A small two story building served as Hollow Shades’ hospital. Sunset had never been to one in the human world, but she had a feeling they weren’t usually this empty. Aside from her own large party, there were two parents sitting with their son who kept a hand over his eye.
Fluttershy rocked back and forth in her chair, alternating between biting her nails and tugging on her hair. She kept her eyes on the door, sometimes going minutes without blinking.
Sunset reached over and pulled her hand away from her bangs. “Stop that, you’re going to pull your hair out. Rainbow’s going to be okay.” Sunset believed her own words but couldn’t shake the guilt that had followed her down the mountain. If she hadn’t been here, would things have turned out different? Would the Harbinger have stayed away without her darkness to attract it?
The doors opened, and Rainbow walked out beside Shining, her arm held up in a sling and her face dour. Fluttershy bolted from her seat and rushed over, being careful not to touch Rainbow’s shoulder.
“Are you okay? How much does it hurt? What were you thinking? I know what you were thinking! That meany, Soarin got into your head! But you shouldn’t have done something like that! Is there anything I can do for you?”
Rainbow held her good arm up. “‘Shy, I’m fine, really,” she said in a tired voice.
“The doctor said it was a pretty clean break,” Shining said. “As long as she doesn’t overexert herself, it should heal up in about two months.”
Rainbow let out a bemoaned sigh. “There goes most of track season. I can’t run like this! What if a talent scout was hoping to see me?” Her sigh became a frustrated shout, and she rested her head against Fluttershy's shoulder.
Fluttershy stroked her hair. “You still have those soccer scouts that were interested in you. You could still get scholarships for college.” She led Rainbow to the front entrance, the others following close behind while Shining checked out.
Pinkie bounced up to Rainbow and Fluttershy. “Here, I got you a lollipop to make you feel better, Dashie!” She pulled out one of the comically large lollipops swirling with rainbows. “Can I sign your sling later?”
Rainbow tried to smile, but it was weighed down with guilt. “Thanks, Pinkie. And sure, you can sign it when we get home.”
Sunset shared the guilt Rainbow held, as did everyone else but Pinkie. Thanks to the accident, Shining decided it would be best for them to leave now, meaning no surprise party. Sunset was sure the others weren’t exactly in a party mood anyway. Still half the reason they had came up to Hollow Shades was to give Pinkie a good birthday.
Back at the cabin, everyone began packing their things while Moondancer called for the helicopter. Sunset hid her portion of the party supplies in the bottom of her suitcase, swearing they’d still give Pinkie a great party when they got back home.
There was a knock on her and Rarity’s door, and she looked up to find Twilight. She waved and stepped across the threshold. “Just wanted to see if I could help with anything.”
Rarity neatly folded her clothes and packed them away. “Thank you, darling, but we’re just about finished. You’re more than welcome to stay though.”
Twilight sat on the edge of Sunset’s bed. “I’m glad a broken clavicle is the only injury Rainbow got. She’s pretty lucky all things considered.”
“Yeah,” Sunset said absently.
Twilight tapped her fingers together. “I mean, there was a statistically slim chance she could pull off that kind of acrobatic feat with only one day of practice.”
Sunset appreciated Twilight’s attempt, but the guilt remained. “Twilight…”
“Okay, magic or not, there’s no way a ghost wolf caused Rainbow to hurt herself.” She crossed her arms defiantly. “Nor was it drawn here by any of us being evil. There’s no proof—even with the magic you’ve shown me—that suggests such a thing.”
“True.” Sunset closed her suitcase. “But this is also magic from this world, which I know a lot less about.”
“Didn’t you say a wolf helped you find the road last night?” Rarity asked.
“Yes! See, the ghost wolf helped us. Why would it turn around and curse us?” Twilight paused and slapped a hand to her forehead. “Another sentence to fall under the list of ‘least scientific things I’ve ever said’.”
Sunset picked up her suitcase and headed for the living room. “Look, it happened. We can’t prove if it was magically influenced or not.”
Following behind Sunset, Twilight gasped and grabbed her hand. “Maybe we can!” As soon as Sunset set her luggage down, Twilight yanked her to follow, leading them back to the main lobby. She swirled her head around until she locked onto Soarin, sweeping the front mat clear of snow and dirt. “Soarin!”
He looked up and smiled in a guilty fashion. “Hey, sorry about your friend. I kinda feel like it might be partially my fault.”
“Eh, Rainbow’s always hot-headed,” Sunset said.
“That’s not what we wanted to talk to you about,” Twilight said. “Well, not exactly. You’ve lived here your whole life, right?”
He nodded. Yeah?”
Twilight pointed to the wolf statue. “What can you tell us about that wolf?”
Soarin raised his eyebrows. “Oh, Harbinger? Yeah, she gets kinda a bad rep. You see, she’s been haunting my family for generations. They thought seeing her was a bad omen and something terrible was about to happen. When my great-great grandfather moved out here, she followed, and every time she howled, something bad happened not long after.”
He swung his arms out. “Then one year, there was this really bad blizzard! Like, massive! Some of the villagers got lost in the forest trying to get home before it hit. My grandpa was one of them. With all the snow falling, they thought they were doomed. But then, even in all the white, they saw Harbinger’s coat glowing just bright enough to stand out. With her bright fur and blue eyes, she led them to safety.
“After that, my family came to realize, she didn’t bring bad luck, she came to warn people something bad was about to happen. So, she’s less of a harbinger and more of a messenger and a guardian.”
Sunset grit her teeth. “I knew Moondancer was playing up that story.”
Soarin nodded with a dreamy light in his eyes. “Yeah, she was pretty interested in the legend too. Why, did you run into Harbinger?”
Twilight nodded. “Last night, we got lost in the forest and she led us back.”
“Wicked!” He frowned. “I guess she was trying to warn you about your friend.”
“Yeah…” Sunset remembered the way Harbinger had looked at her though. Had she been trying to tell Sunset about Rainbow, or was it a different message meant for her? Still, a weight lifted from her shoulders. The wolf wasn’t attracted by darkness. It didn’t come thanks to Sunset.
Don’t get all cozy, a voice hissed. You still have a tendency to land your friends in some dangerously hot water.
“Thank you for all your help, Soarin,” Twilight said. “We really appreciate it.”
Soarin put on his cool smile again. “Anything for such a pretty face.”
Sunset put her hands on Twilight’s shoulders. “Hahahaha, don’t even think about it, pretty boy.” She turned Twilight toward the back door, glaring at a sheepish looking Soarin as they walked out.
“Well, I was half right,” Twilight said. “I knew the wolf wasn’t attracted to ‘our dark hearts’ or whatever. Moondancer was just trying to scare us.” She rubbed her chin. “How does a wolf know when something bad is about to happen though? It’s not like predicting the weather. I mean, if you know a person well enough, you could predict their future actions based off of habitual patterns and probability, but you’d still have to account for external forces and—”
“Remember when I said there are still some things you can’t explain with magic?” Sunset asked.
“Yes,” Twilight said, knitting her brow.
“This is one of them. Magic ghost wolf can predict bad luck.” Sunset shrugged. “I’ve heard of stranger things.”
Twilight huffed. “How infuriating.”
*******
The flight home was quiet with Rainbow brooding in the back and Shining disgruntled upfront, Fluttershy and Cadence trying to cheer them up respectively. They landed in front of Moondancer’s stately manor just as the sun touched the horizon.
“Sorry about your shoulder, Rainbow,” Pinkie said sincerely. “But I hope you still had fun?”
Rainbow gave her a weak smile. “Did you have fun?”
Pinkie hopped into the air. “Are you kidding? I had a blast! And I brought back plenty of rock candy for my whole family!” She pulled out her bag of sweets.
Rainbow’s smile grew. “Well, if you had fun, then I had fun.”
Shining put a hand on her back. “Come on, Rainbow, we’ll take you home.” Shining sighed. “So I can explain to your dad what happened.”
“Hey, don’t worry too much. It was my fault; I’ll take the heat off it. Besides, this isn’t even the worst injury I’ve gotten. I broke my hand in fifth grade pretty bad.”
Fluttershy shuddered. “I remember that.”
Just as the last of their luggage had been taken out of the helicopter, the front doors to the manor opened up, and out stepped a tall, pale man with a blue suit and slick purple hair pulled into a ponytail. His purple eyes swept over the crowd, stopping on Moondancer, who Sunset noticed kept her expression exceptionally neutral.
“Moondancer,” he said, stepping down the driveway, “I was under the impression you’d be returning tomorrow.” His voice betrayed his rigid and straight posture, sounding bored and dismissive.
“Yes, well, we had a bit of an accident while snowboarding and thought it wise to come home early,” Moondancer said, folding her fingers in front of her.
“Sorry, Mr. Night Shade,” Shining said, taking a step forward. “We actually had a few incidents, and I thought it best if we just went home before anything else went wrong. I hope it’s not an inconvenience.”
Night Shade waved an equally dismissive hand. “No, it’s fine. As long as you’re all fine.” He turned to Moondancer. “We have a guest. Unpack your things and join us in the parlor, please.” He dipped his head to the rest of the group. “Good evening.”
Moondancer cleared her throat as the doors closed behind her father. “I suppose I should hurry along then. Thank you all for coming with me on this little retreat. I had a wonderful time. Rainbow, I do hope you feel better soon.”
Rainbow grumbled out a begrudging, “Thank you.”
“Twilight, my sweet, I will correspond with you soon.” She twiddled her fingers at Twilight and Sunset and hurried inside. Everyone else gathered their things and loaded their cars.
Sunset and Twilight kissed one another goodbye, promising to talk later that night. After a round of hugs, she and Rarity were on the road home.
“We didn’t get around to the party, but at least Pinkie had a good time,” Rarity said.
“Yeah.” Sunset leaned against the window. “Still, I want to actually show her that we care. Give her something personal. I know Maud said she’d be happy with anything, but…”
Rarity hummed, tapping a finger against her lip. “I might have an idea. But I’ll need to double check it first before I get any of our hopes up.” They stopped by Rarity’s home first. Trixie had left Spot in the care of Sweetie Belle while everyone was away.
Opening the front door, Sunset and Rarity found the two in the living room. Spot wore a tutu around his middle and looked rather miserable. Sweetie had a boom box playing and was apparently trying to teach him how to dance. She froze, cheeks scarlet when she saw her sister and Sunset in the doorway.
“R-Rarity! I thought you weren’t coming home until tomorrow!” her high pitched voice cracked.
Rarity pressed a hand to her mouth, trying not to laugh. “There were a few complications. I’m glad you were having fun without me though.”
Sunset picked Spot up and helped him out of the tutu, receiving a generous lick as a sign of gratitude. “Thanks for watching him, Sweetie.”
“N-no problem!” She smiled sheepishly.
Rarity dropped Sunset off in front of the Lulamoon’s house. “Are you sure you’ll be all right by yourself, sweetheart?”
Sunset pulled her suitcase out of the back seat. “Don’t worry; it’s not like I’m not used to it. Besides, I have Spot.”
“Well if you need anything, just give any of us a call.”
She nodded and waved as Rarity drove away, heading inside once her car had disappeared around the corner. She led Spot inside, listening to the pitter-patter of his feet against the wood floor. Without any of the Lulamoons, the house was unusually quiet. The homey feeling that Sunset usually experienced had diminished. The numerous photos and tapestries kept it alive, but it wasn’t the same without the living things. It reminded her a lot of her old factory hovel.
She knew going upstairs would only lead her to talk to Princess Twilight, pushing her further into a past she was trying to crawl out of. She carried Spot to the living room instead. “Come on, let’s go watch a movie. Something with a lot of explosions.”
*******
Fluttershy walked up the steps to Rainbow’s front door, basket over her arm. She gave the doorbell a gentle push and waited patiently for a response. Rainbow’s dad opened the door and smiled brightly at her, gesturing her inside.
“Hey, little Flutters. Here to see the patient?”
She nodded and held up her basket. “I thought I’d bring over a few things to make her feel better. How’s she doing?”
Rainbow Blaze walked her through the den and to the stairs. “Moping more than usual. Last time she broke something, she just complained about how bored she was. This time…” He sighed. “She’s really down about missing out on her last year of high school sports.”
Fluttershy lowered her eyes. “I can’t imagine how that feels.”
He patted her on the shoulder. “But, if anyone can cheer her up, it’s you, right?”
Trying to put on her most confident smile, Fluttershy nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“Atta girl!” He directed her upstairs, and Fluttershy followed the familiar hallway to Rainbow’s room. She gave a soft rapt on the open door.
Rainbow looked up from her messy bed and waved Fluttershy in. Fluttershy stepped over a discarded pair of running shorts and set her basket down on a clean part of the carpet. She looked over the extensive collection of medals and trophies against the sky blue walls.
“Hi, Rainbow.” Fluttershy sat down on a corner of the bed, dusting away some chip crumbs.
“Hey, ‘Shy,” she said listlessly. She flipped a page of the comic book propped up on her leg. “What’s up?”
“I came over to take care of you for a little bit,” Fluttershy said, making sure not to make eye contact. She reached for her basket. “I brought you some cookies…” She pulled out a tin of homemade chocolate chip cookies. “Some medical herbs that my mom says will bring some of the swelling down…” She took out a small box of green, sweet smelling plants. “A couple of movies, and a bunny for you to snuggle with.” Last out of the basket was a small brown rabbit with a twitching nose.
Rainbow leaned her head back and let out a sigh that to anyone else would have sounded ungrateful, but Fluttershy, having known her since first grade, heard the appreciation. Even when it was just the two of them, Rainbow had to keep up her ‘cool’ act.
“You know you didn’t have to do that, ‘Shy. Especially the rabbit.”
The rabbit was the first thing she reached for.
As Rainbow brought the bunny to her chest, Fluttershy opened the tin of cookies and held one out for Rainbow to eat. Realizing her good arm was occupied, Rainbow leaned forward and ate from Fluttershy’s hand. “Thanks,” she said, her cheeks reddening a little. “Oh wow, these are your best yet!”
Fluttershy looked down again, playing with the folds of her skirt. “I’m glad you like them.” She let Rainbow finish the cookie before looking up again. “So, how are you feeling?”
This time Rainbow’s sigh was one of discontentment. “Sunset was right. Getting worked up over Soarin’s stupid tricks was stupid. It didn’t help that he was trying to act all cool in front of us, especially you.”
Instead of looking down again, Fluttershy used her tried and true method of hiding behind her hair. At first, she thought he was just being nice. But his show-offy nature brought out Rainbow’s competitive side, and lead to her injury. The thought sparked a rare jolt of anger.
“Look where trying to show him up got me.” She weakly waved her arm, wincing at the slight movement. “Do you know how hard it is to take a shower with one hand and limited movement?”
“Umm, no?”
“Pretty hard.” Rainbow scratched the bunny behind the ear, falling silent for a minute. “I’m competitive,” she said softly, “that’s who I am. I play to be number one. I should have been smart enough to know not to compete with someone who’s been skiing for years. Now I can’t compete in the stuff I’m actually good at.” She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes closed.
Fluttershy scooted across the bed and pulled her into a hug. Rainbow let out a few choked sobs she tried to pass off as grunts. “I just…” She regained her composure, but stayed in Fluttershy’s embrace. “I can’t believe I’m going to end senior year like this. What if the soccer scouts say no? What if I don’t even get into any colleges? What am I supposed to do then?”
“You pick yourself up and keep training,” Fluttershy said firmly.
“But—”
Fluttershy lifted Rainbow up and looked her in the eye, feeling one of those fleeting moments of total confidence. “You want to go to the Olympics or the World Cup, and the road there is never easy. Maybe you won’t get noticed the first time, or the second time. But you’re a champion, Rainbow Dash. And champions never quit. I’m sorry you got injured, and I know how much it hurts, but I also know you’ll overcome it and get stronger! Someone will see your talents and whisk you away to be a legend.”
Rainbow stared in awe for a second before breaking out into a wide grin. She hugged Fluttershy again. “What’d I do to get an awesome friend like you?”
Fluttershy sighed contently, burying her face in Rainbow’s hair. “Helped me out of a tree.”
“Oh yeah. Heh, good times.” She rested her head against Fluttershy’s neck. “Thanks, Fluttershy. You’re the best.”
Her stomach fluttered with warm butterflies. “You’re welcome, Rainbow. And I’ll be here rooting for you, every step of the way.” The warm butterflies left her stomach and spread through her body, leaving every inch over tingling, especially her ears and back. It actually felt very familiar…
Fluttershy gasped as her wings materialized behind her, and her pony ears popped up on the top of her head. She and Rainbow broke away, gaping at one another.
“Whoa! How did you—”
“I-I-I don’t know! I was just hugging you—”
“I know! I thought we only did that with music—”
“But I have wings again—”
“I know! It’s totally awesome!” Rainbow looked at the door. “Crap, we should close that before my dad comes up and sees.”
Fluttershy crossed the room with a single, involuntary flap of her wings. She gently shut it and deliberately walked back. “Oh my gosh! What do we do?”
Rainbow reached for her phone. “Don’t panic. Let’s just call Sunset and see what she thinks.” While Rainbow dialed, Fluttershy thought to Twilight and her previous experiments, and hoped they wouldn’t have to go through another, possibly more extensive round. “Dammit, I got her voicemail. Hey, Shimmer, call me or Fluttershy back; we kinda have a bit of a magical situation here.”
“What do we do in the meantime?”
“Well, it usually goes away after a little while. Just hang out here and hope my dad doesn’t walk in.”
Fluttershy wasn’t sure why, but her cheeks heated up. “O-okay.” She sat on the bed again. “I-if you want, we can watch a movie. Or you can try some of the medicine.”
“Sure, why not?” Rainbow sat a little straighter and moved the rabbit onto her blanket. “I’ll try your mom’s hippie medicine. No offense.”
Only because it was from Rainbow did Fluttershy not take offense. She pulled a small bowl from the basket and started to grind and mash the herbs up with her hands, getting it into as fine a paste as she could. She smeared her fingers with it and held it up to Rainbow’s collarbone. “Please hold still. I’ll be as gentle as possible.”
Rainbow closed her eyes and snickered. “Two things. One: you’re Fluttershy—I’d be scared if it wasn’t gentle. And two: that’s what she said.”
Fluttershy was glad Rainbow had her eyes closed. This time, her blush rose from her cheeks all the way to her pony ears. “R-Rainbow!”
“Sorry, sorry! It was too easy!”
Hand now trembling, Fluttershy ran her fingers over the inflamed area, brushing it as lightly as possible. Rainbow cringed but said nothing. As her fluster died down, Fluttershy started to hum, massaging Rainbow’s shoulder just a little harder.
A pink glow enveloped her hands and spread to Rainbow’s injury. Fluttershy yelped and quickly pulled away, but the glow remained in both places.
“What? What happ—whoa!” Rainbow gaped at the phenomena. “What’s going on now?”
“I don’t know! I’m sorry!” Fluttershy wailed. The pink glow faded from her hands, taking with it both her wings and ears, leaving in its place a faint exhaustion that made her head light. The glow lingered on Rainbow’s shoulder a second longer before vanishing as well, leaving Rainbow with wide eyes.
Very slowly, she wiggled her fingers, then carefully removed her arm from the sling. She and Fluttershy traded looks of pure astoundment as she rolled her shoulder and stretched her arm out.
“Awesome,” Rainbow said breathlessly.
*******
Sunset’s mouth hung open as she watched Rainbow wiggle and flex her arm. Her eyes turned to Fluttershy, trying to hide her blushing face.
“So you ponied up,” Twilight said, pacing next to Sunset, “then rubbed Rainbow’s shoulder and her clavicle just healed.”
“Well, I was using medical herbs too,” Fluttershy said.
“Yeah, I doubt it was the herbs,” Sunset said.
Twilight raised a hand. “It could have been a catalyst,” she said with a strain in her voice. After another minute of pacing, she collapsed onto the park bench next to Sunset. “Catalyst or not, Fluttershy has healing abilities now. How? Why?”
“I’m trying to figure out how she ponied up without music,” Sunset said. “That’s been the trigger so far. Why did it change now?”
Twilight jumped up. “Excellent question! Perhaps if we recreate the entire scene with the right stimuli, we can find out!”
Rainbow’s hand jumped to her shoulder. “I’m not breaking anymore bones!”
“Girls!” Rarity rapped her knuckles on the picnic table. “Focus, please. Rainbow, I’m more than delighted to see you healed up, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious as to how it happened, but we’re here to put together Pinkie’s party.”
Applejack walked over, carrying a box of sodas and cups. “Yeah, and Ah would appreciate a little help. You got two arms again, Dash, so Ah don’t wanna hear any excuses.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes but said nothing as she went to assist. Sunset got up and filled bowls with candy before working on the horse-shaped pinata. I feel like I should be offended by this. Once it was strung up, she helped a wheezing Twilight finish blowing up balloons. All the while, the loud hum of the bounce house’s air tank provided them with background noise.
Sunset had to hand it to Rarity; using their favor with the mayor to rent the biggest jumper without having to pay for it was pretty ingenious. The house was large, pink (much to Sunset’s chagrin), and even came with a slide. Other kids walking through Canterlot Park looked at it enviously, some of them loitering around, no doubt to try and spot the birthday kid and ask if they could join in.
As Sunset stepped back and looked at their colorful handiwork, she couldn’t help but snort. “This looks like a party for a five year old.”
“Well, Pinkie is technically four, so…” Applejack shrugged.
“And now we just need our guest of honor,” Rarity said, setting the cake down on the table.
“Want me to go get her?” Rainbow asked.
Rarity shook her head. “No, she should be here any minute.” While they waited, Twilight continued to press Rainbow and Fluttershy about their miracle yesterday. Sunset occupied her time by shooing kids away from the picnic area. Nice as she was now, little kids still bugged her.
They heard Pinkie’s high-pitched giggles before they even saw her. “I’m so excited! You know how much I love surprises, Maud! Oooh, oooh, can I make more guesses? Is it a giant cake? Did you find the lost city of Atlantis? Did you find a leprechaun?”
Maud led Pinkie across the field, her expression as deadpan as ever. Pinkie had a blindfold over her, but that didn’t stop her from bouncing and skipping. The girls gathered around as Maud brought her up to the table.
“Here you go.” She took Pinkie’s blindfold off.
“Surprise!” everyone shouted. “Happy birthday, Pinkie!”
Pinkie’s eyes lingered on the large bounce house in the center before they darted to the table covered in snacks and a large cake, then to the pinata hanging from a tree, and the Twister mat being pinned to the grass by several rocks. Her mouth hung open just slightly, but she showed no reaction otherwise.
Rarity stepped forward. “We wanted to throw you a party while we were up in the mountains, but that didn’t work out. So, we threw this together instead, with some help from the mayor.”
Fluttershy put her hands together and bowed her head. “We’re so sorry we didn’t celebrate your birthday earlier, Pinkie. I hope you can forgive us.”
Pinkie looked over the festivities again before her eyes stopped on her friends in front of her. Then, Sunset saw something she had never seen before. Pinkie bit down on her lip, her eyes filling to the brim with tears. She made several short hiccups, trying to keep her oncoming emotions down. Sunset had seen Pinkie blubber and wail with dramatic fashion at happy or sad moments in movies, but never this. This was honest vulnerability.
“Are you okay?” Sunset asked.
“I… I…” Pinkie furiously rubbed her eyes. “I thought… you had all forgotten. B-but, I couldn’t be mad. W-we had to fight the Sirens, and we w-were all getting m-mad at each other, and m-my birthday isn’t on a r-real day anyway. So I didn’t say anything.”
Applejack walked over to her and embraced her first. “Ah wish you had said something, sugarcube. Ah reckon a party might have helped keep our heads on straight.”
Rainbow joined in on the other side. “You throw parties for us all the time! The least we could do is throw one for you, celebrating the most important day of your life!”
Pinkie’s entire face trembled, and she broke into a sob and a laugh, burying her face in Rainbow’s shoulder. “I can’t believe you did this for me! You’re all the best!” Everyone joined in on the hug, even Sunset, though she was last and stayed on the outside.
Once Pinkie got a few sobs out, she broke free from the circle and threw her arms up, her cheerful smile back and face glowing with pink mirth. “This is the best surprise ever!” She froze and looked again at Rainbow. “Dashie! Your arm’s fixed!”
“Huh? Oh yeah.” Rainbow waved. “Long story. We’ll talk about it later. Today’s about you!”
Pinkie pulled Rainbow into a bear hug, managing to take some of her air away. After a loud squee, she said, “Come on, besties! Let’s party!” She dropped Rainbow and kicked off her shoes, then dove into the bounce house.
The others followed suit, Sunset ditching her jacket as well so her spike cuffs wouldn’t poke a hole anywhere. She had never been in a bounce house before, believing it to be far too childish for the likes of her. And while she still found it childish, by no means did that make it unfun.
Outside, Maud sat by the cake, petting Boulder with her finger. She looked at her sister laughing with her friends, and smiled.
*******
Lamia thought her measly cat-burglary days were over. She had graduated onto bigger and better things: bank vaults for clients, high-clearance information labs… the museum for one lousy diamond!
She took a controlled breath, pressing a hand to her heart. “Easy, girl. Stay calm. You’re on duty.” But even with her measured breathing, her blood boiled at the thoughts of what could have been. She had been this close to selling the Crystal Heart and making out like a bandit, pun intended! She could have been rich! She could have been in Greece!
That damn sword woman! Those damn dazzle siren whatevers! And that tattle-telling bitch of a doppelganger! Lamia clenched her fists, her latex gloves making a light squelch. I don’t know how, but I’ll make them all pay. I’ll ruin you, mini-me.
Jórmangandr hissed into her ear, reminding her that she had been sitting in the branch of the tree for too long. She had a job to do. It wouldn’t make her as much money as selling the heart, but it was a start. Lamia raised her infrared binoculars and peered between the eaves of the trees. Thirty yards in front of her sat a tall marble wall with golden fence spikes running along the top. Beyond it was a three story manor complete with an extravagant garden. Yes, the people in the Upper Villa sure knew how to spend their money. A glass gazebo, a babbling stream, and the latest security monitors hanging above the back entrance.
Lamia knew robbing any house in Canterlot’s richest neighborhood would be a challenge. So why not just go for the richest and the fanciest? Either go big or go home. The last light inside had flicked off almost an hour ago, leaving the mansion thinly illuminated by the garden lanterns.
Lamia had thrown this heist together in a little less than a week. She had learned the floor plans, caught glimpses inside to make sure they had valuables worth stealing, and had gotten a reasonable idea of their schedule. The house was always occupied by the staff, but everyone went to bed just after midnight.
Slipping her mask on, Lamia climbed down the tree, Jórmangandr wrapped around her neck like always. She crept up to the manor wall and reached into her near empty bag, producing a small black box with an antenna and a single switch: her short-ranged EMP for when she needed to disable lower-level security systems. Rich as these people were, they security they had was still second rate to what Lamia normally had to deal with. She flipped the switch, counted to ten, then tossed the box back into her satchel.
“Let’s have some fun, Jorgey.”
With the grace and agility of a cat, Lamia scaled the wall and grabbed hold of the fence posts at the top, using them to vault over and land on the other side in a crouch. The stream snaking through the garden helped mask her footsteps as she crossed over toward the house. She used the ivy growing along the back wall to help her ascent, keep her weight perfectly distributed so it wouldn’t snap on her. When the ivy ran out she gave the marble a firm press with her hands until the sticky adhesive came to the surface. She reached the roof and walked over to the side of the house. None of the back windows were safe to use, so she opted for one that led to an office.
She crawled down the wall to the second floor and peered through the window first. Darkness stared back at her, shifting until she could start to make out shapes. Like the floor plans told her, a large office sat on the other side of the glass. Already, Lamia could see a glass case full of chalices made from precious metals.
Lamia pried a hand from the wall and reached into her utility belt. She pulled out a thin, sharp metal object and placed the tip against the window, slowly and carefully making a wide circle in the glass. Her tool made a quiet squealing noise as it went, sending a bead of sweat down Lamia’s face. This was always the hardest part. Once she had made a full circle, she pulled up and waited to see if anyone had heard her commotion. When no one came to investigate, she placed a hand on the circle, pushing it inward, the glass sticking to her palm. She climbed into the room and set the glass down.
Now for my prizes. She approached the glass cabinet, smiling at her reflection, though she couldn’t see it behind her cowl. It took only a bobby pin to pick the lock. She lifted the first chalice, silver with four rubies embedded into it. A thousand. Maybe two. She placed it in her satchel and reached for the next one, made of sapphire with moons carved into it. Oh, you’ll fetch a pretty good price.
“You should either be commended for your bravery—”
Years of training and honed instincts taught Lamia not to scream in surprise. But her entire body locked up and her heart drilled into her chest.
“—or reprimanded for your foolishness,” a light, refined voice said behind her.
Lamia didn’t need to tell Jórmangandr to sic, he flew off her shoulder with a loud hiss, striking at whoever was unfortunate enough to catch her in the act. Only, the satisfying sound of fangs in skin never came. She turned around and went rigid a second time. Jòrmangandr floated in the air, covered in a purple glow, squirming but unable to break free. She looked beyond him to the girl holding her hand out, emitting a similar glow. Lamia recognized her from the Battle of the Bands, she had been the prissy princess playing piano with her doppleganger’s girlfriend.
Small world. Lamia whipped out a throwing knife and hurled it at her. The girl flung her other hand out, and the knife stopped in mid air.
“Caught in a corner, the alley cat begins to bare its fangs and hiss,” the girl said in a sing-song voice. She pushed her hands forward, and both Jórmangandr and the knife flew back toward Lamia. She ducked out of the way, her snake’s tail still slapping her across the face, but she managed to avoid being stabbed by her own knife.
“Pray tell…” The girl stepped into the office, wearing only a silk nightgown that flowed down to her ankles. “What possessed you to think this was a good idea?”
Lamia had to admit, for a teenage girl being robbed, she was surprisingly calm. Of course, having glowing magical powers probably helped. Instead of answering, Lamia rushed up and struck out with her open palm. The girl spun to the side, ducking under Lamia’s follow-up hit, then merely pushed her hands out again. Neither of them touched Lamia, but it felt as if a giant socked her in the stomach and threw her across the room. She hit the wall and slid to the floor.
The girl took a deep breath and brushed a lock of hair from in front of her eyes. “Hm? Oh, I know who you are.” She drew closer to Lamia. “Yes, the Snake Queen. To what do I owe this unsavory pleasure?”
Holding her sore ribs, Lamia glared up at her, teeth bared. “Freaking magic! Have I actually stepped into some goddamn anime? Does every teenager have magic now?”
She raised an eyebrow. “You mean you’ve met others like me?”
Lamia clamped her mouth shut. She shouldn’t be wasting her breath talking to this heiress, she should be looking for a way out of this mess. She had gotten out of tighter spots before; there was no way some teenager would get the better of her, freaky magic powers or not.
On cue, Jórmangandr sprung again, aiming for the girl’s ankle. She jumped at the last possible second and hovered in the air, aiming her hand at the snake. A small bolt of light shot forth and hit Jórmangandr along the back. He flailed in pain and quickly recoiled to his master’s side.
Lamia used that brief window to throw out her second knife. She didn’t look to see if it impaled her target; she scooped up Jórmangandr and made a bid for the window. She collided with solid air and fell onto her back, her nose sore from the collision.
“So sorry, but you haven’t been given permission to leave.” The girl was on the ground again, examining Lamia’s throwing knife. “Hmph, how mundane and tasteless. Though, I suppose I can’t expect much from a common thief.”
Lamia rolled up and backward, aiming a kick for the prissy girl’s face. Instead of being shoved back by an invisible hand, Lamia froze, hanging upside down in midair.
“And so the thief stumbled into the castle, and found more than she bargained for. How could she have known the princess was also the dragon?”
The flowery sweetness in her voice made Lamia want to throw up.
Pressing her fingertips together, she made a slow circle around Lamia. “Now, shall I call the police? Or perhaps deliver you to a darker power?” A dark light sparkled in her eye. “No one would miss common filth like you.”
“Are you threatening me?”
She held the back of her hand to her mouth and laughed. “Oh, I don’t make threats. To borrow a cliché, I make promises.” She lowered her hand and smiled the way a cat smiled at a mouse. “I promise to do neither if you cooperate with me.”
Lamia made a growl that rose into a hiss. Hard as she tried, she couldn’t get her body to move an inch. Why? Why when I’m at the cusp of having everything, it gets ripped away! First those divas, now this bitch! Was this karma; payback for all her previous crimes? But she knew people who had done far worse and were living the high life.
Two roads stretched before Lamia. The short one led to her imprisonment after the cops hauled her away. The second, she couldn’t see. She’d be at the mercy of this magic empowered child. She’d either permanently lose her freedom, or play puppet until she found an opportunity to cut the strings.
She would have spat if she could. “Fine. I’ll play your game. What do you want?”
With a flip of her red and purple hair, the girl said, “First, tell me, who else did you encounter that wielded magic?”
Lamia narrowed her eyes at the thought. “More teenage brats like you. They call themselves the Spectacular Seven or something like that. I think your friend Twilight is with them?”
“Of course,” she said bitterly. “I assumed that’s who you were referring to. A relief I suppose, though now I’m curious as how you came across them.”
“Long story. Let’s just say I owe their leader a debt.”
“Oh?” An excited gleam overtook the girl’s eyes. “A grudge against one Sunset Shimmer perhaps?” She made a small laugh. “Perhaps you and I will get along, Snake Queen. I do not hold Sunset in the highest regard either.”
Lamia wondered what the girl would say if she took off her mask. The blood was beginning to go to her head, making it feel heavy. “All right miss…”
“Moondancer. Or My Lady.”
“Yeah, not gonna happen. Moondancer, either tell me what you really want, or let me go. As much as I love hanging around like this… I don’t!”
Moondancer rolled her eyes and her wrist, and Lamia flipped over but remained in the telekinetic field. “You see, Lamia, there is an item that I’ve long had my eye on, but have had no means to obtain it. Perhaps you could recover it for me?”
Lamia smirked. “You want me to steal something?”
“Recover. There’s no need to be so crass about it. Besides, it’s a family artifact, so by technicality, it already belongs to me.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
Moondancer dropped her hand, and the field around Lamia vanished, dropping her roughly onto the floor. “Do this for me, and I’ll reward you quite handsomely.”
Lamia got to her feet and dusted herself off. “It’s not like I have much of a choice, do I?”
“Not really. But as I said, I do keep my promises.” Moondancer made a dainty bow. “I promise, you will be rewarded, no strings attached.”
Lamia never believed in ‘no strings attached’, but figured this was her only way out without getting magically mauled. With an irate sigh, she said, “Fine, kid, you’ve got a deal.”