//------------------------------// // Ch. 63 Closing the Gaps // Story: The Gaps in F r i e n d s h i p // by Arcanum -Phantasy //------------------------------// For the first time in months, Sunset and her friends felt that everything in the world had gone back to normal. No longer did they feel the pressure of some unknown horror plotting to end them at a moment's notice. Instead, they had to deal with the unfortunate aspects of their new normal now that magic was part of their lives. That included a new headache that they were likely going to have to contend with from time to time; magic exhaustion. For a whole week, all twelve of them took time off from school to recover from the "Lily Incident" as they had come to call it. While this would've been a major red flag for most schools, a collection of letters hand delivered to Principle Celestia by the Lord of Chaos himself quickly quashed any thoughts of unlawful truancy. As such, when they all regained their strength, the normally quaint game night at Derpy's house that Sunday turned into a long overdue victory party. Food and drink was provided by Applejack, Bonbon, and Pinkie Pie while everyone else brought whatever games they thought the group would enjoy. As such, after hours of fighting games and karaoke (of varying level of skill), the twelve girls and one boy sat down for a mostly quiet game of Uno. "Man, these last few weeks have been insane!" Vinyl chuckled, laying a card down on the pile. "Indeed," Octavia nodded, doing the same. "Hopefully we won't have to be dragged into anything quite as intense any time soon." "Doubt it," Rainbow snorted, playing a card. "Were probably going to get jumped by Cthulhu or something in a month." "Didn't know you had a tentacle fetish Dash," Lightning smirked over her hand of cards. "Shut up!" Rainbow snapped, slamming a card down on the pile. Everyone busted up at that. "If that's your thing, I could probably summon something for you later," Lyra chuckled, wiping a tear out of her eyes. "Do it, and I swear to god I'll take one of you're most expensive cards and ram it up your ass," Rainbow growled. "So that's your kink," Tattle smirked, not taking his eyes off of his cards. "Sounds quite painful, but to each their own, right dear?" Pinkie nodded, rearranging the cards in her hand every now and then like a poker set. "Looks like you girls really changed since I was gone," she said with a smirk over her cards. "Speaking of changes," Sunset cut in, seeing the look of murder steadily growing in Rainbow's eyes. "How did your family react when they found out you were married?" "Yeah, Ah bet they were pretty shocked," Applejack nodded adding a card to the pile. Pinkie and Tattle chuckled as they exchanged looks. "Do you want to tell them about it?" she asked, leaning into him. "They're your family. You do it," he smirked. Pinkie giggled, nodded, then gave the group her full attention. "Okay, so it went like this-" *** Pinkie groaned happily as she stretched herself out, happy to be in her bed again for the first time in years. Granted, her whole body still ached from last night's battle, but it was a vast improvement over the feeling of having most of her bones rearranged by Lily. A bit of weight at her right brought a small smile to her face as she turned towards it. Laying next to her, dressed in his usual casual wear was her darling husband. His eyes were closed with a charming smile spread across his hansom face, but Pinkie knew he wasn't sleeping. She rolled over and put her arm around him, their faces just inches away as they enjoyed the moment. "Did you sleep well?" Tattle asked, slowly opening his eyes. "Do you really need to ask?" Pinkie smirked. "Nope," he chuckled, pecking her on the nose. They laid like that, enjoying each other's company peacefully for the first time in years. They felt like a million tons had been taken off of their shoulders. No training. No great battle looming over their heads. Just the two of them and untold time beyond together. They wished that the moment could last forever, but like most wishes, it fell on deft ears. "BIG SIS!" Marble cried, the bedroom door flying open as the youngest Pie sibling barged in with happy tears in her eyes. Marble froze when she saw that Pinkie wasn't the only one in the bed, confusion replacing her look of joy. Limestone let out an exasperated sigh as she let herself in, only to don a similar expression when she saw her sister's guest. Pinkie giggled at their reaction as she sat up in bed, the covers falling away enough to show the thin red tank top she was wearing complete with a lacy pair of matching panties. "Sup?" she smiled. Marble's face turned bright red as she started to piece things together while her oldest sister sputtered incoherently. Tattle rolled his eyes as he got himself out of bed, popping a crick in his neck as he stood up and stretched. The fact that the boy was fully clothed at least eased some of the other Pie's concerns about the situation, but still left them with more questions than they knew what to do with. Eventually, Limestone found enough of her tongue to get the biggest one out. "Pinkie, who the hell is this?" she sputtered, pointing at a mildly amused Tattle. Before she could answer, Tattle jerked his head to the side just in time to avoid a knife that flew through the open door way and embedded itself in a wall. While the other Pie's gawked at that, Pinkie and Tattle traded flat looks with raised brows. "Really Maud?" Pinkie sighed, getting out of bed. "Can't a girl share a bed with her hubby without someone trying to kill him?" "Hubby?!" Marble and Limestone gaped. A few seconds later, Maud let herself into the room, butterfly knife flipping open and closed in her hand with casual ease. "He's lucky I didn't get the glock," she said flatly, faintly glaring at the boy. "Dear, are all mornings this fun for you around here?" Tattle asked, smiling in spite of the faintly venomous glare Maud was giving him. "Nah," Pinkie giggled, walking to his side and planting a soft kiss on his cheek. Poor Marble looked like she was about to overheat, the pure love she sensed from the two of them putting her family talent into overdrive. Noticing, the loving couple parted to put less of a strain on the poor girl. Maud seemed to like this as well, though it was for a completely different set of reasons. Limestone didn't know where she stood on the whole matter, her own sense telling her that Pinkie wasn't lying, a fact that was heavily reinforced by the rings the two teens were wearing. "B-B-But you two are too young to get married!" Limestone sputtered. "Your only sixteen for christ's sake!" "Technically, I'm fifty six," Pinkie smirked, putting on a pair of jeans that were laying on the floor. "True," Tattle nodded, trailing a finger over his shirt and jeans. Again, Limestone's sense told her that they were telling the truth and it only made her short circuit even more. While she stood there trying not to have a mental breakdown, Maud let herself into the room. She quickly closed the gap between herself and Tattle, only to pause as his simple t-shirt and jeans turned into a fine navy blue suit in front of her. She blinked in shock for a second at that, then tightened her grip on her weapon as his eyes drifted towards her. "I take it you're Maud Pie," he said, easy smile spreading across his face as he put a hand out to her to shake. "Midnight Tantabus, but most call me Tattle for short." Seeing an opening, Maud took his hand in her own and squeezed as hard as she could. One of the things Maud was proud of was her strength. It was one of the things she honed back on her family's quarry before she moved to Canterlot City to go to collage. A simple handshake from her could equate to sticking a person's hand into a hydraulic press if her past victim's testimonies could be believed. Imagine her shock when not only was Tattle not affected by her grip, but managed to match it well enough to not hurt her back. They stared each other down for a moment, neither backing down as they tried to gain proverbial ground over the other. Eventually, they both agreed to a stalemate as their hands parted. Maud sighed, then folded her knife up before she pocketed it and walked away. "Break her heart and I'll break your spine," she said flatly as she left the room. "I'll hold you to that," he chuckled before she turned out of sight. His smile grew as he turned towards Pinkie and said, "I think she likes me." *** Roaring laughter filled the room, Lightning, Rainbow, Vinyl, and Lyra the loudest contributors as they struggled to not fall out of their chairs. "Sh-She actually told you that?" Rainbow gasped, wiping a happy tear out of her eyes. "Yep," Tattle shrugged, taking a sip of soda from a plastic cup. "I felt like I was meeting Pinkie's mother rather than her sister to be honest." "She's just being over protective," Pinkie smiled. "Now when Marble brings someone over, then we'll see a show." "How bad are we talking?" Bonbon asked, adding a card to the pile. "She wasn't kidding about that glock," Pinkie said simply, adding a card to the pile. Everyone cringed at that. "Speaking of relationships," Vinyl smirked, her shades hiding the look she was giving her prey as she turned her head towards Fluttershy. "How are things going between you and Butterfly?" Fluttershy's whole head turned beet red as she hid behind her cards, using them as a shield against all of the eyes locking onto her. "Uh, um, w-we're good," she stammered, sifting through her cards. "Just good?" Vinyl egged, a positively evil smile spreading across her lips. "I guess you didn't try any of the things we talked about earlier, huh?" Fluttershy fidgeted, a part of her wanting to Pony-up so she could hide behind her wings as what she did a couple of days ago jumped to the front of her mind. *** Equestrian Fluttershy stumbled into her double's room, worry heavy in her features as she looked around. When Discord told her what her marefriend had been through recently, she demanded that he send her to her immediately. A request that he granted with nothing more than a knowing smile and snap of his talion. The room was dark as she staggered about, her unfamiliarity with her new body not helping in the slightest as she tried to navigate. A dull click behind her made her spin as light filled the room. What she saw made her jaw drop. Her double laid on her side dressed in thin black negligé, her bat-like wings folded on her back. Her lips were pulled into a deceptively sweet smile with a bit of fang peeking out, her red eyes glinting with a hint of mischief. Equestrian Fluttershy stammered, face gradually heating up as her eyes took in her marefriend's form. Fluttershy giggled than gave her a coy look as she said, "A while ago, you gave me a massage as a pony. I think it's only fair that I return the favor." Equestrian Fluttershy gave a nervous nod, a part of her admitting to being more than a little curious about that kind of thing. "And maybe, we could do more," Fluttershy demurred, a small blush forming on her cheeks as she added, "If you want." *** "It was....nice," Fluttershy said simply, adding a card to the pile and trying as hard as she could to be as small as humanly possible. Vinyl's smile became more tender as she reached over and patted Fluttershy on the shoulder. "Hey, I'm just giving ya a hard time. If you don't want to talk, that's fine." Fluttershy peeked out from behind her cards and nodded, her face still red, but her features a lot less tense then they were a moment ago. "So, how are Sweetie, Applebloom, and Scootaloo doing?" Lyra asked, munching on a cupcake. Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity collectively sighed, each of them looking like they had just walked a mile. "Applebloom's been a royal pain in the neck. Ever since she woke up, she's been running through the orchard every night like a wild animal!" "That's nothing," Rainbow groaned. "Scootaloo's been sneaking into my room every night." "You live in a two story house, right?" Sunset asked, raising a brow. "Yep," Rainbow sighed. "And isn't your room on the second floor?" Sunset questioned further. "Yep," she answered flatly. "So how is she-" "She flew!" Rainbow cried, putting her arms up exasperatedly. "Sweetie's been a completely different kind of demon," Rarity grumbled. "One minute she ignores me then the next I can't get her off of me!" "At least the Princesses are help'n us get that under control," Applejack groaned, adding a card to the pile. "How so?" Derpy asked. "Well," Rarity frowned. "It turns out there are some side-effects one must suffer thorough when you reverse a Wraith transformation." "Such as?" Tattle and Pinkie asked, leaning forward. The three girls sighed as they told their tale. *** Princesses Luna and Twilight stood on their side of the portal. Both were nervous, worried about the state of the three girls that were saved from a fate worse than death. The fact that the three girls were being brought over at such a late hour did little to settle their nerves. They both held their breaths as ripples formed across the portal's surface and six ponies fell through. Three of them were the dazed counterparts of Twilight's friends while three fillies much more familiar with their bodies staggered to their hooves. "Ah think Ah'm gonna be sick!" Applejack groaned, brining a hoof to her mouth. "Sunset and the others go through that every time to get here?" Rainbow groaned, rubbing her head. "To hell with that!" "Agreed," Rarity groaned, trying and failing to stand up. Twilight went to their side to try and help in anyway she could, chiefly by teaching them how their new bodies worked. It was then that she noticed their Cutie Marks, something each of them did as well once the world stopped spinning. On Applejack's flank was an apple wrapped in silver chains. Rainbow sported a pair of clouds with a prismatic tornado coming out of the bottom. Rarity's mark was the most unusual, being a diamond set in the middle of a purple magic circle. She didn't get to dwell on that for long before a small hoof brushing against her rear left leg pulled her attention away. Sitting next to her was a white Cheshire filly, her normally green eyes a bright red and slitted as she looked up at her. The small curve of her horn and the fangs poking out of her muzzle added to the wild look her slightly messy pink and purple mane and tail gave her. Next to her sat a faded yellow Lycan filly with pale red curls for a mane and tail with a bright orange Thestral filly sitting on the opposite side of the Cheshire. Both of them had the red slitted eyes and fangs shared by all Night Tribe Ponies, but the look of wonder they gave Twilight put her slightly on edge. "So sparkly," Sweetie gushed, a wide smile spreading across her muzzle. "Yeah," Applebloom nodded. "Don't know why Ah never noticed until now." "No kidding," Scootaloo blinked, hooves covering her eyes. "It kind of hurts." "Not too surprising," Luna smirked. "Such sharp senses take time to adapt to." The fillies looked at her and their eyes widened. As if in a trance, they slowly moved towards her, eyes wide with wonder. They stopped about a foot away from her, a strong new instinct telling them that to move any closer without permission was not a wise decision. Luna took the sign of respect with a small chuckle and moved towards them. They felt no fear, only awe as the Princess of the Night approached them. One by one, she placed a hoof on their backs and nodded to them in greeting with a soft smile. "We welcome thee, Children of the Night and Star Eaters." The older ponies watched with slack jaws as the three fillies bowed to her, looks of peace gracing their faces as they did so. After a momentary pause, they got up and returned to their sisters and sister-figure, their eyes and ears shooting all around the dark room as if taking the world in for the first time. Luna smiled as she came closer to the group, already anticipating some questions from the foreign ponies. "Night Ponies are more primal than their diurnal counterparts," she said, gaining the older ponies' attention. "Cheshire's are clever and curious, but also moody at the best of times. We suggest patience while your sister gets use to her new natures, Lady Rarity." Rarity nodded, a weary smile spreading across her muzzle as she pulled her sister to her side. "For lady Applejack, we suggest that you give her a way to vent her energy. Lycan foals are notoriously restless and need ways to burn it off." Applejack chuckled, rubbing the top of the filly's head as various ideas ran through her head. "As for Lady Rainbow Dash, we suggest that thee learn to guard thyself from fangs." "Huh?!" Rainbow blinked. "Thestrals are fierce and highly territorial. When pushed, it is rather common for them to bite first and talk second. While this is true for all Night Ponies, it is especially true for Thestrals. They are also spiteful tricksters if they feel slighted, so it is best that you be on your guard." "Great," Rainbow groaned, a reluctant smile coming onto her muzzle as she looked down at the filly in question. "It will take time," Luna intoned. "But should you feel lost, we believe that you have one among you that can provide guidance should things grow too wild for you." "Fluttershy, right?" Rainbow asked. She nodded. "So long as this is all that's wrong with them," Applejack sighed, pulling her sister closer to her side. "Agreed," Rarity sighed. "I was afraid they suffered some kind of damage from their time with that monster." "A wise concern," Luna nodded. "Which is why we suggest that they stay here for examination. Best safe than sorry of course." The three older ponies froze, then reluctantly nodded in agreement. As much as they hated to part with their family again, they knew that it was impossible for their young charges to get the kind of help at home that they likely needed. It stung, but they knew that it was for the best. "Do whatever you can for them, your majesty," Rarity said, doing the closest thing she could to a bow. Rainbow and Applejack imitated her as best they could, only for a blue glow to surround them and gently force them back into a full stand. "Such formalities are not necessary. We are simply a little sister doing what she can for other little sisters in need." A wicked smile spread across her muzzle as she added, "Which reminds us." The lunar Princess' horn glowed and in a flash, a sleeping Princess Celestia hovered next to her, blanket still wrapped around her as she snored. Luna's smile grew as she canceled her spell, letting the Princess of the Sun drop to the ground with a startled squawk. Celestia staggered to her hooves, blanket clinging to her horn like a towel on a hanging hook as she tried to get her bearings. "W- Luna? What's going on?" Celestia stammered, stifling a yawn. "Oh nothing sister, we just finally found a reason to drag thee out of bed for a change," Luna snipped. Celestia blinked dumbly for a few seconds, then leveled a flat glare at the lunar Princess. Luna ignored the heat of her sister's gaze and stuck her tongue out at her. "Point. Taken," Celestia said stiffly, rolling her eyes. *** Sunset and Derpy nearly fell out of their seats at that, they were laughing so hard. The rest of the group gave them confused looks as they waited for them to regather their wits. When they finally managed it, they let out small chuckles as they shared knowing grins. "Care to share with the rest of the class?" Rarity asked, raising a brow. "Yeah, I feel like we missed something," Rainbow added. "Well," Sunset chuckled. "You know Derpy and I went to Equestria a couple days ago, right?" Everyone nodded. "I believe it was to get Derpy a new eye, correct?" Octavia asked, taking note of her friend's new prosthetic. "Yeah," Sunset smiled, pulling her girlfriend closer to her side. "Figured that she should have one meant to have magic running through it this time." "That wasn't the only thing that happened when we got there though," Derpy smiled. "No kidding," Sunset sighed. *** Princess Celestia stared at the portal with anxiety plain in her features. To find out that her daughter had almost died yet again had been a hard pill to swallow in and of itself, but to hear that her marefriend had been injured as well nearly pushed her over the edge. The knowledge that they were in one piece managed to pull her back from such a dangerous place as well as the fact that they were coming to visit. Granted, she wished it was for more casual reasons, but the Solar Princess would take what she could get. I should make more time to visit her, she thought, her nerves steadily growing as she waited. She nearly jumped for joy when the portal rippled and two figures staggered out of it. What she saw made her eyes widen and jaw drop in wonder. While Derpy looked no different than she did the last time she came to Equestria, sans the black eyepatch, Sunset was a completely different story. Her orange coat had been replaced by a set of orange scales that had a red shine when the light hit them at the right angle. Her horn was bright red with a slight curve and sharp point. Her eyes held their normal light blue glow, but now were slitted like a reptile's. Her mane and tail remained the same as they use to be, but that didn't hold Celestia's attention for long. What did were the bright red scaled wings hugging her sides. The two ponies stared back at the stunned Princess for a long moment, both of them only just noticing the sudden changes to Sunset's form a couple seconds after Celestia did. The stare and silence gradually ate at Sunset, making her feel a bit insecure as she waited for her mother to snap out of it. "M-Mom? Are you okay?" she asked, taking a cautious step towards the Alicorn. A wide smile slowly spread across Celestia's face, happy tears running down her face as she lightly closed the distance between them. She fell to her haunches and pulled her into a gentle hug, shocking Sunset further as Celestia nuzzled her cheek. "You did it. You finally did it," she sniffled. "Maker, I wish Polaris and I could've been there together to see it." "Huh?" Sunset blinked. Celestia shook her head, raised her head, and with an excited smile and glow of her horn, summoned three ponies to the room. "Raven, send a letter to the Dragon Lands. Tell Dragon Lord Scorch that the time has finally come." Raven nodded, her own horn glowing as she teleported back to the castle. "Crow, get the guard ready to march! A grand parade is more than called for!" "Yes ma'am!" Crow saluted, before she shot out the nearest window at speeds that would impress even Rainbow Dash. "Quail, tell the staff to decorate the whole castle. Flame motifs are an absolute must, but keep gems to an absolute minimum. The last thing we need are the guests eating the decorations." "Of course your Majesty," Quail said with a relaxed smile and bow. In a flash, Celestia sent the Earth Pony back to the castle to tend to her new set of tasks before giving her daughter her full attention again. "Come now Sunset," she smiled, rising to her full hight again. "There is so much to do and so little time to do it!" "Wha- What's going on?" Sunset stammered, dizzy from the breakneck pace this visit had taken. "Well, first you need to meet your father's side of the family, then there's your coronation." "My what?!" she squawked. "Which reminds me," Celestia giggled, her horn glowing one more time. A second later, Princess Luna appeared, floating in her sister's magic grip still wrapped in a navy blue blanket clutching a black sheep plushy. Celestia's smile turned more mischievous as she canceled her spell and let her sister plop onto the ground. Luna let out a startled yelp on contact before she staggered to her hooves. "No time for sleep dear sister!" Celestia cheered, pulling her still groggy sibling to her side. "We have a party to set up!" "We will murder you slowly," Luna said flatly, pure malice filling her eyes as she stared up at her cheery sister. "Later," Celestia giggled. "But first, a party!" Luna gave Sunset a passing glance, then sighed as she reluctantly nodded. "Tis an appropriate occasion." Celestia cheered at that, while Sunset and Derpy desperately tried to make heads or tails of what was going on. A battle that they were quickly losing by the second as the two Alicorns floated them down the hall to fates unknown. Sunset sighed and went limp in their grip, an apologetic smile gracing her muzzle as she stared at her equally confused girlfriend. So long as Derpy gets a new eye out of this, I really don't care what happens next. *** Everyone gave the couple wide looks. "That answers one question, but leaves so many more behind," Octavia gawked. "Right," Sunset sighed. "Turns out my dad was Dragon Lord Scorch's older brother and he abdicated the throne to him after becoming Overlord of the Dragon Lands." "Sounds like a big deal," Vinyl smiled. "It is," Sunset nodded. "Overlord is the Dragon equivalent to being a High Royal. Only three Dragons have ever earned the title and it is the only one that overshadows the Dragon Lord's." "Now that's pretty epic," Lyra gushed. "It is, but it has a major drawback," Sunset frowned. "Which is?" Tattle asked, a hint of worry coloring his features. "If an Overlord tries to have a child, the child inherits all of their power and a near fatal amount of their life force. After that, the first Overlord's spirit works as a kind of guide and protector until the child earns the right to wield their power properly." "A condition that you have met, I take it," Rarity said somberly. Sunset nodded, the shadows of her bangs hiding all but her small frown as she slumped in her seat. Derpy pulled her closer to her side. Sensing the atmosphere darkening, Pinkie quickly thought of ways to brighten the mood a bit. "Uh, anyone need any other snacks? I have a whole pocket dimension full of things you all might like!" Greatful for the distraction, Sunset smiled and made her request. Everyone followed suit, Octavia giving Vinyl a playful smack upside the head when she asked for a beer. Pinkie giggled at that and summoned a gap that dropped a bottle of root beer in front of the DJ, much to her chagrin. All other requests were met with little resistance, Pinkie summoning a bottle of beer for herself and Tattle with a cheeky grin. "What? We're old enough," Pinkie shrugged, clinking her bottle with Tattle's and taking a swig. "I don't think the laws changed all that much since I was gone." Everyone groaned at that, both parties already agreeing silently that it was pointless trying to argue against the girl's logic. "Hey Pinks, you got any black licorice?" Lightning asked. Everyone gave her confused looks, Pinkie especially as she hesitantly called a gap to Lightning's side. "Only because Tattle likes it," she frowned, raising a brow as she added, "I didn't think you were the type to eat that kind of stuff." A small blush formed on her cheeks as a packet of said piece of candy fell out of the portal and landed on the table in front of her. "They're not that bad," she muttered, grabbing the package. "Is that really all there is to it?" Octavia asked, her lips pulling into a faint knowing smile. Lightning gulped, eyes darting around the room as she tried to find an escape from the conversation. *** I can't do this, Lightning thought, her feet moving stiffly as she made her way towards the local library. "Yes, you can," Shard emphasized. "You fought a poison spitting Wyvern, so this should be a piece of cake!" "B-But-" Lightning stammered, but Shard quickly cut her off. "No! None of that!" Lightning groaned, her steps feeling more like a hike towards a guillotine than a place of study. Soon, she found herself standing before the library's front doors. Nerves kept her firmly rooted in place, her palms sweating as she processed what she was about to do. "This is so gonna go wrong," she sighed. "Only if you keep thinking like that," Shard said flatly. "Just go in there and talk to him. It's not that hard." "We'll see about that," Lightning grumbled, then let herself in to the building. Cool air conditioning and the smell of books greeted her the second she crossed the threshold. Tall shelves loaded with books of every size and color surrounded her as thoroughly as the heavy silence that dominated the building. Audibly gulping, she walked past the Librarian's front desk towards the isles in the farthest corner of the building. Lightning dragged her feet, doing everything she could to drag this out as much as possible. It was only thanks to this that she was aware of the type of books that lined these particular shelves. Each of them showed some kind of strange dark force in one form or another, some covers showing some strange creature made of living shadow or a demonic entity of some sort. Before she could get too distracted by her surroundings, she found the source of her nervousness sitting at a table in the darkest corner of the section. It was a boy roughly the same age as her, his form lithe yet not emaciated or weak by any stretch of the imagination. His skin was a medium grey that went well with his short arctic blue hair that was cut in a manner similar to a bowl cut. His clothes was black and torn, but done so in an obviously intentional way. His azure eyes were locked onto the book he was reading, a small relaxed smile coloring his face. Lightning gulped as she stared at the boy, her heart pounding in her chest as her face heated up. There was no way she could do this! What if he didn't like her? What if he thought she was annoying? There was no way she could go through with this. A small zap on her butt made her let out a startled yelp. The boy flinched, his smile turning into an irritated frown as he turned his gaze towards Lightning Dust. "Can I help you?" he asked, tone holding a hint of culture in its youthful undertone. "Uh...um...yeah...I uh," Lightning floundered, struggling to find something to say. "I'm Lightning Dust." "Stygian," he frowned, giving the sporty girl a once over before adding, "If you're looking for my brothers, Magnus and Rock Fist are probably at the gym down the street." "Oh, uh thanks, but I'm not looking for them," Lightning chuckled nervously. He raised a brow at that and said, "Then you must be looking for my big sister. Meadow should be at the gardening supply shop up the road. You might be able to catch up to her if you run now." "What?" Lightning blinked, then chuckled as she added, "No offense to her, but that's not my kind of thing. Me and gardening go about as well together as a cat in the ocean." "I see," he intoned, shifting his attention back to his book. "You don't strike me as the literary type, so unless you require that kind of help, I would like to get back to my reading." "Right," Lightning chuckled, preparing to make her leave. Another zap in her butt made her freeze, a faint squeak her only sign of distress as she turned back towards Stygian. The boy noticed, sighed, then placed a bookmark in his book before he snapped it shut and placed it on the table. "Is there something else?" he asked, a faint trace of anger coloring his tone. "Y-Yeah," she stammered, her eyes darting around her for something to talk about. Her eyes landed on Stygian's book and an internal relieved sigh washed through her. "What were you reading?" "Huh?" he asked, his irritation making way for shock to take its place. "Well, uh, I've seen you in here a few times and I always kind've wondered, y'know?" she chuckled, hoping it didn't sound as nervous as she felt. His expression became unreadable as he stared at her, his azure eyes sending butterflies scattering through her stomach. Slowly, he turned his gaze down towards his book and sighed. "You probably wouldn't like it," he frowned. "It's about a man that tried to be a hero, but instead he almost destroys the world as the power he gained turned him into a monster. His friends try to help him, but it never ends well for them." "How come?" she asked, taking a seat across from him. Again, a look of surprise flashed across his face before it was again hidden behind an unreadable mask as he continued. "I don't like to spoil endings, but I can tell you that it has no happy ending. Just a cold and merciless resolution." "Oh," Lightning frowned. "I like stories like that," Stygian smiled. "It's nice to read a story that shows the ugly side of the world instead of a sugary lie. Happy endings don't always happen in real life and it's refreshing to see that truth applied to literature as well from time to time." As he said that, he fished a pack of candy from his pocket and pulled out a long thin, black strip of candy out of it. "What's that?" Lightning asked. "Black licorice," he said simply as he stuck the tube in his mouth. "Can I have one?" she asked. "Uh, sure," he blinked, handing her a tube. Lightning took a bite out of the tough candy and was immediately met with a flavor she'd never tasted before. It was strong and bitter, but not so much so that she couldn't enjoy it. While strange, she could see herself having a few every now and then. "Not bad," she smiled, taking the tube into her mouth and shifting it to the corner of her mouth like a cigarette. "Really?" Stygian blinked. "Not a lot of people like them, so the candy store down the street sells them for nearly nothing. You're the first person I've met that actually likes them, well besides me that is." "Really?" she said, raising a brow. "Weird." "Indeed," he nodded. The two sat in silence, one trying to think of a way to continue the conversation while the other was not used to conversing for more than a few seconds to begin with. Eventually, Lightning found a way to regain momentum. "So, what do you do when you're not reading?" "Well, I go on hiking trips with my siblings on the weekends," he said, tone becoming a bit more bashful as his eyes drifted towards his book. "Really?" she asked, eyes lighting up. "Think I could come along some time?" "I...suppose," he blinked, a nervous crack filling his tone. "I would need to ask my siblings first." "Right," Lightning chuckled, a little embarrassed by how eager she sounded earlier. "In the mean time," Stygian added, clearing his throat as his face shifted into another unreadable expression. "I wouldn't be against it if you wanted to spend time with me again. I tend to stay here until closing after school through out the week." "Really?" she squeaked, then cleared her throat and quickly assumed a disinterested facade as she said, "Sounds good to me. If you're okay with me being around you when you're reading and stuff, of course." "Of course," he nodded, a faint smile peeking past his mask. *** "I'll tell you later," Lightning mumbled, her face turning a bright red as she added a card to the pile. "Fair enough," Octavia shrugged, though the knowing smile never left her lips as she shifted her full attention towards her cards. "Indeed," Tattle chuckled. "Besides, a more pressing matter is afoot. Mainly for my dear cousin." "What do you mean?" Sunset asked, body tensing. His smile grew more wicked as he said, "Now that I know that I have a cousin, I have seventeen years worth of pranks that are long over due. Best brace yourself Sunset, for I don't intend to hold anything back." "Bring it," Sunset smirked. The two stared each other down for several long seconds, before they both broke out into roaring laughter. A laughter that spread through the whole group. For the first time in months, Sunset felt that all was right with the world. Surrounded by her friends and supported by her family, she felt their was no gap she couldn't cross in both worlds. No matter how dark, deep, or large.