Chapter 11 – Recovery
“So let me get this straight,” Trixie said analyzing every word you said like some news journalist, “Your girlfriend…”
“Acquaintance,” you corrected knowing that your friend would not buy the lie. With Twilight pouring her heart out to you and her magic bonding with yours there was no denying that you couldn’t leave it at simply acquaintances. Perhaps hoping to have Twilight as a girlfriend was aiming too high, especially with her desire to return home more urgent, but you hoped you could at least be friends with her.
“Right, acquaintance,” Trixie said as if swallowing the worst tasting drink imaginable while rolling her eyes, “Anyway, you’re saying that Twilight is actually from another world who was stranded here because the cosmic energy threw her off course?”
“Uh… yeah, that’s what she told me.”
“And because of this she had to stay at your apartment overnight and might have to stay there longer until either this portal opens up on its own or there is a way that it can be forced open?” Starlight added.
“Right, she’s weak with her magic here and can’t open it up herself.”
“Well she certainly did a number on this shop,” Trixie said as she waved her hand across the interior of the shop and all the items on the floor before stopping and pointing at the sleeping girl on the floor.
“Come on Trixie, she didn’t damage too much, just a few bottles,” Starlight said.
“It’s the principle of the matter. You know I hate cleaning up any unnecessary mess.”
“Yeah I do, especially when it’s you turn to clean the bathroom!”
“Alright you two, back to Twilight. What do you think about what she said?” you said waving your hands to snap them out of a lover’s quarrel.
“Well, if someone told me that they were from another world, I’d think they’d be kind of cray,” Trixie said with a shrug.
“Says the girl who owns an occult shop,” Starlight Glimmer said, “but I guess we’re all a little cray believing in magic. So we know what she said, but how did she sound when she said it to you?”
“She sounded sincere and scared,” you said, “She was definitely missing her friends, too. There was something else. She mentioned something about her land would be in danger if she wasn’t there. She might have been overreacting, but I don’t know.”
“Her world in danger?” Starlight said, “It sounds like she’s someone important.”
“What like a Queen or Princess?’ Trixie said.
“Princess Twilight Sparkle does sound like a royal name to me,” Starlight said.
“I don’t know if she’s a Princess or anything like that,” you said, “All I know is there’s something important about her and she needs help.”
“If she’s that powerful in a weakened state,” Starlight pointed out, “How can even our magic be used to open a portal?”
“Maybe her magic can amplify our magic?’ you said with a shrug at a loss of how her magic worked.
It was then that you heard a groan and the three of you turned in unison to see Twilight on the floor stirring.
“Ugh,” she said as her eyes opened up slowly, “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?” Trixie said.
“No, all I remember was saying how I wanted to go home then everything blacked out.”
“Have you had this happen before to you, this blacking out?” Starlight said.
“Only when I was little when my magic went haywire… oh my gosh! Did my magic go haywire now? Was anyone hurt?”
“Other than a few things falling to the floor, we’re ok,” you said, “How are you?”
“I have a really bad headache and I feel really weak like I just ran several miles.”
“I’ll get you some medicine,” Starlight said as she retreated to the backroom.
“Let me get a chair, too,” Trixie said as she followed Starlight.
“Twilight, do you think you can stand?” you asked.
“I’ll try,” she said a you held out your hand to help her up. She took hold and slowly shifted her body to a kneeling position before attempting to stand. For a moment while she was on her feet you thought that all was well. Before she could take another step, however, her legs gave out as she suddenly tumbled to the floor. You quickly grabbed her around her midsection to halt her falling forward, allowing her to slowly sink back to a kneeling position.
“Guess I’m more drained than I thought,” Twilight said rubbing her head, “Sorry for all the damage I caused.”
“Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure Trixie and Starlight aren’t mad.”
“No, I don’t mean that. I mean what I said, you know, how we weren’t ever going to be friends. I saw your expression when I said that, how it hurt you. I know you care about me as much as my friends back home, maybe more. You opened your home to me, made me feel safe, and you forgave my magic surges. I don’t think I can ever thank you enough, except to say that yes, I’m glad to be your friend.”
“And I’m glad to be yours as well,” you said sitting down near her and taking her hand, “I knew Trixie upset you back there. She sometimes can be a little blunt. But can you promise me something?”
“Sure,” she said.
“When you do go home, please don’t forget about me. You are something amazing in my otherwise boring life, and I don’t want it all to be for naught.”
“Of course I won’t forget you,” she said, “and once I figure out how to get back I’ll come see you. But for now let’s enjoy us together here and now, ok?”
“Got it,” you said as Trixie and Starlight returned.
“Here’s the chair,” Trixie said setting it in the middle of the store, “not the most comfortable thing, but it’s better than the floor I hope. You two do look very comfortable down there, though.”
“Err… thanks,” Twilight said knowing what the shop owner was implying and with your assistance got up off the floor and into the chair.
“Here, take these,” starlight said handing her two white capsules and a glass of water, “they’ll hopefully get rid of the headache after about a half hour.”
“Thanks,” Twilight said as she took the medicine, “Sorry about the damage.”
“Don’t worry,” Trixie said, “It comes with the territory I guess. Remember when we tried fire scrying at night Starlight?”
“You mean when we used too much rubbing alcohol and sent a six foot flame in the air and caused the sprinklers to turn on? Don’t remind me.”
“You said you never had surges like this since you were a kid,” you asked, “but you also told me that you were in another world that had little magic like here.”
“Well, yeah, there was another world, but I never had surges like here. It was just that I had magic but needed to find out how to unlock it. My friends in this other world were the key.”
“Wait, a third world,” Trixie said, “as in not this one or yours?”
“Yeah,” Twilight said, “Anyway, here my magic is like a lake dammed up and the only way to release it is through a drinking straw!”
“Hmm… magical blockage,” Starlight said while resting a hand on her chin, “Sounds like you have inconsistencies with your flow of magic, and when it is released it is very unpredictable. Yet from what you said, you have no trouble with that in your dimension.”
“Well, what do you do when there is a magical blockage?” Twilight said as she felt the strength to sit up.
“Sometimes, it’s caused by a blockage in one’s chakra system,” Trixie said, “There are seven of them in the body, and if any are blocked it can cause issue to a certain type of magic. You, however, seem to not have an imbalance in one area but in all of them as Starlight said. So, how about this: if you help me clean up this store when you feel up to it, I’ll try to do a full body Reiki massage to try and align and open up your chakras. It won’t hurt and isn’t invasive. In fact most people feel very relaxed or even fall asleep after this treatment. Does that sound like a deal?”
You looked over at Twilight as she sat pondering the next move and whether to accept Trixie’s plan until she looked up and said, “I’ll do it.”
“Great!” Starlight said, “I think this will help you with your magic and maybe even help you to open the portal home. Now, I’ll get the broom and the dustpan to clean up the glass with Trixie while you two pick up any of the stones and other items off the floor.”