to do!? He was coming close to... Fear gasped, pulling in the most agonizing substance into his body imaginable. It felt like he was swallowing razor blades into his lungs, cutting him up. He sobbed openly, gargling as he tried to get to the surface. The pain was unbearable, slicing into every single bit inside of him, getting everywhere. His mind couldn't operate, not when it was seeping into his ears as well. Getting into his brain. Cutting it up. Fear just wanted to... to leave it all behind. He wanted it to end.
Fear transformed his hoof into a blade out of desperation, intending to pierce it through his heart and end it all. Save himself from the pain by bringing himself to paradise. Right now numbness could only be considered paradise. Fear hesitated though as tears fell down his face. He didn't... didn't want to do it. No matter how bad it got. He needed... needed to just... find someone else. Fear opened his eyes, peeling back the lids, staring upward. It hurt his corneas, stabbing into them. It was the worst thing ever. The tears just made it harder. The whole experience felt like he was losing everything.
Then came the hate. A pure, unadulterated hate for anything and everything. Bubbling, broiling acrimony affecting every pore in his body. Fear tried to fight against it, tried to pretend he was happy, that it wasn't as bad as he was making it out to be. Even as he shuddered in his prison of pain. A forced smile crept onto his face as he suffered, trying to push it all out, attempting to hold back his tears. He couldn't, wouldn't feel this way. The waves of malignancy were smothering him though, nearly destroying him. He couldn't keep up much longer.
In desperation, Fear relented. He closed his eyes and admitted what he was feeling. This is the worst thing in the world. There is nothing worse than this. I hate EVERYTHING and that will NEVER change. I'm gonna be here forever! But... but I don't have to act on it. I just need to... come to peace with it. If I don't, my flailing will just hurt others. Fear ceased his struggling as he fell deeper. His bladed hoof morphed back to normal. I will come out the other side. Always. I will overcome. It will hurt. It will tear me to pieces. But I will win. Fear's body was shaking violently from all the pain, gradually becoming accustomed to it.
It felt like an eternity in the depths, but as he gave up, let the feelings wash over him, and found peace, things began to speed up. He was descending far more swiftly. It impacted him less. Fear filtered it out, his eyes eventually opening and staring downward.
Eventually he hit the bottom of the sea of enmity, his hooves touching the ground. He found inner strength as the pain subsided. He rolled his neck a few times and looked around, everything around him darker than vantablack, yet he could see so clearly.
Fear saw something approaching in the distance. A figure lacerated to Tartarus and back, with all sorts of incisions lining their body, bleeding freely all over the ground, leaving a snail trail of crimson iron along it. Its head was pointed toward the ground, a long, loud, murderous groan escaping its trembling lips as it drew closer. When it got to about twenty feet from Fear it slowly looked up, a nightmarish vision the likes of which made Fear back up and fall onto his ass in shock. "Hahaha! I remember you. Do you remember me?" The figure, which Fear recognized as himself, started to turn around at the neck, the bones popping and reconfiguring as, like an owl, it turned upside down, staring at Fear with a thirsty, cruel smile spread across the muzzle, the flesh rippling along the neck where it was twisted unnaturally. Then it crackled back into place. "We told Mother that we'd make the wasteland a better place. Don't you remember Fear? We were so sure of ourselves. So certain we were capable. But we're not. Are we?" Its voice was stilted like a puppet being controlled by invisible strings, asking the question like an innocent foal.
Fear hesitated, rearing back. "I don't..." Fear knew exactly what this was. It gave off a demented aura of murderlust. It was familiar to him, he recognized it clearly like the information was engraved in his soul. "I meant what I said!" There was an uncomfortable shiver in his voice, full of reluctance.
"Oh? Is that right, Fearei Shatter? Well, I know how we can go about it. If you're willing to follow me." The monstrous colt crept closer, seeming to slide along the ground toward his host. "Just... just listen to my voice. And everything will be okay."
Fear didn't want to accept this was part of him. It made him so skeeved out it was incomprehensible. It caused his whole body to shift and cavort as he tried to move away. "Get away from me! I don't want anything to do with you!"
The monster didn't relent. "Oh come on, we're just going to make the wasteland a better place." The calmness in his voice was unnerving as more blood spilled off his body. "We're going to be the downfall of everypony, of course, but it'll bring peace and happiness to those who are in pain. You were going to bring peace to your suffering self just a few minutes ago after all, weren't you?"
Fear flinched back, remembering his idea to kill himself. "Get away from me!" Fear lunged forward and threw a hoof, slamming into the monster's face. The bone snapped and crunched as the head bent at an odd, lethal angle.
The monstrous form just laughed sourly as he sat back on his haunches and brought his forelegs up, snapping his head back into place to look back at his host. "You cannot get rid of me Fearei Shatter. We are bound for life from now on."
Fear immediately spun around and started sprinting away, occasionally looking back to see the monster was right on his heels.
"You can't escape Fearei Shatter! I am always with you! We are one and the same. And I will achieve dominance over you. Because I am you!"
Fear stopped in his tracks, leaning forward, rearing onto his forelegs and slamming his hindlegs back, bucking the monster with all his might in the face, splattering the muzzle into gore, the skull breaking apart from the force like a rotten tomato. But it quickly started to remerge as laughter echoed. And as Fear stared with wide eyes, the monster shoved Fear to the ground, pinning him against the abyss, leaning in close.
"We... are... one. Fearei Shatter."
Desperation came to the surface once more as Fear looked with unhinged horror at his desecrated self, mouth agape, eyes wide, pupils dilated. He couldn't comprehend what he was doing, what he was supposed to do, or anything. I could... I could kill myself so he's never unleashed! But... that would be the easy way out. So how...? The monster opened its wide mouth as if to start biting into Fear's face, some strange form of autocannibalism.
Fear didn't know what to do. He couldn't struggle anymore. I'll run out of strength if I just push him away. He's part of me. He can't die if I don't die but... Fear wrapped his forelegs around his monstrous self and yanked him in for a brilliant bear hug. "Just because you're part of me doesn't mean I have to listen to you! We can be together! And still do the right thing! I don't... I don't love you but you're part of me, and I want to love me. I can't fight you, but I can't also feed you all the time. You need to learn to go without, just like me."
A bright light surrounded the two of them as surprise crossed the monstrous Fear's face. He tried to pull back and away as the dominant side initiated the merge. It was like fairies floating off of them as the monster struggled, flailing around, being pulled into the dominant side slowly but surely as Fear accepted himself.
"I created you, I accept you, but we need to lay some ground rules!"
An unholy screech filled the air.
"Just listen to me!"
It took a long time, but the rage died off, tapering down as only the monster's head stuck up out of Fear's chest.
"We're going to do the right thing, but we can't kill all the time! Time and a place for everything!" Fear gave the monster a little smile. "We'll get there. Eventually."
The monster plunged into Fear's chest. And suddenly the dominant side was all alone once more.
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Fear had been traveling the abyss for what felt like days. When was he ever going to wake up from this nightmare? All he could remember was that he wanted out, wanted to escape. But there was something holding him here. Eventually, with all strength leaving him, he just flopped to the ground, unable to continue going. He rolled around on the ground, trying to wake up, wanting Amelio, wanting his mother, wanting his father, wanting anypony who would listen to what he'd had to deal with. It was harsh and unfair. Why did he...? Fear shivered, feeling cold all of a sudden, and wet. Water was starting to congeal around his body. Fear stood up on all fours, looking around at the blue liquid converging on him. He lifted up a hoof in fright, and when the water rose up over his body to subsume him, Fear let out a frightened whinny and stood up on his hind legs. Trying to fall back and away, the water only latched onto his body. It pulled his forelegs away from him at a perpendicular angle, and then flash froze to the back of his body, wrapping around his limbs and sticking to the fur with the coldest ice imaginable. The sudden drop in temperature felt like pins and needles were poking at his flesh, with a numbing frostbite tickling at the frogs of his hooves and the tips of his snout and ears. The ice stung on his body, and caused frost to gather on his fur. His breath came out in cloudy bursts of steam as he tried to move, struggling against his binds, yanking on his T-pose structure, limbs shuddering from the strain.
Blinking once, Fear was suddenly face to face with a very angry looking lanky colt. The same colt he'd killed... what? Two years ago? Fear wished he could remember. He tried to lean backwards in his bonds, but only succeeded in flattening himself. Fear's entire face twisted up into a look of concern as he stared at him.
Though, it'd probably be a little more comfortable if the colt's face wasn't covered with a scold's bridle. Fear could see the spike inside of Dusk's maw, which he bit down on actively despite how painful it looked, causing the guilty colt to flinch away at the sight. The way the straps wrapped around Dusk's head and held him in place, it was all sorts of disturbing.
Fear was assaulted with a sudden wave of guilt. He would have collapsed if he wasn't being held up by ice, closing his eyes and venting his sadness through tears. Was it sadness or was it relief? He couldn't tell. The tears swiftly froze into icicles that nipped his cheeks. Was this colt a ghost? It would explain the drop in temperature. Fear opened his eyes, having to really pull on them due to almost being fused together by frozen tears, and looked into Dusk's eyes. "I... I'm sorry." He gasped out. "I was hurting... I, I couldn't control myself."
"Excuses." The speech was distorted due to the bridle, and it clearly hurt the colt to talk, to even be there, to be in front of Fear, but he was anyway. "You are a murderer! Murderer!" The colt leaned back and shoved a hoof into Fear's chest, making his ribs tremor. Fear coughed and hacked, weeping as he felt his sins crawl up his back. Or was that the ice? "You deserve to die by another's hoof just like me! I didn't deserve what you did to me! I didn't deserve to be hunted down and murdered! But you did it anyway! You depraved inequine monster!"
Fear sighed, looking away, still teary. He gave a shake of his head. "You're... you're right. I've known for a long time that I deserve to die, that I deserve to have everything taken from me. That I deserve to suffer untold amounts of pain, and it'll still never be enough for the trauma I have inflicted." The words came out, some alien to Fear's young voice. As if his feelings were being manifested by their location. "But I can't... can't die yet. I can't let myself die before I've done what I can with my life. Before I've tried to make amends. But when my life comes to an end, when it's finally my time to go, I want to go to your mother and have her kill me in return. It will never be enough if she can't hurt me the way I've hurt her and you, and your father. But I just... nopony else deserves to suffer for my sins."
"But you... you deserve to lose everything!" The colt petulantly exclaimed.
"I do. But I've learned there are ponies who love me, and they'd be hurt if I was taken away before it was time. When the time comes for me to die I can suffer for eternity, I accept that. But in order to break the cycle..." Fear sounded uncertain. "I have to forgive myself until it's time to reap what I've sown."
The lanky colt pushed his hooves against his eyes and sobbed. "But you... you..."
"I do. But I can't. Not yet." Fear felt his guilt alleviate, even if only a bit, or at least he felt like he was capable of moving again. The ice began to melt around him, as if his body heat was warming it up. Fear fell to all fours and gave the colt a smile. "Punishment later, not now."
Dusk huffed. "Fine! But I'm holding you to this promise! If you don't stick to it I'm coming for you and everyone you love and who loves you!"
Fear nodded once. "You have my guarantee."
And with that Duskshine dispersed into motes of light, fluttering away into the abyss, Fear watching the flakes drift off. What he was left with was a name: Dim Nova. The colt's mother.
Fear was left alone after that, just looking around, wanting desperately to find an exit but not seeing any within sight. The expanse was mind numbing and exhausting. He didn't want to wander anymore. He was so sick and tired of traveling, just going wherever his heart took him. He was almost ready to die. He couldn't find the source of his agony, and he couldn't find his destination no matter how hard he tried.
Luckily for the colt, his destination was coming to him.
On the horizon were a pair of figures that Fear recognized. It caused a fountain of excitement to well up inside of him upon seeing them. His sister, as healthy and young as could be, and his mother, without a bullet wound in her head. He immediately started prancing toward them, hopping and skipping in the air as he took it at face value. Maybe this was his reward for coming to terms with so much?
Only it wasn't meant to last. The two figures stopped in their tracks and stared at him. Fear halted too, and watched them. "Mom? Ame? What's wrong?" He took a step forward, as if trying to coax them into speaking. Their cheeks puffed out and it looked like they were about to puke. Then Fear, closeby, saw their bodies ripple and squirm like something was undulating under their flesh, using their bodies as puppets. It grossed Fear out beyond belief, nearly throwing up at the sight of his loved ones contorting wildly. He turned away for a moment, suddenly hearing the tearing of flesh and cracking of bones, the ripping of sinew and snapping of joints. He looked back in curiosity and horror.
Both his mother and sister's bodies were turning into something bestial, long spindly spider legs made out of ebony carapace jutting out of the sides of their barrels and holding them up multiple feet in the air. Their original legs dangled under them lifelessly, twisted and broken apart. Their necks were shattered at the base, their heads lolling limply as their mouths gaped open, giant teal eyeballs with slitted pupils bulging out of them, staring at Fear. Their tails morphed into bulbous scorpion stingers that flailed around in the air for something to pierce.
Fear was aghast, his whole face screwed up in terror at the sight of what had once been his kind, beloved family turned into something grotesque. And then they lashed out at him. Fear felt it coming, jumping to the side, then hopping back as two stingers plowed into the ground where he'd once been. The two creatures lunged at him, banging their heads together as Fear tried to escape.
"I'm not gonna fight you! Stop it! Mom! Ame! Please!"
They didn't listen, their legs skittering toward him, the eyeballs firing red searing lasers at the colt who was trying desperately to get away. They scorched the ground, leaving steam rising off where they'd hit. Fear was dodging and weaving again and again, winding around lashing tails and beams of light.
"STOP!" He shouted despairingly.
Death rattles were all that greeted the colt as the monstrous amalgamations bum rushed him. Fear could feel their intent to end his life, to take him from everything he loved.
Fear fought back, jumping forward and spinning in the air, transforming his tail into something draconic, slamming the brunt of the limb into his sister's face, causing her to scuttle to the side and ram into his mother, their extremities tangling up together. Fear hit the ground, tail forming back to normal as he watched them come back at him. The waltz beginning anew.
The monsters' movements were growing sickeningly accurate, working together to try and hit Fear when he was cornered. Fear responded by fighting back passionately, realizing it was kill or be killed. He lashed out at them, his will and emotions turning into psychokinetic energy that lanced off his horn and crackled along his hooves. Fear danced over the ground and struck back randomly, trying to hit them, the monster's body's getting burned the more he pounded those energy-coated hooves. Slamming into the joints of the legs and batting the tails away with a variety of animalistic transformations, using what his father had taught him, and the power of dreams to shield his body.
Fear kept at it, striking roughly, attacking harshly, just as violently as the creatures were coming at him. Eventually he leaped into the air at his sister, spreading his forelegs apart as webs of psychic lightning arced between them and his horn, traversing the short distance and searing across the air. "I won't let you have your way with me!" Fear leaned back while soaring and threw his body forward, bringing the electricity to bear against his sister's body. The thunder pulsed through her, creating varicose veins along her body that erupted outward before bursting into gore, blood and guts rupturing outward and coating Fear in grime. The colt fell to the ground in a heap as his sister laid dying.
"B... Brother..." An alien voice called to Fear from Amelio's gagged mouth. The eyeball inside of it swelled up and exploded in even more disgusting juices, causing Fear to look away as he heard the monstrous screams of his mother next to him.
Abominable sounds filled the air as the bestial Breinstorm shifted and squirmed, increasing in size, her forehead splitting apart and forming a colossal mouth as sharpened teeth filled the new maw. Fear blanched at the sight, able to see his mother's brain within the mouth, and psychic energy erupting from the maw. "FEEEEEEEEEEEEAR!" The scream was demonic and full of anguish, his mother's body growing to behemoth proportions, far bigger than Fear could ever imagine. It paralyzed his entire body. Fear couldn't move no matter how hard he tried. "WHYYYYY DOOOO YOOOOOU FIIIIIIGHT?" The scream was drawn out and as ungodly as Breinstorm was enormous, it shuddered through Fear's body and left him a mess of mush on the ground. The creature roared despondently, as if it couldn't understand. "WHYYYYY DOOOO YOOOOU FIIIIGHT MEEEE!?"
Fear held his head, trying to think past the moment. Why AM I fighting? To survive? Why do I want to survive? Because others are counting on me, sure, but... Fear was broken out of his reverie when he felt a burst of intent blast against his brain. Fear rolled backwards and started running as spears of psychic energy jutted out of the creature's mouth and started jabbing into the ground, creating powerful explosions that nearly rocked Fear off his hooves. The colt was panicking, not knowing how he could possibly... why was he...? It clearly wanted to kill him! Why was it getting more powerful? The answer came as if on a breeze, flowing into Fear's mind and creating a source of strength. Because she's all I have left! But she's... Fear dodged another explosion, just barely, his entire body singed. He couldn't feel that side of his body anymore, everything was tingling, and he was pretty sure he had a concussion. It was difficult to move, his legs nearly giving out on him as he ran. She's not all I have left! I still have so much more! I need to move on!
It was as if the flood gates had been let loose. Willpower and mental strength surged through Fear's entire body, his cerebral cortex brimming with vigor, more psychic energy than he'd ever imagined spawning deep inside of his brain. His eyes fizzled out, becoming completely white washed as magical energy surged through him, his intuition taking the power of his reasoning, the power of his epiphany, and directing it toward a spell that was his namesake. Spectral energy gushed from his body as he twisted around in the air. A spider leg slammed down onto where he was, attempting to crush him, but was blocked by a sphere of ether with nary a crack in it. Fear's jaw hung open as he stared up at his mother, everything becoming more clear than it ever had before. I have to move on. Fear lashed out with a jagged wire of rainbow energy, plunging into his mother's form and scattering throughout it.
And then Fear saw his mother, the construct of her, explode right before his eyes. Everything faded to white.
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Amelio and Luna had been waiting at the Celestial door for only a short time, everything within proceeding over what felt to them to be the course of an instant. Both of them expected an exhausted, if not destroyed Fear to come out of that room, but what they did not expect was for the door to open and...
Fearei Shatter stood proudly, chest heaved out and head held high, determination and newfound purpose and strength reflecting prominently in his... sapphire? Eyes. They were a beaming, brilliant aqua blue that pierced the darkness and tore it away. They were the most glorious, precious glowing gems in the wasteland, full of innocence and love, a gentle calmness permeating the starlight irises. There was a golden resplendence to Fear's body that didn't seem to let up in the colt's defiant posture, a smile the likes of which could never exist in the wastes split across his face, teeming with happiness and relief. "HAH! That wasn't so bad!" There was a certain repose about him, like the tranquility of an undisrupted pond. "You should've seen me! I was all like pow pow kapow! Get wrecked!" He was shadow boxing the air while standing on his hindlegs, his countenance in a word: success. "I took on everything and came out on top!" He fell to all fours and looked up at them.
Amelio grinned like a filly. "Everything you exhibited in there was a manifestation of your thoughts and willpower, Fear. You won't be able to recreate it very easily, if at all, in the world of the waking."
"What!? Really? Too bad." Fear kicked at the floor, pouting, clearly disappointed.
Luna meanwhile was staring at Fear with newfound consideration. The weight on her shoulders was heavy, looking as if she was about to collapse from the revelation displayed before her. "Are you not... tired?"
Fear shrugged. "I mean sure yeah, but it's not that big a deal. I feel better than I have in a long time!" The colt was all happy-go-lucky peppiness.
Luna gave a firm, curt nod with a grimace on her face, her soul heavy with wonder. "I am... not sure I can do what you have done, Fearei."
Fear narrowed his eyes at her. "Well, it was hard, I don't blame you! But you promised! You have to."
Amelio turned to Luna, her grin one of superiority. "Indeed you do, Princess Luna. It is your turn now."
Fear thought to himself, realization forming over his features. If Mom hadn't died I probably would never have gotten this chance to prove myself and my ideals. I don't know if it's enough, but it's something.
Luna's horn lit up as a smile crossed her face, and in front of her a ring of black cord focused into existence, and on the end of it was a small, finely polished silver screw with a supernatural navy blue shimmer to it. She floated it down and over Fear's head. "Ad astra per aspera. I think this will be a fine symbol of your ability to fix things, Fearei."
Fear grunted. "You're not backing out on your deal are you?"
"Not at all, my dear Fearei." Luna's voice had a lingering air of peace and weariness to it, clearly knowing what she had to do. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Secrets Revealed | Life was a hot tub of relaxation for Fear right now. The throne room felt like a jacuzzi melting away all of his stressors and keeping things calm and bubbly, formless and slack. The colt hardly felt any urgency to get anywhere, and while he stood amidst a new friend and his sister, he hardly wanted to move on, but he knew that despite his exhaustion he had to. His soul was yearning for another adventure, and his healed body was spurring him onward. Luna stood next to him with an appraising stare, still trying to come to terms with this new source of inspiration, with having seen Fear perform a deed beyond her imagining, coming to grips with every single facet of himself and moving on from his actions instead of dwelling on them. Instead of breaking and killing himself, instead of hurting himself or letting his murderlust consume him, instead of letting his guilt break him, and instead of letting his connections destroy him; he had alternatively endured, accepted, moved on, and let go in such deft motions Luna was left reeling.
As for Amelio? She was immensely proud of her brother. She had believed in him, and that belief had not been in vain. Her ego flared. The honor she felt toward her brother and herself was incredible. She delighted in Fear's victory to the point her face was scrunched up, eyes lidded, and she was about ready to pounce on her brother with every ounce of strength remaining in her. Giddy and vibrating with excitement. Inwardly at least. On the outside she was as peaceful as a leaf on a lake. Still and serene.
Fear looked around at the two, his eyes falling to half mast as he suddenly felt really woozy, swaying on his hooves a little, eyes revolving asynchronously. Things were becoming muddy, vague, and heavy; too prominent - everything blurring out - it was a pulsating sensation of his mind coming back online fully. He was waking up. "Look," he just about wheezed out. "Princess. You don't have to succeed at helping ponies all the time, you just have to try." Fear stomped a hoof as he forced himself to remain stable. "I got it!" His face lit up like a celebration for all that was right in the world. "If you're ever afraid... just say: fuck it, it doesn't have to be perfect but I need to get something done." Fear gave a shake of his head, feeling all fuzzy and out of it.
Luna frowned, looking at Fear with a judgmental expression. "That is... vulgar." She pounded a hoof into the floor as well, bobbing her head once. "Still, I will try." The alicorn was clearly afraid of making more mistakes like she'd done so many times in the past. Even with Starswirl it felt like she'd always been the weaker sister. But here Fear was, weak and still pushing onward. "You're a little too wise to be a colt, Fear."
Fear waved it off with a hoof, glancing to the side and closing his eyes. "Nah. Just coming up with shit off the top of my head. I'm always on the edge of my hooves, pressure's my friend."
Amelio finally sidled up to Fear affectionately, draping a foreleg over the colt's shoulders and pulling him in close, nuzzling into his neck. "And you do it well, I always believed in you. I just hope my time will come soon too."
"Pfft!" Fear spat derisively. "You do a ton!" The amount of support in the colt's voice could hold up a planet. "Though if you could, could one of you please look for Angel Swaddle, Compressed Crate, and Dim Nova in the dream world?" His voice was shy and concerned, as if afraid somepony would lash out at him for asking such a thing.
"The liminal space, you mean." Amelio, ever quick to correct her younger brother.
Fear rolled his eyes. "Yeah. That. I just want to know how the first two are, but could you please comfort Dim? Check on her? Be there for her? Give her good dreams but not like... too good that she wants to stay asleep all the time? I... I killed her husband and son and I just..." Fear cowered away from the two, his mind feeling as if it had been severed in two, and one side was existing on a higher plane than the other. It was all sorts of disorienting. "Want her to be happy. I want her to be able to overcome like I did, you know? I don't want her to..."
Amelio's face was soured with a look of pity, head tilted slightly, a frown caressing her muzzle as she broke Fear out of his rambling. "We will find and take care of them, brother, you just focus on taking care of everypony you are familiar with, yes?"
Fear looked from Amelio to Luna, a strained frown on his face, eyes tearing up. "Thank you, both." Then he glomped his sister, wrapping her up in a tight hug. "I miss you so much." The world was growing distant, like he was receding away from them through a tunnel, his consciousness leaving everything and funneling away from existence.
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The colt woke up in bed with a languid, agonizing groan. His tongue was hanging out and his body rested in an awkward position with his legs bent at odd angles and head twisted to the side, laying in a way only children could. His plushie was pressed against his chest with one hoof. Sim was sitting in a corner waiting for him, reading an old war time novel that had been on the room's bookshelf.
"So. You're awake. Where'd you get the necklace from?"
Fear's horn lit up as he lifted the necklace he felt resting on his chest up to eye level, eyes opening and contracting to stare at it. It had an ethereal, psychic navy blue sheen to it that sort of pulsated when Fear looked close enough.
Sim then looked up from his novel and gasped for air when he saw his son's eyes. He had an expression of curiosity and shock, his jaw dangling open.
"Mmh... whuh? Fuck it... uhh..." As Fear laid there with squinted eyes memories came back to him in bits and pieces. Not so many specifics, but he was remembering... some things because of the necklace. He recalled his trials, Amelio, Luna, and Saway, but not the entirety of his conversations with them. It felt so separate from him, like it was a whole other pony that he was only half connected to. Like some kind of siamese twin. "Hmm... I had a dream. About Meels and Princess Luna. And this mare named Saway. They put me through these diff... easy trials and I overcame them. Became a better a pony, let go of so many negative things that were clouding me, and accepted others for what they were." Fear's voice was grasping nebulously as he tried to remember details, unable to quite figure things out on his own. The dreams had been so vivid.
"Well, if I hadn't seen Amelio in my dreams recently too, and that necklace, I'd say it's too impossible to be true. Yet the wasteland is full of crazy things, I've seen some."
"Hmh? Like what?" Fear slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes empty of sleepy crust. It felt like Heaven to be squeezing his eyes balls around like this, like doing a drug for the first time. It was invigorating, giving him a physical high that slowly wore off.
"Well I mean... when Amelio was young I found a sword used by Luna's old guard in a manor in Pugallop. It was the dirtiest thing I'd ever seen, but I gave it to Amelio because I thought it was pretty neat and it'd give her something to dote on, as it wasn't like I could give her a doll. Amelio took care of it, wiping it down and showing it more love and care than she'd shown anything to that point aside from me. One day, she started pumping the emotions she was feeling into it, and it hummed in response as if resonating with her. The more she cared for it by infusing it with positive emotions, the newer it appeared, and eventually it looked more polished than anything else in the wasteland."
Fear had a nagging inkling that the information was important for some reason. It drove him nuts. He knew he'd heard of a sword, the lunar guard, and Pugallop before. But it was so far away he couldn't grasp it. Too... too difficult, especially this early in the morning. "What happened to it?"
Sim tapped his chin with a hoof, setting the novel he was levitating off to the side on an end table. "She decided to leave it at my parents' place as a decoration. She didn't want to use it for battle because she already had our knife." Sim shook his head in disbelief. "I mean it's not the most surprising thing that there would be a weapon based on emotions, but still. It's neat the kinds of things you happen to find, the way things just happen to line up."
Fear's eyes spun in an arch. "Tell me about it." Fear was determined to remember why this all sounded so important to him, why it struck a cord that reverberated deep within him. "Well, maybe I can check it out when we get to Dryfield?"
"Certainly Fear, I'd be happy to show you that old thing. In the meantime..." Sim reached out with telekinetic force to his saddlebags and pulled out a couple heart cherries from them, floating one over to Fear and popping the other into his mouth.
The colt's magic reached out to the heart cherry, Fear's and Sim's etheric auras mixing together into a beautiful chroma of pale turquoise. They could feel each other's minds, their nerves, in that moment. It was a strange sensation of touching that had no comparison.
Fear levitated it over to his mouth, slipped it between his lips, and nommed. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he moaned and drooled all over the paste coursing into his maw. Fear's body shook a little from sensational ecstasy. When he was done and calmed down, he spoke. "By the way... I uh, I think I made a new friend that might be joining us on our journey."
"Oh?" Sim looked up suspiciously, his eyes narrowed.
"Yeah, her name's Faithdriver but, uh, you can call her Faith."
Sim gazed skeptically at his son. "You didn't tell her about our... secret, did you?" Sim had a distrustful tone, having known Fear was impulsive.
"I mean I've been thinking about it. She seems super trustworthy and she's kind of... blinded? By these notions of friendship and harmony. It's really..." Fear was searching for the right word.
Based on the colt's tone, Sim knew what he was trying to say. "Endearing?"
"Yeah! I think. And I'm sure she's open-minded enough to not be..."
"Xenophobic?" Sim had a hoof against his chin, staring at Fear unamusedly.
"If that word means hates other species then yeah, sure, that."
Sim sighed, closing his eyes. "Fine, Fear. If you want to tell her I'm not going to stop you. You need to learn these lessons on your own, I know you're not the type of pony to listen all the time. Besides, if you really trust her then I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. But, huge but, if she attacks us it's on you to protect us by whatever means necessary."
Fear's face screwed up at his father from how dark that statement was. Then he sighed. "Alright Dad."
The two of them got up, gathering their stuff together including Amelio's old saddlebags, which felt awfully alone all of a sudden. Fear was carrying his Gallop slung over his back and his mother plushie hanging out of one of his saddlebags. They left the house swiftly enough.
Faith was outside waiting for them, yelling something about how friendship, virtues, and harmony would ultimately be what destroyed radiation and taint in the wasteland to anypony who passed by, though nopony believed her. On her back were her weapon and saddlebags. The bags, interestingly enough, had a tourist logo of Friendship Statue emblazoned on both sides like a cutie mark. They looked more like souvenirs than actual bags, and were a little frayed from overuse. She heard the door open behind her, ears giving a little flick, and turned around to greet the two with a simple smile on her face. "Hello. You must be Fear's... father?"
Sim gave an affirmative grunt and a nod of his head, not knowing what to think of Faith. She smelled faintly, though it was neither a good nor bad scent. It was almost like overripe fruit, but soft on the senses, and thus tolerable and maybe even a little pleasant. Almost. "So you're Faith?"
"That's righ-" Faith was cut off when she saw Fear slip out behind his father, her face going dumbstruck. Jaw falling slack, eyes widening, pupils dilating, ears flopping against her skull. Faith moved up to Fear with the quickness of a predator, brushing past Sim and sitting on her haunches. The mare reached out to Fear's face and grabbed it in her forehooves, surprising Fear as she twisted it this way and that, staring into his eyes.
"Ah, hey! What are you doing!?" Fear tried to pull away half-heartedly, secretly enjoying the manhandling, barely able to budge in Faith's earth pony grip, his cheeks getting squished.
"Your eyes! What happened!?" Faith was clearly in awe.
Fear glanced off to the side, his head staying in place, not sure how to respond to that question. How do I tell her it was something beyond belief?
Faith was exuding wonder at the sight. "They're the most beautiful, innocent thing I've ever seen. So... so smolderingly expressive and untainted. Your eyes were pretty, albeit disturbing before but now...? Now they're just gorgeous and unusual."
Fear grunted a little, rolling his eyes and trying to pull away again. Faith finally released him, letting Fear shake his head clear, still feeling the lingering touch of her hooves smooshing his face. "I suppose I could tell you. I have a lot to tell you actually."
"Oh? Is that so?" Faith was clearly intrigued, ready for a story in return for hers, something to add to her collection of tales.
Sim pressed a hoof against his forehead and groaned inwardly, unable to believe Fear was actually going to do it.
"Yeah, but let's get out of town first," Fear elaborated.
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"So, I'm curious, what exactly happened? And where'd you get that necklace? I'd imagine you'd wear something as weird as that all the time." The excitement in Faith's voice was palpable, yet subdued.
Fear considered it heavily, before explaining the story of his trials in as much detail as possible, explaining seeing his dead sister, whose saddlebags Sim was now wearing, and Princess Luna in glorious high definition.
Sim considered his son heavily, quietly impressed with him.
Faith whistled by the end of the story. "That's a lot to take in, Fear! So... the revered Princess Luna is back? Gosh! I wish I could meet her. You're a lucky colt, Fear." Faith was clearly at a loss for words for the most part, just trying to comprehend all of it. "I knew something was curious and strange about you when I met you, but I never would have imagined anything like this. The idea that Princess Luna will be watching over us once more...?" She couldn't help but whistle again, impressed. "I just... I can't believe it. It's too much! The fact that she was always there, not dead. I'm so... so happy." She turned to Fear, nudging him in the shoulder. "Fear, thank you for bringing one of our princesses back to the wastes. To Equestria."
The colt was visibly uncomfortable as he shrugged, looking off to the side. "No problem? All in a day's work?"
"I mean it Fear, you fought your issues and won, and you have the evidence to show for it. A lot of ponies drown in their problems, or they drown their problems with drugs, sex, and violence."
Sim nodded a few times. "I'm proud of you too, Fear. You're well on your way to making up for the past, I'm sure."
Fear smiled softly at that, despite the discomfort. "So, changing subjects, what about you Faith? What's your past like? I've already told you a little about me."
Faith regarded Fear for a few moments before beginning to explain. "Well, I never knew my parents for one thing. Don't know if they were good, bad, or morally ambiguous. All I remember is growing up as an orphan in Friendship City. I was beloved by my peers, often solving disputes, though eventually I became a scavver because I couldn't sit still. I knew there was something out there, a glorious destiny waiting for me. Eventually I found a book of the two sisters during an excavation. I read through it during my time off and became so inspired I decided to travel from place to place spreading the good word. That's why Princess Luna's return is so... such a powerful event. Even if most ponies don't clearly remember their dreams, the fact that Princess Luna would return to us is more than I can possibly imagine. We've gone without for so long."
Silence reigned for far too long as Fear processed that information. "Hey Faith?"
"Yes Fear?"
"What do you think of changelings?"
Sim held his breath.
Faith hummed. "Well, to be honest I never really thought about it. I don't know much about them, just rumors. I always wanted to befriend one, prove that harmony extends beyond ponies. Like I said in Our Town, friendship is stability, and we're all searching for the alicorn inside all of us."
Sim's ears gave a little flick at that information.
The colt grinned. "Well I suppose you're in luck then," he said amicably.
"Huh? Why's that?" Faith's gaze turned suspicious immediately, but not afraid. "You're not a changeling are you?"
Fear shrugged. "Well, I mean, kind of. A quarter changeling. Dad's half."
Faith tapped her chin, thinking on it, eyes gazing to the cloud cover above. "Well I'd say that explains a lot, but it really doesn't! Because I honestly don't know you that well. Still, that's cool. You should keep that information under wraps though, I won't fool myself into believing everypony's as brave as I am. So is it true changelings eat love?"
"Well yeah, I've also been able to eat other emotions actually."
Sim grunted. "I am too. Love is the most filling however. We turn that abstract energy into pure life force."
Faith was clearly impressed, her brows risen on her face. "In all fairness I'm sure love and other emotions never go away forever. If they did they wouldn't be constantly in flux and other changelings or ponies would have died out long ago from the feeding process."
Sim grinned from ear to ear. "You're a smart cookie, Faith."
Faith did a little bow, sweeping one foreleg over the other. "Thank you, Sim. I like to think I have a level head on my shoulders, even if I like to joke away my problems. After all, impulsivity will get you killed." The mare spared a glance to Fear, whose cheeks flushed crimson under his coat. Sim guffawed bitonally. Faith then gave Fear a little wink. "Anyways, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship, thank you for trusting me."
Sim glimpsed behind him at Fear. "Hey, while we're traveling you want to learn another changeling trick?"
Fear's tail lashed to the side like a whip, then to the other as his mouth hung open, suddenly very excited. "Sure!" Ever greedy for new tricks, though he still had to practice.
Sim thought about it for a few moments. "I'm going to teach you how to form carapace armor on parts of your body. It takes a lot of focus. It's similar to camouflaging yourself, but it's all transformation, no illusion to it."
Fear nodded emphatically, staring at Sim as he spoke.
"In order to do it you need to hyperproduce transformation magic on a part of your body, and slowly layer it on itself repeatedly; dig deep into your primal instincts, everything that makes you who you are inside, and with pure will pull it to the forefront. Your genetics will do the rest. It'll create a hard shell where you gathered the magical force."
And so, Fear was on his way to developing a new trick, switching his efforts between them all. Interestingly, it didn't take him long to plunge inside of himself and pull out the key to his genetics so he could create the armor, it just took awhile to stack the magic.
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It had been a few nights and a couple nightmares but Fear, oddly, once more found himself back in the castle courtyard. His movements were listless and near comatose, yet all the sensations around him were vivid and close to seizure-inducing. The colors spoke to Fear on a congenital level, like something he should have seen before but hadn't. That was how all the shapes were too. It all felt like home away from home, like he'd traveled a great journey and staked his claim in this castle. Fear made his way up to the door, able to hear nightingales chirping and owls hooting despite never experiencing those animals and their sounds before. It gave an ambiguous sense of presence to everything. Fear knew he wasn't alone, even if he couldn't feel anything more than himself at the moment.
Upon entry, he found Saway on the other side, greeting him in the throne room like before. She carried herself with pride and that familiar viciousness she had come to be known for. However, there was newfound respect in her eyes as they fell upon Fear's small form. She gave him a violent, ego-stroking smile as she walked over to him, nudging him in the chest with a hoof. "Good to see you, Colt."
Fear was in a daze the entire time, his mouth hanging open in a frown, like he was supposed to remember something.
After a moment of the mare staring at Fear expectantly, Saway's voice broke the silence. "Hey colt, you wanna learn something neat from my time alive?"
Fear finally spoke up, cocking his head to the side, perking up and standing a little taller, a smile emerging on his face. "S-sure."
Saway's horn dipped down to be level with the top of Fear's head, and soon enough tendrils of shadowy energy were creeping out of the base, slithering along her cusp nerve, and reaching out like fingers toward the air between the mare and colt. They conglomerated into an orb of swirling shadows that coalesced in the air in front of Fear. "Now you clench down on my magic with yours."
Fear nodded once and reached out with his magic, his horn lighting up with a warm white aura and clasping down around the orb, forming a glistening sphere around it that smelled a bit of vanilla extract on contact, while Saway's smelt like battery acid. Fear felt a little of Saway flake off onto him, causing him to giggle and roll his shoulders, leaning to one side and smiling even brighter. He shook his head, feeling all sorts of awkward at the intimate touching.
Saway then pulled away and brought a hoof up to her forehead, performing a rigid Equestrian military salute.
Fear hesitated for a moment, staring at her with an 'oh' on his face, before doing the same, going stiff as he held a hoof against his forehead.
"There you go colt. A magical hoofshake followed by a salute."
Fear had heard of salutes before. That's when he remembered the sword, Pugallop, and everything. His eyes went wide as he vibrated in place, his jaw going slack. "Oh oh oh oh! Did you, uh, used to wield a sword that worked with emotions?"
Saway's gaze narrowed at the colt. "Mh, yes, I did. How'd you know?" She eyed Fear warily, with a hint of skepticism.
"Apparently my Dad and Ame found one years ago. She kept it at my grandparents' house in Neighvada. You don't mind, do you?"
A look of sullen irritation crossed Saway's tense features, her face twisting slightly, clearly annoyed. "Eh, it's not like I can use it anymore. I don't like the fact that ponies went scavenging around in my home, let alone the fact that they found it." She shuddered. "But I'm not gonna stop you from keeping it. Besides, if somepony's taking care of it... I suppose I can grant my permission."
Fear's tail swayed back and forth as he beamed up at her. "Thanks Saway! I appreciate it!"
Saway slid past Fear, jabbing him in the flank. "Anyways, you should get going. My Princess of Death wishes to see you." She twisted around and gestured with a hoof for Fear to head to the lunar door.
The colt gave a nod and trotted toward it at an active pace. "Take care of yourself Saway," he called back.
"Hah, what else am I going to do around here?"
Fear just threw back a smile at her as he got along his way.
==========================================================================================
Luna, upon seeing her guest, called out to him. "Fearei Shatter, it is a pleasure to see you again. I see my little spell has worked well to bring you back here."
Fear halted in place, eyes spinning from the statement, head leaning to the side in curiosity. "I'm sorry, what?"
Luna gently trot toward Fear. "I cast a spell on you before you left my dreambubble. I keyed you to it, so from now on you will appear here when you go to sleep. After Amelioreit told me about your nightmares, I figured you'd appreciate a little more stability. I am sorry it took so long to go into effect, I had to get all the threads and coordinates right. Takes time, you understand."
The colt thought about it. It's a little annoying she didn't ask first, but it's definitely better to be able to see all my friends when I go to sleep from now on instead of dealing with nightmares. Fear then realized that he had no desire to bring his mother back into his dreams. Huh, I've really let go haven't I? Sure it'd be nice to see her... but the temptation was no longer there. It wasn't a prominent wish in his mind. "Why are you here anyway? Why aren't you out there in the dreambubbles?"
"Do not worry, Fear. I have been holding up my end of the deal, sending weakened mirror images of myself from bubble to bubble checking on my little ponies. I have discovered a lot for myself by reading them and learning about them. I found that this... Enclave has not only separated themselves from the wasteland, but a couple hypnomancers in their midst have made their own Flow solely for pegasi. It is a shame, really, that they would be so desperate to distance themselves that they would use my own spells against the rest of Equestria."
"You know, I'd feel worse about it if you hadn't done the same exact thing."
Luna's eyes narrowed, a grin forming on her face. "Touche, Fear. You are right. Still, it is a shame that they have done the same as me." Her voice had a mournful tone to it.
"So what else did you discover? You've been helping ponies. Anything interesting?"
"Hmm... I would have to say the most interesting ponies I have discovered within the primary Flow are the ghouls. According to them, they hardly ever sleep, and there are so few non-feral ones. One was a Steel Ranger dreaming about Applejack. I think I know who it was. He was so sure Applejack had died, but I... swooped in and rescued her from her fate in his dream, then brought them together so he'd find peace, even if only for a little while. I then spent a bit of time interviewing him. I do not think he remembered upon waking."
Luna continued. "I also managed to find a pegasus who dreamed about the wastes, though his bubble was still separate from the other races. Next to his I found one who was dreaming about the previous pony, that he'd been exiled from the clouds and ended up dying. I assuaged his fears by showing him a vision of his... what I assumed to be a brother, living beneath the clouds with other ponies."
Fear smiled brightly like a little lighthouse. "That's pretty neat. You find any really horrendous things too?"
"Yes, but not quite as horrible as I had imagined. The enslaved ones and the raiders are the worst though. The reapers make me shudder absolutely. It is such a shame the problems I have caused for everypony."
Fear shrugged. "Sure you caused a lot of problems, but there's no point in beating ourselves up for our mistakes. All we can do is try to move on and make amends for them. And so far, I'd say you're doing a bang up job by being there for ponies in their dreams and gathering information about the wasteland."
Luna put a hoof against her chest. "Thank you for that, Fear. Amelio has also been keeping me in check, making sure I do not produce a Tantabus to torment me for my sins." She shook her head a little.
"You better fucking not!" Fear squeaked. "We're suffering enough already, it's time for the suffering to stop."
"Certainly. You have changed Fear. You are a far cry from the colt that came to me a little while ago. It is... incredible the change you have undergone. And I am glad you still wear that necklace." She pointed to the screw with a hoof.
"Are you serious? It's only been a few days!" He then looked down around his neck. "Oh yeah, I got a compliment on it and stuff, it's really neat! What's it supposed to do anyway?"
Luna blinked once, slowly. "Nothing really, Fear. It is just evidence of what you have endured, and what I now believe you capable of. It will follow you in dreams and waking as long as you wear it, and even when you lose it, it is bound to you. You will come across it once more soon enough."
The colt grinned like an idiot. "Sounds pretty cool. Thanks for the present, Princess!"
"You are more than welcome, Fearei Shatter."
Fear swept his head to the side. "Anyways, speaking of information gathering... I'm going to Dryfield, Neighvada soon. You got any idea of what I should expect over there? No reapers, right?"
Luna tilted her head to the side and smiled bemusedly. "It doesn't really work like that, Fear. But from what my reflections have explained to me on our bond, there have indeed been some dreams taking place around Neighvada regarding a mysterious pony that goes by many names. Provisional Cure, Contingent Vision, and other such pseudonyms. He's apparently collecting a bunch of raiders together for his own ends, yet I could not find his dream bubble no matter how hard I searched. There are many things going on in the wasteland at once, so I cannot give more information than: he appears to be building some type of empire. Some of the ponies who dreamed about him also dreamt about the families they had to support."
Fear considered it heavily, dazzled by how much information she'd managed to collect. "Sounds like there's more going on than meets the eye."
A twinkle appeared in Luna's eye. "Yes, that is the feeling I get as well. It is nice to know as impulsive as you are you can see those things."
"I mean Mom always admired me for being able to see things not a lot of other ponies could so... yeah."
"Your mother must have been very intelligent, Fear." Luna had a gentle, parental smile on her face.
"You have no fucking idea." Fear laughed a little to himself.
"As for those ponies you mentioned: Dim Nova, Angel Swaddle, and Compressed Crate, I am still looking for the former. She might be dead, Fear."
Fear's heart seized up, eyes quivering, staring at Luna. "You don't... you don't think?"
Luna shook her head, her smile placating. "No Fear, I do not think she did anything rash. But we will find out soon enough. If I can't find her then I will find somepony who knew her, but then again you have to keep in mind that I can't check on everypony every night and some things are beyond my reach. I am only one mare."
"One mare with a ton of reflections!" Fear exclaimed with fresh hope.
"Indeed. But you should go find your sister now. I think she is busy meditating in the treasure room." Luna stepped off to the side, motioning to the vault behind her. "She is in there often."
Fear grimaced. "By the way, what about Crate and Angel?"
"Judging by their dreams, they have an adopted foal who's taking up most of their time and energy. That or they're dreaming of the same pony together."
Stress alleviated from Fear's face like evaporating water, becoming a look of exhaustion instead, like an anvil had been lifted off his shoulders. "Thanks Princess. I'll see you later." And with that he galloped toward the vault, opening the door the rest of the way and stepping into an alabaster room bereft of all luxuries and necessities, including distinguishable floor. All it had were some arched panel mirrors like you'd see in a mansion.
Amelio looked up from her spot in the... middle? Of the room, sitting on her haunches. "Oh, Fearei, it is you. I am happy to see you! How are you?" Her voice sounded tired, disoriented, and isolated.
Fear had a solemn expression on his face, brows leaning outward, a sorrowful smile on his lips, a little wateriness to his eyes. "It's good to see you too, Meels. I'm doing really well to be honest. I feel like I've beaten back most of my depression. I can focus more easily on the present, and I don't feel like I'm as guilty anymore. I'm just... stable. Aside from the nightmares before now." He grinned and shrugged, eyes arching in their sockets.
Amelio smiled back and nodded once, standing up and making her way over to Fear, pulling him into a loving embrace.
"Oh! I also met a new pony recently by the way! Her name's Faithdriver."
"Oh? What is she like? Tell me all about the ponies you meet, Fear."
Fear focused, his face twisting up, tongue hanging out, forehead scrunched as he focused on the room and summoned a dream construct of the mare he'd met, who was by far taller than him, and a little more bulky due to being an earth pony. The construct was carrying her saddlebags, weapon, and everything!
"Ooh! She is very interesting, Fear. You certainly meet the strangest ponies."
Fear giggled and snorted nervously, looking off to the side. "Yeah uh, she's a preacher and... uh. Really believes in friendship and stability. She's a good friend. She knows about my changelingness and all that good stuff."
Amelio looked back to Fear with a sly look in her eyes and a teasing grin. "Oh? Is that so? And just how did she find out?"
"I uh. Told her?" Fear's eyes darted from side to side.
"Mhm, as I would expect. Fear you have to be more careful." Amelio had a chiding, motherly tone to her voice.
"Hey! I was really careful. I knew she'd understand, stop teasing me." Fear blushed a little, batting a hoof at her.
"Yes, I bet you were," she stated with a sardonic inflection. "Anyways, Fear, I wanted to tell you. I do not know when my time will be up. I am sure as the decades pass I will need to spend more time in here until eventually I just... fade away."
Fear shifted uncomfortably from hoof to hoof. "Fade away?" His voice sounded like a chastised colt.
"Yes. You might forget me, you might not. My impression on you may diminish over time. I do not know what will happen. Eventually my presence in the dream world will fade and I will be able to do close to nothing. But you have our father, and hopefully you will have him for a long time to come. As well as your new friends. Keep making new relationships, Fear."
Fear's face scrunched up like an accordion, ever troublesome. "I will fight destiny itself to remember you, Meels! I won't let you be taken from me."
Amelio just gave a knowing, lidded smile, a sparkle in her eyes. "You need to work hard on becoming incredible, Fear."
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The town the trio found themselves in was derelict and gray, like the rest of the wasteland. They had been moving from house to house, doing cursory examinations of the insides for anything useful or unique and moving on to the next. It was a good way to pass the time, and it wasn't like they were in any particular hurry. Fear seemed the most excited about the exercise. It reminded him of time with his mother scavenging in cities, and it also kept his morale up. For him it was a like gambling, you never knew when you were going to finally strike it rich.
After all, Faith had already found her canned food for the night, and a little something else to make it worthwhile with Fear's help.
They were in another such building, with Sim advising Fear to keep his voice down in case of raiders, in which Fear reminded Sim that he'd feel the raiders coming a mile away so it wasn't that big a deal, all as they searched a new house, this one looking plain and more than abandoned, yet well kept. There was also an old sleeping bag in the kitchen where somepony had probably been staying at one point before being ambushed by raiders.
Faith and Fear were busy scouring over old bookshelves, of which there were many in this little abode, clearly the home of a scholar. Faith was the first to find something interesting, using a couple hooves to part some books out of the way and using her teeth to yank out a manilla folder that was packed to bursting with pages. Thankfully for her, when she pulled it out, set it on a nearby table, and opened it up, the papers were all stapled together. She didn't quite understand what it was at first as Fear continued looking over the bookshelf.
"What'd you find, Faith?" In the background the two could hear the opening and closing of cupboards, drawers, and cabinets. Sim was fishing around for something to call his own, but was mostly finding junk that they couldn't take with them or risk oversaddling themselves.
Faith hummed in thought, leafing through the pages. "I think it's... I think somepony was intending to write a book?"
Sim called out from another room. "A manuscript perhaps?"
Faith nodded once, though nopony could see her. "I think so. It's called Friendship is Discord." She paused for a moment, putting it all away and slipping it into her saddlebags. "Strange, and not usually something I'd go for, but it looks well-researched and convincing enough. I'll have to give it a read. It appears finished but unedited."
Fear 'huh'ed and gasped when he came across a rather fat tome, pulling it out and scanning over its cover. It had three different faces on it in a triangle pattern. Each was cross cut down the middle, with one side being an equine and the other side being some kind of psionic alien. The cover said Shadow Paladin Saga with the bottom reading out Three in One novel by Christened Gold. Fear twisted it over to read the back while floating it in his magic, quickly scanning the words. Apparently it was about a unicorn archaeologist who was on site when an alien entered his brain, then he had to go on a journey to save the alien's race and himself. It was touted as a novel for young adults that would bring them into a world of sci-fi adventure. Fear nodded appreciatively and stuck the book in his saddlebags. He'd come across a lot of books,but many of them were generic romance novels that had been 'fixed' by the Ministry of Image. There were also some action Daring Do novels, but Fear wasn't too keen on those. He'd read a couple inside one of the bunkers Storm and him had stayed at, but they never held his interest like some of the others. "That's neat, Faith." Then he called out to Sim. "You find anything Dad?"
Sim murmured something before speaking. "Ah! Here we go!" Under a pile of blankets and other stuff near the sleeping bag... "I found a black cup and a bunch of dice. We could probably play some games with it."
The colt was officially satisfied with their haul. "I think we got enough to last us awhile then." Fear gave his saddlebags a pat with telekinesis and headed for the door.
Sim called after him. "Hang on Fear, still gotta check the bathroom. Maybe there'll be some medicine."
Fear rolled his eyes. "We don't really need medicine remember?"
Faith opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Sim. "Remember Faith is traveling with us now, so it's best to be prepared."
Fear huffed. "Yeah, you're right."
Faith just smiled pleasantly. "You're kind, Sim. Thank you for thinking of me."
Sim accepted the gratitude gracefully. "Any time, Faith." After some rooting and rummaging around, the stallion came back out with a smile. "I found some antibiotics and WTSD pills. Could go for a high price, who knows?"
Faith clapped her hooves together. "Thanks Sim. This place was really worth it."
Fear rolled his eyes. "Yeah, the other houses barely had anything of value."
Sim laughed. "Nothing you thought was valuable at least. Faith found some food through it."
Fear smiled lopsidedly. "Yeah, yeah. True."
"Well, let's get going then," Faith offered while shifting her saddlebags on her back and heading out.
After a few moments Fear broke the reticence. "So, Faith. What's Friendship City like? I was told once I should go there and join the Friendship Canaries."
Faith hummed, as she was wont to do. "Well, Friendship City isn't nearly as wealthy and protected as Tenpony Tower, but it has a lot of shops and things to do. Even has a movie theater that plays films once every week, with a little donation booth to help keep things up and running. There's a library and a spa, and overall it's just a really swell place. The Canaries are rather kind, and while the orphanage is gone now, it's still teeming with life. It's such a misfortune that the ghouls were kicked out though." She murmured to herself, thinking about it. "While I did learn some carpentry while I was there from books and the Canaries, the upper levels are unusable because of how volatile they are. But that's also why your new necklace really appeals to me. I used to like fixing things in my off time. Stabilizing and repairing things. I did the same thing with laughter when I was younger, and still sometimes do."
Sim waited for Faith to finish before speaking up. "Friendship City is kind of a quiet place. Very nice and pleasant. There are some good ponies there. I've done my business around it before, and thankfully they don't charge me taxes because I don't live there. I've met some very kind ponies, and some ponies you'd never expect had a history out in the wasteland."
Fear took in all the information and thought on it, imagining what Friendship City must be like.
==========================================================================================
Some time later, within Luna's dreambubble, Amelio, Fear, and the host were spending time together, enjoying each other's company while Luna catered to her little ponies in their dreams. It felt good to have somepony other than just Nyx and Saway to talk to for once.
"Amelio, I'm really excited to see that sword you found."
"Sword?" Luna prodded curiously.
After remembering, Amelio laughed gaily. "You know, I had forgotten about that thing."
Luna nudged Amelio. "What sword?"
Amelio turned to Luna and nodded a little. "Yes, Princess. I found a sword awhile back that belonged to your old guard."
"It belonged to Saway apparently," Fear interrupted.
Amelio looked at Fear with a startled expression, clearly taken aback as Luna leaned forward in interest, like a pony who'd just caught a juicy piece of gossip. "Interesting. I never would have imagined those would be found. Hm."
"What are they exactly, Princess?" Fear asked, putting his forelegs on the ground in front of him.
"They are exceptional swords made from quartz and a special metal alloy, so that it absorbs the energy around it."
"Oh! Oh! Can it absorb magical attacks?!" Fear was suddenly swept up into a fervor.
"Not quite, Fearei," Luna began. "It doesn't have the right technology for that. However, it does allow it to absorb emotive and raw magical energies in order to have a mind of its own. Each of my sister's and my swords were imbued with our essence so that they would be able to... I suppose you could say keep their wielders company when they were alone."
"Huh, okay then. Is there anything else about it I should know?" Fear was still curious just not as fervent.
"Well," Amelio stated, "negative emotions cause it to wither and rust but positive emotions help upkeep it."
Luna gazed at Amelio admiringly. "Indeed, and further, positive emotions will cause it to surge to its wielders defense. Taking care of it encourages it to take care of you. With negative emotions it will lash out accurately at others, but may ultimately lash out at you as well. It requires a keen balance." Her gaze fell on Fear next. "Do you intend to use it, Fearei?"
Fear stammered. "I mean... I don't know. Do I really want to? It seems like a huge responsibility, and I don't know how I feel about using Saway's sword for trivial things. And to be honest I don't think I'd want to pump it full of negative emotions at all, I don't want to hurt it."
Luna and Amelio smiled toward Fear as Saway walked in. "If we're all being honest here, I will too: I don't mind you using it." Her voice was as raspy and violent as ever, with a condescending subtext. "I just want it to be taken care of. It was incredibly important to me." Saway gave a curt, affirmative nod. "Princess Luna is my existence, both in life and death. To be completely honest? You would have had a hard time wielding it before your trials anyway. All full of pent up, tumultuous emotions that you were, they would have seeped into the sword and confused it. But now that your mind is at peace, it will listen."
Fear hesitated. "Still... I dunno," He dragged out.
Luna put a hoof against her chest. "Fear, I would be honored if you used one of my swords to help protect you and others. I am sure you would have made a great knight or bodyguard during the war, probably for my sister."
Fear rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, smiling like a doof. "Aw fuck, you're jus' sayin' that Princess." Fear bat a hoof at her, cheeks flushing ruby as he looked away.
"Well, maybe a little," Luna admitted with a teasing tone. "Also you should really watch your language Fear, it is improper around a Princess."
Amelio got a sly smirk across her face. "Right, like I do not hear you constantly using antiquated swear words while I am in the treasure room."
Luna huffed and stuttered, grimacing and narrowing her eyes, blushing intensely. "I! Mh! I never! Sard! I am just doing that because I see so many terrible things in the dreambubbles!" She tried to excuse herself, giving a little grunt and sticking her nose into the air.
Saway, Fear, and Amelio began laughing pretty loudly at that. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Fear's New Hive (Part 1) | The Neighvada Desert was... almost barren. Flat dirt everywhere covered in a thick layer of dust. It was less akin to sand dunes and more like a thin layer of powder that covered the cracked ground. Craggy rock formations rose and spired here and there, with mini plateaus randomly placed. Everything was some mute shade of gray, with gentle oranges, peaches, and browns. Things were dry as chapped lips, and relatively cool despite the location. However, the most interesting part of the whole area were the creosote bushes and other vegetation; the scattered patches of bristly, shrubby, clumpy stalks; gatherings of various cacti and yucca dotting the horizon, pushing up from the earth in a smattering. This interspersed flora demonstrated that it was different from the rest of the wasteland, barely touched by the fallout, though still tainted.
Fear, Sim, and Faith had recently made a pit stop at an oasis that was on the singular road leading through the desolate environ, rimmed by stone ridges. They'd spent a little time playing a dice game that involved the art of lying in order to win. Faith had been incredibly bad at it, hilariously so. But despite that Fear had been unable to refrain from taking pity on her and believing her nearly every time she'd told a fib. Sim was skilled, and Fear was getting better. It made for a well-rounded game overall.
It was currently early in the night as they traveled, though it could hardly be discerned aside from the altered climate. Fear and Faith were reading while walking, with Faith holding the stapled pages in one hoof and occasionally turning the page with her talented teeth and walking on three hooves, while Fear held his novel in his telekinesis. Both of them trot at a leisurely pace behind Sim, who seemed to be waiting for something while on the edge of his hooves.
Eventually they took a break from reading when Sim started speaking, both of them looking up from their material, Fear's ears flicking and Faith's eyes lighting up. Fear was more intrigued than Faith, and it seemed to be more geared toward him anyway. It was just an explanation on how and why the desert had grown unusually tamer since the bombs had gone off, as if the climate change in other areas of the wasteland had spread to here, albeit indirectly.
When Sim was done talking Fear finally glanced toward Faith, thinking long and hard about what she'd been reading. He'd been curious for awhile. "Hey Faith, what's that... manuscript? About, anyway?
Faith hummed, measuring her words carefully as she cautiously slipped the folded pages into her saddlebags so she could walk unencumbered. "Well... it's about how friendship, while harmonious, is not inherently without Discord."
"What do you mean? Sounds different from what you're usually preaching."
Faith gave a small nod and continued. "As in: there is order, sure, but there is also chaos in how it makes us feel. It can make us feel all sorts of emotions, from sad for someone else, angry at something someone has done, happy spending time together and being merry, and even mourning with one another. It's never really the same or monotonous, it's an orchestra of emotions that rises and falls based on the conductor that is life."
Fear was impressed, as evidenced by the way his eyebrows rose on his face, jaw hanging open in an 'oh.' "That's oddly poetic."
"Mhm," Faith continued. "It also brings to light the fact that... well. We make friends with both those who are similar to us and those who are different. It takes all kinds to make a group of friends. Opinions are constantly differing. This text makes the argument that if friendship were truly order, we'd be talking to ourselves and no one else. We would just be speaking to mirrors. Friendship requires chaos in order to thrive, in order for us to realize what matters in life and who's important to us. It explains that there is harmony in disorder. It goes into far more detail than that, even using survey data, but that's what I'm taking from it so far."
Fear was in awe at the concept, considering it heavily, glancing forward once more.
"What's your book about Fear?" The colt could tell Faith wasn't actually that keen on learning, able to tell by her emotions radiating from her, but knew it was only polite to show mutual interest.
"Well, it's about this guy named Rebel Ram, who's honestly kind of a timid unicorn archaeologist. He starts on an empty alien planet researching something, I don't remember what, when he gets a letter from this big rich guy named Valentine - he's the son of an emperor - to go study an artifact on another planet. It's an enormous temple, far bigger than most things, that belonged to some fourth alien race - there are three alien races by the way - who was some kind of a hybrid of two of the three. It's all gold and blue and shit. He goes there with his team in order to check it out, but it turns out there's an immovable gate leading further in that they can't get past. So one night while he's thinking on how to access this inner sanctum, he gets inspiration from this hermit crab thingy, whatever that is, and realizes that the combination for the door must be something that's relevant to every living creature, no matter how big, small, advanced, or basic. He realizes that the combination must be this thing called the Golden Ratio, so he returns to the gate in order to touch the rectangles next to the door in that pattern with his hoof, causing it to open up. He celebrates for a bit, before hurrying in where he finds a psionic alien with no mouth who belongs to the more reptilian of the three races, who's laying dying in a spaceship, frozen in time. Ram touches her without thinking and time just sort of... starts back up again, and with it the alien's spirit surges into his brain, taking up space in it. It gives him these telepathic and psychokinetic abilities that are beyond a normal unicorn, and he's now trying to live with a new presence in his mindspace; turns out she's some kind of keeper of knowledge."
Faith's interest was genuinely piqued now. "So Rebel Ram essentially becomes an empath like you?"
"S-sort of. It's far more than I am, but it's really close! I kind of love it to be honest. It's nice to be able to relate to him, even if he is a total pansy sometimes."
The journey continued on in relative reticence for a long while, with just the padding of the trio's hooves on the dirt and the light breeze passing between them. Fear eventually turned on his mother's radio to break apart the quiet, leaving him to enjoy some jazz tunes all over again. He'd missed this.
Sim finally spoke up, as if he'd found what he was looking for. "We're in range, you two. I'm going to send word to my mother." He then went silent as the others looked on inquisitively.
Mom, you there?
Oh, honey! It's been so long! I'm so glad to hear from you! Especially because... mmh. How do I put this? There was a weariness and hesitance to Emulae's mental voice. Your father's been kidnapped, Simmy.
WHAT? Sim was rendered speechless and looking like an idiot, his maw gaping and eyes disbelieving. He slumped forward, getting into a readied stance as if looking to take somepony on even as they continued walking, like he was going to fight a phantom enemy.
Yes. The kids and I-
KIDS?
Yes, Simmy, calm down. It's okay. The Steel Rangers have said they're going to help Jack in exchange for some free radaway. It's fine.
"THE STEEL RANGERS?" Sim was finally shouting out loud as well as in his head, both vocalizing and sending it on the wavelength. Fear and Faith looked at him with concern.
Fear questioned his father. "What's going on?"
I said calm down. Again, it's fine. Some mob boss or some such sent a couple of ponies to us saying they're taking Jack with them to see their leader, and I haven't seen him since. I'm sure they're just talking with him and he'll be back soon enough. And if not, the Steel Rangers will be able to rescue him. Now quiet down, everything's okay. Your siblings are eager to meet you.
Sim stopped in his tracks, trying to keep up, holding his head in a hoof. Mom. We're coming now. And we're going to save Pop.
Honey, come on. Emulae was pleading. They have control of the entire town, you're just going to stir up unnecessary trouble.
Bullshit, Mom. Pop needs us. We're not letting some upstart have his way with us. End of discussion.
"Dad?" Fear repeated.
Language, sweetie! But fine, I can see I'm not going to be able to change your mind.
By the way, Mom? Sim was tentative.
What is it honey?
Amelio's dead.
The line went cold.
"Dad, what's going on?"
Sim grunted. "Change of plans, Fear. Faith, you can stay at my parents' place if you want. Fear, you too. Once we're there I need to go into town and find out information about this mob boss or whatever who's running things around Dryfield. He took your grandpa."
"WHAT?" Fear exclaimed. Faith looked even more worried. "No way! I'm going with you too."
Faith replied, "I as well Sim, you've earned my loyalty. And who knows? Maybe we can talk some sense into them."
Sim's expression was grateful and tense, a gentle frown and teary eyes. "Thank you, you two. Supposedly the Steel Rangers in the area are looking into it but who knows how long that'll take?" Sim's inflection was sardonic.
"The Steel Rangers," Fear questioned, "why are they here?"
"They occasionally receive discount supplies from my parents in exchange for normally keeping them safe."
"WHAT!?" This was becoming a familiar word for Fear. "Why didn't you tell me!?"
Sim's explanation was logical and succinct. "Because Fear, I didn't want you getting any big ideas about befriending or, sisters forbid it, joining them like I did when I was young."
Fear thought about it, looking up at the cloud cover and pursing his lips. He nodded his head from side to side and responded. "Alright, that's fair," he relented. "Let's get going."
After a moment Fear spoke again. "Oh by the way, Princess Luna actually told me something about this!"
Sim glanced back to Fear with a lifted eyebrow. "Oh? What's that?" Faith glanced to Fear too, clearly intrigued.
"Yeah, apparently he's trying to make the wasteland a better place or something, and a bunch of ponies depend on him for their livelihood? I'm unsure. She's still looking into it."
Emulae's voice came back a moment later. Simmy? You there?
Yeah Mom, what's up? We're on our way.
I'm sorry about little Ame. She was such a sweetiepie. I'm sure you miss her tons.
Sim was quiet for a moment. I really do Mom. She was my world for so many years. But I'll get over it, I'm sure. She visits me in my dreams now and then. Anyways, I don't want to talk about it right now, I'll be there soon with a couple guests. They already know so don't worry. One of them's my son.
Oh? You found Fearei? I look forward to seeing him! Take care of yourself.
Bye Mom.
==========================================================================================
Sim was the first to approach the door of the quaint farmhouse abode after the trio had traveled through some rather large fields of pumpkins and sunflowers among other, albeit tinier sections of crops. It was amazing the family was able to get it all watered and harvested. Fear asked as much as they neared.
"It helps that it rains hard, though rarely, in the desert, and that the climate's changed over the years. The old windpump also aids the efforts." Sim responded with the knowhow of somepony who had spent his early years farming.
Fear wasn't sure that was acceptable enough, but he ended up just looking behind them, staring at the plants that would one day be reaped. The way they swayed in the gentle breeze. Fear looked further and saw a strange structure rising up out of the earth in the fields - it was the windpump - he didn't know that though. He watched it spin lethargically, holding the colt's attention for much longer than it should have, slowly entrancing him with its revolutions. Suddenly, before he knew what was going on, he was being swept up in a giant hug by a... someone with carapace?
"Ohhh my little Fearei!" Whoever this was, her voice was brimming with uncontained energy, even if they sounded aged. "I never thought I'd meet you!" Her exclamation was drawn out like she was trying to squeeze the life out of Fear with both her forelegs and her words. "Ohhhh! Such happy days! My little grandson! The smallest thing there ever was!" Her voice was sweet on the ears, like succulent molasses added to an already delicious dinner.
Fear's wind was completely squeezed out of him for awhile, his cheeks puffing out and eyes bugging out from their sockets. He struggled to breathe, before eventually being set down, allowing him to get a good look at Emulae.
She was a beautiful changeling, with polished inky black carapace covering her entire body. Numerous holes covering her four legs in an artsy pattern and one punched through her curved horn. Her ears looked like a crown of seashells, much like Viola had when he'd seen an image of her. He was kind of in awe with how vibrant she was, with her compound fuschia eyes, wings, and gossamer tail and mane, the latter which was done up in a ponytail. The shell covering her barrel like a ribbed saddle made out of incredibly tough membrane was a vivid amethyst, leaving her to be possibly the most gorgeous thing Fear had ever seen. The way the light refracted through the chitinous wings, a pale shade of pink, a little see through, left an impact on the colt, nearly enchanting him.
Immediately, before Fear could finish taking her in or finish reveling in her appearance, Fear was beset by a trio of hybrids, tackled to the ground and getting nuzzled from head to hoof, all over as if they were searching for love. Fear couldn't understand what was going on, his head swimming and reeling. He tried to take in the visage of all three as he attempted to recover the ability to speak that had been knocked out of him.
Emulae spoke carefully, making sure Fear was paying attention. "Fearei, this is Chirpy Chatter." Emulae gestured to the most hyperactive of the bunch, an earth pony colt with pumpkin orange coat of fur, some unshorn fetlocks, and wavy asphalt gray mane and tail. It looked dusty and dirty. He had a cutiemark of a cicada with music notes flowing from it.
"Rose Touch." Emulae then motioned to the unicorn filly who Fear could've sworn was kneading out his stress, concern, and surprise just by touching him with hooves. Rose was covered in various violets and rose colors, from red to pink. She was oddly gentle with him, yet had a piercing gaze that prodded his soul and made him feel as if every facet of himself, including his sins, was being laid out for everypony to see. Her cutiemark was an equine body surrounded by rose thorns. They, oddly enough, didn't look painful.
"And Aromirage." Fear looked to the last in the bunch, an earth pony filly who had been the first to move away from him. She looked as shy as a deer with the way she was positioned, about ready to bolt for some kind of cover. She had a long, curtaining mane that was a brilliant sunny orange and fell over one of her eyes, her tail curling upwards at the tip. Her coat was a soft periwinkle that was perfectly groomed. Mirage seemed to have a very sweet scent about her that made Fear's body feel like jelly, turning him into mush, everything becoming all wobbly and difficult. Her cutiemark was... hard to explain. It was a pile of powder with aroma lines wafting off of it. Fear was still trying to get his bearings, standing up and putting all his gear back on.
"Hey hey hey Fear, good to finally meetcha! We heard about you before! Hardly know ya though!" Chirpy was enthusiastic and right in Fear's face, nearly shouting at him.
"It is... a pleasure to meet you Mister Fearei," Rose simply said.
"H-hi F-Fearei," Mirage stuttered out before hiding behind her mane, clearly the youngest of the three.
Fear tried to get back on track, squeezing his eyes shut and opening them, seeing Faith and Sim talking in the distance. "I uhh... good to meet you three too? Or... something. Sorry, I'm kinda at a loss." He shrugged a shoulder. "I didn't know I had more siblings?"
Chirpy's smile was energetic and beaming. "Silly!"
Rose grinned as well. "We're actually your uncles and aunts, Mister Fearei."
Fear rubbed his noggin, able to feel a headache coming on. They didn't look much taller than him, except for maybe Mirage who was shorter, and they didn't sound much older than him, yet he knew they were younger than him by at least four years, maybe more? It was irritating, burrowing into his mind and leaving him feeling frustrated. "Well, uh, why don't you show me around I guess?"
Chirpy was quick to volunteer responsibility. "I'll show him around! I can do it! Pick me pick me!" He started racing around in circles, much to Fear's chagrin.
Emulae smiled. "Go for it Chirp, he's all yours." Emulae ushered the others back inside, leaving Fear to be escorted around the farm.
Chirpy showed the older colt the barn, the pumpkin patch, the sunflower fields, some other crops, and the windpump, explaining all of it to him and how it worked; the schedules in which everything was harvested and how they took care of it all.
Fear was flabbergasted by the end of the about half hour tour, trying to keep up with the hyper colt. "Why..." He tried to put the question he had into proper words. "Why do you all seem so... mature?" Fear wasn't sure that was the right question. Chirpy wasn't immature per se, from what he'd seen of him. Just young. He seemed like he did and knew a lot, and might've even been better educated than Fear.
"Well, maybe it's 'cause most changeling hybrids age quickly in order to fulfill their role in a hive? I bet that's it. It's why we found our cutiemarks so fast. But I mean we've also been raised in an effort to take over Mom's and Dad's place on the farm one day. Learning how to sow, harvest, barter, et cetera. We're familiar with all the equipment and everything."
The colt was stuck up on the 'changelings grow faster to contribute to the hive' part of that explanation. It didn't really make total sense, mostly because it hadn't been the case for him. Had it? He'd mostly started really growing after his mother died. Another silver lining he supposed. At least it was when he got his cutie mark. "It wasn't the case for me. I didn't grow fast. It took awhile after a traumatic event to realize my role, and even now I'm not so sure."
"Well maybe you're just a special case Fear? Or maybe it's because you don't have as much changeling in you as us!?" Chirpy was full of suggestions.
Fear wasn't certain why but that felt really insensitive. He couldn't place it. His impression of the colt soured a little. "Well what's your role?"
Chirpy was quick to explain. "Well, I inherited my father's skills with speech! Sort of. I can chat with monsters and plants and tame them all with enough time and effort. Though if I'm not careful I can be a little annoying."
Fear rose an eyebrow. "You don't say?"
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Chirpy was indignant.
"Nothing. What about the others?"
Chirpy was easily distracted, starting to elaborate on his siblings. "Well, Rose is an up and coming masseuse, that's what our parents say, and Mirage is this thing called an aromatherapist. We all use our talents on the farm and in town, as well as provide physical labor. It keeps us busy and fulfilled and we enjoy ourselves, so what's not to love? We're eking out a life for ourselves just like our parents!"
Fear got a far-flung look to his eyes, a little glassy. "Neat. You three really have it all here don't you?"
"Well, I mean, until Dad was kidnapped. But I mean.. Mom's doing a really good job of keeping us in high spirits, it's contagious."
Fear stared at Chirpy with a soft frown on his face. "Don't worry, I'm going to get him back for you if it's the last thing I do."
Chirpy swung his head from side to side emphatically. "No. Make it one of the things you do, not the last. I don't want to lose my nephew." He slung a foreleg over Fear's shoulders and held him close, causing the colt to feel mildly uncomfortable.
Fear glared at Chirpy, but huffed and acceded. "Fine. It'll be one of the things I do." Dear Celestia, Chirpy was a hoofful.
==========================================================================================
The guest room Fear had been given to stay in was simple and sweet, made from boards of wood, wooden pillars, etc. With a somewhat gaudy throw rug that was a mishmash of colors and designs, chaos in its purest form. Some basic necessities like end tables, dressers, and beds with accompanying sheets. It was all rather... plain. But something about it was comforting to the colt. It felt like another home. Like a cozy grandparents' house. Fear had never experienced before, so he wasn't sure why he could compare it to that, but that's how it felt. He was still trying to come to terms with the nymphs and Emulae as he balled up on the bed, cuddling his Breinstorm plush. All of this was so hard to get used to. It was strange - he felt so... ostracized, but he knew they were more welcoming than anypony he'd ever met, aside from maybe Crate and Angel. Fear was contemplative over it, not depressed nor offended anymore. Just... dazed.
Rose tapped on the door a few times. He knew it was her from the whispers of her soul. "Mister Fearei, may I please come in?"
Fear looked up from the wall and glanced toward the door with a loose jaw. "Sure. And please, call me Fear."
Rose cracked open the door, slipping in gracefully as if she were made of fluid. "I heard you had a... 'good' time with Chirp."
Fear rolled his eyes and twisted away. "Define 'good time.'" Fear felt oddly open with her despite only knowing her for a little while.
A sagely smile crept across Rose's face. "You sure you're not feeling that way just because of things he said? He can be a little bullheaded and inconsiderate sometimes. He's made Mirage cry once or twice because of his words. He's still working on fusing to his role. Aside from that, he told me what happened. You've probably been fulfilling your role for longer than you thought."
The colt considered it carefully, before returning to face her. "Hmm... Sure. Yeah. The tour was fun and I learned a lot. He's just a hoofful."
"He really is. I hope you forgive him though, he's just a little too hyper."
"Yeah... yeah, I getcha. I won't hold it against him."
"Good, thank you Mister Fear."
Fear raised an eyebrow. "Just Fear is good. I don't like being called 'mister' right now. I'm not that old."
Rose lidded her eyes and giggled. "Okay, Fear, as you wish. Anyways, I was told you wanted to see niece Ame's heirloom."
Both of Fear's eyebrows lifted up in surprise at that, something that was happening a lot lately. "You mean...?"
"Yes." Rose turned to the door. "Mirage, if you could, please."
Mirage slowly came in carrying the sword on her back, nudging the door open all the way with her muzzle and making her way over toward Fear. She was trembling, her chest heaving, yet her breaths came out in quiet pants that could barely be heard. She was obviously scared.
The scabbard was nothing interesting, just a little thing made of old cloth, stained here and there. The real show was in the sword itself. It had a long, indigo, rod-like handle made for swinging it with telekinesis, with an ornate, cratered pommel shaped like a crescent moon. The entirety shimmered and reflected light like a mirror, yet it was sturdy enough to take some hits. It looked awe-inspiring, like the actual moon. The crossguard, which Fear assumed was for catching things, was also rather full of detail. It looked like constellations. And the silver blade that reached for what almost seemed like forever to a colt as small as him was magnificent and sharp, precise and lethal. Its edges accurate. When he looked closely he could see the quartz lining it, and he could feel. Fear's eyes dilated as if he was lost in a trance. It felt like Luna, it felt like Saway, and it felt like Amelio. It had Luna's grace, Saway's viciousness, and Amelio's obsession for him. It wasn't their soul, just residue of their personality.
Then came the memories, rushing back into him like a flood. A tsunami that broke apart his mind, causing him to shake and shiver, nearly dropping the blade. They were vivid memories of his nightmare where he and his sister fought to the death in a cavern of crystals. She had been using this sword, and he had been using a solar themed one. Fear immediately resheathed it and put it next to his saddlebags.
"I-is it t-to your liking, Fearei?" Mirage could see the colt trembling.
Fear nodded once, a harsh gaze permeating his features. He was inheriting something special. Now he knew for sure that he wanted to wield it. Sure it would have been nice to have that sun one - he felt like a sun - but this would be good enough. It had his sister in it. Fear's voice was tentative and bewildered. "Yes, Mirage, thank you. It's... incredible. More than I expected. I can feel the potential radiating from it." He definitely could feel the power.
"I... I'm glad, Fearei. I'll be going now." And just like that she hurried out of the way before he could respond.
Rose watched her go. "That's our usual Mirage. If you get her talking about music or smells though you'll have her yapping your ear off. Just have to know how to keep her with you then she's all yours." Rose turned back and smiled to Fear. "Anyways, I'll leave you alone now. I'm sure you have a lot to think about." It was almost like she could read his mind. She was likely just reading his expressions.
Fear nodded dumbly and made his way over to the bed again, still contemplative. He wondered if he ought to go to sleep and tell the others the good news? It was getting early in the morning after all, and they'd want to travel when it was night-ish. Better temperatures then.
Time seemed to pass by in a blur as Fear laid there not knowing what to expect, isolated from the world. Unexpectedly, Fear felt Faith's presence coming to the door. And then she stopped, and started knocking. He glanced to the door again. Faith had a really unique knock. Just the power behind it, the rhythm and pacing, everything. It felt like the mare, light-hearted and groovy. It's special, bringing a smile to Fear's face despite all his overwhelming feelings. "Come in."
Faith entered, pushing the door open all the way. "Hello Fear, it's good to see you. How are you holding up? You okay?"
"Ye'h." Fear thought about it, resting his head on the pillow again. "Just don't know what I'm supposed to do, and being around so many energetic ponies is draining. I don't know why."
"Who knows, Fear? Maybe you're actually an introvert or some combination of it and extrovert?" Faith knew so much.
Fear repeated the word. "Introvert...? I mean, maybe." Is that what I am? "I didn't grow up with many ponies around me always giving me attention, and the world was pressure enough. I already told you all about my growing up and such. I just don't know what to say to them."
Faith nodded. "True, but you never gave me any examples of what it was like growing up with your mother. You should do that sometime."
Fear considered it. "Hmm... maybe. You really that curious?"
A patronizing smile crossed Faith's face, though Fear didn't catch it because it felt less like an insult and more like a tease. "Fearei, I didn't grow up with parents remember? I'd love to hear what it's like to have one. Seeing you snuggling with your father now and then has been fruitful for me."
Fear grinned again from ear to ear. He couldn't help but smile around Faith. The unknown pony who'd spoken to him was right, she really was the most pleasant pony he'd ever been around, aside from Crate and Angel at least. Fear sighed slightly and bobbed his head once. "In that case I'll tell you about the time she took care of me while I was suffering from radiation poisoning." |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Fear's New Hive (Part 2) | Breinstorm always had a melodic, syrupy warmth to her voice that echoed and reverberated in creatures' heads, seeping into the cracks and gunking up the thoughts and works. It was always a pleasure to hear, and the mare could often keep her composure in even the worst circumstances, even when being eaten alive by her anxieties. She was currently with her young son in an old, cluttered bunker full of old supplies and trash that needed to be taken out one day - today was not that day. They were holed up, with Fear laying on the bottom half of one of many bunk beds. Storm had spent a few long, grueling hours searching through the Seer's Eye for a way to get some radaway that would be sure fire, using tips and tricks to speed up her searching and increase her prowess.
"Honey. I need to leave for a little while but you'll be okay while I'm gone won't you? I need to go out and get the medicine that will protect you." She'd already given him some Rad-X that happened to be in the bunker to slow the spread, but it wouldn't be enough to actually cure it. Still, it'd stymie it until she could get back.
Fear was feverish, his stomach nauseous, barely hanging on to consciousness as he shuddered and heaved, his eyes lidded, sweat drenching his entire form. "N-no Mommy. Please. Stay with me." He reached out for her, scared more than could be.
"Be brave for me Fear. Be the little Fearshatter I know you can be. I've made you as comfortable as I can, I love you so much, and I know you'll be okay. I want to protect you to the ends of Equus, but to do that I need to leave." Storm brushed a hoof through her son's mane, getting really up close to the pale foal.
"P-please at least sing me my song first?"
Storm nodded once, smiling brightly, and turning her head to the side. The lyrics to Wanderer's Lullaby flowed out from her gut like she'd taken singing lessons far back, ringing in the air with a sort of sloppiness from years spent neglecting the skill. Still, her voice could calm a storm, with a latent thunderous energy behind it that could deafen a hellhound.
Fear was quickly slipping into rest, his shaking, swaying body stilling as sweat dribbled down his face. The last thing he remembered as consciousness left him was his mother leaving the bunker for Celestia knows where.
Fading in and out of consciousness was a horrible, surreal thing. You never knew when you were going to collapse for the final time, but at the same time you could hardly tell you were even alive. Everything was so bleary and off the walls. It was like lingering in zero-g, unable to do anything without pushing yourself off something else. Fear wanted to move, but he hardly had the strength. He wanted his mother. Wanted her presence. But she promised she'd be back soon, and she was always right. She was always strong, and always succeeded.
When he finally awakened, fully aware and not just dipping in and out, he felt so much better, yet exhausted. Storm was gently petting through his mane, singing the song again as he recovered his strength. His eyes teared up to the brim, his breath hitching in his throat as a smile spread across his face. Storm was his angel. He let out a cute sigh of bliss, closing his eyes. "Mommy?"
"Yes sweetie?" Storm had a superior, victorious grin on her face. Having beaten back the odds simply because of her scrying capabilities. Fate could get fucked.
"Thanks." Fear's voice was full of gratitude and worship.
"Anytime, my little Nightlight."
Fear eyed the glimmering pendant around Mommy's neck as he drifted off into sleep again so he could heal the rest of his energy.
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"That was a sweet story, little Nightlight." Faith gave Fear a teasing wink. "Your mother took really good care of you, didn't she?"
"Yeah, she was the best. Coddled me a lot. I miss her a lot, but... I don't really... miss her, you know? Not anymore. I mean I miss her but it's like? I'm not obsessed anymore. It's nice to just live my life without her now, because I can do that. I don't need her anymore."
"That's a sign of growing up, Fearei. I'd say you're doing rather well overcoming your demons."
"Thanks." Fear blushed faintly and pressed his muzzle into the mattress.
"Anyways, I have to go now. I'll bring you up some dinner so you don't have to spend more energy around the others. I'm sure they'll understand."
"Thanks again, Faith. You're a real friend."
"Anytime Fear." And with that Faith slipped out, pulling the door shut behind her with a hoof.
Silence reigned over the room once more as Fear thought about his past. It'd been awhile since he'd spent time recalling growing up with his mother, all the times spent learning with her and being protected by her. Honestly it wasn't that exciting, looking back on it. But it had been special to him. Developmental. It'd given him the love he'd needed for long enough, and given him time to grow until he could make it on his own. I was so shy back then Fear thought to himself. Or was it that I was just in some kind of catatonia? He only knew that word due to his Tormented novel.
Sim came in awhile later levitating a plate with a slice of pumpkin pie and a strange, onyx-colored ring in his magic. "Hey there son, how you feeling?"
"Hmm..." Fear leaned his head to one side. "Much better to be honest. It's nice to have some time alone to really... register everything that's happened, you know? To really understand that I have such a big family now and to come to terms with it."
Sim gave a fatherly nod and sat down on the bed next to Fear, setting the plate closeby and holding the ring up. "Do you know what this is, Fear?"
"Huh? No. Is it a wedding ring?" He'd heard of those! There was one in his novel.
Sim laughed gaily. "No, Fear, silly. It's a magic inhibitor. It's made from hivestone. Back before the war most of them were made from it before they were developed technologically."
Fear sat up and floated the slice to his lips. "What's hivestone?" Fear then took a huge bite of it, not recognizing the food but not caring. His face lit up to Tartarus and back as his eyes dilated, all from the taste. He munched and nommed, his teeth crumbling crust and smearing the meat of it everywhere, his tongue flicking around. "Wow, this is delicious," Fear shouted through a mouthful of food.
"Hahaha, yes it is Fear. And hivestone is a naturally occurring rock formation found around Equestria, especially on the outskirts. It emits a wavelength that jams almost all forms of magic in its vicinity. The largest masses release an aura, but the smallest chunks will only negate magic within it. This ring for instance, only magic that goes through the hole becomes nullified."
Fear continued chewing voraciously and then swallowed. "That's pretty neat. What are we going to use it for?" He took another fervent bite out of the pie, already almost finished with it.
Sim grinned slyly. "Well, in case we come across a unicorn on our journey tomorrow, we're going to use it on them. Simple, right?"
Fear was a little surprised as he finished chewing and gulped down the food. "So we're leaving tomorrow night?"
"Yes, Fear. Indeed. So you better get some actual rest soon. We'll be leaving first thing so we can gather information."
"Alright Dad, I'll see you later." Fear finished stuffing his face full of pie and hoofed over the plate.
Sim grabbed the plate in his turquoise ether. "By the way, Faith will be sleeping with you tonight."
Fear's ears perked up. "With me? Or in the same room as me?"
Sim gave Fear an unamused, scolding glare. "You know which, Fear."
Then Fear realized there must not've been enough rooms to house all of them so they needed to share. He looked away. "Yeah, sure, thanks."
Sim left the room, but not before whispering to Fear. "Good night, sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams, Dad," Fear replied right back. And with that Fear cozied up on the bed with his plush, seeping into sleep.
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Returning to the castle courtyard was becoming a calming ritual that Fear couldn't get enough of. It felt like a breath of fresh air after a lifetime spent breathing nothing but pollution. It brought his senses back into gear and rendered him docile and peaceful, unafraid of anything that could come at him. It was difficult to ever get worked up when he knew he was coming back to a portion of his family every night. Come to think of it, Fear's family was growing very rapidly lately.
Fear approached the throne room, everything melting into place around him as he glanced ahead to Saway and Amelio having a chat. They both noticed his presence first - first Amelio then Saway when she saw her glancing toward him - then both trot up to him.
"Fearei!" Amelio was as excited and tired as ever.
"Colt!" Saway just as militaristic. She felt like what Fear would imagine a sergeant to be like.
Fear bounded toward them with a smile on his face, as if he were hopping into the afterlife with a settled heart. "Meels! Saway! Good to see you!"
Amelio chided Fear. "Remember not to sleep too much, you do not want to become obsessed with me." Despite the chastising tone, there was also a teasing inflection.
"Hah, whatever. You know I have more will than that!" He bat a hoof at her, shaking his head.
Amelio just giggled sweetly as Saway looked at them bemusedly.
"So how are you doing, colt?"
"Well I met one of my grandparents." Fear gave a little shrug of his shoulders.
"Oh?" Amelio queried. "Only one? What happened?" She sounded a little concerned.
"Yeah. Grandpa Jack's been kidnapped or whatever by some ponies. We're going into town tomorrow night to figure out what on Equus is going on."
Amelio was a little worried, but overall she had a serene air about her. "Well, if anypony can do it, it is you. Be careful, I want to see you back soon enough."
Fear nodded once, firmly. "Oh by the way, apparently we also have a couple aunts and an uncle now. Chirpy Chatter's the uncle. Rose Touch and Aromirage are the aunts."
"What? Really?" Amelio cocked her head to the side. "I have not heard of them, but I might be able to visit them in their dreams."
Fear shrugged a shoulder. "They were probably born sometime after you last saw your grandparents." Truth be told, that's exactly what had happened. Jack and Emu had realized they wanted more kids, not only to take care of and enjoy, but also to take over the farm since they were getting on in years. Fear lifted a hoof nonchalantly. "Anyways, they're really nice, though Chirp's kind of a dick sometimes. He doesn't mean to, it's just... he doesn't think."
Saway swatted Fear upside the head, causing the colt to wince. "Be nice, colt. You hardly think before you act and speak either."
"Yeah but I don't..."
"Yeah, you have hurt others. Give him a break," Saway insisted.
Fear sighed. "Fiiiiiine. You're right. I'll look past it." It was hard to do though! "They're overall nice anyway. They have bright futures and they look like they're happy for the most part."
Amelio's expression was pure happiness and relief, lifting a hoof up and holding it against her chest. It eased Fear's heart and reminded him of everything he loved about his sister. He wasn't sure if he was romantically attached or just platonically, or maybe it was a bit of both? "That is how the world should be in the end. Everypony happy and not having to suffer."
Saway's eyes spun in an arc. "No. You're kids so you wouldn't understand, but everypony needs to go through some sort of difficulty in order to grow and become strong. Otherwise they become soft or don't fully develop their morals."
Fear was about to say something but Saway cut him off.
"No. There's a time and a place for everything, and so long as our difficulties don't break us, they make us better."
Fear shook his head wildly, then slumped. "Actually, I don't really know to be honest. But I just know I'm lucky to be the me that was able to repair himself."
Saway nodded a couple times. "The scars will last forever, not everypony can go through the kind of therapy you experienced, colt. Still, difficulties shape us. They give nutrients to our soil and are akin to the sun's rays. They are one source of our life."
Amelio was ever the good filly, being non-argumentative, just thinking on what her elders had to say and either dismissing it or accepting it. She didn't have any counters, clearly.
Fear was still uncertain. "I do agree difficulty has its place but... I wanna see a pony grow up smoothly."
Saway grinned to one ear. "Some would compare difficulties to rocky or tainted soil. Unable to grow anything good. I don't. I think it's rich. A few problems bring ponies to their peak."
Fear had no contradiction, so he just dropped it. "By the way, I saw your sword Saway."
"Oh? What'd you think, colt?"
Fear tilted his head from side to side and pursed his lips. "It's very... interesting. I can sort of feel Princess Luna and both of you in it. Not the soul, but your emotions, your personalities. It's a strange sensation, like some kind of..."
Saway's eyes lidded. "Like an AI?"
Fear gave a confirmative nod. "Yeah, exactly. Like some kind of robot. It feels real, even if I know it's not. But I'm gonna treat it like it's real, because you guys did say it could lash out if not taken care of properly."
Amelio grinned from ear to ear. "That is a good idea."
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"According to my ongoing research within the bubbles, Contingent is looking into a way to cure radiation and taint so plants can be regrown in the wasteland. However, it is strange, I still cannot access his dreams. I know he's sleeping, but there seems to be something blocking my vision." Luna was thrown for a loop. "The same goes for some of his minions. He might have taken your grandfather in an attempt to meet those ends. Viewing your grandfather's dreams show he is not being treated horribly, though they clearly do not respect him. I cannot say why, as Pep has not met Contingent in person." Luna shook her head as she briefed the colt. "It is a mystery, one I am sure you will be able to solve in the waking world. Still, his minions do have faith in him, and seem swayed by his confidence and will."
Fear was sitting quietly, listening intently, feeling a sort of prickly danger creep up his spine, leaving him shuddering and with goosebumps forming along his flesh, tickling the back of his neck. Something was very wrong about all of this. There was far more going on, he could tell. Or was it just his imagination or paranoia? He couldn't discern. "Alright, thank you Princess. I appreciate it." Fear's voice was tense and on edge, his teeth grinding together in worry, almost gnashing.
"The world really has fallen apart, has it not, Fearei?" Luna's inflection was sorrowful and resigned, her feelings a maelstrom of negativity.
"Yeah, sure it has. But it's just going to make us stronger when we get through it. Don't abandon us yet, we still got a lot more strength to show you. Life's gonna be a close call but we're gonna win." Fear gave her a reassuring smile that prodded Luna's lips into curling upward.
"Just... be careful Fear. It seems this Contingent wants to do a lot of good, though I do not know how I feel about organized crime of any sort."
Fear gave a firm nod. "Sure thing, Princess, thank you." He then glanced off to the side. "Say, Princess, do you think it's necessary to go through hard times in order to grow?"
Luna considered it silently, closing her eyes for a moment as she dwelled. "I honestly do not know, Fear. I do not know what is right. But that is what wisdom does, it shows you how much you don't know. It shows you all sorts of uncertainty."
"Then what good is experience?" Fear blurted out.
Luna opened her eyes, a kind smile spread across her face. "Let me finish, Fear. I may not know what is right, but I do have advice. It doesn't matter whether it is right that we must face difficulties, what matters in the end is how we respond to the cards we are dealt. What matters is how we face life with our mortality and limited powers. I was always weaker than my sister, often couldn't keep up in our learnings with my teacher Starswirl. I realized I handled things the wrong way, and I have continued doing so out of that weakness. Yet I am still getting more chances to improve." Luna's eyes contracted as she stared at Fear. "I do not regret the past any longer, and I think that is something we all must learn in order to become powerful, no matter what our past consists of, in order to move on to the future with heads held high." She put a hoof on Fear's shoulder. "If you had to go through everything all over again in order to attain what you currently have, would you?"
Fear adopted a faraway look to his eyes. He thought about his mother, the family he hurt, the ponies he killed, Crate, Angel, everypony he'd met that he regretfully couldn't remember with clarity, Amelio, Sim, Freiya, the ponies in Stable 47, Faith, Emulae, the annoying Chirpy, the sagely Rose, and the shy Mirage. All of them flashed through his mind in the span of moments as his jaw hung open and the memories penetrated his soul. He was lax for awhile before stiffening visibly. "Well, to be honest, no. Not yet. I'd rather not have killed anypony in that family."
Luna just smiled. "You'll get there eventually. When you finally have closure perhaps, or maybe when you have learned to fully forgive yourself. You are still struggling to overcome. You are nearly there, just a little bit further.
Fear's head fell and rose. "But to be honest... changing any of it seems like it'd change everything. And I don't know if I want that." He stared at the ground.
"Indeed. All you need to do is think about it and you'll succeed." Luna then paused. "Fearei, there is somepony I would like you to meet,a close friend of mine for probably 1,200 years."
Fear's face contorted in confusion. "What? Who?" Who else could there be that he could meet?
"His name is Nyx." Though not many knew it was not his full name. Luna turned around to face the empty space around her. "Nyx, you can come out!"
A portal filled with swirling purple and black shadows emerged from nothingness, out stepping the golden and yellow pony Amelio saw the first time she met Luna. Fear was impressed with his wizened visage, the slitted draconic pupils rendering him curious, the sheer presence holding him down. Nyx seemed so aged, his mane and tail a mess of hair. The cutie mark on his flanks was also strange, a single dot with two rings surrounding it in a pulsation pattern. It was the symbol for Hypnos, not that Fear knew.
"Nyx, this is Fearei, the one I told you about. Fearei, this is Nyx. He was around before the time of Starswirl the Bearded. He is an empath like you."
Fear was dumbstruck as he gazed at the exhausted pony. "Wait what? He's an...?"
"Yes." Nyx's voice was calm and flowed like a river. It gushed against Fear's mind and left him feeling almost crippled with peace. It had a gentle lull to it that drowned the colt in an emotionless state, leaving him feeling at one with the world and so over it at the same time, like he just wanted to be the pony's friend no matter what. "It's a pleasure to meet the colt who has received such accolades and benevolent judgment from Princess Luna. I have heard much about you."
Fear could instantly tell that the shadows, the monsters in the dark, and every nightmare imaginable rested at Nyx's beck and call, as well as fled from him, as if he had mastered them. His aura did not stretch forever, but it stretched far and wide. Fear wouldn't be surprised if the nightmares had tried to escape from under his hoof.
"Nyx was an empath who became tired of conflict in this world," Luna began, "he tried his best to bring peace to ponies, making friends with many different species, including dragons and thestrals."
Huh, Fear thought, Faith would probably like him.
The ancient stallion had a drained countenance. "I was always very adamant toward them that I spoke only for myself and nopony else though. And that I wouldn't be able to be around forever."
Luna grinned wearily. "He was also adept at manipulating dreams, and taught me a few tips and tricks while I was Nightmare Moon. He prefers to remain private and undisclosed however, often hiding in the shadows."
Fear's eyes jolted to Luna. "When you were Nightmare Moon?" Then back to Nyx. He had been told stories of the nightmare by Luna a couple times. "But that would... that would mean."
Nyx looked away. "Yes, I live on the moon. As a mass of lingering emotions more than anything else. I exist most prominently within dreams."
Fear blinked rapidly, trying to wrap his head around such an existence.
"I created what you know in your time as a spell matrix in order to achieve a long range teleport to the moon. I wanted to get away from everyone and just live in peace, away from every emotion on Equus. I am sure with you experiencing the pain of the wasteland you've wished for that on numerous occasions."
Fear nodded dumbly.
"Unfortunately for me, a group of ponies eventually built one of those structures on the moon. A stable."
Fear's mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried to process, tried to come to grips with what he was hearing. "That's pretty c-cool. But I don't know if you should have ran away."
Nyx's face took on a lopsided smile. "I know that Fear, but I was reaching the end of my life. It was time to entrust the future to everypony else. Besides, heroes were starting to rise up around Equestria and... it was just my time to go Fearei."
Fear's expression was a little sorrowful, bottom lip protruding and eyes gazing emptily. "Well, at least you were there to keep Princess Luna company I suppose," he stated with a tentative smile and a light shrug of a shoulder.
Nyx smiled broadly. "That's the spirit."
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Dryfield was an interesting yet unassuming town. It had once been a rather large hotel with little twists and turns, brick bridges and metallic staircases leading to upper levels, with balconies and an old water tower combined with mill to pump more refreshing liquid from underground, much like a larger town might have, luckily for this place.
On the outskirts of this hotel, with its attached shop and sky wagon garage for travelers, was a small field of old faded pull wagons scattered about from ponies who'd come from far off after hearing about news of potential prosperity, with a few pony-made landfills and trenches on the borders for protection.
It was one step away from being taken over and made into raider territory, yet so many steps away at the same time. It could make a final stand, yet it was so vulnerable. Much like the equine body, it just took the right contact in order to shatter it to pieces, otherwise it'd keep going til kingdom come.
The bar Fear, Sim, and Faith had gone to had once been the hotel's check-in, with kegs put behind the counter and shot glasses from the wasteland plus the hotel rooms filling shoddy cabinets, recently made out of dead wood. It was amazing the nails still held to this day.
Overall, Dryfield was a wonder and a scummy rotting place all in one, with a solitary road traversing through it.
Scavver's Tavern was busy, bustling with ponies just shooting the breeze and gossiping about nothing and everything, from the state of their houses to the future of the town and everything in between. It was a place for information like all fables with such places, and Sim was busy interrogating ponies about the recent transition from civilized ponies to outright thugs working for some higher up. He was having a difficult time getting any information, even with Faith helping him out by keeping the mood light and assuring others that things were fine. Everything was fine. Nothing could be better.
Fear was busy sitting at one of the downtrodden tables next to the latest equine of interest, grilling him on various topics and technicalities, including his set of weapons that were encrusted with gems of all types brimming with the scent of o-zone, giving him an almost rejuvenating aroma, masking whatever was natural to him. The thing was, he wasn't equine at all. He was vastly different from any creature Fear had ever met, or maybe would ever meet. He was a cat. A bipedal, talking tabby with exotic, dangerous stripes and a tail that just didn't quit. He was clad in old, muted clothing that had a few rips and tatters from close calls, and a little cloak that wrapped around his neck and draped down to his feet, which were covered in a pair of greaves beset with jewels of the highest caliber, as were the plated gauntlets covering his paws. He gave Fear the impression of a world weary traveler who had given up everything for the sake of a dream, but what kind of dream could possibly exist in the wasteland? Then again, Amelio had a dream once upon a time. The cat had a plaintive countenance that left Fear wondering just what he'd given up.
"So, Gentler, you're from Abyssinia huh? Tell me about it. This is the first I've heard of it." Fear was leaning on the table with an 'elbow,' head in a hoof, staring at the cat with renewed interest. His pronunciation of the Abyssinian's name was a little unusual, the first part of it less like 'generation' and more like 'again.'
Gentler took a swig of his shot, his eyes lidded, whiskers on his face quivering. He looked rather beat up and gamey. Slightly wrecked and somehow titillating, with a latent energy that told Fear: this is a cat who could beat my shit up. Which just left him more alluring to befriend. "Colt, why don't you go bother someone else?" He had an aloof tone to his voice, having seen too much and not wanting to be bothered.
"Come on, be a pal. I just want to learn more about the world. Surely you can appreciate that!" Fear didn't dare reach toward the Abyssinian, not wanting to piss him off. He knew under the table, resting beneath the cat's legs, was a saddlebag like he'd never seen before. It was actually just a backpack, but Fear had still never seen that type in his life! It also had a strange seal on the back with a faded flag with a green crystal on it. Fear assumed it was the flag of Abyssinia but he couldn't be sure.
Gentler glanced at Fear with a raised eyebrow, setting his drink down. Fear could tell he was amused, and maybe a little curious as well, even if he didn't show it. Besides, the colt had on his pair of saddlebags, the sheathed lunar sword connected to his saddlebags, and a beat up-looking Gallop. But the most invigorating part of his ensemble were his eyes and the screw necklace. It spoke volumes about the kind of pony he was. That he was just as strange as this Abyssinian. It probably helped that, just as Sim had left Amelio's saddlebags at the house, Fear had left his plushie there too in the care of his uncle and aunts. "Fine." It was abrupt and a little rude. "What exactly do you want to know?"
Fear put both forelegs on the table and leaned forward, waggling his eyebrows. "Well you know... for instance, the history of Abyssinia, why I've never heard about it, what those gloves you have are, what you're doing here, what your goals are. Stuff like that?"
The cat considered it, his tail giving a flick. "As for my country, we specialized in magically enchanted gems. Decades ago we reverse-engineered artifacts like the Misfortune Malachite, learned how they ticked with the help of some of Equestria's finest. We learned how to imbue them with spells and make them greater than they ever were before, and how to generate certain effects with artifacts."
Fear was in awe, his jaw hanging open. "Wow! That's pretty cool. What's the Misfortune Malachite? It sounds dangerous."
Gentler lidded his eyes, sipping his drink. "It's a cursed artifact that causes whoever wields it to experience untold misfortune and bad luck. It is the downfall of everyone who lets it get near them. Back a long time ago some said it was just baseless superstition but... well. Even the Storm King found out the hard way you don't screw with unknown forces."
Fear was leaning forward, tail wagging rapidly. "Who's the Storm King!?" He liked kings, sort of!
"Before the Great War between Farasi and Equestria started, as things were reaching a boil, Abyssinia was attacked by a satyr known as the Storm King. A white-furred, horned menace that conquered all in his path and had a hunger for power the likes of which not many creatures saw in their lifetime. We were easily outnumbered and outgunned by their technology, learning a harsh lesson about the meaning of battle. We reached out for anyone who'd listen to our plight, searching for help from anyone, and ended up getting the aid of Princess Celestia. With her and a detachment of her knights our land was freed. She pursued the Storm King who had been betrayed by one of his commanders and as it was going on Celestia took him down and had him sent to Tartarus despite his attempts to sway others."
Gentler finished off his drink, slamming it down on the table.
"They say taking the Malachite with him and keeping it close to his breast was the reason he'd been ultimately betrayed and defeated. After that our treasures were returned to us and ponies occupied our land in case of zebra attack while we finally got our butts into gear and started researching ways to become stronger. We were safe from the eventual balefire bombs while we harnessed the power of gems. The first beneficiary of that technology was a unicorn by the name of Tempest Shadow, who was given greater control and channeling ability over her magic. As thanks for our assistance, even though she was more of an experiment, she vowed to protect us."
The colt recalled his vision of himself in that palace of crystals that felt so long ago now. It seemed they could do just about anything. Fear was in wonder for a time. "Well, what about you? What's your story? Why are you here in Equestria? Why would you ever come here?"
An impish, cat-like grin played across the Abyssinian's face. "Mh, about that. I was a naive kitten long ago, looking to see how I could repay Equestria for helping us in the past by bringing it back to its former glory. No idea how I was going to do it, but I wanted to try. It was a one-way trip, and I eventually gave up and just settled down."
Fear frowned deeply, reaching forward and putting a hoof on Gentler's arm. "That's sad, I'm sorry. We don't deserve outside aid to be honest."
"Maybe not, but you got it anyway."
After a moment, Fear queried further. "What was it like growing up?"
Gentler's slitted, lemon yellow eyes rolled back, as if scanning his brain for the information. "Eh." His voice was leery and cynical, with a hint of worldliness to it. "I was mainly raised by my mother."
Fear grinned and yapped, "hey, me too!"
Gentler's smile only increased in intensity, his eyes having an otherness to them that made Fear wary. "I had a bunch of brothers and sisters. My father was a scout for our king and he was often away on missions, but I admired the importance of everything he did for the kingdom. He was a hero in my eyes, just like everycat who had come before him, and even Tempest Shadow, whatever happened to her. All my siblings went off to do their own thing."
"Do you wish you could see them again someday?"
An obscure, secluding haze settled over Gentler's eyes. So far away, he looked like he wasn't even in the same universe anymore. "I mean, maybe. If I got a chance. But I'm still trying to figure out how best to help my new home."
Fear was impressed. "You're devoted, huh?"
"I... I guess you could say that."
A few moments later Sim and Faith came up. "Alright, come on Fear. We're headed to an institute about half a day's walk away. We'll get there by daybreak if we leave now. That's where this boss we're looking for is." Sim's voice was a bit of a rumble with how frustrated he was at having to go through any of this.
Fear looked to Sim, then to Gentler. "Hey, I gotta go now but, Gentler, would you like to come with us? You might feel more fulfilled if you do."
Gentler raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair. "Go where? What could a colt like you possibly be doing?"
Fear beamed. "We're going to go save my grandfather from a mob boss or some shit!" He was super happy!
The Abyssinian gazed long and hard at Fear. "Sure, if you're feeling up for a fight."
"A fight?"
Sim groaned. "Come on Fear, we don't have time for this."
Fear waved a hoof at his father. "No, no Dad, we totally do. Besides, the more the merrier. So you want a fight huh? I guess I can abide by that."
Gentler pushed his chair out with one fell swoop, yanked up his backpack, and swept it around him, slipping it onto his back, arms through the straps. "Sounds good, colt. Come on then. We're wasting moonlight."
Fear quickly hopped after the cat with unadulterated enthusiasm pumping through his body. Couldn't be that bad right? "You've seen the moon before?"
Gentler confirmed that with a sour nod. "Yeah, the clouds don't extend to everywhere."
Sim followed after Fear. "Come on, Fear, listen to me. This isn't a good idea."
Faith was uncertain. "He seems to be trying to judge your son's character, Simmy."
Sim glared at Faith. "I figured that much, but we don't have time for it. Besides, Fear could get seriously hurt. He's hardly ready for a one-on-one fight like this."
Fear met Gentler outside, both of them getting low to the ground in a fighting stance, with the colt speaking up. "So, you want a fight huh? Let's do it."
Gentler extended a hand. "Come at me, Fearei. Let's see what you're made of."
Fear unsheathed his sword deftly with telekinesis and held it in the air, charging ferociously at Gentler with a battle cry.
Gentler casually stepped to the side, punched once. The sword came up and blocked it, barely quivering in the air. He punched again, this time going for a sideways uppercut at the colt's face. The sword twisted around and blocked that too.
Fear transformed his right forehoof into a blade and rammed it into Gentler's abdomen.
Gentler spun to the side, one of his legs sweeping up into a roundhouse and aiming for Fear's side. The sword twisted around and blocked the foot, sliding under it and shoving it into the air, sending Gentler off balance.
The Abyssinian did no more than jump back on one foot, then lurch forward in a series of swings, all ricocheting off the sword, until with the final hit in the combo the gauntlets glistened and a magical nullification field surrounded it, slamming into the sword and causing the telekinesis surrounding it to fizzle out. It fell to the ground.
Fear's eyes went wide as he felt the follow-up spin kick coming. He ducked under it. The Abyssinian hopped up, continuing the spin and bringing his other leg down on top of Fear's skull as he landed on the previous foot. The greave thudded when it connected.
Spittle flew from Fear's mouth, nearly biting his tongue from the shock of being struck. His mind reeled and everything went numb.
Gentler followed it up with a hook right for the side of Fear's head. Fear responded just barely by forming a mound of carapace on his cheek as the fist connected. The chitin cracked apart on contact.
Despite the armor, Fear's body fell to the ground like a ship's anchor from the force of the punch, collapsing in a heap.
Faith quickly raced over to Fear as he groaned in the dirt, unable to get up, the carapace receding.
Gentler had a keen look to his eyes. "Looks like I win colt. You really should learn to fight better."
Fear complained. "You used magic!"
Gentler grinned, one of his canines sparkling. "You should have used more magic, colt. Your enemies aren't going to hold back. At the rate things were going I could have ended that fight long ago."
Fear huffed, getting up, his cheek swollen, a lump forming on the back of his head under his mane. "That hurt."
"Gonna cry about it, colt?"
Sim was about to step up but Fear held a foreleg out. "No... I'm just frustrated. I thought I was making so much progress in my training."
Faith gently stroked through Fear's mane. "You are honey, you're still young though. You have to work harder at it."
Gentler crossed his arms over his chest, cloak billowing. "The mare's right, colt. You have a lot of work to do before you're capable in melee. But, nonetheless. I'll go with you. Someone needs to watch your back."
Fear smiled despite the pain he was in, his jaw aching and head brimming with agony. His brain felt like it'd become engorged and was now threatening to spill out of his skull. "Well. Welcome aboard." He uttered bitterly with a hint of enthusiasm. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Saving Jack Shit | Along the journey to their destination, Fear had intuitively taken it upon himself to pile all of his team's skills into a cauldron and mix it about to see what kind of plans came up in his mind. He already knew Sim's changeling abilities, and Faith's skill with distraction and charisma, but Gentler was a complete blindspot. He had certainly asked Faith if her weapon was silent, to which the mare had replied 'not at all, it's more of a sniper rifle, the shot can bend depending on what it feels near it.' She'd also explained that she had a pair of binoculars in her saddlebags, and was still looking for a gunsmith who could find a way to attach some kind of scope. It was a curiosity where she'd found it, but Faith told him it was a personal story that she didn't feel like sharing yet. During the rest of the discussion Fear had revealed just why he'd been able to form carapace and transform his hoof into a small blade.
Gentler had been surprised, but not put off. After all, he'd accurately judged Fear's integrity. He'd hardly even looked shocked, but Fear could feel it.
"Well, colt, I've gotten good at stealth ever since coming here, I can hunt relatively well - it's easy for me to pick up on days old tracks and remains, as well as to catch scents and sounds on the wind. I learned a little medicine, how to make various tonics, while I was in Abyssinia."
Fear hummed, picking up the habit from Faith. "Well, what can those gauntlets of yours do? I know they disrupted my telekinesis when we were fighting."
An arrogant smile formed across Gentler's face. "Heheh, I'm glad you were able to pick up on that."
Fear snorted. "I mean it's not like it wasn't obvious or anything. Like, seriously. What do you take me for? A dolt?"
Gentler slapped Fear on the flank, causing him to feel slightly uncomfortable, glancing back at the Abyssinian. "I don't know. You seem like you have a long road ahead of you, for sure! I don't know how much faith I have in you. But you're interesting for sure." His emotional waves remained stable, no sign of intention to deceive lingering in it.
Fear rolled his eyes in a circle. "Gee, thanks."
"Anyways," Gentler continued, "they have three gems, so three spells loaded in." He had already explained, in terms that Fear couldn't understand, how the combination of metal, cores fused into the gems, and specialized wires generated and conducted magic. "There's nullification, magnetism, and electricity. So I can punch through a magical barrier, increase the strength of my punch like some kind of gauss rifle if the creature has armor, and deliver a paralyzing shock. Temporarily."
Fear nodded sinisterly, rubbing his chin with a hoof. "Nice... nice." He cooed to himself. "I'll try to come up with a plan."
Sim didn't have high hopes for his son. He was still inexperienced. What kind of plans could he possibly come up with?
Faith was hoping that Fear would be able to come up with something. She wasn't much of a planner.
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It was daybreak by the time the group reached the institute. They could see a large two story building that spanned for a couple blocks in the distance. It was made of gray concrete, way too blocky to be considered artistic, and rather plain and boring. The windows were spartan at best; simple and barely there, and it had a skywagon parking lot in the front. The block letters on the front that distinguished it from any other building was falling apart, with the forest green paint flaking off and fading: Stable Tec Environmental Institute of Equestria. Some of the letters were missing, but it could easily be guessed what the overall message behind it was. It was a souringly appropriate base of operations for what they were here to put a stop to. Fear was the last to notice the two snipers on the roof of the institute.
Fear's mind was already raging inside as he tried to come up with a plan of entry, but Sim easily slipped past the squad, motioning for them to wait there, as he approached the pony out front currently standing guard. He was a unicorn decked in a pair of pistols and leather armor made from bloodwings, with a few chitinous plates taken from radscorpions. Overall he looked like a force to be reckoned with, even if his stance, muted colors, and frizzy hair screamed less 'danger' and more 'get the fuck off my property you stupid kids.'
Sim waved at the two snipers before sweeping a hoof through the air as he called out. "Hello! Sir! Are you available for a moment?" His voice sounded like that of an expert solicitor but he was hardly one.
The stallion made vague horse noises in frustration as his green eyes lidded. "Get away from the property, we don't want whatever you're selling."
Sim coughed into his hoof. "Ah, right, certainly. However, I heard your boss was looking for more... able-bodied ponies to do his, ahem, dirty work. And I figured we could be the ones to do it. We even have somepony with us good with medicine who might be of help!" He pointed toward the Abyssinian as he finally got right up in the pony's face, beckoning his accompaniment to join him once he was sure the pony wouldn't shoot on sight. Fear was the first to hurry over.
The stallion lifted an eyebrow as he stared at the gathering of ponies. Sim had a less than threatening air about him. He seemed more like a pony that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. How could he hardly be an example of muscle? "And the colt?" The stallion asked while pointing a hoof at him.
Sim 'ah'ed. "How could you not possibly recognize one of the most dangerous raiders in the wasteland? Look at those eyes of his! Perfect at seeing in the dark, nary a thing wrong with them. He's a perfect sniper! And that sword of his? Could slide into the cracks of the toughest armor imaginable. He's a walking typhoon just waiting to be unleashed!" Sim had his foreleg draped over the colt as he stared into the stallion's eyes. With a little influx of magic through his brain and pumping into his eyes, an imperceptible green light shone across them for a split second.
The stallion jerked slightly from the sensation of worms wriggling into his brain through his eyeballs. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation at all, and if anything felt like pure bliss and relaxation. A strange contradiction to be sure. The stallion's eyes lidded and he felt more... more agreeable. He didn't know why but all of a sudden there was no reason to really test them. This dazzling pony's words were worth their weight in gold. "Hm. I... I guess. Fine. I'll let you through. Mister Contingent Vision is in the superintendent's office, just follow the map on the first floor." And with that the stallion stepped to the side in order to let them past.
Sim gave a grateful nod and ushered everyone in ahead of him. "Thank you so much sir! You are very kind. Here: for your trouble." Sim pulled out ten caps from his saddlebags and held them out to the stallion.
The unnamed one rubbed his head with a hoof, trying to become aware again. There were faint whispers and delirious static bristling in his brain that felt so incredible he couldn't explain why he suddenly felt so good. It just felt that good to be under Sim's sway. Or maybe Sim was just that experienced. "N... no, that's okay. Keep it. I'm glad to... to let you through to see my boss."
Sim just smiled broadly. "You sir, are very kind to an old stallion like me. Take care of yourself, I'm sure we'll be working together before too long." Sim gave the stallion a pat on the neck and headed inside.
Faith whistled. "That sure was impressive, Simmy."
Sim's eyes revolved in their sockets. "Don't call me that please, that's reserved for my parents. But thank you Faith."
Gentler was just busy looking around while Fear was staring at his father in awe with how he handled that situation.
The Institute was economical, in a word. With hardly anything decorating the lobby aside from a marble stand displaying a glass map of the compound, a front desk behind it for checking in, a small station to the side for security which appeared to be half full, a hallway at the far end leading forward and then off to either side, and right before that a spiral staircase that led up to the second level. The second level was a raised platform that circled the edge of the lobby with a few hallways scattered here and there that led to different areas. Everything was silent.
Fear piped up without any provocation, though he was quiet about it. "There are guards. But I think they're busy playing. Their intentions are all over the place."
Sim's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I saw a couple cameras outside directed at the front entrance."
Fear boggled at his father, he hadn't seen those! He had to pay better attention.
Sim immediately made his way up to the map, followed by Faith and the rest.
The map was elaborate, and though it showed an elevator further in on the first floor, it did not seem to go up to the second. There was also a set of stairs on the second floor that went up to the roof. Gentler was the first to point out the oddity.
Sim reasoned it out. "It probably goes down a floor. It would make sense that the research would take place below ground and outside around the facility." He then pointed with a hoof toward the map of the second floor. "There's the office." And with that he was hurrying along his way. There was nopony at the front desk to stop them.
Gentler was impressed with the sheer capability of Fear's father as he followed along on the stallion's heels, the group heading up the stairwell and to the glass catwalk ringing the lobby. They took a couple turns with Sim leading the way, Fear's heart pounding in his chest. Things were way too quiet for his comfort. He thought about turning on his radio but fought the urge as a bit of perspiration flowed freely.
"You're right Dad, by the way," he finally said, "there are ponies underground. I can feel their souls. Some of them seem to be sleeping right now." His gaze was a little empty as he searched with his sixth sense.
Sim wasn't surprised, just glaring at nothing in particular.
The group had a false sense of security, making as much noise as they wanted - except for Gentler who was always as silent as a mouse aside from the gentle click of his greaves. As they rounded a corner an earth pony greeted them. He was staring long and hard at them. The pony had a glorious golden mane and tail with ash-y streaks running through it, as well as a burning orange coat that was a little too shaggy to be healthy. His mane hung over his eyes slightly, as if he could use a haircut. His eyes were a brilliant bright emerald with a crimson sheen. On his flanks was a reptilian green ouroboros cutiemark.
Fear felt awkward under the gaze and took a few steps back. He felt something off about this pony. He had something behind him, at least that was the best way he could describe it.
"What are you here for?" The stallion's voice was... unhinged. A little feral. Like he'd spent time in places ponies shouldn't be spending time in.
Sim adopted an amicable expression at the drop of a hat. "We're simply here to offer our services to Mister Contingent Vision, nothing more, nothing less." Sim continued a moment later as the stallion analyzed him. "I'm Simulacrum, what's your name?"
"Simulacrum, huh?" A sneer formed on the pony's face. "The same Simulacrum that Pumpkin Pep has been speaking of?"
Sim was taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise. He twisted his head to the side, pursing his lips. "Mmh, maybe. And you are?"
"Luminous Ash."
Fear moved up behind his father. "Dad something's seriously wrong here."
Lumi was striding forward with a graceful gait.
"He seems... seems damaged. I don't think..."
Sim lowered to Fear's ear. "When I give you the signal, get out of here."
"I'm not going to leave you here!"
Sim hissed. "Do it!"
Fear nodded, but secretly, as he turned his head forward, he knew he was going to try and slip by. He was going to do his best to convince Contingent to step down.
Lumi's hooves glistened from the light being cast by the overhead lamps. "I'll give you one chance to leave here with your lives." He paused. "I owe it to Spear."
Fear realized then and there why the stallion felt so weird. Not the damaged part - that was clear as day, that one was like he used to be. The weird part was everything that seemed to be behind Lumi. He's a hybrid! Fear voiced his concerns. "Dad he's a hybrid!"
Sim's eyes dilated from the information. "We're not leaving."
Whatever's behind him - it's a hive! Just like Emulae and the others!
Lumi spat, "so be it." And bum rushed Sim.
Gentler was right up in Lumi's face, pouring force into a hook punch. Lumi bent his neck forward, ramming the Abyssinian in the gut and sending him careening into Sim, the two of them toppling backwards into a tangled bundle.
"Fear get out of here!" Sim cried while Lumi lifted a hoof to jam the colt in the face.
Faith had been charging up energy for a little while, magical energy zapping between the 'feathers' of her weapon's pegasus wings, pulling in energy from the air around her before coalescing in the horn. Without any warning aside from a powerful 'vrrr' a telekinetic bullet that looked more like an ovular arrow shot from the tip, careening straight for Lumi.
Lumi fell to the side, having seen the charge out of the corner of his eye, the bullet scraping past his body and creating a deep gash that bled profusely. The stallion limped as the blast exploded at the end of the hall with a loud boom, destroying the wall and leaving a crater that exposed the room beyond it.
"Fear run!" Sim repeated as Gentler and him got up.
Fear, instead of running back, ran forward.
"Fear!" Sim cried as Ash pumped an illusion into the air, making the room grow wobbly and incomprehensible, like everything was melting and gyrating, rumbling and keeping everypony from staying on their hooves and feet. Fear stumbled, nearly falling.
Sim countered the illusion, pumping out a magical image that negated it. Returning it to normal.
Fear was quick to get back on his hooves and race down the hall as Sim grunted.
"Damn colt!" Sim cursed.
==========================================================================================
It had been a long race through the remaining couple hallways. Amazingly enough, or maybe not so amazingly, nopony and no other changeling had been active on this floor, it seemed Lumi had been the sole guardian of it. Fear checked and rechecked the map lingering in his memory with a grimace on his face. He needed to hurry and tell the boss to stand down, or explain to him to stand down, or convince him to. Or... or something! Fear needed to do something! Fear grit his teeth, unsure of himself so much his stomach was knotting up.
The walls and their faded picture frames and dead potted plants blurred by the colt as he screeched to a halt at a single door. Fear didn't even hesitate, pulling it open with telekinesis and barging in. "Contingent!" He called furiously. "Call your dogs off!"
The office was like any other, with that all too familiar portrait of Princess Luna that seemed to stare into your soul. Only it was torn to shreds. Contingent was sitting behind a desk with the chair facing the colt. "So. You got past." The 'ling's voice was toxic, demanding submission of all who heard it, and nearly driving Fear to his knees. The chair twisted around, exposing the changeling behind the operation. He reached forward and slammed his hooves on the desk, on either side of the built-in terminal, as he revealed himself from the shadows, the paperwork and other items trembling from the force. "I figured you all deserved to see my true form."
Contingent was a strange changeling. He had ebony carapace and holes just like Emulae, but he had what looked like fins in place of his ears, which were colored a sickly eggshell white. The membranous shell was as well, but his compound eyes and chitinous wings were a vivid crimson that looked brighter than blood, almost neon. He had no gossamer hair nor tail to speak of, as if he had cut it off. It made him look far more well-kept, only adding to the sleekness of his polished body. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your acquaintance mister...?"
Fear's voice was stuttery and uncertain, as if he didn't know how to voice his opinion let alone where to place his hooves. "F-Fearei Shatter, sir." Fear glanced off to the side, unable to look him in the eyes. The presence was entrancing, and driving him six feet under already. How was he supposed to fight against something like this? What was the king like?
"Fearei. I'm sure you understand by now what we're trying to achieve. An untainted world, cured of its ills. A world of order and respect." Contingent stood up and wandered around the desk. Fear cowered backwards, his tail hiding between his legs. He looked like a kicked puppy. "Surely you can understand that this world needs those who are superior and those who are inferior in order to function, a hierarchy in order to thrive."
Fear's voice was quiet. "I don't... I don't know." Fear stood his ground. "All I know... all I know is you don't treat my grandfather with respect, and while Lumi is willing to follow you to the ends of Equus, he... he seems damaged. Almost unhinged."
Contingent began pacing. "All necessary sacrifices for a better world. One in which the true masters, the ones who have suffered since time immemorial, rule over the weak." Something about that sounded off. It wasn't the speech itself that affected Fear, it was the emotions hidden behind it. Fear narrowed his eyes.
"And just what does this supposed master species determine is right?"
Contingent spun to face Fear, stomping a hoof on the floor, speaking as if reciting. "A world in which ponies do not define our future any longer! A world in which changelings reign supreme! A world in which changelings are the saviors so desperately needed, and where the roles are reversed, with ponies being treated as trash!"
A sly smile crept onto Fear's face. "You don't... actually believe that. Do you?"
"And what have you to say in argument!?"
Fear shrugged. "I don'know. I don't know if any species deserves to be supreme or not. All I know is my experiences and feelings, and those tell me that I don't want to be better than... everyone. Not in that way."
"What would you know? You haven't lived our life!" Contingent spat.
Fear glanced off to the side. "Well, for one thing, I know everyone has their importance, their specialties, their roles. I used to be prejudice against earth ponies and pegasi, but nowadays? I mean, I get that it's right to be kind. Isn't it?" Fear sounded uncertain, as if he was in a haze and just grasping for his ideals.
Contingent's face faltered. His features slackened. "You don't... don't know what you're talking about. Changelings have gone through Tartarus, we didn't deserve the wasteland. We deserve prosperity. And ponies are going to come with us because... because they're our food source!"
Fear shook his head. "I mean, maybe? A food source can be treated with respect can't it? They're living creatures just like you or me."
"You're nothing but a crossbreed!"
"And I know that means something to you! I may not be family but... but, I know we've all gone through difficult times. And all we have when it comes right down to it is each other!"
"But your Chrysalis-forsaken Steel Rangers certainly don't feel that way! Your Enclave abandoned you!"
"True," Fear conceded easily. "But..." His smile returned, a look of assuredness coming to light. "That doesn't mean we have to be them. It doesn't mean we can't bring them into our fold, teach them the right way to do things. I know you feel it too."
"Idealistic nonsense!" Contingent hissed, taking a threatening step toward the colt.
Fear didn't back down. "Idealistic, maybe. But what do we have in a broken world but our ideals and virtues? Everypony is grasping tight to their ideals in order to make a better world, but we don't have to abandon what makes us good... creatures, in order to do it." Fear hesitated, glancing away. "Right?"
Contingent's legs buckled under him, as if the weight of everything he'd been doing suddenly collapsed on top of him, as if he could no longer carry the burden. His face turned to one of horror as if he was looking in a mirror. He took a step back and fell on his haunches, covering his face in his hooves as if he couldn't bare to be seen.
Fear approached.
"Get away from me!"
Fear didn't stop.
"I said get away!" Contingent's voice was shaky. Terrified.
Fear reached out a hoof. "We're not enemies." The colt's voice was the most calming, charismatic thing on the planet in that one moment, and a little haunting - in a good way. Like a singularity pulling everything and everyone into the center of his spiral. Everything spun around him in that one moment, leaving Contingent reeling. He thought about batting the hoof away, but he couldn't. The colt was speaking to something deep inside of him.
A shudder pumped through Contingent's body. "The king... the king says all this stuff. I thought I believed it, but... but I don't."
Fear moved up to Contingent, wrapping him up in a hug. "Everything's going to be okay. Can you please call off Lumi? I don't want anyone to get hurt."
Contingent squeezed his eyes shut, sending out the message.
==========================================================================================
Steam rose off of the gash in Lumi's side as the cells unnaturally reproduced as quick as lightning, the flesh restoring itself in a matter of seconds when it realized something had hurt it.
Faith glanced up over her weapon, hackles rising on end from the sight. It was like the hybrid had taken a health potion. Her stomach flipflopped.
Lumi bolted at Faith, but was intercepted by a swinging Gentler - a straight punch, a hook, an uppercut, and a roundhouse - each dodged in swift succession. Lumi did an uppercut of his own, trying to jab Gentler in the gut.
Gentler flipped away and charged at Lumi with a side kick using the greave, electricity flowing over the metal as the gems charged up a static shock.
Lumi weaved to the right, pulling up his hindlegs and bucking Gentler in the abdomen as the Abyssinian passed by. He grunted as he was sent crashing into the wall, his clothing being the only thing saving him from the paralytic poison that had dampened the cloth.
The cat might've had a bruised rib or two, but he got up and lunged at Lumi, gauntlets crackling with electricity as he swung again, and again. Lumi had dodged to the side, and was now flowing back down the hallway, his rear no longer facing the wall. Gentler threw a punch for Lumi's head, then tried to slam a fist with a hook into where he predicted the hybrid would be.
The gauntlet nearly connected, but Lumi had followed through, spinning in a circle as he ducked, then shoved his hindlegs out again, bucking the Abyssinian right in the chest during his overreach.
The wind was knocked out of the cat a second time as he was sent hurtling through the air and crashing to the ground, tumbling in a circle as he felt his ribs nearly crack from the pressure. He groaned on the floor.
Sim had unsheathed his carapace knife and was now throwing himself into the fray, swiping left, right, vertically, trying to slash through Lumi who kept backing up. He was nearly at the end of the hall. Lumi and Sim were staring at each other in a frenzy. Though a second later a surge of green crossed the regenerative hybrid's eyes, boring a hole into Sim's brain and leaving him feeling like a fifty pound weight was hanging over his entire body. His form shook violently and he nearly collapsed to the ground, one eye lidding and the other twitching as he was suddenly struck with paralysis.
Lumi lashed out during it, slamming a hoof into Sim's cheek, both dislocating and numbing the other hybrid's jaw and sending him to the ground, the knife clattering to the floor. He then heard the charging sound of Faith's weapon, but it was too late. A powerful telekinetic bullet vwoompfed out of the tip of the horn and obliterated a hole straight through the front of his body, shredding through a lung and destroying organs and musculature. Blood flowed freely for... a few seconds. Before Lumi's flesh began to sizzle, pop, and boil, becoming effervescent and repairing itself within the course of ten seconds.
Faith was at a loss for words as Lumi remained standing. The hybrid left Sim on the ground, unable to get on all fours, the suggestion still latched onto his brain like a parasite, galloping toward the preacher.
Gentler was there to interfere with the hybrid's plans once more, though he was slumped over and holding his chest with one hand as he intervened, bringing a foot up and trying to jam it into Lumi's jaw.
It hit.
A static shock coursed through the greave and into the hybrid's jaw, paralyzing his face and causing all his facial features to slacken, unable to move properly. But Lumi wasn't out for the count, even with the concussion. He staggered backward and lashed out at the hurt Abyssinian, ramming a hoof into where Gentler's gut was.
Was.
Gentler, panting, swerved to the side and brought up one of his knees, jabbing it into Lumi's face, who stumbled backwards again as his snout was broken, bleeding profusely before it immediately healed, leaving the blood stain on the muzzle. Gentler held his leg in the air and snapped it toward Lumi in a roundhouse, trying to crack him across the face and bring him down.
Lumi reared back onto his hindlegs to avoid it, then fell back onto all fours as Gentler's leg slammed into the wall, putting a hole through it. The hybrid threw a hoof into the Abyssinian's side, sending him crashing to the ground from the pain lancing through him.
That's when Lumi got the message. He was distracted for a single moment, feeling exhausted from repairing his body so much, and sidestepped another eruption from Faith's cannon, the blast firing through the hole she'd already made and blowing an opening to the outside.
"Stop." Lumi declared. "Spear says the fight is over."
Gentler was left holding his ribs, cringing in pain, resting against the wall.
Faith was at a loss for words, lowering her weapon.
Sim was just finally starting to stand up.
==========================================================================================
Fear had learned Contingent's real, changeling name soon after meeting with him and getting back to the others. It was Spearmint Wing. The changeling had explained to Fear he was willing to give the colt a chance to prove his ideals true. In the wasteland it was might makes right, more often than not, and thus Fear was given a time period of three months to strengthen himself far enough to take on King Solanum. To either defeat him or somehow convince him to stand down like Fear had done Spear. The changeling would keep Solanum busy until then, and near the end of the three months he would tell him that somepony wanted to challenge him for dominance.
The colt didn't think he could do it, after seeing the rampage Lumi had gone on, completely devastating his allies. Sim's ego was hurt more than anything else, he'd never faced anything as dangerous as Lumi before, trying to figure out why he was able to regenerate his body. Lumi had explained it was mutation in his cells. It shortened his lifespan greatly but it allowed him to recover from mortal wounds - the only thing that would be able to kill him was something cutting off his head, like a zombie. Even damage to his brain could be repaired given enough time, though of course he would suffer from amnesia due to it.
Gentler's pride was also sore, but his ribs even more so. Taking two bucks and a punch in the side had left him reeling, using the walls to help hold himself up. Breathing was agonizing, and he needed to rest every ten or so minutes. He had taken to using Sim as a walker, leaning on him.
Faith was the least wounded out of all of them, though she was shaken to her core at the true strength of a hybrid.
A hybrid they had learned was a reject, a mistake. One of the higher ups in Solanum's hive had procreated with a mare while disguised and he'd happened to be born. Upon finding out what Lumi's father really was, his mother had disowned him, run away when they least expected it. Lumi was left without a mother, but had been accepted into the hive as a lesser citizen. His father had nearly abandoned him however, but Spear had taken pity on him and brought him into his fold. He had specifically asked for the hybrid to be placed under his jurisdiction during the research as a bodyguard.
It was because of that, that Lumi had decided to devote his life to Spear. He was the only one who'd ever shown him such respect, kindness, and a desire to have him. But despite Spear's change of heart, his intention to give Fear a chance, Lumi would not join Fear in his rebellion against Solanum. He was too loyal to the ones who had given him a home rather than forcing him to forage in the wastes.
Still, the only thing Fear could think about was his upcoming confrontation with Solanum. Even if the others had promised to help him, and he knew Luna and the others would help train him as well, it was only three months.
Three months.
Fear was almost confident. Barely. And he might have saved Pumpkin Pep from being used as a research specimen, but in all honesty? With a new threat, greater than anything he could ever imagine, he didn't feel like he'd saved anything or anyone. It was kind of irrational, he knew, but it was there.
Maybe it was because Fear knew Jack was just going to get kidnapped again by a different changeling if Solanum was not stopped? And he knew: it'd be far more merciless.
Likely.
==========================================================================================
Faith had taken Gentler, with the help of Lumi, to a makeshift nursing station. Gentler was using some homemade salves on his ribs, and was being given bandages to help keep things stable. It wasn't much, but it was something.
Fear and Sim had been brought downstairs via the elevator, and quickly led through the bare minimum corridors, past all sorts of doors to offices and research chambers, to where Jack was being kept. Spear had told them they'd ceased their pony-based experimentations on his orders when Fear had convinced him to, and had also told them that the ponies they'd hired for duties around the facility were in order to give some semblance of business to the ponies of Dryfield and get in their good graces. Of course they were also being used to discreetly siphon love. Fear thought it was insincere given they weren't going to be treated with respect in the end, but accepted it. Creatures had to live, and maybe Spear would finally take a step toward treating other species well, like he had wanted to do.
Which was why, despite following orders, Spear had taken those who were most likely to obey him and agree with him on the mission he'd been given. Perhaps he'd seen it coming, or perhaps he'd been looking for an excuse to go against his king's wishes all along. Spear explained that the king was merely an expression of the majority of the hive, not the minority as well. The king just kept the minority in line.
Fear thought it strange that he could inspire a minority to fight back.
Sim and Fear were guided toward a room with one-way mirror windows and a revolving door. Sim was the first to enter, followed by Fear and Spear. The colt could already hear Sim and Jack on the other side.
"Simmy?"
"Pop!"
Fear then felt the sensation of two souls brimming with joy at being reunited. It was a heartwarming sensation. Unlike the room he'd just entered, which was a sterile, blank white office that had been converted into a bedroom. It had a recently added bed with restraints fused to it, a bookshelf full of old, entertaining pre-war books, an oddly not dead potted plant, and a table for eating. But that was about it. The colt glanced to Spear with a raised eyebrow and unamused frown as if to ask, 'really?'
Spear just took the brunt of the expression, watching the father and son be reunited. It wasn't exactly the most tear-jerking reunion ever, unless you were them or Fear.
Then Fear took in Pumpkin Pep, otherwise known as Grandpa Jack, himself. He was a strange unicorn. He looked like some kind of old boy band from pre-war Equestria, with his swept, pumpkin orange mane, twisted tail, and shaggy periwinkle fur. He just had that sense of youthfulness, and seemed like he could make any young mare swoon. What startled Fear was how much shorter he was than Sim - like he was almost as stout as Fear, but a tiny bit taller. When Jack opened his eyes, it revealed a pair of beauties Fear wouldn't have expected on any farmer of all ponies. They looked precious and naive, truly a gem in the wasteland, the color being a soft indigo. Fear leaned to the side to get a view of his cutiemark, which was a pair of orange pompoms with succulent green stem handles.
"What was this place used for anyway?" Fear asked, as curious as ever, while his parent and grandparent caught up, his tail flicking from side to side. "Was it really an environmental institute or is that just a cover up?" He sounded conspiratorial.
"No. No cover up. This place was no more than a project by Stable-Tec, with the backing of the Ministry of Image and Ministry of Morale."
"What, really? That's it?"
"Yes. They wanted to genetically engineer vegetation for higher quality foods, alluring sights, and the ability to grow in various conditions. The research was supposed to be used in stables, but it never got too far off the ground unfortunately. Maybe if it had there'd be more information for all of us to use in our endeavors."
Fear looked back to Jack and Sim. "That's a real shame."
Sim and Jack parted ways, with the hybrid stallion pointing a hoof toward Fear, who was finally starting to pay attention to them.
"That's my son, Fearei Shatter. The one I told you about last time I visited."
Pumpkin Pep's eyes sparkled, hurrying to Fear and wrapping him up in an unexpectedly tight hug, causing Fear to gasp for air and flail a little. "Hey! Too tight!" Fear eased out, too much pressure on his lungs.
Jack finally let him go. "So you're my little savior huh? Well aren't you the cutest little thing! You know I got called adorable often when I was a little rambunctious colt like you." He leaned down and furtively whispered. "Your father says you need to listen to him more but I think you're just fine, Fearei. Keep up the good work and always follow your instincts." He lifted his head up while Sim stared disapprovingly at him. "Anyways! Let's get home. I want some real food for once!"
Fear was... happy. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Blood, Sweat, and Tears | A couple days later, early in the evening Fear woke up to start his training. It was a pain in the ass to get up without much sleep, but Gentler had been insistent on the militaristic regimen.
The colt knew that, while he didn't agree, Saway would have been more than okay with it. It left him feeling groggy as he made his way outside the abode to get ready for his gallop. Chirp was there waiting for him, doing a few stretches, extending a leg and bending toward the ground, then moving to another. Wrapping his legs over his body.
"Hey hey hey! It's Fearei!" Chirp was loud and proud, glancing to him with his dynamic golden eyes, brimming with energy. "Don't worry," he said, reading the colt's sour face, with its deep frown, furrowed brows, and wrinkled snout, "you'll get used to waking up like this in due time. Early to bed, early to rise, et cetera et cetera."
"I really don't know," Fear replied bluntly. "But if you insist," He conceded without argument, moving over to him. "So you do this all the time?"
"Nah," Chirp denied, "not always. But I'm making a special exception for you. Eventually you're going to need to do it on your own so my siblings and I can get to work, but for now I'm gonna join you in your training."
Fear lifted an eyebrow in interest at the younger colt, before getting into the groove of stretching along with Chirpy, splitting his legs apart and dipping low to the ground, greasing up his joints. "Well thank you."
Chirpy shook his head as he stood up, waiting for Fear to finish. "No, thank you. You saved my father. Whatever you did, you did well."
Before Fear knew it they were up and galloping, the air brushing through Fear's mane and caressing his body as he pushed onward, pumping his legs against the ground in a steady rhythm, Chirp sprinting right alongside him. It was rather peaceful, albeit difficult as the time passed. Eventually Fear's muscles were feeling the strain of each movement, acids building up in the cells faster than they could be removed by his circulatory system. His breathing quickened, and his cheeks flushed red. His diaphragm was working overtime while Chirpy seemed barely winded.
Fear was slowing down, and Chirpy was too, but only so he could keep pace. "Remember," Chirpy spoke carefully, "don't push yourself too hard or you'll regret it and won't be able to keep up with the regimen." Fear gave a singular nod in response as he panted, his lungs burning and heart hammering in his chest. He could feel the blood flowing. It was freeing and so terrible at the same time.
Running like this didn't feel pleasant on Fear. It was nice to just move but at the same time there was nowhere he was headed, giving the whole exercise an awkward sensation that he couldn't place nor could he remove from his mind. The lack of a destination nagged at him, leaving him feeling nervous. But he threw himself into the task nonetheless, even as his legs shook from the strain. He tried to alleviate it by telling himself the destination was the farmhouse, but that seemed fake. Still, he pressed forward.
Unfortunately for the oldest colt there, he had to walk the rest of the distance home because he was just too worn out.
By the time he was done, Fear was on the verge of collapse, sweat dripping down his body, tongue dry from how much it was hanging out. His muscles felt like they were going to give out on him.
"Stand up on your hindlegs against the wall, it'll help you breathe," Chirpy was quick to supply.
Fear nodded, standing as tall as his small form would allow, leaning against the homestead. He felt the difference immediately. It was small, but obvious. His lungs opened up far more than they did when he was standing naturally. It felt good. Weird, but good.
When he finally caught his breath Chirpy was back, holding out a canteen. "Here you go Fear. Drink this."
Fear grabbed the canteen in his telekinesis, unscrewing the cap and taking a couple huge swigs.
"Hold it in your mouth for a bit, it'll make it last longer."
The inexperienced colt obeyed, swirling it around inside his maw, bulging out his cheeks, pushing it about with his tongue, before finally swallowing a little while later. It felt good and refreshing, lubricating his parched throat. He felt so hot.
As if reading his mind, Chirp continued. "The heat will abate. Your lessons with Mom will also help with that, but the sweat will cool you down either way!" He was more excited than he should be, and it annoyed Fear.
Still, that was one task done for the day. It hadn't been that hard, but what Fear didn't know was that keeping it up was the most difficult part of improving yourself. Consistency was the only way to get better.
==========================================================================================
Not much later Fear met Rose in the back of the house for his telekinesis training. There were too many rocks to count, from small ones to large ones.
"Okay Fear," she said, remembering how he preferred to be addressed, "we're going to start small and simple, with your focus, then moving onto endurance. We'll switch every day between endurance and strength. You ready to grind yourself to the bone?"
Fear hesitated, standing in front of the filly as if he was staring at a drill sergeant. "I don't..."
Rose bellowed, "good! Now, pick up as many of the rocks as you can."
With a solemn nod Fear acquiesced, his horn gaining a warm white aura. It extended to a bunch of tiny pebbles and small stones, levitating them into the air, as many as he could carry. This wasn't so bad.
"Okay, now." Rose floated a few of her own, and started doing a bunch of little designs with them, varying between figure eights, stars, moving them all at once up and down separately from each other, and back and forth, pushing her mind to do more than one activitiy at a time. "Follow my motions."
Fear was reluctant, not sure he could do it, but he agreed and started, beginning with the figure eights. It wasn't long before he dropped a few rocks and had to pick them back up on Rose's command, his mind already getting discombobulated from the effort.
Next it was stars. Fear swept his rocks around, some going flying as he tried to keep up with Rose's speed, causing him to blush fiercely and cower away.
"You're doing well so far Fear, don't stop yet," she encouraged, pushing Fear to grab his rocks and try again.
Fear was already utterly disoriented, a haze settling over his mind from the effort in commanding multiple things at such a swift pace, by the time they'd moved to levitating each rock in separate directions. It was too much for Fear to handle and he eventually collapsed onto the ground holding his head, kicking his hindlegs out behind him rabidly from the sensation of his mind breaking down into bits and pieces. It was too much, it almost hurt, but it was more of a prickle than a pain. It left him gasping for air.
Rose sighed. That was bad news. Fear cringed. "Alright we'll move to endurance."
Fear nodded, unable to refrain from letting out a whimper, causing Rose to smile softly in pity. She wasn't sure he could do it, but tried to hide it from the empath.
Unfortunately she didn't do a good enough job and Fear was left doubting himself.
"Alright, Fear, this'll be simple. All you have to do is hold a bunch of medium sized rocks, heaviest you can manage, and lift them as high as you can into the air and hold them there."
Fear nodded, again, rather sullenly, unable to look Rose in the eyes, staring at the ground. He swept his magical aura around a bunch of rocks, not as many as he'd carried originally, a bunch of rather weighty ones, and tried to heft them into the air. It was difficult at first, his telekinesis almost failing to respond from how tattered his mind already was, but he pushed through it and with a bunch of brute force lifted them. Higher... higher. Until they were about ten yards in the air above him. He held them there for what felt like an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes, before they all fell out of his grip and crashed in a heap to the floor with a bunch of thuds.
Rose had Fear keep doing that until the colt was fragmented.
==========================================================================================
Next up on the list was sparring with Gentler. Who had no intention of going easy on the colt. Fear stood across from the Abyssinian, wanting it all to end already and he hadn't even finished the day's worth of practice. Gentler motioned for Fear to come at him, and already he knew he wouldn't be able to constantly surge after the cat with all his strength. He could hardly lift anything, still recovering from telekinesis training.
Fear however obeyed and lunged at Gentler, swinging wildly.
Gentler simply moved out of the way, grabbing Fear by the hoof, and shoving him by the back of his head into the ground. Defeating him instantly.
And it just repeated until Fear's legs were trembling under him from exertion, from fighting. He was becoming more and more disconcerted by the insurmountable wall facing him. Sure, Gentler gave advice but it was hardly worth anything, and he was being told he couldn't use the sword yet because he was training his telekinesis elsewhere. Further, they'd agreed that Fear would train with the sword in his sleep because Luna could keep everything realistic with her power, it wouldn't tire Fear out technically, and it would be practice with using a sword that wouldn't fly to his defense automatically.
Still, Fear persevered. Eventually learning to coax Gentler into making the first move. Despite that, Fear was trying his best not to cry. Especially when Gentler told him he'd eventually be training with weights!
==========================================================================================
Soon enough Fear was inside the house, in the living room, training with Mirage. She was guiding him through meditative practices, helping him control his breathing and aiding him in deflecting intrusive thoughts. In the background one of Mirage's records was playing.
"F-Fear, w-whenever a f-faulty emotion c-comes to you. J-just..." Fear was incredibly irritated by the stuttering, but he dealt with it. "Just accept it f-for what it is, and focus on something, a-anything. B-be it your breathing. Th-the sounds around you, l-like my music. O-or your own heartbeat."
Fear took the advice and tried his best, thoughts of how awful this training had been so far occasionally entering his head. It was terrible, he'd been so excited at first but now he was just exhausted. Fear tried to block it out but had a hard time. He couldn't stop thinking, mind couldn't stop racing about how bad he felt. And Gentler was treating him like an enemy and it was-
Mirage, seeing Fear's breathing becoming frantic, pulled him out. "F-Fear!" She shouted. "Calm down. B-breathe."
Fear took a deep breath through his snout, letting it flow through his larynx, and felt it settle in his lungs. He held it there.
"One... two... three... four... five... six... seven, and o-out." Mirage was too good at this.
Fear slowly let the gust of air out of his mouth, goosebumps trailing up his spine.
"S-soon w-we'll move t-to actually generating a-and n-nullifying illusions. L-like shattering g-glass, making s-someone think they're injured. Th-things like that."
Fear tried again. Overall it was difficult to focus on something that wasn't what he wanted to pay attention to, but he was getting there. The music helped. It was hard getting his breathing under control.
By the end, Fear was uncertain about himself, but not as disheartened as after his practice with Gentler.
==========================================================================================
Emulae was tutoring Fear next - outside again, helping him access his transformation magic more effectively, teaching him how to generate it at a far more rapid pace, and helping him cement his carapace armor.
Fear was determined to figure that last part out if it was the last thing he did. It would help immensely in his training with Gentler.
"When it comes to growing your hair out, all you have to do is focus on pulsing the magic into the strands of hair, one at a time."
That was the hard part, Fear thought as he tried to get the hang of it. It was trying to separate each individual hair. All he could focus on was clumps, and it was causing everything to get all funky. He tried to push magic into it in order to grow it, but it was becoming a mess. Emulae had to show him how to shed the hair afterward and grow it back.
Fear realized how far away he was from ever being able to turn invisible. This was just so much work, it weighed on him and caused him to slump over as he tried to access it.
"Eventually I'll have you attempting to sneak around the house and steal snacks, Fearei."
The colt was so certain that was impossible he didn't even want to try.
Eventually, though it seemed like such a distant idea, Emulae was going to teach him how to generate and trap in more body heat, and how to cool himself off, how to create more of his body, grow his hooves out, and... and... so many other things. It was impossible. Fear wanted to throw a temper tantrum.
But he didn't.
==========================================================================================
After that Fear was exercising with Faith. Doing push ups, crunches, shoving rocks around with brute force, and so many other activities that swept Fear's mind into a tizzy, he didn't even know which end was up as his muscles grew sore and ragged.
Faith was kind and a good guide, but dear Celestia, was she a slave worker. She pushed him to the brink and beyond, forcing him to try his best. He was struggling just to get by even a little bit. His breath coming out in huffs as every muscle in his body quivered viciously like they were about to pop, or even tear apart at the seams, the tendons about ready to rip into shreds. But Fear continued. He didn't know why he was continuing as he did the monotonous work, pushing himself further past his limit, but he was.
What's pushing me? Why am I doing this?
Fear's inner voice came back with a vengeance. Because you need to protect everything that's dear to you!
But why do I have to? Why can't anyone else do it?
Because you put forth the idea. You're the one who has to prove the ideals! Spearmint is depending on you to shove Solanum's beliefs down his throat!
Fear continued bending his body in strenuous ways, curling his abdomen and shoving himself up off the ground, the exercises interspersed between each other. Constantly flowing through them and back to the beginning until he was trying to shove boulders with his body. It was such an effort in futility.
I can't do this! Why does everypony expect this of me? I'm just... I'm just a colt.
You're a colt who can do anything! Believe in yourself!
Fear huffed and shoved, putting all his effort into it, budging it an inch as he oomphed along. His inner voice wouldn't quit, but he sure wanted to.
==========================================================================================
Fear was so, so incredibly sore. Every piece of his body screamed at him for mercy, but he knew mercy wouldn't be coming anytime soon as he laid in bed groaning like a zombie. Nothing would ever be the same. He was just going to keep punishing himself with this... was this punishment? Punishment for his sins? Had he still not done enough? Fear's mind was ravaging itself, tearing it apart, trying to get to the heart of the matter as the aches in his body, in his brain, spread so deep it felt like it was in his bone marrow, deep in the crevices of his mind. It was in the core of his being.
The colt was agony incarnate.
Sim came in a little while later as Fear took his break, opening the door with telekinesis and gently shutting it behind him with a little click. "Fear?"
Fear ground out threateningly. "What?" His voice was ferocious. A startled look crossed his face, and then an apologetic one, his eyes wide and tense, his mouth curving downward at the tips. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
Sim waved a hoof. "It's alright, don't worry. Besides, after what you've been through today, and what you're about to go through, I understand the anger. The day's almost done, but you're still not through. Do you have more strength in you Fear?"
Fear's inner voice sounded out before his brain could respond. "Yes! Definitely! I'm not giving up! Who said anything about giving up? Not me!"
Sim stared at Fear, concerned. "Alright. Well, I thought it'd be a good idea for you to learn how to eat love while fighting. In order to drain energy from your opponent."
Fear's face fell gaunt at the insinuation.
Sim noticed. "Don't worry, you're not going to fight me. Yet. But in order to get your meal for the next couple days I'm going to have you drain it from me so you become more adept at it."
Fear' face softened, and he nodded once, his lower lip jutting out and trembling. "A-alright Dad." It would taste good, but it wasn't like the heart cherries. Still, it couldn't be that hard, he'd practiced already with the ponies in town. Not a lot, but at least ten times! Maybe twenty. Fear hadn't kept count.
"Oh, and I'm going to teach you how to store love for future use so you can power yourself up when tired. It should help. But in order to do it we're going to need to practice once a day until you have a surplus."
Fear gawked at Sim. "How...?"
"How will I generate that much love? Don't worry, Fear. I got that taken care of. All I need to do is think about your mother and sister."
Fear's expression immediately floundered for something more lighthearted. "Well is that all?"
Sim hummed, picking it up from Faith. "Well, no. We're also going to get you practicing implanting suggestions in order to harvest love."
Fear sighed, burying his face in the pillow. It was nearing daybreak.
==========================================================================================
At least Fear wasn't famished anymore when he returned to the castle of dreams, Canterlot. At least that's what it was to him nowadays. Fear hesitated in the courtyard for minutes on end, just catching his out of control breath and calming down. He didn't know what the others had in store for him, but not having any relaxation, neither night nor day, was going to wear on him, he knew. It was already grinding him into powder at the mere thought of not getting a single moment's rest.
Could he really beat a king with this much training? Over a period of three months? Everyone seemed to think so.
Fear didn't think so. He wasn't sure he could even beat Lumi, when three of his allies had failed to beat him.
Eventually he made his way into the castle, meeting up with Saway, who was quick to do their usual magical hoofshake and salute. At least it was familiar. Everything seemed to blur up until the point Saway uttered the magic words.
"So, colt, I've been thinking about what I can teach you that the others can't. Well, my Princess could probably teach you this, but I'm a better... teacher for it." She rolled her eyes. "Because I'm literally fused to nightmares. I call it the Nightmare Pressure. It's an overwhelming psychic force that emits from you and paralyzes your enemies with fear. It fits you perfectly given your name."
Fear was at a loss for words, and it showed on his dumbstruck face, jaw hanging open, slightly off kilter, his eyes lidded, a little drool forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Come on, it's not that big a deal, colt."
Fear wasn't so sure. "Well, okay. How do I call upon the nightmares?"
Saway smiled sinisterly. "I'm glad you asked, colt." That caused Fear to shrink away, his ears flattening against his skull. "You start by calling on the darkest depths of your imagination, where every monster you've ever encountered lies. Where the raider inside of you hides at night. Your murderlust, everything. You call on it and you bring it to the surface. You pull it into your eyes, and you share it with everyone no matter who they are."
"Isn't that... isn't that dangerous?"
"Only if you can't pull it back on command." Saway said it like it was no sweat at all. "Besides, if worst comes to worst you have me and everypony else here ready to beat some sense into you. So don't worry."
Fear still wasn't sure. "Alright, if you say so." He uttered awkwardly. Fear plopped his hind end down on the floor and closed his eyes, seeking deep inside of himself.
"It'll be easier for you here in the dream world than out in reality, so you'll eventually be able to do it outside too."
Fear didn't know which was worse, the idea that he'd succeed in calling forth the nightmares to his mind or the idea that he'd fail. Either way he didn't have to wait long. It wasn't hard to reach back to what he used to be. It was clawing at the surface waiting to be unleashed, having been starved for much too long. Suddenly Fear felt very hungry, almost starving. His stomach was emptier than it ever had been, and his mind was hazy with the need to feed on... on violence. Fear opened his eyes, pupils slitted. A pressure, however weak, started to flow from him, making Saway feel like she'd become an empath for an instant from the... however faint, terror she felt.
"Whoa colt!" Saway immediately reared back a hoof and slammed it across Fear's face, knocking the sensation loose and back into the abyss as spittle went flying from his mouth.
Fear held his cheek. It hurt as much as reality. Or at least he thought it did. He couldn't tell if he was actually feeling it or if he was imagining it. "Aww, fuck that hurts." He rubbed at the the spot he'd been punched.
"Again."
"Again!?" Fear was livid.
"Yes. Again, colt."
Fear immediately withered. "Fine."
"As you continue practicing you'll learn to control it more, and eventually become strong enough you can overwhelm your opponent's mind." While Fear tried to get it just right, which was feeling impossible, Saway told him about her time negotiating with changelings during the war, trying to get them on their side. She never succeeded of course. Chrysalis had always wanted nothing to do with the war. She knew it was going to turn ugly real fast. Just trying to infiltrate pony society in order to gather love was a dangerous effort due to the Ministry of Morale. Changelings who were caught were ultimately put into re-education centers to be brainwashed into loving ponies in a far more unhealthy way. To the point they'd turn their back on everything they ever knew.
Fear blanched at the thought.
==========================================================================================
Luna knew Fear was going to be completely battered, nearly broken, by the time it was her turn with the colt. But unfortunately she would show no mercy. "Welcome back, Fearei. It is good to see you."
Fear nodded, rubbing his swollen cheek. "Yeah, good to see you too." He didn't sound too thrilled.
"Hard night and day?"
Fear nodded sorrowfully. He didn't have the strength to speak.
"Well I'm sorry to say but we have to get to work, we don't have time to revel in self pity."
Fear audibly whimpered.
"I'm sorry, Fearei. This is difficult, but just think about how much you'll gain."
"What will I gain?"
Luna tilted her head to the side and smiled at Fear softly. "Strength the likes of which no one else could imagine. Eventually you'll be able to take on the world."
"Yeah, but I'll still get killed by guns."
"Hm, maybe. But if you conclude your training with flying colors you'll be more than capable of beating creatures into submission before it comes time to raise guns."
Fear thought about that. He was silent for a moment. "You sure?"
"Very sure, little Fearei."
Fear forced a smile onto his face. "Fine then, sure. What were you going to teach me again? I've had a long... time." Fear didn't know what to call it. Night? Day? It was a mix of both at this point. He'd had a long dream too. It felt like an eternity. The trials weren't nearly this hard.
Luna gave a firm nod. "I will first be teaching you how to harness the shadows, how to pull them around you and manipulate them, then I will be teaching you how to walk within the shadows. And after that, when I think you are ready, I will teach you the Starlight Shredder spell."
Fear's eyes sparkled. "What's that?"
Luna's smile only increased in intensity, becoming furtive. "It is a special spell I used on your sister when she first came here. It is a combination of spells and shadow manipulation, where you create pinpricks of light within the dark and use them to assault your enemies. The more magic you funnel into the spell, the more dangerous it becomes."
Fear whistled. "Whoo, that's pretty incredible." He paused. "You really think I can learn that?" He asked suspiciously.
"Most certainly."
"Well alright then, let's get busy." Fear lowered to the ground, his tail sweeping back and forth.
"We will start with meditation."
"Aw fuck!" Fear exclaimed. Well, he'd be practicing meditation in sleep and waking it seemed.
==========================================================================================
Fear was uncertain about the majority of his training, especially right now as he faced down both his sister and mentor. Both Amelio and Saway. "Please have mercy on me," he squeaked out.
Amelio shook her head wildly. "Not on your life, Fearei! You have a mission to beat this... this Solanum and bring glory to our family, to your new hive!"
Fear cocked his head to the side, smiling despite himself as he held the manifested wooden training sword in his dream telekinesis. "What, really? You think it's like a hive?" Something about that felt good.
Saway shuddered. "I don't wanna be part of anyone's hive."
Fear's face fell.
"But, colt."
Fear's face lit up again.
"If you can beat me and your sister in combat one day, I will let you call me part of your family. Hive. Whatever."
Fear was nearly bouncing up and down.
"So let's get started," Saway declared, and was immediately besetting Fear in a number of swings.
Fear struggled to keep up, using the sword to try and block it. Saway seemed to know just how to strike in order to lure him into a corner, before 'stabbing' him with her training sword, leaving him furious.
"Hey! No fair! I wasn't ready!"
Saway smirked. "Tough luck colt, your enemies will always get you when you're not ready. Now, en garde!" Saway was immediately assaulting Fear once more.
Fear flailed as he tried to keep up, Amelio soon joining in when Fear least expected it. It was a pain in the ass as the wooden swords clacked together incessantly. Pushing Fear to the breaking point.
==========================================================================================
"So Princess Luna told me everything." Nyx's voice was as calm and invigorating as ever.
"Everything?" Fear tilted his head to the side as he talked with the ancient pony.
"Everything. She explained that you're going to go up against a changeling King and war for power." Nyx lifted his head slightly. "You really know what you're getting into?"
A deep sigh escaped Fear's lips, scratching his head with a hoof. "Not even slightly anymore."
Nyx was silent for moments upon moments, leaving Fear uncomfortable. "Well, I'm going to teach you the basics for befriending creatures and keeping those friendships. You know, just in case he's willing to listen to you."
Fear was hopeful. "You think he will?"
"No." Nyx was succinct. "Not even slightly. But it doesn't hurt to try. And it'll help if you have to convince his hive to go without him."
Fear glanced off to the side. Then down at the floor. "Okay, what'cha got for me?"
"First of all, you need to be confident. Hold yourself high. Second, you need to love yourself with all your heart, and demonstrate through an ear that's eager to listen that you have love to share. You want to have others do all the talking, and only respond when they have a question or are interested in you. You have to demand respect, have a backbone, a presence to everything you do, but cater to others. You have to show mutual interest in each others' hobbies, everything. You have to learn how to enjoy the smallest of things, and hope that they reciprocate."
The colt wasn't at all sure about this.
"Further," Nyx continued, "you have to understand a creatures' society and way of living. You have to ask questions, get to know everything that makes them who they are. You have to learn if they are an outcast, or if they are popular. You must educate yourself all about them, make them your entire world, memorize every little thing about them. You have to be unassuming, disarming, and calm."
Fear was even more uncertain. "Do you really think I can do all that?"
"I don't know," Nyx admitted. "You seem friendly enough, like you already have some of those attributes naturally. But you also seem like a pony that is full of himself at times. You seem like you're always thinking and not always listening. Which reminds me, you also have to learn to read others."
Fear sat back on his haunches.
"But do not worry. I will be teaching you how to befriend others by creating the constructs of creatures that I've met during my time alive. You will converse with them, pacify them, and learn about them. They will become as much a part of you as they have of me."
"Sure. Let's begin I guess."
Fear's lack of confidence made it more than difficult.
==========================================================================================
As Fear woke up blearily, all the memories of his sleep and the previous night came back to him in full force, gushing against him and leaving him sputtering, nearly falling apart. In fact, he did fall apart. His body trying to raise, and then falling back to the pillow. He was in such agony, and his soul was hurting. His darker emotions were bubbling to the surface from his time with Saway. Everything was eating at him, it was too much to bear. It started with a hiccup, then a tear, then a full on weeping session as Fear cried into his hooves. Getting snot and tears all over his fur.
I can't do this.
For once his inner voice was silent.
I'm not ready for this kind of training. I'm just ten? Maybe eleven? Years old. I'm too weak. How can anyone expect this of me? How can they expect me to take on a King who's as old as Solanum? There's no way, it's impossible. I should just give up.
Fear gasped for air, his sixth sense smearing to the point he couldn't sense anything from just how vivid and intense his emotions were. They crashed against him, leaving him smothered.
I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this. Fear continued repeating. I'm just one colt, not even a stallion. It doesn't matter if somehow changelings mature faster than ponies, I don't feel like a changeling, I'm not even more changeling than pony. I'm just a quarter. A lame crossbreed. Spear was right the first time. I wasn't right. "I wasn't right." Fear sobbed to himself. Sniffling and snorting, trying to clear his snout even as his thoughts thundered in his head. It was like a storm of emotions, his eyes flickering to crimson a few times as he laid in bed.
"Fear?" Faith's voice came from closeby. "Are you okay?"
"No! I'm not okay at all!" Fear was mourning for all the lost potential, regretting ever having gotten his hopes up. "I can't do this, Faith! I can't win. I've already gone through one full day of punishment, I can't do anymore!"
Faith moved over to Fear's bed, sliding onto it and wrapping Fear up in her hooves. Her faint, overripe fruit scent and muscular earth pony body nestled into Fear. Her hooves pulled the colt in close, holding his head against her chest. "Shh... shh... it's okay."
"It's not okay! Solanum's going to win and I can't do anything to stop him! I'm a failure!"
Faith shook her head. "Not even slightly Fear."
"Gentler hates me!" Fear pouted.
Faith chortled.
"What's so funny!?"
"Gentler has more faith in you than any of us combined, Fear. All of us are scared of Solanum. We couldn't even beat Lumi, and he wasn't a King, just a hybrid who was born with a special mutation." Her head swayed from side to side. "You should have seen how Gentler talked about you at the tavern. It was amazing. He was hyping up your story so much it was silly." Faith snickered and snorted while remembering it. "All while you were resting and contemplating at home how you were going to do all this, making all these plans, Gentler was busy talking you up, how he'd finally found the pony who was going to help save the wasteland." She sighed in bliss. "You should have heard him, he was so wild and excited." Faith's muzzle scrunched up in happiness.
Fear snuffled a few times. "R-really? Why didn't he tell me?"
"I don't know, Nightlight." The name sent shivers running down Fear's spine. It felt good. "Perhaps he didn't want you getting a big head on your shoulders. After all, you'd just convinced a changeling chosen by his own king to rebel." She squeezed Fear tight. "Look, Nightlight. None of us would be helping you if we didn't believe in you to overcome. You just have to drag all that willpower up from the deepest trenches of your being and wield it. You have to be incredible, Nightlight."
Fear hiccuped. "But I'm just one pony. I'm just a colt."
"And you're a colt who killed a psychotic science experiment. You're a colt who brought Princess Luna back to the wasteland - who by the way has come into my dreams and we've swapped stories about you."
Fear couldn't help but grin at that. "R-really?"
"Really, Nightlight. You've overcome your demons and kept on trucking. You've endured so much. Just endure a little bit more. There'll be peace at the end, I promise."
Fear blinked the tears away. "You really truly promise?"
"Like Ministry Mare Pinkie Pie used to say: cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
The colt couldn't help but giggle at that. "F-fine. If you're so sure. It's gonna hurt a lot but... but I'll try."
"That's all anyone of us can ask of you, Nightlight. For you to try your best. We know you can do it." Faith smooched Fear on the cheek. "Now get ready, you have to meet Chirp downstairs for your run."
Fear sighed. "Fiiiiiiine." He rolled his eyes in a wide arc. "If you say so."
"I do say so, Nightlight." Faith's words made Fear smile more broadly than it felt like he had in months. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Solanum | The three months were up before Fear knew it, though at the same time it'd felt like it'd taken forever, every exercise drawn out beyond measure. It was excruciatingly difficult and Fear still didn't believe in himself. His lessons with Nyx had suffered because of it. How was he supposed to convince a king, an expression of a hive, of anything? That was like trying to out-talk a bunch of creatures at once.
Spear had given Fear the directions to the hive, telling him that Solanum was expecting him within a few days and not to keep him waiting if he was indeed intent on fighting for dominance. He had both Gallop and sword with him, intending to use both at the same time if he could. His dexterity with telekinesis had only improved and... well. The fruits of his training were a secret to all but those who'd spent the time propping him up to be his best.
Sim, Faith, and Gentler were all coming with the colt, traveling with him and giving him emotional support, as well as backup in case anyling tried to attack him on the way. Even if Spear had told him no changelings would attack, none of them trusted it for sure. Sim, who was carrying the colt's saddlebags, had explained that sometimes individuals took matters into their own hooves rather than waiting for the king or queen to make a decree. It sometimes caused chaos, and other times it allowed for the hive to grow further. It was always a case by case basis.
It wasn't long at all before they were in range of the hivestone formation that made up Solanum's hive. Immediately, it nullified Gentler's gems despite the fact that they tried their best to function. Fear's shadow spells were useless, and so was normal telekinesis. Thankfully he'd learned how to use telekinesis via his changeling magic instead, so it wasn't a big deal.
Faith's weapon was also not working. The lot of them were at a huge disadvantage, and they were going into enemy territory.
All they had was Solanum's word that no one would try to dogpile them and dispose of them before they could face the king.
Fear felt more uncomfortable than ever before, and it only became a far more passionate sensation, digging into his brain and scooping out chunks as if he was being probed and examined, when they got into the hive.
Prince Piercing Nettle was the one who was guiding them through the various contracting and dilating cavern walls, as if it was alive, leading them to the King. Nettle was a powerful changeling with rippling carapace. He looked like he was constantly in motion, even if it was no more than his wings occasionally fluttering. He looked a lot like Spearmint, but he had a lustrous golden shell and eyes, with a long, flowing alabaster gossamer mane that fell straight down his shoulders, tail framing his hindlegs. His presence was the most dominating force Fear had felt to date, aside from Sim's illusion of what Solanum was like.
Navigating the breathing pathways wasn't the problem, they had assistance for that.
The problem was the sheer malevolence Fear was experiencing. Changelings they passed jeered at him. He could sense a whole hive mind chittering and buzzing closeby that wouldn't let him in, but he could hear all the words directed at him.
"Dear Chrysalis he's small!"
"That little thing thinks he can take on our king?"
"Look at him, he can barely stand to be in the presence of our hive mind!" It was true, Fear was cowering before the amount of presences and emotions drifting about inside of it. It was throwing him for a loop, numbing his thoughts, making it difficult to be... himself.
"He's a fucking failure."
"Look at his eyes glow! He can't hide emotions for the life of him. He's weak."
"Fuck that horn! So stubby - no one would ever want him for that."
Then the name calling started.
"Queefshitter."
"Fartsplatter."
They knew everything, not only his name but about his genetic defect. How'd that get out?
"You're no more than a drone, stop pretending to be something you're not!"
"You don't deserve to be anywhere near our king you pathetic mutt!"
Fear tried to block out all the thoughts being relentlessly thrown at him, trying to focus on meditating, attempting to control his breathing and heart rate. He was scared. No changelings wanted him there. None voiced their opinion at least.
"Can't do anything a fullbred can."
"Barely big enough to be a cocksleeve without breaking."
"Bugwhorse."
"Is that a pony or just the other half of what I didn't eat last night?"
"Hey where'd this talking doll come from?"
The derisive comments never seemed to cease as Fear wandered through the labyrinthine hallways, slowly heading further underground toward...
"Where are we going?" Fear asked with trepidation.
Nettle responded simply, a condescending tone to his voice. "We're headed to the heart of the hive. Where changelings past and present will bear witness to your fight; to determine whose ideals we should follow; who is the strongest."
"Oh."
Faith reached over toward Fear. "It's going to be okay Nightlight."
"Pfft," Nettle spat. "He's a dirty amalgam and he knows it. This is about proving a point, and the point's going to be proven one way or another. This little waste of space doesn't even deserve an audience, doesn't deserve to have breath spent on him, yet the king believes all rebels should be put in their place no matter how inferior and insignificant."
Fear was at a loss for words. Everyone stayed silent.
"Here." Nettle hissed. "Beyond here is the heart of the hive. Go in and take care of your business. Pray to your sisters, you won't be leaving alive."
Fear gave a solemn nod and slipped past him into the room beyond.
The door, like a camera shutter, zipped closed behind him, sealing shut. Nettle turned to them and smiled. "You shouldn't have come here you know. You should've just let the foal go on his own."
Sim stepped up. "We wouldn't do that to him. He deserves to have support."
Gentler huffed. "That colt... he's going to do great things with his life. He can't be stopped here."
Faith just smiled determinedly, her brows leaning inward defiantly.
Nettle sat on his haunches and pushed his forehooves together. "Well then. I don't suppose King Solanum would mind if I took out the riffraff while he's dealing with the drone."
Sim's eyes widened, Gentler punched a fist into his palm, and Faith took a step back. "That wasn't the deal," Sim hissed with furious eyes, boring a hole into Nettle.
"Too bad, deals change all the time. Besides, your friend there is destined to fail."
"He's my son, and he doesn't fail." Not ultimately at least.
"Bah, whatever!" A flash of green surged past Nettle's eyes, but Sim closed his at the last second, before lashing out. Sim transformed his hoof into a blade, careening it straight for his face.
Nettle stepped back. Sim lashed out with another bladed hoof for the changeling's neck, stepping forward onto the the other hoof as it morphed back. The changeling stepped back again, pressing against the wall.
"You little shit!" The prince spat as he lunged at Sim, tackling him to the ground and raising a hoof to pound into his face, both pairs of saddlebags falling off onto the ground around him.
Faith was coming at Nettle with a valiant war cry, using two hooves to swing her weapon through the air horizontally, intending to bash the changeling's face in. He rolled off to the side however, causing the weapon to whiff air. Nettle then lurched at Faith, intending to burrow a sharpened hoof into her jugular.
Gentler was there though, leapfrogging over Faith and shoving her to the ground, passing over Nettle, somersaulting and landing against the door on his feet, twisting around like he was in zero-g and thrusting a fist out to bash the prince's skull in through the back.
Nettle leaned forward and jumped, diving over Faith's and Sim's bodies, shoving them together, flitting his wings to give him distance, twisting around and charging up his horn, firing off a searing green laser at the cat who'd fallen to his knees.
Gentler leaped forward, bringing his gauntlet in the way, taking the brunt of it, a scorch mark forming along the metal, nearly tainting one of the gems. As the Abyssinian flew through the air over Sim and Faith, he lashed out with a hook, which Nettle dodged, then he curled into a roll as the others were getting up.
The prince bellowed. "Perhaps we should make the arena a little more appropriate for a fight!" And with that his horn lit up with a gunky green aura that reached out to the hivestone walls. Demonstrating his power, the cavern began to stretch out like it was being blown apart.
All three stood ready. Sim standing next to Gentler, and Faith on the other side holding her weapon like a hammer on her back, hoof through the hole.
Three green lasers lanced out from Nettle's horn, surging at the trio who dispersed, running to either side of the changeling while Gentler faced him head on, charging forward.
The prince backed up slowly, firing off another laser at Gentler, which was swiftly dodged. The cat was watching the build-up of magical energy closely and using his superior reflexes to avoid it. Gentler reared his left hand back, intending to punch a hole straight through Nettle's face, but it was a feint.
As the prince ducked, Gentler launched himself into the air, twisting around and landing with his feet on the ceiling, then barreling straight for Nettle.
The changeling lined up his horn and charged up energy, intending to fire a bolt right through Gentler's heart. Only it wasn't meant to be.
Sim reached out with his changeling magic, using telekinesis to save the Abyssinian in the nick of time, pushing him out of the way.
The bolt fired off of Nettle's horn. It cracked the ceiling.
Gentler landed on the ground with a spinning flourish.
Before the prince knew what was happening Faith and all her earth pony strength was right up next to him, swinging downwards with her weapon like a sledgehammer. The horn crashed into Nettle's skull, nearly cracking it open in one deft movement, sending the changeling plummeting to the ground, nailing his face into the rock.
With Nettle's brain nearly randomized in his cranium, jumping around like it was on crack cocaine, the prince was out for the count.
==========================================================================================
The room Fearei entered was large and expansive, glowing green. There was a bridge leading further in toward a dais with an unusual sigil on it that Fear didn't recognize. In a pit surrounding the entire area was a bath of changeling slime giving off cozy light and comforting heat. Fear looked over the edge into the goop, and could've sworn he saw something swimming within it. It wasn't anything living, Fear didn't feel monsters with his sixth sense, but there was definitely something. A presence that throbbed against him, whispering things to him. Dangerous things. Ever the easily influenced colt, he had a combination of encouragement and discouragement entering him though he couldn't understand why. Suddenly he was elated, his heart rising into his throat, and also even more sullenness, his stomach knotting up in his abdomen. Fear looked back toward the dais and saw...
Solanum.
Ever in his oppressive glory like Sim had shown him, yet it was far more brutal than even that. The booming presence was too much, officially bringing Fear to his knees before he could get to him. The colt was crawling forward in reverence despite every wish pumping through his body. "K-King Solanum. I am here." He wanted orders. Wanted to be told what to do. No matter what it was, he wanted to achieve it. Serve the higher power.
Solanum turned around to face Fear. "So you are just a drone."
Fear heaved and huffed, trying to bring to every bit of him he could. It was a struggle, pulling forth his will, using everything he'd ever experienced during his training to just... stand... up! Fear's legs trembled as he forced himself onto all fours, his head bowed, eyes squeezed shut. He couldn't... couldn't fight in this state.
"Do you really know what you are doing nymph, what you are fighting? You are rebelling against more than you could ever imagine. You don't deserve to be in my presence the way you are."
"I... I... I... came here to ask you... to demand..." Fear's breathing was ragged. "That you stop your war against ponies. S... stop belittling them. They... they don't deserve all of it!"
"Oh? And why should I listen to you?"
"I don't... I don't know." Fear tried to show the uncertainty that Nyx had taught him. "We want to set an example."
"Examples don't work in the wasteland, I'm afraid." Solanum's voice was deep and pronounced, almost sexy. "If we succeed in healing the wasteland we deserve all the credit, we deserve to be the rulers. Don't you agree, nymph?"
Fear wanted desperately to agree, nodding his head despite his wishes. "N... no. You're supposed to." He dragged out his ideals kicking and screaming from when he was young. "You're supposed to help others despite what you get in return. If others elevate you then... that's... their... choice." Fear gasped and fell to the ground again.
"I'll tell you what, Nymph." There was a certain admiration and respect to Solanum's voice that hadn't been there before. "You endure being part of our hivemind and I'll think about considering your proposal."
Fear nodded again. "F... fine. I... I accept." He eased out as if he couldn't breathe.
Solanum closed his royal eyes and reached out with his lancing horn, touching the top of Fear's head. Suddenly, the area's secrets were unlocked for him, opening up before him. Now he was zooming across what felt like time and space, thousands of stars that were changeling souls from past and present surging past his vision, battering against his mind. The whispers of everything deluged over him, cascading and enveloping him, wrapping around his soul and crushing it. Smothering it. Drowning it. He couldn't hear himself think. A fit of catatonia formed over him as he fell onto his side, his breathing becoming faint, his eyes dilating, bulging out of their sockets. He could hear so many changelings that didn't want his presence amidst them.
Fear was going brain dead, his identity completely inundated. He couldn't... couldn't recall himself no matter how hard he tried. What was his name? What were his ideals? What was his reason for being? It was to serve the hi... No.
Fear squeezed his eyes shut.
Memories, his own, came flooding into him. Learning with his mother, being coddled by her. Carving his own path through the wasteland. Sure he'd hurt others, but that didn't mean he deserved to be under another's command, because...
Because... he was making up for it. Crate and Angel believed in him. They'd taken care of him. He'd slaughtered the fuck out of Chrono Corona. He hadn't gone through all that just to lose here! And then there was the pendant, showing him all sorts of things, all sorts of various destinies, but none that applied to him in the here and now, as if teasing him.
If Fear wasn't going to give into the Seer's Eye and its whims how was he ever going to give into this... this conglomeration of identities!? They weren't him! This hive wasn't him! He didn't belong to it! Fear remembered Amelio, and Sim, and everyone else. All of it came thudding into his brain like meteors.
Fear's eyes flashed as his fervent breathing calmed. Fear slowly pushed himself up onto his hooves. He was dazed but... he could... fight. "Fuck you, Solanum." Fear defiantly spat.
"So you do have some will in you after all. It's too bad I have to kill you." Without warning the King lashed out with a hoof, turning it into a spear and driving it into Fear's body.
Or at least it would have if Fear hadn't felt it coming. He jumped backwards, the spear plowing into the ground, a web of cracks spreading out around it. "Gonna... gonna have to do better than that!" Fear seethed.
"Oh, don't worry, I will."
Fear huffed and puffed, recalling all his training. Without thinking he proceeded across his list of plans, growing out his hair and fur, and shedding it at an alarming rate. Soon there were so many fibers hanging in the air it was nearly a tempest and it was difficult to not breathe them in. Fear was hidden among them.
The colt pumped out an illusion with all he could manage, trying to hide his body within the storm.
Solanum quickly lost sight of the hybrid.
Fear unsheathed his sword and held it at the ready, unslinging his Gallop off his body and holding it next to him. And before he knew what he was doing he was galloping around the arena, shedding more and more fur and hair. Creating an absolute torrent of amethyst and dark gray.
Solanum didn't know what to do, he was at a loss for everything. He'd never seen a technique like this before. The king's carapace began to ripple and squirm, pieces of it growing out from him and slicing off his body, raising into the air at the ready.
The colt dashed at Solanum, bringing his gun to bear. The king heard his hooves coming - rookie mistake. And lashed out with a spear of carapace. It hit the ground, missing Fear by an inch because he swerved to the side.
Fear pressed the gun up against Solanum's flank and pulled the trigger as he dashed past.
Burn marks marred the surface of his carapace, ichor seeping out of the wound as Solanum's leg lifted into the air, no other reaction besides that. He couldn't use that leg anymore without severe pain, but he'd kept the bullet from damaging anything more. "So. You can sense me."
Fear cried out. "Of course I can you idiot!" Fear was nearly screaming as he lost himself in the cloud of hair and fur.
"In that case let's see how well you do with illusions."
Abruptly in Fear's sixth sense there was a host of Solanum souls dotting the arena, confusing him to no end. They were all moving at once, even the one that was standing still. Fear boggled vacantly as he stood still, getting lost in the sensation.
Solanum took that time to find Fear by making a ring of carapace spears, then twirling them around the arena in a vortex, knowing he'd eventually hit the colt.
The only reason Fear'd managed to survive when a lance was about to impale him was due to his sword throbbing and coming to his defense, clearly not affected by the illusion. It swept through the storm and bashed against the chitinous weapon, diverting it off and to the side. Then another, clanging against the carapace and sending them flying. But now Solanum knew where Fear was.
Fear tried to nullify the illusion, but it just changed forms, becoming something else, he couldn't keep up! So he stopped trying.
Solanum approached where he knew Fear was. Fear used his eyes and tried to fire a bullet at the king, who wove to the side and lashed out with a leg, like an alien it grew until it coiled around Fear like a python, squeezing against him and holding him in the air.
Fear was still dazed, unable to move. He tried his best to squirm out, bringing the sword down onto the arm of carapace to try and sever it, but it didn't even make a dent.
Solanum chuckled. "You know, Fear, you could have made a great changeling. Even if you never would have been anything more than a crossbreed."
Fear strained and struggled in his bonds, about to fire a bullet at Solanum, only the king constricted tighter, stealing Fear's breath away and causing his magic to fail him, both weapons clattering to the ground. "Fuck... you..." Fear gasped out, his body turning blue.
"So how should I kill you? The long and obscene way, forcing you to run out of oxygen? Or should I just end it quick by stabbing you through every part of your body?"
Fear ground his teeth together, grinding and gnashing. "Finish me off... c-coward." Fear coaxed out of his mouth.
Solanum glowered at Fear. "As you wish, Nymph. Normally I'd feel bad about killing someone as young as yourself, but examples must be made."
"I thought... heheha.... examples didn't work?"
Solanum pounded a hoof on the floor and without any more due process pumped transformation magic into Fear's binds. A bunch of thorns burst out of the insides, stabbing into Fear in his stomach, neck, legs, and chest, puncturing every artery and organ, perforating him completely. Only his head was safe. Fear gasped, or at least tried, his eyes going dull.
With a shink the thorns receded along with the binds, leaving Fear's corpse to plummet to the ground.
"What a shame." Solanum grinned, victorious.
"It was an illusion!" Fear's voice sounded out as a sword stabbed into the king's back, right through his spine. then wrenched along the carapace, sending wild sensations of pain and danger flirting with Solanum's brain.
"Wh-what!?" Solanum didn't scream. Fear was saddling him, so he built up transformation magic in his back, intending to shove out a spire of carapace to skewer through the colt. Fear, however, felt it coming and pumped his own transformation into the changeling in order to forcefully revert the morph and leave it normal.
Fear held on with his hooves around the sword in case the king tried to buck. "I'm an empath and you're not! Get fucked!" Fear yanked the sword out, causing more ichor to spurt from the king's body as Fear wound the gun around, intending to blast the changeling in the face.
Solanum looked at Fear for one single second.
Fear's eyes flashed green.
It felt like Solanum was falling through an abyss, his pupils enlarging and becoming faraway, his jaw hanging open.
The end came quick, the blast resounding through the room as a bullet punched through Solanum's skull.
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An uproar rose like a tidal wave in the hive mind when they felt the presence of their king disappear. They'd thought it was over when they felt Fear's presence fade. Had they killed each other? How was that possible? But before the lings could get into any actual discourse Fear's presence returned.
"Your king is dead." Fear spat on the connection, still almost drowning in the collection of minds.
The outcry was instant. They didn't understand. How could the king be dead? Just like that? The voices were tumultuous.
"Shut up!" Fear growled out at them. "I'm going home. I have my own hive to tend to." Saway had eventually agreed to be called part of Fear's hive, with a little force from the colt. He was riding a victory high like he hadn't experienced since he beat Chrono, but it wasn't time for that right now. "I'm leaving Spearmint Wing in charge. If you don't like it you can come fight me, fuckers." The colt's voice was furious. He'd inevitably found out the prince had tried to attack his family while he was fighting Solanum.
A voice rang out. "But... but aren't you our king now!?"
Fear shook his head hazily. "Not even slightly. I rule my own hive." Sort of. He wasn't actually ruler, he knew. But they listened to him and supported him. It was close enough. "But Spear will be listening to me from now on."
Spearmint's voice came up next. "Congratulations Fearei, how'd you do it?"
The colt was surprised to feel the friendly changeling connect with him. "Uh... well. I'm an empath, he's not. He couldn't tell I was using an illusion. It was just that real to him. That or he really wanted to believe it."
"I see. Well done. I'll take things over from here. I hope you don't mind if we keep in touch?"
"Not at all, Spear. I'm going home. And eventually I'm gonna travel again, I'm sure. But until then I'm taking some downtime. I want to spend time with my hive."
Spear tried to calm his new hive down. It was fast, but it was simple. The victor had decided the new leader, and no one would dare fight with that decision. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Downtime (Part 1) | Dim Nova was nowhere to be found; no place did her dreams exist within the Flow. Amelio had even helped the alicorn seek out any presences in the farthest reaches using her sixth sense, but nothing was found. It was as if the mare had just completely disappeared, a theory furthered by those who'd known her up until her vanishing. But beside that, Fear had at least gotten to see Crate and Angel again. They were joyful upon seeing him, having never expected they'd see each other in their dreams.
Luna had collected the colt and two lovers, bringing them together in one dreambubble.
"So yeah, after I beat that bitch Solanum I left for home again. Sorry the story took so long." Fear rubbed his left foreleg with the right, glancing down and to the side.
Crate's gruff voice sounded out gaily. "No worries Fear, we're just happy you've been doing better! Isn't that right sweetie?"
Angel nodded softly, a gentle smile spread across her face. "Indeed. It's a pleasure to see you again, even if only in our dreams. You'll have to come visit sometime so we can play cards again."
Something about the whole thing didn't feel... authentic. There was a mentality to it all, Fear could tell it was all in his head but at the same time it wasn't, the others around him weren't products of his imagination. It felt as if everything was at his beck and call, and all he had to do was imagine it in order to make it a reality. But whenever he woke up, things felt even more fake than ever before, like life was made up of dolls and the only thing that set it apart were the souls. Despite all the actual physical sensations that weren't a product of the mind there was something... off about it. All the time. It left the colt unsure about the state of things more often than not, but Amelio assured him that it was natural for nothing to feel absolute as you got used to sifting between sleep and waking.
Fear looked up with a brilliant smile splitting his maw open, his legs rigid and tail whipping from side to side. "I'd really love that! So I heard you two have an adopted foal now?"
The two lovers gazed at each other for a moment, with Crate speaking first. "Huh, you really find out everything in this place?"
Fear shook his head wildly. "Nah! Not even slightly. There's so much that can't be found out. It's all about what creatures dream of and stuff, ya know?"
Angel 'hmm'ed. "Well, it would have been nice if we could have told you about him ourselves. Crate found him on his route awhile back. He was a little feral, recently escaped from some slavers, and we took him in. He's a real hoofful sometimes."
"Oh? What's his name?" Fear was ever the curious colt.
Crate took a step forward. "We call him Bidden, but his full name is Glory Bidden. His parents had high hopes for him."
Fear's ears twitched, his lips creeping a little higher. "That's pretty cool." It reminded him of his mother. "I'm sure he'll manage to do a lot."
Angel shrugged. "I don't know if we can expect that much out of him, but it'd be nice if he just became a functioning member of the wasteland. We might try to move to Friendship City at some point in order to have a little more protection. We'll have to live in the Slums but we might be able to get some work around there."
Fear hopped up, beaming like a sun. "That'd be super cool!" He squeaked. "I'd have to make sure to visit you three!"
Crate rubbed his chin with a hoof. "Provided we remember all this when we wake up we'll have a lot to tell him about the little colt who killed our murderer."
Fear's brows lifted slightly. "Oh, by the way, did you two get my note and stuff? Did you all leave town?"
Angel shook her head. "We got your note, yes. We were concerned, and saddened. But we figured you had a good reason for leaving." The mare's voice was solemn and downtrodden. "We took our things and left for a day, but we couldn't get anypony to join us. I trusted your mother, so I trusted you knew what you were talking about. I'm just glad it turned out to be nothing. We didn't know what to make of it when we got back. Other ponies made fun of us for it, but we knew... you'd probably done something to stop it."
Crate nodded. "It's good to finally have the full story of what happened."
"I'm just glad I finally got to tell you. I was so worried you guys would think I was crazy, or think I abandoned you, or, or... a whole host of other things!" Fear bounced up, stomping both forehooves against the ground. "Like I said, I just didn't feel like I deserved to stay. It reminded me of all these.. emotions. All these things I'd done. But I'm doing better now, and I found... something akin to peace."
Angel moved up to Fear's front and wrapped a foreleg around his neck, pulling him into her bosom. "It's fine, Fear. We're just glad you're well. It's good to have closure."
Crate sidled up next to the colt and draped a hoof over his flanks, yanking him in close. "Indeed. You'll always be welcome around us, little savior."
Fear sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm just glad you believe me and this is all real."
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"Got a special broadcast for all you colts and fillies out there!" The DJ's deep voice spouted from Fear's mother's radio, blaring at full volume in the fields of crops. "I recently got news from the Neighvada Desert that a pony killed off King Solanum in his own home, and the hive is now under new management. I don't know quite what to expect of Spearmint Wing but I hope all you children out there will treat him with respect and, who knows? Maybe he'll return the favor! We could always use more loyalty in the wasteland. Either way, the roads should be safer now! Less likely to be abducted and used as a slave. Whoever the little pony is that removed a constant threat from life in the desert, we thank you!"
Fear was busy training with Gentler all over again as he listened to the broadcast, a smile seeping onto his face as was becoming constant at this rate. He felt more full of himself than ever before, like he could take on anything. He'd been told to watch for the repeating broadcast, never thinking he'd be talked about by his favorite hero aside from Mega Mare.
The colt only came up to Gentler's thigh as they fought, with the Abyssinian flowing through a variety of punches and kicks, which Fear all dodged or deflected with pulses of telekinesis or the swat of a hoof depending on which spell was contained within the cat's weapons, his newfound, faintly sinuous muscles rippling under the surface of his tiny body with each little motion. He could use transformation magic to give him even more strength by this point, but it seemed redundant and useless.
Fear swerved to the side as a kick sailed over his head, then jumped into the air as Gentler's other leg sweeped out for his limbs. During the Abyssinian's spin he lashed out with a fist for the colt's head, as a powerful shock zapped in the gauntlet. Fear responded simply by twisting his head to the side as he hung in the air, his horn lighting up, a telekinetic field wrapping around the hand and forcing it down and back as he landed on the ground again. The unicorn let out a valiant war cry as he yanked with all his power on Gentler, trying to bring him crashing into the ground.
Gentler countered by leaping forward, doing a flip in the air and pulsing a magic nullifying spell through his gauntlet, unlatching him from the magical grip and landing on his feet, spinning around with a leg out to roundhouse Fear's hindlegs.
The colt reared up onto his forelegs and somersaulted, his spine bending at a weird angle thanks to his calisthenics with Chirp, and landed back on his hindlegs. Though as he did he took a deep breath, held it, and slipped into the ground like it was water.
Due to the cloud cover above the entire wasteland was covered in shadows, fortunately for the hybrid, allowing Fear to swim within like a shark, the only sign of his presence being a darker shade where he laid.
Fear darted under Gentler's greaves before he could pump nullification into them and send the colt sprawling into the air from the force, raising up out of the surface behind him and gasping air as Gentler spun around again, bringing a heel to bare against the colt.
But it was a feint. Fear's head popped out of the ground before he dove back in and bolted behind the Abyssinian. Fear came up from the rear just as Gentler's leg was finishing its sweep, Fear's foreleg jutting up in a punch and striking the cat in the knee, causing his leg to wither away, pulling back against his body.
Fear dipped back into the ground as Gentler flew forward at him, intending to clip him in the jaw with a static shock punch before he could disappear.
The colt was too swift however and immediately launched out of the ground from behind Gentler, hopping up and landing on his back, wrapping a foreleg around his neck. Fear thought about manipulating the shadows to try and strangle the cat but his magic nullifying spell would have quickly put a stop to that, so he decided against it. Fear wrapped Gentler's throat in a choke hold, holding his foreleg against the two blood vessels that brought oxygen to his brain.
Gentler responded by flipping over onto his spine and using the back of his head to butt Fear's skull into the ground, his gauntlets coming up to Fear's tightened foreleg with electricity crackling along them, intending to touch the harassing limb and make it numb.
Fear felt it coming with his empathy even as his head reeled from the bang against the ground, roughhousing with the cat as his foreleg turned into shadows, collapsing around the Abyssinian's throat just as the hand came up, touching his throat and sending a powerful shock flowing through Gentler's system and making it difficult to breathe.
The colt huffed, one eye lidded and the other twitching from the soreness in his skull. "Surrender!?" Fear was frantic, hoping that was the end of the fight.
Gentler coughed and hacked. "M-mercy!" That was the end of their daily spars. "Well..." the Abyssinian wheezed. "Well done again, Fear."
Fear's grin reached untold lengths as he let go of the cat and slipped into the shadows before appearing on all fours a few inches away, panting for air, still wincing from the blow to his head.
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Gentler and Fear stared intently at each other across the table at Scavver's Tavern, with the colt sitting on his haunches in one chair and the Abyssinian sitting across with his feet planted firmly on the floor. The cat had a large, condescending smirk on his face, leaning forward, vision needling into the unicorn. Fear on the other hoof was determined, his face set in a heavy scowl and eyes penetrating deep into Gentler's soul. He would not lose, slamming his hoof on the table, the shot glasses between them jostling from the force. "Your start," Fear coaxed.
Gentler smirked, his whiskers shivered as his snout wrinkled up. "A tom got hit in the head with a can of sparkle cola. At least it was a soft drink."
Fear kept a straight face, leaning on an elbow and holding his chin with a hoof. "The shovel was a groundbreaking invention."
Gentler merely shrugged and grinned. "Want to hear a joke about construction? I'm still working on it."
Fear's lips turned upward, jerking slightly. "So what if I don't know what armageddon means? It's not the end of the world."
Gentler sighed, eyes rolling in their sockets. "If I had fifty caps for every time I failed a math exam I'd have five hundred twenty caps."
The colt took a moment to think about that. When he finally got it his jaw hinged open and his eyes widened, a little snrrk escaping his lips, snout scrunching. Fear stomped a hoof and took a shot, his whole body cringing from the taste. After wiping his mouth with a hoof, he continued. "What do you call a fish with no eye? A fsh."
Gentler's brow lifted an inch at that one. No other reaction. "My brother," he began simply, "and I often laughed about how competitive I am." The cat leaned forward. "I laughed more." He had a sinister expression.
Fear's tail whipped to the side under him, trying to keep a straight face. "I still remember what my Mom said before she kicked the bucket."
The cat nearly whistled at the gall.
"How far do you think I can kick this bucket?"
It was such a dark joke Gentler couldn't help but laugh, batting a paw and taking a swig from one of the shots, slamming it back down against the table. "My girlfriend's dad told me he wanted her home before midnight. I told him he already owned her home."
Fear couldn't help but giggle at that, cursing to himself under his breath as he struck another shot down his throat. It burned like Tartarus. "What's the difference between roast bloatwing and pea soup?"
"What?"
"You can rrr... rrroast a bloatwing but no one can p... pee ssssoup."
Despite himself, Gentler chuckled at the dumb joke, knocking back a shot with the experience of a heavy drinker. "I didn't want to believe Mom was stealing stuff from her job as a road worker, but when I got home all the signs were there."
Fear wasn't able to resist laughing, tapping a hoof on the table and shaking his head wildly before using telekinesis to drink down another glass. His breath smelled like alcohol already, and his eyes were becoming glassy. "Wha... whuh's brown and has... hassss wheels? Sssss."
"Fucking lightweight," Gentler teased. "A wagon?"
"N... nnno. Dirt. I l-lied about the wh... wheels." Fear's mouth moved like he was trying to chew on something that wasn't there.
Gentler guffawed out loud, nearly busting a gut as he slumped over, holding his abdomen. The cat downed another bit of alcohol.
Fear's sixth sense was blurring beyond comprehension, all the souls in the area starting to mix together and everyone's intent becoming a fierce amalgamation of emotions that he couldn't keep up with. He was left so far behind in the dust, with everything spinning around him he was becoming dizzy.
"Fine." Gentler conceded. "What's the difference between a cat and a complex sentence?"
The hybrid's face was sagging to one side as he tried to understand the question, one eye lidded and his lips tugging downward. "Huh?" When he finally regained cognizance he shook his head and queried, "what?"
"A cat has claws on the end of its paws, a complex sentence has a pause at the end of its clause."
Fear's face was expressionless for moments as he tried to comprehend the punchline, squinting suspiciously at the cat. After a few moments it clicked, recalling his time with his mother, getting it by context only (which was how he understood most things), and stutter-giggled to himself tipsily. "Eheheh hee hee heh... haha." Fear reached out with his magic, nearly knocking some shot glasses over, before successfully gripping one and lifting it to his lips, cocking back the drink and wincing as it drained into his stomach. "I'm... mmm I'mmmmm sssscared of ele... elevators. So I'mmmm going to start taking... taking steps to avoi... avoid them."
Gentler laughed a little at that, partly at how drunk Fear already was and partly at the joke itself, pouring a shot into his mouth. "What do you call a pile of cats?"
Fear gazed at Gentler vacantly.
"A meowtain." There was a giant smile lingering on the Abyssinian's face as he said it.
Fear's entire face screwed up in euphoric laughter, his shoulders rocking and eyes squeezed shut, bellowing out laugh after laugh until one laugh too many caused him to throw up all over the floor next to him with a loud, heaving 'blooooorf!'
==========================================================================================
Faith had invited Fear into one of her street sermons. A new one for a new age about Princess Luna and her role in their dreams. That peace would be kept within the dream world one way or another, and that those with WTSD would be able to rest easier nowadays that a princess had been brought back. Fear helped with it, supporting her like the colt he was and shouting at everypony just as she did.
Unfortunately nopony believed them. Everypony just kept walking on by without a single care in the world for the two crazies on the side of the road shouting at them.
"Karma doesn't exist! We all get many moments to change our ways and become better! Every time we face another pony," Fear yelled, "we get the opportunity to stand down or keep going. We get the choice to question our actions and think critically. We often face those who are similar to us, those that show us what we could be, or what we can be! I've met so many ponies that've shown me what I could become if I'm not cautious, and what I could be if I work hard and listen to others!"
Faith took a step forward, holding the weapon she normally carried with her for self defense under her hind hoof. "There is order in communication. There is harmony and discord in friendship. Positive change is all around us, just waiting to bring us to our higher selves. To reveal the alicorn inside all of us!"
"Friendship is stability!" Fear cried. "Everypony should take a deep look inside themselves and analyze everything that makes them what they are! Get help from others! Be good! Everypony has it in them! There is not a single creature that is handicapped - that doesn't have it!"
"Evil is simply born from misunderstandings and boredom, we can do better!" Faith was insistent as ponies just passed them by.
"The wasteland tests our mettle, and we have a choice of either drowning our problems in sex, drugs, and violence," as Fear'd learned from Faith, "or we can walk straight and true with the help of others and recover! We can heal! The wasteland can heal! Just by devoting ourselves to each other and our higher ideals!"
"All creatures," Faith proceeded, "may live in peace! All races! There is no one superior race nor species, we all have something to contribute to the restoration of the wasteland! The discord generated by friendship will ripple outward and change the world!"
And it continued like that for at least a few hours. Fear did this with Faith at least once a day, helping her with her preaching. Often repeating. Sometimes discovering more lines of reasoning. Occasionally Faith proclaimed stories to those who'd listen, and Fear joined in with the tales of self.
==========================================================================================
Fear stared at Emulae for a time, his tail whipping back and forth as he sat at the dining room table, surrounded by cowboy kitsch. Old creaky wood, wallpaper, antiquated paintings of scenery (had it once belonged to a painter? Fear had to ask Jack) and a number of homely, miscellaneous crafted trinkets. Overall the whole room emanated a feeling of hygge that crept into the flesh like acid, corroding stress and the chill of discomfort. The colt was always impressed with it all, but right now he was focused on the female changeling across from him. She had a sincere, affectionate, and gentle smile on her face that eased the energy right out of Fear's reserves. It was like there was a crack in the dam that held back his world's worth of determination, leaving him lax. Ever since he'd met her he'd been trying to come to terms with the unusual, wild sensation that nibbled at him like being stroked along the spine. He looked from her to the middle of the table, rather casually. His eyes hooked on the vacant napkin holder that looked like the jaws of some craggy wild animal, and the scant few knicknacks piled next to it - they all looked friendly with each other. In particular, his gaze was caught on an antique clay frog that was polished to a shine, with poisonous colors coating it in an oddly realistic fashion. His expression was contemplative. "Alright I'm ready." Fear calmed his breathing, falling into a meditative trance, and focused on the reliable, substantial frog bauble.
Emulae's eyes slimmed, blinking once at the hint of nonchalance in Fear's tone. Given his usual failures at these exercises, it was strange, almost as if he'd gained a dollop of confidence. She focused on Fear's mind, expelling illusory wavelengths from her body. They caressed the unassuming amphibian sculpture, molding and warping it. It transformed right before Fear's eyes, becoming something that every rowdy sensory input told him was real and dangerous. But he kept his cool, using the newfound integrity of his mind's eye to endure. His head twisted to the side slightly, but he kept his eyes on the frog, which was now snarling at him like a wild dog, having opened its mouth to reveal rows and rows of serrated teeth. It looked ready to lunge at him.
Fear pushed out illusory currents of his own, filling it up. Right before Emulae's eyes the frog began to change even more, morphing into a beast with tentacle whiskers that lashed out at the changeling, wrapping around her throat and constricting.
Emulae's eyes widened, feeling the sensation of having her airway cut off. "Hee hee, you've gotten so much better at this game little Fear."
Fear kept quiet as he tried to put all his power into making the mirage as real as possible.
Emulae hardly moved, with one hoof in reality and one hoof in the dream. She then twisted it back around on Fear in a way he'd come to expect, bringing the table between them to life, slowly transforming from a four-legged slab of wood into a towering timberwolf, the napkin holder forming a ridge of spines, and the trinkets piled on top becoming sickly warts that looked like if they popped, they'd splash gross, vomit-inducing ichor everywhere.
Which is why Fear saw it coming.
The bubbles on the skin of the newfound, drooling creature that roared in his face popped, vile gunk splattering everywhere and oozing all over the ground, droplets plastering on Fear's face and body. At least that's how it felt. It was oily and summoned up every ounce of disgust within him, making his stomach flop once, then twice, then convulse and nearly heave up his lunch. Fear's throat constricted and he held his breath, cheeks puffing out, saliva filling his mouth at the sensation of approaching discharge. He held himself back though, but because he was so intent on braving the responses gurgling and brimming inside of him, he wasn't prepared for what came next.
Emulae's illusion proceeded, the giant maw of the ex-table chomping down on Fear's skull, the teeth digging into his neck and causing blood to blossom. Fear could feel the release of life-giving fluids seeping from him. He couldn't breathe, as if something had severed his larynx, and everything had suddenly gone dark. All he could see was shadowed brown hues, the interior of the creature's wooden mouth.
Still, Fear endured. He was used to visions like this from her. He would not give in, he would not break. He would not shatter. Even now he pumped delusions outward from him.
The timberwolf shifted and cavorted in front of Emulae.
Fear pulled on something deep inside of his memory. The timberwolf began to melt, turning into a behemoth of sludge before easily taking on a new shape, becoming something so giant the house around them began to break apart. Fear let out a war cry deep within himself as he put everything he could into the illusion. Growing larger, and larger, more and more massive, borrowing on the changeling's memories of what was around them, until all that was left was debris of the house, Emulae, and the farmland around them. It became something far more sinister and bestial, something with a lack of sentience, as well as an abstract moral compass all in one. Something that Emulae could sense was far beyond her. It was bigger in every way Emulae could imagine. The head of it, which was now facing the changeling, became more flowery with blossoming petals, a fractaling, worm-like mouth that funneled deep inside, with sequential rings of teeth surrounding the insides and a hearty, durable shell made of rigid, spikey plates that jutted outward like a giant dragon's scales. They rippled actively, the mouth of the creature collapsing, teeth ramming together, the petals folding closed around Emulae's body, pulling her in. Fear kept going with the illusion as Emulae was thrown for a loop.
Emulae could smell the creature's breath, something otherworldly and ephemeral, a toxic drug leaving her delirious and nauseated like diethyl ether. There was something frightening about it that struck her to the core, as if her very soul, her consciousness was about to be ingested. She saw herself approaching the teeth.
The terror Fear felt when he'd first encountered the Dirge within the exoverse came rampaging over Emulae's awareness, trampling her into the ground, and leaving her ragged and panicked.
"Stop!" Emulae shouted. Her breathing was heavy, her heart hammering in her chest.
Fear ceased the illusion, everything returning to normal, reality yanking into place with a jerk and a flash. A huge smile spread across his face. "I win. Finally."
Emulae smiled, holding a leg against her chest and trying to calm herself, panting heavily. "In... indeed you d... do. Good... good job, little Fear."
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"So where are you from, originally?" Fear glanced to his grandfather who was trotting by him, side closest to the crops they were passing. Jack had his eyes on every single piece of vegetation sticking up here and there, and seemed to be feeling out for the slightest disturbances in his yield with narrowed vision, focused on things Fear could neither see nor feel. It was a kind of congenital instinct, a natural talent that had been cultivated over time like the very plants Jack took care of, and it was something Fear wasn't sure he possibly had in him even if the point of this was to teach him the basic idea behind it.
"Haha, you have a hard time focusing don't you?" The stallion's voice was bemused, a sly smile creeping on his face that couldn't be wiped off no matter how hard anypony tried. "Well, I suppose I can tell you that story. If you really wanna hear it."
Fear stomped a foreleg against the ground. "Yes! Definitely! I like to learn!" Fear's smile was equally bright and infallible, for now at least.
"Hehe, well." Jack thought about it, as if it'd been a long time, his vision casting to the quilty, sinuous cloud cover above before returning his gaze to the fields. "I grew up in Maneami with my parents. Before the war it was a city of eternal partying, which is why it was often visited by Ministy Mare Pinkie Pie herself." Jack halted and 'hmm'ed. His eyes caught sight of a small patch of withered, shriveling pumpkins a little further in. They looked to be browning and growing mushy. Strips of skin were peeling from them, looking an unhealthy orange underneath. They seemed to be struggling, though it didn't help most of them were covered in a thin layer of dust and needed to be rinsed off. Jack wove through the clumps of vine-leashed pumpkins, almost as if dancing, with Fear following along behind him, toward the patch. "Stick a pin in that thought for now, Fear, this is what I wanted to show you." Jack's lips were firmly pursed as he stood over the pumpkins, watching the small bunch of them with an analyzing gaze.
"O-okay." Fear sounded uncertain, sitting back on his haunches next to him, before his vision cast to the pumpkins.
As time passed, the colt felt something brimming in the air, wafting off of his grandfather. It was... unusual. It tickled his brain. Suddenly he could feel every crystalline nerve inside of his brain resonating with the emotional output. His mind was teeming with sensory, nearly overload. Fear's jaw dipped, his eyes widening, pupils dilating slightly at the sensation. With a flick of his ears, he spoke. "How are you doing that?"
Jack shushed Fear and knelt down to the plants, breathing on them. The carbon dioxide flowing from his maw and swirling around in the air, lovingly caressing the coiling, winding stems and the tough gourds themselves. He was speaking sweet nothings. Fear leaned forward to listen, his ears twitching again. It was encouragement, words about how they were doing so well, and soon enough they'd be fulfilling their purpose, their destiny. They would be cared for until the end, and the end would be glorious, it would be an amazing destination. It was... riveting. Words alone couldn't do it justice. Fear wondered if the inspirational speech could ever be directed at him. The colt watched as Jack went from pumpkin to pumpkin, affectionately whispering to each and every one of them, time passing at a shimmy, even going so far as stroking his hooves along the plump pumps and holding them against his body, sharing warmth.
Fear's eyes aimed at Jack, concentrating on him, pupils contracting as he tried to figure out what he was doing. His lids fell shut as he tried to find the source of those emotions. It was clear where it was coming from but... it was originating specifically from his horn.
Waiting until he was done, Fear finally spoke again. "How'd you... how'd you do that?"
Jack smiled, standing tall and stepping up to Fear. "Well you know how unicorn magic is powered by emotions?" Fear nodded dumbly, his mouth a gentle frown, eyes boring holes into the stallion as if he held all the answers of life, the universe, and everything. "Anypony can do it, radiating emotions, but unicorns have the easiest time of it because they're familiar with forming magical energies with their emotive power. All you have to do is sort of... direct the emotions into that part of your body, overriding the thaumic gland. It's a little difficult - it requires meditation to figure out. But eventually you can."
Fear glanced to the pumpkins, gnawing his lower lip, clearly intrigued. "Huh, okay. Thanks." A smile broke across his face and he jerked his tail to the side, having something new to work on alongside all his other practices.
"It might actually be similar to that nightmare pressure your little dream friend taught you."
Fear's head bolted into place, staring at Jack dumbstruck. "Really? Wow." Fear pushed a hoof against his jaw and stared at the earth, eyes lidding. "Thanks."
Jack beamed, putting a hoof on Fear's shoulder and guiding him back to the pathway as the colt contemplated his options.
The trot was calm and sedated, the roiling clouds above as still as ever, like cottony gray dirt encompassing the whole of the sky. It'd be depressing for most, but sometimes if you looked close enough you could make out shapes within the divots and chunks. Eventually Jack prodded Fear and questioned him. "So, you want to hear about my life?"
Fear was yanked out of his reverie and looked up like he'd been in a daze, a little disoriented. "Oh, yeah, uh, sure." His mouth curled upward once more as he glanced between Jack and the road.
"Well, as I was saying, Maneami was a ride, even when I was young. Lots of drugs, et cetera. If you scavenged long enough eventually you'd salvage some old thing or two. I did a lot of experimenting growing up, and on one of my..." Jack coughed into his hoof, "acid trips. I discovered the wonders of meditation and how to pump emotions from my horn. It just sort of... opened up to me. Back then I could've sworn I'd even been able to feel things nopony else could!" A gay laugh escaped his lips. "But yeah, I started doing it all the time, making everypony feel good, and one day I found a packet of seeds and old, desiccated soil. I decided to try and grow something because, hey, you never know right? With dormant seeds and all that, you might find something."
"So I was desperate, y'see? I was trying my absolute best with what I had, trying to find as much water as I could to keep it up, and took care of it every day. Even when I left Maneami to seek out my own destiny I looked after it. And one day... it sprouted!" Jack stood up on his hindlegs, throwing his forelegs outward like an explosion, his face lit up like a blazing inferno of happiness. "I was so, so excited that I just kept it up! And eventually it grew into a nice flower, albeit unhealthy. And I tried my best to get it to blossom like those ancient pictures, and I got my cutiemark. It was a struggle, I tell ya. Meanwhile I was avoiding raiders like the plague, making a little money by hunting down various items for other ponies, I always had a knack for finding just the right object. I made friends and relationships, occasionally offered my services as a comfort horse."
That explained how Sim learned some of what he knew, Fear thought.
"And after a long time taking care of that little flower, it finally bloomed. I was so ecstatic, there are no words." The stallion sighed wistfully. "I kept it with me for a long time, I still keep it in my little gumdrop's and my room to this day."
Fear 'huh'ed. "So when'd you find this farm? And when'd you meet Emulae?"
"Well, I met Emulae shortly after the flower blossomed for its second time!" Jack's eyebrows were raised, as if they couldn't stand to be held down. "We hit it off immediately. I didn't find out til later, when I'd earned her trust and proven myself, that she was a changeling and that the primary reason she'd taken a liking to me so fast was because I'd been able to grow a flower, a viola no less. But I was more enticed than ever. We'd already had sex multiple times and, really? It was neat to hear just how she felt about me, and I realized that learning what she really was didn't change at all how she'd treated me previously, and if anything it showed she was making herself more vulnerable than ever by actually revealing it to me. After that, unless we were around other ponies, I had her be her true self all the time." The stallion was vibrant, yet calm like a lava lamp. "As for the farm." Jack looked back the way they came with appreciation and gratitude etched all over him. "My little gumdrop and I came here at some point for shelter, and the previous farmer, who wasn't doing so well in his old age, offered to tutor me on how to take care of the crops if I promised to stay and help the town nearby. Of course I promised. I believed it was my destiny for one, and second of all that's just the kind of pony I am!"
Fear had a weary smile. After dealing with the Seer's Eye he wasn't sure there was such a thing as destiny. Or at least one true destiny. There were many destinies, and by seeing what you might do you could always change it and carve a new one. That's how it seemed at least to him. "Wow, that's a pretty cool story! So you eventually had my Dad?"
"Yeah, after we finally settled down we figured it'd be for the best to have a foal. Over time I brought prosperity, far more than it ever had in the past, to this little farm. Eventually the Steel Rangers also took an interest in it, and... the rest is history." |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Downtime (Part 2) | Before Fear and Rose was a box. A simple box with marred, faded top. It had a picture of a flowery valley overlooking the Everfree Forest and Canterlot during the night sky and flitting fireflies. It was a glorious little puzzle, like something you'd see in a dream, but not something you'd see in paradise. It was surreal, but not high contrast. It felt authentic. The only reason it was strange was because most creatures hadn't seen such views in a long time. Still, the similar shades here and there would make it difficult to put together. It said on the front it was a thousand piece, edgeless puzzle for added difficulty.
"So you really think we can get this done in a few days?"
"Well, seeing as I've put it together before, I'd consider myself a failure if we didn't. We just have to work hard," Rose responded easily enough.
"Where'd you get this anyway?"
"Dad says it came with the house. Maybe it was scavenged a long time ago? Who knows. But this place is full of little things like that." The filly had a tight smile spread across her face. She reached out with her telekinesis, a violet chromatic ether surrounding the box and popping off the lid, upending it with a smooth movement, and puddling the pieces all together on the dining room table. Immediately the filly got to work, using her hooves and magic to scatter the pieces around, revealing this and that, her eyes already catching little details as she set the top of the box in the corner before them so they could look at it for reference. Each segment looked as good as the day it'd been bought. Despite its overuse none of the paper was peeling off the cardboard, which made Fear's heart rise in his chest from happiness, lips twisting upward.
"You know, my mother was really good at puzzles like these."
"Oh? Really?" The filly reached out, pulling piece after piece from the pile and setting them off to the side, knowing exactly where they went.
"Ye'h. There were some jigsaw puzzles in the stable she came from and she'd occasionally put them together. It was how she cultured her talent."
"Talent?" Sliding some more chunks around and snapping some together with Fear's help.
"Uh-huh. She could speed up her perception of time to have longer to focus and think."
"What, like S.A.T.S?"
Fear gave an agreeable nod. "Something like that. I don't know if it was a natural talent to her or if she just figured out how to reverse engineer the spell. But yeah, she was super good at putting these things together." Fear gasped, catching Rose's attention, as he pulled out a number of pieces that looked like they belonged near each other, occasionally glancing at the reference image, and pooling them next to him.
"Do you ever wish you could have done something like this with her?"
"Oh yeah, sure." Fear nodded emphatically, shrugging his shoulders as if to say 'wouldn't you?' "Definitely. It's a little bit of a sore spot that I won't ever get to do those little things with her, but I also got to do a bunch of traveling games with her that we thought up together, some revolving around scavenging and stuff. She taught me a lot."
Rose bobbed her head as she pulled out a few more segments from the main pile and organized them for later recombination. "You ever thought about, you know... looking through that Seer's Eye thing you told us about in order to spend more time with her in some way?"
Fear hummed. "Well... yes."
"Why didn't you?"
"I was scared to be honest. Mom was already unwilling to let it go, she was always so protective of it. You'd almost think she'd call it precious. But she wasn't... controlled by it you know? Or was she? I can't tell. She kept it close to her heart always. I didn't want to end up like her. Part of me didn't care if I did or not, but I ended up deciding I should abuse it for entertainment as little as possible. I'm sure some me made the opposite choice."
Rose cocked her head to the side. "Huh, okay. I never would have thought you the kind of pony to refrain from doing something just because you're scared."
"Well... less scared, more cautious." As Fear locked a couple pieces into place something flashed across his vision, his forelegs falling limp as he was pulled faraway. A vision coming to him, as if the remnants of something connected to him. A portrait of his mother and some strange, lavender mare working together on a puzzle. Fear's face screwed up in confusion as the vision dissipated.
"Everything okay?"
"Y-yeah... just had some kind of daydream."
"Weeeird. What was it about?"
"My mother and some strange pony I've never met before putting together a puzzle. Both of them were using their talents to try and speed through it."
"I assume you've never experienced anything like that in the past?"
"Nah. I mean, I've had a bunch of daydreams. Sometimes I still have random daydreams I don't understand when I see something associated with the vision."
"What do you think it is?" Rose queried curiously.
"I don't know. It reminds me of when I wore the Seer's Eye."
Rose snagged a few pieces from the pile and latched them together like a pro. "Maybe it's leftover taint, is that possible?"
"I don't... don't know. Grandma Freiya never mentioned if it was possible."
"Then who knows?" Rose asked with an ominous tone as they continued configuring the jigsaw.
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"Yo! I'm glad I finally got to have some time to play with you Fear!" Chirp called out in a brazen voice to the one next to him. A few yards away was a metal stake in the ground, and at the sides of both hybrids were a bunch of horseshoes overlaid one another in a heap. They were old, some rusty, some chipped, nicked, and scraped. One was slightly bent out of shape, warped from time. Everypony knew that was the one saved for last - a true demonstration of skill. "Remember, no telekinesis!"
Fear shook his head ruefully, frowning deeply. "Yeah, yeah... fine." Fear threw Chirp a sly look. "Wouldn't even dream of cheating."
"Well given how not excited you are I don't know!" Chirp's words caused Fear to wince.
Fear was starting to think he knew where he got his openness from, his Dad's side. "You go first. Show me how it's done."
"Sure thing boss!" Chirp exclaimed with a salute, getting into position and picking up a horse shoe with a hoof, swiping it up off the ground and spinning it around in lazy arcs around his forehoof. Twisting around and around in loose revolutions. The orange-maned hybrid lined up his vision and his arc, slowing down ever so subtly, rearing back his leg and snapping it forward just as the back of the contoured metal reached the front.
Without a flourish it whipped through the air, continuing to whirl as it soared straight for the stake and slamming it so hard it reverberated a little with a ping, spiraling around the jutting metal until it fell limp against the ground.
Fear's eyes were wide. "I mean, is this even fair without telekinesis?"
"Do you want me to hold back against you?" Chirp was asking the hard questions with an innocent tone.
"Um, I don't know actually. But it's gonna take me at least a few months of constant, and I mean constant, practice to get anywhere near that good."
Chirp's smug smile infuriated Fear, but he let it go with a sigh and a turn inward. "Eh, at least you'll get it eventually."
"It's not very fun being constantly curb stomped in a game."
Chirp clicked his tongue. "Fine, after this I'll help you get up to speed. But first let's see how you do!"
Fear rubbed his mane with a hoof, thinking about it. "Al-alright. If you insist." He then picked up a horseshoe in his hoof, holding it up by the curve. His hoof was a little too small to hold the entirety of this one. He didn't dare twirl it around or make a show of it, for fear of accidentally powing Chirp in the face if it got out of his control. This just wasn't the kind of dexterity he was used to.
Using a lame swing of his forearm, the horseshoe tentatively flew through the air, arcing up, and landing a foot away from the stake with a dull 'thud.'
"See? I'm just no good!" Fear flushed fiercely and twisted his head to the side.
Chirp whistled. "Well... to be honest it's better than I expected!"
Fear felt the sincerity seeping off the statement, so it couldn't be a lie. Right? His anxiety told him it was anyway, but his sense was hardly ever wrong in this case. He knew the difference between imagination and feeling. "Well... fine. Your turn."
It continued like that for awhile, with Fear never getting very close to the stake, but always trying his best. Chirp missed only once or twice, his horseshoe skidding across the ground a few inches from it, showing he wasn't perfect yet either.
On Fear's final throw he was tempted, sorely tempted to aid his throw with telekinesis. The string of past defeats gnawed on his integrity like rabbits tearing at crops. It hurt deep inside to know he was such a failure.
As if reading his mind, or perhaps like Jack knowing just what to say, Chirp spoke up with a... chirp. "Don't worry Fear, it's not like you're proving anything, and besides? We're hardly ever naturally talented at the things we do. It's fine! I wasn't talented at it either. Dad floored me with his skill the first time we played. So relax."
Fear nodded once, rather graciously, and tried to ease the tension out of his muscles with a few deep breaths through his snout. He adjusted his positioning with nuance, trying to replicate most of Chirp's posture, and threw the horseshoe high.
It crescented through the air and pounded against the floor, kicking up a little dust, landing a couple inches from the stake. The close call was, despite being a failure, an elation for Fear that caused the corners of his lips to curl upward. He couldn't help it, his chest puffing out. "You see that!? I can do it!"
Chirp laughed. "Of course you can, it just takes practice! Everything does! Even talents need to be cultivated!"
Fear just grinned from ear to ear, his cheeks rising up over his eyes which shimmered brilliantly like jewels.
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"Are you really sure this is a good idea?" Fear's uncertainty rang true and essential.
"O-oh c-come on, d-don't be a f-foal." Mirage had a lively smile that, while uncommon, fit her well. She wiggled her body from side to side, getting herself completely jived up and loose. Flicking her legs this way and that, shaking them out. Before moving over to the bookshelf and pulling out one of her vinyl sleeves. It had a faded picture of a mare in a trench coat posing dynamically on the cover. The name of the album was "Femme Fatale" by... the cover was too scarred to recall who it was made by. Too bad that they'd died to obscurity, only their art in its purest form, without branding survived. Mirage walked over to the living room's spark battery operated gramophone and pulled up the needle, sliding out the disc, and setting it in place. She started the machine and put the needle down on the groove. There was a scratch, and soon enough wispy jazz tunes were wafting from the brass speaker with only a slight distortion.
Fear's stomach knotted up into a pretzel leaving him queasy and his legs shaking under him.
"C-come on... relax." Mirage took a deep breath through her snout and held it in her lungs before slowly releasing it in waves, her entire form going still. "Dancing's not so bad." As the music surrounded them and latched onto their souls, driving them to tapping their hooves on the floorboards, Mirage seemed more in her element than ever. "Now, follow me." Mirage stood up on her hindlegs, holding her forehooves parallel to the floor. She swung them from side to side as she took a step forward, then clicked the other hindhoof in front of that one in a dexterous display Fear was sure only earth ponies were capable of. Then Mirage stepped back, back again, and clicked the other hindleg behind that one. Left, right, left, right, left, right, exposing her 'heels' the entire time, rocking around as if she was on ice but had complete control. A fanciful Charleston.
Fear lifted an eyebrow, and considered it. He stood up on his hindlegs and tried to repeat her movements. Slowly at first, feeling unsure of himself.
"Th-think of it like this. The dancing will help you in combat."
The colt was very plussed after that statement. Still, he was uncertain. His hindlegs dipped around each other, but on the sweep backwards he accidentally lost his balance, teetering back and forth. "Wh-whoa!" And without much effort he fell forward onto his face with a thud. Again, he was blushing fervently as he tried to push himself up and get on all fours where he belonged.
"Shh shhh..." Mirage stated, wrapping her forelegs around Fear's and holding them up, coaxing him onto his hindlegs again rather smoothly. Both of them were standing and holding each other. "We'll try something different. Follow my lead."
The filly was a little smaller than Fear, by barely anything at all. She stepped to the side, and Fear followed her, Returned, then stepped back, then Mirage moved Fear away from her and with a risky movement of her hooves, reached up and twirled him around.
Fear was a little dizzy, his eyes rolling around in their sockets as he tried to reorient himself, staggering back and into Mirage's embrace. The filly giggled and got him back onto his hindlegs, her earth pony strength easily keeping them up. They repeated the movements from before, but it got a little more complex, with dips and bends, crossing hooves over each other. Mirage ordered Fear to deviate from her, to step away from her every time she waltzed to the side, then they came back together like a pair of magnets. Mirage spun Fear again and stepped back and to the side once more, causing Fear to fall forward. Mirage's leg cupped the colt, who fell into her embrace once more. She then shoved him up and leaned back. They held onto each other as both nearly fell backwards, then they sprung back toward each other like a rubber band, twirling around with one another before Mirage finished with a flourish, bending over Fear and giving him a smooch on the cheek.
"How was that?" Her breathing was calm and quiet, while Fear's was ragged and panting.
"Haah... haah... haah... That was... that was fun!" He stated, sweating a little, mostly from all the close calls of nearly falling. "I definitely need more practice though! That was like a fight."
Mirage brought a hoof up and swept back her mane as the next song began. "W-we'll keep going then."
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Fear was still getting used to remembering everything while asleep, be it recalling bits and pieces from being awake, or remembering everything that happened while he was asleep when he awoke. It was troublesome, like two different lives that hardly crossed over each other, mixing between dimensions constantly, seeping between one and the other with a little effort. Sometimes he even couldn't help but wake up in the middle of his sleep in order to use the bathroom. Those were always the most frustrating parts, being cut off during conversation with one of his friends because he needed to switch spaces once more. The physical body was a horrid piece of art sometimes. And trying to satisfy his waking desires within sleep was always futile.
The worst one was when he had an itch while asleep and no matter how much he scratched it, it wouldn't go away until he realized that if he was going to achieve relief he'd have to wake up.
All in all, not that Fear could understand the comparison, but dreams felt a lot like experiencing first hand a corruption of your favorite game. Not because it was spastic and nonsensical, but because it was wild, crazy, and surreal, with a hint of hidden logic that could only be understood through context, and you could hardly remember the experience after it was over.
Dreaming and waking were two sides to a coin that Fear found frustrating even on the best of days. Transitioning between waking and sleeping was also terrible, because he always ended up disoriented and unsure of what was real and what wasn't. Even if his dreams were 'real.' It left him drowsy sometimes, and completely unmotivated. Troublesome to the highest degree. Yet at the same time? He kind of loved it. It was interesting exploring two different worlds, occasionally getting to inhabit the dreams of others when he joined Luna or Amelio on a mission to another bubble.
Right now he was informing Princess Luna about Faithdriver's newfound manuscript, recently finished.
"So yeah, friendship and chaos are apparently so intertwined that even the force you knew as Discord could viably learn how to accept friendship if reasoned with, while still being himself."
"Hm, that is interesting, little Fear." Luna glanced away, narrowing her vision. "I really wish I had not had Rarity remove so much from Equestria's literature."
Without warning a new voice arrived, sounding playful and amused. Luna recognized him immediately as Discord, her gaze whipping about wildly. "It's nice to see some regret for your actions, Luna. But what's done is done, that is the nature of chaos. I learned my lesson, and all of you have too. Change is exciting, is it not?"
Luna and Fear were left speechless, staring into nothingness in the vault room. Fear immediately felt the presence disappear from his radar, a presence that felt powerful and constantly shifting, like a rubik's cube that never properly aligned but was constantly twisting about. He could tell it was still seeking peace, that the cubes making up the larger model were broken, the stickers peeling and fading, getting scratched off. They'd been through a lot, and its movements were slow. It had been drained, but it was doing its best to keep going, clearly.
Luna charged forward, calling into empty air. "Discord! Come back! I'm sorry!"
Amelio stepped in from the treasure room, blinking blearily, having been busy meditating. "What is all the ruckus about?" She sounded slightly annoyed.
"Just the spirit of chaos saying 'hello' I guess??" Fear sounded as if he was asking a question of a question, clearly thrown for a loop, yet still content. He hoped Discord, whoever he was, would find the peace he was seeking.
Luna appeared solemn, yet stood as tall and strict as ever. A hint of royalty even in her damaged body.
Fear grinned lopsidedly, reaching out to rest a hoof against her foreleg. "Cheer up, Luna, he'll be back I'm sure. At least that's confirmation he's doing something out there." Then he turned around to talk to Amelio who was standing between rooms, looking baffled. "By the way, Amelio, I never told you how Shadow Paladin Saga ends."
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Canterlot Garden was a beautiful place, with a fence on the border that was designed to be like spiraling branches and roots of a tree, the arch gateways coated in coiling flower-ridden vines, all of them blossoming and looking as gorgeous and potent as ever, like they gave off the most pollen. They looked as if they belonged in the rainforest. The rest of the garden was littered with bushes, shrubbery, trees, and plants of all different kinds in a sort of disorderly way, with monstrous statues randomly placed which snarled at passerby, as if they were creatures spared being locked in Tartarus, only to be locked in stone instead. Some were turned into fountains, and Fear was impressed that there were many dream constructs of various colored birds scattered here and there, perched around in different places. Some owls hooted sorrowfully, wailing about a time long past based on the pony's consciousness, while other avians tweeted and sung about newfound hope. Or were they making music in order to seduce other birds?
It was unclear.
All Fear knew was, as he looked around, holding a pail of water styled in the shape of an adorable little elephant - trunk and all - in his telekinesis, that he was enjoying the 'new' area of the castle grounds that he'd never gotten to see before. He was following Saway around, right on her heels, trickling refreshing liquids onto the plants surrounding him. It wasn't strictly necessary, but it was a calming ritual that the mare had introduced him to.
"I used to come here many times to learn how to meditate when I was under Princess Luna's service, and would sometimes aid the gardener with his rounds," Saway rasped out.
"Huh, really?" Fear asked, glancing over to the mare that had brought him here. "It must've been really calming for you."
"You have no idea, colt. I honestly miss it. I miss all of Equestria back even before the war, when we were all at peace and things were thriving."
"Well I mean, didn't prosperity come from the war too?"
"Sort of, colt." Saway paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts as she poured a stream of water onto a plot of soil. "It's true that the war enabled industrial revolution, for technological upheaval, and miraculous innovations. But over time we lost something integral to who we were as a species during it, and maybe even because of it."
Fear shook his head. "I don'know. I mean do you really think we needed such a big threat in order to have all those things? I mean we could have learned things anyway."
Saway sighed, a resigned tone to her usually combative voice. "I don't honestly think so. Everything we built was originally for war, we just happened to find other uses for them. In life there is nothing quite as progressive as battle."
The colt tightened his lips into a scowl, trying to come up with something to say against that. "I think you can have peace without... the word for when you're so content it's dangerous."
"Complacency?"
"Yeah, that. I think."
"You're young, colt. You..."
Fear cut her off. "I may be young, but you're not that old either, you've spent most of your 'life' trapped in this dream. Besides, war doesn't always lead to innovation as you said. The wasteland is an eroding place, and a lot of us are trying to come up with ways to help the wasteland, not to hurt others, but in an effort to heal and return it to what it once was. And even now there are those who cause war who are doing nothing more than scavenging what's left behind, not creating something new. War just leads to creatures being stuck in limbo."
Saway stared at Fear for a time, a fresh respect for him welling in her eyes. "If you say so, colt," she said with a tired inflection.
"I do say so. I may be young but I sometimes know what I'm talking about."
Saway just laughed at that.
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Amelio lovingly fondled Fear's cheek as they stood in the treasure room, the filly gazing deep into Fear's pooling eyes. Her violet irises brimmed with intelligence and wisdom, a certain energy and will to live burning within that set Fear's heart alight, teasing his soul and making him wriggle and squirm the longer he was beset by her assault. His throat closed up, and he pursed his lips, his heart twisting around and wringing out blood like a sponge, his body feeling cold all of a sudden. Or at least that's how it would feel if he was awake. Right now he was just experiencing lame, faint simulacrums of the process.
"You know, Fearei, I missed you a lot. Being half dead and half asleep is very detrimental to my joy." Amelio's hoof curled around his chin, pulling him in close with a stumble. Fear could feel some vague replica of her breath on his skin, or at least something so similar to it, it might as well have been real. Fear's eyes lidded and he stepped in place a few times as if he couldn't get comfortable.
"I, uhh..." Their rendezvous had become far and few between lately, and he knew the filly had been planning something. He could feel it leaking off of her like a toxic ooze. It was obsession in its purest form. A kind of scheming that left him breathless and incapable of real speech. Or at least close enough. "I uhh..." He repeated, his eyes darting to the side.
Amelio simpered, raising a shoulder and cocking her head to the side as she pulled Fear in for a firm kiss, then another, their lips pecking against each other repeatedly. Affectionately. Endlessly. Fear was lost in a wash of emotions that made his hooves tingle, eyelashes fluttering.
"A-Amelio..." Fear squeaked out.
"Shh..." She cooed, nuzzling their muzzles together risquely. Her head tilted to one side and she admired his form, slowly walking around him like a predator, eyeing up the succulent piece of meat she'd been long deprived.
"Amelio..." Fear continued, trying to say something, his voice hitching in his throat.
"You are very naughty, Fearei Shatter. Little Nightlight." The combination of names left Fear nearly collapsing. He could feel the heat radiating off of her, needling into his form, into his consciousness. It was hard to remain standing, hard to remain afloat in her overwhelming presence, as if she was using everything to try and drown him and turn him into the drone he was always meant to be. "Such a sad excuse for a stallion, constantly struggling like the little bug that you are, no more than a drone." The abuse was affectionate, and stirred something in his hammering heart he couldn't explain. She was behind him, breathing on his tail, giving the dock little nips and making him yelp quietly.
"I, uhh..." Fear couldn't bring to bare any of his arsenal of words, feeling inundated by her. It was smothering.
Amelio sidled up next to Fear, brushing against his side and kissing his cheek. Her body was larger than his, and it helped encourage the feeling of being dwarfed, emotionally, mentally, and physically. It was like she towered over him in every way possible. Like she was going to dominate him. It was salacious and scandalous. Being abused and sexed up by your sister. He glanced to the floor, off to the side, unable to hold her gaze. "You are going to be mine for eternity, little Nightlight." Her telekinesis reached out, and she felt him up, grasping his nethers and caressing his jewels with the pressurized air. It felt alarming and violating, yet so erotic, his rear rising into the air, tail hiking up. Her magic then clasped down on his jaw, squeezing into his cheeks, caving them in. Holding his maw open.
They'd done this little dance before, and it usually ended in a violent, rampant romp, with Fear being struck, clawed, and laid. Their souls would mingle and intertwine like their tongues during a french kiss, a supernatural tessellation of consciousness, threatening to spill into each other and become one another. Twirling and cavorting in a samba of passion and intimacy that had no comparison.
So it always would, but this time with a little bondage and immobilization using dream constructs.
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The moon looked like snow in a way, or was it cheese? Some kind of cream. Fear didn't know what to compare it to, because in all honesty he'd never seen anything like it before. It was solid and firm, packed densely. White, faded ground with craters sprinkled around, varying depressions in the soil, with earth bundled up around the rims of each from where meteors had stricken. The light from the sun was blaring and almost blinding. It was just another star, but this one so much brighter - he couldn't look directly at it.
Nyx was sharing with Fear what it looked like to be on the moon looking down at everything else. He got the distinct sensation that if he jumped he'd end up sailing off into the great unknown, which is basically what would happen. There was little to no atmosphere, and definitely no such thing as cloud cover. It just went... on... forever. It caused Fear's eyes to dilate despite all the light surrounding him. He was effectively disoriented, to the point it felt like his brain was rattling around inside his head.
But it was all a dream. Part of a dream at least.
Still, something about it all was more peaceful than anything he'd ever experienced. Part of the dream sensation that Nyx included was that there were no souls for as far as Fear could feel or hear. No single emotion aside from the old stallion that sat right next to him. Fear looked down onto the planet Equus. He could see the cloud cover, what looked like a seal of gray, and other white clouds distributed elsewhere. He could see the vibrant blue seas, the radioactively untouched lands that were covered in different hues of green and brown. Everything. It caught his interest and held it. He pawed at the white earth beneath him, told by Nyx that it had once been part of Equus before being launched into space by a comet impact. Fear wanted to explore the stable built on the moon, but Nyx was insistent that he see only the moon as a memory, of when it remained untouched.
"So is this... all there really is?" Fear asked.
Nyx guffawed. "Yes. It's pleasant isn't it?"
Fear nodded, lifting a hoof to press it against his chest. "Very. It stills my heart. It's so silent. My ears are ringing."
Nyx 'hmm'ed. "You know I've only ever shown Amelio this view. Soon after she recovered some of her strength. Saway never wanted to look at it, telling me that being stranded on a desolate rock was no longer her wish ever since she'd discovered her true purpose."
Changing the subject, Fear asked, "you mentioned something about obsidian-ish rocks? What are those?"
"Oh," Nyx stated, shaking his head clear and glancing to Fear. "It's a special mineral only found on the moon. You can usually find it by digging around inside the craters. It's basically star material. Some of it was found on Equus and built into weapons." The stallion shook his head. "It's a shame that innovation was primed for war. That material could have gone to better uses."
Fear hummed sadly. "Yeah." His voice was solemn, almost a whisper. "I was talking to Saway about it some time ago, how we don't need war in order to innovate."
Nyx chuckled. "No, you don't. You just need a purpose. Any purpose. Necessity is the mother of invention, as Princess Luna used to say."
"Really? She said that?" Fear queried.
"Mhm," Nyx responded. "It wasn't her phrase but she certainly liked to say it. She ever tell you about how, before she became Nightmare Moon, she would create golems out of earth in order to have friends who would stay up and appreciate her night with her?"
Fear didn't know what to make of that. It was heartbreaking, dismal, and still somehow funny. It was his inexperience that made it seem absurd, and therefore hilarious. "No, she didn't." Fear's gaze settled back on Equus. "She was really suffering a lot huh?"
"She always has been," Nyx confirmed. "She's been through a lot. I could feel her pain when she came to the moon with me. She was susceptible to the corruptive influence of the nightmares because of it. It was a shame. I tried to bring her back but... there's only so much you can do to pacify someone until the real elements of harmony can work their magic."
Fear couldn't tell if Nyx was talking about the artifacts Luna had mentioned, or something more obscure and abstract.
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"Fear, this is Fireheart, Fire, this is my son Fearei Shatter." Sim gestured from one pony to the other. The three ponies were currently standing outside one of the many caravans inhabiting Dryfield. Fireheart was a simple unicorn, with bacon-like red hair and pink coat. His cutiemark was an equally simple spark lighter, his eyes a captivating crimson. He gave off an aura of warmth and trustworthiness, like you could rely on him for anything and everything. "He knows everything."
Before Fear could react, the much larger however feminine stallion wrapped Fear up in a hug, holding him against his chest. "Whoa!" Fear exclaimed with wide eyes, letting out a squeak like a squeeze toy when enough pressure was put on his chest.
"Pleasure ta meet ya Fear!" Fire warmly shouted. "Sim's an old friend of mine! We grew up together, we were always getting into trouble scavenging in ah few of the old hidden labs and factories in the area."
Fear was let go, gasping for air. "I uh, huh? There are places like that around here?"
"Sure as ahm standin' here before you right now!" Fire grinned from ear to ear. "There are ah lot of areas in those old places that still haven't been accessed yet because they need passwords. Maybe someday you can check it out and give it your all!"
Sim spoke up, holding his foreleg in the air. "Well like I told you I do have a pipbuck now so maybe we can get in." The stallion's grin was also off the charts, his dazzling indigo eyes taking in his old friend. "Anyways I just wanted to introduce you to my son. It might seem a little weird but he might be taking up my comfort horse duties at some point."
"Well is that right?" Fire nudged Fear in the shoulder with a hoof. "Ahm sure you'll make ah fine comfort horse, Fear. The apple don't fall far from the tree and all that, after all!"
Sim had been taking Fear around the entirety of Dryfield, introducing him to each of the ponies he knew by heart in order to get him well-known. This was the first pony who'd had such an egregious reaction however. It was oddly encouraging. "Thanks, sir. I'm gonna try my best. I'm learning his tricks and everything!" Fear was as kind as his father and grandfather.
Fire bobbed his head once and lifted a hoof like he was doffing a hat. "Ahm sure ya will, Fear. Come find me if ya ever need anything okay? Ya scratch mah back ah scratch yours."
Fear was as uncomfortable as ever when it came to meeting so many new ponies at once, communicating with those he didn't go up to of his own volition. He never knew what to say in those situations! But he decided to fall back on the tried and true. "Thank you very much, I'll make sure to do it. You take care of yourself."
Fire smiled brightly. "Sure thang Fear, you too." The stallion reached up and ruffled Fear's mane, driving him a little nuts, before walking back into his caravan and closing the door, making sure to turn around and wave at them once beforehand.
Sim waved back. "See you later Fire!" With that the father and son began heading home. "You did really well Fear."
"You think? Thanks Dad." He was showing a lot of gratitude recently! "I'm trying my best."
"You're doing super well. By the way, I was recently gifted a playbook about a peace riot in war-time Equestria. I'm intending to perform it at Scavver's Tavern. You want to help me prepare?"
Fear's eyebrow rose. "Uh, sure thing. That'd be cool. It'd be neat to see you in action finally."
"Sounds like a plan then!" A couple minutes of silence later and Sim's pipbuck began beeping incessantly. It was an annoying sound, sure to get the attention of any and all ponies around. Sim and Fear halted, while the hybrid lifted his pipbuck to his eyes to check on the message. "Huh? That's strange."
"What is it Dad?"
"It's a message from Stable 47. They're calling everypony to hurry back to the stable."
"Is it an emergency?"
Sim gave Fear a flat look. "Well it is an emergency broadcast so I imagine as much."
"We should go! We need to check on them!"
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"So, Faith, Gentler, will you please come with us in case it's something dangerous? The more the merrier and all that!"
Gentler tsked and rubbed his chin with a gauntlet, twisting his head from side to side. "I mean we coooould. But then you'd owe us."
Faith glared daggers at Gentler. "Well, I for one will come with you Fear. It might be neat to see the inside of a Stable for once. I'd like to know what they do for fun, and who knows? Maybe they'll have some interesting reading material!"
Fear turned to Gentler and brightened. "Yeah, sure thing. If you guys ever need help with something in your lives I'll be there lickety split! I want to help you guys as much as possible!" The colt squeaked out.
Faith grinned. "That's kind of you, little Nightlight. We'll definitely come with you, right Gentler?"
Gentler wasn't certain. This seemed hardly along the lines of helping the wasteland. But helping Fear out would probably be beneficial for later. "Fine, you got yourself a deal kid."
Fear bounced, his legs quivering from how rigid they were as he landed. "I'll do everything in my power to help you guys out when the time comes, thank you!" He bowed his head to both of them. "Dad's at the house telling everyone that we're heading out. Come on!" And with that he beckoned them to follow.
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Luna was reluctant - it showed in every feature on her face. "I can not tell you what could be going on, Fearei. Freiya Song and the other ponies have not been dreaming in days."
Fear twisted his head to the side, rubbing his mane as he looked between the three.
"You will need to be careful, Fear," Amelio warned. "It may have something to do with the Seer's Eye."
"How do you know that, Amelio?" Fear was curious as ever, readjusting his positioning.
"Just a hunch. I do not suspect they are dead."
Saway huffed. "Sounds like you're being too hopeful, Ame. They probably got ambushed by the Steel Rangers or something."
Fear squealed. "No way! I hope not!"
Luna shook her head. "Before you get into a tizzy, you should prepare yourself for the trip by practicing a little more." She set a hoof on Fear's shoulder. "I will summon you to the dream realm if I discover anything of true import. And in case you are worried, I have not seen any Steel Rangers dreaming of a raid on a stable, so it should be safe."
Fear looked at Luna incredulously. I don't know how comfortable I feel with her having that much control over my dreaming and waking. Still, I trust her. "I trust you, Princess." Many ponies probably wouldn't, there were probably ponies who didn't feel comfortable with the princess invading their dreams anyway.
As if reading his mind, Amelio interrupted. "I was actually the one to suggest it. I knew you would rather be prepared than risk losing out on something."
Fear was both amazed, and annoyed with his sister. Still, it was time to get down to business. Who knew what he was going to find? He needed to be in tip top shape. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Linebreiker | Dim Nova was more adorable than beautiful, with large, hearty lime green eyes and stout body structure. Her form leaned more toward supple width all around than any sane height. Pudgy all over, with squeezable cheeks, squirrely, inset mouth, and abominably cute eyelashes. With straight mane and tail so blue it was almost black, and a stubby, dark gray coat of fur she was as her name implied, a dim nova. Full of light in the best of times, her cutiemark representing as much.
Of course right now, after having just received the news of her husband and son's death, she was beside herself with sorrow. She had mourned for days and nights straight, barely sleeping. Her nightmares were fitful and piercing, digging deep into the depths of her soul and scooping up everything that made her who she was, pouring it out around her like the innards of a gutted beast. It was a violating sensation, one that left her bridging with the brink of oblivion. Drawing ever closer to total annihilation. Her everything taken from her to the point it felt there was no such thing as future, only past. Only what she'd lost. Such a ferocious change in lifestyle (or was it deathstyle?) that she could no longer see ahead of herself. As if she'd become farsighted in a matter of minutes, and blind in a matter of days. Dim struggled, she squirmed, she writhed like a dying animal, everything inside of her burning away from just knowing that some raider was out there not experiencing the Tartarus that she'd been exposed to. There was no living, and to be honest she wasn't sure there was such a thing as dying in her state. There was no way to rid this agony. It would persist, because it was ethereal, enduring, spanning everything. She just wanted it all to end; for this survivor's guilt, and general anguish to cease.
And it was that energy which drew Linebreiker to her. Everything became a blur for the mare as she was approached by a filly-looking mare. Dim took her in with teary eyes. Breiker was a short yet slender earth pony with forest green fur, much like her father Amor Fati, a shattered web of wyrd cutie mark that was sky blue in hue, and curved blonde mane and tail - less curly, more just arched. Seafoam green eyes greeted all who looked upon her face, styled in such a way they gave off a supernatural vibrancy that had no compare. Like electricity was crackling behind her mind, a subdued energy that could last an eternity. The oddest part of her though, Dim thought in her sorrow, were the sharpened, pointed ears. They looked more like horns than a pair of aural sensors.
"Who... who are you?" Dim blinked away her fresh tears, her face stained in brutal displays of mourning that should never be on a single creature's face for as long as they lived. No creature deserved the scars that dotted her body, demonstrations of her misery.
The mare pulled her forelegs together, cocked her head to the side, and smiled so brilliantly it was like a star, her cheeks rising up over closed eyes so much like her mother. Around her neck an aqua blue pendant gleamed like a third eye, strapped to a black cord. "My name is Linebreiker, but you can call me Breiker. All my friends do!" She chirped gleefully.
The excitement was garish, and it infuriated Dim. She wanted to lash out at the mare, accuse her of violating the privacy of a grieving widow. But all she could think was..."Line... breiker?" She tilted her head to one side, holding a hoof against her trembling lips. "What kind of name is that?"
Breiker bat a hoof. "Pfft." The mare was somehow polite despite giving such a rude gesture. It was naturally charismatic, needling into the soul and tickling the source of a creature's affections. Like a lovable doll, or a little filly that knew just how to strike all the right cords. "Silly, it's nothing serious. Just somepony who likes to break things apart, like pain. You get it right? The kind of pony who doesn't like to see others suffer, to see others chained down by their miseries."
Dim bit her lower lip, looking to and fro like a mare who'd been scandalized, or maybe a mare who thought they're in a dream and they're about to wake up. It was unclear. "Forgive me for being rude..." Dim paused. "Actually, don't. I don't care." Her voice hiccuped, her face cracking apart at the seams, as if she was about to fall into a pile of pieces, her eyebrows leaning outward and mouth nearly melting off her face, eyes dipping. Her hooves shook against her body as she tried to hug herself back together. "But I don't see why you'd bother me like this."
Breiker's eyes shimmered as she tried to think about how best to weave around this broken mare's concerns. Of course she didn't need to do much planning because she was already so far gone, but it paid to be tactful. "I just feel like a pony like you shouldn't have to suffer like this! It's not right, you know? I'm a sort of... spirit guide." She stated flatly, holding a hoof against her chest and narrowing her eyes. "I bring others to better places. A place where there is no pain."
Dim, too far gone to think much of it, responded simply, a delicately enraged expression crossing her features. "I'm not going to... to die or kill myself just because... because..." she sniffled hard. It was ugly and didn't befit her. "Of a broken heart."
"Oh, certainly!" Breiker was quick to agree. "Where I take ponies is not death. It is freedom. Freedom from the past. Freedom from what makes them tick. I bring them back to what they are naturally. What they're supposed to truly be."
Dim's vision contracted, staring at Breiker, uncertain she should be humoring this fantastical mare much longer. "Really?" She said with a tone that brokered no foolishness. "And what am I supposed to be?"
Breiker's eyes went vacant for a moment. "Well... you're supposed to be happy. Some ponies are supposed to be violent, some are supposed to be loving. All are supposed to be carefree, held down by nothing but their primal urges. They should not be sad. They should always be happy, doing what makes them happy."
Dim's face screwed up in concern, hugging herself a little tighter. "And... I'm supposed to just trust you?"
"Yes, essentially." Breiker pushed a lock of hair out of the way of one of her eyes, beaming like a little lighthouse at the sonless mother. The sunless mother. "I bring ponies peace. Do you want peace...?" Her voice lingered, clearly requesting a name. Breiker already knew her name, but it was best to play stupid sometimes. That was what her mother taught her.
"Dim Nova." The mare hiccuped. "I... apologize for not giving my name sooner." Something about Breiker calmed Dim. Looking into her eyes made her feel like everything was going to be okay, that the energy surging behind her eyes would be used for good things. Glorious things. Her eyes narrowed again, scrutinizing Breiker.
"It's fine! Totally! I even-"
Dim cut her off. "What do you gain from all of this?"
Breiker's face fell. Then it formed into a sly grin, tilting her head to the side. It was a familiar gesture. One she'd inherited from her mother. Fear would recognize it. "Well..." The mare began pacing in the meaninglessly decorated yet dilapidated room. "I want to see everypony happy! That was my mother's wish. And I inherited it from her. But happiness to us means freedom from everything. And someday, when I gain enough power, I'll be able to free everyone. I'll be able to give everyone happiness!" The mare stood up on her hindlegs and pounded her forehooves into the ground. "To have that power I need others to join me, to believe in my vision for a better world. A world where the wasteland doesn't matter and we create our reality."
Something about that seemed oddly blasphemous, not that Dim had the experience with entities like Fate or Neur to know. "Is that all?" Dim looked toward the ground. "It seems too good to," a hiccup, "be true but... you clearly believe strongly in it." The mare swayed from side to side as she tried to come to a decision.
"How about I give you a demonstration of what it feels like to be cut off, and then you can decide for yourself what you think is right?"
Dim flicked her ears. "You... you promise?"
"I promise."
Dim nodded once and sniffed again, hocking back phlegm. "Fine. I accept."
Breiker smiled brightly. "Thattagirl! Now, this won't even hurt slightly." Breiker moved up to Dim swiftly, as if she were merely gliding rather than trotting, lifting a forehoof into the air and pressing it against the mare's forehead. Her pendant glimmered and sparkled, shifting around against her neck as if it had a mind of its own. Wispy tendrils of pale green energy slithered out of her hoof and snaked into Dim's mind.
Dim's eyes widened, the pupils dilating. The process was over before it really began as Breiker pulled away, holding an orb of light in her hoof. Dim felt things in order. A sort of instinctual fear, a sadness welling up inside of her that caused her organs to knot up, her eyes to tear up. She leaned backwards a little, looking around in a sort of panic before settling on Breiker. Suddenly an expression of peace washed over her features, the wrinkles and tension in her face evaporating like water in a desert. It was quick, assuredly painless, and easy. There was some lingering regret, but that wisped away like it had never been there at all. It was hard to grasp regret when you couldn't remember what you were supposed to regret. "That's all?"
"Well, not quite. I just need to bring you into my little safe space before we can really begin. That's where you'll be completely cut off from everything you ever knew."
Something about that felt... wrong. Like she was leaving behind a whole host of... something that cared about her. But she could hardly bring herself to regard it with the weight it deserved, as if she'd been swayed in one deft movement. She stood up and smiled at Breiker. "I'm ready."
Breiker popped the orb of light into her mouth, bulging out her cheeks before swallowing it whole. "Then let us begin."
==========================================================================================
If the wasteland weren't so barren it'd be idyllic in some places, one of those being the docks near Friendship City. With its creaking, grinding ancient wood. Its soft breeze caressing the necks of all who stood on its piers, and its plopping, slopping and ebbing waves against its shores. The sounds of long abandoned buoys and ringing bells, some with broken chimes, echoed along the distance, and sometimes the abrasive screech of metal grating on metal filled the air when the nearby bridge was lowered so ponies could cross.
On one of these docks was one Fear, a Fear, enjoying the sea breeze with eyes closed, occasionally opening them solely to stare longingly into the murky, tainted depths of irradiated water. Poisonous and acidic. The taint was so thorough, so dense, that it bled outward and almost tickled those who got too close. You could almost feel it coiling around you and yearning to yank you deep under its depths like the clammy claws of a long dead innocent.
This Fear was scarred, in more ways than one. He was older, wiser, and far more guilty. Having lived life as a raider for some years before slipping into something resembling normality. It had been a redundant, featureless life, albeit exciting and full of daring raids, his body marred with the marks of injury. Blemishes striped across an eye, a bullet hole in the center of his cutiemark, nicks and scrapes over his legs where he'd taken more than a few knife swipes, and teeth marks in the dock of his tail. His eyes remained a violent ruby, occasionally filtering to an ambiguous violet. But never did it lose its ghostly glow and its otherworldly shimmer.
Tired was the best way to describe his features, how his face grew slack and his legs shuffled along under him. He was exhausted of life, of making the wrong choices, of killing others with his once built up, yet minor arsenal of weapons. The weapons he no longer carried. Having never met family, having never really made any friends, having never really found harmony in any way, shape or form. He was still yearning for something, something that only a god could give him. Reprieve from his sins. A clean, untarnished past. A second chance to do his best. Fear sighed, able to feel the blisters of evil trailing along his back, threatening to burst and consume him. What he needed was, simply, oblivion. As he stared into the water, he was close to granting his own wish, when he felt a presence nearby.
Linebreiker had a curious, suspicious fondness for Fear in her sparkling eyes, her lips upturned into a strict, wary smile. As Fear turned around to face her she came up, gliding along like a phantom. "I see you sold your mother's pendant." Breiker stood next to Fear, on the edge of the pier, overlooking the sea.
"I'm sorry, who are you again?" The young stallion asked with a raised eyebrow. It sounded more like a frustrated interrogation from someone who'd been interrupted than it did any innocent query.
"My name is Linebreiker. I feel the energy wafting off of you. The desire to see it end. The need to shroud yourself in shadows." She nodded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. In reality. It was more the Seer's Eye around her neck that was feeling the pull.
"Breiker huh? Strange that you're about my size."
"I know, right!?" Breiker cast Fear a glance, her smile only growing. "It's really strange! Maybe it runs in our family."
"I'm sorry, our family?" This Fear seemed oddly numb to the statement, but again the wasteland was full of crazy, batshit insane occurrences.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Breiker apologized like she truly meant it. While she seemed friendly enough, there was a sinister undertone to everything that made her who she was. Fear could feel it, it was like speaking to a devil. "Where are my manners? I'm your half sister."
"Half... sister?" The stallion gazed wistfully out at sea, cocking his head to the side like he couldn't believe it, testing the words in his mouth. Yet he felt no intent to deceive, a sense that he'd cultivated over the years. He glanced back over to her, noticing she was holding up the pendant. A pendant he knew well. "So what brings family to me here, now of all times?"
"It should be obvious enough, Fear. You're at the end of your rope. You want it all to end. You're desperate for a change. You have nothing in this life worth hanging onto. Your determination has run its course and you're floundering for a purpose." Breiker paused. "I have that purpose in mind for you."
"Is that so? And what do I get out of it?"
"It's readily apparent, really." She stated with narrowed, lidded eyes, gazing into the distance.
"Humor me," Fear spat.
"Well, I want to give you the second chance you've been dreaming of for so long. The ability to cast away your past. To satiate that part deep inside of all yourself that you try to hide from others, the part that drives you to seek out those stronger than yourself until they end up not satisfying you anymore."
Fear snorted. "And how do you know all this?"
Breiker held the Seer's Eye level with their vision. "Well, this thing of course. But it's more than that. I know a lot about you Fearei. I've spoken with your mother."
Fear was so knocked off kilter by that single statement it took him a few moments of squirming in his seat before he gasped, finally able to intake air. "I'm sorry, what?" He was doing a lot of this lately.
Breiker began to explain what she was, what she did for a living, the Seer's Eye, details that weren't privy to most creature's ears, and what she needed of him. "And in essence, since Freiya's escaped from her fate, I need you to sort of... defend me. I know there will be ponies coming to confront me in due time, and I want you there to... stall them."
"And why me?" Fear seemed furious yet intrigued. Puzzled.
Breiker wrapped a foreleg around Fear's shoulders and pulled him in much to his chagrin. Yet it felt... while uncomfortable, it felt cozy. Still, he could tell this mare was, while honest, not the kind of pony he should be making deals with. Still, intriguing. "Because, Fear, you are my half brother." And you're a sucker, but she didn't say that part. Fear could tell she was hiding something. "And I know you'll take this opportunity to help me. After all, what's in it for you is far better than anything you'd ever get otherwise."
"Can I have a while to think about it?"
"Well I mean... this is the best place and time for any important decisions to be made. In a way I have all the time in your world but... you see this Seer's Eye thing? As it is right now I can only approach distant futures and pasts that are far, far from my own timeline." In fact, it was more due to the circumstances surrounding Fears' futures than it was because of the Seer's Eye.
"Huh?" He couldn't tell the full legitimacy of her statements. It felt more like static, but not because it was being hidden. Just because it was so... vague.
"It's complicated Fear." Breiker bat a hoof. "Essentially, the farther you are from me, the more I can see. But you must understand we're really not all that far apart Fear. We're like two peas in a pod, constantly struggling to attain something the powers that be won't let us have. I'm just trying to fulfill the wishes of our mother, you know?"
Fear's eyes contracted as he thought on that. "And you're saying that in exchange you'll let me start over?"
"Yes, pretty much." Breiker gave a cute, confirming bob of her head. "It'll almost be like a memory wiping, and one day? It'll be a complete erasure of your sins. You'll be able to start over. But I can't completely cut you off from the past just yet."
"Huh? Why's that?" Fear thought it sounded criminal the way she said it.
"Because, Fear." Breiker rolled her eyes. "Do you really want to forget about our mother that soon? I'm sure you'd like to keep at least one memory alive." The truth was: she didn't want Fear attacking her; the second truth was: she wanted Fear to still be useful to her.
"F-fine." Fear muttered, his pupils fixating on a space far away from them. "I accept. Just take me into this... safe space or whatever."
"That's the spirit!" Breiker exclaimed, before lifting a hoof, pale green energy slinking from it and entering Fear's head, burrowing deep into his skull and rooting around in... not just his brain. She'd gotten stronger over time, even if time was relative. There was no real order to it, the way it all correlated was, as far as she could tell, more a matter of essentiality and relevance. There seemed to be no other ulterior determining factor. Some weird form of synchronicity that pissed the mare off to no end.
Breiker was certain Fate had something to do with it, the smarmy bastard. Still, he wouldn't be winning anytime soon. She'd make sure of it. All she needed to do was connect a few strands to this Fear and he'd be swimming in the power he needed to... well, that was a secret.
After all, it wasn't like she could risk her own life... yet.
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The world spun and eddied around Fear, our Fear, as he was whisked away into a spell of sleep. Everything fell away, dripping and dropping, disappearing in the distance as the colt was transferred to the world of dreams, appearing outside of the Castle of the Two Sisters with a stagger in his step, eyes rolling around discrepantly in their sockets, his hooves nearly twisting under him as he tried to catch his balance. Unfortunately he failed as the nausea from being overcome with such a disorienting bewitchment, collapsing to his side as his everything twisted and whirled. He could tell it wasn't actually spinning, his eyes were just constantly moving. Fear tried to get his hooves back under him as Luna came rushing out of the double doors.
"Fearei!"
Fear whined. "Whaaaat? Why did you do that?" Then it came to him as if a burst of intelligence, eyes widening. "Did you catch anything from Freiya?" Sim was currently carrying the colt's body in the world of the waking.
Luna nodded once in confirmation, yet she had a dire expression etched into her face. She tilted her head up and motioned for Fear to follow.
Fear lethargically got onto his hooves, nearly falling again when the world spun once more, feeling completely whack from the sudden transition still, his hooves stumbling beneath him, before he hurried into the castle.
The transition was just as muddled and bewildering, everything popping into place around him like it'd always been there, which confused him even on the best of days. He liked it so much more when dream areas just blended into each other surreally, though it was too bad Luna didn't agree.
Freiya was standing in the middle of the corridor, speaking with Saway, her entire body baggy and loose, as if even though she was sleeping she was feeling that inherent exhaustion you sometimes felt when you were sleeping. Fear knew the sensation well. Feeling tired while resting was the worst, worse than being fatigued while awake. Fear charged past Luna, calling out to his grandmother. "Grandma! Grandma! Where've you been!?" Amelio was nowhere to be found, probably in the treasure room meditating again.
Saway waved to the colt, and Fear glanced to her, giving a nod of acknowledgement, as he skidded to a halt in front of the peppermint-maned mare. Freiya spoke, her eyes sunken and like she'd lost something of herself. There was something off about her presence, clearly weak and not all there, as if a section of her had been lobotomized and put in a prison somewhere else. She was struggling just to be here. "Oh, thank goodness it's you. They told... told me they could get you here but I didn't... didn't believe them. Princess Luna is real?" She was distracted for a moment, as if she was just as dizzy as Fear had been a moment ago.
"Yes! She's very real! And I'm here. We're coming to the Stable, what's wrong, what's going on!?"
Freiya's head dipped toward the ground as she held her head in a hoof, leaning to one side. "Amor Fati... he... betrayed us. Tried to sacrifice us all to that strange... mare."
"What mare!? What's going on!?" Fear was beside himself with panic, his heart hammering in his sleeping chest, anxiety tearing away at him.
"I managed... managed to escape her grip. I found Amor and stole the Seer's Eye back before it could be used to power her more."
"Power who!?"
"Storm's daughter."
Fear took a startled step back, his jaw falling open in shock, pupils dilating. "Amelio!? She did this!? That's impossible - she's here!" Fear squeaked out.
"No... Amelio?" Freiya looked at Fear baffledly. "Amelio is your sister?"
Fear stomped a hoof on the ground. "What's going on!?" Fear shrieked like a filly.
Freiya swallowed hard, trying to get her words in order, a headache puncturing her brain. "Amor Fati. He... in another timeline. He had a daughter with Stormy. Linebreiker. It was... terrible."
Finally noticing the Seer's Eye around Freiya's neck, Fear lunged forward, holding Freiya. "Bring me to her!" He remembered delving into the pendant whenever he was asleep, as if he couldn't help but fall into its grasp. Surely he could use it again through the dream. Surely Freiya could connect him to some world in which Linebreiker existed, so he could learn for himself.
Luna stepped up to Fear. "Calm down, Fearei. Freiya has been awake for days. She was afraid this... Linebreiker would try to capture her and pull her back into wherever she came from and sever her from the past. So she stayed awake until she no longer could." She set a hoof on Fear's shoulder, putting a hard pressure on his body, nearly forcing his knees to buckle.
"But!"
"No buts," Saway's raspy voice cut in. "Give her time. Things will get solved."
Freiya coughed. "I can... I can bring you there. With the pendant. I don't know why Amor did this. He was so kind, so right. He had the potential. Why did he...?"
Fear gave Freiya a shake. "Please! Take me there! I can talk sense into whoever this is! I can do it! I've trained for this!"
Freiya looked up staring at Fear for a long moment.
"Come on! We don't have time to waste!"
The mare thought on it, considering her options. Fear was just a colt, what could he possibly do? Still, she had no other choice. It was either try this now or risk waiting until Breiker came to grab her. "Alright. Grab hold of me."
Fear grunted and wrapped his forelegs around his grandmother's neck.
"Take care of yourself, Fearei," Luna supplied.
Saway hesitated. "Give her Tartarus, colt."
Fear squeezed his eyes shut. Cutting Grandma off from the past? How is that possible? Ponies need a past in order to live don't they? If the past never mattered, would Dim still be alive?" Those would be the first questions he'd ask her - he was going to get to the bottom of this.
Freiya wound a foreleg around Fear's body and pulled him close, shutting her eyes gently and focusing on the pendant. A pinprick formed in the center of their bodies, swiftly becoming a vortex that surrounded them, pulling them in like a whirlpool and dragging them off to who knows where.
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As the two traveled through nothing and everything, rocketing through a new, different kind of void surrounded by silvery wires, the same color as the orbs that had been taken out of creatures' heads by Breiker, Freiya tried to explain to Fear the situation. "Her intention, I think, is to gather power from those who give themselves to her, in order to eventually destroy past and future, leaving only an ever lingering present."
Fear was confused, it made no sense to him. Before he could interrupt, Freiya was talking again.
"She has been using nightmares in order to break apart the wills of others and leave them susceptible to her whims. Like some kind of illusion."
"Is she a changeling?"
"No... I don't think so. I don't know how she's doing it. I think she's using her Seer's Eye. Her control of it is beyond me." Freiya shook her head in disbelief as they zoomed past holes in the exoverse, the only thing beyond it being the visceral image of stretched screams.
"But if you destroy the past how are you supposed to live? How can you survive without an...? Uhh..."
"Origin?"
"Mhm! That!"
Freiya held a hoof against her head as her hindlegs dangled behind her. "The best answer to that question is another question. How can you die, or cease existing, if you have no future nor past to dictate that disappearance?"
One of Fear's eyebrows rose on his face. That was very alarming, and also too complex for a colt like him to understand. How could he possibly convince her to step down from... whatever she was doing, if he didn't understand what she was doing and the sheer implications of it? Still, it was alluring. If the past didn't exist, then sins didn't exist. If the past didn't exist, then the wasteland couldn't exist. But neither could paradise. Could it?
"We're here." Freiya stated simply as they landed on broken concrete. It was a small world built on null, with nothing but the power of thought. The same power of thought, Fear realized, that had allowed the colt to traverse the exoverse in the first place. It was merely consciousness that thrived here, but this structure felt frail. It was a gray, ruined city, completely thrashed with brutal rips in space-time, like it was tearing apart at the seams. Fear looked around him, seeing nothing but timelines and this tiny section of metropolis.
In the distance Fear heard a signature speaking to him. The only thing it spoke of was ambition. A desire to see her strivings to completion. As if she had denied everything in order to have that sole intent leftover. Fear charged ahead, leaving Freiya, his ride, in the dust foolishly.
"Linebreiker! Breiker! Show yourself!" He shouted out.
"So," Breiker's voice echoed through the streets. "Freiya has brought a Fear to me. How appropriate. Almost seems predestined."
Fear raged. "There is no such thing as one destiny! I could've been here, I could have not! It was my choice! All of our choices led up to this!" Fear stomped a hoof on the ground. "Show yourself damnit!"
Breiker flew into Fear's vision, and immediately the colt recognized that this wasn't a mere consciousness. The mare before him was here in the flesh. She existed within the exoverse, floating by thought alone.
Fear backed up.
"Choice doesn't exist when you have a past or an outside force defining for you what it is you're going to do."
The colt's mouth lowered and raised, silent cries escaping his lips. Finally he found his voice. "How does that make any sense," Fear yelled.
"With just the present, all you have is the here and now, nothing outside of you is constantly holding you down, holding you back. All that matters is the now. You can do whatever you want, and things will just be constantly reset. You don't have to suffer, you can be free. Surely you can appreciate that."
All of Fear's training went out the window in that moment, incensed. "You're doing it against creatures' will! You're bringing everyone down to your level and giving no choice! No one wants to live like that!"
"Dim Nova certainly did!"
Fear's eyes widened, falling back onto his haunches, holding his forehead with a hoof. "Dim... Nova?"
"Yes. Your little murder spree certainly made my way far more acceptable than continuing to be bound by their past. You should join me, throw this world away. How could you dislike me for giving creatures a better life of forgetfulness and peace?"
Fear stuttered. "I... I... uhh..." He struggled in the dark for anything to say. Ignorantly, he spouted the only thing he could think of. "Still! You're using them all for your own ends!" He lunged forward, screaming at her. "You're manipulative! Sacrificing creatures who are suffering just to gain power from them!" Things were connecting like wildfire spreading across a forest. Of course, of course she was using the power inherent in those past and futures she severed in order to enable herself to reach farther. It made sense!
"Only so that everyone will no longer be beholden to their pasts, their potential futures, or to others! I am giving everyone the power of the pendant to carve out their own destinies, with nothing holding them back. Neither loved ones, enemies, nor existence utterly! I am letting them be themselves for eternity! With no threat of entropy! Do you understand just what I'm trying to accomplish!?" Breiker firmly rebuked Fear.
"You're nothing but a predator! A scavenger! The lowest of them! What about Grandma, Bendy Button, Pike, Endeavor, Eagle Eye, Frosted Tip, the foals, and everypony else of Stable 47!? Are you going to make them suffer just so you can take their power for yourself!?" Fear was livid. "What about their wishes, what about their futures!?"
"But wouldn't it feel good to have no more wasteland!? For there to be no consequences to anything we do!? Just running rampant all the time following our original urges without anything shackling us down?"
"But it wouldn't mean anything!" Fear stomped his hooves on the ground like he was having a temper tantrum. There'd be no relevance! Not that Fear understood the concept. Just the fact it wouldn't have meaning. "We'll be constantly looping! Never changing! Always repeating itself! We'll never atone for our mistakes and achieve greatness! That's not freedom!"
"But at least we won't be imprisoned by everyone who never did enough for us, never be held down by our sins!" Breiker was adamant and would not back down, floating closer to Fear, power building up in her hooves, green energy coalescing.
"It's better to be shackled than to never progress! Besides, you're carving a swath through creatures, bringing everyone into your influence without their consent!" Fear understood consent intrinsically. Intuitively. "You're making others suffer for your own ends, just pushing it on others!"
"Not like you have any room to talk, murderer!" Breiker accused. "With some misguided sense of right and wrong you end Solanum's life, make some changelings destitute, and kill those who hurt you, and those who don't, simply because you're a contradictory mess!" Breiker leveled her hooves at Fear, shooting out wads of energy with a shoompf.
Freiya tackled Fear to the side. "Look out Fearei!"
An explosion sounded just behind them, craters being left in the cracked asphalt as Freiya got Fear to his hooves. "So the refugee shows herself. I won't let you get away again, Grandma!" Breiker called out with a chiding tone.
Freiya shook Fear. "You have to get out of here! You have to go back!"
"No! I won't leave you!"
"Please, Fearei! Promise me you won't come back!"
"I won't!" Fear shrieked again, throwing his head wildly from side to side.
Breiker was approaching fast. She would not risk murdering Freiya's consciousness. She needed her and the pendant.
Freiya ripped the Seer's Eye from around her neck, holding it in her telekinesis and throwing it forward as she pumped a spell into it. With one deft movement she shoved Fear into the ensuing hole.
The portal closed after Fear's exit. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Returning Home | Fear had told his family everything and the reactions had common themes.
Saway had been surprised, solemn, then violent. Needling Fear to get his act in gear and take Breiker out. Realizing what a threat she was to everything. Saway demanded that Fear become the soldier he was always meant to be and remove her from existence, to tear away her very being from everything and ruin her. The mare was scared, terrified even. Down to the core of her heart she felt fear the likes of which she'd never experienced. Sure she had once believed herself the destroyer of everything but nowadays she knew... she knew better. She was afraid to lose it all, to finally die. And even if she'd still be alive, she did not regret where she came from, and where she was. She did not regret what she had, and therefore she supported Fear with all her heart.
Luna was in shock, another pony lost from her powerlessness. She was shaky and pale, trying to come up with an excuse as to why it wasn't her fault, but she knew in essence it was. It was because she had not been the Princess she had set out to be. Luna wondered where her dearest sister was. Why had she died? Why had she abandoned Luna? Just like Saway, Luna may have had great sorrow, and at one time great loneliness, but she didn't want to lose everything she'd experienced. She didn't want it to be null and void. There were always moments you wanted it all to just end, moments where emotions were at their high point. But when you calmed down you realized how important your existence was. Even if no one ever watched it, ever learned from it, was ever inspired by it, it still meant something to you. And somehow she knew it would always mean something to her.
Amelio knew that well enough. That connections lasted beyond time and space. She had spoken to Neur once before, though she'd never admitted the encounter with anypony because she didn't want them to think she was crazy. Still, learning about Freiya's sacrifice was... perturbing. And exhausting. What was going to happen to Fear? That one question rang in her mind like a holy bell, the divine query becoming her everything as she hid in her safe space, in her room of recovery, within the treasure room. It was probably a self-fulfilling prophecy, but Amelio couldn't help but lack faith in her brother. He was young, hesitant, and weak. Sure maybe he could take on a king, but how could he ever take on what had essentially become a goddess without preparation? He couldn't even take on an alicorn at full power. Amelio shuddered from head to hoof, like a tremor was rumbling through every cell in her body, calling out to the powers that be for something, anything.
Nothing responded to her. But Amelio felt eyes on her. Less on her, more on her destiny. As if something with a predatory gaze stared deep into her.
Nyx had been beside himself, though it didn't show. He just stepped in place a few times, lifted a hoof, wiped his brow, and closed his eyes. Preparing himself for the end of everything, and the birth of something new. The stallion wasn't sure he wanted to forget everything he'd ever been through, to be severed from it. No that's not true; he knew inherently he didn't, but he wasn't sure he had a choice in the matter anymore. This threat had gone unchecked for too long. What could possibly fight against it? This gathering force of nature? A force of change? No. Fear and Amelio were explicit forces of change, he was an explicit form of change (his cutiemark doubled as a ripple), and Discord was especially a force of change, he reminded himself. This Linebreiker was a force of entropy, the death of death. But nothing of past nor future would remain. That made him... sad.
Sim merely pursed his lips and looked off to the side. His heart pounded in his chest like it was hammering in a nail, about to rip apart from the force. Sim's gut clenched up and he tried to hold on tight to anything and everything. Suddenly he knew what his purpose was, or at least one of his purposes. He had spoken with Storm many times about the Seer's Eye, during some of the happiest moments of his life, aside from when his foals had been born. He knew that one of his iterations would have become the one to fulfill this task, whatever it was. The one that would have been forced to confront something so maniacal as Linebreiker. It chilled him to the bone marrow, leaving him wiping the cold sweat from his brow. He'd have to fight harder than he ever had before. He was confident in himself. After all, he'd saved some ponies and changelings in Chicoltgo. If he could do that, surely he could do anything? It was a tentative hope.
Faith was numbed, all the way down into her nerves. It felt like every muscle in her body had fallen asleep, and so had her consciousness. She was so done with everything, so afraid. There was too much emotion from Fear's explanation that she didn't know what life held in store for her. She'd spent all her life building up a resume of actions, and now due to one megalomaniacal pony all that was going to go to waste? No, she wouldn't allow it. She was going to push onward and remember everything anyway. She wouldn't let it all go to waste, she wouldn't let it all just... stop mattering. Because it was supposed to have meaning. Faith was here with the slayer of a science experiment, the destroyer of a king. How could she possibly lose when she had her hero right beside her the entire way? He was a conduit of peace and prosperity, even if he was still too young to inspire everything around him. She knew Fear had potential, and she wouldn't give up as long as he was here.
Gentler whistled long and low, unsure of what to make of any of this. It struck him, leaving him trembling from the sheer enormity of what he was up against. Suddenly the wasteland itself didn't seem like it was what he was supposed to be saving with his life. Now it just seemed like he was meant to be saving past and future? Sure if there was no past the wasteland would have never come to be, and something better could replace their current selves. But there was no... relevance to it. It wouldn't mean anything. How could he live with himself knowing he hadn't achieved his goals, and was simply living on someone else's efforts? The answer was: in Breiker's world he could. But that didn't mean he had to live with it right now. He would rebel.
Upon arriving at Stable 47, everything blurred for Fear. Suddenly no one was excited about visiting a real-life stable for once in their lives. Sim wasn't concerned about living it up. Gentler wasn't concerned about learning more, and Faith wasn't concerned about preaching. The only thing Fear could focus on was the cold, still body laying in front of the open entrance to the Stable.
It infuriated the colt. Fear's jaw snapped shut.
It enraged him beyond belief. His brow furrowed, entire face creasing in animosity, teeth gnashing.
Acidic anger bubbled up from the depths of his being, burning through his entire body like a volcano, erupting into his brain and making everything tingle, especially his hooves. He stomped on the ground repeatedly, charging over to the lifeless body of Freiya Song, his grandmother. Dead Seer's Eye around her neck. Why could Fear not feel the slightest bit of magic dwelling in it? Was it because Grandma used it in a last ditch attempt to get him out of there in a hurry? Had Breiker taken the power from it? Every memory popped into his head at once and fizzled. It hurt, it hurt so much. He was losing everything, all to a half sister. Fear nudged Freiya with his muzzle, trying to get her to move a lot like Simba trying to wake up his dead father. It was just as useless. Freiya's vibrant lime green eyes gazed dully, vacantly at the wall as she was pushed and prodded.
Fear was hurt, afraid he'd never hear Freiya's mellifluous voice again, that he'd never experience the joys of living, nor the miseries. That everything he'd overcome would be in vain, for naught, leaving him in the dust with nothing but the present. The past and future mattered, damnit. "I'm gonna murder the shit out of that Celestia-forsaken bitch!" Fear growled out, his eyes flickering between red, violet, and blue. "I'm gonna stick my hoof so far up her ass I can grab her heart and yank it out!" The colt was livid as ever, his brows slanting downward, eyes sharpened to points.
Sim put a hoof on Fear's shoulder, and the colt's eyes stopped on sapphire. "The next leap will be the leap home." The confidence in his voice invigorated Fear, but it wasn't enough. They had to actually do it, and make it permanent.
Fear was going to make sure that no erasure of the past, nor future, would ever make Linebreiker come back from the dead once he was through with her. He was going to obliterate the very concept of what made disastrous Linebreikers who they were. Everyone supported him. Dim Nova and others might be against him, but he'd fight them too. Because others were counting on him. Breiker was going too far with her ideals! She was shattering everyone indiscriminately.
With saddlebags on his back, the colt charged into the stable. The others followed.
It took a fretful hour of searching for something, anything that would help them find a way to put an end to this threat, to the point they were all becoming worn out from stress, everyone except for Fear at least. He knew, just knew there would be something. And he wasn't giving up until he found it. And they found it in the Overmare's office, which was a wreck. It looked like a typhoon had hit it. It was depressing, but Fear couldn't focus on that right now. All he could concentrate on was the swirling portal in front of him that made his heart leap into his throat. This was it. He sensed both Breiker and... himself? On the other side of that portal. It would take him there, to where everything mattered. Fear didn't hesitate in this case, lunging into the portal.
The others looked at each other worriedly, with tense expressions all around, not knowing what to expect, figuring it was a trap, but they had no other options. They dove in after the colt.
==========================================================================================
The group was separated. It was indeed a trap. After all, Breiker might've been a villain to the point of making sure she had one final showdown with her destined enemies, but why would she be so sure of herself she didn't craft something with her expectations?
Gentler was the first to fall into place, glancing around wildly and positioning himself for a fight, fists in the air, legs parted, his left side facing any who'd come at him, guarding his chest and keeping his legs loose so they couldn't be easily attacked. The Abyssinian jumped back like a frightened cat when everything swirled around him, taking another shape, the shape of his home. It was a place full of almost patronizingly cattish structures, with buildings formed out of what were essentially scratching posts, or at least they had the shape of them, with spiraling architecture and towers that belonged to a domesticated feline. It was home alright, and... Gentler recognized some of the Abyssinians traveling along the streets. Something about it felt... familiar. He rushed toward one of them, putting his paws on the shoulders. The silver tabby looked surprised to see him, nearly jumping out of his skin.
"Gentler!? What are you doing back? How'd you get back?"
"Silken, why are you here!?"
"Hey I asked first!" The other cat looked a little annoyed. "What are you doing back in Abyssinia?"
"I don't... I don't know." Gentler looked around. "I shouldn't be here. I went through a portal and I just... popped out here?"
"Portal? What are you talking about." Silken looked over Gentler's shoulder, looking for whatever he could be talking about, the golden streets shimmering in the sun. The sky was clear. Gentler hadn't seen it for so long. It even smelled like Abyssinia. "Well, at any rate, welcome home. You should go see the king and let him know you're back." Silken pointed toward the palace in the distance.
Gentler was at a loss for words, standing limply in the middle of the road with jaw agape.
"Here, you don't look like you're in any position to be walking on your own, let me help you." The silver tabby put a paw on Gentler's shoulder and guided him toward the palace. "So what've you been up to anyway? What brings you back?"
A debilitating sense of deja vu settled over Gentler. Something about this seemed very familiar. It was like he was experiencing something that had already happened. It was terrifying, and suddenly he knew where this was going. "I don't..." Gentler's hackles rose beneath his cloak and tattered shirt. "I was chasing this pony named Linebreiker and I ended up here. I shouldn't be here! I should be in Stable 47!"
"Relax Gentler, calm down! I don't know what you're doing here but I'm sure everything's fine."
"Everything's not fine!" Everything about this felt too real to be real, but something about it told him it was more real than anything he'd ever experienced. He was somewhere else. Sometime else. The tom began hyperventilating, his chest rising and falling at an alarming rate, breathing heavily, rapidly, his paws feeling like static was tickling them. But despite it he couldn't bear to push Silken away. He needed something, anything with him right now. Everything was slowly clicking into place. Fear had told him about the exoverse, how it showed things that could happen, that might happen, that would happen if you didn't change it.
It felt like an icicle was trailing down Gentler's spine at the realization, as if a light switch was flicked on. Why was he being shown this? His jaw dipped as he saw something in the distance. It was right on time, something off. It was a zebra, black and white stripes and all with a pair of plain saddlebags trotting toward the palace. It wasn't totally abnormal to see a zebra in Abyssinia, but something about it was more than suspicious.
Gentler ran as fast as he could to catch up. Silken followed him, shouting after him. "Hey! What's going on!? What's gotten into you Gentler!?"
The traveling Abyssinian reached out a hand. "Stop that zebra! No!" Despair gripped his heart. In that saddlebag, it couldn't be. That bulge. It was as if the nightmare was just coming to him, everything falling apart. This was something that would happen if he didn't stop it.
The zebra glanced back, a wild look in his onyx eyes. Panic pushed into his mind and he reached toward his saddlebags.
"No! Stop!" Terror gripped Gentler's soul. His home!
The zebra pulled out a green balefire bomb, complete with glowing core. With one fell swoop he lifted it up. It wasn't the proper place but now was as good a time as any. He slammed it down into the floor. The energy was released. It was like a sun going off in front of Gentler. Buildings and citizens around the cat were vaporized.
Gentler lifted his hands up to shield his body from the hellfire, he felt the heat even though it was so far away. The blinding light. As everything was torn away from him, his body was whisked away, as was, in that moment of frailty, his past and future. He couldn't hold onto it.
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Faith was back in Friendship City, everything... seeming normal. She was already too on edge, especially when she realized Fear was no longer with her. Not knowing what was going on, but feeling the very real soil beneath her hooves, she traipsed toward the entrance at the base of the emerald pony statue that rose up into the air, situated on a base that had a whole city built into it. It was unusual being back on the island all over again. No one seemed to realize she was there, hardly anyone recognized her, they were all too busy with their own lives. But Faith knew it was still her hometown.
Maybe she should visit the orphanage? The thoughts came simply like a lubricated machine. She was susceptible to the influence. It hardly seemed strange to be back home all over again. What was she doing? Something about a dangerous mare...
As Faith trotted, she heard a sound above her, and looked up into the sky. The cloud cover wasn't parting, but something was certainly bulging out from under it. An ebony bulkhead, something that looked like a giant battleship with numerous propellers on the back of it holding it aloft. It hummed as it lowered to the ground. Other ponies around Faith stopped what they were doing to look up, especially the guards protecting the entrance to the city. The first thing Faith heard was a shout.
"The Enclave are here! They sent a Raptor!"
Faith glanced with a dumbstruck expression, and that's when the chaos started. Energy weapons trained on the city fired swiftly upon it. They were all perfectly aimed. It only took three or four bolts of energy before they hit their target with a vengeance. First to go was the bridge, breaking apart into a million metal shreds, explosions sounding off everywhere incessantly, deafening Faith and leaving her in a numb panic. Her face creased as she looked around, seeing ponies all around her turning into ash, pieces of settlement turning into wreckage, and the statue city being reduced to rubble without mercy.
As Faith's stomach fell out from her, the weakness in her heart was born to the surface as energy lasers peppered the area around her, sizzling the earth and leaving it charred. Her body was yanked out of the timeline, and her past and future were pulled out from her head leaving her more a doll than a real pony.
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Sim was just as victimized. While it was similar to the others, it was more complex, seeing the deaths of all he loved, everyone he cared about falling from him like sand through fingers. He couldn't hold onto anything no matter how hard he tried, and the wasteland was falling apart around him. The zebras had come back to finish the job they'd failed at, warlords taking over the wastes in a matter of years, and the Enclave, fearing eventual retribution, used their cloudships to blast the striped menace from the face of Equus. Going on to war with the zebra nations, leaving not even the innocent zebras alive.
Nothing was left. And neither was Sim's hope. Seeing a potentiality play out in front of him he no longer knew what was real and what was just illusion, he couldn't tell what was going to happen and what wasn't. He couldn't tell if he was being shown the future or some possibility that was farther from him than Storm was in death. Not that it mattered, because Sim's past and future were scrubbed from the stallion as easily as stealing an apple from an orchard. It didn't matter any way if this was his destination, what did he have to fight for if he couldn't put a stop to something like this?
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BAM!
BOOM!
CRACK!
Spearheads of thunder and lightning erupted from the ground surrounding Blue Fear, pumping into the air and lancing outward like arcing webs, electricity spanning like an umbrella, splinters and crumbling crags of asphalt flying into the air and falling down everywhere, dust made of consciousness flitting about and whirling around. The colt was dodging erratically, following the conductor's baton that was Red Fear's, the stallion's intent.
Orbs of flame fired from the stallion's horn, searing through the air and cooking the void until it was simmering, exploding against the cement and other materials, barraging against walls of concrete and rebar, magic in its primest form unleashed, elemental energies fluctuating as it was pulled from timelines all around Red Fear, an arsenal of ether baring against Blue Fear.
"Get fucked you stupid adult me!"
"Just die!" Red Fear cried out.
Blue Fear's head was ringing from the multitude of explosions, a cascade of water gushing out of Red Fear's horn and blasting like a pressure hose at the ground, following his swerving movements. The colt was using every bit of training, everything from the calisthenics with Chirp to the dancing practice with Mirage to waltz around the city as road was ripped apart behind him.
Breiker might have told the colt that she only brought one of him with her because overkill wasn't graceful or elegant, and she hardly wanted to kill the colt, just weaken, but right now Blue Fear wasn't sure his alternate self agreed with any of those sentiments.
Red Fear was clearly missing something integral, and had something unusual in its place. He had an obsession with Breiker that Blue Fear could feel leaking off of him into the air. He could see it in those crimson eyes - what had he been through? Was this what it was like to look at himself? All scarred inside and out? Blue Fear hardly wanted to kill himself and that extended to other versions of himself. He was hesitating as he danced around the field, avoiding all sorts of elemental attacks, from ice shards that plunged into the streets and then melted immediately into amorphous water that flooded after him to try and grab and freeze around him, all the way to the very earth upheaving under him and trying to crush him.
Anyone without empathy would have been dead long ago. Blue Fear's mind was frizzy with sensory input, following along and trying to just survive the entire time. During it he'd been leeching off of the stallion's love, trying to tire him out, but it was barely doing anything. It was like the stallion wasn't powering himself with love, but something far more abrasive and slimy. Obsession.
Blue Fear glanced behind him as the ground broke apart, pulling open like a canyon. He jumped to the side as he reflected on his statement that if he was really predestined to come here then everything would be easy, he would have already won, and not only that but there'd be other hims there to help! He just happened to be here. Maybe one of him was guided, sure, but it was his choice to fight back.
And right now he didn't want to fight back. He couldn't kill himself.
But Red Fear certainly wanted to murder him.
Blue Fear had wanted to kill Breiker, but now he was reluctant. After killing so many creatures before, why was he finding it hard to do so now? Finding it hard to discover that murderlust? He had to awaken it again. He had to pull on it. It was in him. He could do it. Blue Fear dodged another lightning bolt that charged up out of the ground with speed he couldn't follow, the side of his body sizzling, a few furs catching alight and burning the flesh from the proximity, the rest of his fur standing on end from the static. The colt wasn't yet breathing hard thanks to his endurance training with Chirp and Faith, but he knew that'd be changing soon if he didn't do anything.
The next attack was a burst of air pressure that gusted out of Red Fear's body like a violent hurricane, slashes of wind lancing through the atmosphere and busting against every single little thing. Blue Fear tried to take cover behind a wagon, but both were quickly lifted up into the air, the object and living creature rolling and tumbling through the sky as the colt's legs flailed under him, eyes wide. His saddlebags nearly slipped off his body but Fear reached out with his telekinesis and yanked them against him, holding them there. Reacting on instinct he melted his body and gear into the shadows, attaching himself to the underside of the wagon that was thrown across the road, crashing into the ground, wooden parts breaking off, axles going flying, the entire caravan skidding along the ground and popping into the air, spinning and twisting as more wreckage was sent careening into buildings. Eventually the wagon bashed against a structure at the end of an intersection and Fear waited for everything to go still before popping out, completely unharmed but cringing from the sound of chaos surrounding him.
Blue Fear had to do something. He looked deep inside of himself, pulling on the monster within with a roar, his face darkening as everything was shrouded in a miasmic acrimony. Red Fear entered it and was instantly shaken, hesitating as he trembled in the air, floating via thought alone, a technique taught to him by Breiker. Blue Fear yanked his sword out from the sheathe on his saddlebags, the lunar blade shimmering in what little light there was being given off by the various strings of time surrounding them. The colt charged toward the stallion, brandishing the sword at the ready. Adding onto the nightmare pressure as he grew closer, using every ounce of murderlust inside of him to paralyze Red Fear. Blue Fear hopped into the air, put a telekinetic platform under his hooves, and jumped again, leaping from magical construct to magical construct. It was far more efficient than levitating himself with magic, and it relied on his physical muscles as well as his thaumic gland.
The colt swung the sword for Red Fear's neck, who floated backwards when he'd finally gotten a hold of himself. He then leveled his horn at Blue Fear. The colt responded by dancing to the side with a pulse of telekinesis as a shotgun burst of shredding snowflakes fired out of his horn in an arc, melting as they got further away, and during his twirl brought his sword around, attempting to hack through Red Fear's limbs from the back.
Red Fear lifted up and tried to blow the colt away with another explosion of air pressure but Blue Fear reacted by latching onto the stallion's shadow, fusing to his body and coiling around him in his entirety, trying to strangle him. Red Fear countered by setting off a light elemental spell in his hooves, causing them to glow with white molten brightness, bringing it to his neck and trying to burn away the shadows.
Blue Fear retreated away, still fused with Red Fear's shadows, and tried to pump transformation magic into the stallion, attempting to create lethal lumps throughout his entire body, inside and out, wanting to use cancerous bulges to mess up his nervous system and interfere with his circulatory system.
Red Fear screamed and reacted on instinct, shunting transformation magic into his body, and then into Blue Fear to try and do the same to him.
Blue Fear unlatched from the stallion, popping off of his body in alarm and winding the sword around to chop off Red Fear's tail, the same tail which immediately flicked away and transformed into flames, a combination of morphing magic and elemental spell, forming into a whip of fire and striking out for Blue Fear, trying to crack against his fur and set him ablaze. Blue Fear attached himself to Red Fear's shadow again, before popping off the other side and swinging his sword around for Red Fear's neck.
Red Fear ducked, flowing into a forward somersault, his tail still a lashing incinerator, causing his entire body to become a roaring inferno wheel.
Blue Fear backed away, falling toward the ground, and pumped magic into the air, as much as he could spare, breathing heavily. Shadows surged around him, filling the air, coalescing into an orb surrounding the two Fears. Blue Fear hit the ground with an 'oof' and rolled onto his legs with a balletic flourish, the sword sweeping around him. Using the sword as a conduit, the colt crafted a light spell in his horn that glinted off of the blade and refracted into tiny dots everywhere around the abyss of darkness.
Starlight Shredder! Blue Fear screamed out in his mind, the incantation sending a surge of raw emotive energy flowing into his thaumic gland and pulsing outward from his horn. Immediately the pinpricks of light came to life, divebombing Red Fear from every angle, slashing through the air at him.
The streaks of light brightened as more magic was pumped into the spell, with Blue Fear letting out a scream as he borrowed the light from the timelines surrounding them in order to increase the size of each star. Red Fear let out a cry as a multitude of balls of fusion gas, tinier than a baseball, careened straight for him, slicing into his body and cutting into him. Red Fear struggled, trying to dodge them all.
But as Blue Fear screamed for vengeance, putting his all into the spell, even more pinpricks of light formed, the colt drawing from every single source of inspiration he could find, pumping emotions into his thaumic gland like there was no tomorrow, using every single iota of violence within him to power through it, magical miasma surrounding his body, the air taking on a hint of ozone.
Soon enough the stars were impacting with Red Fear's body, slamming into him and exploding on contact instead of melting away like snow. The stallion's body was exploding into showers of gore that rained down everywhere, getting swallowed up by the void of shadows drowning him.
Blue Fear gasped for air as he let the spell go, the void dispersing in an instant, Red Fear's remains falling through the air, tumbling around and slamming into the road, splattering on impact. A smile graced his lips, tilting his head into the air, puffing out his chest, his breath coming out in heaves.
"Bravo! Encore!" Breiker's voice sounded out from nearby, her clapping forehooves echoing in the air. "Very well done Fearei! I didn't think you had it in you to kill yourself."
Fear huffed, shaking his head wildly and stomping toward the soaring Linebreiker. "Shut the fuck up you stupid bitch!" Fear snarled out with a wicked expression engraved into his face.
"No, no, I don't think I will, you deserve all the credit for taking down a version of yourself. Of course I never intended you to lose, but hey, whatever? You killed yourself! Congrats." Breiker commended the tense colt.
"I said shut up! He wasn't me!"
"Oh, but of course he was, all yous are inherently you. I know you know that as well as I do. We both believe it in totality. Stop fooling yourself."
Fear lunged forward, snapping his teeth at her. "Whatever! I won! And now I'm going to thresh your body apart and leave your head on a pike!"
"My my, what violence. You certainly went out of control didn't you little Fearei?"
Fear brought his sword to bare, holding it next to him as he rocked back and forth on his hooves, battle ready just like Gentler had taught him.
"Now now, little Fear. What kind of host would I be if I hadn't prepared a gift for you?"
"Gift?" Fear's pupils quivered at the insinuation Breiker had anything for him.
"Indeed. Come on out you three." Breiker clopped her hooves together three times, like snapping fingers in order to call a waiter.
From buildings surrounding Fear came three figures, three figures the colt knew way too well. It was damaging just seeing them, his knees buckling under him, nearly collapsing onto his belly at the sight.
It was Sim, Faith, and Gentler. All staring at him with a vague, subtle hint of malice that was not lost on the colt.
Fear took a few steps back, every ounce of murderlust draining from him like the color in his face. "What...? What did you do!?" He demanded.
"Oh, nothing really. Just mix and matched some timelines to get a specific result." Breiker stared at one of her forehooves with disinterest, eyes lidded. "You'd really like it honestly. It's very fun! Almost like cooking. It feels good to make a pony do whatever you want, even if it's only temporary."
The colt's snarl left his face as he backed up further. With every step away he took, the three around him closed in.
"You can't run away Fear. Just accept your fate. You're mine now. Your pasts, your futures, everything about you belongs to me. It's futile to keep fighting."
Fear rubbed his head violently, mussing up his mane more than it already was as he sat on his haunches. He wasn't going to give up. He couldn't give up. But he also couldn't kill them.
Faith hefted her weapon up, sitting back, and charging it up, a gentle 'vrr' filling the air as energy flowed into it from around her.
The colt knew then and there that it was his hesitation that caused this mess. He should have been searching for them, helping them. He'd played into Breiker's hooves. Fear's ears flattened against his skull as he cowered away from his family.
"Come on Fear, just die already. It's okay to die. It's like a little pinch and then everything goes away. That's kind of how it feels to have your past and future excised from you, or so I hear." The chirpy melody in Breiker's voice was disconcerting.
"Like Tartarus I'd ever give you myself!" Fear charged at Breiker, intending to use his telekinetic platforms to get to her.
Unfortunately Gentler and Sim were also coming for him, with the stallion's carapace knife brandished and Gentler's gauntlets at the ready as they threatened to collide with him.
Equally unfortunately, Fear felt Faith's intent when it was nearly too late, as if she knew exactly what he'd do. The colt's face fell as he figured out who the mare was aiming at - his father.
Fear didn't think before acting, twisting to the side and lunging at his father, right in the way of the bolt of arcane energy that erupted from the tip of Faith's weapon, surging through the air like a knife through butter. It slammed into him, then shot through him, right through his barrel, creating a huge hole that couldn't be healed no matter what Fear did.
Breiker laughed. It started out as a sort of hiccup, before breaking into full blown guffawing. "Oh my dear Celestia you are such a fool! Fear! I never knew you had it in you! So this is the you that you're always going on about, the self-sacrificial lamb! You should've figured out long ago that those under my sway don't die! Without a past, without a future, how can you?"
Fear's mouth gasped and spasmed like a dying fish, his eyes wide and dull. He could feel organs missing, he felt so much lighter. Everything was dimming. It was a fast death, but not before his hope completely drained from him.
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The next thing Fear knew, he was standing in the middle of another void, a much different one. This one completely bereft of every single living thing except...
His mother. Storm was standing in what he could only define as the center of something. She twisted around to see him, her vibrant lime green eyes lighting up upon seeing him. "Oh! My little Nightlight!" The snow white mare trot over to her son, pulling him into a hefty embrace that none could compare to. "Ohhh I missed you! I've seen you die, I've seen you live, I've seen you struggle, and I've seen you thrive. But I never thought I'd see you here, finally."
Fear struggled, his eyes wide, trying to remember what was going on. The last thing he could recall was diving in the way of his father so he wouldn't be shot. Then he was here. "What is this place, Mom?" He was too numb to all of it, feeling like he was asleep, but more than ever before - his eyes heavy. It was like he was living in syrup. There was a sort of metaphysical humidity he couldn't get over. It felt thick and sticky.
"Oh honey. We're dead."
Fear nodded singularly, disheartened. "Yeah, I thought so."
"It's fine though. I'll be reincarnated soon! This me at least. It's this whole thing you see. Fate calls it the Ring of Fate. Really egotistical and arrogant I think, but that's just how he rolls. He was laughing when he told me." Storm squeezed Fear, who looked around.
"Well, where is everyone else? Why am I only seeing you?"
"I don't know honestly, honey! I've seen lots of ponies, sort of. Pieces of them. Everyone ends up here eventually when their iterations reach the center of the circle of life. Everyone starts at a different distance from the middle, and we're all walking toward it, with pieces of us breaking off as we go, as if we're slowly disintegrating from a black hole."
That was way too complex! Fear creased his eyes shut. "That makes no sense Mom."
"Eh, I did my best. Can't blame me for trying. You'll get it someday. But anyways, new souls are coming in all the time, and others are resetting with new bodies, new identities, new destinies, repeating over and over until they grow and they see the true meaning of... everything."
Fear was getting a headache from all this philosophical mumbo jumbo. He just wanted to go back. "I want to go back. I need to go back. Linebreiker is trying to end everything. She's... unnatural. She's trying to kill something important. I can't... let her do it."
Storm sighed. "Oh, my little Nightlight. I'm sorry to say but it might not be your choice anymore. I know what she's doing. Well, a piece of me does. So all of me does." Fear let out another gut wrenching sigh, this was way too complicated. "Here, how about I sing you a song that pieces of me were making for you? Many of me always wanted to express my true feelings, how I felt about you, and how I felt about myself. It's important you understand how important you are to me, even if you end up never remembering in life."
Fear pushed away from Storm.
"I'm sorry, what?"
Storm grinned. "I said let me sing you a song - a different song, my little Nightlight. You'll... probably remember someday." The mare wrapped Fear up again and stroked a hoof through his mane. "Just relax, you're going to come back to life soon and forget all about this. But if everything goes well, it won't be the end."
Fear listened intently to the gentle hum, the admiring lyrics that were just for him. As Storm swayed with him in her embrace, he closed his eyes gently, and swayed with her. He had left his plushie back at Dryfield, not wanting her to get damaged for some reason while he was out and about saving the world.
He never expected he'd have his real mother right in front of him. All sorts of emotions welled within him. Hatred, anger, love, regret, happiness, and ambition. The ambition was the strongest thing of all. But he knew? It was probably too late. He'd had his chance, and he'd messed up big time. As Storm sung to him how she really felt, Fear's consciousness began to fade. In a way. He was being pulled away, toward a bright light.
As Storm finished, she grinned at her son. "That's a different light than the light of the afterlife!" She sounded like she was helpfully supplying new information, but to Fear it just sounded like a foreign language. Fear gazed into its depths as he was pulled towards it, as if magnetized, drawing closer and falling in. "See you later honey! Another time, another life." Storm waved to her son as if she had lost all the anxieties that once plagued her in life.
Fear just waved back, drained, hollow, and vacant.
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Coming back to life should normally be a very disorienting, brutal affair. But it wasn't for Fear. He'd felt the pinch, but he was feeling another one as he opened his eyes. His body was back to normal, but his mind was corroding, something integral leaving him. The last thing he saw before everything faded from relevance to his here and now was Breiker smiling down at him, her hoof held against his forehead. There had never been so much clarity, and so much fog, in Fear's head at the same time as the sickly green tendrils rooted around in his brain. He could hear a hum and various shlucking noises as things were being pulled from him, tentacles digging into everything that made him who he was, tugging on the chains of his destiny, and pulling out bits and pieces, tearing away himself.
At first it felt utterly joyful to forget everything, like coming up for the cleanest air imaginable, everything that had ever held him down falling off and crashing into the ground like taking off a set of weights. But soon enough, he knew he was forgetting something. There was a noticeable gap in his consciousness, something important was missing.
And unlike Dim Nova, he wasn't content to just let go. Whatever he was forgetting was important, he knew. He wasn't going to be swayed by... who was this again? It didn't matter, but that feeling of forgetting something important, it made him angry. It made him violent. He was full of pent up rage. As Breiker finished the process, Fear lashed out, swinging a hoof for her face, trying to deck her across the snout.
The hoof connected, and it caused her snout to cascade off to the side, breaking apart. She yelped, falling backwards as the colt lunged at her, attempting to get on top of her and beat her brains out, anger being the only thing driving him in that single moment.
Fortunately, Breiker knew how to deal with ponies like this. She knew Red Fear would have wanted to do the same. She immediately collected magical power within her hoof and slammed it into Fear's chest as he got on top of her.
Fear shuddered, coughing up crimson and staggering backwards, his ribs hurting. Before he immediately reset, he was back to peace, and then back to anger.
But by that time Breiker was already back in the air where the colt couldn't reach her while she teased the everloving fuck out of him, taunting and tricking him, only for him to return back to a peaceful state, then return to anger.
Over, and over again. An ephemeral pair of emotions that didn't end.
Breiker, more enthralled than ever as she played with her toy, couldn't help but gleefully think to herself finally, now the only one who can stop me is that smarmy bastard Fate, and there's no way it'd ever interfere directly. I've as good as won. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Fate | It had been two days relative to Amelio. Her eyes were tired, sunken, and struggling to remain open. Sure she'd meditated, but she hadn't rested at all. Her entire being was throbbing like a heart, or an overclocked brain. Everything pulsing around her, horn feeling like something separate from her, and her legs trembling and limp, barely holding her up, almost asleep as they buckled under her. Her tail hung laxly between her legs, not having nearly the energy nor the excitement to swing.
Amelio was depressed.
She had no vitality left in her. Just dragging herself along.
The filly had paced around the castle grounds contained within the dream bubble many times over, never leaving, just sluggishly pulling herself along as she waited for her dear brother to come back, to come to her and tell her everything was okay. That Breiker had been taken care of and everyone had been saved. That her past and future weren't going to cease. That things weren't going to be broken away into tiny pieces and dumped into nothingness to be erased.
Yet there was nothing. Fear was nowhere to be found. He hadn't been sleeping, Luna's bewitchment couldn't latch onto him and pull him into the dream bubbles, as if her spell had never existed at all.
Amelio's ears flopped against her skull, her lips tugging downward like gravity was too hard to fight against, her forehead smooth but brows leaning outward like they were trying to melt off her face. There was nothing she could do. She'd cried out Fear's name like a wolf howling to the moon, solemn and sorrowful, with a heavy heart that she just wanted to rip out of her chest - as if she still had one. She might not've had a physical body anymore - a living one - but nonetheless she felt the simulacrum sensations of having one anyway. Amelio knew that eventually she would forget what it was like to have a body unless others reminded her, but for now her mind could give her all of that.
In the courtyard Amelio reflected back on Saway's restless rituals and Luna's mourning. Nyx's despair. They had lost, everything was gone.
Still, something pressed against Amelio's brain, an imprint from long ago, a dream she'd had. She knew there were entities out there that could... maybe interfere. Maybe if she called desperately upon them they'd come to her? Maybe if she prayed hard enough they'd reveal themselves. After all, how could they stand watching their existence crumble around them and become irrelevant? Amelio still remembered what Neur's presence felt like, and she was sure that her connection to him had remained. She reached out fiercely, her only hope left. "Neur. I don't know if this is hopeless, or if you can hear me. If you can see me and feel me and... maybe hold me in my time of need. But I need you. I need everything you are, I need you to do... something. Anything." With closed eyes she kept repeating Neur's name, becoming more desolate with each utterance, tears flowing past the cracks of her eyes. In her time of defeat she saw no need to continue the facade of speaking properly, losing even that bit of herself to oblivion.
It wasn't Neur that responded to her though. "The little filly is certainly very determined to reach us."
Amelio whipped around with wide eyes, staggering backwards and falling onto her rump as she looked at what appeared behind her. It was a black, ceaselessly shifting biomass made of gaseous void that had no clear definition to it, seeming to smear everywhere as if it couldn't be contained, except for one cyclops eye peering intently at her - or was it through her? That eye, with its gorgeous spectral iris didn't seem to need to look directly at her, and it didn't seem to care enough to do so, because it already knew everything it needed to know. It was almost... dismissive. Amelio could sense something enormous within that eye, something normally insincere and mysterious, as if you could never officially determine its desires, or what it held important, if anything. "Who... are you?"
"You know, I've played a lot of games ever since I first came into being. With other entities. Never before have I lost to anyone. I've seen threats to existence come and go but nothing has ever compared to that mare Linebreiker." The eye closed, and suddenly Amelio felt like everything was way too far away, that nothing mattered as long as she wasn't in its gaze. It opened a moment later, sparkling with a hint of amusement at seeing the filly back up away from it. "Why don't you take a guess as to who I am?"
Amelio summoned every ounce of remaining strength within her, her throat undulating as she swallowed hard, jaw tensing up, eyes sharpening. She walked in place a couple times, adjusting her positioning, and cocking her head to the side in curiosity, trying to solve the mystery. "Well, I only have one guess. You like to play games, you want me to guess, and I have only heard of one creature that fits that description. You do not seem like the kind of entity that would..." she narrowed her eyes, twisting her head to the side, looking at the entity with just her eyes. "Make me do something without a fighting chance. So." Amelio stated succinctly. "You must be Fate."
A grumbling guffaw escaped the biomass, which shifted and squirmed, little ripples appearing over its surface from the vibrations. "Hahaha, you are a very perceptive filly. You know Fear, as much as I appreciate his various services to me, would never figure it out right away." Fate paused. "Maybe."
Amelio stammered. "Y-you underestimate my brother."
"Oh I know," Fate acceded, "he's surprised me on a few occasions, which is saying something." The entity glanced to the side, his singular eye squinting. The formless entity rumbled, a new voice coming from it. "That kid Fear makes... literally the worst decisions. For instance, I dunno, swallowin' Fate into his stomach instead of just livin' the high life, datin' my sister.." It was stuttery and masculine. Belonging to a stallion for sure. Suddenly images flashed across Amelio's awareness of her brother righting a terrible wrong, partly his own fault, by killing a nearly magic-less stallion trying to make his own master timeline, by tricking him and creating a paradox with the help of Fate and a pony whose name flit to her consciousness: Maple Butter. Only... as the vision concluded, Amelio realized her brother had given his own life to do it. She watched him in seconds, as he struggled to cope with his loss of innocence, die from a corroding timeline (prevented from splitting, the potential energy causing it to eat itself), joined in death by a stallion whose most defining feature was his huge eyebrows.
"What was that? Who was that?"
Fate snickered. "One of my record keepers. He recalls the timelines that have failed, yet still hold importance. After all, it's such a shame to watch something be completely erased is it not?" The voice was insincere, as if it couldn't be trusted, and Amelio couldn't sense his intent either. If anything it sounded more like... Fate was trying to goad her into agreeing with the sentiment, whether or not he truly believed it himself.
"Well, I certainly think so. That is why my brother tried to kill Linebreiker. A half sibling of ours."
"Oh I know - I know all about her. She's been a thorn in Minuette's and my side for... well, not that long. But you get the idea." His tone was smarmy and condescending. Amelio didn't let it get to her.
"Minuette?"
"Oh, yes. There are many entities, we all play games together!" All of a sudden his voice sounded like a foal as the formless blob bobbed up and down, then did a little somersault in excitement. "I make free will a possibility, as much as can be conceived anyway, by maintaining alternate paths, none being definite. But there's a... system to it. Usually." Fate peered to the side, conspiratorially. "Neur maintains connections, Kioku roosts on the cusp of everything. Geometer gave birth to shapes, starting with creatures like the Dirge."
Amelio, listening intently, recalled Fear telling her about the Dirge within the exoverse.
"And Minuette oversees the Seer's Eye, making sure new alterations can be born, and that it isn't abused."
Amelio's brow creased, and a hoof came up to push against her forehead. "You are all crazy, you know that? None of you should even exist. We should be alone."
"Come now, even I know you don't mean that and I don't pay attention to everything going on around me - who possibly could?"
The filly hesitated. "Why are you here?"
Fate chortled, all sorts of voices, voices from all timelines ringing out at once. As if Fate had memorized the little creatures that amused him so much. "Well, your brother certainly took on a new mantle when he swallowed a part of me into him."
"Oh? And what did my brother come up with?" Amelio fluttered her eyelashes, a hoof against her chest, tilting her head to the side.
"Oh, you'd probably expect it. It was incredibly punny. Fateshatter. As if he'd somehow been expecting it."
Amelio laughed despite the situation she was in. It felt good for her imaginary diaphragm to spasm like that. She shook her head sullenly. "Yes, that is like my brother. I think we all like puns."
"You could become Ameliofate you know." Suddenly Amelio got the sensation that Fate was looking at a hoof innocently, as if manicuring himself.
Amelio sighed. "You must be kidding. Why would I do that?"
"It should be clear as day!" Fate was obviously bemused. "Your brother needs your help."
"And why are you choosing to help? You do not seem like the type."
Fate considered Amelio for a long time. "Let's just say I dislike Linebreiker as much as you do, and to give you a little hint as to what actually makes me tick, I operate in a field of what is essential and... things you don't want to comprehend. There's no such thing as good and evil with me. But Linebreiker has gone far past what I can allow and become what you would call sin incarnate." Fate shrugged, or at least that's how Amelio interpreted it. "Normally I wouldn't interfere directly, just let things take their course. After all, your brother lost fair and square! But, you called out to me, and I can tell you're willing to do everything to have a hoof in this story. So? I'm going to give you the opportunity to make a change."
Amelio was reluctant. "And what can I do to help him?" She was truly at a loss. She didn't even know what happened to him.
"Both you and your brother," Fate allowed, "have a spell intrinsic to your very natures. A spell that is in your DNA, within your destiny. It is your namesakes. Fear has used his many times in those moments of need, and it's always taken a destructive or protective form. As far as my relative linearity is concerned, this will be the first time you've used yours, Ameliorate Reverie."
Amelio glanced off to the side uncertainly. "And how am I supposed to do that? It sounds dangerous, like a last resort. I know Fear has used his before. Back when he was undergoing his trials set by Princess Luna, he used a spell she was not familiar with."
Fate's eye formed a smile. "Well, normally it takes an unnatural influx of emotion, or in your case, peace. But in order to span the distance we're discussing, I'm going to need to be part of you, inside your soul aiding you."
The filly thought on it, truly contemplating the idea. "It sounds dangerous. Is there something you are not telling me?"
"Perceptive as ever. When I enter you there will be taint of me leftover. After all I can not cleanly separate myself once I've attached myself to you. Partly because you do not have a body to reset what I have done, you will forever have a part of Ameliofate within your soul. You will be able to see more than you ever wanted, and experience more than you ever needed to. Your morality will shift, and you will become something new. Your heart cannot survive, it cannot stay the same after being merged with me."
Amelio sighed. "I thought as much." She held her head in a hoof, shaking it softly from side to side, trying to come to terms with what Fate was saying. Not only had she given up her destiny for their father, but now she was giving up an integral part of who she was in order to save her brother, and, essentially, all of existence.
"If it means anything to you," which it obviously did, "you will at least be able to last for much longer. My interference will heal the damage to your destiny. Not completely, but enough to bring you back to what you used to be, sort of."
Amelio smiled at that. It was a tentative smile, a little reluctant. She nodded once. "Fine, let us do this."
"Oh, and one more thing. I have something I want you to tell your brother. After all, he's going to be traumatized after all this, and constantly doubting himself if he isn't told."
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Fear was surrounded by a nebula, twisting, twirling orbs of energy shooting out of a Seer's Eye levitating in front of him at eye level, the spheres revolving around him like strobe lights cascading around him in orbits. Everything gyrated and shook like earthquake tremors. Fear's tail and mane hung in the air, laying weightless in zero g as air pressure shunted up from underneath him, the sheer power pumping through him. Tumultuous wisps of multi-colored energy lashed out at everything, whipping across existence and slashing into the skyscrapers and streets made out of consciousness, dragging through them and erupting out, carving a path into everything, destroying the placeholder world Breiker had generated.
The orbs jumped into Fear's body, incessantly. One after another, more and more rushing into him like a vigorous deluge of spirit.
It had been an eternity exposed to the cyclic nature of peace and fury constantly sweeping through him like a unicycle wheel, spinning spinning spinning, tumbling through him and never ceasing. But now, that was all done. All gone. Fear was remembering everything. It started with his sister, the pony connected so intimately to him, the pony he'd done so many things with, and like a wild chain of synapses the connections just kept coming, memories reigniting within his mind as time was mended, past and future repairing, and even more than that, bits and pieces of those selves that were beyond him connecting for the barest of moments.
Breiker was effectively terrified, holding a foreleg over her eyes trying to shield herself from the glorious light show being performed in front of her, her tail hiding between her legs. "What the fuck is going on!?"
As everything died off, Fear's persona returning to normal except for his white-washed eyes, caught in a reverie, the colt latched onto one primary memory wafting out of the Seer's Eye like it were a tangible substance that he could drink from. Fear grabbed the cordless pendant within his telekinesis. His eyes flared and everything became clear. His vision darted from the cowering Sim, slinking Faith, and awed Gentler. Fear shoved a hoof out against the pendant, the field of white telekinesis surrounding both, melting into his hoof and lancing outward like a whip, becoming a much longer limb.
Fear cracked it, then whipped it forward before Breiker could react, not having expected any of it, everything too new to her. There was a look of wonder in the mare's eyes like she was experiencing something divine.
The limb lashed around Breiker's barrel, squeezing into her like a garrote wire and tearing apart her flesh. It was a milky white, gently shimmering like a sun's plasma surface, with aqua blue threads streaking through it from the power of the pendant.
Fear yanked backwards, tightening his hold on Breiker's stomach.
Breiker, before she could comprehend what was happening, gasped, her jaw falling open and tongue blepping out, eyes going wide as her stomach was forced to upchuck everything she'd eaten.
Only, what she'd eaten wasn't actually food. The most recent ingestions were the orbs of silvery light she'd taken from his family. Fear lunged forward as they dropped toward the ground. With deft movements, recognizing the presences in each orb, Fear's hindlegs became a flurry as he spun around and kicked each section of time into their respective hosts.
The chrono energy pulsed as it seared through the air, plunging into the chests of each paralyzed figure, sinking into them and causing their bodies to light up with a soft silver glow, radiating outward from them as healing occurred, everything falling into place. Memories flooding back, shackled emotions returning.
Sim was the first to gasp out, falling to the ground.
Then Faith.
And afterwards Gentler.
Breiker shouted out as she finally tore the whip off of her body. "No! You can't do this! This is impossible! You shouldn't be able to summon any of this!" She built up power in her hooves and fired them at Fear, spiraling around and exploding against the ground, gaseous energy expelling and eroding everything it touched like a flesh eating bacteria with an organic sizzle.
Fear was already far away, sweeping up his sword and saddlebags, getting them propped up on him as Breiker prepared for another fight. "Get your asses into gear everyone!" The colt shouted, knowing everything wasn't done yet. His eyes slowly returned to normal, his hope reconciled. He wouldn't be giving in again, even if someone died, even if everything was taken away, he would not be killed again, not in any way. Fear sprinted toward Breiker who was getting ready to fight the quarter hybrid.
Gentler shouted out, slamming a fist against the ground, the gauntlet clacking against the asphalt. "It doesn't matter if we win!" They were still completely torn. "Everything we love is just going to be taken from us! Abyssinia is going to be vaporized!"
Fear screamed as he dodged an orb of energy, and then another, dancing through the streets to get to the mare that had caused all this. "It doesn't matter what's going to happen in the future! What matters is now! What matters is how much we cherish what we make!" Fear jumped up, creating stairs out of hoof-sized telekinetic pads.
Breiker shot out more wads of energy at Fear, trying to hit him.
Fear saw every one of them coming, jumping to the side and catching himself, pushing him around in the air with telekinesis, showing a mastery of it he'd only acquired by training his ass off. "And even if it did matter, you bet your life I'm never going to let it go down that way! We're going to find a way to stop all of it, to save everyone!" Fear leaped at Breiker, swinging his sword around.
Breiker leaned backwards, and during his overreach fired a ball of energy at him.
Sim was there to help though, using his magic to yank Fear down.
"Because I'm a hero just like Mega Mare!" Fear shouted with more determination than he'd ever felt before in his life, bringing the sword back around and arcing it upwards to cut through Breiker vertically.
Breiker soared upwards, barely dodging the tip of the blade, generating magic in her hooves.
A quiet 'vrr' sounded in the background. All Faith could think was Fear is here! Everything's gonna be fine!
Sim carried Fear in his telekinesis, giving a surface for him to fight on as the colt continued to hold the Seer's Eye with sticky hooves.
Gentler finally broke out of his panic, shivers traveling up his spine, goosebumps forming on his skin.
"Because we're winners! We don't give up!" Fear continued as he dodged one ball of energy, leaping back.
Gentler snapped to attention, his vision bolting to Breiker, a scowl set in his face. He ran for one of the skyscrapers, generating magnetism in his greaves and running up the steel girders with the powerful force.
Fear's eyes widened as he saw another ball of energy surging toward him, he hopped to the side, barely bypassing it, his fur getting singed. Fear didn't hesitate another second. "And we're a family and family doesn't give up on each other!" The colt saw his death shooting toward him a moment later, the third ball of energy searing toward him.
Gentler jumped off the skyscraper, launching himself off of it by polarizing the magnetic spell, flying through the air like a gauss bullet. A nullifying spell stirred in one of his gauntlets. The Abyssinian punched through the deadly ball of energy and continued right past.
Fear brought the sword to bear, avoiding the traumatic thoughts of having died by his family's hoof, it wasn't time to think of that right now.
For Breiker, it was too late.
The colt slashed horizontally, intending to slice right through Breiker's abdomen.
Breiker backed up, using her fourth hoof, a hind hoof, to build up energy in order to obliterate the colt right in front of her.
Faith unleashed the shot built up in her weapon. The arrow of energy cut through the air, hitting Breiker right up her ass, exploding on contact and blowing away her hindlegs and lower body.
Breiker screamed, her face screwing up, eyes squeezing shut. She tried to float backwards, trying to get away.
Something sparked deep inside of Fear, seeing his family fighting to protect him, fighting for a common goal, and feeling the deep, desperate desires of his sister in the back of his mind. A war cry left Fear's mouth as emotions unraveled deep inside his mind, pumping into his thaumic gland at a dangerous level.
Fear's horn lit up, power filtering from the Seer's eye and into his head.
The colt lined it up at a retreating Breiker.
And fired. "You're not getting away! And you're never coming back!"
A rainbow hued bullet, constantly shifting in color, fired from Fear's horn, hitting Breiker in the back of the skull and exploding on impact.
It was like a synapse going off, prismatic colors exploding outward and shredding apart Breiker's body, a little bit of time spilled into it erasing her soul.
Moments later, there was a second explosion as Fear was levitated toward the ground by Sim. This explosion was new, all the pieces of past and future that Breiker had eaten expelling outward and scouring through the void, off to find their hosts and return them from whence they came. Hopefully. |
Fallout: Equestria - Life is Miserable | Denouement: Forgiveness Begins | Fear stared longingly at Dim, with wide, pleading eyes and a gentle frown. The colt didn't know where to begin, what to say, or anything. All he knew was that he had to try and make things right. But how can you possibly make right a murder? It didn't really matter either way, Fear knew he had to try, he had to take a stab in the dar- no, wait, that's a bad metaphor. He had to... root around in the dark for a light switch. Yes, that was much better. He needed to scavenge the pieces leftover and put them together into something new. With hammering heart in the dreamscape, Fear put a hoof to his chest and cleared his throat. "So, uh, Miss Nova. I'm... sorry."
Dim Nova was unimpressed, and her heart ached beyond belief. Fear could tell, he could feel it radiating from her like staring at a broken vase. There was nothing that could put it back together. "You say sorry, but I don't really feel it." She had her forelegs crossed over her chest, sitting on her haunches.
The colt had a lot of choices on how to react to that. Of course I feel it, he thought, I've never stopped feeling it, never stopped regretting it. But it wasn't time to argue with her, he knew that. Nyx had taught him to navigate conversations like this. "What I mean is... is there any way I can make it up to you?"
Dim lifted an eyebrow, looking as if she was about to snap and beat Fear to a pulp. "You really think anything can possibly make up for what you took from me?" Dim glanced around. "Luna! Princess Luna! I want to go now!" She called.
"Look. Uhh... miss Nova. I..."
"No! You look! You stupid, horrible little colt!" Dim Nova was practically screaming at him, standing on all fours and pointing a hoof at him, nearly jabbing it in his chest. Fear didn't react, just staring down at it. "You took something precious from me! Something I can never get back! There is no replacing what I've lost! What you've taken from me! Nothing could ever take back your choices and I for one don't see the pain I feel on your face! I want to make you suffer! I want you to lose everything!"
Fear's hooves curled under him as he pursed his lips, ears twitching. His frown deepened and tears formed in his eyes, but he held them back. This wasn't the time to cry. It was just manipulative. "I... feel the same way."
"Liar! You're just saying that because... because you're trying to lull me into a false sense of security!"
Fear continued staring at the ground, eyes wide, a little speechless. She can see the cracks in her own argument. The colt's mouth closed and he looked up at her with a defiant, glassy gaze. "Do you really think that?" He saw the next words coming.
"Yes! That's all raiders like you ever think about, how you can best hurt the next pony you come across. All you care about is infecting everything with your disease! I bet you go around eating other ponies! Why is Princess Luna making me do this!? Why do I have to be here!?"
Fear had a lot of things he could say. He tapped a hoof on the ground, considering his options. "I figured you would want to see the pony who took so much away from you, to do whatever you want to him."
Dim shrieked. "All I want to do is kill you, you evil little colt! You don't deserve to live! You don't deserve happiness! Because of you my family will never live again! Because of you I will never see my son grow up, find a mare to be with, and be happy! Because of you my husband will never, ever sing to me again! You are a horrible, revolting little colt and I want to murder you and take all you love!"
Fear weathered the screaming. "Then do it. You can kill me as much as you want here. You can take out your aggressions as many time as you want. I promise I won't wake up from shock."
Dim took the invitation to heart, as if it was the only thing she needed to pounce on him and start beating the living daylights out of him, rearing back a foreleg and striking him in the face with it, pulling back the other and pounding it down into his muzzle, jamming, slapping, and punching him ceaselessly, without end, hooves connecting in swift succession, never letting up, relentlessly showering him in a rain of blows, his muzzle getting screwed up, face swelling and bruising, skull cracking apart, lips splitting, tongue getting bit, throat collapsing, ears tearing, eyes gouged out.
The mare stood up, not yet satisfied. Even with the supposed brain damage Dim could feel the life still inside of him. She continued hammering into him, trampling her hooves into his body, slamming it down into his ribs again and again, first bruising, then cracking, then snapping off and puncturing his lungs, his heart weakly beating back in an attempt to stay going. Dim pulled one of his forelegs up to her mouth and bit down, as hard as she could, and tore from side to side, trying to rip a piece of him out and spit it out, only succeeding in making a multitude of bite marks. The mare screamed wildly, hitting him indiscriminately, kicking his body around, messing up and randomizing his organs with every blow of her hooves, crushing his scrotum and using all the strength she could to snap his legs in half with loud, disgusting, gruesome cracks.
Fear felt all of it. He almost failed to keep his promise in not waking up from shock because, even if it was all in his head, he knew how it should feel. It was a dull, throbbing sensation in the back of his mind, the way his body fell apart from the brutal assault was all too real to him. His windpipe was smashed, nearly shattered, and it was hard to breathe in waking too. If not impossible. Fear laid there, dying in a way as authentically to him as if he was awake. It brought back all sorts of memories of his vision dying by Chrono Corona, and recollections of dying by Faith's hoof, being shot by her. He remembered it intimately, and despite being far more painful than either of those encounters put together it felt the same. Everything fading away. He tried desperately to cling to life, to cling to sleep, to not wake up and leave Dim there alone, but it was becoming so far away.
Dim was sobbing into her hooves, crying her heart out, in reality and in dreaming, her entire body feeling exhausted and somehow... fresh. She could feel again, certainly. It wasn't just sadness. Getting out all the fury left her mourning all over again. She wasn't sorry, but she felt dirty and humiliated, like she'd done something wrong in the sight of some powerful being. She wasn't apologetic at all, and she'd never say she was sorry. "It's... not... enough..." Dim gasped out between her weeping, her chest heaving as everything clouded with tears and snot. "It'll never be enough."
Fear heard her cries and through sheer will managed to fix at least part of himself, his mind brimming with wild sensory input, still remembering the state he was in, as if he couldn't just shrug off the entire thing because he didn't have that kind of control over his dreams. His voice came out in a wheeze, unable to see above him because his eyes were too swollen shut, one nearly crushed and hanging out of its socket from being pounded out of his skull. He shook his head. "Dim..."
Dim looked up, surprised. How could he still be alive? Or asleep? Or whatever it was that mattered here? How could he even speak!? She was pretty sure she'd deflated his larynx. Dim stared at the mess of colt on the ground and glared at him. "What do you want!?" She spat with such venom it was clear she'd not forgiven him at all.
"F-forgive me..."
Dim interrupted. "I will never forgive you!" She reached up to slam her hoof into him again, but hesitated.
"For being so... brash but..." Fear gasped out, breathing roughly, air coming out in labored pants. "But what if... what if I try to be the... colt you lost? Or... something?"
Dim sighed deeply, like a tumultuous tsunami leaving her lips. She wasn't sure if she was impressed by the colt's gall and determination to set things right, or offended by it and his very existence. Maybe both. But it came out as a tired, unnaturally calm response. "What makes you think you could possibly live up to my son and husband? I told you, there's no way they could ever be replaced."
Fear closed his eyes, or at least as much as he could when they were so engorged from broken blood vessels and irritated flesh. "No... not that. What if I could..." he was grasping at straws, and it was noticeable by his voice, he didn't know how to word what he was trying to say. "What if I could... be somepony you could put your faith in. To be better. And to achieve your wishes." Every word came out raspy, as if he couldn't speak right. "Make the future better, all for you. Dedi... dedicate my life to atoning. In the name of your... loved ones." Fear coughed and hacked, and it nearly caused his throat to collapse all over again.
Dim was once again both impressed and offended. But, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't fault the colt for trying his hardest to make things right. It would never be right, but as she watched the colt try his damndest anyway, she couldn't help but realize... maybe it was possible to move on and latch onto something new? The hole in her heart may not be able to be filled, and the loss would always be rattling around inside of her mind, but perhaps she could build onto her heart until the hole was eclipsed.
==========================================================================================
Saway had spent a lot of time thinking ever since she'd been convinced Fear had lost, convinced that she was going to lose all past and future. And now, with Fear back, she'd had to spend even more time thinking. First it was coping with the stages of grief, of which she'd not finished, and then she'd had to spend time coping with the relief and newfound admiration she felt toward Fear. Never before had she actually believed in such things as heroes. As far as she was concerned every hero disappointed you eventually, but that was partly because, as a hero, she'd disappointed others and she'd seen her greatest heros disappoint her. Of which she had maybe one. But now, as she looked on the still crippled Fear, debilitated from his run in with Dim, only keeping the facade of his bodily damage in order to remind himself of what he'd done, and what he'd accomplished, Saway couldn't help but see Fear as a new breed of hero.
One that, hopefully, wouldn't disappoint her.
"Colt. I mean, Fearei. It pains me to admit, but I think you might've grown far better than me," her voice rasped out as violently as ever, undertones of resignation buried in it. She didn't have the heart to fight her newfound feelings. It felt so much better to embrace them, but with it also came a strange sense of depression she couldn't articulate.
Fear, with swollen eyes and barely fixed legs, spoke up with as much exhaustion as Saway felt. "Eh." He hardly had the energy to discuss anything, tired in both dream and waking from what he'd achieved with Dim Nova, and how he'd achieved it.
"No, really," Saway continued as if she was having a whole conversation with the speechless colt. "I've decided that... if I had never found my true purpose, I'd've wanted you to be the one to put me down." It seemed to take all of her strength to vocally admit it, but... there it was.
"Saway..." Fear sighed. "I would have spent my life trying to convince you to step down. With my murderlust dormant now I can't help but feel a sense of..." Fear rolled a hoof around, causing the bones to rattle as he looked off and to the ceiling. "That thing where you just want peace."
Saway nodded once, rather sullenly. "Pacifism. The word you're looking for is pacifism."
Fear thought about it. "Yeah. I guess. But y'eh, I don't want to hurt you Saway. I don't want to hurt anyone. I feel like when I was a foal again but... I know sometimes you have to hurt others in order to get places. It's... complicated." He glanced to the floor.
Somehow the two of them got the feeling that if the world had forced them to fight, it would've played out exactly as Fear stated. Still...
"Besides, I learned from the best," Fear continued, "so thank you. Don't count yourself out. You helped me a lot."
Later, Luna and Nyx, both dealing with the heavy weight of progress being restored and maintained, commended Fear on his heroic duties. The alicorn just wished she had something new to bestow upon Fear to memorialize his accomplishment, both in seeking some ounce of forgiveness and in restoring order to the multiverse. For now. Nyx on the other hoof was just glad he could live in peace again, and promised himself he'd be sharing that harmony with Fear when and where he could.
==========================================================================================
Amelio had been very insistent that Fear not meet with her yet. Not until she was ready to show him what had happened. Not until she was ready to explain it all. With body back to some semblance of normality, color restored to her mane and tail, and her cutiemark throbbing with shafts of black light as brilliantly as ever, she did her best to explain what had happened starting with her visit from fate, and her becoming Ameliofate.
"By the way, Fearei, we wanted to tell you..." Amelio continued, unnerving Fear with her usage of plural pronouns to the point he shifted in place. "Nothing is set in stone, but they are set in a dirt road. It can be added to, it can be taken away, you can modify it however you wish, and once you roll your wagon in the same path too much it will be the only one you can take without struggling. We tell you this simply because we know you've been having doubts about killing Breiker. That is just how you are, always considering your options after the fact. After you have dived in headfirst into everything you ever do, we know you finally start asking questions. And finally, we know you are going to have issues dealing with all your new traumas, with losing Amelio in some small way, with being killed by your family. Et cetera."
Fear was silent.
"Life is going to be hard for you off and on, Brother, but we know you can endure. Unfortunately, though we will be able to help you in your endeavors to heal yourself, we can no longer spend time together like we used to anymore, Fearei. It is not right."
The colt had been quiet for a long time, holding back tears he was sure would come out any moment. His voice cracked as he questioned why, why he was losing one of his favorite past times. Spending time with his sister.
"Because, Fearei. It is... a sensation that the Amelio side of us has when mixing with the fate side. The best way I can describe it is an inherent sense of wrongness. I feel more like a mentor to you now than any friend, or any sister, or any lover. The best way to describe it is to compare our relationship to old Equestrian laws about age of consent. We no longer feel comfortable spending time with you like that. Or in really any way that is not a teaching position."
Fear managed a weak grin. "For a pony whose morality has become skewed, that sure is a mortal mindset." Fear twisted a hoof around, trying to alleviate the depression he felt with a sense of humor.
"It is more than that. You will understand someday, Fearei Shatter."
The colt was more than uncomfortable with his full name being used by this conglomeration of entity and sister.
==========================================================================================
Fear's family hadn't left Stable 47 yet. There were still a few more things to do before they could happily depart. One was relaxing and enjoying what the place had to offer, another was Fear discussing with his family what they'd been through.
It was Sim's turn first, and that had gone rather well. Sim had explained he'd get through it well enough, he just needed some time to get through his own thoughts on the matter. He'd explained he was sorry for attacking Fear, and that he wished he could take it back, but knew he never would. Still, he sang the song for Fear he'd been crafting, the song he'd last sung while they were spending time in the changeling baths.
Fear was enamored by it.
Next was Faith. They'd had a good, long talk. The mare was desperate for Fear's forgiveness, and he gave it with ease. It still hurt him, sure. He wasn't sure he'd ever get over the image of taking a bullet for his father, of being shot by a mare he considered family, maybe even a sort of mother figure, but he'd do his best to get over it, remembering Amelio's words that he had to be careful of accidental resentment. And to be cautious about the paths his thoughts took when he was at his weakest.
Gentler was third and final. He was a strict, silent Abyssinian in those moments, but he apologized cleanly to Fear. The colt could tell it was eating away at Gentler to the point he blamed himself for not being strong enough at the time, and still faulted himself for being too weak to handle it even now. Fear took steps to assuage that by bringing him to Freiya, and together the three of them looked through the new Seer's Eye they'd been gifted by Amelio's spell to see just what was going to become of Abyssinia in many futures. They couldn't determine what would happen in theirs, it was too far up in the air based on what choices they made in the here and now, but the possibilities they did see were varied. Fear promised him that they'd take a trip to Abyssinia once they found a way in order to protect it from that probable zebra warlord who would one day be taking a trip to Gentler's old home.
Freiya (whose consciousness had merely been ingested, not killed) explained to Fear, when they were alone, what happened to Amor Fati. The cause behind Breiker getting some of her power. They'd come to the conclusion that the stallion had been blinded by a sense of parental obligation, a reluctance to go against his daughter's cutiemark, and a desire to have even more purpose in his life. It was because of that they weren't going to execute him, but he certainly had shown he didn't have the kind of inner strength and responsibility to be Overstallion. Freiya promised Fear they'd be grooming a new overmare or stallion immediately so his grandma could retire as soon as possible. While spending time with her, the mare asked Fear what he thought of her songs.
Fear replied that his favorite was probably that Pollyanna one. It reminded him so much of what he used to be, and so much of what he wanted to be.
Freiya told Fear that she believed every silver timeline was a silver lining, a new source of infinite potential as long as you knew what to make of it. And that Freiya would help him in all his endeavors in the future. If he ever needed help, he could request Princess Luna summon her to the world of dreams and he would give him a look into the pendant if he so needed. And that she would be paying attention to it to make sure he stayed safe.
==========================================================================================
When they got back to Dryfield, where Fear had kept his plushie due to not wanting it to get damaged, and his Gallop because he didn't think he'd have enough ammo to keep it worthwhile, the colt helped his father now and then to practice for his upcoming play, and continued spending time with his family, making new memories and preparing for his next big adventure. It was certainly exciting in an awfully redundant way, occasionally fending off raiders and having fun like a colt should.
Eventually, while laying in the guest bed at the farm, Fear looked back on his journey up to this point, from losing his mother to meeting Crate and Angel, all the way through killing Chrono and finding his new family, as well as going through his own ordeals and defeating Solanum and Breiker. And finally, he thought about his vague, distant memories of meeting his mother in the cusp of the afterlife and what she'd sung to him, her true feelings toward him. Fear realized something in those moments. We don't have to let misery define us, we can overcome. Life is a blank slate painted on by everyone, and misery is just part of the rainbow that makes it up. The colt twisted in bed, leaning to the other side. I'm not going to erase my traumas, but I am going to paint over them, build them into something new. I grow stronger in spite of my damage, not because of it. Just because I live in a wasteland doesn't mean everything is devoid of hope. |
The last soldier | pre | After a quick look around, I climb onto the howitzer's chassis. The 203-millimeter barrel looks just enormous, barely enough for its massive shells, that lie on a crane mechanism. I can even read the writing in Russian -- "Maximum weight -- 150 kilogramms". As I jump on the ground, I see a few fuel tanks a bit farther. And an idea pops into my mind.
"Well... I will definetely become deaf."
After filling the chassis' tank, I get to the driver's seat. After kickstarting the engine with a curved starter, all the mechanisms begin to move. The crane loads an armor-piercing shell into the barrel, while I get myself familiar with the contols.
"Pretty much like tractor driving..."
Feeling the blood literally boil from adrenaline, I put on my headphones -- to ease an effect of the blastwave, and to turn on something motivating. And, when the music kicks in, the howitzer begins to move.
"What shall we use to fill the empty spaces,
Where waves of hunger roar,
Shall we set out across this sea of faces,
In search of more and more applauds?.."
The howitzer slowly moves through the hangar, thundering with a force of a million metal parts. As I turn on the headlight, I can see the farther wall with an opened exit. As I go there, I can see that it's some sort of a tunnel, that's a way narrower, and turns left and right from time to time.
Pretty soon enough, I can see a green shining from behind one of the corners. As I drive the howitzer there, I can see that the source of the light is a giant weird-shaped crystal, placed in a middle of a big concrete chamber. I can see, how its light goes upwards, through the holes in a ceiling to the sky. And on top of that construction sits...
"Hello there, monkey. Looks like you've made your way through the six feet of dirt, didn't you?"
I hear the queen's voice literally inside my head. That shocks me, and I hit the brakes. As I take a better look at Chrysalis, I notice that she's not wounded at all, and even her horn is on its place.
"Shall we buy a new guitar?
Shall we drive a more powerful car?
Shall we work straight through the night?
Shall we get into fights?"
As the music bangs in my head, I am astonished by the synergy of the sight and the song. Somehow it's very depressing, but yet, a very beautiful alliance. The dark, pulsating energy of the Throne meets a metal beast, that will show its strenght. I think, that's a bit of poetic...
"You cannot kill me, until you destroy the Crystal Throne. I bet you knew about it, since Celestia has provided you with information. Nice piece of junk, by the way."
Awaking from stupor, I push the gas pedal and the howitzer starts to move towards the Crystal Throne. The only thing I see on the queen's face is a smirk.
"Looks like you're an idiot, don't you? I am invincible, while being near the Throne. You can't beat me, ha-ha-ha!"
I stop the howitzer about three hundred meters away from the Throne, so the barrel would face it for a direct shot. After that, I release the hydraulic brakes and take a triggering lever into my hand.
"Leave the lights on,
Drop bombs,
Do towns of the East,
Contract disease!"
Suddenly, Chrysalis becomes airborne and charges towards the howitzer. The green aura emerges all around it, lifting the gun up for a few meters. And, while I still have a chance, I pull the lever. As I do so, an incredibly powerful shot sends me and the howitzer back from recoil. Everything happens like in a slow motion -- first, I almost break myself from hitting the control panel too hard, then I see a fire, coming from the gun's muzzle. And after that, only music in my head continues to exist.
"Bury bones,
Break up homes,
Send flowers by phone,
Take to drink,
Go to shrinks,
Give up meat,
Rarely sleep,
Keep people in pets..."
These few seconds look like an eternity. I can even see, how the queen's face changes from smirking to fearing. As the shell flies by, the blastwave from its speed sends her a few meters away from the Throne.
"Train dogs,
Race rats,
Fill the attic with cash,
Bury treasure,
Store up leisure,
But never relax at all!
With our backs to the wall."
When the shell finally hits the Throne, I can see it shatter to pieces from an impact. After that, the fuse inside the shell initiates, and all one hundred kilos of metal and explosives tear the crystal apart. I can even see, how the shattered pieces of concrete, metal and stone are flying in different directions, bringing the death to our pair of me and Chrysalis. Our fight finally comes to an end. I applause in my mind to the genius of a Soviet high-explosive engineering, and smile... |
The last soldier | Shoot to thrill, being ready to kill | I stay awake and alive. I don't really know, how, but I've managed to survive an impact of a howitzer. And my mind is clear, which brings a bit of confidence. However, my face stings, and my legs hurt. The result of a few-meter-high landing on a chassis with barely no suspension at all, what can I say. However, I was expecting a far worse consequences.
"You... YOU'VE RUINED IT!"
As I hear a hysterical shout from somewhere in the depths of a chamber, I carefully step off the platform, and walk towards the source of the sound, limping. As I come closer, I can see Chrysalis, lying on the ground with broken legs, and without her horn... Again.
"Yeah, I'm pretty much a ruiner. But before I shoot you in the head, let's just talk, okay? You've got nothing to lose, after all."
The changeling's face changes from mad to sad after a few seconds of thinking. Chrysalys sighs deeply and lies on her back.
"Why do you want to talk? And what about?"
"I want to know, why did you attack these ponies anyway. As much as I can tell from the files, they'd offered you a sanctuary and a chance to rule your subjects, but you'd just left. That doesn't make any sense."
"I've always wanted to avenge that unicorn, Starlight Glimmer... She'd ruined everything that I'd built! And without my subjects, now I lose to an enormous monkey with a fire-spitting stick... And something tells me, that this time everything won't finish until my permanent banishment."
"Not banishment. Your DEATH."
"That's why these ponies have brought you here, huh? Because noone in Equestria can kill?"
"Yeah, pretty much like that."
I take a cigarette from the pack and light it up with my Cricket lighter. A hot smoke fills my lungs, and the stinging sensation goes away from my face for a bit.
"Well, there's also a strange coincedence. I've found a buried garage under the Ponyville, and now I fall into the tech-filled hangar. None of these ponies use technologies like these -- cars, guns, or even firearms."
"Honestly, I don't know either. I've found this system of tunnels by accident, and I really had no idea, that this tech can be so powerful. Ugh, what could I do, if I'd discovered this earlier..."
"Any ideas, how it could get here?"
"Well, I've heard that before Equestria these lands were occupied by someone else. But these are just rumors, after all. Noone really believes that before ponies nobody came here, or where the Ponyville stands. To think about it, there are probably a lot of other remains of this kind. Or this can be just a coincedence. I'm not really sure about it."
As I finish the cigarette, I release a big cloud of smoke and throw the filter away. I take the rifle, that's been strapped to my back, and the magazine. After loading the barrel, I take out my music player, and enable the dictaphone.
"For a record, Chrissie. Any last words?"
"Yeah... You don't belong here, fool. I may be a villain of everypony around here, but you are the thing, that will ruin the balance of this reality. You think that you're fighting for good, but in reality, you're a murderer. A person that can't exist here. Remember my words, monkey. Keep them in mind."
"You're done?"
"Yes. Now... Do your thing."
A wide grin emerges on my face. As I turn off my music player, I push the safety lever on my AK-74, and, after taking a quick aim, pull the trigger. I hear the loud "bang", that echoes across the chamber. However, much to my surprise, Chrysalis doesn't die yet -- I can see how the bullet is being held by the purple aura in front of her face. Right after I notice that, something heavy hits me in the back, and I lose my conciousness from suffering a great pain.
As I wake up, my eyes immidiately shoot wide open. However, that's not the best decision in my life -- I immidiately become blinded by the bright light from somewhere up above.
"Well shit, I'm in Heaven. Never believed in that, yet somehow managed to lift up."
"You're thinking too much about yourself, you know that?"
I hear a familiar voice somewhere nearby, but can't really tell, from where it's coming from. As the light distracts me, I complain.
"Someone, turn off the light, will ya? Or bring me my goggles, for fuck's sake!"
"Alright, just having fun there. And please, stop swearing!"
A few seconds later, the light above shuts down, and I can finally look around the surroundings. I find myself on some sort of a couch, in my gear, and right under the lamp. And the voice's owner is Rarity, that's standing right over the couch.
"Finally, you are awake. You were blacked out for a day, and honestly, I thought that it would take much more time for you to wake up."
"Yeah... I just don't understand, why Twilight did hit me."
"Um, what do you mean?"
"Don't play stupid, I'm not buying it. Her aura is purple. And she's stopped the bullet."
A heavy silence fills the room, as I get up from the couch and walk towards the window. As I look through it, I can see wide crowded streets and high skyscrapers of Manehattan. As I turn around towards Rarity, I can see a slight neurosis in her eyes.
"Well, you've never mentioned that you've wanted to kill her... Nobody has known about it. So, we kind of snuck up behind you and... Knocked you out."
"Well, I was hired to kill Chrysalis. By Celestia and Luna. Have fun with that fact."
"Wait... You say that Princesses have offered YOU to KILL for them?"
"Correct. And I completely understand them. We had a deal, after all. Anyway, where's Chrysalis?"
"Well, thanks to the Elements of Harmony, now she's reformed. Can't say that I trust her much, but I guess that's the situation pretty similar to Discord."
"Who's Discord?"
"Nevermind. I'll tell you later."
After a quick gathering of my gear, me and Rarity are walking through the halls of what happens to be a hotel. We see some ponies on our way, that would say something like "hi" to me and bow before Rarity. Then, we finally make it to the big room, filled with our team and Chrysalis in the middle of it. After closing the door behind us, me and Rarity go inside.
"Sid, you're okay! And... Do you know about... Chrysalis?"
"Yeah, Spike. Rarity has told me about the situation. And I am very disappointed in everyone of you. Maybe except yourself."
As I take a look at Chrysalis, I can see her literally shaking, with eyes like saucers. A picture of recent carnage comes in mind, and I can feel the anger building up in me. I come a few steps closer to the former queen and lift her from the floor by grabbing her dress. As I look straight into her eyes, I can see her fear.
"Now, you must give me a good reason why shouldn't I finish what we've started. You've got five seconds, or else I will shoot."
After saying so, I take my rifle in my free hand, and push its muzzle into Chrysalis' ribcage. As I take a quick look around, I can see that the gang starts to shout loudly.
"Five!"
"Cider, why are you doing this?!"
"Four!"
"She's reformed!"
"Three!"
I push down the safety lever, and punch the changeling, so she falls back on the floor.
"Two!"
I take a quick aim, and load the barrel of my AK-74.
"ONE!"
But then, something unexpected happens. In front of my rifle's muzzle, appears Spike. His face shows an enourmous amount of bravery -- he's literally shaking from nervousness, yet his moves are confident.
"Spike. Why are you standing in front of your commander's gun?"
"Not just a commander, but also a friend! I know that Chrysalis has done a lot of awful things, but at least listen to me!"
Spike's phrase shocks me, and I step back, lowering the gun and unloading it.
"You... Did you call me a friend?"
"Sure thing I did! Will you just listen to me? I'm not asking to do anything extraordinary."
After a quick thinking, I put the gun down and cross my arms in waiting.
"You know, Cider... You've said that you were killing all the time back home. And you've said that sometimes you have to make difficult choices. And I can understand why Celestia and Luna asked you to deal with Chrysalis. They have laid a huge responsibility on your shoulders, and you've said that it's all yours. But... I think that this time THEY must learn something."
As I look around, I can see everyone smiling. Twilight and Rainbow Dash even hover a few meters under the ceiling from excitement. And I can feel, how something breaks in the depths of my soul.
"They must learn, that sometimes they need to deal with problems personally. Not to hire a killer that won't fit into the society, because there weren't any killers in our history, at least on purpose. I know that you have an order, but we would like to take a bit of responsibility from your shoulders. Killing won't work here, you would be an outcast, if anyone will know about it."
After finishing his speech, Spike offers me a hand. As I look straight into his eyes, I can see only an endless ocean of hope. Events of a past few days roll by before my eyes -- how we've started our way from Ponyville, how we've arrived to Manehattan, how we've caused all that carnage, and how I've almost killed the changeling. I move my look towards Chrysalis. I can definetely tell that she's in a bad moral state -- her eyes are like saucers, and she's curled on the floor like a scared kitten. With a heavy heart, I shake Spike's hand.
"You will be dealing with it. Keep her off me and under arrest. If she will do anything, ANYTHING that will cause additional carnage, I will end her and probably beat you the fuck of your mind. Understood?"
"So, that means..."
"Yes. I'll let her live. But only because you puny ponies are not used to killing. I'll go get some fresh air now."
"Just wait for a second."
As Spike comes closer, I can see a key in his hand. I lift my eyes towards his.
"What's this?"
"A key from your car. While you were out, we've managed to fix it up. There were a few minor problems, like broken glass and bent metal, nothing too serious. And I am coming with you."
"Well... Thanks for that, man. Let's go, then."
Me and Spike are rolling through the streets of Manehattan in our GAZ. The traffic of rickshaws flows around us, being filled with shouts, gasps and other sounds. However, no matter how hot it was in the middle of the traffic lane, I didn't take off my gear -- who knows, maybe someone will need my help immidiately, if Chrysalis goes rampant again?
"Alright, Spike, where are we going? I understand the route, but you didn't tell me, what's the place anyway."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really."
"Well, we're heading to the bar. Don't worry about me -- I'm already mature as heck. But anyway, there's someone who wants to meet you."
"On what purpose? It's not me, who reformed the changeling with Elements-of-whatever."
"Well, let's just say that this person is a bit more, than you think. Oh, come on, just drive and don't ruin the surprise!"
As I drive through thestreets of Manehatten, I can see how the sun sets above the horizon. As its reflections blid me, I pull my goggles down from the helmet, and put them on my face. Spike only laughs a bit.
"Always ready for anything, huh?"
"Pretty much yes. Without any roof, it will be hard to drive if sudden wind, duster or rain approaches. Besides, with colorfilter these goggles also act as sunglasses. Not too stylish, but they work."
"Seems like that you prefer function before style? Understandable."
"Well, I can't say that I'm a man without taste, I have a few cool leather coats back home, for example. And an enormous amount of other stuff, too."
"I won't even ask how these leather coats are being made..."
"Sorry about that."
"No worries. Hey, park the car here."
After parking the car and going out from it, I take a look at the building's facade. Typical 6-floor house, and the first floor is occupied by a bar, that tries to look more like a tavern, with all its wooden exterior. After a few seconds of thinking, I go after Spike into the front door.
When I get inside, a loud noize of a big company hits my ears. As we go further, I can see that now this bar reminds me not a tavern, but a roadside cafe in a middle of a small road somewhere between Moscow and Sochi -- wooden interior, loud company, and the smell of booze. As me and Spike go to the bartender, he greets us. He somehow reminds me of Leps -- black mane, tinted glasses and a tuxedo.
"Hello there! You must be Spike, a friend of Rainbow Dash? She's told me about you, you've helped her to reform the changeling, huh?"
"Well, technically... You can say so."
"Ah, don't be so modest. Specially for you, anything's free of charge. And who is with you?"
"Ah, he's my friend, Cider. He helped us a lot, you know?"
"O-ho-ho, that's awesome! Feel free to order anything, buddy. No charge, too. Don't mind if we have a little chit-chat?"
As I stay more in this place, I feel more and more relaxed. So, I lift my goggles, and take off my helmet, while taking a seat near the bartender.
"Well, if you say so. Spike, tell me when a person, who wanted to talk with me comes, m'kay?"
"Sure thing, Sid. I'll go find her."
As I look around, I see that a big and loud company has gathered around a few tables, drinking alcohol and laughing. As they wear pretty similar blue-and-yellow uniform, I can tell that they are probably from the same organisation. I ask the barteder about them.
"Oh, these are the Wonderbolts. As much as I can tell from your look, you've come from very far away, and probably don't know about them. Here's your coffee, by the way."
"Thanks. Yeah, who are they, anyways?"
"Yesterday they were performing on the Summerstorm festival. Basically, Wonderbolts is an aerial team of the most high-performing pegasi. Of course, the backstory is much deeper, but it's a good place to start."
"So, they only do airshows or what?"
"Nah, there's a whole spectre of what they can do -- from weather control to fighting."
A picture of MAKS exhibition appears in front of my eyes. As I take a sip from my cup, I remember how I've been there as a kid. I've seen a lot of aerial perfomance by "Russkie Vityazy" and "Strizjy". As much as I can tell, these are not just a high-pirfomance groups, but also a training centers for regular pilots. Hell, I've always wanted to be a jetfighter pilot, because of them -- men without fear. I've even got a light class civillian pilot licence! But, to be a jetfighter pilot, you need to have a lot more, than just passion...
"Hey, Cider! Here's the mare, who wanted to see you."
As I turn my head towards Spike's voice, I can see that he's accompanied by the mare. Her mane and tail look fiery-orange, while the rest of her fur remains yellow. And, she's wearing a sky blue uniform.
"I am Captain Spitfire, leader of the Wonderbolts team. And you are?.."
"Captain, callsign Cider. 176th Guard's shooting regiment from 56th Guard's shooting division. Infantry, in less words."
"So, you are a military officer?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Looks pretty much like Rainbow Dash said. I am her Wonderbolts commander, you know. Pleased to meet you."
As I shake Spitfire's hand, she sits near me while Spike runs somewhere off.
"So, why did you want to meet me, captain?"
"No formal ranks between us, Cider. Both of us are captains, after all... But anyway, there was no specific reason, why I did want to see you personally."
"I don't understand."
"You see... Wonderbolts are formally a civillian organisation, but all of us are officers and recruits, and Equestria's military command keeps an eye on us. We even fight sometimes, for example, we've been fighting against a giant dragon in Ponyville a few years back."
"And?"
"And you have pulled off an actual military operation. Well, I don't want to be too immodest, but if you take Rainbow's story as the truth, you are literally a savior of Equestria right now. I don't want to spill it out loud, because there will be much of a heat after you, but I am very impressed. And knowing that RD doesn't like to speak about anyone else's achievements..."
My face becomes red from a sudden Spitfire's statement, because of a few reasons. One: that's really embarassing. Two: there is a saying, that if one knows, everybody knows. And oh boy, if she knows about my attempt of killing the changeling...
"Ma'am, thanks for the compliment, but I think that the Elements of Harmony are the true saviors -- they've reformed the changeling and rescued everyone from their pods. They even prevented me from doing something they say I'd regret about. I'm not too happy about it, but still."
"Well, you can say whatever you want. But for me, you'll be a hero."
"Thanks, I guess... To think about it, noone's called me a hero before you."
"Really? Rainbow's said that you were fighting terrorists back home. Pretty heroic, if you ask me."
"I did. But noone has called me a hero. My country's media shows us as workers, and others... Well, we're pretty much like mass murderers for them. Fucking politics, what can I say. And to be honest, doing war is an everyday routine. Not heroism"
"Woah. That's kinda... Not good."
"It is. But someone has to do the job."
Flashbacks of war come across my mind. First boot camp, first cigarette in entire life, first foreign mission in 2008. Then, there was Middle East. Endless desert, filled with jihadists and not-so-clever allies. Helicopters, tanks, infantry vehicles, firefights, bombing runs and artillery strikes -- everything does WAR. But, these are not unpleasant memories, no. These represent... The routine.
"And you know what? I don't regret my choice. I had to make difficult decisions, and I'd seen some shit. But I've always wanted to do good deeds, and I think that I'm pretty good at it."
As I look at Spitfire, I can see her smiling. Her face shows a lot of confidence in the bright future, I can say. And, as we cling with our cups, I think...
"Maybe this life can be awesome after all." END |
Music Among The Sleep | pre | The human unicorn enter hers house, a two floor apartment; At the entrance, there was a plant, she approached to the plant and took a rock, under it, had a key embedded. Upon entering, notice that there were some boxes on the floor. As she continue walking at the small livingroom of the apartment, there were only two and small couchs and some and some furniture, at the end was the second floor stairs, and on the other side the kitchen, as she predicted, there was someone in it.
"Hey Shimmy~! finally you arrive"
"Lemon Zest... how did you get into my house?" ask annoyed.
"You should change your hiding place, it's easy to find the keys, by the way, someone missed you" Lemon smiled.
She left the kitchen and went to a cage about 90 cm high, about 40 cm deep, and about 60 cm wide. Out of this came a small ferret running towards Sunset.
"Hi Onix, I missed you too" carried the animal on her shoulder. "Thank you for taking care of him"
"That's okay, I love doing it, did you go for the stuff?" Lemon ask.
"Yes," Sunset replied, showing her bags.
"Cool! Let's start" going to the second floor, followed by Sunset.
After 2 hours, the duo finished building a 30 x 12 x 12-inch tank. Inside was everything Sunset bought; Small rocks, skull head, plants, huge trunk, a house made of a coconut with ladders made of ropes, sand and bowls.
"It looks good" Sunset said.
"Now the most important thing" Lemon said, showing a box with a small gecko inside, handing it to Sunset. Letting the reptile explore in the tank. "Welcome to your temporary home, Ray" Lemon smiled. "You didn't have to give me this Little reptile or anything" she said.
"It's the least I could do, after all, you save me" Sunset said. "When I see your brother I will thank him too"
"I'm afraid he won't be here until next week. He went to a basketball championship. Thanks to you we get along well; But enough about me, tell me, what did you want to talk about? Lemon asked.
Sunset got up from her computer chair, and went to the couch. "Come here, I have a lot to tell you"
Lemon obeyed and listened to her friend.
"Wow... so, you're from another world? A unicorn pony? And you have a demon side too?!" she scream pointing to the mirror, there was She-Demon.
"Yes, yes, and yes. That last one is recent" Sunset replied. "I did horrible things, and now I'm getting what I deserve"
"Sunset no, nobody deserves that what you're going through, those stupid students have taken it too far"
"I don't care, I have 'D' now, and she has helped me deal with everything, I won't let them bother me again" Sunset said.
"You mean, you'll go back to doing the old bitch I met before?" lemon laugh.
"No, I have changed for the better, for myself, not for others. But, after everything I told you, do you still want to be my friend?" Sunset asked nervously.
"Of course! Sunset you are my best friend, pony, demon, human, it doesn't matter. I won't abandon you" Lemon said, hugging the pony girl.
Sunset felt great relief, she finally told the truth, and her only friend accepted her nature, she looked at 'D' who had an expression of "I told you" She hugged her friend back, try to hold the tears, after a few minutes, they separated .
"I can't wait for my brother's reaction" Lemon said.
"Yes, but now I want to know what means that message you sent me before, I saw it when I was having lunch" Sunset said.
"Oh! That. I need your help, I was commissioned to take care of someone" Lemon explained.
"Okay..? Who will we take care of? Sunset ask.
"It's a small job, and we'll get paid" Lemon said.
At that moment, the front doorbell rang. Lemon ran downstairs, Sunset followed her, behind the door. There was a man with a bag in his hand, and something in the other arm, Sunset couldn't see what it was, when he left, Lemon showed what It was, a 2-year-old baby in red pajamas.
"A baby? Is this what you meant?" Sunset asked.
"Yeah, his dad said he needs a babysitter, he just got divorced from his wife, it's only going to be for three days" Lemon said.
"Well, in that case, I'll lock Onix up, I don't want he bite him" Sunset said. "What were you cooking by the way?" ask.
"Pasta tenette al pesto~" she smiled
"Elegant" Sunset smiled.
"You will be, it's your favourite" Lemon said, leaving the baby on the living room rug, playing.
The two girls went to the kitchen to prepare the small dining room, and ate the delicious pasta, later, they cleaned up, until the little boy began to cry.
"Sunset, could you go see what he wants?" Lemon said, washing the dishes.
"Okay" go to the baby. "Let's see little dude, what is-" she interrupted.
Touching the baby's arm, her eyes sparkled, and saw three black shadows, she turned away, in shock.
"What happen?" Lemon asked surprised.
"I..." Sunset said, looking at the still crying baby.
She took the teddy bear and gave it to him, who happily accepted. She noticed that she dropped an amber necklace on the ground, she took it and her eyes sparkled again, now she saw several surreal places, lights, shadows, all seen with distortion, again, the same three shadows. She released the necklace, and plopped down on the sofa.
"Sunset please, what's wrong?" Lemon asked worriedly.
"Rather, what happened to this kid?" Sunset said. "Was it you 'D'?"
"It would have been funny, but no, you discovered one of my powers apparently, you can see memories and events of people"
"What...?" Sunset said.
"More magical stuff, great" Lemon said. "Now what?"
"I need to see those shadows again, it felt like equestria magic, but different" said Sunset.
"Are you going to experiment with this baby? Forget it, we have to take care of him" Lemon said.
"Just let me see a little more, if there is dark magic in this kid, I need to see if I can help him" Sunset said.
"But Sun-"
"Please. If it's not magic, I promise I'll quit" Sunset said.
"Ugh! alright, just a moment, okay?" Lemon said.
"Thank you" Sunset smiled, taking the baby into her arms. "Okay kido, let's see what's happening to you"
Sunset sat on the couch with the baby.
"Keep him busy a bit while, I confirm what I saw" Sunset said.
"Okay" Lemon said.
She began to play with the baby, while Sunset put the necklace around her neck, took her small shoulders and her eyes sparkled again.
Sunset opened hers eyes and now she was in a house, in a room of blue and colors, assuming it to be the old baby's room.
Left the room, walking down the hall, hearing various sounds, like murmurs, breaking objects, and some bursts of light. She got to the kitchen and everything was scattered, open cabinets, broken dishes, some food.
She was about to go to the living room, but a twisted shadow appeared in front of her out of nowhere, distorting everything around her, or what she could see.
Sunset walked away and ran to a closet, actually discovering a basement, she heard a murmur of a melody, a feminine voice humming a song.
"Can you see your reflection?"
The white figure of a woman was holding the necklace that the baby was wearing before, took the necklace and disappeared. And in her place a slide appeared, Sunset enter it. Now she appeared in another place, there was nothing, just a strange house.
She went to inside, there were toys and a large door connected to a large pipe.
"Mmm, looks like I need a key," Sunset said, checking her pockets, but she only had the jewel.
She put the necklace inside and turned the handle to activate the door, and it work, the thing opened it.
"Looks like I'll need another three memories to free this kid from whatever this is, it just has to do with magic," Sunset said.
Inside was another one of those tubes, so she go in; But when she explored the new area, it seemed like some kind of limbo, it was like a playground, like in some strange jungle or forest. Eventually, had to do certain puzzles and found another place.
A tower, it wasn't difficult to climb, just had to climb until got there. Cross the wooden bridge. Behind the thin curtain, there was another memory. Once again the atmosphere changed.
"Ha ha! Alright then, one more time, but that's it"
Now was holding a music box, she took it and disappeared again. Sunset opened a path to another bridge, whose timbers were colored, as she passed over them, it sounded like a xylophone. Reach the other side, finding another pipe. And yes, returning to the same place. Get inside the house and repeat the process, now with the music box. Another zone opened up, she was about to cross, but felt a horrible headache.
Sunset blinked and returned to her apartment, she had both objects in her hands, the necklace and the music box. Lemon kept playing with the baby.
"What happened?" she ask.
"I was right, whatever this baby went through, the traumas he had, the magic that was connected to him, whatever happened, it caused nightmares so real that they hurt this child" Sunset explained.
"Actually some things moved here, so now I believe you more" said Lemon.
"What a day... first I find out that my demon side came to life, then a sirens come to my school because of my mistakes, and now, I take care of a traumatized baby, who was formed into three shadows by magic" Sunset said tiredly.
"Tell me about it, I think we both need a break" Lemon said. "Can I stay the night?" ask.
"Yeah, sure" Sunset said. "Let's get this little one ready" she smiled, hugging the baby.
"And tomorrow, we'll get the rest of the demons out of you" Lemon said.
They went to the second floor; As usual when Lemon came over, she would sleep on the couch. They prepared the baby for sleep. They decided that Lemon would watch the baby the first night, while Sunset slept. Soon her friend fell asleep next to the little baby. Sunset was still lying there thinking about how quickly her life changed. She finally fell asleep thinking about the long day she would have tomorrow. |
Music Among The Sleep | The Subconscious | The next day, Sunset woke up first, slowly got up. She checked her arms and legs, her cuts were gone; So everything was real, hers demon side came alive and lives inside ofher. And now she dealing with a baby with dark magic inside, without knowing how. And if it was not enough, she had three banished sirens trying to take over her school. She got out of bed and went to check the boy, he looks paceful, then she started to prepare breakfast.
"Hey Sun" Lemon said waking up.
"Good morning. Who will take care of the child if we are both at school?" asked.
"I'll do it, we won't have classes until the day after tomorrow" Lemon said.
"Why?" Sunset asked, serving the food.
"They told us there was an electrical problem or something. It caused a lot of accidents" Lemon explained, eating.
"Well, that leaves me, my demon, dealing with the sirens" Sunset said, eating.
"Sunset, are you seriously gonna do something?" Lemon asked.
"I don't know, should I? Twilight and the others are already doing it, and yeah, why should I?" Sunset asked. "But what about letting them take over her school.?"
"So, you transfer to my school and everything is fine. After what they have done to you, they deserve worse, besides, those sirens have not done anything to you" said Lemon.
"Yet. I don't care about the students, what interests me is understanding the dazzlings, why they create so much chaos" Sunset said.
"Understand what? You said that sirens absorb magic with their voices. Not too different from the mythology here" Lemon said.
"I don't know, I feel like there's a reason behind everything" Sunset said, finishing eating.
"Always obsessed with getting answers to everything, eh Sunset?" Lemon laugh.
"Bad habit. Anyway, if anything happens to our little man, call me, and I'll be here fast" Sunset smiled, stroking the baby's head.
"I'll take care of him, when you come back we'll take out the rest of the demons" Lemon said, smiling at the baby.
"Don't say it like that" Sunset said.
"But it's true, you said you took one of those shadows from him on your trip" Lemon said. "How was it?"
"I'm not sure if that shadow is gone, it was horrible. It was like a headless person and seemed to have a cane or umbrella" Sunset explained.
"And how was the place?" Lemon asked.
"It seemed unreal, like a purgatory for childrens, by getting the mother's happy memories, she could release some of that magic. But why only from the mother? Sunset said.
"Do you think the father is bad? He was nice" Lemon said.
"I don't know, it could be, or maybe I haven't found any memory of the father. I think I released the baby from one of the shadows."
"Oh yeah" said her 'D' manifesting herself in the mirror behind Lemon.
"Shit! Don't do that!" shout.
"By helping to recover his memories, he allowed me to absorb one of those shadows, making us more powerful" said 'D' ignoring Lemon.
"Fine, I won't be dealing with your hunger" Sunset said. "I have to go, see you later" leaving the apartment.
"You can with those students!" Lemon said, eating.
"Waahh!!" the baby said.
Sunset smiled and closed the door, went to the garage to get her motorcycle. Already repaired, she sit on it, installed her helmet, and started the engine; Going to school
This time, she left her motorcycle in a safer place, and took hers belongings. She was about to walk through the front door. But she began to hear the demon speak in her head.
"Hey Sunset" called 'D'
"What happen?" asked.
"Before you go in, there's something I want to try" said 'D'
"What is it?" Sunset said.
"Since you absorbed that shadow, I felt a small part of my powers return" explained 'D'
"And with that?"
"I want to use it" smiled the demon.
"D..."
"Relax Sunset, do you remember what happened to those cops?" asked.
"When you almost made them pee on themselves?" she replied.
"Oh yes" the demon smiled. "I want to extend that aura even more"
"And how will you do it?" Sunset asked.
"With those policemen I showed myself through your eyes, I have more power than enough to induce fear. It'll work the same, only I'll expand that aura, on just the students, just the ones you were able to hypnotize before. Also, with this, they will leave you alone" said 'D'
"I understand. But why do you want to do that? Sunset asked.
"Imposing dominance, those sirens are here absorbing the magic that I generate bothers me, it's OUR magic" said 'D' "You said it Sun-Sun, it's better to be feared than loved" she smiled.
Sunset thought about the situation, in one hand, she was worried about using so much dark magic and being consumed by it, again, but on the other, she could be calm and keep a low profile.
"Okay, but don't kill anyone" Sunset said.
"As long as they don't touch you" said 'D'
Sunset smiled and walked inside the school. Just as the doors closed, a red van with instruments in the back, stop. Six girls and an alicorn princess came down from it.
The musical showcase, or rather, the battle of the bands, has begun. Almost all the students were present, they were arriving while the stage was finished, the first to arrive were the dazzlings. Once everything was ready, the director and vice principal went up on stage.
"Welcome to the first Canterlot High School Battle of the Bands. I belive I speak for everyone when I say it is by far the greatest thing we have ever done here at this school" Celestia said.
The students shouted excitedly. And Principal Celestia thanked the new students.
"But as this is now a competition, we can only choose one winner, whi is it going to be?" Luna said.
And the students started arguing, again. To the delight of the Dazzlings, the same green energy appeared, it ran all over the place until their necklaces absorbed it.
"You feel that girls? our true power is being restored" smiled Adagio, making her sisters laugh.
¡¡¡¡SLAM!!!!
The doors slammed open, it was Sunset Shimmer. As soon as she set foot inside, the atmosphere changed, everything turned red and black; She walk up the stairs. The students they shut up, feeling a chill down their spines, only to the ones who were hypnotized by Sunset at the fall formal; Those who didn't, couldn't stop trembling. The only ones not affected, were the principals, they were preparing their judges' seats, and of course, the dazzlings, for them everything was normal, just a little strange that everything had quiet. Walking up the stands, students getting out of Sunset's way, she sat at the end, same level with the dazzlings, only much further from them; She had her eyes closed the whole way, when she opened them, her demon eyes were visible, visible to the students
In a blink, everything back to normal, and the students started arguing again. Sunset put her headphones and write in her notebook, to make some notes.
"What was that?" Sonata whispered.
"Oh~ the queen bee wants to get the honey back~" Adagio said smiling.
"What honey? what bee? asked Sonata confused.
"Ugh! Sunset is the bee, and the honey is the magic we absorb" Adagio said.
"That stupid human almost caused us to crash yesterday" Aria said.
"It won't happen again, if she messes with us, we'll get rid of her, like the others. Nothing will stop us" said Adagio.
Once again the doors opened, it was Twilight and her friends, witnessing the students, worried.
"And that's before we've tapped into the strongest magic here"
"But the rain blossoms, or whatever they're called, aren't under our spell, how exactly are we supposed to get to their magic, Adagio" Aria said.
"The Rainbooms are just as capable of falling apart as everyone else. They just need a little, push, in the wrong direction. I have a feeling everyone here is going to be lining up to give them a shove" smiled Adagio.
"Not all of them" Sonata whispered, looking at Sunset.
The auditions went from worse to worse, but, the next ones were Snips and Snails, their singing and rap attempt was horrible, Sunset was grateful for don't to be with them anymore, when it was the turn of the rainbooms, they started good; however, Rarity's strange movement ruined the presentation, although the directors enjoyed it. She knew that the other students were sabotaging them. But it was logical, from them first attempt to stop the dazzlings. All that didn't matter to Sunset, she spent all her time taking notes about the shadows that tormented the little baby; She suddenly felt how her cell phone vibrated, she discreetly looked at the message and left the gym.
The dazzlings watched as Flash's gang yelled at Twilight.
"Tears already? this is only the first round "Adagio smiled, earning laughter from his sisters.
"The next band to take the stage is Trixie and the Illusions" Celestia said, through the speaker.
"Better head back, we're supposed to go on after Trixie" Adagio said.
The sirens headed towards the gym, entering from behind the stage, they were turning the corner, but Adagio stopped hers sisters, seeing that someone was waiting for them.
Sunset Shimmer was leaning against the wall, looking at her notebook, reading her notes.
"You're not going to get away with this" Sunset said, not taking her eyes off to her notebook.
Adagio's grin momentarily grew wider, briefly alerting Sunset. "Why?" She questioned, having clearly anticipated this. "Because you didn't?"
Sunset didn't react to such intimidation, so the dazzlings began their stalking tactic.
"Oh, we know all about you, Sunset Shimmer. You've got quite the reputation here at-"
"¡I don't care what you have to do, keep her away from him!" Sunset yelled, slamming her notebook shut.
Such an action baffled the sirens, Adagio remained by Sunset's side, Aria had barely moved a bit, and Sonata remained where she was.
"Okay... see you outside" Sunset said, calmer. "Bye"
She keep her notes inside her jacket, and bring her hands to her ears; It was revealed that she actually wearing headphones, she was on a call, not even noticing the sirens passed by; Their reaction was from confusion to anger, Adagio recovered and stepped forward, getting in the way of the pony girl.
"Why the rush, Shimmer?" Adagio said. "Scared?"
"Maybe to hide from her latest flop at the fall formal" Aria smile.
"How terrible!" Sonata said, laughing.
The three started laughing, when they stopped, Sunset was behind them, passing by again.
"Have the same attitude when you guys faced Star Swirl?" Sunset said.
And just like that, the sirens confidence was shattered. Although was far from them, Sunset could also feel the shock and irritation of Adagio and her subordinates.
"...What did you say?" The leader asked in a low voice, a mixture of disbelief and anger.
Sunset couldn't help a grin wider. "You can use all the tricks you want it, won't work on me, even your spell didn't work. Our difference is that you were banished here, I didn't have to crawl around and steal negative energy scraps like a rat, I don't need to hide in everyone else's shadow. I can't help but feel sorry for you three" she laughed darkly.
That was enough to push Adagio past the point of regaining her composure. Without hesitation, she reached out a hand to Sunset. But this Sunsey looked up from her again, a strong explosion of invisible energy pushed her until the siren almost fell, being catch by her sisters. Now they could see her eyes, those demonic eyes that were glowing more and more, and her dark aura was stronger. The sirens remained incredulous this.
"Calm down..."
The corridor was filled with darkness, then a red mist spread across the floor and a growl was heard behind Sunset, it was getting louder.
The mist vanished, it was actually the breath of the Demon; It was huge, they only distinguished her eyes and teeth.
"D...Back off"
Demon growled once more. In one second everything was back to normal. Sunset eyes back to the normal.
"Go back to your pathetic concert attempt and at least give something more decent than your defeat against the 6 pillars" Sunset said, walking away.
Adagio moved away and walk determined to stop her, but Aria grab her shoulder, it was they turn on stage.
"You gonna pay for that, Sunset Shimmer" Adagio whispered, walking into the gym.
At the entrance of the school, Lemon was waiting with the little baby. The pony girl came quickly.
"Lemon, I told you not wait here" she said.
"I'm sorry, but I had to come" Lemon said.
"Fine, let's go to the backyard and explain everything to me" said Sunset.
They both went to the soccer field, hid behind the stands, so they wouldn't be bothered.
"Now you said that a woman, who said was the mother of the child, try to take the baby?" Sunset asked.
"I told you, I was walking to the park, I was going to meet his father, when that woman appeared. Luckily the father stopped her when she tried to take him from me, they argued, And suddenly there was a car accident; They thought it was an accident, the father asked me to leave, they stayed to talk. It was then that I called you, I think another one of those shadows is torturing him" explained Lemon.
"Hmm...so one of the parents is triggering these episodes" Sunset said.
"You have to do something Sun" Lemon said.
"I'll try again, we'll help you little man" Sunset smiled, taking the baby in her arms. "Entertain him again"
Lemon nodded and played with the baby, took the music box out of her bag and gave it to the baby; Sunset took the boy's shoulders, closed her eyes, concentrated, her eyes sparkled again.
So, she returned, to the previous area.
"There is no time to lose, I must solve this" said Sunset.
She enter the slide and arrive at another place; Now was in the corridor of an abandoned house, very old. She entered through the first door that saw, it led to a dark corridor, so she walked through it, it was very dark. Making as little noise as possible. The hallway ended at another door, she opened it and now Sunset was in a big room. It was a big place, in the center there were a lot of branches and roots connected to three different points, it was carefully steeled until it reached the center, something was covered by a sheet, was a puzzle.
"Those floating things... they look like memories, maybe the next one will be behind those roots" Sunset whispered. "Three pieces, three places... but I can't enter through any of them, a piece must be here" she began to search.
Suspicions confirmed by finding a piece under one of the paintings in the room. Piece that corresponded to the left side below. A light covered the roots, vanishing the enormous obstacle, on the other side there was a painting. It was in a forest, where a woman and a girl, near the river on top of a wooden bridge. As Sunset approached the painting, it moved, moving forward until the painting was gone, only the frame remained.
She entered the next area, it was like a kind of river or swamp, perhaps the same as the one in the painting, but the difference was that everything was dark.
She toured the place, the strange thing is that there were furniture and drawers nearby, supposed that maybe there was a house nearby. The hard part is that she didn't know what to look for, only that it would be a happy memory and that she had to do with one of her parents. Indeed, her exploration led her to a house that was collapsing, it was partially flooded. The horrible thing was that she heard different sounds, not to mention that there were many strange objects, children's toys, that did not seem for infants.
She carefully crawled out of the house, luckily she found another piece of the puzzle, once outside, she had to climb a tree as the exit was on the other side. But it was much more terrifying, so much that could swear that Sunset heard voices, she returned to the same bridge and went through the previous painting frame. Luckily return, she placed the next piece, the right one.
"This place is... better not hang around here too much, nowhere is safe" said Sunset.
The roots left and she repeated the process, this painting was the same woman as before, she was near a wishing well, she drew water from it and drank it. But the appearance of this change, her hair stood up and turned black, her dress was dirty, she left a black trail and went to the river. Sunset went back inside, it seemed that she was in the same house, luckily there were candles that illuminated a little. Now she was not her imagination, if voices and whispers were heard. Went through the rooms of the house, almost everywhere there were empty bottles. She came out of the last room, she thought that she had come out again, but actually there was a tree inside the house. Through a window she recognized the same well as before, she steeled herself to check, but in that second everything was distorted.
A shadow suddenly appeared, its appearance was similar to that of the painting; Sunset was forced to back off.
"Shit!" yell softly.
She knew what she had to do, whether she liked it or not, she had to get out, the missing piece had to be here. Sunset managed to crawl out through a hole that overlooked the courtyard. She reach the well, the lever until get the bucket. Inside was the last piece she needed, there was also a key with a triangle-shaped tip, coincidentally there was a fence with a padlock. And yes, she fit. Another smaller bridge to cross the river, but her vision was distorted again, that thing was close. She had to hide inside the cabin in front of her. there was a drawing that caught her attention.
It seemed to be that thing from before and he the baby, there was no time for theories. Sunset looked around and found another key, a square one. Once the shadow was gone, she left the hut and continued looking for the next exit.
Found it! the padlock for the key, when placing it ,she heard sounds of whispers and footsteps, the thing was close. Luckily managed to escape. Now was about to pass the painting from before, she turned around and the shadow appeared on her face; so jumped hurting herself a bit.
"That...was very close" Sunset said scared. "Now to put the last piece, and I hope... that you already find the memory"
She put the last piece, the path ahead opened up. The picture went from a mother reading her daughter a story, to a little girl reading the book alone in the forest.
"OK. We're going for that memory" Sunset said. "This time, I'll catch that bitch" she snarled.
Easier said than done, Sunset had ended up in another part of the house, like a bookstore, she spent all the time running away from the shadow. She almost caught her, but she managed to escape from her, crawling down a hole. And finally! The next memory she needed, entered this one.
They had not dug far, before it started to rain. "Quickly, climb out, or there'll be trouble again!" See? the bunny is climbing out of the hole!
Again the mother, a memory where she tells a story to her son, Sunset took the book and the slide back was in front.
Back at the playhouse:
"That thing... I've never seen anything like it" Sunset said, placing the book activating the machine. "A child should not go through this"
The new area was opened.
"I must solve this once and for all, I must save this boy"
Without hesitation, she enter the slide and reach the new area. A closet, so cautiously went out and discovered another house, but this one was better, it just had weird places. Before advancing she felt an intense headache.
Sunset returned to the real world, she had the book from before, on the page that the mother had read, the baby was sleeping in her arms.
"You did it Sunset" Lemon whispered.
"I think so, I only need one more memory, and so find out what is happening" said Sunset.
"That fucking thing took a lot of energy from me, I need a few hours to recover" said D.
"So, what's next?" Lemon asked.
"Wait for my demon side recover, then get the last memory. But now, I have to deal with some sirens again" Sunset said, looking at the school. |
Music Among The Sleep | A Big Decision | As expected, the Dazzlings made it to the finals, and surprisingly the Rainbooms did too. Everyone thought they would lose to Trixie.
But Sunset didn't care about this battle of the bands, she was focused on helping the little boy. She spent all her time writing in her notebook. Was full of drawings with descriptions of the shadow monsters. For now everything is confused, She hoping to discover the truth this night; The directors announced the final battle in the auditorium on the outskirts of town. Everyone booed the rainbooms, Sunset took the opportunity and went out the other exit.
At the entrance to the school, Twilight and the others finished packing their instruments in Applejack's car.
"This time I'll go ahead, I almost got dirty last time" Rarity said.
"Didn't you have enough after your last little act?" said Applejack angrily.
"I already told you! I was sabotaged!!" Rarity defended.
"Like Pinkie Pie? you two ruined everything!" Rainbow growled. "You and your stupid confetti"
"Your ego almost ruined us! luckily Fluttershy stopped you when you almost transformed" Pinkie said.
"She only did it because I didn't want to play her song" Rainbow said.
"That's not true!" Fluttershy said.
"Please girls, we need to focus on stopping the sirens" Twilight said.
Grudgingly, they stopped arguing, each one got into the vehicle except Twilight, suddenly she saw Sunset in the distance preparing her motorcycle.
"Wait guys" she said, running reaching Sunset. "Sunset Shimmer!"
"What do you want, Twilight?" the demon girl said.
"We were looking for you, where were you?" asked.
"That's my business. What you want me for?" Sunset replied.
"The sirens continue to control everyone at school, if we don't stop them, they will take over
this world" Twilight said anguished.
"Then stop them. I don't understand why you're telling me" Sunset said.
"Look Sunset, the girls explained everything to me. About how you are, how bad you had it and... how they abandoned you" said the alicorn princess. "They want you to know that they are truly sorry and they never meant you to go through it all that pain"
"You say that" Sunset said, mounting her bike.
"We all mean it" Applejack said, taking her hat off of her.
The rest were behind, each one with a different face, but the same emotion, guilt.
"Sunset darling, we really feel bad about everything" Rarity said.
"We were bad friends with you" Fluttershy continued sadly.
"We feel really bad" Pinkie said.
"Yeah..." Rainbow said.
"Could you forgive them?" Twilight asked.
Sunset look at each one without showing any expression. Suddenly, her cell phone rang, it was a notification from Lemon. She took the helmet and started the engine.
"Sunset?" call Twilight.
"I have to go, I have unfinished business" Sunset replied.
"What could be more important than defeating three horrible and monstrous sirens?!" Rainbow said annoyed.
Sunset glared at her, for the first time showing fear on the rainbow girl's face. She then drove away from her on her motorcycle.
"Well done, Dash" Applejack said.
"It's not my fault that she's so rancorous!" Rainbow said.
"With that attitude you show no regret, you and your foolish ego" Rarity said.
"My ego?!" scream.
Twilight sighed seeing how her friends were arguing again, she pushed them back to the truck, to go to the auditorium to get ready.
Sunset returned home, left everything, and go to Lemon and the baby.
"You finally here, what take you so long?" asked.
"I hung out with some girls from school. Where is him?" Sunset replied.
"He's sleeping, I think that way it will be easier for you to enter his subconscious" Lemon said.
"Yeah, I need to find out once and for all what's going on. And what are those shadows" Sunset said, preparing herself.
"Then go back to the kid's limbo" Lemon said.
The little one was sleeping on the couch, Sunset took him carefully in her arms and sat down so that they were both comfortable.
"I'll be back soon" the pony girl said.
"You do" Lemon said.
Sunset activated her power, once more.
Back in the old house, Sunset explored the area, had to find the last memory and reveal the mysteries. After passing through several areas, she did not stop hearing strange noises and growls, and in the dark she could swear that there were her eyes watching her. She found another one of those drawings that changed and led to zones. This one was from a glass bottle with a shining star inside, it crossed the paint, but nothing new, same house, with narrow places. She suddenly had a clue, on the wall she found a drawing, painted with chalk; One looked like something or someone sitting down and down, and the other did not have a human form.
When she got out, found a kind of closet with many coats, then she found another small room with a circular shape and a bright blue spiral. Locked, in the shape of the moon?
And for convenience, it was in the same room, on a shelf above. Same glass bottle, but no star.
She took a ball that was on the ground to knock down the bottle, and throw it and luckily, it broke.
But the distorted vision appeared, it meant the nearby presence of another monster, she turned hers head and saw a very large shadow go by, it was not similar to the other two. So quickly put the moon and continued. And the same thing was repeated, but this puzzle needed the star. It wouldn't be that easy, she had to look for her. With now the noise of a hum melody.
"What is that sound?" Sunset asked, the music sounding girly.
After solving small tests, nothing difficult, understandable given the age of the baby. What most caught her attention was the bizarreness of the place, it was strange, but very familiar.
Only wished the shadows would stop appearing; confirm it when was in the kitchen at the beginning, there was the bottle with the star. She had to break it again, but instead of that strange being appearing, the drawers and cabinets opened, plates and glasses fell to the floor. Return to the room from before, but now everything was in its place, as if the star controlled gravity. More passages take her to a room with several bottles, breaking one by accident. The figure appeared, it was very largem was a walking coat with its face covered, only its eyes were visible, approaching in a menacing manner. She ran to hide in another closet, luckily she passed by without seeing her presence. New plan; not break the damn bottles and find the last souvenir to get out of here. After much escaping, she arrive at the star's room, so she put the piece on and had the last memory.
"Hmm. what is this? Oh! Don't you know what an elephant is?! I am the biggest animal.
The mother had a pink elephant toy, she took the object, now had to hurry and get to the playhouse. On her way back, couldn't stop listening to the humming of the woman's song. Ignoring that, she continued to the exit.
It was about to arrive, Sunset barely advanced a little; But the static returned and everything shook, right on her back, the Monster appers. Sunset rushed out, but she was caught by the thing, she turned to look at it, but now she had a teddy bear in her hand? She tried to get away, but the shadow pulling so hard the arm of the teddy broke, so she fell into the void.
"Sunset!" scream Lemon.
She opened her eyes and saw the face of her friend worried.
"W-What happened? No! I have to go back!"
"Sunset!"
"What?!"
"You're bleeding!" Lemon said.
Sunset feel a liquid dripping from her lips, coming from her nose.
"This is getting out of the hands!" Lemon said helping to clean her wound.
"No, I was about to find out the truth, I had managed to get the last memory, but the shadow caught me" Sunset said.
"Sunset I told you I accepted your magic, but this is to much, we need to stop" Lemon said.
"No, please... I feel it, I'm close" Sunset begged.
"There's no time, his father will pick him tomorrow" Lemon said.
"Then I must hurry, give me ten more minutes and-"
"How stubborn you are... well, but not now. Let the kid sleep" Lemon said.
"But-"
"Leave it Sunset, I said tomorrow. Besides, you have no other plans tonight?" said Lemon.
"I... you right, the sirens, I wonder how the things ended" Sunset said.
"Why don't you go and find out?" Lemon replied. "I think if you hurry, you will make to the see the last concert"
"For what? my presence won't change anything" Sunset said. "Twilight will know what to do, she does it all the time in equestria"
"Still, it would be interesting to see that magic" said D.
"You just want to feed yourself, what if you get sealed again?" Sunset said.
"No if we watch from a safe distance" smiled D.
"See? Go Sunset, she won't leave you alone anyway" Lemon said.
"Fine. But it's a waste of time" said Sunset taking her jacket and walk to the exit.
"Sunset" call Lemon.
"What is it?" she replied.
"Whatever happens, you can count on me" Lemon smiled.
"I know, you're always there for me" Sunset smiled.
And having said that, she left the apartment, went to her motorcycle and went out into the street. On her way to the stadium, she thought about what Twilight told her; Were they really sorry? Or just because Twilight talked to them?
Sunset analyze the situation, maybe she went too far from by telling them all those things, but they never supported her. They didn't even offer to help her to finish the wall she destroyed; Of course, they talked to her, more for courtesy about school things, but not about other stuff, making plans, going out, spending time like... like friends. Then, she remembered that time when she heard Rainbow and Rarity talk about an emergency plan to contain her. How could she trust to them after that?
If it weren't for Lemon, she wouldn't be here, she save her life, emotionally and physically. But would be worth to helping the girls who turned their backs on her? Of saving the students who almost led her to suicide? What should she do...?
The night arrive, the auditorium was packed, so Sunset couldn't get inside, and then change direction. She hide the motorcycle and went up a hill to watch the show from afar but enough for listen. Arriving, she saw Trixie and her band, but how? The Rainbooms supposed to go through to the finals, right? Or could it have been a plan by the Dazzlings? She would find out soon.
A green mist covered the stage, but notice something different, and not just because of the slight change in color. There they were, coming out as predators, as music professionals; The sirens.
They music was so good. They still did not sing with lyrics and their melody already had the public's attention. Sunset hated to admit it, but they were very good. As the music increased, so did their voices and power.
Their necklaces shone crimson, transforming their ears into pony's, their hair grew even more and some astral wings too. Nothing seemed to stop them. Wrong, another melody played, as the dazzlings and Sunset looked at the source of the sound, it was the Ranbooms. They were clearly challenging the dazzlings, they even transformed like that time at the fall formal. The sirens were not far behind, they counterattacked, their last note causing her eyes to turn like her jewels.
Adagio led her sisters to their full power. From her necklaces sprang astral versions of their true forms, great monstrous and imposing sirens.
Both, the Rainbooms and Sunset were overwhelmed. They surrounded their enemy band like sharks about to eat dinner, but they didn't give up, they counterattacked with their instruments and voices.
Twilight was no match for Adagio's amazing voice. Facing them was impossible, they were very strong together. They musical waves knocked the Rainbooms to the ground. Sunset was impressed.
"N-Now what?" Sunset said.
Suddenly, she heard a voice.
"Sunset Shimmer!" it was Twilight. "We need you!"
Taking the pony girl by surprise, she didn't know what to do.
"Well Shimmer?" asked 'D' in her mind. "The time to choose has come, what will you do?" smiled.
Sunset watched the fight, on one side, were the girls she thought were friends, or just Sunset thought. Only attached to an empty promise. And on the other hand, three banished sirens with no magic, who didn't really do anything to her. They just wanted attention.
Both groups seemed to be waiting for Sunset's decision. What seemed like an eternity, it was seconds in which Sunset reacted. She took a deep breath and showed an expressionless face, then... she turned around.
She walked slowly away, despite turn her back to them, she could feel Twilight's look of shock. As soon as Sunset was out of everyone's sight, the music started up again. Rainbow Dash's voice along with Twilight's, along with the others. Sunset returned, but she hid behind a tree, she watched as together they created a rainbow ray that nullified the dazzlings' spell.
Together they flashed another rainbow into the sky, forming a ball of light, with wings. Everyone is happy now, to the anger of the Dazzlings, but it changed to surprise when they saw the huge alicorn of light in the sky, which with the shapes of the sirens looked like ants. With the last chorus of the song, they unleashed their friendship ray.
"Get covered!!" D, scream
Sunset hid behind a tree, while the dazzlings were hit with friendship magic. When it was all over, she saw how the sirens fell and their necklaces were broken.
When they trying to sing again, their vocals were horrible, they were booed by the audience, throwing food at them. Sunset saw how they escaped, she felt a lump in her throat, she couldn't help but feel sorry for them.
"That explains why they necklaces were so special to them" said D. "What a show" she smiled.
"Don't make fun of it, losing isn't easy" said Sunset.
"Yeah, yeah, but they asked for it, although I admit that hers magic was impressive"
"I hope they're okay" Sunset said.
"They are sirens, Shimmer, they are strong creatures, they will be" said D.
"Okay, we're done here" Sunset said, walking away.
The last thing she saw was how the girls hugged each other because of her success, she shook her head and left.
3:00 a.m....
In the same auditorium, someone was approaching the stage, checked the place, but couldn't find what wanted. Until went through the trash cans, finding what craved. The long arm with long nails, took the pieces of the destroyed gems; But then, felt the presence of someone nearby. It was Adagio, with her jeans and hoddie.
"Luckily, there is no one here" she whispered.
The mysterious figure hid on the roof of the auditorium, it did so with incredible speed. Adagio found the remains, but incomplete. She searched frustrated without finding the rest; Frustrated, she ran away. The shadow watched her go until she disappeared, growled a little, but calmed down immediately.
Looked at the three pieces that reached for, the shadow using magic to embed them into the red skin. And, got up and flew out of the place. |
Music Among The Sleep | Breaking Ties | Morning, 7:45 am...
"Sunset! Get up!" yelled Lemon.
She had just finished thebreakfast. A few seconds later, the pony girl appeared, yawning.
"You didn't sleep?" Lemon asked.
"I did, I think I was more exhausted than I thought" Sunset yawned.
"Maybe, sit down" Lemon said.
Sunset settled next to the baby. "What will we have for breakfast?" ask, rubbing her skin.
"Eggs and bacon. Vegan version for you" Lemon put the plates on the table.
"Thank you" she said, rubbing her arm more.
"A mosquito bite you too?" Lemon asked.
"I think so, my skin burns a little" said Sunset. "But changing the subject, what time will the father arrive?" she started to eat.
"About two hours. You have to finish your magical session" Lemon answered.
"Last time I was falling down the slide that was supposed to take me to the playhouse, but if I still have the last memory, I'll be able to tell what's going on" Sunset explained.
"Let's finish then" Lemon said eating.
It only took them 30 minutes to finish eating. Sunset was in charge of cleaning, while Lemon packed the boy's things for the father's arrival. Once everything was ready, they sat down on the small sofa.
"You only have one hour, Sunset. No more. Understand? Lemon said.
"I know, I hope it doesn't take long" Sunset said.
For the last time, she held the baby and entered his memories.
Sunset felt a strong pain in her back, she had fallen into a dark place, only a light illuminated her from above. On the floor she found the bear's arm and the elephant's stuffed animal. In the distance she saw another light, so she walked to it.
Then, another light.
"Not now, honey"
A woman's voice said. She kept showing up more lights, so she followed them.
"I said not now."
The voice sounded more aggressive when she drink all the bottle, due to a blurred vision she thought, and saw one of those monsters; She followed the light discover everything by pieces, and to escape the darkness too. Then everything went dark.
"Sweetie, be quiet now. Mommy had a rough day."
The coat monster appeared in front of Sunset, and disappeared as she approached.
"Please, go somewhere else. I'll just... just one more"
The Swamp Woman, and the Crooked Shadow. The three spoke with the voice of the mother. Sunset began to understand everything. Even the mother appeared, in a giant way for her.
"He will NOT take you from me!"
Darkness again.
"If you can't be nice and do what mom says, I'm going to be very angry. None of us want that!"
The last light, these were several, when she arrive, it was the playhouse. Once inside, didn't wait any longer, and she put the last memory in the machine. But when activate the magic something was missing. And notice a circular entry at the end.
"I wonder if... mmm" Sunset thought.
She placed the bear's arm and then, the door opened. Behind the same darkness with a slight light at the end. She went to this and everything lit up.
Sunset returned to the house, to the baby's room, with the difference that it was daylight. She came out of the closet and in front of her had all the objects from the memories. Sunset took the mother's necklace from the floor. But suddenly, heard noises below, found objects similar to other places she lived; The owls, the star, the bottles, the keys, the puzzle, etc.
Once on the first floor, the noise came from the kitchen, there she was.
The mother crying on the floor, along with empty bottles to the sides. When facing each other, she noticed that she had the bear. Sunset suddenly felt something between her legs, it was the baby boy! he reached over to take the stuffed animal from her.
"Stay away from me!"
She pushed the boy to the ground, Sunset bent down to help him and felt the same distortion as before.
"I'm sorry, I never mean to... it's too much" the woman cried.
Sunset felt pit for the woman. Then he, the baby, caressed her head gently.
The front door noise, she watched as the baby left and followed him, before looking at the mother. When she opened the door now everything was light, too much. Sunset just listen.
"Hi there little one! Come here" a male voice said. "Did you like your gift? What happened to his arm? Don't worry, we'll fix him up."
A peace invaded Sunset and...
And she back...
"So?" Lemon asked.
She was interrupted by a black cloud forming in front of them; Lemon got up scared, but she didn't run away. The mass of black magic took on the slight forms of her mother's monsters; Sunset saw that the mother's necklace was in her hand suddenly, she raised the necklace before the energy, slowly the magic entered her necklace.
"What the fuc-?"
"It's over" Sunset said. "The monsters were the mother all the time. When she was drunk"
"Wow..." Lemon said.
"Everything I lived there was through the perspective of the baby. Such simple things were terrifying to him" Sunset explained.
"But you said there were three, you described each one differently. How can they be the same person? asked Lemon.
"Because each one represented her mother's moods when she drank" Sunset replied. "And now, they will no longer torment the child"
"Coo! so... well, you did it" Lemon smiled, sitting back down. "And now what?"
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
"Must be the father, come on" Lemon said, running to the door.
Sunset carried the baby, she was holding his teddy bear. Even without the arm he loved him dearly. The door opened and Sunset finally saw him. A tall man with a big beard, smiled when he saw his son.
"Hi there little one! I missed you" he smiled carrying his son. "Thank you for taking care of him"
"It was nothing" Lemon said.
"He had a few nightmares, but nothing serious" Sunset lied.
"Oh... that, I just got divorced, we had problems that we couldn't solve. I tried, but she didn't. We try to move on" explained the man.
"Everything will be okay, Mr. Justin" Lemon said.
"Take care of your son, in these situations, they are the ones who suffer the most" said Sunset.
"You speak very wise for your age. I love my son, I want the best for him, believe me, I will take good care of him "she smiled. "I have to go, thank you again, and goodbye" he said.
The man went to his car where a woman was waiting for him.
"You think the father will be better, Sun?" Lemon asked.
The pony girl saw how father and son were laughing together, they looked so happy... then a slight memory came to her, one of equestria. It didn't last more than a second. Sunset was shocked.
"Yeah... they'll be fine" she smiled wistfully.
"If you say so" Lemon said, not noticing her friend's tone. "And I'm sorry, but I have to go too. My parents are back and they will kill me if I'm not home. I'm supposed to be grounded" she laughed.
"You never said that" Sunset said, suprised.
"You know me, hehe. But seriously, will you be okay?" asked.
"Yes, I feel better now than before" the pony girl smiled.
"Glad to hear it. See you later then, and watch out for the devil" Lemon teased.
Her friend smiled and she left. Sunset entered her house and lay down on the couch, but she heard a vibrating sound from her backpack. Growl in frustration. Possibly Zest forgot something, but it wasn't her phone, it was her book. She received a message, read the message, and sighed. She didn't do anything for a few minutes until she made up her mind. She took her jacket and went for her motorcycle.
"You're very quiet, D" Sunset said.
"I'm just tired" she replied.
"If you say so" Sunset replied.
Once again, she went to school...
Meanwhile, the heroines of the battle of the bands, gathered in the statue of the portal.
"I wish you would stay longer" Applejack said.
"Me too, but I have responsibilities in equestria. The citizens need me" Twilight said.
"We too" said Raindow sadly. "With... you know"
"I know, that's why I asked to meet here. All seven of us" Twilight said.
"Seven?" they all said.
At that moment, the roar of an engine silenced them, the driver took off her helmet, and her face was that of the famous demon girl.
"What is Shimmer doing here?" Rainbow said annoyed.
"I asked her to come here" Twilight said. "Thanks for coming"
"Why did you call me Twilight?" Sunset asked.
"Sunset Shimmer. Your attitude last night told me a lot of things. You didn't help us to defeat the sirens, but you weren't against us either. However-"
"Do you want to know what direction I will take now? Know whose side I'm on?" continued Sunset.
"Well..."
"For your peace of mind, I am not interested in take over this school. Or equestria" Sunset said. "If that will be all-"
"Wait Sunset, I know an apology won't be enough for all the pain you've been through. Now I know, the girls told me everything; The fights, insults, hits, all have been done to you" said Twilight.
"We failed you Sunset" Rainbow said. "Especially me, I was the most reluctant to believe in you; I let my emotions dominate me, I was not... loyal to you"
"We weren't honest with you, sugar cube" Applejack continued, take off her hat.
"We should been kind and generous to you" Rarity said, Fluttershy nodding.
"Maybe we could... start over? Be friends and laugh together?" Pinkie said hopefully
"Sunset?" Twilight call.
The pony girl looked at each of the girls. They seemed genuinely repentant. Sunset thought about everything that happened; all her bad moments, her adventures... and every experience lived until now.
"I accept you apology. But not the friendship" Sunset said.
"WHAT?!!" They all said, except Twilight, the princess was just surprised.
"P-Please Sunset, yes I know, we screwed up, but you have to-"
"I already did Rainbow, really, I forgive you guys. But I won't be your friend."
"Why Sunset?" asked.
"Twilight, when you beat me at the Fall Formal, that didn't make me change my personality. What really changed me was being face to face to the death" Sunset said seriously.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Rainbow said confused.
"Before this, a few weeks after my defeat, I was in a party try to make Friends, but, there was a killer. He almost killed me, I spend months in a hospital" Sunset said. Shocking everyone.
"Y-You could have called us" Rarity said.
"You never gave me their numbers, although I gave you mine. For this reason, I need to be with real friends, who, despite knowing my past, don't judge me or suspect of me when something bad happens" said Sunset.
"It make me sad you think that Sunset. Are you sure?" Twilight said.
"I am. I know you're not so diferent to them, princess. I know you care more about what I will do, that how I feel. I won't take over this world, I don't want to, I don't need to" Sunset said.
Twilight wanted to justify that, but she decided against it. "I don't approve of your new direction, but I respect it. You still have your book, you can talk to me if you need anything, okay?"
"I'll keep that in mind, bye." She returned to her motorcycle and walked away from her.
"That didn't go so well" Fluttershy said.
"So what?" asked Pinkie.
"Sunset is not interested in dominating the school or this world. She's not interested in the friendship we offered her" Twilight said.
"We're sorry we let you down Twilight" Applejack said.
"It wasn't me, it was to her. I want you to take care of her from afar, don't let her go through that pain again" Twilight said.
"We swear!" Pinky said.
"Are you? Will you be able to do this?" Twilight asked.
"We understand that you get like this, darling. But we won't let this happen again, we'll do it for you, for Sunset, and us" Rarity said.
"I will trust you once again. Maybe in future, Sunset will give us another chance" Twilight said. "For Celestia I hope so" she prayed.
Sunset arrived at her house, and set out to clean it up. At the end of her task, she found her mother's necklace; She picked up the jewel and went to the second floor, went to her closet, inside it was a strange secret compartment. Inside there was a paper with a drawing of a very tall being without a face, with the word "FOLLOWS", another was a white hockey mask with dried blood, and a wave receiver with an installed compass. She put the necklace down next to her.
"I hate these things, but they remind me that I'm still alive" Sunset said. Her ferret jumped off the couch toward her.
"Don't worry buddy, I'm fine" Sunset smiled, let's go upstairs.
She went to the window behind the apartment, there was a fire escape. She went out to the roof, sat on the roof to play with onyx, and also to reflect on everything that has happened, the sight of her also helped her.
"Forgive me for ignoring you Onix, from now on we will spend more time together" Sunset smiled.
They played for a couple of hours and then went back inside. She left her pet on the couch, and picked up her towel and a couple of new clothes, went to the bathroom to take a well-deserved and relaxing shower. In about 10 minutes she came out with her pajamas on, go down to the living room and watch TV.
Suddenly the doorbell rang, she walked to it and opened it. Sunset thought it was Lemon who forgot something. But no, was a guy. He was a tall boy with sky blue skin with green eyes and well-combed dark blonde hair. He was wearing an elegant suit; A cherry-colored jacket, blue shirt, orange tie, a brown sweater, gray pants, and elegant black shoes.
"Lemonade Blues? What are you doing here? You weren't-"
"I came back yesterday, but I had things to do" said the boy. He showed a white bag. "Did you have dinner yet?"
"No-"
The boy came in and went to the kitchen to heat up the food.
"Yes, of course, come in" Sunset said sarcastically.
"Lemon explained to me what happened. And about something you wanted to tell me too" the boy said.
"Oh, well, I was hoping to tell you, but..."
"We've known each other since you arrived here, you're my friend and you can talk to me" Blues said, very honest.
Sunset sat on the couch still unsure. The boy saw her, took the drinks she brought, sat next to her, and offered it to her. In a few ways, like her friend, he told her the truth. Since her past in equestria, until recent events. At the end of the joke he stared at him for a while.
"So?"
"I already said that you were very strange, I felt that you were different. But it is not what I expected"
"Thank you? But I mean, will you still be my friend?" Sunset asked.
"Just because you're a pony won't make me change my way of thinking. I care more about the way you are" said Blues.
"Wow... I was expecting another reaction unlike Lemon" said Sunset.
"Could it be that I know you more than she does, or maybe because you helped me before" the boy smiled.
"Thanks, but you're still have the same look as when I met you," said Sunset.
"I already told you that my situation is difficult, but I will fix it, I swear," he said nervously, adjusting his tie.
"You better, now let's go eat" Sunset said.
They sat in the living room watching a movie while they ate. They talked longer about other topics until the evening. Then the boy had to leave.
"Will you be okay Shimmer?" asked.
"Now thanks to you two, I will be."
The boy smiled and left. Sunset cleaned up again and went to take care of her, and let Onix sleep with her, she didn't want to spend the night alone. Her window had a perfect view. She watched as the sun slowly set.
"I wish my problems would disappear like the sun every day, but they'd be back the next day" Sunset smiled. She saw how Onix played with her fingers.
"I don't know what the future holds for me, but... I won't be alone" she smiled looking at the messages from Lemon and Thunder.
"And me~" the demon smiled.
"Yeah, everything will be fine now, D" Sunset said, looking at the horizon.
She took one of her guitars that hung on her wall, and she lay on her bed to sing a song she had been writing on.
"♪♪ It's all right, yeah. I'm walking right beside you. I feel the way, feel the way that you do, too. Oh, I can't lie, sometimes ♪♪" |
A Thief's Escapade in Equestria | pre | "Do that after answering my questions, will ya?" I deadpanned.
"Fair enough."
I sighed and looked at him seriously.
"Firstly, where am I?" I began.
"You're currently in the city of Canterlot." He answered.
"How did I get here?"
"You were brought here in a hurry by Princess Celestia. She said you were a special case."
"And who the hell is this 'Princess Celestia'?" I placed air quotations for emphasis.
"Why she is the all-knowing Princess of all of Equestria of course! She along with her sister, Princess Luna, raise the sun and moon and govern the city you're currently in."
I got confused on how she found me dead on the field or why she would ever consider me as a special case... But hey, as long as I'm alive, that's all that matters.
"Next, how long was I out?" I continued.
"Well, you were brought here 3 weeks ago. That meant that you were in a state of coma. It's a miracle that you even woke up so soon."
3 weeks?
"Wait, how was I in a state of coma? Isn't that due to brain damage or something?"
"After your ribs broke, something or somebody placed heavy pressure on your head. This gave you brain damage but we were able to fix it."
I sighed. I don't know what the hell that fucking western girl or that big buff red dude was thinking but they have seriously injured me. I'm this close to slitting their throats open, thankfully I survived.
"How did I live?"
"Well, with a little help of healing magic, we were able to piece your ribs back together during the surgery. It might take time to fully recover as the magic is still doing its magic." He chuckled.
I looked at him with a raised brow but chuckled along.
Wait... Healing magic? There's healing magic here!?
"How does this healing magic work, if I may ask?"
"Well, because magic is kind of an instantaneous process, we chanted a spell that would slowly stick your ribs together. Although magic was involved, the majority of the process was accomplished through physical surgery."
I slowly nodded.
"Are those all of your questions?" He asked.
"I've got one more."
"Ask ahead."
"How long will it take for my ribs to heal? And when can I get out of his hell hole?" I asked.
"Technically that's two questions. The rough estimate time for your ribs to fully heal is about a week or two, seeing as your anatomy is somewhat similar to a pony's, that being less strong. Also, it is necessary for your ribs to grow stronger than normal to avoid cases like this from happening again. And for the date on your leave, it will be available once your ribs have been fully healed and reinforced." He answered, giving details.
"That's all. Thank you doctor." I said with a sigh.
He flipped open a clipboard, "No problem. Now, moving on to the analysis of your paperwork. It is stated here that you have no knowledge of where you lived before the incident prior to your ribs as well as being a missing family member?"
"I'm not a missing family member, I just have no family. I thought that was clear when I spoke to the nurse previously." I stated blatantly.
He wrote on the clipboard on which I assumed he changed the statement.
"Well, other than your personal information being unknown which gives us little to no knowledge of your previous medical issues which will heavily weigh on your medical prescriptions, your body sustained well from the impact."
I sighed in relief to know that nothing else broke.
"But... I'm afraid to say that there was an infection that has been growing in your right shoulder lately." He said with a hint of seriousness and concern.
My head quickly shot up to him with a look of worry.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
I then realized.... I was hit by that blue blood thing that came out from that freaky monster... I looked at my right shoulder and saw it glowing bright blue. Why didn't I notice that before?
"You were affected by a toxin that is unknown to Equestrian knowledge. We have tried analyzing it during the duration of your coma but it proves to be futile. We don't know the symptoms as of now, but we have come up with a hypothesis if this continues to progress."
I looked at my glowing blue shoulder not as a bad thing. In fact, I kind of thought it was cool. But, if this continues going, I might not be able to move through the night like I used to as it was going to give me away.
I turned to Doctor Brown who continued to stare with the same look.
"Continue."
"As time passes, that infection might spread throughout your body. Once it has reached the brain, it will infect it and soon enough strip your ability to control your own body. Though, this is just an assumption and hypothesis as the kind of cases we have to date are far more different. In brief explanation, it is some sort of a virus." He finished.
I nodded to what he said. In this situation, I just had to agree with what doctors or nurses say. They had far more expertise in medical terms and I'm kind of forced to do what they say. I always hated listening and following, but as of right now, it's an exception to the rule.
"I shall be leaving you to rest. I will inform the princess of your awakening and hopefully get to meet you at a sooner time. Pardon me, Mr. Shad." He stood up and walked out of the door.
I didn't say anything. I just sat there on my bed, thinking for what's to come and what I had to accept... Even if it was hard.
It's been 4 days now and I've never been bored in my life. I felt like I repeated the same day 4 times. I was given breakfast which was porridge with some vegetables to give me some of those nutrients for the day. I was given an option to take a quick shower before having my blood checked. I read books about a certain novel and the history of this place that was given to me by the nurse, very admirable. And, I ate the same thing for lunch and dinner. Is this safe? I don't know. But that was the gist of the passed 4 days since I woke up.
I wouldn't say that I didn't enjoy my leisure time in reading interesting books. It gave me a clear understanding to this world's literature, full history, entertainment, and the fundamentals of magic.
The only things I payed attention to were the types of ponies. Pegasi, pretty clear on what they can do. Earth, ponies like Pip that excel in physical strength. Is that how my ribs collapsed? Unicorns, ponies that excel in magic. Lastly were Alicorns, ponies who excel in all three separate feats.
What was also interesting were the major events that happened to Ponies. Most of them had to do with somebody sieging the kingdom or wanting immense power. Understandable.
On the 5th day of my recovery. I met the doctor again, but he brought in some guests.
"May I come in?" He asked as he knocked on the door a few times.
"It's open." I told back.
The door opened to reveal the stallion who checked on me in a daily basis.
"Mr. Shad, here are some guests that want to meet you." He moved aside to reveal a white girl with rainbow flowing mane. She wore a white dress that skid across the ground. On her head was a golden crown with bits and pieces of jewel on the sides..... Wait...
Is she...?
"Pardon my intrusion Mr. Shad, I would like to have a talk with you if that's alright?" Her voice spoke.
Whatever I just heard got me entranced quickly. But shook it off just as fast. I didn't know what kind of aphrodisiac aura she has but it won't and shouldn't affect me.
"Be my guest, Ms...." I tried to figure out who she was.
"Celestia. Princesses Celestia if you may." She chuckled.
Aaah... Knew it.
"Okay, Princess Celestia. What business do you have with me?" I asked kindly.
She looked at the doctor and he immediately gave us the privacy by exiting through the door without a word.
"I'm here to make a deal with you, Shad." She said in a motherly tone.
Gross..... Is this how ponies get their kindness from? If it is then it's affecting them in a different direction. If she were a presidential candidate, I'd be the first to give her a finger. Nobody can lead a country through kindness...
"What deal are you talking about?"
She walked around the room and sat on a chair that magically appeared out of nowhere. I kept a straight face as this place has already fucked my head in all directions.
"I want you to stay with me here in Canterlot." She said as she kept her smile.
I raised a brow, "No."
She closed her eyes and sighed, "I knew you'd say that."
"What makes you think you know me, Princess?" I gave her a stern look.
"Oh, I know all about you Shad. Or maybe shall I call you Jacob?" She grinned.
My eyes went wide.
"heh, nice guess. But not right." I looked back at her with a grin of my own.
She cleared her throat and stood up, "Jacob Arvid. A human teleported to Equestria from the Planet called Earth. Lost his parents at an early age and grew up as a lonely boy. He hates following orders given by anyone and tends to grow violent went aggravated. Is this not true?" She kept her grin.
I looked at her with confusion and shock. My heart began to race as I was thinking of many ways to kill this bitch. I can't let her tell my past.
"Oh, don't worry. Your past is safe with me." She said.
My eyes grew wider.... She knew what the hell I was saying.
"Why of course I know! I am the all-knowing Princess of the Sun!" She chuckled.
I was in disbelief. Something like her can exist and just act so normal right in front of me. I'd expected some sort of banishment or arrest, but there she was... The princess who is looking down on me, laughing at my own thoughts.
I sighed, there was no escape. I was stuck here and nowhere to go.
"Were you...." I started.
"Excuse me?"
"Were you the one who broutgh me here?" I said coldly.
"Yes, indeed. In fact, my request for you to be in Canterlot was-"
"WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT!?" I screamed in anger at the top of my lungs.
She looked at me, but with a cold stare which pissed me off even more.
"I brought you here because this world needed your help. Is that so much to ask for?"
I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist, "That doesn't give you the right to fucking bring me here without my consent!"
The plugs on my arms held me back from punching her. But a thought crossed me that. I shouldn't care and just go for it. Thankfully, I restrained myself.
"I will give you a span of 2 days to think about this offer. If you're willing to accept, I will inform you with further details about how you would live here. If you decline, we will let you choose by execution or lifetime in the dungeon." She said as she walked towards the door.
She opened it, "Your choice, Jacob."
She walked out and the door slowly closed by itself.
I glared at her but needed to stay cool, calm, and collected. I placed my head on my hand and sighed in annoyance.
I got my choice....
And why are all women bitches? |
A Thief's Escapade in Equestria | Caught and Forced | The week passed rather quickly. I don't particularly know what date it is but I'd say I spent well over 168 hours on reading books given to me by the nurses. I don't know why they gave it to me but one of the reasons I got out was that I was bored. Pretty generous in their part.
"And they lived happily ever after." I read out loud before closing the book and setting it aside.
I sighed heavily. Is this what's like to be in a hospital for life? Just sitting down watching, reading, talking, and the cycle repeats itself for the next god knows how many days.
I then remembered the offer given to me by the shitty princess. She said that she will give me a span of 2 days before forcing an agreement herself. Boy it has been a week........If she can't even get an appointment with me just for one quick answer, I don't know how the hell she handles the entire kingdom! She may be busy considering her princess work, but she threatened me, so fuck her either way.
I lifted my shoulder to see the visible blue light emanating from my shoulder. I didn't feel any pain when touched. Has it healed? I don't know. Can't tell and won't be told. Unto my ribs, the doctors said they were healed and more sturdy than before. But I need to avoid a situation like that from happening again.
A knock on my door had my attention.
"It's open!" I shouted.
Dr. Brown walked in without anything in hand. He casually placed his hands behind his back as he walked in with a calm smile.
"Good morning, Mr.Shad. How's the night's sleep?" He asked.
"Not good nor bad. It feels like I've slept enough since the day I woke up." I answered as I cracked my head to the sides.
"It's not good to get too much sleep. Well, it's not good to take too much of anything actually." He placed a hand on his chin.
"Again, It's not bad nor good." I sighed.
"Well, I'm here to inform you that you're free to go. The payment's been positioned by Princess Celestia. In which, she wants you to meet her at the royal castle." He said.
I groaned. Well ain't that great....
"Sorry to say, but I have no knowledge about my whereabouts. I would appreciate it if one of you could show me the way towards the castle." I requested.
"That shouldn't be a problem, Mr.Shad. The royal guards just came in early this morning to pick you up, believably sent by Princess Celestia herself."
An even more reason for me to groan.
"Can I go now?" I asked.
"Of course, you may! Your clothing is right there next to the mirror. You may take a shower if you'd like before you leave. What I'm trying to say is that take your time. We here in the hospital treat patients like a family, equally alike." He said walking towards the door.
"I'll be waiting in the main hall. You will get your receipt and medications there." He exited.
I got up from my bed and walked towards the shower room. I took off my patients' outfit and stepped inside. I twisted the knob and water began to pour down from the shower head. It turned from warm to cold on random occasions, but that didn't dissatisfy me in any way. In fact, it felt pretty good. Probably one of the best showers in a long time.
Treated like a family, huh?
The thought got me thinking. Whether the people.... Ponies here, were delusional or living up to the name of "Free Care Free Service". What if one of the patients turned on the doctor and murdered him without anyone's notice? Or maybe it was true that ponies are harmonious creatures to bring peace. Either way, I can't let my guard down just yet.
I got out from my shower and wrapped a towel around my waist. I proceeded to walk towards my clothing. My knives and phone still in the same place as they were before. I removed the towel and quickly dawned my black shirt, hooded jacket, pants, and soon enough placed my knives on their respective pockets. One knife was missing from the bunch. Then I remembered, the fight with that weird monster, causing one of my most favorable knives to be used in one go. But, it was probably for the best.
I looked at myself in the mirror and I look good as new.
I then took a deep breath and walked out of the door. Patients who wore the clothes I used to wear wandered around the sides of the floor. Doctors and nurses could be seen rushing bodies into the infirmary or the operating room. Many looked at me but not many dared to speak a word.
I walked towards the floor receptionist that was in the center of all the crowd. The girl that stood behind the desk had gray fur with a white curly mane. She wasn't that appealing but the breasts caught me off guard a little.
"Excuse me, ma'am." I started.
"What can I do for yo-" She looked at me with wide eyes.
I sighed, "Please don't fear my appearance, ma'am. I just want to know how to get to the main hall to meet Dr. Brown." I explained.
"O-Of course sir! It's in the first floor, right down that staircase!" She pointed towards the door that had a staircase symbol on the side.
Why didn't I notice that?
I nodded and bravely enough, thanked her for the support. She replied back with a slight blush.
Too easy for a youngster like me.
I walked down until a huge number 1 was displayed at the wall. Next to it was a door that lead to my designated floor. Opening it, the place sounded even more crowded than a gang fight. People complaining, shouting, talking, laughing, and crying. I ignored them and tried to find my awaiting associate.
Soon enough, I met up with him and he began giving me my prescription pills to strengthen bones and all-in-all give my body a stronger immune system.
"This will be all of your prescriptions. Make sure to take it at least once every 2 days." He advised.
"Sure thing, if it gets me into a stronger state that is." I said as I stashed it away in my pockets.
"Good luck on your journey Mr.Shad. I hope to see you again anytime soon." He stuck out a hand for me to shake.
"Drop the Mr. will ya? With a doctor like you, I doubt your patients ever get bored staying at a hospital." I smirked and accepted his gesture.
He laughed, "Oh please, you don't know how many patients give me a bored look from my jokes."
He wiped off a tear, "Well, if that's what you're asking, then I've got no other choice than to accept. Call me Brown on your part as well if that's the case?"
"Sure thing."
We both bid our farewells as I walked out the main entrance door.
What the hell did he mean by royal guards? Are they gonna carry me in some sort of small carriage like a princes-
My eyes went wide with shock. The ride that awaited me was the exact image I had in my head. Two pegasi ponies in golden armor were tied to a carriage that floated above the ground. One of them had a black coating while the other had an orange coating. The hair was covered by their massive helmets.
They both looked at me but the orange one walked towards me.
"Are you Executive Shad?" He asked.
His voice was somewhat young for a military guard for the princess. Maybe somewhere in the range of 19 to 21. Executive? She made me into a really big deal. I just have to play along I guess.
"Yes, and you are?" I asked back.
"I am a new royal guard recruit, Flash Sentry sir!" He saluted.
I chuckled in the inside but kept my normal cold look on the outside. I felt as if he was taking a rather easy job too seriously.
"Who's your friend over there?" I looked over his shoulder towards the black stallion standing behind him.
Flash stepped aside and the black buff dude came walking towards us.
How long is that rope tied to their backs?
"My name is Storming Shade, a lieutenant of the royal guard working under Princess Celestia." He said proudly.
Boy, I know you are a royal guard from the outfit. You don't have to say it...
"Heh, he is more grumpy back in the barracks." Flash added with a chuckle.
"Hey, another word and I'll bash your head." Shade glared.
I didn't say anything to them as they both were indulged in sexual insults about their own gender or penis sizes. Sounds a bit too childish for me, but it's good to see some ponies taking courage to speak of profanity in a sacred place for once.
I sighed and knew that I had to break it up before it gets too physical... Or maybe....
"Hey guys, how about hanging out and grab a beer? You guys earned it." I gave them a smirk.
They both looked at me wide eyed. They were probably thinking of taking the offer as they looked at each other then back at me.
"Ummm.... We were kind of sent by the Princess and I wouldn't want to disappoint by being lat-" Flash rubbed the back of his head.
"We'll take your offer, sir!" Shade shouts with a salute.
"What! Are you crazy! What if the princess kills us!?" Flash panicked.
"Relax, bro! If we get caught, I doubt she will punish us. Probably just some cleaning in the cafeteria again." Shade gives a knowing grin of his own.
Flash still had a face full of fear.
I kept my grin as a plan began to formulate in my head. I'll try use this opportunity to get away from this place. First comes the distractions from the drinking, then I'll knock them out cold, then escape as fast and as normal as I can. Perfect.
"Lead me to the bar will ya, Shade?" I asked.
"Absolutely, sir." He bowed then led the way. I then realized that he was still pulling the carriage behind him.
"Hey, what about that carriage behind your back?" I asked.
"Oh right, almost forgot about it." He untethered the rope as it laid on the ground.
He moved and I followed soon. I stopped walking as a I realized a missing royal guard. I looked behind to see a blue lightning trail, leaving behind a tethered rope.
"What a snitch..." I said under my breath.
"Don't worry! I'll catch him!" Shade's black trail passed me in an insane speed. It was a surprise I could even hear him.
The chase didn't go for long as Shade caught up and pinned down the fleeing pegasi. I walked over to them with hands in the pocket.
"Let go of me! I don't want to be in trouble again!" Flash cried.
"Oh no you don't, pal! It's finally time for us to take a short break! I'm not letting a bucking pony like you ruin this opportunity for me!" Shade continued to pin down both of his hands.
"Jeez, Flash. You should learn how to listen to your higher ups ever once in a while?" I rasied a brow.
"You don't understand! The Princess Celestia's punishments are more tartarus than Princess Luna's!" Flash tried to pry off but Shade's grip was too strong.
I want him gone...
I sighed, "Let him go."
"What?" Shade turned to me with confusion.
"You heard me, let him go." I repeated.
"B-But he will tell on us!" Shade reasoned out.
"Just listen to my orders will ya? It's not that hard." I stated coldly.
"Y-Yes sir!" Shade removed his grip and Flash zipped through the sky in a flash. Heh puns...
We both stared as the blue trail slowly faded into the air.
"C'mon, lead the way to the bar." I said.
"S-Sure thing, sir!"
We both took about 10 minutes of walking towards the downtown bar of Canterlot. Even though the sun was above us, the temperature was warm and the wind gave a chill to battle counteract the heat. It was a perfect weather to sleep on a patch of grass under a tree...
The bar showed a sign reading "Booze and Wooze". Pretty weird if you ask me. We both entered and the place was pretty crowded, but enough room to walk through different places.
"Order me a beer will ya?" I asked.
"No problem, I'll buy three in fact." He said with a grin.
We both sat on the stools in where the bartender shook glasses of cocktail. It was pretty entertaining but got repetitive quick enough.
"Three ciders on the table." Shade ordered.
"Oh! A Royal guard, it will be on the house for serving our country well!" The bartender said as he slid three glasses of brown liquid down towards us.
"Say, is cider the only thing available here?" I questioned.
"Nope, but it's the most potent out of the bunch." He chugged his first glass.
"Huh..." Was all I can say.
I'm not a beer person. I just used this as an excuse to get them drunk. But unfortunately, one escaped. Since I'm still 17, I haven't been exposed to drinking, especially when it came to alcohol. I knew shots were quick chugs but that's all I knew.
I picked up my cider and took a slight sip. My eyes boomed wide with surprise. It was good. No, it was REALLY good! It was like having sex with a vagina as the mouth.... That... didn't make sense but you get the idea.
I began to chug it down quickly without any hesitation before plopping it back down on the table, quickly asking for seconds.
"Woah that's amazing!" I said out loud in one breath.
"See? It gets your blood boiling." Shade chugged his down.
This continued for about 30 minutes. I could feel myself getting in a daze but continued drinking regardless.
This is messing me up isn't it?
Before chugging down another set of glass of cider, the door to the inn sprung open with a patch of ponies wearing the same golden outfit as Shade's. Princess of everything sent this much of guards to get me I presume.
Even though I was a bit intoxicated, I still held a steady posture and could think. A white pony came through the patch of guards. Though, unlike the others, he wore a purple armor with golden trimmings. In the middle was a shield with some sort of purple spark. Rad....
"You! Over there! The Princess wants to have a word with you in the castle!" He shouted.
From his voice alone, I could tell that he was in the range of 20 - 25 ish in age. In the side of his waist held a sword. He stood to be the higher rank amongst the rest. A captain I presume.
"Sir! I-I didn't know Princess Celestia would send you!" Shade stood up and saluted in a drunken haze. His body swawing to the sides.
"Don't think I'll let you off so easily, lieutenant Shade. Princess Luna wants to see you instead." The captain glared at Shade.
"O-Of course sir, I'll meet her as soon as possible!" Shade passed the row of guards and quickly flew into the giant castle.
I sighed. That's one problem out of the way.... But that doesn't solve anything right now.
"Come with us creature, you have been summoned by Princess Celestia. And from the way she wrote that letter, she doesn't look too happy." He walked to me.
"Sorry, captain. But it seems like you may have suspected the wrong pers- pony." I said laying backwards unto the counter.
"Heh, I'm not here to play some sort of game. I'm not here for that sort of deception either."
Well shit.
"Now, you either come with us peacefully or we will use brute force!" He shouted.
"Well, there's no point in trying to flee is there?" I sighed.
"Guards! Cease this creature at once and bring him to Princess Celestia!"
A bunch of his men began to make their way to me with ropes and handcuffs. Behind them stood a giant cage that could fit well around 2 big fat people. I'm not about to get caught or be caught. I've been standing strong ever since the day I was left alone and never have been caught once. This will not be the first nor will it be the last.... Show me what you got.
"Well, if that's how you want to play." I said as I grabbed the mug of beer and smashed it towards the nearest guard's face.
He tumbled backwards, pushing guards standing behind him and let the cycle run like dominos.
"Get him! Quickly!" One of the guards yelled.
I vaulted over the counter and grabbed one bottle of beer and smashed it on the second stallion who tried to grab me, leaving me with a bottle with edges.
I looked around and saw a door to the right showing the restroom area. I quickly ran towards the door, opened it then locked it quickly as I went inside. Hard bang after hard bang could be heard but the door didn't budge. This gave me enough time to think.
I looked around the bathrooms stalls to find the small window that normal bathrooms normally have. A little over a second later, there stood two windows on each bathroom stalls. I don't know why it was there, but I didn't question it. I quickly bashed the glass with my right elbow and slipped through it like butter.
Thankfully, the time was somewhat midnight which gave me a clear breakthrough that most of the people here were asleep. I tried to find a good hiding spot before finding the exit. Maybe hiding on top of rooftops? Nah, they have wings.... Dammit, I gotta go the traditional way.
I spotted a sewer canal at the side of the street right behind the bar. I opened it and slipped in without a moment's hesitation. Hopefully, this will keep them occupied while I find another way.
"So, you passed through our secret canal, destroyed about a third of the functioning switches due to curiosity, and ended up sleeping in a rat-infested lair." Princess Celestia grinned.
"Fuck you! Why do you not have canals to lead towards the outside waters!?" I complained.
The bitch chuckled, "Really funny for you to attempt an escape here in Canterlot. No pony ever succeeds."
"I'm not a pony to begin with you piece of shit!"
I sat on the floor with my hand cuffed together and my neck chained to a nearby floating pole. The gist was.... I got caught trying to find my way out. It was disappointing, but at least I didn't die trying to escape.
"What do you want from me! I don't want to listen to you nor do I even want to stay here!"
"Please Jacob, I want you to hear me out." She said with a worried expression.
"Don't call me that name. I despise it so much I could throw you a fucking a punch of a century if you say it again!" I threatened.
I was angry. Why couldn't I just roam like a peaceful person would? Why would a race so loving and harmonious do such a thing? Was I lied to? Was I deceived? Was this all planned?
She sighed. Suddenly, a bright lightning zapped me straight in the head. I didn't know what the fuck happened. A sudden tingle could be felt inside of my head. I twisted my head, trying to withstand it.
Moments after, I felt numb. My arms and legs were stiff as a bored and my head fell to the side. It was as if I was unconscious but conscious in the same time. I knew what was happening, but I couldn't tell what was happening to my head.
"Ok, will you listen to me now?" She sighed and sat on her throne.
I slowly nodded my head unconsciously.
"Equestria is at risk as of now. Dragons and Griffons are on the attack for our kingdom. They want none alive and none to be existent." She began.
"We need your help, as a thief and as a skilled assassin, to deceive these race's leaders before they start the attack. I want you to encourage them that friendship matters most in life as everyone could be equally alike in a more organized society." She looked down.
"I don't want anything happening 300 years ago. I lost my parents in a war between the Dragons and the Changelings....." A tear fell from her eye.
My eyes grew wide. Even though I was stuck in my place, I knew that she was desperate. I knew what kind of situation she is placed in.... For I have been placed the same. I may not know what it is like to defend a kingdom. But I know what it's like to prevent the same thing from happening twice....
I was brought back to reality. I could move my body well enough to think clearly again. I looked up and we both stared at each other's eyes.
I looked down and realized that my hands were freed from the chains as well as my neck. I gave it another thought, but quickly brushed it off.
I stood up, and looked through the window at the side. It was a full moon in the sky, brightening the land of Equestria as everyone is in an eternal lullaby.... Well, mostly everyone.
I opened my mouth, "Give me a better gear to go out with. Stop calling me Jacob, it's Shad. And don't order me around. I'm doing this for the sake of your country, and the fact that I notice that you stand in the same place I once stood."
This may be the most regretful part of my life. But, I will be willing to help, as long as I get back home.
Home...... |
A Thief's Escapade in Equestria | Returning Back To Whence I Came | Days has passed since I've joined Bitchlesia's deal. I was given a proper place to live, eat, and mostly a place to practice my deadly assassin arts. I'd say I pretty much impressed majority of the guards in the castle and most of them already remember me as the guy who would literally fuck with their moms if any were to look down on me. Except for that Shining Armor guy, he is just an egotistical retard who thinks whatever he says is right.
Moving along, I met with Celestia's sister, who would literally decapitate anybody with that glare of hers if they kept staring at her or Celestia for too long. Talk about an overprotective sister. Oh yeah, did I mention she was the younger sister here? How thoughtful for her to be looking out for the retarded big sister who sent me here.
Since it was a castle of royalty, I expected aristocrats and representatives of the court to come from time to time. I met a few ponies who were pretty cool such as Fancypants and his wife Fluer. There was 1 dude who just pissed me off by getting an eye off of him. Name's Blueblood was it? Reminded me so much of a more gentile and playboy version of Ryan.
Aside from the training I completely owned, today was the day I that got those knives I told Celestia to order. Though, I got a private letter from the seller him/herself telling "I know you". Creepy, but I let it slide.
Today was just like any other day with me waking up to the blinding sun. Why was it there in the first place? I thought I closed all the blinds before I slept.... Unless bitchlestia opened it. Annoyed, I got up and began to make my way to the bathroom and tried to rinse off the frustration.
I quickly removed my clothing and stepped in the shower room. The soaps here were not different to Earth's. It may have different brands on them but they are what they are. Fragrant, fresh, and rectangular. Oh right, I forgot to say that this place was massive. The shower room I currently stayed in can fit about 5 people. The bathtub on the other hand was not as big as I thought but still pretty damn big.
After the session ended, I took the towel hanging from its holder and dried myself as much as I could, then hung it around my waist. I exited the room and walked towards my wardrobe where I dawned a purple V-necked shirt and a simple pair of blue jeans. During my stay here, Bitchlestia prepared some clothes for me to that would fit my mood every time I opened the wardrobe. Don't really know what the colors mean but the quality feels premium. Of course, there were more clothes to choose from but V-necks are so comfortable.
I took a preview of myself in the mirror, and I look pretty normal and fresh if I do say so myself. I then looked at the desk which lied my phone. Apparently, batteries were already invented and were used for different things such as the lights in a city called "Manehatten". It uses magic to charge and increase battery life. I asked nicely to have that sort of system implemented on my desk where my phone just continues to charge and increase in battery life. Pretty convenient in my case, because I might use my phone a lot in this world.
Now, I have to go get breakfast. This part is the most.... Boring, annoying, and awkward moment during the past.
I got out from my room and headed towards the dining area. A line of guards stood in different positions and began to greet me.
"Hello, sir Shade." One of them spoke with a soft smile.
"Suh." I said back with nod.
"Good day, sir!" Another shouted.
"Chill down with the tone, will you? Might want to use that in battle because you might just well enough kill someon- pony."
I waved them goodbye and entered through the dining room. There, the two princesses ate their breakfast while talking to each other peacefully. Seems like they haven't noticed me yet.... Seems rather odd since Bitchlestia would greet me as soon as I entered and Moonbutt here would just give me a glare and say a few scary words before going back to eating.
As I came closer to the table, the more oblivious they seemed to be of my existence. Ok.... I'm not an attention whore or anything, but this is just awkward. Well, at least I don't have to be bothered while eating.
I sat on my chair which was 6 chairs away from the princesses and began chowing down on my pancakes. These are the best.....
After a full 2-4 minutes of peacefully eating and enjoying the food, Bitchlestia called me out.
"Oh, good morning Shade! Sorry, I didn't see you come in!" She said happily.
I deadpanned and continued to eat instead of talking to her.
"Foolish mortal! Does thou not know how to properly greet thine royalty!?" Luna shouted across the room.
I swear I'm going to punch you so hard....
"Now, now Lulu, he might just be in a bad mood. Here, let me show you how to handle situations like this." Bitchlestia made her way to me.
I raised my brow. What is she going to do now...?
"Shade...." She began.
Seriously....
"What do you want?" I asked.
"What will you have this early morning?" She asked.
"I'm already eating food you kno-"
"Chef! Fetch the human his platter!" Celestia shouted.
I covered my ears in pain. I knew Luna could shout but never knew Celestia was louder! Jesus, my ear drums could have exploded... Actually, why didn't it?
"Jesus... At least lower the audacity when I'm around!" I shouted at her.
"Oh, I'm very sorry for that dear Shad! I didn't realize human ears were more sensitive than a pony's." She chuckled.
I deadpanned, "Are you sure? I think anybody would have said the same thing considering that you have ears big enough to even hear the farthest of sounds!"
"Our ears are big, yes. But that doesn't mean that we can hear everything." She said back.
"Whatever. Just let me have my meal and I'm off to the training grounds again. I gotta show Prince Shitblood how to handle a real sword."
"Well.... About that." Celestia gave a concerned look.
I sighed, "What now?"
"Well, the thing is Shad. You will need to continue your life in Ponyville, which is going to be arranged today." ....
..........
WHAT!?
I looked at her in disbelief. She is forcing me to go back to that shitty hellhole where I got punched to death?
"Are you... serious?"
She nodded.
"And why is this happening so suddenly?" I continued.
"The castle is holding a royal gathering and I need enough rooms for guests! I'm very sorry about this, but I got a word out to Applejack. If she were to ever do harm to you again, I shall unleash hell upon her family." Celestia gave a rather... creepy smile.
I was unease by what was happening right now, surprisingly I wasn't angered as much. I looked at Luna who tried holding her laugh in the back.
"One, don't do that. Second, I'll deal with it alone if that's the case. And third, fuck you." I began dipping my bread in coffee and eating it after it magically appeared in front of me.
"How will you deal with it alone if you get hit the chest again?" She inquired.
"A well-versed person like me doesn't get fooled by the same trick twice."
"Right..."
I sighed, "Whatever... Bring me the blade that I ordered, must be short and polished well. I need money, clothing, food, and mostly a badge to show my rank."
"All of them has been set in your room and the carriage will be coming any minute now." Celestia informed.
"Sweet. Well, I'm off now. See ya guys later." I waved.
"Wait! Aren't you going to hear our proper farewells?" Celestia exclaimed.
"If you were to send me to Ponyville to live, I see no reason for you to say such things if you can watch me from above. You're a god, right? It's not a hard task to do." I walked out of the dining room and headed straight towards my room.
There, I saw my bed sheets neatly tucked in, my drawers closed, and chairs back to their proper place. On top of the table laid the promised supplies. Though, what stood out from the rest was the knife. It was small, but looked sharp enough to slice through even the toughest of hide. It had some sort of runic symbols scrapped unto the sides of the blade. I don't know what that is but it seems cool.
A baggage sat next to the table sitting right side up. It was pretty big even for normal suitcase standards. The last of the supplies were the bag of golden coins, or what they're called, bits. Apparently, bits with Celestia's head on it costs way more than that with Luna's head on it. Sheesh, talk about sisterly love, Celestia has to always stay on top of her sister. Can't even think of any reason why Luna would want to protect her. Well, it's not something I can barge into.
My thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the door and a voice that called me out, "Sir, your carrier has arrived."
"I'll be right there. Just give me a second to carry my crap." I said.
Footsteps could be heard walking away. I sighed and began to grabbed my belongings, the suitcase, and the blades. I walked out of the room looking ready to travel as ever. I wasled downstairs where the carriage stood. I wonder who were the ponies carrying me today?
"Good morning, Sir Shad. Sir!" Shade saluted.
Great....
"At ease." I calmly spoke.
Wait... If he's here... That means......
"H-Hello and good m-morning, Sir Shad." Flash saluted with a bit of hesitation.
Not this dude again...
"Did you recover from the tackle Shade brought upon you?" I questioned.
"Y-Yes sir! Also... I'm very sorry from our last meeting!" Flash bowed.
"Woah, what's this for?"
"I didn't know the Princess would blackmail you! I didn't know you were from another world and I'm so-" I cut him short.
"Oh, so you did eavesdrop me." I glared daggers at him.
He scrunched up, "W-Well, I did... hear a bit of the conversation."
"So you don't deny any of this, huh?" I asked again.
"N-No, sir. For that, I'm very sorry..." Flash kept his bow.
"Lift your head." I commanded.
He did so and immediately slapped him across the face with one swift motion. "Don't ever do that again or a harder slap will come about."
"O-Of course sir!" He smiled.
Are you a masochist or something!?
I sighed and entered the wagon. I told both of them to start flying but concerned me with the farewells of the princesses.
"Fuck that, let's go now before it reaches my lunch time. Want to try out the food in Ponyville before I die again." I stated blatantly.
"Yes sir!" They both shouted in unison.
Just like that, we had lift off. The skies were pleasant as always with the winds blowing on my face and the clear weather giving the best mood any day could even give. I fell asleep on the way to Ponyville to say the least.
What felt like minutes late, I was awakened by a tap on my shoulder. I shot up in surprise and grabbed the hand that touched my shoulder with a tight grip. I looked to my side to see Flash's face looking as scared as he always was.
"O-Oh, sorry. Just an instinctive behavior I developed when I was back in my world." I said.
"Don't w-worry about it.... Just, walk down the street and go towards the right. T-There, you will see your house. It has a pretty obvious layout so good luck." Flash said as he stood to the side, waiting for me to leave.
"Okay then."
I grabbed my things and got off. I was stopped yet again by Shade.
"Sir, do you want me to carry those for you?" He asked.
"No thanks. I can do this alone. Thanks for the service boys." I waved them good bye.
They did the same and headed back to Canterlot in a breeze.
Now.... To set things right. |
The Gamer; Displaced Equestria | pre | Oh right, I was just laying on my bed. My shoes were back in my apartment. What, you lay on your bed with your shoes on? Weirdo. I kinda wish I was a weirdo too right now, a forest was not the kind of place you want to wander around in nothing but your socks. Sharp sticks and so on. Fuck it all.
"Observe," I said on a whim, staring at the inventory window floating in front of me.
Your Inventory Window. Allows you to store and recover items from a pocket dimension, as well as shows what items and other equipment you currently have equipped.
"Observe," I stated again, whipping my head top the side to look at a tree as I waved the inventory window away.
An Elm. A deciduous tree comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. Size would indicate that this tree is around three hundred to three hundred and fifty years old.
"Observe," I said once more, trying to get into the spirit. If I had the ability of a skill that allowed me to supernaturally observe my surroundings, I might be able to catch a glimpse of a portal or something that brought me here, maybe I could get back and get my shoes at the very least.
Timberwolf. Lv 13
HP: 700
MP: 30
With the souls of deceased pack wolves granting them life, their bodies are comprised of twigs, logs, and leaves. Territorial, and extremely aggressive.
I did a double take at the little window, looking back to where I had been when I last said 'observe'. I saw nothing, it was just a pile of leaves, twigs and other stuff. I poked at the pile with my bat, noting that it didn't immediately jump to life or anything. Maybe the-
A jaw manifested from the pile, clamping down on the end of my bat as the rest of the pile rustled and moved. It gnawed and gnashed at the end, not realizing it wasn't actually a part of my vulnerable, fleshy body. What the fuck.
Fuck this forest. The portal thing couldn't have left me in a normal forest? Well at least I knew I wasn't in Honduras. At least I'm fairly certain they don't have carnivorous piles of debris running around in Central America. And the portal dumped my ass literally three feet away from the vicious little ankle biter! What the fuck, portals are bullshit.
Seeing as I'm not a complete fucking dumbass, I didn't wait for it to lose interest in the bat and turn its attention to chewing on my entrails. I forced the bat from its mouth, and brought it down on top of its head. You might think this was cruel. If I may rebut, fuck you. It was an animate bundle of twigs and other shit, probably a product of black magic that had no feeling aside from 'hey, there's something living, I think I'll eat it'.
So you better believe I started whaling on it with all my energy. Time and again, I brought the bat crashing down, using it in a golfing swing every once in a while to send random bits of it flying off into the woods.
A skill has been created through a special act
A Skill To Deliver A Strong Blow, 'Power Strike', Has Been Created
Power Strike(active) LV1 EXP: 0.0%
Strikes the target with strong force
15% increase in Critical Rate
50% increase in Attack Damage
A skill has been created through a special act
A Skill To Utilize Blunt Weapons Freely, 'Blunt Weapon Mastery', Has Been Created
Blunt Weapon Mastery(passive) LV1 EXP: 13.92%
Allows the user to freely handle blunt weapons
10% increase in Attack Damage with Blunt Weapons
5% increase in Attack Speed with Blunt Weapons
"Fuck ooooofffffffffffffff," I muttered, trying to get the stupid screens to go away and stop obscuring my vision. I was in the middle of trying not to get my legs chewed off by a wolf made of wood, I could read shit later. Once I managed to wave them away, I looked back down at the ground.
The Timberwolf was gone. Had I... completely destroyed it? No, it still had a fair amount of its mass when the windows had started popping up. Did it sneak away? Why? It wasn't like it could do much anymore anyway, so maybe I could just not look this gift horse in the mouth.
A sharp pain in my shoulder promptly told me to stop being a dumbass, and to kill these fuckers to the last twig the next time I saw one. It had circled around to my blind spot while I fought my epic battle against the status windows. It then somehow leapt at me -I BROKE ITS TWIG AND BRANCH LEGS. HOW DO YOU JUMP WITH NO LEGS???- and tore out a chunk of my shoulder with its passing.
It landed in front of me, showing me exactly how the hell it had managed such a feat. It was reforming itself. Pieces of itself were being dragged back towards itself, sliding along the forest floor. For fucks sake. Fucking hacking wolf bullshit.
It let loose with a sinister low growl, then leaped in for the kill, straight at my throat.
I had less than a second to react. So instead of trying to dodge, I risked it all on an off chance that probably wasn't going to work.
"Inventory!"
The screen popped up in front of me, and I grabbed onto the edges of the metaphysical object. I swung it as if it was a physical object, swinging it straight at the wooden wolf. To my surprise, this actually fucking worked. The wolf disappeared into the window, leaving me with a pounding adrenalin rush and nothing to work it off on.
For a couple seconds, I enjoyed the silence. Then I quit being an idiot, and turned the inventory window to look at it better. Sure enough, right there at the upper left the first little segregated box was now filled in with a slightly cartoonish graphic. It... looked similar to the timberwolf I had been fighting, but it looked like it was curled up on its side. It also looked like a puppy version of itself. For some reason.
I prodded the square and said, "Observe," hoping it would tell me what the hell I had actually just done.
Runt Timberwolf Familiar*Common*(passive) LV1 EXP: 0.0%
You succeeded in capturing the essence of a Timberwolf and binding it your own.
Much of its strength, experience, and memory has been lost in the process.
The Runt Timberwolf Familiar's skills will mirror your own, growing and learning alongside its Pack Leader.
The Runt Timberwolf Familiar's appearance will begin to mirror your and its own actions, growing and learning alongside its Pack Leader.
Max number of Familiar *Timberwolf* you can currently have in the Pack: 1.
"I... wait, what? Bound? Essence? You make NO SENSE, that should have just trapped it in my inventory, the fuck do you mean I now have it as a famili-"
A skill has been created through a special act
A Skill To Capture And Turn Unbound Monster Souls, 'Trap Monster', Has Been Created
Trap Monster(active) LV1EXP: 0.0%
30% chance to trap.
Creates a dimensional trap, One foot by Two feet to trap souls that are not bound to a living body.
Monsters of Higher level have an increased chance to break free of the trap.
Due to the size, only a Monster that can fit in the trap can be caught in it.
5% greater chance to trap monsters of lower level than the user.
The fuck. He never got anything like that in the manga, and again I just wanted to trap it in my inventory. Well I guess I can't argue with results. I poked at the boxes again, making everything but the inventory disappear. I poked at the slot that held the tiny little wolfy, hoping against hope that letting it out wasn't going to end badly for me.
My hand sunk into the window, and I felt a rough weight descend onto my hand. About five pounds, if I was gauging it correctly. I pulled it out of the window... and fuck all if this thing wasn't fucking cute. It was curled up in the palm of my hand, looking no bigger than my hand itself. As I continued to stare at it, it let out an adorable little stretch and the cutest fucking yawn ever before returning to it's curled up state.
"Where did so such a small Timberwolf come from?" a feminine voice asked from RIGHT OVER MY FUCKING SHOULDER. "To be as such, small enough to fit in your palm?"
I did a less than manly pirouette, letting loose with a high pitched screech as I did so. My outburst woke up the little bugger resting in my palm, who immediately took to my shoulder and started growling at the lady who had sneaked up on me.
The lady...horse... zebra... thing.
She was wearing a tight strip of cloth over her breasts, and continued her 'amazon garb' theme with a loincloth and a short furry cloak over her shoulders. She had a litany of golden rings encircling her neck, her wrists and even a single solitary ring was pierced through one of her ears. Her clothes were the most normal thing about her, seeing as she looked like a furries wet dream come to life. Her head was horselike... but softer. Cartoonish, almost. Definitely attractive in a way that certain folk might find attractive. Looking downward, her legs ended in- SHE DIDN'T HAVE FEET. SHE HAD HOOVES OH MY GOD HER LEGS JUST WENT DOWN AND ENDED IN STUMPS OH MY GOD.
"Um." I was probably the first human to ever meet an ACTUAL other species that was capable of human speech. English, at that. I had to put my best foot forward, seeing as she wasn't all that frightened by my own appearance. Had she seen humans before, if her reaction was anything to go by? The portal could have landed me in a world where 'Horse' was simply another species modifier. Like 'Elf' and 'Lalafell'. In that case, she might know where to go to get back to civilization.
"Hello! Hi. Hows it going. I... kinda captured its soul or something? Somehow? I don't really know. Look, I don't know where I am," I led after having... kinda answered her question. "Would you happen to know where the nearest... town is?" I asked, halfway hopeful.
She continued to inspect me for a couple seconds, eventually responding, "I can guide you, and I will, back 'pon the town of Ponyville. Is that all right, sir pony? I ask that you mind the path, in some parts it grows quite stony."
I... did she just call me a pony? I wasn't a pony. I quickly inspected my arms, using my hands to reach up and test my ears. Still human.
Roll with it.
"Yes, that's fine with me, stop that," I chastised the little wooden wolf perched on my shoulder, still growling away. At my words and wagging finger in front of its face, it clammed up. It let it's tongue loll out and began panting. "I don't mean to impose on you yet further, but is this town far? I seem to have been transported here against my will, and as such wasn't allowed the time or thought to grab my shoes."
Her gaze traced down to look at my feet. Then back up at me.
"I thought twas only your choice in those, to gallivant about in naught but hose."
Bitch. "Well it wasn't my choice, and that doesn't matter, I'm here, I can't figure out how to get back, and I don't have my shoes. Nothing I can really do about that. Is this... 'Ponyville' close?"
"Tis but a short walk through the wood, a twenty minute walk or so, if you could?"
I definitely could, but her fucking rhyming was starting to get on my nerves. "Uh, yeah. Thanks. I think I can manage. Well then, my name is Colton, and you are?"
"Zecora," she said simply, setting off at a brisk walk.
What? No rhyme? Maybe I upset her or something. Don't know how, I may badmouth people to my fucking content INSIDE my head, but I try to have a polite exterior.
She led me through the forest, stopping every once in a while as I sat down to pry a stick or splinter or OTHERWISE from out of the bottom of my soles. My socks were fucking BLACK on the bottom by this point. It was like the entire goddamn forest wanted to take up housing in the soft fleshy underside of my feet.
"You take breaks an awful lot, I bet most definitely, your shoes you wish were brought?" she said in a happy tone. Bitch, delighting in my pain.
"Yes. I wish I brought my shoes. Haha. How much longer, you said this was going to be a twenty minute walk, and so far it's been," I brought up my watch, checking the time. "Thirty seven minutes. It's been closer to an hour. Are we anywhere near close?"
"Closer we would be, if not to stop every minute, for your feet," she retorted.
It was almost twenty minutes after that that we finally came out of the forest. Enough time for me to bitch and complain and for her to actively ignore me and lead the way. Suffice to say, we tolerated each others preference. Her because apparently she was actually a good person, and myself because I needed her help.
I gave her a curt nod, and a slight word of thanks, and she returned the gesture. Then she disappeared back into the forest. Wellllll, can't say I'd miss her.
Not quite in the distance, but far enough away to still piss me off because it meant THAT MUCH MORE walking, was what looked like a town My poor, poor feet. I trudged my way over to the nearest house, making my way out into a busy street. The street itself was plain dirt. That didn't speak very well of the state of the civilization itself, but apparently such observations was unfounded.
There were humans. Walking around, doing human things. WEARING human things. Normal HUMAN clothes, shirts, pants, so on and so on. Slightly old timey fantasy-esque style clothes, but... kinda normal. Supplemented by a variety of... medieval looking accessories. Everyone wore an array of pouches, either on belts or sewn directly into the clothes themselves. Such a welcome sight. Even though this looked like a bit of a boonies town, I didn't see even one person on a phone.
NOT ONE.
What I did see, was that pretty much every last person was carrying a specific item.
A weapon. The woman I just passed had a hatchet slung through her belt, and a trio of flower peddlers each had wicked looking stillettos half hidden within the folds of their dresses. Across the street, I saw two more women. The one with musical notes stitched into her skirt sash and a pair of vibrant maroon sunglasses perched up on her brow had a couple of bladed chakram hanging from a bandolier over her shoulder, while the sea foam green haired lass she was talking to had a harp cradled in her arms. Even from this distance, I could see the upward tips of the harps 'u' shape were sharpened to a deadly point.
Good god I was in a rural fantasy town.. I looked over and saw a couple of people enacting a transaction. Money, for apples. The lady at the stall had been wearing a cowboy hat along with a long thick brown cape, which in itself was weird. I could see the hilt of a sword over her shoulder, by the size of it I could reliably say it was almost as long as she was tall. What really caught me off guard, was what they USED as money. Coins.
Not just any coins, but GOLD coins. Called them 'bits'. Guess that went with the whole horse theme they had going on here. Their town was named Ponyville, there were anthro horse people walking around -oh did I forget to mention that? There were a SHITTON more humans, but every so often I saw a couple anthro... donkeys? I guess? Also a couple goats. No one seemed to care, so I guess I shouldn't either- and even their money was something horse themed.
So I was screwed there. Even if I had had my wallet, I highly doubt they'd take more than one look before telling me to get lost.
"Umm... excuse me... are you all right?" I heard a timid voice ask behind me.
Turning around, I beheld a vision of moe the kind which fans only dream of. A girl with long as fuck pink hair -Yeah, they may have been human, but a lot (read, ALL) of them had the weirdest fucking hairstyles and haircolors ranging from hot pink to aqua blue- was standing there, wearing a yellow and green dress. The bottom of -and her overarching theme- her dress was plant themed, the folds of green fabric opening outward in a flower bell down towards her feet. Encircling her shoulders was a leafy cloak, fastened with a pink butterfly broach. In her hand, was what looked like an ornate staff. Most surprising however, was what I could see peeking out from behind her.
She had WINGS. Long, fluttery, large yellow feathered wings. She had them tucked against her, but they were still visible. Was she an angel? Some form of variant of human? Asking might be seen as rude. So I didn't.
Perched on her shoulder was... that bird from the forest. God dammit, it was house-trained. Made me feel kinda miffed that it didn't go and get help. Bird sure as shit wasn't no lassie.
"Umm, I'm sorry... it's just," she stuttered, "Mr Mango here says he saw you in the Everfree Forest, and that you asked him to go find help?"
...Fuck-up-the-cherry-windpipe-with-bacon. Fucking Lassie bird. Why the fuck not? Wait-
"If it can actually speak, why did it only tweet at me?" I asked in a slightly overly irritated tone. I knew I had overstepped, due to the fact that she cringed and actually tried to hide within her own hair. I let out a low sigh, scratching at my brow with free hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice. What I meant to say was-" FUCK YOU STOP HIDING IN YOUR HAIR YOU SCAREDY CAT BITCH AND JUST FUCKING TALK TO ME! "If the bird is intelligent to the point of being able to talk to you, how come he didn't talk to me?"
She seemed to perk up at my softened tone, peeking out from the folds of her hair. "Oh... well... That's just an ability associated with my special talent. I can understand my animals... because I work with them so much..." her voice was quiet, and it honestly was kinda hard to hear her. I wish she'd just fucking speak up already, it wasn't like I would bite her.
Then she caught sight of the yet to be named timberwolf perched on my shoulder. Her eyes grew wide, and I could practically hear the gears grinding away in her head. With a squeal I can only assume was audible all the way on other planets, She closed the distance with a speed I can only call 'inhuman'. Well she did use her wings.
And she snatched the little 'smiling' -you know what dogs do, it's not really smiles,but it sure as hell looks like it.- bundle of twigs and branches right off my shoulder, laughing as it slathered her face in messy dog kisses. I don't think that was actual slobber though. Looked like tree sap.
"Whats... his name?" she asked tentatively. Good god girl, grow a fucking spine.
"Haven't given him one yet," I replied succinctly.
She frowned, a slight curling of her lips that was admitably extremely cute. "But if he doesn't have a name... what do you call him?"
I returned her frown with one of my own. I didn't like being put on the spot. Especially in naming pets I didn't really ask for.
The tiny timberwolf let off a small wuff of air, panting and 'grinning' at me.
"Hax."
"Hacks?" the girl parroted back at me. I could hear the 'c' and the 'k', don't judge me.
"Short for Haxxors. Two x's. It's a personal joke." That, and the fact that he even existed was in and of itself, fucking hax. It didn't even have lungs, yet it was happily panting away. "It fits him, trust me. Can I have him back?" I held out a hand, and without any further prodding Hax lept out of her hands and back into mine. Guess he liked me better or something. He made his way back to my shoulder, and settled in. What was he, a freaking parrot?
"It's... a cute name," she said quietly. Fuck you it wasn't cute, it was awesome.
"Thanks," I said in short.
We stood there for a few more seconds, before her gaze tracked over to my other shoulder. The shoulder Hax wasn't resting on, the one the previous version of him had mauled.
So yeah. It was torn and bloody. Strangely enough, the flesh underneath wasn't ripped to shreds like it had been, I didn't even notice how quickly it had healed. I guess that was an effect of one of the two passive abilities the main character had from the start of the manga.
Gamers Body, and Gamers Mind.
Gamers Mind made it so the user wouldn't freak out in times of stress. It wasn't like you would go into a panic if your onscreen character was in the middle of a battle.
Gamers Body made it so the main characters body acted like that of a video game characters. He had a health bar, and all long as his health refilled he could recover from any wound. Wait, so I could recover from any wound now too? Awesome.
Quite predictably, this meek little girl freaked the fuck out about it. I guess it was pretty bad looking, but it was just torn up and bloody, not like it was anything actually bad. She made a loud fuss for a few seconds, grabbing at my shoulder and trying to get a better look at my wound. Once she figured out I was NOT grievously injured, she calmed down
She had managed to tear my shirt even more. Fucking bullshit, and I couldn't even pay for a new one.
"I'm sorry... " she muttered under her breath.
Mousy little thing of a girl.
"It's... it's fine. I didn't really like this shirt anyway," I lied. It was one of my nicer shirts, a plain brown one that was a size too large. Perfect for using as my pajamas. At least I hadn't taken off my pants before settling in to relax. God knows how awkward that would have made the travel through the forest.
"But... I mean... I know someone that can..." she continued on in her quiet tone.
Good god fuck girl, speak the fuck up. "I'm sorry, I don't want to be rude, but could you speak up? My hearing is kind of bad," I lied.
"I... have a friend that could take a look at your shirt?" she suggested.
"Think she'll do it for free?" I asked, pulling out a handful of coins from my pocket. Nickels, dimes and pennies. Seems I hadn't gotten any quarters recently. "I don't think our currency is compatible. A few minutes ago I saw someone buy a bushel of apples with something called bits?" I led.
"We use bits, yes."
... anything else to provide? No? God dammit I think she forgot about my question. Not surprising, I doubt anyone would be willing to do something free for someone they never even met. "So I take that as a no? Not surprising. Do you know of anyone around here who might have a couple tasks or something they might need done? Just so I could get a few quick bits. A little tear like this shouldn't cost too much to fix, right?"
Honestly, I'd rather save what I got, and buy some fucking shoes. But from what I had seen, an apple on it's own cost an entire bit. Something like shoes might well end up costing hundreds of bits.
"I could pay..." she meekly supplied.
But why would she pay for me to fix a rip in my shirt? In fact, why the hell was she being so nice? It made no fucking sense.
"I wouldn't want to impose on you-" I started, but she cut me off with an enthusiastic word.
"Oh it'd be no problem at all! It would be the least I could do for somepony who was so polite to Mr Mango..."
The fuck. Did she just say. Somepony? In what kind of backwater yokel of a burg did the term 'somepony' become a common phrase? That Zebra lady called me a 'pony', too. So... humans were called ponies here? Why the fuck not. Fuck tradition, call everyone after a fucking miniature horse.
"He also told me how your appearance chased off a mongoose that was giving him a hard time..."
I reiterate. The fuck. If the bird was smart enough to convey not only the idea of 'oh hey, this person asked me to go get help', but also, 'when he showed up, Dr. Mongoose -a PHD in EVIL- got frightened off', then could it really be classified as an animal at that point, and not a person?
Mango let out another twitter at me, and Hax let out a woof to mirror it. The fuck, were they talking to each other? Wouldn't be the weirdest thing to happen today.
"... and that why... I wouldn't really mind helping you out..."
God dammit, I was paying attention to the dumbass animals while she was talking. She gave me a reason why she was helping me, and I didn't even fucking listen. Oh well, I could just ask her again later. An excuse like 'I was paying attention to your animals' seemed like it might actually fly with this girl.
Well okay then, she apparently trusted a complete stranger she just met, based solely on the word from her bird. I'll buy that.
I'd still have to ask about a pair of shoes.
Or failing that, given this town, boots.
"Ahm tellin' yall, we already been down this way twice!"
"Then why didn't you say anything before?"
"Ahm sayin' somethin now!"
"Applebloom, Scootaloo? I think you should take a look at this."
The two cutie Mark Crusaders quit bickering amongst themselves, looking over to where their third member was half sticking out of a hidden door built into the wall of the passage.
"Ooh, whadja find, Sweetiebelle?" Scootaloo asked, her light purple hair bouncing with the sound of her voice.
"I think you were right, we were just going in a circle! So I started checking the walls as we passed, and this one kinda just swung open!" Sweetie replied jauntily. Rarity would be proud of her, an apprentice bard managing to accomplish something even full ranked Sneaks, Thieves and Diplomats found difficult at times. To sniff out a hidden passageway with such ease, Rarity would just have to praise her for that. Mom and dad though... they'd praise her for pretty much anything. It was nice... but it lacked a certain 'oomph' when they gave her the same level of support for mastering a complex song, as they did for cleaning up her room.
Of course, their parents might just try and discipline them for going and getting themselves stuck in an unmarked dungeon.
The way things worked, if a dungeon or other such location was found, the location would be marked and a request to the guard in Canterlot would be sent for a crawl. When they finally got around to it, a battalion of twenty to forty guards would 'crawl' the location. Mages, Sneaks and others would meticulously disable any traps, magical or otherwise. All combat efficient personnel would systematically clear out any harmful or dangerous wildlife, sentinels, and so forth. Everything of worth would be distributed among the town that had logged the 'dungeon'.
And they would definitely log the presence of an undiscovered dungeon. If they could figure out how to get out of it.
What had started out as a simple request to locate and harvest herbs and other flora for Zecora, had quickly taken a turn for the worse upon exploring a cave that MIGHT contain a particular kind of lichen. The floor had collapsed underneath them, and they had found themselves dumped two stories down, no way to make their way back up as the cave had closed itself behind them with a miniature avalanche of falling rocks.
They had come to the conclusion that they HAD come across a dungeon, right after the second skeleton. The second animate, skeleton.
The first might have just been a fluke, after all.
They might have had an easier time if Sweetiebelle had brought her lute. She knew a fair amount of spellsong that would have proven useful at a time like this, ranging from a simple orb of light to better illuminate their way -Thankfully, Applebloom had been carrying a couple of chemical light sticks. They were difficult enough to construct, but well worth the trouble- to a charmsong of dispell, to rid the skeletons of their motion for a time.
As is, they had to rely on Scootaloo to distract the ones they had come across, giving Applebloom an opening to smash them over the head with her wrench. The tool was much better used in her craft as an Artificer, but it did the trick for these skeletons. It couldn't rid them of their locomotion, but that was easily sorted out by smashing every last bone into shards. They still tried to move around, but they couldn't menace them with their crude swords anymore.
"So what should we call this place?" Scootaloo asked, looking at the walls of the tunnel as she walked behind Applebloom.
"What?" Applebloom retorted, ducking at a low patch of ceiling.
"What should we call it!" Scootaloo reaffirmed. "We found it, right?"
"Oh yeah!" Sweetiebelle belted out, "We got first dibs! We should totally call it something like the... Crusader's Grotto?" she ended weakly, unsure in the naming.
"The C.M.C Skeleton hideout of kick butt awesomeness!" Scootaloo offered.
"That's kinda a mouthful," Applebloom said, her nose wrinkling as she tried to think up a cool name. "What about... Crusaders Cave? Ah know it's kinda like Sweetiebelles, but it rolls off the tongue, right?"
"I like it!" Sweetiebelle chirped, a joyful lilt to her voice.
Scootaloo let out a low sigh. She knew she was outvoted. "Looks like Crusaders Cave it is."
They trudged on, the low ceiling eventually evening out into a flat, featureless rock. The corridor turned into a square hallway the further the went, until the path turned a sharp ninety degrees to the right. They each stopped, surveying where the path had led them. It was a dead end.
Of a sort.
The hallway ended in a wall of flat, grey-ish rock. On either side of the hallway, stood four doors set into the stone.
"Okay, I don't need to be a Sneak to say this looks like a trap, right?" Scootaloo supplied warily. "Cause if anything ever looked like a trap, then this looks like a trap."
"Can't you just use your 'magic monk' powers to find which door is the right one, if there is a right door?" Sweetiebelle asked.
"I'm an Arcane Monk. I use spirit energy, not magic," Scootaloo rebutted.
"What's the difference?" Sweetiebelle pressured, "I've never really been clear on that."
Scootaloo let out a harsh sigh, "It just is, all right? So what do we do now?"
"Not much we can do, is there?" Applebloom confirmed, walking over to tentatively place a hand on the first doorhandle. "Unless we wanna go back to the endless circle till mah sticks die out, we check the doors," She gulped. her trepidation sounding in the quiet of the tunnel. "Bein' as careful as we can be the whole way. Iffin' a room looks dangerous, we close it as quietly and quickly as we can. Agreed?"
Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle each gave her a curt nod.
Applebloom opened the first door, revealing a room piled high in an endless ocean of golden bits, sparkling jewels and other sorts of treasures.
Scootaloo took a step forward, the glint of gold dancing in her eyes. With all of this, there was no end to what they could buy! A new scooter for her, that glistening gem of a lute Sweetiebelle had been pining over, all the little parts and sundries Applebloom could ever want for any of her creations-
Applebloom shut the door, placing a hand on Scootaloo's chest to stop her forward progress.
"What the heck Applebloom, what are you doing? Did you see that in there? All left unattended, we could take all we could carry and it wouldn't even make a dent!"
"Scootaloo. Calm down. Think. Weren't you just saying to keep an eye out for traps? What better room for them? A room where you abandon your inhibitions, just to get a single handful of gold. After all, it's not like anypony would miss it, right?" Applebloom said with a smile, watching as Scootaloo realized her blunder. "After we log this dungeon, we'll get a finders fee. If there actually is any gold in there, and it ain't some sort of illusion."
"Y-yeah..." Scootaloo admitted weakly.
Applebloom took out a marking substance, painting the surface with a 'P,T'. Possibly Trapped. She made her way to the next door, opening it slightly. It opened into a rather nondescript are, the room small and claustriphobic. From the door alone, it didn't seem to be that there was anything of interest.
Applebloom opened the third door. And froze. There was at least twenty skeletons... milling about. Bumping off of one another, they avoided the walls. Endlessly walking.
Sweetiebelle let out a sharp hiss of a gasp.
Each and every last skeleton stopped, frozen in their steps as the sounds of their movements died down to nothing more than echoes. As a singular entity they each turned their bony heads on their dessicated necks to stare at the trio in the doorway.
"Maybe... they'll stay in their room?"
As one, they all made shaky steps towards the crusaders, their bones clacking and clattering against each other. Applebloom slammed the door shut violently, reaching into her belt pouch and dragging out a bundle of powder. Both applied to the door handle and a quick spark to ignite the concoction later, and the doorhandle had slagged inward upon itself.
"That'll give us a couple seconds," Applebloom huffed, hurriedly making her way to the next door while preparing another handful of her forge burning powder. Open door, quick look inside. She slammed it shut and moved on to the next one. Much of the same, she moved on to the other side of the hallway, and it's four unchecked doors. The sounds coming from the skeleton room were becoming worrysome, the door itself starting to splinter with the ferver that they were forcing upon it.
Applebloom whipped open the first door in the set, her face growing pale as she saw what lay within. She tried to slam the door shut like she had the others, but a long rubbery tentacle snaked it's way out of the room and lodged itself in the doorjamb. She hurriedly whaled on it with her wrench, shouting with joy as it whimpered and withdrew back into it's room. Applebloom likewise disabled this room as well, moving to the next one.
The door holding back the skeletons caved under their onslaught, it's remains falling inward to the hallway.
"No time to check the other ones!" Scootaloo yelled. "One in three chance! I choose this one!" she opened the far door, ducking inside and waiting for her friends to join her. They rushed past her, and she slammed the door closed. Applebloom threw a dash of her forge powder at the door handle, melting it to the door itself. They quickly rushed about the room, laboriously dragging a large wooden desk in front of the door.
"Trust me to find the most boring room in the lineup," Scootaloo groused, the dangers of being killed put at bay for a few scant seconds. "A stupid freaking study. Somepony like Mayor Mare might freaking love a place like this, but it doesn't look like there's an exit in here..." Scootaloo stopped, watching her friends frantic movements as they ran around the room, upturning books and papers as they searched for something. "Uh... did I miss a memo?"
"I ain't just gonna sit back and let those skeletons kill me, whoever made this room might have put in a secret exit or somethin', just like the hidden door in the tunnel!" Applebloom reasoned.
Scootaloo nodded, and joined into the fray. She pried back a bookshelf, letting it topple to the floor. An examination of the wall behind it revealed nothing.
Finally they exhausted all possible surfaces that might contain a hidden door.
"We ain't got no choice, we gotta fight em," Applebloom admitted with finality. "We got one advantage, they all gotta go through one tiny little door, iffin' we can smash em to bits before they get through the doorway we might have a chance. Sweetiebelle, grab something you can use like a club."
They got into position, each side by side as they faced down the inevitable.
"Welp, gotta say girls, I really didn't think it'd end like this," Scootaloo griped.
"Like what? Death by skeletons? At least we weren't grabbed by that tentacle monster, right?" Applebloom laughed.
They each joined in on the laughter, clamming up after a few seconds.
"Wish we had asked Big Mac to come with us. Rarity, heck, even Fluttershy could have taken ten times the amount of skeletons piling up back in there." Applebloom nodded. She wished at least one of her sibling had come with her, they wouldn't have had this kind of problem.
"Yeah... but wishing isn't going to do us any good, is it?" Scootaloo stated with a short laugh. "While we're wishing, how about for a Hero to come save us from across space and time, a prince in shining armor to fall in from on high, like down on a falling star?"
They all enjoyed another chuckle, quieting as a low rumble echoed throughout the room.
"What was that?" Sweetiebelle asked.
"Sounds like more of the cave's collapsing in on itself. Ain't surprisin', that's how we got in this mess, remember?" Applebloom responded.
With a titanic clash of rending stone giving way, the roof opened up and deposited a form in front of them.
"Did... I just get a hero that fell in from on high?" Scootaloo asked incredulously. "Should I wish for a way out?"
"Fuck ALL the ducks!" a voice roared in pain from the pile of rubble lying in front of them.
"Maybe... not."
"Fuck your goddman mother in the face with a tire iron!" |
The Gamer; Displaced Equestria | 3- Quid Pro Quo | "Can you go look for my sister?"
Such an innocent question. Such a simple request. Or at least, it should have been.
It had actually gone quite pleasantly from the very first second I walked in the door of that building with the strange architecture. It looked like a giant carousel, which was kind of morbid considering the motif these people had going. We had been immediately greeted by a genuinely drop dead gorgeous woman. She seriously looked like she could have been a model, with pristine fair skin, and a head of hair that probably took her hours of preparation each morning. Her dress tried valiantly to rival her own beauty, but I think it came in at a very close second.
Like the first girl... she wasn't exactly completely human. She had a horn of bone spiraling from from her forehead. At the beginning, I had just thought it a decorative head piece due to the tiara she had that wove its way around it. Upon closer inspection -she had insisted upon taking my measurements for some reason, I didn't see any problem with that plus it allowed me to actually look at her without looking like a creeper- I could see the bone like substance actually came out from the skin in her forehead, leaving a barely noticeable fold of flesh in a ring around it.
She had been very understanding of my situation, and in an act of generosity creepily mirroring the first girls she had not only offered to fix my shirt, but also lent me a simple cloth shift to wear while I waited. In addition, she also gave me a pair of simple sandles. They had apparently been left there by a girl named Rainbow Dash, and had been left unclaimed for almost a year.
Don't quite know how I feel, knowing I have feet only slightly larger than a girl. I always did have small feet... but actually having it confirmed like this... ehn. So I laced them up, and boom. Viola. No longer are my poor little toesies unprotected against the ravages of the world. Slight protection is better than none.
And yes, her name was apparently Rainbow Dash. Model lady had the name 'Rarity' floating above her head, along with the class title '<Enchantress>', while the meek little girl with the hummingbird was apparently named the inane title of 'Fluttershy'. Along with her name was the class '<Druid>', I guess that fit with her animal motif. I hesitated to ask, but the way they talked names like these were commonplace. The fuck.
If I came across a chick named Twilight, I was gonna shit sparkles for a week. Nah, there was no way anyone would name their child so foolishly. No way in hell.
It was after this simple gift of footwear she asked of me a seemingly equally simple task. If I could but retrieve her younger sister to come pick up her cape while I waited for the repair of my own garb. Sounded simple, anyway.
I wasn't given any clue as to her whereabouts, so I had to actually ask around. No one was really sure where she was, aside from the general idea that she was out with two of her friends. Apparently they were doing what I had sought to do, going around and doing random menial tasks for bits. Pretty smart, for little girls.
No one knew where they actually fucking were. I finally got fed up, and called out "Quest window," once I found myself alone in a dusty alleyway.
QUEST: Retrieve Rarity's Sister, (Sweetiebelle), and return her to the Carousel Boutique.
Well that sure helped me out a lot. "Minimap?" I asked the quest window. It surprisingly obliged, a small 2d circle that faded into view. I dragged my finger around on it, and it showed the path I had taken out of the forest -marked as the 'Everfree Forest'- and the small area I had traveled within the town.
"Quest marker? Show waypoint. Quest line. Help Line. Marker path to quest objective."
In my verbal stumblings, I actually managed to say something that did what I wanted it to. It lit up an area on the map, simultaneously giving me a little arrow that showed where I was as well. The marker for Sweetiebelle was... back in the Everfree, in an unmarked region I hadn't been to yet. Wonderful.
So I tightened my belt, relaced my new sandles, and set back out into the forest. Hax was happily panting away on my shoulder, content to keep his wooden feet away from the forest floor. Every once in a while, he would whip his head to the side and growl for a couple seconds, then go right back to panting like a dumb mutt.
I finally made it to the marker on the map. I looked around at the forest clearing I had found myself in, no little girls in sight. Not a one. I walked around the clearing, always making my way back to the same spot. It was just an empty clearing. I looked up high above me, she hadn't said so but I guess her sister could have wings and be off somewhere above me. If she could fly. If Fluttershy herself could fly.
Nothing. Did the quest marker lead me to a general area? The only other option was that she was somehow below me, but the ground was undisturbed and I didn't see any openings or anything else that would have allowed such a thing.
"Am I just blind, Hax?" I asked the miniature mutt. "I'm not seeing anything. All that's here is solid ground!" I gave a couple stomps to enunciate my point. Hax looked down, letting out a keening whine as he did so. "Shows what you know, you dumb dog. It's solid. Miles," I jumped up, landing on the ground in a loud thump. Hax need to learn some basic survival skills, if he was going to come along with me on these jaunts. "Of thick." Another jump, another solid thump. "Rock solid," Yet another jump, predictably another thump as I landed again. "Earth."
I landed for the final time, flashing jazz hands as I did so. Why not? It's not like anyone was around to see it. Certainly no little girls. Especially not the ones I was trying to find.
Hax let out another little whimper, and the ground dropped out from beneath me.
I landed bodily. I saw numbers flash in front of my eyes, indicating that I had just taken seventeen points of damage. Hax was cheekily panting away, sitting on my chest.
"Don't be so fucking smug," I wheezed out, "So there was a secret room right under the ground where I was standing. So fucking what. At least it was only one floor dow-"
The ground decided to screw gravity and drop out from under me once again, landing me in another room below where I was. I landed on my left leg, and I let out a bellow of pain. Another twenty three points of damage, and a status indicator popped up saying I had reached a status of 'low health'. I still had sixty health, it didn't know what the hell it was talking about.
I blinked the dust away from my eyes, wincing as I saw Hax once more sitting on my chest, giving me a shit eating grin.
"Not. One. Fucking. Word. Two secret rooms directly below me. What are the fucking odds. At least it was only two-"
FUCK YOU WORLD FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU-
Three. Three goddamn floors, all weak enough to collapse right out from under me. I landed on my left leg again, my blood running cold as I heard the bone snap from beneath me. It was a sudden, shocking pain that laid me low and caused a stream of obscenities to spew from my mouth. I felt like it was deserved. Just in response to the status window that popped up saying I was under the status effect 'crippled limb' for the next minute and a half. Just because of that, not because I was in suddenly REALLY bad pain.
A Skill Has Been Created Through A Special Action
Through The Power Of Your Body To Endure Pain And Damage, (Physical Endurance), Has Been Created
Physical Endurance(passive) LV 1 EXP: 42.08%
The Bodies Physical Endurance Increases, And You Take Less Damage.
3% decrease in damage from physical attacks
Fuck off! Much like the character in the manga, this was something I DIDN'T want to see at this point in time! This was not something I wanted to feel! And it was just... oh fuck...
"Fuck ALL the ducks!" I let out, reaching down to check my leg. I gave it a prod-
OH GOD WHY WOULD ANYONE MAKE LIMBS CAPABLE OF EXPERIENCING SUCH SENSATIONS???
"Fuck your goddamn mother in the face with a tire iron!" I screamed in frustration at my leg as my foot faced the wrong way. It said I still had... a minute and thirteen seconds? Did that mean in about a minute my leg would go back to normal? I sure as hell hoped so, in the manga he managed to sustain damage that should have killed a normal human. Just my luck to have about a ton of rock fall on my leg.
"I don't think so," I heard a young voice say through the haze of settling dust, "In fact, with his leg lookin' like that, I don' think he's gonna be much help at all."
"Well he did block off the door," a softer voice retorted.
"Oh great, now we're STUCK in the room with no exit?" a tomboyish voice whined.
"Hax!" I called out, just now remembering my diminutive canine. "Where you at boy?"
He let out a low huff of a bark, a puff of dust rising from the cloud beside me. I reached out a hand, giving him a pat on the head. I'd only known him a short time, but he was definitely starting to grow on me. Hopefully only figuratively. I mean, I guess he was technically a plant... monster... could I teach him a skill or ability similar to 'root'? If I could get a 'vine whip' out of him one day he would be officially better than my level ninety eight bulbasaur I had in that one game I hadn't played in over a year. I guess he was already better, by proxy of the fact that he was actually real. Couldn't let him get a swelled head, though.
"Hax?" I heard the first voice ask. "Did he bring his dog with him too?"
"Who would name their dog something like Hax?" the tomboyish voice asked. "That just sounds weird."
"Your face sounds weird!" I retorted to the best of my intelligent of responses. Childish, I know. But I still had about half a minute of 'crippled limb' I had to deal with and I wasn't exactly the happiest of campers.
"... really? A 'your face' joke the best you got?"
"Really? Your face the best you got?" I retorted snappily.
"Ooh, burn," the first voice said, a slightly southern twang audible in her voice. "Would you like some salve fer that?"
"I don't get it," the soft voice inserted.
The dust slowly settled, finally allowing me to properly see the room and the three new people... AHEM, ponies -god I hated this place- that were in it. I could see three little girls staring right back at me, looks varying from shock to confusion.
<Amateur Artificer>
LV13 Applebloom
-hung above the head of a girl standing off to the side. Her long red hair was tied off in a rather large pink bow, but beside that she looked relatively normal. No horn, no wings. She was wearing an outfit that vaguely looked steampunk. She had a simple looking yellowish shirt, but she also wore a pair of loose fitting -thick looking- brown slacks. It looked like they had large metal plates sewn in right over her kneecaps. Over her shirt, she wore a rather immaculate looking blue vest, the trim lined with golden cloth and all manner of pouches and holsters and pockets sewn into it. All manner of tools hanging from it as well. She wore a single glove on her left hand, the intricate plates of metal stretching back past her elbow. Her boots... damn. They were heavy duty. I couldn't tell if they were more metal than leather, or what. They were definitely made for stomping. She also held a thick, scary looking wrench in her right hand.
<Samanera Arcane Monk>
LV12 Scootaloo
-was hanging slightly above a girl with a rough growth of purple hair. It wasn't nearly as long as 'Appleblooms', but it was still unnaturally long to me. Must have taken years for these girls to grow their hair so dang long. She wore an interesting outfit of her own, her blue shirt looking like a simplified version of a karate gi. She had simple, loose orange shorts that were tied with a thick braided rope over the bottom of the shirt. Around her neck she had a bright orange scarf, the ends of which draped over the back of her wings. Oh yeah, she had wings. Not as large as Fluttershy's, but she herself wasn't as large as Fluttershy. Goes with the territory of being a little girl, and not a grown woman. They looked... about to scale regarding Fluttershy's, though. Maybe a little smaller. Adorning her shoulders were two slim pauldrens of thick looking material, they almost looked like scales. Hanging from her belt were two... things. I couldn't really tell what the heck they were, but they appeared to be accented with... her own feathers. Weird. Nothing to say about her shoes, besides the fact that they looked rather simple. Standard, leather, foot coverings.
<Apprentice Bard>
LV12 Sweetiebelle Von Ambrose Dilliguie The First
Sweetiebelle had the simplest of the three's outfits. A poofy white shirt with a hood, lined with pink accents fit comfily over a light purple dress. She had hair with two tones of color racing through it, a soft pink and purple. Hers was even longer than Appleblooms, as far as I could see. She was definitely Rarity's sister, if genetics was anything to go by. She had a spiral horn erupting from her brow, at any rate. Her shoes... were just a pair of soft looking, cloth coverings. Nothing impressive.
Of course, I probably didn't look all that impressive to them either. A crappy brown covering as a shirt, normal blue jeans, and lace up sandles. Sandles that while soft blue, had distinctly feminine accents on them. Marks that looked like feathers and so on. Especially with my left leg turned around like it wa-
->*CRRRRKLE*<-
My leg spun back around to the front of me, letting out a sick crack of splintering bone as it reformed itself. Among a chorus of "Ewwwwww," "groooooss!" and other cries of dissent, I noticed my leg had stopped hurting. Oh joy.
"Did yer leg just-" the girl known as Applebloom started.
"Fix itself? Yes. I heal fast," I lied. Technically. Technically a lie. I mean, I guess I healed, but it wasn't like I had an ability or spell that did it. It was just Gamers Body, hard at work.
"Cooooooool," came a chorus from the three.
"Now that that is remedied," I said as I leaned up into a sitting position, simultaneously trying out my leg and transferring Hax back up to my shoulder. "I assume you are Sweetiebelle?" I asked, directing my comment towards Applebloom. Not like I should just let them know I could see their names floating above their heads. And 'assuming' one was the other would give them a chance to properly introduce themselves. "Your sister sent me to find you. Apparently your cape is ready for you to pick up?"
"Ahm not her!" Applebloom exclaimed, pointing at Sweetiebelle.
"You aren't... your friend. Well that's all well and good Sweetiebelle, but I didn't say anything to insinuate you were," I teased. I watched as this Appleblooms faces grew red in frustration, as well as her friends who were each trying to keep from laughing.
"Ahm not Sweetiebelle! Ahm Applebloom! She's Sweetiebelle!" she belted out, pointing a shaking hand at at Sweetiebelle.
I did my best to steel my expression, looking back and forth between the two young girls.
"Well why didn't you say anything, miss?"
She let out a sharp grunt of a blast of air in irritation. Man, I loved messing with little kids. "Ah DID say so!"
"Whatever. So you're Sweetiebelle?" I said, turning to the girl in question. "I guess it's you whose sister is looking for her. Your cape is ready."
"Well that's nice and all," she replied, eyes flicking to the blocked up... doorway? Doorway. The doorway behind me. The thing that used to be a doorway. Before it got covered in all kinds of dirt, rock, and whatever the hell else the floors and ceilings were made out of. "But we're still in kind of a rough position here. There's at least a score of skeletons right behind there, and that might hold them but-"
"A score? Whats that?" Scootaloo cut in.
"Twenty."
"Twenty what?"
"A score is twenty. It means twenty."
"Why not just say twenty?"
"Because using the word 'score' is prim, and proper," Sweetiebelle ended with her eyes closed, her voice lilting in a tone of one reciting from memory.
"It sounds stupid," Scootaloo countered.
"Girls!" Applebloom exclaimed, "This ain't helpin'! We're still trapped in a room with no way out, we gotta dig out the door and take em all out one by one!"
"Or we could leave via the hole I just made," I suggested.
Three pairs of eyes tracked my pointing finger, glancing upwards towards the gigantic hole my entrance had made.
"Oh."
"That could work."
"How are we gonna get up there though?"
"You have wings?" I suggested incredulously. I leaned forward and jabbed Scootaloo in the gut. "You got wings, and the hole is large enough. just fly on up there and find a rope of something. Tie it to a tree, and let down the other end. Simple as pie."
Scootaloo fidgeted around nervously, tracing a line in the dust with her foot.
"What." I stated it without a trace of question, content they would know exactly what tone I was trying to get across.
"I can't fly."
I stared at her for a couple seconds, then jabbed a finger forward and poked her in her fucking forehead. She flinched backwards, both hands coming up to rub at the spot. She gave me an incredulous look, but didn't question me or even say anything.
"You are a pegasus, are you not?" I asked, to which she flinched again. "Those are wings I see behind you, right? Wait, is this an age thing?" I stopped. It had never even occurred to me that they might not be able to fly until they were older. The fact that she was embarrassed meant that yes, it was possible for them to fly. So it had to be another variable. "Please excuse me if my questions have been rude, we don't really have any pegasi where I come from. So disregarding the fact that you can't fly, can you still use your wings to assist you in lateral movement? Say, if you were to try climbing out through the hole, would they make it any easier?"
She stopped her cringing, giving my words thought. Finally, I had hoped I'd get through to her sooner rather than later. "That... maybe? I dunno, I never even thought about using my wings to... help me climb," she said with a slight laugh.
Without further prodding, the three of them got into a huddle, whispering among themselves. A few seconds later, they shouted "Break!" and started scurrying around. Hax watched them with great interest, even forgetting to pant for a few scant seconds. I watched right along with him, as they eventually managed to become a human ladder. They hoisted Scootaloo above their heads, her stretching fingers searching for the lip of the hole I made. Eventually they found their mark, and she pulled herself up with a flap of her wings. The other two let out a triumphant yell, toppling over into a pile of books.
I waited for a few seconds, as she called down that she had made it up another floor.
"So what the hell is this place, anyway?" I asked as I leaned back against my pile of rubble.
Both of the girls that were left stared at me, as if I had suddenly grown a second head.
"Unmarked dungeon," Sweetiebelle chirped.
"Possibly trapped room at a dead end," Applebloom added.
"Wait... what? Trapped... are we safe?" I asked, a wad of saliva sliding noisily down my throate at her words.
"Yeaaaaah... as safe as we can be with that army of skeletons outside."
"Oh." Skeletons. Right off the bat, a fucking army of skeletons. Wonder what level they were? For as young as these girls were, they actually looked pretty competent. Two level sixes, and a level seven. What the hell level was I, anyway?
"Status window," I said, covering it up with a wracking cough that frightened Hax. He dug his little claws into my shoulder like a damn cat. Little fucker.
Name: Colton Niscon
Class: Displaced Gamer
Level: LV 03
HP: 150
MP: 90
STR:9
VIT:8
DEX:7
INT:9
WIS:7
LUK:12
Point: 0
Money: 58 Cents
Why the heck were my stats so low? The main character of the manga started off at level 4... but I guess he did mention how he had gone up a level since the beginning of his... condition.
He had pooled all five of his points from that level up in his strength. He went from ten to fifteen... so apparently I was weaker than he had been at the start? But my luck was crazy high. What the hell did that mean? Was I lucky? I didn't feel lucky.
How the fuck would I increase my luck stat outside of level points, anyway? I knew I could grind VIT by running a lot, STR by taxing my strength in various ways, and my INT through rigorous study.
In fact, that brought to mind something important. The higher your stats got, the harder it got to level them up outside of the level up points. So... would it be better of me to save all my points, grinding my attributes as much as I could?
A knotted vine swung down from the hole above me, smacking me in the face.
"Hey! Slowpokes! You gonna stay down there all day?"
"Quite," I muttered, rubbing my forehead. "What's her name, by the way?"
"Oh, she's Scootaloo, she's a monk," Applebloom helpfully interjected. Well that didn't tell me anything more than I already knew.
They didn't waste any time with words, Sweetiebelle clinging to the rope and Scootaloo hauling her up.
"You next, mister," Applebloom said.
I stared at her for a couple seconds. "Excuse me?"
"Look, mister, ah can tell ya ain't no combatant jes by lookin' at you."
Hmm. Again, I guess I didn't look that impressive. Who was I to argue about going first? Screw being chivalrous. I was more than okay with ascending out of this hell hole. Maybe 'inventory' a few of the books here, in case some of them were skill books.
I leaned up into a standing position, reaching forward to grab the hanging vine-rope.
My progress was halted, and I nearly fell over backwards. My arm was caught.
"What are you doing?" the feisty little red head asked.
"I... just a second, my hand's stuck on something."
I pulled at my left arm, trying to jerk it free of the debris. With a might wrench of my whole body, I managed to drag it free.
Along with the skeleton clinging to my arm. Seems it had grabbed on when I landed, the weight of the rocks and other shit pinning it within the pile.
I let out a less than manly shriek, punching the half buried skeleton in the face with my free hand.
"Observe," I choked out, so I could see this stupid things HP. This let me see that I had managed to take... nine damage off of it's fifteen hundred health. God damn that would take a lot of face punching. Thankfully though, it seems that It was already at... four hundred and ninety four points. Must have happened from the rubble crashing down on it or something.
I continued hitting it, punctuating each blow with a word. "LET. GO. OF. ME. YOU. STUPID. BAG. OF. BONES!"
Ten hits. Ninety points of damage. Carrying on like this... it would take.. a hundred and seventy more strikes? If I was adding that correctly. Probably wasn't.
->CRSSSSH<-
I stared at the skeletons head, crumpled inwards as a long stem of a metal handle seemed to grow from it's cranium. Applebloom leaned past me, grabbing at her wrench and pulling it free with a splintering crack of breaking bone. Instead of playing dead, it opened up its mouth and let loose a sinister hiss.
"No!" I exclaimed, hitting it with another rabbit punch. "You do not hiss at the nice young lady! Sit! Roll over! PLAY DEAD!" A bit out of place for a human skeleton, and kinda cheesy seeing as it was already dead... I'll think up something better next time.
A skill has been created through a special act
Through reckless abandon in attacking without a weapon, a skill to capitalize on attacking an opponents face, 'Face Punch', has been created.
Face Punch(active) LV1 EXP: 5.9% MP COST; 15
Against all odds, an unarmed, untrained strike directly in the face.
5% chance to ignore all armor and defense buffs.
3% Attack Damage increase when attacking a targets face directly, without a weapon.
3% Speed increase when directing an attack towards a targets face.
5% Critical hit Chance increase when attacking a targets face directly, without a weapon.
Next I looked and the skeletons health was at two hundred and sixty eight points... did she hit over a hundred points of damage with one strike? Damn. Maybe it was because she actually had a weapon."Inventory!" I called out, dragging out my bat. I hit it three more times, wincing as it only served to show up three counts of '21' points of damage. Even with the bat, I was doing nothing more than chip damage. It looked like I got more damage out of the combination of the two blunt skills, as opposed to the new... face punch. What a... ridiculous name. Awesome.
"Hit it again!" I told her hurriedly, "You do more damage than me!"
"It doesn't matter!" she retorted, her wrench rebounding off the arm that held me as she tried a different tactic. "It's an undead, and we don't have a magic user! it'll just keep coming!"
"Trust me," I pleaded, looking her in the eye, "I have a passive magic effect currently active, it's leaching the magic from it. You're doing substantial damage to it, it started off at a numerical value of about four hundred health, and after what I did you knocked it down almost a full hundred! Just hit it again!"
She gave me a look signifying that she probably thought I was crazy, but she did oblige me by giving the half destroyed skeleton head a smack. Another hundred and twenty six points of damage. Daaaaammnnnn. And she was just smacking it halfheartedly, god knows what damage she'd be dealing out in an actual fight. She returned her efforts to the arm, "See? It doesn't do anything!"
"It's down past a hundred, give it another whack!"
"Gah!" she belted out in frustration, smacking it in the dome once more. "See? It's an undead. You can't kill an undead, you have to have a mage or magic user tear apart the magic holding them together!"
So... she couldn't kill it? Was she not governed by the rules set upon the 'gamer'? She wasn't in my party... she she herself still acted like a normal person. She couldn't deplete its health, if the aggravating 'One HP' that hung above it's head was anything to go by.
"Really?" I asked, sliding the bat back into my inventory. I gave it a quick jab in the gob, watching as the one HP turned into a zero. With a crack of displaced stone, the skeleton turned to shadow and dissipated.
Gained 2490 Experience
Your Level Went Up By One
Your Level Went Up By One
Your Level Went Up By One
Sweeeeeeeeeeeet. Wait, crap, I didn't see what level the skeleton was, I had no idea if this was actually impressive or not!
"It... wow, so you weren't lyin'?"
Ye of little faith. Wait. Technically I WAS lying to the little guttersnipe, but I was just trying to kill the skeleton. Ends justify the means, I guess.
"Of course!" cue M Bison sound bit. "You doubt me, but the proof is seen by your own eyes!"
"Hey, whats the holdup down there?" Scootaloo called down.
"The new guy just punched a skeleton in the face so hard it exploded into dust!" Applebloom called back up.
"No, seriously, just hurry up," came from Sweetiebelle.
Applebloom gave a huff of discontent, shaking her head. "They're never going to believe me... oh well. C'mon then, up you go!" she waved back towards the rope-vine.
"Gimmie a second," I stooped down, grabbing a couple books off the ground. Both were rather impressive looking, one rimmed in golden trim, the other with a motif to look like a clear night sky. Maybe they were skill books, but they had to be important to be in a secret room, hidden beneath the ground.
"Hurry up! Or I'm gonna leave ya down here mister!" she barked, so I hurriedly stuffed them in my inventory.
I tried to haul myself up the rope by my own power. Emphasis on try. In the end, I did manage to make my way to the top. Huffing and puffing as If I had just run a marathon.
You Gained 1 STR For The Continued Training Of Your Body
I stared at the floating box in contempt. Just floating there. Mocking me.
Hmph. |
The Gamer; Displaced Equestria | 4- Alpha and Omega | Name: Haxxors (Hax) Runt Timberwolf Familiar*Common*(passive)
Pack Alpha: Colton Niscon
Level: LV4 EXP: 77.32%
Affiliation: The Gamer
HP: 200
MP: 40
STR:14
VIT: 9
DEX:11
INT: 4
WIS: 5
LUK: 7
Point: 15
Size Level: 1
Skills: [Strong Bite LV 1 EXP: 17.06%: Additional +5 damage, COST; 10 MP.]
[Rampant Tackle LV 1 EXP: 0.00%: additional +15 damage, additional -5 to DEX, COST 20 MP.]
[Timberwolf Overgrowth LV 1 EXP: 0.00%: Boost HP Regen by 500%, COST 40 MP MINIMUM, USES ALL REMAINING MP.]
Status: Runt: -5 to STR, -5 to DEX, -5 to VIT
Info: The Runt Timberwolf Familiar's skills and attributes will mirror your own, growing and learning alongside its Pack Leader.
The Runt Timberwolf Familiar's appearance will begin to mirror your and its own actions, growing and learning alongside its Pack Leader.
Max number of Familiar *Timberwolf* you can currently have in the Pack: 1.
So even size was a skill Hax had to level up? Bummer.
I 'clicked' the word 'size', watching as another window opened up.
Size LV1 EXP: 13.09%
Runt.
The physical size of the 'Runt Timberwolf Familiar'. It's not very large at the moment... can it even get any bigger?
Well that didn't tell me very much. Why couldn't the stupid fucking thing actually tell me something useful, like how to increase its size? I tried putting a single point into it just to see if it worked, but nothing happened. Since its actual level went up by three -presumably from the skeleton, same as mine,- and its size level was still one, I had to assume it worked off of a different EXP set or something.
Maybe it would level up from eating? But eating what? It was a freaking plant, was I supposed to feed it people food, or other timberwolf souls or something? Whatever, didn't help me to dwell on it right now.
I waved the window away, focusing on the conversation in the other room. They appeared to be in the middle of a terse discussion, and I pressed closer to the closed door to better make out the words being said on the other side.
Through A Special Action, A Skill To Hear Muffled Or Quiet Conversation, (Listening), Has Been Created.
Listening(passive) LV1 EXP: 12.62%
All conversation lower than an audible level is amplified by 5%
Oh. Cool. I placed my ear against the door, trying to aid my eavesdropping.
"I'm not saying that I don't believe you girls," I heard an older woman's voice say. Older as in maybe forty years old. Middle aged, not grandma old. Her voice had a very posh tone to it, one well used to public speaking. "But the dungeon is already registered. It was registered by one 'Sweetie Drops', almost... it says she found and registered it nearly twelve years ago. The guard came and it was declared cleared," she said, the tone of her voice of minor annoyance.
"Yer wrong, though!" I heard Applebloom argue. "There was walkin' skeletons, hidden rooms and a giant tentacle monster!"
"Yeah, we barely got out of there alive!" Scootaloo affirmed.
"Look, at best I can have a team check it out first thing in the morning. If this isn't a prank, then it's of utmost importance that we sort this out," the woman admitted.
Was it really that big of a deal? What the hell was with there being actual dungeons, anyway? If we had dungeons in our world, they'd be fucking nuked minutes after being found. No way anyone would tolerate skeletons and shit. And if they were confined to actual buildings and stuff, there was no way we wouldn't bomb the fuck out of them. Go through the ruins afterwards, systematically demolish any remaining baddies with a bevy of high powered firearms.
"Applebloom, can you ask your brother if he'd be willing to give it a look?" she asked, her voice almost dipping down to levels I couldn't hear. Moments later, a window popped up in front of me.
Listening(passive) has gone up a level
Listening(passive) LV2 EXP: 0.00%
All conversation lower than an audible level is amplified by 6%
I really couldn't tell the difference, it sounded just as quiet as it had before.
"And see if miss Fluttershy is free too, they seem to work well together. Skeletons... skeletons..." she muttered, and I could hear a fluttering of papers she presumably was sifting through. "Do we currently have any other mages capable of dispelling necromatic enchantments?"
"Well we-" Sweetiebelle started, before the woman cut her off.
"Lyra!" the woman's voice practically shouted, causing me to twitch from the sudden volume shift, "Lyra Heartstrings, she's a full fledged bard, her spellsong should be able to...necrophobia... fear of dead things. Wonderful," her voice became despondent, and I assume she was reading her information off of one of the multitude of papers I could hear being moved around. "Wonderful. Maybe another bard? What about... Vinyl Scratch? She's not currently on tour, is she?"
"The dungeon is underground," Sweetiebelle supplied. "Not to mention she's a sonic mage, and not actually a spellsong variant of a bard..." she added under her breath.
"Dangit," the woman muttered, "She'd just end up causing a cave in..."
"We actually know-" Scootaloo started, before the woman once more cut them off.
"Octavia? No, she's currently in Canterlot..." she muttered.
"WE KNOW SOMEPONY WHO CAN DISPELL NECROMANCY!" the three girls yelled out, the only variance being Scootaloo ending on 'break dead things'.
"Oh?" came the woman's voice, a slight dazed tone to it. "Well why didn't you say so? Wait, this isn't that zebra who lives in the Everfree, is it?"
"We keep telling yall, Zecora's nice! Ain't a bad bone in her body! But it ain't her, it's the stallion we brought here!"
"Hmph," the woman let out a blast of air in a huff, muttering, "Lives in the forest... necromancer... Fine, this stallion, the one waiting in the hall?"
"Yeah! He punched a skeleton in the face, and he hit it so hard it turned to dust!" Applebloom stated enthusiastically.
"Uh...huh," the lady 'scoffed'. Well she didn't really laugh, but I could hear it hanging out there at the edges of her words. "I see. Well then, if we could just get him in here so I can get a better look at him, that would be wonderful."
Wait, what? Holy crap crap crap crap crap-
I backtracked away from the door, plopping back down in the chair they had left me in. Wouldn't help my case if they found me doing something suspicious right off the bat. The door opened, and I could see a grey haired woman peering out. Above her head was her name and title.
Mayor Mare LV 15
<Elected Leader>
Ha. Fucking HA! Her name was Mayor? Good god, that must have gotten her some serious flak back in school. 'Well then Mayor, what do you see your career being in the future?' 'I wanna be a singer!'
Anyway, she looked pretty normal. Waistcoat, button shirt, slacks. Some sort of classy looking shoes. Loafers, maybe? Perched on the end of her nose were a pair of delicate looking spectacles. She had mostly purely slate grey hair. Mostly. I could see traces of pink at her roots, meaning she dyed.
"Excuse me, Mr. ... I'm sorry, I didn't get your name?"
I froze for a couple seconds, before just giving her my name. Wasn't like I had anything to hide. "Colton Niscon."
"Colt... Nice Son?" she exaggerated, causing a wave of irritation to run through me. I hate it when people make fun of my name. It's a perfectly normal name, like the fifteenth most used in the United States or something. Perfectly nondescript. Yet people seem to harp on it regardless.
"Colton," I corrected her, "Colton Niscon. Niscon, just one word."
"Oh, my apologies, would you please come in," she waved a hand towards the inside of her office, where the three girls were waiting.
"Uh, yeah. Sure," I said, making my way inside.
"These three were just informing me how you can... dispell traces of necromatic effects?" she led, and I could almost hear her trying to trip me up. I was going to have to be careful in how I responded.
"I actually have a rather... hard to describe effect on magic around me," I started, thinking fast to remember what I had said to the girls. "I kinda... leach off of it. Passively. It's not really something I do on purpose, but as long as I'm in close enough proximity, things that can't be killed... well as long as enough physical or magical damage is done to them, I can finish them off by... God, I don't know what to call it. I guess, I eat the energy holding them together? Something like that? Anyway, yeah, I can kill skeletons."
"That... is a rather odd ability. What class did you say you were?" Horribly named Mayor Mare asked.
Now, I may not be college level intelligent, but I'm not fucking retarded or anything. You don't say a sentence like that unless you're fishing for information. She said something similar while asking for my name. Something she didn't know, which I freely gave. Perhaps foolishly, at that.
"I didn't say," I said pointedly, "And might I mention that I find such a fashion of inquiry as very rude. You don't need to trick information out of me, Mayor. If you want to know something, just ask. As it so happens, I don't have a class. We didn't really have such a system where I come from. Unless you have a class that translates to 'librarian'?"
I've worked in the same library for the past seven years. Just being surrounded by books every day, it was a dream come true. I could tell you where any book you cared to ask about was, right down to the last number in the serial. There are few things more perfect than the Dewey Decimal system.
She considered my words, no doubt figuring out some way to spin this to her favor, get even more information out of me.
"Scholar," she finally said, giving me a short nod. "Although that does raise a question. Why would somepony with such a unique talent become a scholar? It seems like an odd shift in priorities..."
"Where I come from..." I started, carefully choosing my words, "Well, there aren't any dungeons. Everywhere is just a big, connected city." Half... kinda true. No dungeons, for certain. I guess the states could be considered a giant web of connected cities. "There's no need for such a talent. Society just needs a bunch of little cogs to turn the machine of civilization. Little cogs like a bunch of librarians to run a library. Mechanics to keep all the different machines working. Teachers to keep the youth of the nation up to a certain level of intelligence, so that the machine of society can keep on ticking. If you wanna fight for your life for those that can't, you join the army. Or the Navy. Air Force, Marines."
Maybe I was a retard. I gave up too much. She didn't even ask for that much.
"Anyway, I've never even so much as seen an animate skeleton before. I honestly wasn't sure it would work, it was previously just an unproven theory," I explained, hopeful that my words would be taken as truth.
Through A Special Action, A Skill To Convince Others Of Your Words, Truthful Or Otherwise, (Bluff), Has Been Created.
Bluff(passive) LV1 EXP: 0.00%
User has a +5% chance to convince target of their intentions.
Huh. I just kept getting new skills that the Gamer never did in the manga. I got the blunt weapons themed spells, so I could obviously still get the ones he had. But It was still worrisome.
"Hmm. Regardless of whether or not you're telling the truth," she started, sifting through a stack of papers, "It seems we are indeed in need of the services of a particular classless scholar. Might I ask for you to undertake a scouting mission, back to the supposedly re-infested dungeon these girls have brought to my attention?"
Huh. Was she seriously asking me to go back to the hole with fucking living skeletons, just to see if there actually was skeletons, because she wouldn't believe us when we said there was skeletons? Gee, sure, let me get right on that, I'll be more than willing to go risk my life for no reason, without even being payed to-
"I would of course, be more than willing to compensate you for your troubles," she said coyly. Bitch had my number pegged.
I paused for several seconds, letting her stew before I started fishing for information myself.
"What exactly are we talking about here? Because I won't say no to some extra cash. I was kinda teleported here against my will, and I really don't know how to get back home. Would what you're suggesting be enough for say... a weeks rent at a local motel or something? Just a little bit of cushion while I get back on my feet and can start earning a bit of money for myself?"
I know I was asking for a bit much. No way a simple 'scouting mission' could be worth a whole weeks of free residence. But the trick with haggling is, you have to start ridiculously high. Then they try to lowball you and guilt you for asking for such a high amount. Then you try to guilt them right back for lowballing you, offering a slightly lower price than your original. It was just savvy business.
She gave me a cold, calculating look as she studied me for a few seconds. Then she let a warm smile spill out over her features.
"Just... residency? I'm asking you to head back into a potentially deadly area and all you ask for is... residency. Well then, I guess we have a deal, Mr. Son," she said with a happy lilt in her voice.
So... what the fuck just happened? I... did I ask too little? I asked too little. I fucked up the haggle and started too low, she saw that I didn't fucking know what I was getting myself into, and jumped on my offer before I could change it in my favor. Should have asked for two weeks. And some bits. A LOT of bits! God dammit, so fucking stupid.
{Quest Alert}
Retrace your way back to the dungeon you found Sweetiebelle in. Provide support regarding potential undead.
Success- Scout the required area, return to Mayor Mare.
Failure- Death, or otherwise failing to return to Mayor Mare.
Rewards- 10 EXP, 5 bits.
"Don't say much, do you?" I said to my almost silent companion.
He was a big guy. And saying that is almost a disservice. He was a freaking giant of a man, he had to be at least seven feet tall, maybe even seven and a half. And for a guy like me who is barely five feet and a couple hairs, I can definitely say he was stupidly tall. Guess he didn't get the name Big Macintosh on accident. The plethora of plate armor and the big sweeping cape he wore didn't exactly give him a 'cute and cuddly' image, either.
"Eeeeenope," he drawled, adjusting the hammer slung over his shoulder. Sweet Purity, according to the observe I did on it. Didn't get anything other than the name, guess the skill was still too low.
"Is he always this charming, or does he just really like me?" I directed towards Fluttershy, who was walking on the other side of Big Mac. Mcdonalds. Heh.
"He's just... a mane of few words," she explained. God, these horse puns would be the death of me.
Listening(passive) LV3 EXP: 17.20%
All conversation lower than an audible level is amplified by 7%
Well at least one good thing came of speaking with these two. They were both leveling up my listening skill like there was no tomorrow. If only Flutteshy would just keep talking. Wasn't like Big Mac ever initiated conversation.
"So... you guys do this often?" I asked, watching as Fluttershy's face was tinged with a flash of red.
"That's... it's not just... we just-"
"Standard procedure," Big Mac supplied, "Minimum one melee, one magic wielder for dealing with blight infestation, or otherwise."
"We work well together," Fluttershy added.
"Blight infestation?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation going as we walked. We were still a good ten minute walk from the hole I made into the dungeon, and I had no idea where the other entrance the girls had found was.
"You really aren't from around here, are you?" Fluttershy asked as Big Mac gave a snort of amusement.
"As a certain resident loudmouth who does nothing but yammer on endlessly says, eeenope," I responded.
I got a small laugh out of both of them. "Well then you really wouldn't know," Fluttershy quietly explained. "Every so often, a wild beast wanders into town, infected with the blight. They can be a huge danger to themselves-"
"And to noncombatants," Big Mac interjected.
"Y-yes... if they aren't stopped, somepony could definitely get hurt... so the town usually issues five pony teams, usually... with me at the forefront..." she stopped suddenly, her gaze pointing downwards at the ground in front of us.
"Druids heal blight," Big Mac supplied.
"I, yes!" she stammered, "I can heal the blight! So If I can reach the blighted critter before they're killed..."
She was silent for a few seconds, before Big Mac took up the slack.
"She heals the beasts, they go back to their nests, their holes, their homes, and get blighted by whatever source they contracted it from in the first place. Then they come back to Ponyville, and we start the cycle all over again. Far kinder to just let them die."
Huh. Tense subject, if the shaking Fluttershy was anything to go by.
"Sometimes," Fluttershy started, her voice shaking almost as much as her body, "Sometimes the spells to cure the blight fail. They don't always work. In that case, it is kindness to end their suffering. But if we can restore them... then it's worth it." Her voice grew steely, and a new text box popped up in front of me.
Through a special action, a skill to detect killing intent, (Sense Battle Aura), has been created.
Sense Battle Aura(passive) LV1 EXP 42..91%
In the seconds I stood waiting for her to finish, the EXP counter steadily rose, even passing the EXP max and giving me a level on the skill. And then another. And then, yet another. Damn, I could literally feel the hairs on the back of my neck trying to squirm away from this mousy little girl. I wasn't even the one she was 'directing' her 'intent' towards!
"And don't you ever forget that."
A few more seconds passed before the big guy responded.
"Mmmmkay."
Okay. So I could definitely see they had different opinions on how the world should be. Apparently something called 'blight' was a thing? The way they talked, it sounded more like the T-Virus or something.
We walked in silence from that point, much to my chagrin. Fluttershy's talking had been giving me a great chunk of EXP towards Listening. She was just so quiet. So SHY.
Like her name. Yeah, I caught that. Were these people not named until they finally developed a defining trait or something? Because that was a bullshit naming system. I'd have probably been dubbed 'Asshole'. Or Whino. Something demeaning, I just know it. I can't think of much worse than being given a name that says to the world 'Hey! I'm shy!" Seems counterproductive or something.
"So Colt, I see you managed to get some shoes?" Fluttershy said, shaking me out of my reverie.
"Colton. And yeah, apparently some girl named Rainbow... something or other left them at the dress makers place." Fuck! I forgot the fucking name. Rainbow... god dammit,it's on the tip of my fucking tongue. It was something really fucking obvious, like Train. Or Track. One syllable. Super fucking easy to remember. God, this was gonna drive me nuts...
"Oh, I thought they looked familiar. Do they fit alright? From what I remember, Rainbow has pretty small feet..."
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Sorry for that brief mental lapse. Just a little hiccup, nothing to worry about. Why does everything taste like copper?
"They... fit. They fit alright."
"That's good."
"Can't help but notice," I started, looking down towards her own feet. "You aren't wearing any shoes. That ever bother you?"
"Oh, it's never been a problem. I just... love the way the ground feels under my feet," she admitted with a slight giggle. "There used to be a slight problem with cuts, but when you've been barefoot for as long as I have? You tend to get some pretty thick calluses."
Oh. Duh. That made sense. Guess she was a flower child through and through.
"Makes sense."
"Eeeeyup."
Oh shut up, chatterbox.
The conversation kinda died again, and it stayed quiet until we reached the clearing with the hole to the dungeon.
"Colt, this the place?" Dick Macintosh asked.
"Colton. And yeah, this is the place," I responded testily.
"How did you find this place?" Fluttershy innocently asked, "It's not like it's very... defined."
Ehn. I didn't like these people asking about things relating to my gamers ability. That felt personal. Like... it was mine, not theirs. So? Time to lie! And lie convincingly.
"I... well, it's complicated. The whole process is complicated. I first went around town, asking people about Sweetiebelle to not only gain a firmer mental presence of her, but also to collect traces of her magical aura. Then I used that to home in on her like a compass. Unfortunately, it didn't lead me along the same path she and her friends took, instead leading me to her actual physical position. Which just so happened to be here," I gestured to the hole as the red caped asshole pulled a long strand of rope out of his bag. "Above her, I'll admit, but very nearly her exact location."
"That sounds very useful," Fluttershy said.
"Sounds like a lie," Big Mac said harshly.
"Big Macintosh!" Futtershy admonished him.
"Just sayin', sounds like a load of hooey," he retorted.
I was going to have to watch this guy. He didn't seem like the sort to be taken in by falsehoods. Well he was a Cleric, according to his class tag thingy above his head. They had the whole 'monk/priest' thing going on, right? Righteousness and virtue and all that?
"Whether you believe me or not is your own problem. Are we climbing down there?" I asked, pointing to the rope he had just tied around a tree.
"Eeeyup."
He followed this by jumping down the hole -sans rope, he let that fall alongside him,- and landing with a heavy sounding thump. I looked down the hole at him, as he looked around the room I had fell into myself only an hour or so earlier. I shot a look at Fluttershy as she spread her wings, "Yeah, no. I'm going to climb down the rope like a normal person."
She didn't respond to this, descending into the hole by her own wing power. I was left to my own devices, so I called down "Are you sure you need me down there?"
"...yes?" Fluttershy tentatively called back up.
Hmmm. Could I argue with that? If I did, would I just end up having to go back down there anyway?
"Fuck," I muttered to myself, "Fine. I'll go down the fucking hole with all the things that want to kill me, alongside the fucking guy that knows that I'm lying straight to his face. I'll climb on down, and put myself in a tiny room with him, this is a greeeeeeat fucking plan."
"Colt? You okay?" Fluttershy called up.
"Colton! And yeah, yeah. I'm coming down!"
I slowly made my way down the rope, the trip seeming to take longer than my trip up the vine that Scootaloo had found. Speaking of, where the hell did that thing go? It didn't just walk off... My feet touched down, letting me know I could tear my eyes away from the rope. I looked around, noting that Fluttershy was watching Big Mac dig at the pile of stone I had let down over the doorway.
"Find anything interesting?" I asked, picking up a chunk of rock and tossing it to the side.
"Eeeeno-"Big Mac stopped, shifting a section of the pile. The Skeleton he had uncovered took this opportunity to politely hiss at him. As politely as a fucking SKELETON can be. Big Mac responded as politely as he could as well. He unhitched Sweet Purity from his back, and brought it down on the sad sack of bones with the force of a freight train.
He brought his hammer back up, letting me see the still remains. Note that, the STILL remains. Not twitching, no sign of life -regardless of the whole SKELETON aspect- at all.
"The hell. Did you guys even need me here? Why the hell did I come if you can kill them on your own?" I asked, rankled that I hadn't gotten any EXP from the kill. Must have been because he wasn't a part of my party. I'd figure out how to leach free EXP from him at a later date.
"New enchantment," Big Mac explained. And by explained, I mean he said those two words, and nothing more. Real helpful. "A new Blessing I managed to apply to 'ol Sweet here."
Yeah, that tells me a lot. Wait, actually, it does. Cleric. He's a cleric. Holy or something, right? So he could make effects called blessings? Were they actual faith type 'blessings', or magic or what? This warranted further investigation.
"Meaning that little miss pink roots doesn't know about it, right?" I guessed.
A snort of laughter, quickly followed by silence from Big Red, a nervous chuckle from Fluttershy.
"Eeeyup."
I turned away from them, looking back towards the rope. "Can we go back now? You got proof now right? Good enough to give to the big bad boss lady?"
"As I hear it, the 'big bad' is going to be paying you for literally doing nothing," Big Mac said in a dry tone.
He had a point. If we went back now, she might renege on paying me, simply because I didn't technically do anything. I looked around the small room, trying to think of something. My eyes fell on a messy pile of books, fallen from one of the numerous bookshelves in desperate disrepair.
"Inventory," I stated, starting to collect books and slide them into my inventory. Hax didn't seem to like this all too much, as evidenced by the fact he kept on sneezing from all the dust I was moving around.
"What are you doing, Colt?" Fluttershy asked with great interest.
"Colton," I responded, brushing the dust off a book before I put it in my inventory. "I don't like the idea of being completely useless dead weight on this trip. I assume that if you 'clear' this dungeon of all the little bony's and other monsters, you're going to pack up anything of value and sell it or distribute it, right? I'm just expediting the process, as I see it. If I take all these books back in my pocket, that's one less room someone else has to sift through, and god knows how many pounds of stuff someone has to lug back up through the hole. Am I wrong in thinking this is a good idea?"
Plus, if I sheltered all of them away in my inventory, I could dole them back out at my leisure. And if it came to light through my proddings in my inventory that a book happened to be a skill book? Well I would just so happen to 'forget' to unload it. Win win. And by that, I mean I win, and I win. Best of all, no one could see into my inventory. Thank you, Gamer's ability.
"A dimensional pocket?" Fluttershy asked.
"Uh... yeah. We just call it our 'inventory', but I guess it's the same idea," I stated.
I continued to pack books away, wincing mentally as each book I picked up failed to give a 'would you like to learn so and so' message. Was I just putting them away too fast? Maybe. I slowed my pace for a couple books, turning them over in my hands and looking them over as I brushed the dust from their covers. No indicator. Nada, zip, zilch.
Neither Big Mac or Fluttershy deigned to start conversation back up, but they didn't interrupt or try to get me to stop. I continued like this for the next fifteen minutes or so, only stopping occasionally to watch as Big Mac shored up the doorway with scattered rubble or destroyed furniture.
"I've gotten... pretty much every book in here," I said, turning in a slow circle to look around and give the room a second once over. "All the ones I can see, anyway."
"We should head back," Big Mac said, startling me. Good god, for a minute I had forgotten he was there. For a guy as big as him, that was actually pretty worrying. Did he have some sort of stealth skill, or was I actually that inattentive? "Mayor Mare needs to know we have confirmation for undead. If what mah sis and her friends say are true about how many of them there are, then we could have a major problem."
Fluttershy actually let out a squeak, a petering sound that echoed around the room.
"The hell was that?" I asked incredulously. "A hissing skeleton doesn't faze you, but someone saying we might have a problem is cause for alarm?"
"I didn't really see the skeleton before Big Macintosh destroyed it," she explained. "It's just the idea that a legion of undead monstrosities could be lurking less than twenty meters away... it's enough to just..."
"We need to head back, now," Big Mac said forcefully, grabbing the rope and ascending out of sight.
"I... yes. We should go back. Back outside, where there's trees, and grass, and wind," Fluttershy muttered shakily, following him with a flap of her wings.
A single feather floated down from her departure, which I hurriedly tucked into my inventory. I could inspect it later, maybe if I learned alchemy or something I could use it. Maybe it had unique properties, it did come from a pegasus. Human... pegasus-hybrid-maybe-thing-person.
I grabbed onto the rope, slowly making my way up. After a few seconds had passed, the rope was almost jerked out of my hands as I hung on for dear life. I was hauled upwards at an unnatural rate, stopping only after I had cleared the hole and was hanging in the sunlight.
I hung there for a couple seconds, the juggernaut of a guy holding up the rope in one hand.
"Yer really light," he joked in a dry tone.
"I try to watch my girlish figure," I retorted, straining to reach the edge of the hole with my outstretched toes.He swung the rope -with me on it- back over the ground, letting me fall into an undignified heap.
"Are you okay, Colt?" Fluttershy asked.
I brushed myself off as I stood up, "I'm fine. And it's Colton. Colt-UUUUHHHHHNNN. I've corrected you like ten times now, why the heck do you keep calling me that?"
She uncomfortably avoided my gaze, staring off at the clouds in the sky. "Sorry..."
"I mean... I guess it isn't that big of a deal, but why would you keep calling me something I obviously didn't want to be called?"
She didn't respond, instead opting to fly off back towards Ponyville. I watched her retreating form for a few seconds before Big Macintosh broke the silence.
"Dun goofed... Colt."
I followed Big Mac back to Ponyville, but I didn't see Fluttershy again from our trek from the outskirts to town hall. Guess she went home. Big Mac had a heated discussion - I didn't WANT to listen in, but my listening skill skyrocketed up to level six all on it's own.- with the mayor involving the validity of skeletons. Eventually, she caved and said something along the lines that she believed him, and would send an order requisition form to Canterlot or something.
He also told her about how I picked up every last book in the room at the bottom of the hole. Fucker, I was hoping that might get lost in translation. Oh well, I could still flub the number, and just forget to regurgitate the ones I didn't want to give up.
"Oh, that sounds perfect!" she replied.
Perfect? Perfect for what? Did their local book supply go up in flames or something? That didn't bode well, that basically meant I'd have to give up more than half the books if I wanted to deflect suspicion. Hopefully not too many of them turned out to be skill books.
I was once more left to my own devices, so I decided to pull Hax's stats back up, maybe allocate a few of the points he had.
Name: Haxxors (Hax) Runt Timberwolf Familiar*Common*(passive)
Pack Alpha: Colton Niscon
Level: LV4 EXP: 77.32%
Affiliation: The Gamer
HP: 200
MP: 40
STR:14
VIT: 9
DEX:11
INT: 4
WIS: 5
LUK: 7
Point: 15
Size Level: 1
Skills: [Strong Bite LV 1 EXP: 17.06%: Additional +5 damage, COST; 10 MP.]
[Rampant Tackle LV 1 EXP: 0.00%: additional +15 damage, additional -5 to DEX, COST 20 MP.]
[Timberwolf Overgrowth LV 1 EXP: 0.00%: Boost HP Regen by 500%, COST 40 MP MINIMUM, USES ALL REMAINING MP.]
Status: Runt: -5 to STR, -5 to DEX, -5 to VIT
Info: The Runt Timberwolf Familiar's skills and attributes will mirror your own, growing and learning alongside its Pack Leader.
The Runt Timberwolf Familiar's appearance will begin to mirror your and its own actions, growing and learning alongside its Pack Leader.
Max number of Familiar *Timberwolf* you can currently have in the Pack: 1.
Nothing seemed to change since the last time, but that wasn't that big of a surprise. Not like I had gained any more experience since then...
I plopped six points into INT right off the bat, not only did I want my pooch to be as smart as he could be but I also wanted to give him more MP for his moves. With a hundred MP, He could pull off a few bites and tackles, and still be able to activate that weird 'overgrowth' regen thing. The fact that it ate up the remainder of his MP was truly a shame, meant he couldn't spam it. I still had nine points left, so I first slotted five points in WIS. Anything to get his MP regen up that much more. I put the remainder into VIT and DEX.
Name: Haxxors (Hax) Runt Timberwolf Familiar*Common*(passive)
Pack Alpha: Colton Niscon
Level: LV4 EXP: 77.32%
Affiliation: The Gamer
HP: 240
MP: 100
STR:14
VIT: 10
DEX:14
INT: 10
WIS: 10
LUK: 7
Point: 0
Size Level: 1
Skills: [Strong Bite LV 1 EXP: 17.06%: Additional +5 damage, COST; 10 MP.]
[Rampant Tackle LV 1 EXP: 0.00%: Additional +15 damage, additional -5 to DEX, COST 20 MP.]
[Timberwolf Overgrowth LV 1 EXP: 0.00%: Boost HP Regen by 500%, COST 40 MP MINIMUM, USES ALL REMAINING MP.]
[Magic Siphon LV 1 EXP: 0.00% : Drain from a singular target's MP pool. Mana drain is equal to mana gain from (Magic Siphon). Gain 1MP per attack. Magic Siphon cooldown between activation; 50 seconds.]
[Root LV 1 EXP: 0.00% : Fasten a target to the ground using organic growth. Duration 1 to 5 seconds MAX. COST 30MP]
Status: Runt: -5 to STR, -5 to DEX, -5 to VIT
Info: The Runt Timberwolf Familiar's skills and attributes will mirror your own, growing and learning alongside its Pack Leader.
The Runt Timberwolf Familiar's appearance will begin to mirror your and its own actions, growing and learning alongside its Pack Leader.
Max number of Familiar *Timberwolf* you can currently have in the Pack: 1(+1).
Ooooh, so leveling up didn't give him new skills, but leveling up his attributes did? I boosted his intelligence, so I guess that translated into him gaining magic oriented skills... Magic Siphon... it was practically useless as it was currently. I'd have to help him level that up as soon as possible. If I could get it to where he gained at least ten MP per attack, he could reliably stay in the fight for a good amount of time.
Through A Special Action, A Skill To Lead a Pack, (Pack Leader), Has Been Created.
Pack Leader(passive) LV1 EXP: 1.92%
+3% Damage for all Canid type creatures in the pack
+3% Damage reduction for all Canid type creatures in the pack
+3% HP Regen for all Canid type creatures in the pack
+3% MP Regen for all Canid type creatures in the pack
+20 HP for all Canid type creatures in the pack
+5 MP for all Canid type creatures in the pack
+1 to Pack Size
Oh, now THAT was awesome! It not only boosted the attack for Hax, but it also... I guess It allowed me to go get another timberwolf? Maybe? I scoured Hax's status window, smiling as I saw a certain bit of info. Max number of Familiar *Timberwolf* you can currently have in the Pack: 1(+1). The plus one had to be from the leader skill thing, which was a huge boon! All I had to do now was... go back into the forest. And find a dangerous magic animal that in it's natural state, looked exactly like a pile of leaves and other forest things. In the forest. And then I'd have to hope my 'monster trap' thing would actually work. Which it might not.
I quickly pulled up the stats for the "Monster Trap', wincing as I saw that it was indeed, a 30% chance at success. As in, a 70% chance at failure. Not in my favor.
Okay, so I'd look into getting another Timberwolf... but it didn't say it HAD to be a Timberwolf. It just said canid type critters. That meant dog, right? So I could potentialy have a pack of all different kinds of dogs? Cool? I guess? Well at the very least, I knew the basic area where to find timberwolves. If I could just find some way to ensure that I wouldn't get my feet chewed off if things went wrong...
ID CREATE. In the manga, it created a pocket dimension that he was immediately transported to. So theoretically, If I learned that I could potentially make tracks outta dodge whenever I wanted. Plus I'd get the ability to use magic in the process. If I could get it to work.
I slumped in my chair, trying to shut out the conversation from the other room. How the hell did he do it again? Something about strength? Hands and strength.
'Just put some strength into your hands,' if I was remembering correctly. I tried to follow that instruction, focusing on the feeling in my hands. I imagined them steadily growing hotter, a heat drifting down and pooling in them.
A Skill Has Been Created Through A Special Action
The Skill To Directly Use Mana, [Mana Bolt], Has Been Created
Mana Bolt (Active) LV1 EXP:0.0%
A skill that attacks by emitting mana.
Attack power increases by INT
Range 10 m.
Good, I was on the right track. So to make an imaginary pocket dimension... Appear.
Appear.
Appear, Illusion Barrier!
A Skill Has Been Created Through A Special Action
A Skill To Make Illusion Barriers, (ID Create), Has Been Created
ID Create (Active) LV1 EXP 0.0%
A skill to create Instant Dungeons
Stronger Instant Dungeons may be created according to skill level
The conversation, -and really all sounds- died out suddenly. I looked around, noting as it still appeared I was still within Town Hall. I got out of my chair, slinking forward to knock on miss Mares office door.
"Hello? Anyone in there?"
I opened the door cautiously, noting with satisfaction that there was no one inside. It worked. Now just to create the skill to get back out, ID Escape. I closed the door -kinda unneeded, but I did it anyway- and sat back down in my chair. I went through the process again, the varriation this time being that I kept on chanting 'I want to escape' in my head.
The air cracked around me, falling apart in shimmering fragments that crumbled to nothing. Ambient sound returned, letting me hear that Big Mac and Mare named Mayor were still talking.
A Skill Has Been Created Through A Special Action
A Skill To Get Out Of The Instant Dungeon Illusion Barrier, (ID Escape), Has Been Created
ID Escape (Active) LV1 EXP: 0.0%
Used to Escape Instant Dungeons
It worked. Good, now I had a viable route of escape from any dangerous situations.
Plus I could now use magic. If I could just skip a few steps and get the rest of his altered Mana Bolt spells... maybe town hall isn't the best place to play around with exploding balls of magic. Just maybe.
I picked Hax off of my shoulder, turning him back and forth. He didn't look any smarter. Or stronger. Hax cocked his head to the side, looking me over as well. I was suddenly hit by a certain thought. Was he thinking the same thing about me?
"Hey," I started off, bringing him closer to my face, "I put six points into your intelligence. You any smarter?"
He didn't respond, unsurprisingly. He did however strain forward and lick me right on the lips. Uggghh, tree sap, gross...
I set him down on my lap, contemplating his existence. He looked like a bundle of twigs, leaves, and other greenery. His spit was apparently sap, however the heck that worked. Petting him... his body actually felt just like really coarse hair, not sharp or rough tree stuff. His eyes were apparently hollows, filled with a soft green light. That was kinda weird. His tail was the softest part of him, even though it looked to be made of the same material as the rest of him.
"Colt," Big Mac said, somehow suddenly standing right in front of me. I REFUSE to believe I'm that fucking inattentive! He had to have some sort of stealth skill, no one that fucking big was that fucking quiet! "Mayor wants to see you."
I got my beating heart back under control, watching as he clomped off. No way in hell I missed him, making all that noise. After I caught my breath, I made my way back inside Mayor Mare's office. Hax of course took residence up on my shoulder again.
"Mr. Niscon, so good to see you again. I believe we have a matter of residence to sort out?"
I looked around the room, noting the litany of bookshelves peppering the walls. The scent of them permeated the air, infusing the room with that oh so good wood pulp smell. This was offset by the warring smell of a grove of thriving trees.
I was inside a hollowed out, still living tree, after all.
How the fuck does that work? Fuck if I know. Magic, if I were to guess. Seems to be these people go to answer for pretty much anything else.
"This is..."
"Would this be satisfactory, Mr. Niscon?" Mayor Mare asked, startling me out of my reverie. Kept forgetting she was there. "There is an attached living space, as well as a spacious basement for any storage concerns. I can personally attest to the quality of the kitchen appliances, they're all powered by the earth itself, along with the plumbing!"
They had plumbing? They had fucking plumbing, but still had dirt roads? What kind of bullshit was that? Gah, I can't complain about anything in this fucking place without it becoming trite. Magic. Magic answers ANYTHING. Fucking bullshit.
"I can of course offer you a weeks residence as we previously agreed," she started, drawing my attention, "But if you were willing to make this a more... lasting placement..."
I stared at her for a few seconds before I responded. "I'm listening."
"Well, as it so happens, Golden Oaks Library had a competent caretaker until about two months ago. A Mr. Pen Wright had been living here for the past twenty eight years, but decided to move to Manehatton to live with his granddaughter. The only other scholar we have currently living in Ponyville owns her own house, and has a profession she decided she couldn't give up. Ms. Cheerilee is a good sort, putting her job as a schoolteacher before her own personal wants..." she trailed off, reminiscing on some memory or something. I fake sneezed to draw her attention back to the current point, "Oh, yes. So we are in need of somepony to deal with the upkeep, organization, so on and so forth regarding Golden Oaks. If you took up these duties, I could see about extending your residency indefinitely. As well as sending pay your way, it's not like I could ask you to do this job for free."
Was she fucking serious? She was not only offering me technically my own house, to do whatever the fuck I wanted in, but also offering to fucking pay me for that too? As long as I kept the place tidy, I guess.
I'd have to be fucking insane not to take this deal!
{Quest alert}
You've been offered a job!
Sucess conditions: Accept.
Failure: Rebuke the offer
Rewards: Indefinite Residency within Golden Oaks, and all the paperwork that goes with it.
25 EXP
50 Bits.
Now that was even better, I couldn't say no now! Fifty bits, just for getting a place to sleep? That was insane over the price the other quest gave me...
"You got yourself a deal, Mayor," I said, offering my hand for a handshake.
She took it in her own and gave it a single firm shake.
"Well then. May I be the first to welcome you, Colton Niscon. Classless Scholar, Welcome to Ponyville!"
Everything... was going my way. |
The Gamer; Displaced Equestria | 5- Getting Settled In | After she left, I set about going through the books I had gotten from the ruin. Turns out a majority of them were worthless to me. The ones that weren't damaged in some way were all manifests of some sort, in the end I only came out with three actual spellbooks. Two of which were the ones I picked off of the top of the pile from the start. So my actions had been almost completely unprofitable towards my repertoire.
Had a bunch of books to catalog and shelve, at least.
The first one was-
Spirit Technique Of the Lunar Sister
Of course I immediately tried to learn it, but it informed me I needed an INT of 20. So against my better instincts, I poured 11 of my points into INT. Trying again, this new message popped up.
A Skill Has Been Learned From A Skill Book
Spirit Technique Of the Lunar Sister(active&passive) LV 1 EXP: 0.00%
A basic inner Mana technique developed by the Sister of the Moon. It purifies Mana and allows the user to store it within their Mana center, enabling the user to freely manipulate the power.
After the development of the inner Mana techniques, Ponies have become able to overcome the limits of the Equine species.
The increase amount depends on the amount of inner Mana. Inner Mana level (MP) permanently increases from inner Mana training.
Passively increases STR by 10%.
Passively increases DEX by 10%.
Passively increases VIT by 10%.
Passively increases INT by 10%.
Passively increases WIS by 10%.
Additional 30% increase in STR when active.
Additional 30% increase in DEX when active.
Able to use Mana Strike when active
That... that was almost exactly like another one of The Gamers almost starting skills. One of the Chunbu skills. Was the parallel important? Or was it just coincidence? The next book didn't give me any problems, immediately allowing me to learn it.
Solar Meditation(active) LV 1 EXP: 0.00%
A method to regain used up Inner Mana and recovers it quite rapidly. Additional 30 MP gain per minute when activated. External shock may break Mana meditation and cause you to fall into a state of Mana Confusion.
(Solar Meditation) will recover an additional 40 MP per minute if performed in sunlight.
They were the exact same damn skills! They just changed the name, and changed 'ki' to 'mana'. Seriously, how lazy can you be? Of course the fact that the solar one gave additional benefits for being in sunlight was... weird, I guess. The last book in the trio was a brown covered book, with three stars inlaid in the cover. It was a shame that it had to be destroyed.
Starswirls Shortcoming(passive) LV 1 EXP: 0.00%
Basic mana technique developed by Starswirl himself. Starswirls Shortcoming is based off observing the Earth Pony form in comparison to his own Unicorn physiology. Makes the body strong and increases the body's defense power.
Increases STR by 10%.
Increases DEX by 10%.
Increases VIT by 10%.
Increases VIT recovery rate by 10%.
Increases stamina recovery rate by 10%.
That... again, it sounded stupidly familiar to what the other skills were called. If the 'game' or whatever was 'in charge' -I sure hope there was someone watching over me, didn't just leave me to rot in Ponyville.- wanted to shove these skills down my throat, why not at least let them stay the same?
I had the same skills being called two different things in my head, it was kinda confusing to keep straight.
Absorbing skill books... it was weird. It wasn't like I read them and their contents, it was like I wrote them myself. I could remember each word being written down, smell the ink as quill touched the paper, remember my emotions and what I was feeling as I wrote it all down. I understood immediately exactly how each of the spells were supposed to work... but then it faded.
The feelings I had as I was absorbing them slowly faded dying down into a dull feeling. I could remember, but once again they were just books that had been written by someone else. So, weird feeling. It was like someone flashed an incredible wealth of knowledge in front of my eyes, and I blinked.
I now had a better understanding of mana though, My stats weren't the only thing that was passively altered by the consumption of these books. I could probably end up activating them without even saying the activation phrases... better not to push it. I'd stick with verbal mutterings for now, at least at the start.
These were actually an incredible find, so early on. They would boost my abilities far beyond what I was normally possible of doing, allowing me to level up that much faster. I was only a level 6 after all.
"ID Create," I said for what seemed like the hundredth time since the mayor mare named Mayor Mare who is a mayor and is not a mare left.
I followed that with a quick "ID Escape", slowly creeping my way up to level two. The sooner I could get to a level that allowed me access to the time warping ID, the sooner I could begin grinding in earnest. Till that point, I'd be crawling along at a glacial pace.
"ID Create." 62%
"ID Escape. ID Create." 75%
"ID Escape. ID Create." 90%
Alright, so I skipped a bunch of them, but it's not like we should dwell on that, right? I would have thought it would have leveled up earlier. So tedious.
"ID Create."
You gained 1 skill level
ID Create (active) LV 2 EXP: 1.02%
Used to create instant dungeons.
Stronger instant dungeons may be created at higher levels.
Currently available ID list:
1. Empty ID- monsters: none.
2. Timberwolf ID- monsters: timberwolves.
3. Zombie ID- monsters: zombies.
4. Combined ID- monsters: timberwolves, zombies.
I... what? Why the hell was 'timberwolves' on the list? It should have been zombies and ghosts, we never got to see it in the manga but it still should have been there!
To say I felt cheated was an understatement.
"ID Escape, Timberwolf ID," I said on a whim. I found the world melting around myself, slowly coming back into focus as it reformed itself as to my request. I was still inside the library, but it had subtly changed around me. Instead of the uncleaned building I had found myself in, it appeared to have a 'ruins' filter overlaid over everything. There were cobwebs over everything, and even the light itself seemed a little bit darker, a little bit bleaker.
Everything looked damaged, even the window I was standing in front of was shattered beyond anything someone like I could possibly fix. Thank goodness this was an ID thingy, I like having windows I can close.
I gave the edge of the window a shove, wincing as the rotted wood splintered and sent the window shattering off of its hinges. Judging by the distant howls I heard out of the gaping hole, this was obviously a bad, bad idea.
Hax let out a low whine, reminding me that he had come along for the ride.
"Don't worry little guy," I tried to assure him, "I just wanna look around for a couple minutes, see if I can't find another lone wolf. See if I can't get you a little brother... and speak of the devil," I ended, looking out the window. Prowling outside the front door and trying to find a way in was just what I had asked for. "Am I lucky? Or am I just lucky. Hax, can you do something for me?"
Hax cocked his head to the side, giving me a look that said 'what".
"Can you activate one of your abilities for me? I want you to 'root' that doggy out there," I said, pointing at the increasingly agitated timberwolf. It sounded like it was trying to dig through the half destroyed door.
Hax dug his claws into my shoulder, leaning to better look off over the lip of the window. He let out a little 'arf!' and looked like he was straining for a couple seconds. A panicked whine sounded from below, and when I looked back out I could see an almost web of growth reaching up to encircle the lone timberwolfs' legs.
"Good job boy," I said, reaching up to give him a brief ear scratch. I had to be quick, from what I remembered the root skill wouldn't last long. I half hopped out of the window, trusting that the two story jump wouldn't hurt me too badly due to 'Gamers Body'. Thankfully I wasn't wrong in my suspicions. Only twelve damage.
"Monster trap!" I called out, grasping the slightly glowing window that suddenly appeared in front of me. I suppose I had to use it exactly like I had with my inventory to catch Hax...
I whipped it down over the timberwolf's head, smiling in anticipation. That was so fucking easy! This was a guaranteed thing, in the bag! The wolf was actually sucked into the window, and it began to shake in my hands. The fuck was it doing? I already caught it, if I had failed It wouldn't have sucked it up or-
A glowing red X appeared on the side of the window facing me, before the entire fucking thing exploded.
I got blown backwards, Hax landing on my face as I came to a rest in a crumpled heap.
"raff..." Hax let out with a slight whine.
"Fuck... you can say that again," I wheezed out, checking my status and surroundings.
I had taken an additional thirty damage from whatever the hell that was, and Hax had taken a single ten. Lucky bastard. The timberwolf was nowhere to be seen, regardless of how hard I looked. Hanging in the air in front of me was a new window.
Monster Trap Failed!
Backlash!: 40 Damage
Timberwolf: Dispelled
Acquired item: Damaged Timberwolf Soul Gem
"Screw it, I can look at that later," I claimed, quickly making my way to me feet. A quick check assured me I made no EXP from that, even though it apparently destroyed it. So the attempt itself destroyed it? How did that affect all monsters? It's not like I could reliably depend on defeating timberwolves like this, if anything this was abjectly a bad thing. I may have gotten an item out of it, but that in itself wasn't a guaranteed thing.
I got backlash? Because the skill failed? Shit, I should have checked its level beforehand, if it was lower than mine I would have gotten the +5% bonus... or maybe that had been added to the attempt anyway, and I still fucked it up. Regardless, next time I needed to start off with an 'observe'. Stupid, so fucking stupid.
I heard a series of echoing howls, and twisted my head to look. I couldn't see any enemies in the street, but they didn't sound all that far off. I was already down forty health, I didn't want to tangle with a group of enemies with only Hax to fight alongside me in a situation like this. We were both woefully under-prepared for a real fight right off the bat, I had definitely been hoping I could just go out and nab another timberwolf.
Looks like he wouldn't get a new brother any time soon. Or maybe I'd just have to wait until next time, we might get lucky.
"Escape I-" I started, before a thought struck me. I didn't want to pop back into reality out in front of the tree-house, wasn't even sure if I would but it didn't hurt to stack the deck. I hurriedly clamped my lips shut, Looking back at the sagging tree.
I really shouldn't have just jumped out the window. That was extremely stupid of me. The doorway was almost completely blocked off, even with all the progress the timberwolf had made with its wild digging at it.
I poked at it for a couple seconds, making little headway. I peered back up towards the window, quickly ascertaining that I wasn't going to be able to climb back up easily.
"Screw it, Escape ID," I stated, twitching as reality superimposed itself over the rotting facade it had worn seconds previously. It was really an uncomfortable sensation, even knowing that it had been a fake version of the world I found myself in. Reminded me of that one Lemony Snicket commercial. The one movie with Tim Carey. Love that guy.
"Agh!" an outburst of surprise sounded from behind me, and I whipped around to identify the source.
Fuck.
I had apparently popped back into existence right in front of the three girls I had found earlier.
"Apologies, still getting the hang of that," I lied, turning around to face them head on. "You'd be surprised how hard it is to keep orientation straight when teleporting. So, something you girls needed? Or were you just coming by to check out a book? Don't know if you've heard or not, but you are now looking at the new librarian of Ponyville," I said with false enthusiasm, striking a pose and wiping a piece of imaginary lint off of my shoulder. The one Hax wasn't perched on, of course.
You might view this as unnecessary. You might be right. But it seemed to do the trick. All three of them each gave me a stereotypical 'Ooooh' and even an 'Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh'.
"So yer gonna be stayin'?" Applebloom asked, not quite a tone of elation in her voice, but at least it wasn't as unenthusiastic as 'bored'.
"Yes indeed, little lady," I confirmed, mentally wincing as their expressions didn't change from their normal 'happy child' norm. Why the hell were they here, anyway? "As per the agreement I signed, I now have indeterminate residency. If I read the papers correctly, I can actually even buy the library if I manage to scrape together the required money. Its a bit of a longshot, but I could even be looking at a permanent position." Not that long of a longshot, if I could grind boss monsters within the confines of the various ID's. They should give not only loot, but copious amounts of money. Hopefully.
"So you could be staying here for good?" Scootaloo questioned. Don't really like it when people ask a question I just fucking answered. Makes me question their overall intelligence.
"Uh... yeah."
"Cool."
Glad to see they had some similarities to normal girls. I was beginning to worry.
"Cool indeed. So again I'll ask, why're you here? Certainly I don't warrant the attention of three monster slaying warriors such as yourselves?" I said, noting with satisfaction that they all had varying expressions ranging from embarrassment to smugness. Looks like I had poked the right buttons.
"That's why I wanted to talk to you," Scootaloo of all people spoke up. "We noticed you aren't exactly... the greatest fighter. Like, at all. So I-"
Applebloom elbowed her in the side, followed by a scathing glare from Sweetiebelle.
"We,"she continued sheepishly, "thought we'd offer our expertise," she put a lot of inflection on the last word, making me think she probably didn't know what it meant. The other one must have told her to say it, her sister did seem like a socialite, and if she spent any time around her she probably would inevitably pick up some more articulate words. "You know, if you wanted any. Any help, I mean, most ponies just take up an exercise class if they want to get in shape, but if you want to get yourself in fighting shape we'd be more than willing to help!"
"Uh-huh..." I replied, drawing out a pause of silence. They sounded pretty straightforward, but I'd be a fool not to at least try to see if they had ulterior motives.
That being considered, in the manga the main character had his best friend who just so happened to a bit of a master martial artist. He probably wouldn't have progressed as he had if he hadn't had someone experienced to spar against.
I currently had no one. Well, I had Hax, but I don't think he'd be much of a help in that department.
"Not that I'm outright saying no, but do you know of anyone... better qualified to teach a novice?" I asked, a hint of laughter edging its way into my voice.
"We are qualified!" Scootaloo claimed.
"Oh? So you can show me some papers, documents so on and so forth that show you are legally warranted to teach me?"
All three bowed their heads as one, obviously not expecting any resistance. I nearly laughed at the sight, but if I didn't say something soon they might get the wrong idea and not realize that I was joking.
"Hey hey hey! I'm just pulling your legs, I'd be more than happy to receive any help if you're willing to offer it. First things first though, do any of you know where I could get some training weights? Like, clothes or something that I can wear, but are super heavy."
Again in unison, they all gave me a look of confusion.
"Why?" came from Sweetiebelle.
"Well if I'm going to be training, I want to be training," I said with false determination. They didn't seem to notice my playacting, however. "Going all out, not simply lazing around as I lift five pounds above my head every couple of minutes."
The three of them suddenly gathered into a whispering huddle, their conversation too fast for me to track with my listening skill. If that would have helped at all, given that it described itself as allowing me to hear muted conversation while saying nothing about keeping track of people who talk fast.
"-do you?"
"-dunno where mine-"
"-bet Rainbow has-"
"-used to have some, dunno where he puts 'em-"
"-could just ask my-"
"-I AM CONTRIBUTING," I drawled in a monotone, having sneaked forward and placed my face right between Applebloom and Sweetiebelle's.
"-uff," Hax huffed, sitting on Appleblooms other shoulder. Guess that boost to his INT really did its job, little bugger was definitely smarter than I gave him credit for.
"This is kinda awkward," Scootaloo claimed, despite the fact that she and the rest didn't move from the huddle. Hax decided to give her cheek a lick.
"Well, ah was just sayin' that mah brother probably has some, but ah don't really know where he keeps 'em," Applebloom explained, an uncomfortable expression flitting across her face. I think. Kinda hard to tell by looking at her face sideways.
"I've never had any," Scootaloo claimed, "my dad just has me use practice on getting faster with the weapons I have," at this, she unhooked one of her... punching blades? Things? She unhooked one of them from her waist and held it out in the middle of our impromptu circle.
Still, not one of them had broken the huddle. I was beginning to think this was a liiiittle fucking weird.
"He says that training with weights might end up hampering my progress in the short run. I can't start using them until I'm older."
"I don't use them at all, they're really not that useful for a bard. I mean, I guess I might be able to use them to make it so I could run faster or something. That's besides the point though, my sister could probably make you something, if you're okay with the end result looking overly shiny and fashionable..." Sweetiebelle clammed up after a few seconds, plunging us into silence once more.
"Soooooo, I don't wanna be a jerk and break up what might be a pleasant moment, but is it normal to just stay in a huddle with some random guy you literally just met that same day?" I asked, the muscles in my back starting to strain due to my posture. I could put my full weight on either of the girls to my sides, but I don't think they'd like that.
"Nope," Applebloom muttered.
"Not really," came easily from Sweetiebelle.
"This is actually pretty dang weird," Scootaloo whined.
"Good enough for me!" I claimed, leaning back out of the circle and popping my back as Hax leaped back onto my shoulder. Huh. Mighta thought he would stick around on Applebloom for a while. Weird dog.
"So what are we waiting for? I'm not gonna be able to get training gear just standing here," I stated, spinning on my heel. I got two steps before I realized something crucial to my plan. "Uh... wait..." I turned around, flashing an apologetic grin, "Where are we going? Your purple haired sister, right?"
"Rarity," Sweetiebelle affirmed.
Right.
We headed over to the odd shaped building her sister had set up shop in, Sweetiebelle leading the way. What? I didn't remember where the hell it was. This town was deceptively large.
On the way, the three of them prattled on about a myriad of different topics. Applebloom started off talking about how she was planning on upgrading some sort of wagon -I really don't know. From the way she was talking, it kinda sounded like she was talking about a red rider wagon.-, which was apparently powered by Scootaloo attaching her scooter -Yeah. Scootaloo rides a scooter. What next, is Applebloom going to end up being... an apple farmer or something? Maybe Sweetiebelle rings a sweet ass bell.- and buzzing her wings. Their words, not mine. Buzzing.
Hey, if she wanted to describe her wings as 'buzzy' then that wasn't any of my business.
Scootaloo talked about how she was going to go watch some chick named 'Rainbow Dash' -good god, and I thought Fluttershy was a god awful name- do some sort of aerial practice. 'Super awesome tricks an stuff'.
Sweetiebelle was by far the most normal of the three in my opinion, ending their conversation on how she had to practice on her lute. Neat. Apparently her parents were on her case because she was spending most of her time with her friends, skiving off time she said she would set aside for it.
Kids will be kids.
We finally reached the paradox of pony proportions known as the one building that looked like a carousel. Because, you know. Little horses skewered on poles, forced to bob up and down as tacky music plays. Should totally put that in a pony town, THAT makes sense.
We entered, and after the horned lady got her introductions out of the way again -like I wouldn't know who I had been talking to for the last ten fucking minutes- we got our discussion of proper business underway.
"Well, what are you asking for, specifically?" she asked in a soft tone, "I've actually finished repairing your shirt, I set it aside right over here."
Well wasn't that the million dollar question. Million... bit? Bit question? Whatever.
"Thanks, again. What I want, with as much clarity as I can muster, is I want pants, shoes, and a shirt. The purpose for these would ultimately be training, so I'll leave the color, cloth and whatever up to you. I have fifty five bits, and I'd like these three items to be made as durable, and as heavy as those bits can allow. Ideally, I'd like both the pants and the shirt to be at least forty pounds each, if that's at all possible. Of course I'd like them to also be as comfortable as possible at that, seeing as I plan to be exercising in them. Is that comprehensive enough to start from?"
She blinked slowly at me, giving me a measured look. "In all honestly, that's a fair amount than I usually get from my usual clientele. Those that are local to Ponyville are better than most, but you won't believe how many times all the information I receive as to what somepony is looking for as 'I want a green dress, but I don't want the bad green."
Ah. Of course she would be familiar with the idiotic customer base. Even in... pony(?) version of medieval dark ages, customers wore their fucking idiot badges with pride, thinking they were made of gold.
"Well, as one who has worked in retail before, you have my condolences for your woes," I replied. "So will fifty five bits be enough for what I'm asking?"
She took a couple seconds to consider, sadly shaking her head. "I'm sorry, but what you're asking for is a specialty job. Heavy fabric... perhaps woven gold... interlaced with cotton... That still won't be nearly as heavy as you're asking for. I'd have to enchant it to be heavier, heh, usually it's the other way around..." she mused, pacing in a circle around the shop. "I'm sorry, but for what you're asking, it will have to be quite a bit more. I can make the boots for around forty bits, maybe thirty five if I still have the supplies I think I do, and don't have to send an order to Manehatton..."
Ponyville. Manehatton. Fuck all, was every town name I was going to come across going to be some sort of horrible pony pun?
Regardless. This raised some problems, ones that I could probably remedy with little trouble. I didn't have enough bits, but if I could start killing off boss monsters in the ID's, I'd have access to a nearly unlimited amount of money. Hopefully. It might decide to give me US dollars, or yen, and not the shiny bits these guys passed around.
And even if it did give me bits, in a small community like this it might become heavily suspicious for the new librarian to suddenly have hundreds upon thousands of bits from not doing anything. I'd have to be careful in how I flashed my coin.
To add to that, it was never really clarified in the manga whether the money was considered counterfeit or not. I'd have to find someone willing to take them in exchange for real bits if that turned out to be the case. Regardless, maybe I could start off doing what the three 'Crusaders' were doing. Odd jobs, for bits. At least I think that's what they had been doing.
Just until I could reliably grind the ID's.
A spark of inspiration flashed in my mind.
"What about layaway? Would a situation where you make the stuff, give it to me and I pay you off as I acquire the required money sound like a good deal to you? I just got signed on as the librarian of Golden Oaks, so I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. And besides the government paycheck Mayor Mare said I'd be getting, I also plan on doing as many odd jobs as I can for a bit to get me in better shape."
And to gain all the EXP and Bits that were likely to be added as quest rewards, but she didn't need to know about that.
"Layaway..." she muttered, tapping at the thick red rims of the glasses she was wearing. Odd, seeing as she wasn't wearing them the last time I was here. "I can't say that the idea is completely unfounded, but I will have to hold you to your agreement. No exceptions. Even though you did help out my sister, you are still relatively new in town. I have to treat you with at the very least, a degree of wariness."
Smart, but that worked against my goals.
"I swear I'll be good for it, I already have a place to stay, and it came with a prestocked kitchen. So I won't have to waste money on lodgings or food. I'm sure I'll be able to scrounge up enough money in a week or two, if what the girls told me about the plethora of jobs available pans out."
"Hmm," she mumbled, glancing over at the three girls. "I guess I can make an exception. If you don't mind, I'll be taking payment for the boots upfront at the very least, we can work out the cost of the other garments."
"Raf!"
"Oh," I grunted, remembering my diminutive pup. "Almost forgot a crucial detail. Hax here seems to like sitting on my shoulders. any chance you could reinforce the shoulders against little wolf claws or something?"
"Of course, that won't be any trouble at all," she replied, taking my forty bits as I passed them to her. Yeah she said it might only be thirty five, but why not stack the deck and not antagonize her by trying to skimp off as much as I could?
She had me strip down to my shorts, levitating a measuring tape around me to take my measurements. Even measured my feet, so I guess she actually really knew what she was doing. It didn't even occur to me that she might need to measure my foot, I guess I never really thought about it. I always just go in the shoe store, and try on any 7's that catch my eye, see if they're comfortable or not.
"Well I guess that's settled," I stated glibly once we were outside. "Sorry to put my shopping concerns on your girls shoulders again, but would any of you happen to know where I might be able to buy a dog? I don't want Hax to get lonely..."
Plus I wanted to get another dog so I could properly utilize the full extent of the 'pack leader' skill. It said I could have two canid's in the pack, so It was to my best interest I got another one as soon as possible.
All three of them got a look of... well, I hesitate to call it happiness, as disturbed as I was by the sudden display, but they all looked happy. Super happy. 'AAAAAAGGGGHHH run and hide' made its way across my mind, but I squashed it down.
"We know just the pony!" they practically all yelled out at once. Fucking stereo surround. Not desirable for when the 'speakers' are gathered around you in a circle, and have lung capacity which could rival a horse.
"Agh. No. Don't do that. Too loud."
"Sorry," came synchronized from the trio.
"It's... that's okay. So who is this mystery 'pony' selling puppies?" I said, trying my hand at alliteration.
They each gave me a wide brilliant grin, and said as one-
"Fluttershy!~" |
The Gamer; Displaced Equestria | Maybe... In The Future? | Gilgamesh LV∞
<Immortal Badass of Badassitude>
HP:∞
MP:∞
-LV9999
STR:∞
VIT:∞
DEX:∞
INT:∞
WIS:∞
LUK:∞
-Status: Gilgamesh; be awesome and say 'fuck it' to the normality of common stats. Decide what you want your stats to be and just keep increasing incrementally them from there.
-Fanboy; -25% to ALL gained EXP.
-Praise the Sun; +25% to ALL gained EXP, as long as you start the day off praising the almighty sunbutt's sun marked butt.
-Praise the Moon; +25% to ALL gained EXP, as long as you start the night off praising the glory of Princess Luna's shapely shanks.
Now for the actual sheet written up by our very own shinigamisparda!
Gilgamesh LV 1,062
<Displaced Wandering Warrior>
HP: 5,190
MP: 940
CP: 349
RP: 640
KP: 767
STR: 134
VIT: 385
DEX: 255
INT: 94
WIS: 127
LUK: 45
Status: Legendary Warrior; +10 to STR, VIT, and DEX. +1 to STR, VIT, and DEX per LV.
-Famed in Battle; +90% Reputation from those who know of any of his deeds.
-Combat Incarnate; 70% chance of inflicting (Terror/Fear) debuff on ALL enemies who know of him.
-One With the Wind; +50% Damage, -70% MP cost for Wind elemental attacks. Any non-combat Wind techniques use no MP. +50% Resistance to Wind attacks.
-Heat of Battle; +25% Damage, -30% MP cost for Fire elemental attacks. +10% Resistance to Fire attacks.
-Supreme Commander; +30% INT and WIS when commanding a party of 10 or more.
-They Were My Responsibility; -30% INT and WIS when those he is commanding suffer death or serious injury. Debuff lasts one minute per injured subordinate.
-Hero of Equus; +1,000% Reputation with ALL citizens of his version of Equus.
-I Fight for my Friends; +10% INT and WIS when in a party with those he considers friends.
-Those are my Friends You're Hurting!; +50% STR, VIT, DEX, and LUK when attacking an opponent that kills or seriously wounds one he views as a friend.
-That's Amore; +30% INT, WIS, LUK, and Reputation when interacting with any version of Princess Luna who both finds him attractive and he finds attractive.
-To Court the Moon; +80% INT, WIS, LUK, and Reputation when interacting with his own version of Princess Luna.
-YOU DARE HARM HER!?; +300% STR, VIT, DEX, and LUK, -30% INT and WIS, and (Enraged) debuff when his version of Princess Luna is severely wounded.
-All Life is Precious; +50% VIT when attempting to defeat a sentient opponent without killing them.
-Can't We All Just Get Along?; +40% INT, WIS, LUK, and Reputation when attempting negotiate peace between others.
-Art of Ninjutsu; All techniques based around Chakra draw from a separate source than MP. Adds Chakra Points (CP) to stats. CP calculated DEX+INT.
-Art of Sendo; All techniques based around Hamon/The Ripple draw from a separate source than MP. Adds Ripple Points (RP) to stats. RP calculated VIT+DEX.
-Art of Ansatsuken; All techniques based around Ki draw from a separate source than MP. Adds Ki Points (KP) to stats. KP calculated VIT+DEX+WIS.
-Pokemon Power; All techniques based around Pokemon moves have their own number of uses (PP) separate from MP.
-Shifter Power; All techniques based around Gravity Shifter powers draw from their own source.
-Stand Power; All techniques based around the stand Tusk function as projectile items and do not use any meters.
-Rotation Power; All techniques based around The Rotation can be used indefinitely.
-Haki Power; All techniques based around Haki can be used indefinitely.
-Cue the Fight Song!; +5% STR, VIT, DEX, and INT when playing a song in battle.
-The Highest form of Flattery; When using or imitating the technique of another character, acting like that character and/or using the technique in the same way they would increases its power and effectiveness by +20%.
-This Ain't a Battlefield, It's a Dance Floor!; +40% DEX and LUK when dancing in a fight.
-Leitmotif; +30% STR, VIT, DEX, and INT when playing a character's theme song when using or imitating their techniques.
-Jam on the Big Bridge; +50% to ALL stats when playing any version of (Clash on the Big Bridge) during battle.
-DO YOU EVEN POSE!?; +10 to ALL stats after making a dramatic pose. Buff lasts one minute. Can stack multiple (DO YOU EVEN POSE!?).
-Hot Blooded; +40% STR and VIT when enjoying a challenge.
-Heroic Willpower; 100% chance of resisting a successful 1HKO technique. -10% each time technique is resisted. Recovers after battle.
-Ain't that Punny?; +5% to ALL stats if a pun is made that someone laughs at. -5% to ALL stats if a pun is made and no one laughs.
-Aura Sense; +5 INT and WIS. Allows user to sense position of others in a 1 mile range, emotional disposition of others in a 30ft range, and whether or not someone is transformed in any way in a 10ft range.
-Mix and Match; Able to use weapons from other transformations at the cost of -25% damage.
-An Extension of the Body; All weapons can be controlled even when not being held. -50% damage for melee weapons.
EQUIPMENT
-Genji Gloves; +12 Defense. -6 DEX. +10% magic resistance. +25% Fire and Ice resistance. Immunity to Paralyze and Frog statuses. Part of a legendary set meant to be worn only be the greatest of warriors. Said to have gained its strength through centuries of blood, sweat, and dust.
-Genji Helm; +18 Defense. -4 DEX. +50% magic resistance. +25% Lighting and Wind resistance. Immunity to Confuse and Sleep statuses. Part of a legendary set meant to be worn only be the greatest of warriors. Said to have gained its strength through centuries of blood, sweat, and dust.
-Genji Armor; +22 Defense. -8 DEX. +20% magic resistance. +25% Earth and Water resistance. Immunity to Mini and Aging statuses. Part of a legendary set meant to be worn only be the greatest of warriors. Said to have gained its strength through centuries of blood, sweat, and dust.
-Genji Shield; +9 Defense. -6 DEX. +10% magic resistance. +25% Poison and Holy resistance. +50% chance to completely negate physical attacks. +25% chance to completely negate magical attacks. Immunity to Poison and Blind statuses. Part of a legendary set meant to be worn only be the greatest of warriors. Said to have gained its strength through centuries of blood, sweat, and dust.
-Special Effect Genji Set; Immunity to ALL negative status effects. -95% chance of 1HKO. Triggered when all Genji Equipment is equipped.
-Scarf of Epicness; +5 DEX. +5% Reputation EXP. Woven by Rarity and enchanted by Typhon and Geo, this scarf will never age, never take damage, and can transform into dragon wings to allow flight.
-Enkidu; +109 Damage. Originally unnamed but later christened after a loyal companion, it is indestructible, will never lose its edge, and can cut holes in reality and allow the user to travel to any place they have been before as well as other universes.
1st transformation: +250% to ALL stats
EQUIPMENT
-Spear; +119 Damage. The form Enkidu takes when he transforms. Currently unnamed, but possesses all the abilities of its previous form.
-Axe; +91 Damage. A powerful one handed axe. Also unnamed.
-Claws; +87 Damage. Well-made claws. Also unnamed. "I really need to think of names for these things."
-Caliburn; +100 Damage. 20% of total damage converted to Fire. Can cast Firaga. Formerly the ultimate joke weapon Excalipoor, it was upgraded by Geo in thanks for aiding him in life.
2nd transformation: +500% to ALL stats
EQUIPMENT
-Bradamante; +132 Damage. The final evolved form of Enkidu, taking the shape of the Bradamante Gun Halberd. Despite this it does not shoot bullets, but does possess the same abilities of before.
-Axe; +122 Damage. Evolved form of the previous axe. Still unnamed.
-Claws; +93 Damage. Evolved form of the previous claws. Still unnamed. "I'm beginning to see a trend here."
-Mutsu-no-Kami; +142 Damage. A legendary katana, also known by the names "Yoshiyuki" and "Sky Render". A phantom blade that moves like a mist.
-Ridill; +140 Damage. A scimitar with a black blade and a razor's edge. Its dark gleam is the last thing many a foe saw.
-Hauteclaire; +146 Damage. 20% of damage converted to Holy. A holy blade made to battle evil, inflicting divine retribution on evil
Final transformation: +1000% to ALL stats
EQUIPMENT
-Machine Gun (2); +60 Damage. "See these weapons I picked up in The Rift?"
-Rocket Launcher (2); +90 Damage. 10% of damage converted to Fire. "These weapons let me predict the weather!"
-Sub-machine Gun (2); +40 Damage. "Bullet showers and rocket storms!"
-Katana (6); +118 Damage. A set of unnamed katanas that have seen many battles. Sometimes a humble team is better than a big name.
-Caliburn; +160 Damage. 40% damage converted to Fire. Can cast Firaja. An advanced version of Caliburn with some better stats caused from the transformation. A step up from Excalipoor by any standards.
-Bashosen; +175 Damage. 40% of damage converted to Wind. Inflicts slow and removes one buff on the enemy. Can Cast Aero. A mythical fan blade, its peculiar shape belies its deadliness.
-Masamune; +193 Damage. A blade named after the legendary swordsmith Masamune. Its beauty and is rivaled only by its deadliness, a testament to his craft.
-Muramasa; +184 Damage. Drain converts 40% of damage to HP. A blade named after the infamous swordsmith Muramasa. Said to be infused with the madness of its creator, it is nonetheless a spectacular weapon that shows off his skill.
-Excalibur; +190 Damage. 40% of damage converted to Holy. The legendary holy sword said to be wielded by King Arthur and only be worthy of kings.
-Zantetsuken; +210 Damage. 100% chance of cutting through magic. Focus allows the ability to choose what gets cut and what doesn't. A lightning-shaped sword that, despite its impractical appearance, can cut through anything. Was said to have been wielded by the god Odin and slew entire parties with a single strike.
Enkidu LV 197
<Loyal Companion>
HP: 1,990
MP: 1,050
STR: 107
VIT: 92
DEX: 127
INT: 105
WIS: 96
LUK: 20
Status: Legendary Wolf
STANDARD STATS
Base form
HP: 5,190
MP: 940
CP: 349
RP: 640
KP: 767
STR: 134 (+10)
VIT: 385 (+10)
DEX: 255 (-9)
INT: 94 (+5)
WIS: 127 (+5)
LUK: 45
(Legendary Warrior), (Aura Sense), Genji Gloves, Genji Helm, Genji Armor, Genji Shield, Scarf of Epicness
1st Transformation
HP: 5,190 (+250%)
MP: 940 (+250%)
CP: 349 (+250%)
RP: 640 (+250%)
KP: 767 (+250%)
STR: 134 (+250%, +10)
VIT: 385 (+250%, +10)
DEX: 255 (+250%, -9)
INT: 94 (+250%, +5)
WIS: 127 (250%, +5)
LUK: 45 (+250%)
(1st Transformation) (Legendary Warrior), (Aura Sense), Genji Gloves, Genji Helm, Genji Armor, Genji Shield, Scarf of Epicness
2nd Transformation
HP: 5,190 (+500%)
MP: 940 (+500%)
CP: 349 (+500%)
RP: 640 (+500%)
KP: 767 (+500%)
STR: 134 (+500%, +10)
VIT: 385 (+500%, +10)
DEX: 255 (+500%, -9)
INT: 94 (+500%, +5)
WIS: 127 (+500%, +5)
LUK: 45 (+500%)
(2nd Transformation) (Legendary Warrior), (Aura Sense), Genji Gloves, Genji Helm, Genji Armor, Genji Shield, Scarf of Epicness
Final Transformation
HP: 5,190 (+1000%)
MP: 940 (+1000%)
CP: 349 (+1000%)
RP: 640 (+1000%)
KP: 767 (+1000%)
STR: 134 (+1000%, +10)
VIT: 385 (+1000%, +10)
DEX: 255 (+1000%, -9)
INT: 94 (+1000%, +5)
WIS: 127 (+1000%, +5)
LUK: 45 (+1000%)
(Final Transformation) (Legendary Warrior), (Aura Sense), Genji Gloves, Genji Helm, Genji Armor, Genji Shield, Scarf of Epicness
Now for a couple from NewUnitedEmpire!
Loki
<God of Balance>
HP: Unknown
MP: Unknown
-LV ?
STR: Unknown
VIT: Unknown
DEX: Unknown
INT: Unknown
WIS: Unknown
LUK: Unknown
Status-The ascendant God of Balance, with a mega troll and a pessimist living within him.
-The Cloak: Allows plus 35% to stealth and hides stats, 5% chance of tripping
-Antimagic Life Force: magic damage does 15% less, can generate brusts which reduces all MP to zero,
-Reality Warping: Alters the terrain to serve a advantage.
Neltharion the Earth-Warder/Deathwing
<The World Given Form>
HP: Depends
MP: Depends
LV: Error
STR: Depends
VIT: Depends
DEX: Depends
INT: Depends
WIS: Depends
LUK: Depends
Status- The Dragon-god of earth and the embodiment of the planet.
-Voice of the World: Earth, weather, water and fire based attacks do 50% less damage, and cost 20% less MP to use
-Metal skin: Takes 30% less damage, healing is reduced by 45%
-Size Shift: Alters form between small Dragon, Titan Dragon, Alicorn, and Human forms altering stats which each form.
And now for Umbra from Schroedingers_Katze
Umbra LV27
<Dark Ruler>
HP: 450 (550)
MP: 200
STR: 35
VIT: 20
DEX: 25
INT: 20
WIS: 20
LUK: 60
Status: Overlady; innate ability to call & command Minions
- Fangirl; -25% to ALL gained EXP.
- Pop Culture reference cannon; +25% chance to confuse the enemy/ally when using a reference related to the users home dimension. .0007% chance for Fonzie to strut by in the background after a reference is made, let out an exuberant 'Eeeeeey!~' before strutting off and disappearing without a trace.
- Cheapshot Queen; +50 Damage when attacking a victim's family planning.
- Sweet tooth; +20% HP and MP regeneration when consuming sweets or or sweetened drinks.
- Hard drinking; +25% chance to withstand the "Drunken" status when indulging large amounts of alcohol.
- Stoner; 20% chance to withstand any mind addling effects when affected by drugs.
- Kinky; certain preferences add +18% to withstand any effects that use pain to incapacitate the target.
- Clam & Sausage if you please; exactly what it sounds like. "Flirting" and "Seduction" attempts against the character have a +15% chance to succeed from both, males and females.
Equipment:
- The unleashed Beast; 35 physical damage, 60 poison damage over 3 rounds, one handed. A heavy mace, it´s head decorated with three snarling wolf faces and downwards curved spikes that drip with a potent magic poison.
- Evil Glare, Head; doubles the amount of souls that are absorbed by the wearer. A solid helmet that both is decorative and protects the evil brain.
- Gauntlet of Dominance, left Hand; +5 Defense. A massive gauntlet made of black steel, with a brightly glowing gem in it. Acts as a catalyst for spells when worn.
- Netherworld Armor, Chest: +15 Defense. +100 HP when worn. An impressive piece of armor, consisting of thick, black steel plates.
- Netherworld Armor, Boots: +5 Defense. Made of black steel, they give your kicks the extra 'omph' and protect your feet on top of that.
- Netherworld Armor, right Hand; +5 Defense. A simple black vambrace that goes well with the rest of the set.
- Cape: a short-ish cape, made of red fabric with a fur trim. A bit ragged but still very decorative.
- Red Tunic; worn under the armor to prevent chafing or instead of a shirt when out of armor.
- Pants; a completely ordinary, if slightly torn article of clothing.
- Pantie; blue and white stripped, protects a woman's modesty.
- Belt pouch; an ordinary pouch made of leather. Contains all kind of knick-knacks.
And one from Fictional Fanatic!
Blood Cleaver/Diane Pie LV -۩-
< Blood Mage><Trickster><Ki warrior>
HP: 2085
MP: 11,811.00 (AKA Power Level.)
-LV: ۩ Gravestone: (The level difference between the two of you is too big for you to observe.)
STR: 6,012
VIT: 2,272
DEX: 5,432
INT: 245
WIS: 87
LUK: [Invalid]
-Status: Solid Class/Sayian warrior (royal bloodline)- +250% Physical resistance. +100% Ki manipulation. +20 STR. +20 VIT +5 STR +5 VIT, +1 to STR per LV, +5 to STR per LV, +5 to VIT per LV
-Unreal Trickster; +500 to LUK
-Common problem; Blood Cleaver's name tends to sometimes make others assume things about her before they meet her in person. -2 Charisma.
-Tailless; Due to not having been part Sayian since birth, Blood Cleaver does not possess a monkey tail and cannot transform during full moons. (-Great Ape Transformation.)
-I use it however I want; +10% to anything when using unconventional item.
-I'm firing my LAZOR!; +10% to damage when using Ki based beam attacks.
-Hammer Space; User has access to a limitless dimensional space they can store and retrieve items from.
-Look, a distraction!; +50% critical hit chance when using skill (Bluff), (Confuse), (Debate), or (Tic-Tac-Toe).
-Contract; User has a contract with higher being from beyond the Fourth wall and knows of its own destiny as well as having agreed to "play along" to receive a reward in the end.
-Deux Ex Machina; The user has the ability to bring out items and weapons that they did not possess before to save themselves from an impossible to deal with situation, as long as they are able to provide a reasonable explanation. (They do not actually have to explain it if nobody asks.) (Not to be confused with "Hammer Space".)
-Mentally Incomplete (recovering); this character lacks... character in certain areas but is slowly recovering from whatever the cause. The character will from time to time regress into an earlier stage of their life, point in life may wary.
-Ever killed yourself?; This character has at some point met and killed another version of themselves/evil twin. +20% Cruel -15% mental stability +50% peace of mind.
-Mental Fortitude (Advanced); the user has trained themselves in the art of the mind to protect themselves from outside interference. +45% mental stability +200% peace of mind.
-It's just a scratch; the user can shrug off nearly any wound as it is easily healable, making the user extremely tolerant to pain. -20% peace of mind +30% intimidate.
-Void Traveler; This character is accustomed to traveling the Void and is immune to its maddening existence outside of the universes.
EQUIPMENT
-Pink underwear (female); +1 Defense +100% Modesty -100% Sluttiness +60% Comfort. Like any other lady, it's only proper to wear a comfortable pair of panties and a bra. Made of good quality silk and cotton.
-Black shirt; +1 Defense. A regular piece of clothing that can be found in any color, this one is black.
-Black jeans; +2 Defense +10% Coolness. A good pair of fashionable jeans that adds to that cool look you need. They are also quite tough and won't wear down that easily.
-Black (faux) leather jacket; +2 Defense +20% Coolness. While it's not made of real leather, it still looks the part. Leather jackets are cool.
-White socks; +0,1 Defense +10% comfort. A soft pair of socks to keep you from hurting those little feetsies of yours from all minor dangers.
-Comfortable footwear; +1 Defense. +10% Comfort. The perfect footwear for someone who likes to move at their own pace while feeling like they're walking on clouds. Confirmed to compare to the softness of clouds.
-Small backpack; While carrying things is alright, carrying them on your back while using your arms for something else is better. No more using your elbow to open that door!
-Cute apron (Legendary); +25 Cooking. Makes you look cute and helps against those stains appearing on you. Say goodbye to bad and disgusting food. Even Sweetie Belle can cook with this on!
-Pouch; +1 inventory slot. It's a pouch, for stuff! Warning: Product does not return jellybeans. Currently holding Senzu beans.
-Pouch; +1 inventory slot. It's a pouch, for stuff! Warning: Product does not return jellybeans. Currently holding Bits.
-Camping cooking ware; +5 Cooking. On the move and need something to fill that stomach? Worry not! Here's everything you could need to cook food in the wilderness. (Fire not included.)
-Dragon radar+; A device to find the ∞ amount of Dragonballs? Oh, right. It searches the whole multiverse...
Straight from DJ A String comes...
Richard Lv= WHATARETHOSE?!
<The Terrarian, The Terrarian Tank>
HP: 500
MP: 200
STR: 20
VIT: 16
DEX: 20
INT: 17
WIS: 18
LUK: 13
-Status: Terrarian human: Sleep is nonexistant, Stamina is near infinite
-Lava Waders: Gain ability to walk on water, lava, and all other liquids, and gain immune to lava's effects for 7 seconds when submerged
-Meowmere: Able to shoot a beam of rainbow colored energy when attacking with Meowmere. The energy comes out looking like Nyan Cat for some reason...
-Obsidian Armor: Fire Resistant, some immunity to fire.
-Solar Wings: Gain the ability of flight, and also emit a small amount of light, also gain a small speed boost on the ground, and a massive speed boost in the air.
OTHER STATUS PENDING UPON ITEMS HELD
How about a Trickster Priest from Fresnor?~
Xellos
<Mysterious Priest>
HP:???
MP:???
LV8000
STR:3000
VIT:3000
DEX:3000
INT:3000
WIS:(Willpower) 25291
LUK:3000
-Affably Evil:While evil in nature his personality is so charming that it makes it hard to believe.
-Anti-Hero:While not a hero he will still assist others if doing so coincides with his goals.
-Devil in Plain Sight:Introduces himself as an untrustworthy figure yet has high chances of manipulating others still.
-Even Evil has Standards:While sadistic and evil, doesn't kill or torment others unless directly relating to his plans.
-False Reassurance:Master deceiver without needing to lie, technically.
-Good Hurts Evil:Can be physically hurt when overly positive emotions are directed at him.
-Noble Demon:Constantly reminds others that he is evil but doesn't act in a blatant manner proving it.
-It Amused Me:Often screws around with others, even enemies which can lead to detrimental effects.
-Source of a monster's power: Xellos can feed off of fear, anger, and aggression to fuel his powers.
-Astral Body:A monster's real body is located on another plane and may only be damaged on that plane.
-Self Image is everything:A monster's power is amplified by their own self image, boosting all other stats based on their willpower.
-Foreign Body:Due to the merging of two different bodies and minds odd things may happen based on outside stimuli. (Still in the future of my story for explaining it fully but suffice to say it's mostly a mental thing)
-Sweet Tooth:While not required to eat, has trouble resisting any sort of snack, treat, or delicacy.
Now for Dual from Architect!
Dual LV 25(?)
HP:2356+
MP:1807+
-LV 25
STR/VIT:124+
DEX/LUK:114+
INT/WIS:129+
-Status: Accident. Thanks to being an unintentional Displaced, Dual has access to all 110+ Heroes of DOTA, instead of only one like he should. This is frequently abused.
-Satchel of Holding: Question: Viper has no arms, legs, clothes, or body cavities. Where does he keep his items? The answer is the satchel Dual wields. It can summon any item in the DOTA shop inventory and can have active at any given time. any item removed from the satchel can be used directly without the usual item cap, but it must be held and wielded. Also capable of carrying other objects, although the same six item limit is enforced.
-Goofball: Will act silly for no other reason than because he can. Perceived int and wis -100. Passive: "creativity," inactive.
-Merciful: Considers killing a moral outrage, and will not do it.
-Creativity: Dual has spent much of his life thinking of ways to remove the box. Will bring full mental power against any adversary.
-Level Cap: As long as Dual is at LV 25, he will not gain XP.
-Level hungry: If Dual for any reason drops below level 25 he will lose all rational thought and become a lean, mean, farming machine. In this state he will not use items or spells, but every single passive will be functioning at the same time, something his conscious mind doesn't the capacity for.
-Oh He Mad: Dual becomes enraged when faced with mass atrocity. Effects of Goofball removed and Merciful are removed.
-All the Heroes: Dual focuses all the power he has at his disposal at once. LV=25*# of heroes in satchel, with +3.8 STR/VIT:=, +3.2 DEX/LUK, and +4 INT/WIS per level.
What about Lee from Bronyparasite's story?
Lee Connors LV55
<Forsaken Hero>
HP:170(?)
MP: 80(?)
STR:150
VIT:70
DEX:100
INT:80
WIS:68
LUK:15
-Status: Symbiote; Health boosted by 500%. Mana pool boosted by 3000%. MP drain not applicable. Using mana drains Stamina.
-Depressed; -15% to all social actions.
-Tormented Soul; Able to boost defense by 25% for two minutes, every five hours.
-Blind Faith; Able to double damage dealt for 30 seconds, every five hours.
-Heartache of Darkness; 50% chance to summon a shadow of Clover the Clever to help when health drops below 30%
Symbiote (passive) LV MAX
Able to join with another genetically sentient life form, boosting their own abilities by users own stats. In some cases, a case of 'greater than the sum of its parts' may occur.
Able to detach a part of the users body, to create a 'child' form symbiote. This process can only be achieved after crossing a dimensional tear, absorbing it's unusual energies. After use, user will be debuffed by half HP and half MP for 6 hours. Can be used as a tether to other dimensions, letting the user 'contact' other beings through dimensional tears. Requires that the 'child' form be on the other side of said dimensional tear.
User has the abilities of Spiderman, including heightened agility, strength, and senses. User has the ability to mimic Spiderman's synthetic webbing. User has the ability to supersede an outside individuals heightened senses.
User has the ability to mimic the appearance of any genetically sentient being they fuse with, however temporary it may have been.
User fluids can become poisonous, focused in the mouth. |
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