17
“So I talked to the M.E.U.P.,” Johnnycake was explaining. “Just signing some stuff. They’re escorting the Warlock to the Stockade…”
Rarity blinked uncomprehendingly, but politely. They’d surfaced from the hole the Torch had burnt into the plaza, almost in front of the fusion place. She was going to have to remember the name, it had been delicious! Anyway, there’d been a lot of wreckage from the robot or whatever Johnny had bumped into before spotting a now embarrassingly obvious periscope poking out of the bushes, being swept into neat piles by the police and Damage Control.
“Raiders Island’s fancy schmancy super jail,” Rainbow Dash cut in, casually brushing tunnel dust out of her folded wings. “It’s where they dump all the bad guys until the ‘good guys’ get bored and need something to beat up.”
“Ah,” Rarity agreed, understanding.
A little. After Johnny’s hurried conversation with the M.E.U.P. they’d shuffled over to the gates and a heavy-duty metal wagon, one of those automobiles, had trundled up. She’d been worried it had been for them. They still hadn’t paid for their meal!
“Projecting a little there, Dash?” Johnny smirked ruefully. “But yeah, it’s a big box we can toss these pests into. Until the Crown can find a way to get rid of their powers at least. Guys like the Wingless Dingus--”
“This is the Warlock, I take it.” She wondered if she should be worried by how well she was keeping up now.
“Yeah, sorry. Anyway, he only calls himself that because he’s supposed to be all controversial and new wave of sorcery and science and blah blah blah, but he’s just a really smart Unicorn. We only dump him in the Stock because he could trick his way out of regular Raiders the second the cell door closed. Trapster’s nowhere near as much of a threat, but the Warlock’s ride was scheduled to pass through here anyway, so once he’s picked up he’ll be gen pop…That’s--”
“General population, yes. Rainbow has explained this kind of thing when we watch her movies.”
“Right,” Dash said simply, glancing at the wagon idling up the street. Guards were carrying a wriggling Trapster towards the shadows inside the open steel doors.
She turned back to meet Rarity’s gaze and quirked a brow under her bangs. “Everything okay Rarity?”
“I was going to ask you, dear.” Rarity looked her up and down again. “There’s something different…did Johnny’s family convince you to visit a salon while you were in the Big Apple?”
“Does that sound like me?” Dash cocked her head to one side. Her smile lengthened slightly as Johnny struggled not to laugh. “Anyway, I was just on a mission with the Fantastic Family. Maybe I picked somethin' up.” Her eyes widened with mock-horror. “You don’t think it’s what Johnny’s got, do ya?”
That was certainly a Rainbow Dash line, so Rarity relaxed, joining in Johnny’s laughter. “Sounds like we’ve both had quite the adventure!”
Dash rolled her neck. “I’ll tell you all about it back home.”
“You must be tired!” Rarity reached out, smoothing down that magnificent mane. She appreciated and respected the younger pony’s proclivities, but it seemed scruffier somehow, lacking that aerodynamic Pegasus look. “You’re standing!”
“Surprised?” Dash glanced between them, smirking. “I came straight from an adventure with a buncha superheroes and then I had to go looking for you two in who knows how many Manehattan tunnels!”
“How’d you find us anyway?” Johnny asked, leaning against a streetlight.
“Glue-boy left a message with your floating trash can.” Dash rolled her eyes. “Had the whole spiel. Even an address! The Fam didn’t think it was a three-alarm fire, but I couldn’t leave my friend hangin’ now could I?”
“They blew him off?” Johnny squinted as a touched Rarity looped a foreleg around Dash’s shoulders, seeming to surprise her. “Sue and Reed blew off saving somepony? Grim Skies I get, Trapsy couldn’t take a paper ball to the head, but…”
“I told ‘em I was going no matter what.” Dash looped her own foreleg around Rarity. “And anyway, they knew you were there.”
“Fair,” Johnny smirked again.
“So obviously I had to race over to save her as soon as possible.”
“One day I really am going to have to hear why you two didn’t work out,” Rarity beamed. “You’d either have been the greatest comedy duo in Manehattan or burnt it to the ground.”
“Eh, Johnny’s got more self control than folks give him credit for.” The pony in question blinked. A compliment? Dash was still smirking, messing with him, but the way her eyes were half lidded. Something didn’t belong there. “It’s cute really.”
“Tell me about it.” A similar expression on Rarity’s face, but a little sadder.
“Maybe someday. Right now, I’m gonna go talk to the guards. Make sure those two in the truck don’t try anything. I mean, if this guy can do it…”
“I suppose that’s the responsible Element thing to do,” Rarity agreed. “Make sure the princess hears about all this. She’ll probably get a good laugh out of it if nothing else! I’ll come with you.”
“’Kay,” Dash said noncommittally. The cat like quality had gone out of her eyes and she’d stopped smiling.
Johnny was trying to decide which would get him punched harder, asking what was with her right now or if she’d done something with her hair, because that was starting to bug him too, when his collar mic flashed again. Rarity jumped slightly, Dash sinking into almost a combat crouch beside her. Johnny fumbled with the 4 logo as it flashed and squawked like a bird getting dragged backwards through an airship’s turbines.
“Sorry, ladies,” he grinned, covering the mic stalk as it slid up to his mouth. “Gotta take this.”
“The other woman already, hmm?” Rarity smiled.
“Uh,” said Johnny Storm, black belt in the ancient art of witty repartee.
“Your sister,” she grinned, the way arrows do when they nail important people in the eye just right.
Dash jerked her head at the truck with sudden impatience. “C’mon.”
***
Johnny didn’t want to be caught between the mare who was about to dump him and his like 6th most savage ex. He trotted around to an alley off the plaza, because the last thing this day needed was crowds of pedestrians staring at him as he was mothered/chewed out/same difference by his big sister, and released the mic.
“Go ahead.”
“Johnny?” Sue. It sounded like that Keep-Calm tone she used whenever the water was rising or the breaks were out. “H.E.R.B.I.E. found a package…Johnny, it’s the Trapster! Is Rarity with you?”
“It’s fine!” Johnny sighed. “She’s a little punch drunk maybe, but she whooped him good.”
“She hit him?” Sue said, incredulity adding distance to the speaker’s tone.
“No, that’s the great thing! Dannii actually took care of--”
“Rainbow Dash?” Something in her voice made him stop dead. “She’s there already?”
“Already?” Johnny repeated. He could feel something rushing to the surface.
“She just took off a few minutes ago! She was frantic, worried about her friend. I know she’s fast but--”
“Irving Place,” Johnny said sharply. “16th street, that Pranceisian/Istallion fusion joint.”
Standing. Dash had been standing. He’d teased her about it, she’d eaten it up. Rainbow Dash hovered at absolute best. She didn’t stand unless she had to. Tired out from a mission, that was smart. A smart ab lib, because they couldn’t hover. They could grow wings, but reptilian ones, out of their forelegs like Reed. Because they couldn’t imitate Pegasus musculature for the real deal.
And her hair! He’d admired it yesterday in Ponyville. The way she’d actually managed to streamline it, all the little ways it was different from before but still so her. That was what was getting at Rarity. Her bangs had been longer, more spaced out, the back almost as long as her tail. And that was the reason he hadn’t noticed, because, even though he’d seen her yesterday with his own fool eyes, that was the way he still thought of her. Dannii, not Dash.
Rainbow Dash, whatever else you could say about her, was a full-grown woman now. The girl they’d just been talking to looked like she had in flight school.
And Rarity had said there’d been a woman with Trapster. In the booth with him. Where they’d found Dash.
All this passed through Johnny’s head in the second it took him to reach down inside himself and ignite, launching into the air and around the corner.
***
“What on Earth?!” Rarity asked, spinning towards him. And freezing at the violet light suddenly leaking behind her.
“Tarnax, actually.”
Rainbow Dash’s eyebrows waggled playfully as her eyes filled with the same energy pulsing in her outstretched hoof, a snarling hound kept at bay from the nape of Rarity’s neck only by her will. The Torch froze so suddenly furious flames shot off his shoulders before twisting back towards him.
“Now don’t you wish you had him that well trained?”
Rarity gulped as the Not-Dash’s wings curled around her. They were still that delightful cyan but now scalloped, bat-like. And strong, holding her in place. Hooking together with little claw thingies on the tips that sent an uncomfortable tingling down her throat and into her spine.
“What are you doing?” she asked, instinctively trying to push her head as far forward as it could go as she felt this thing start to gently pull her backwards, step by step.
She was trying to keep her head away from the billowing force behind her, stuck staring at the blazing Torch as the violet energy, so much…colder than Twilight’s, edged her vision. It was vertiginous and almost blinding.
“We’re all backing up!” A sharp step to drag her backwards and an obvious order to Johnny. The creature was smiling, she knew it. Fangs in her voice. Her friend’s voice, stolen like dropped change.
The Torch hovered lower, almost touching the asphalt. “Let her go and I’ll give you a free shot.”
“Johnny, Johnny, Johnny.” The pressure eased suddenly as the hoof behind Rarity seemed to lower. “Take for free what I can have for fun? You should know me so much better than that by now.”
The Torch crouched as if to spring then froze the exact same second Rarity felt an intense almost-not heat burrowing into her neck.
“Including the fact I can send it out through my eyes! If you really cared for Rarity here, you’d have flamed off by now.”
“Johnny, wait--” Rarity began, but he’d already snuffed his flames out like a conjuring trick. The determined Horseshoe Torch one minute, a handsome, quietly seething little pony the next.
“Hey!” a voice barked. Rarity had just enough time to remember the guards were there before that cold light exploded behind her and she knew that wasn’t a factor anymore. She was almost certain the thing with Dash’s face hadn’t even turned to look at them.
“The Warlock and Trapster for Ra…for my friend,” Johnny said coldly. “That’s what this is, yeah?”
“You have no idea what this is,” the Skrull said then let out an elegant laugh that was nothing like Rainbow and made Rarity feel so much worse for using her voice to do it. “Don’t you just love this business?! Where else are you going to get to use lines like that with a straight face? Whooo…”
“I meant it.” Her voice trembled but she was letting the anger wash over it. If this was all she could do, then she’d do it.
“Sorry?”
“In the tunnels,” Rarity smiled grimly. “You really shouldn’t drag gloating out so much.”
She stomped down. The creature yelped, wings shrivelling into her sides as she clutched her hoof. Rarity kicked backwards as Johnny sprang forward, igniting. She spun just in time to see the thing with Dash’s shape rolling with the blow, eyes wide, violet, furious--
Cold light. Impact!
The stinging almost drowned out the screaming, until she realised it was real.
The streets were rapidly clearing now that laser beams had sent her and Johnny skidding down one. Dazed, she registered Johnny’s body sprawled a few feet from her, strange brick red splotches creeping back into his skin.
She struggled up to face the creature, even less like Dash without wings and its hair shimmering green, her horn frantically trying to conjure. Those glowing eyes blinked at her, then the creature smirked, her hair somehow rearranging itself into a ponytail, bangs receding like claws.
“Relax, you’re not my priority. In fact, you girls aren’t even really on the Empire’s map. Yet!”
She shoved the prone guard in her way aside, swinging the door of the wagon open. She glanced back at Rarity, making the Unicorn blink at the serious expression on her face. “I meant it too. You can do better.”
“Lyja…” Johnny was trying to force himself to his hooves. “Get…get away…”
“If you insist!” the creature beamed with Dash’s face. “Hope you don’t mind if I take the gruesome twosome with me. Need all the help I can get, you see. I’d have the Sandpony too, if you and the Spider-Pony hadn’t mucked up everything I had going with the Watermane.”
The Horseshoe Torch burst back into existence from the sheer, startled anger in his voice. “That was you?!”
“And don’t worry about your little tailor friend! It’s like the old sage said!” Lyja said cheerfully with Rainbow Dash’s voice. Johnny’s teeth clenched as she seamlessly switched to her own. “⌇⊑⟒ ☊⏃⋏'⏁ ⌿⌰⏃⊬⏁⊑⟒ ☌⏃⋔⟒ ⌰⟟☍⟒ ⍙⟒ ☊⏃⋏.”
Rarity blinked at the utterly alien language as Lyja closed the door, Rainbow’s face sprouting back into her own as she winked at her through the window. She could swear a purple jumpsuit was spreading over the beastly mare-lizard-thing’s forelegs as she did something to the panel and took the wheel, backing over some news vendors as the wagon thundered to life.
“Are you alright?” The Torch was hovering over her as the behemoth lurched into out into traffic. Backwards. “Dash, the real Dash and the others, they’ll be here any second. I promise.”
“What was she?” Rarity asked, not really addressing him.
It wasn’t the asphalt that was making her feel bruised. The way that thing had stolen her friend’s face and talked to her. The arrogance. The unforgivable composure.
“A Skrull. Shapeshifters. We were--” He cut himself off. “Are you alright?”
“I will be when you get her.”
“We need to get you to a hospital! I can’t just leave you in the street!”
“Johnny.” The firmness in her eyes almost blew his flames out. “Get. Her.”
***
The Torch nodded, blazing into the air over Lexington Avenue and gunning it after the trail of swerving carts. Even though he knew that if he found the wagon, he probably wouldn’t find Lyja. Or knew what he’d do if he even did. How much he’d burn.
Because even though his Skrullian was a little rusty, he’d got the gist.
⌇⊑⟒☊⏃⋏'⏁ ⌿⌰⏃⊬⏁⊑⟒ ☌⏃⋔⟒⌰⟟☍⟒ ⍙⟒☊⏃⋏
She can’t play the game like we can.
“Sun, that smells good,” Peter sighed with sauna bliss as they drifted over the fields.
“Want some?” Twilight smiled, looking up from the box in her hooves as the last of the purple light turned kale and salad back into delicious bread and grease. “Hope so, it looks like we could feed the entire Yakistanian Legion in here.”
They were huddled against each other out of affection, sure, but also just the sheer number of pizza boxes. Twilight levitated some as she spread her dispersal spell over them. Normally she got antsy about this much magic on food, but technically she was using it to undo the magic that’d changed it, so they’d take the risk because who in the hay ate Manehattan pizza for their health, Cadence?
“Being turned into a sock puppet by the Princess of Love gives a fella an appetite, I won’t lie,” Peter smiled back, accepting his own glowing box. He grinned as Twilight folded her slice with telekinesis.
“What?”
“Nothing. You just look very Manehattan right now.”
“Yeah?” She took a mock-defiant bite. “Ya wants I should tell youse where t’ getcha own furshlugginer balloon ride?”
“How do you feel about baseball caps and hockey jerseys?”
“You mean how do you feel about baseball caps and hockey jerseys right now?” She did that slowly pull off a string of cheese and half lid the eyes bit, until she winced and let it flop down her front. “Agh! Tongue! Hot!”
She pulled open one of the velcro pockets in the side of the gondola, scrabbling for a magically chilled soda.
She managed to stare him down with a decent amount of dignity as she chugged it so hard the bottle flexed as if having a cardiac arrest. “You try flying this thing with a snacky dragon in the high summer. Also at least we’ve got something to wash this all down!”
“Actually, always did kinda wonder what you kept in there,” Peter said through his own mouthful. He also had to admit it made his accent sound a lot like Twilight’s impression.
“Uh, this other one’s for snacks, that one’s for notes and books, and that one is a mini fire extinguisher disguised as a seltzer bottle so it doesn’t hurt Spike’s feelings.” Twilight pointed then went back to her pizza, using the pile to support her shoulders.
She briefly thought about how this would make her wings smell but then saw no downside. Rainbow would follow her contrail for the scent, maybe? “I haven’t had you up here much! You know, for non-business reasons.”
“It’s fun!” Peter wiped his mouth with a hoof. Cadence had included napkins. That was hilarious. “Anyway, I said I wanted to go, so.”
“I like having you up here,” Twilight smiled, rubbing her hooves with one of the napkins because what was she, a barbarian? “It’s not web-swinging but the old girl’s got her charms.”
“She takes after her mother.” Peter saluted with his lemonade before taking a pull. “Ahhh! So. Should probably explain.”
“About what?” Twilight said carefully. She was starting to relax. To try and ease any tension she made her eyes swirl. “Wanting to go for a balloon ride?”
She felt relief as he laughed and started on another slice. “Actually, I can guess.”
“Mphm?”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full!”
“I’mma Ma’ngh’hat’nghite!” Peter protested through bulging cheeks and waving a greasy hoof.
“You’re getting crumbs all over my gondola! Here!” She stuffed a napkin into his lap. He boggled at it like some undiscovered species was trying to use him as a nest. “Anyway, remember…gosh, it must have been two years ago by now? I think of it as our first meeting. You know, socially.”
“Yeah?” Peter blinked. “You’re talking about when you drifted into the city?”
“Yep!” Twilight beamed. “It was after the whole Smarty Pants mess.”
“Your doll?” Peter blinked again then put a hoof on her shoulder as comprehension dawned. “Aww, honey…”
“No, no, it’s fi…I’ve made peace with it.” Twilight took it in her own, one of her wings sliding into place around his shoulders. She resisted the urge to fist pump at pulling it off. “And you’re a big part of why. I was just drifting along, wallowing in my own guilt…”
“All the way to Manehattan,” Peter pointed out, unable to keep the chuckle out of his voice.
“It gets old after a while.” Twilight shrugged. “So I started teleporting the whole thing for something to do. Maybe I was just trying to put as much distance between me and Ponyville for everypony’s sake. I don’t know. But there I was, so into myself I didn’t even notice my last jump had brought me into the second greatest city in Equestria.”
“You Canterlot fillies,” Peter smirked, happily taking the bait.
“And then this medium sized, primary coloured but handsome stranger in a mask was waving at me from a chimney.”
“How’d you know he was handsome if he was wearing a mask?”
“The Great Pony in the Sky had to give him something to make up for that sense of humour.” Twilight tickled his chin. “And I thought, oh good, a crime! Perhaps an elaborate conspiracy I can bury myself in, you know, to put off dealing with driving everypony who’s shared the greatest magic of all with me insane.”
“Twilight…” Peter began gently.
“But no.” She switched her hoof to his cheek. “He just wanted to say hello. And when he got closer, he wanted to know what was wrong. If he could help. And it would be a few years before I could tell him how much, but he did. Because he talked to me.”
She was thankful he had the sense to stay quiet because this was looking into each other’s eyes time.
“He just perched on the edge of my gondola and let me babble. And it felt better. It really did. And it made me realise I should turn around and tell my friends how I felt even if I knew they’d forgive me. Because the fairest thing was to let them know. Because you talked to me. Listened to me.”
“Yeah. Well.” Peter took her hoof gently. “You returned the favour a million times over.”
“Sweetie, please, you know how I feel about exaggerated percentages.” Twilight nuzzled him as he laughed. “But I get it. This balloon’s important to me too. I’m glad we can share that moment.”
“It was nice.” His tone made it sound like he felt he had to explain.
“Yeah?”
“Actually helping somepony.”
“You help ponies all the time!”
“I hit people, Twilight,” Peter smiled, nuzzling her this time. “That’s not why I got into the business. I…”
He trailed off, stopping the nuzzling too. Twilight wondered if she should stroke his head or something but was worried any kind of touch might throw him off.
“It was just nice to feel like I actually helped somepony. The way you guys do. That’s why I went on about a balloon ride, I think. The association.”
Twilight tried a reassuring smile. “At least it’s a good one.”
“Yeah, and this time there’s pizza.” He winked and took a cheeky bite to let her know he was doing better.
They lapsed into silence for a bit after that, watching the clouds and trees glacially sliding around them, enjoying the closeness of each other and the food, spiced with the slight glee of two teacher’s pets defying Big Sister.
“This is from that place next to MJ’s,” Twilight murmured, impressed as she finally examined the lid of her second pie.
Peter shrugged. “You’re that in my head."
“Good,” Twilight said with enough bluntness that he almost choked on his bite from laughter. She casually floated over another lemonade. “Sorry there’s not a bigger selection, this is more for when Spike’s body temperature, ah, spikes like it does in the summer sometimes and I need a relief, not romantic cruising.”
“No, it’s great.” Peter took a swig, testing his mouth a little. “So’s the pizza. Think your magic adds something, even. It’s kinda…”
“Lighter?” Twilight agreed. “That can happen! Energy.”
“Zesty, yeah. Goes great with the lemonade.”
“I’m thinking of making it my focus,” Twilight said, halfway through another slice.
“Lemonade?”
“Dispersal magic.” She dabbed at her lips with a napkin and swatted at his chest with her free hoof.
“Yeah?” Peter chuckled. “Any reason? I thought magic itself was your focus.”
“Still is!” Twilight beamed. “Can’t let you Everfree thinkers undermine the entire foundation of Equestrian society.”
“Do we really need to try that hard given how quickly it’s outpacing magic’s antiquated monopoly on academia?” She gave him another swat knowing full well he enjoyed it. “But is it just to keep Cadence out of your diet, or did something happen?”
“Nothing bad. Well, more nothing straight forward.” Twilight put her half-finished box aside but didn’t look at him. “It’s a lot of things. Becoming a princess partly, but Smarty Pants is in there too.”
“Twilight, if you don’t wanna talk about it…”
“No, I do,” she smiled. “It’s really not a bad thing. It was the way Princess Celestia restored Ponyville after my Want-It-Need-It spell.”
“Huh.” Peter said after a while. He nodded. “That sounds…very you.”
“Thank you.” Twilight rested against his body. “It’s like how you feel about that first ride. There’s a lot of what I want to be in that moment. As a princess. As a person.”
“You want to fix things.” Peter said carefully. “You know you already do, right?”
Twilight peered up at him under the rim of her bangs.
“Nightm--ah, Princess Luna.”
“Smooth,” Twilight chuckled, making herself comfortable again. “And, yes, I suppose we do. And it’s certainly a practical decision. There’s other…powers out there. Part of our destiny is to face them. To undo what they do. I hope we get to help them, too. That sounds so much better than just fighting all the time.”
“I hear you.”
“You fight to help people too.” She gave her lamest swat of the afternoon to let him know she wasn’t going to brook any argument. “And we can hold our own. We have Rainbow Dash and Applejack for Celestia’s sake, and have you seen Rarity when somepony doesn’t use a coaster?”
“I’ve seen what happens when you make Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie mad too,” Peter agreed, nodding gravely. “Some dynamite you just don’t play with.”
“See, this is why we work, you know your place,” Twilight beamed. Her expression sobered almost instantly. “But I meant it. There has to be something else. Not to brag, but I was three time runner up and two time winner of Gifted Unicorns’ magical duelling club.”
“I believe it.” She shared the smile with him, knowing they were both remembering that business with Mysterio and Calypso.
“I know you do. But what that taught me was that fighting with magic comes down to two things. Not even necessarily who’s more powerful! It comes down to emotion and—and you’ll like this, Peter—imagination.”
“I love it when you talk dirty.”
“Down boy, this gondola isn’t structured for that kind of thing. But the reason so many fights turn into just throwing lasers at each other is, well, you’re panicking, the other pony’s panicking, you both have to think quickly and complexly at the same time…” Twilight sighed. “Even becoming an…an Alicorn doesn’t change the fact an experienced, determined or just plain terrified practitioner of sufficient ability could take down Princess Celestia. Or me.”
She felt him holding her a little closer and stroked his foreleg reassuringly.
“So, yes. All these experiences, my ascension, it seems like the best I could do as a bearer, a sorceress, is to try and at least…mitigate the damage magic can do. Even to its caster. Because yes, that’s an enormous part of what we do. Fixing. Helping.”
“Great responsibility,” Peter said quietly.
“Yes,” Twilight sighed, closing her eyes briefly.
A beat.
“People think I can do so much now Peter, but ascending, whatever you want to call it, all it did was expand my abilities. Alright, I can draw on more power more quickly, can maintain effects longer, hay when I get out of my own head I even get to fly! But much as I want to, I can’t just strut into the middle of the Saddle Arabian desert and turn it into an oasis. Even if I could pull it off at most it would be dead within weeks, if it didn’t explode first.”
She sat up furiously, glaring into nothing. “If Trixie hadn’t been using that stupid amulet, if she hadn’t been obsessed with how everything looked, if it hadn’t been constantly powering everything...her remodelling of Ponyville could have triggered a meltdown at the molecular level! You can’t use energy to change something and not expect it to hang around! That’s one of the first rules! Without that amulet keeping it together that dome could have shattered. Magic debris, hundreds of shards with thousands of unpredictable effects, raining down on my home. My home!”
She felt a reassuring touch stroking her shoulders down to her wings, calming the terrified breath heaving in her throat. She swallowed, breathed out and sunk back into Peter’s gentle embrace.
“Sorry. This is…this is a lot. I’m going all over the place.”
“Do whatever works for you,” Peter said gently, kissing her horn. Twilight smiled a little at the serendipity.
“What I’m trying to say is this…upgrade, that’s what people think it is. And it’s not that they’re wrong, it’s that I’m on the bottom rung of a whole new ladder here. I’m not invincible. Not immortal. I can’t do whatever I want. But I can filter through three different types of pony magic! I’ve levelled off!”
Peter blinked. “Levelled off?”
“I haven’t had a magic burst in almost a month.” Twilight turned slightly in his grip to smile up at him. “Like when I was a filly. When I’d get startled or angry. I can feel it inside. My magic hasn’t peaked, it’s just…it’s where it needs to be. And I think I know why.”
“Your friends,” Peter said after a pause, and she could tell even though he’d been struggling to keep up something was finally clicking.
“Yes,” Twilight sat up some more, on the verge of joyful tears. “They healed me, Peter. Steadied me. You all do. And I’m so lucky.”
He held her close, letting her slump over his shoulders. She needed a few minutes because this was the hard part and she already felt completely spent.
“Because part of me thinks I don’t deserve any of you.”
“…what?” Peter lurched back as if she’d slapped him, staring at her. It made her feel ashamed. Now he was looking at her like she’d been hit by a bus right in front of him. “Twilight, no. You’re one of the best ponies I’ve ever met! Deserve? You deserve more than I could ever--”
“I’m soliloquising now, thank you dear,” Twilight smiled, placing a hoof on his lips. “Because see…this is the other part. Why I want to fix things. People! Because all those things we’re going to have to…to fight. I could have been any of them.”
“No,” Peter said vehemently, taking her hoof.
“King Sombra.”
“Was insane!” Peter protested. “I’ve seen your research, Twilight! The things he did to himself, you’d never--”
“Sunset Shimmer. Princess Luna.”
“They didn’t have—!”
“Friends?” Twilight’s smile was sardonic now. “Neither did I, once upon a time. Oh, I had Ponies who loved me, sure. So did they. And just like all of them, I had talent. I had power.”
That word made him go quiet. Twilight swallowed, her eyes burning. Why was the sky still so gorgeous? Why were birds still singing somewhere?
“Can you believe that? I had the luck to be born into one of the most peaceful kingdoms on Earth, to be taken under the wing of one of its kindest ponies and to be surrounded almost every day by ponies who loved me. Who forgave me for never spreading it outside myself. I devoted my life to the magic that makes this country so blessed and I never noticed that I was closing myself off to it. Because I didn’t think I needed anyone.”
She swallowed again.
“And I was rewarded for it.”
“No.” Peter shook his head furiously. “Look, I don’t have a clue what happened that night but that’s not it. You earned this, Twilight. You love your friends, you love your family, you love your home--”
“I know that too!” She winced. That had been louder than it should have been. “I know. But there’s always going to be this…this little bit of me that feels that way. That remembers who I used to be. I think…I think it’s just part of what’s propping up who I am now.”
Peter was quiet for a while. Then he reached out slowly. Twilight half flung herself into his embrace, knowing she was supporting him as much as he was cradling her.
“Anyway.” She sniffed, rubbing fiercely at her nose and blinking quickly. “That, ah, that’s why I’m so good at making pizza taste like it’s supposed to! Because, y’know. Wanting to fix things. Self-awareness.”
They held each other for a few more minutes.
“Thank you for telling me this,” Peter croaked eventually.
“It, ah, it ran away from me a bit there,” Twilight giggled drunkenly. Emotional exhaustion on top of the sheer relief at his acceptance. Peter joined in but she could see the question in his eyes.
“It’s just…Cadence said spiralling and I thought about it. That’s the thing, I always have to take so long to notice when everything’s…! Anyway, even though it feels so good to get all this out it’s because I’m worried you feel left out. And I want you to know. I’m so lucky to have Spike and everypony around me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need you. Of course I do! I love you!”
The air froze. Civilisation crumbed and rebuilt itself a thousand times between their stunned heartbeats.
“Oh,” Peter said because the silence was going to push him straight through the wicker if he didn’t liquefy first.
“I love you,” Twilight repeated as if trying to dislodge something. “Have I said that before? I love you? I love you!”
The grin on her face guttered as quickly as it ignited from the way he was looking at her. “Oh. Oh no. I’ve, I’ve ruined everything haven’t I? Have I? Peter?”
“No,” Peter said quietly and the sad smile on his face almost broke her heart. “It’s just. I…”
“You don’t have to…” Twilight began, trying not to skid on a discarded pizza box as she stepped towards him.
“Yeah, I do.” Peter shook his head. “You can’t tell me all…all that, and then I keep it from you. It’s not fair.”
“Keep what?” Twilight’s voice was very small now.
“The truth. Why I do what I do.”
“Your responsibility?” She blinked incredulously. “Your uncle?”
“No.” Peter sank to his haunches, slumping slowly against the side of the gondola and burring his head in his hooves. “Aww Twilight…”
So she sat down next to him. And held him.
And he told her everything.
Everything.
“Oh Peter,” Twilight whispered.
All he could do was look at her. The tears rolled down his face, unashamed. That broke her, starting her own.
“This…Oh sun and moon, that’s why you’re sometimes…why you…” She wrapped her foreleg and wings around him, cradling his entire head. “I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have started digging!”
“It’s okay,” Peter croaked. They were both slumped against the side now, utterly spent, the pile of still uneaten pizzas incongruously in the corner. Eventually, without moving her head, Twilight telekinetically removed some drinks from the pocket. Peter took his but didn’t move.
“Hydration,” Twilight said limply, undoing both caps with her telekinesis.
“Yeah.” Peter still didn’t move.
Twilight watched him carefully through blurry vision as she took a long pull, sniffing and rubbing her nose. “Are you al—?”
“Yeah. Actually…” He seemed mildly surprised. “Yeah.”
“Why did you…” Twilight bit her lip. Everything she’d just learned about Glen Trotter’s death was swelling at the front of her brain, blotting everything else out. She was surprised her horn was still in the same place. “I mean, I-I know I unloaded first but if it’s okay, why did you tell me?”
“Because I love you too!” Peter took her hoof suddenly. “It…I couldn’t keep it from you, Twilight. It would have been wrong. But I didn’t know how to…to start…”
“Of course you didn’t!” Twilight gripped his shoulders. “Peter. It’s okay. I love you. You don’t even have to tell me why--”
“Because I was afraid.”
Twilight blinked incredulously. “Of me?”
“That you’d hate me.” He said it far too calmly for someone who looked like they were about to collapse.
“No.” Twilight cupped his head between both hooves, locking eyes with him even though she felt like she was about to burst into fresh, angrier tears. “No. The man you described. Your aunt. They could never hate you, so how could I?”
She kissed him, catching him completely off guard. He stared at her, eyes almost wide and face almost as blank as Spider-Pony’s mask.
“I love you,” Twilight said simply.
“I love you too.” Peter’s shoulders were trembling as he embraced her. “Oh stars above, I love you so much.”
A beat of utter exhaustion.
Then Twilight cleared her throat. “Um. Did that kiss taste weird to you too?”
“Maybe, uh…” Peter rubbed his eyes. “Maybe eating all that pizza was a little…”
“Yeah.” Twilight smacked her lips. “Not as, ah, zesty as before.”
They held it for as long as they could before bursting into paralysing laughter, the gondola shuddering slightly under them as they slumped together.
Twilight wrapped her wings around Peter’s shoulders as he placed his head on her chest, both of them waiting until their breathing slowed. She burped on her still digesting and disturbed pizza at one point, which made them laugh more and the process take longer.
“Y’know,” she said eventually when her throat stopped feeling like it had been sandblasted and filled with wet cement at the same time. “Still a lot of those. The pizzas, I mean.”
“If Cadence thinks she’s getting 20-gems out of me after tampering with them…”
“No, I mean.” Twilight’s wings flicked slightly but she was an adult now. Well. She was too old to be scared of this prospect anymore. “Gonna have to swing by to pick up Rainbow and Rarity anyway.”
“And it’s not Manehattan style if you don’t microwave it and spend the rest of the night wondering if you’re chewing the same thing…” Peter nodded comprehendingly.
“We were talking about sleeping over.”
“There’s paperwork in my saddlebag,” Peter said slowly.
Twilight’s pupils shrank.
“Insurance stuff.”
“Oh my.”
“Could take all weekend,” Peter smiled slyly.
“We’re going to Manehattan!” Twilight yelled to the mountains, sitting bolt upright, Peter’s laughter mixing with her echo as purple light consumed the balloon.
It re-materialised almost 200 miles away, over the railway tracks, so Twilight could lean over the side and throw up because turning yourself into light while still digesting, yeah, that was a bad idea.
19
“Knew I shoulda stuck with you two!” Rainbow Dash muttered, trotting back and forth.
“You had adventures to go on.” Rarity rolled her eyes, keeping her needles moving by sheer instinct. “Besides you know I love you to bits darling, but the last thing my dating life needs is you leaning over my shoulder.”
“So it was a date.” The sister was sitting against the office wall, looking up from the paperwork she’d been filling out. Dash had stopped pacing to stare at her.
“Ah…” Rarity blinked, needles mercifully frozen in her hooves before she could jab them into her legs. “Well, that is to say…you see Ms. Sousaphone…uh, Ms. Sand?”
“It’s Ms. Storm when I’m on business usually, Ms. Belle,” the other pony smiled, and Rarity could make out just a bit of her brother in it. More I Know What You Did than Who, Me? “But my friends call me Sue.”
“Ah,” Rarity said again, smiling shakily.
Sand Sousaphone Storm and Tropical Johnnycake Storm. She really was going to have to find a polite way to find out how Earth Pony naming conventions worked one day, though Manehattanites had always been a bit, you know…a bit you know.
“My grandmother was a tubist with the Fillyharmonic. She really made her name going on the road, but I think Mom was kind of banking on a reverse legacy. My brother got stuck with our father’s penchant for Breyhamian desserts,” Sue said, immediately endearing herself to Rarity with the older sister telepathy. Then again, she didn’t have to live with Sweetie Belle.
“Ah.”
“Also Pegasus mother, so elemental names, and Earth Pony father, so three part names to link us back to our ancestors and also make it more difficult for any magicians of wicked intent to trap us in their heathen magic, which as every Sunday school foal knows is most dangerous when it tries to use your name.” Sue sorted her report into a neat stack and began to bundle it with the Thing’s and Mr. Fantastic’s. “You know, the usual cross breed compromise.”
“I was named for my coat and mane combination,” Rarity said brightly, because given the choice between shooting herself and going ‘Ah.’ again she’d take shooting herself. “Something we have in common, hmm Rainbow Dash?”
“That and thrashin’ Changelings.” Dash shook her head, unable to smile yet. “I can’t believe you thought that thing was me!”
“It also raises some concerns about how long Lyja was watching you and Johnny at the time.” Sue looked grim. “I know you girls have dealt with Chrysalis, but be careful.”
“Mmm.” Rarity went back to her knitting. “Not that I have any reason to believe her, but she did say we weren’t a priority.”
“Then we should find her and prove her wrong,” Dash snorted.
“Dash,” Sue said, making the younger mare look at her. “If Lyja could mimic you well enough to fool one of your best friends it means she was planning to replace you at some point. I’m serious. You should all be careful.”
“Hey, handled myself well enough on the ride along!” Dash snapped, stepping up to her. Sue realised she still wasn’t used to how much taller she’d gotten.
“Yeah, you did,” she admitted. “And it was good for Grim.”
“Really?!” And just like that the peppy 18-year-old she remembered was practically bouncing up and down in front of her. “Do-do-do ya think he’ll wanna work together again?!”
“I think he’d like to,” Sue smiled, resisting the urge to tousle her hair. “Once he’s got all the dents out of the hull, anyway. Speaking of, I know you’re eager to get out of here…”
“Hey, if it was a Canterlot precinct you couldn’t get rid of us!” Dash looked over her shoulder at Rarity, sitting on the interview room table because she’d taken one look at the couch and felt like her coat was dissolving. “What was that one where they served the princess-tea?”
“Her Neighponese stuff? Oh gosh, it’s on the tip of my horn!” Rarity twirled her free needle as she stared into the distance. “Oooh, what was that thing outside? Abstract, gothic thing on the lawn! Looked like it escaped from bad award show prison!”
“The Incitement street place?” Sue joined in, unable to stop herself.
“Yeah!” Dash nodded. “The one street in Canterlot where nothing ever happens!”
“…then what were you doing there?”
“Double parked a parade float,” the two Elements said with twin shrugs.
“Hey, you try doing a musical number to stop the deed for all of Canterlot falling into the wrong hooves/talons and keep track of everything,” Dash muttered because even she realised that probably needed a follow up.
“They were lovely though, weren’t they?” Rarity beamed. “We were in there for a while because they had to look up how much the fine was, it had been so long, but I think they really just wanted an excuse to show off the station.”
“And their awesome beverage selection!” Dash agreed.
“Speaking of,” Sue cut in because there wasn’t going to be a better thematic chance to jam her offer into the spokes of this insane conversation wheel. “Sometimes me and the other fillies in the business like to go out. Cap, the Daughters of the Dragon, the Wisp, whoever’s up for it. I know you girls all have each other to lean on but if you’d ever need to just get away for a little…well, we’ve all been there.”
“Oh, that’s so kind of you!” Rarity resisted the impulse to hug her because they barely knew each other, and also she was dealing with a particularly delicate cross stitch. “We’ll absolutely think about it, won’t we Rainbow?”
“Are…are you talking about taking us to Plucky’s?” Dash was hovering off the floor, leaning in so close she was almost forcing Sue’s neck to become one with her tail. “It’s real? Johnny wouldn’t shut up about it!”
“If you’d like!” Sue used a force field to gently back her up. “We like to try different places, sometimes just get out of the city if we can, but we can absolutely hit up the bar.”
“And we’d be delighted to have you in Ponyville,” Rarity smiled. “We may be small but we’re honestly quite spoiled for choice when it comes to dining out. And we do enjoy a good festival!”
“And if anypony needs to let off a little steam we gotcha covered there too,” Dash grinned. “Can you say Everfree forest?”
“Unfortunately," Sue smiled wryly. “Should give any villains second thoughts about following us I suppose.”
“Aww!” Dash pouted.
“There, there, dear.” Rarity reached over to pat her wings. “It’s fine that you can’t have a normal reaction to the prospect of peril, it’s adorable.”
“Me?! You were just at ground zero of a hostage situation and you’re knitting!”
“Well if they’re going to insist on giving me blankets…!”
“That would be for shock,” Sue pointed out.
“Hmm?” Rarity looked down at her creation. “I suppose I could sow in some…lightning bolts?”
“Picked the right moment to trot in on!” All three turned to see Johnnycake leaning in the doorway.
The roguish smile was on his face and his forelegs folded, all totally failing to disguise that he was exhausted and slumping. “Hey sis, Rarity. Rainbow! Glad to see you survived the experience!”
“What experience, your personality?” Dash muttered, though she did glance guiltily at Sue. The older mare shrugged diplomatically.
“Hello,” Rarity said softly, neatly folding away her creation.
“Hi.” Johnny took a tentative step. Rainbow Dash was immediately between them, eyes like stone. “I swear I didn’t know this would happen.”
“And that makes it better?”
“Did you round up the new Frightful Four?” Sue asked. “Grim and Reed got back a while ago.”
“Just got out of the captain’s office.” Johnny rolled his neck. Shame flaming on couldn’t solve cricks. If anything, it sometimes felt like it…baked them in. “Had a fun conversation about how we lost them a high security wagon. By the way, we owe them a high security wagon.”
“Sign.” Sue levitated a sheaf of pre-typed papers.
Both knew exactly who she’d really been asking about, and that it had really been to gauge his emotional state by how exactly he ducked the unspoken question. If Lyja was in the building, or no longer on this mortal coil, it would be impossible not to know.
“Caaan Ms. Belle and I have a sec?” Johnny managed to scoot past Dash without loosing any vital organs. “It’s just that’s a lotta paper and we need to talk.”
Dash hovered in front of him, forelegs folded. “Managed to file it quickly enough when you wanted me out of the way.”
How could he have ever fallen for Lyja’s disguise? Rainbow Dash never hid when she wanted to pummel somepony. Or when she was restraining herself and having to settle for just words.
Crazy thing? Pete, Soarin’, Rocky Cake, all the best there was. But it’d be nice if they could be Just Friends. He’d…like having a pony who felt on his behalf what Dash clearly did on Rarity’s.
“Rainbow, I sat in the wrong chair for Celestia’s sake!” Rarity tucked her needles into her tail in a manner that conveyed she was irritated enough to hurl them like javelins. “And I knew if Johnnycake didn’t come for me you girls would. Alright?”
“’Kay,” Dash muttered. In a pig’s eye Johnny knew, but if it had been one of his team…
“Oh Dash, Grim Skies is in the squad room sharing war stories,” Sue said casually. “Want to hear the one about Istanbull before we say goodbye?”
She shook her head, using her powers to smooth her mane back into shape as the slipstream faded away, looked at the other two in a way that made it clear she was trying not to shake it even harder, and trotted out into the corridor to wait for Dash to come zipping back to ask for directions.
***
“I’m sorry,” they both said as soon as the door was half closed. “What? Why?”
“Me first!” Johnny put a hoof to his nose. “Called it!”
“That’s not…I wasn’t re--Ugh, fine!” Rarity sat on her haunches, trying not to grin.
“You’re going to be a lady and say what happened today wasn’t a big deal--”
“Oh, am I?” She stopped trying.
“Was about to say but you’re well within your rights!” Johnny smiled tiredly. “And yeah, you handled it like a pro, but you shouldn’t have had to. And I, ah, need you to know that I know and--”
Rarity raised a hoof. “Is this going to be a multi-know speech? Because even if it wasn’t sunset, I don’t think I could take that.”
“You’ll be wanting to get home,” Johnny agreed, nodding.
“Eventually, but there’re some things I want to get off my chest first. It’s only fair.”
“To who?” He blinked. “You’re the one who got caught up in all this. That trap was for me!”
“And even though it was murder on my coat, it at least put me in a position to help you out,” Rarity said, smiling but putting natural authority into her voice.
“Huh. Didn’t think of it like that.”
“Yes, and I think I know why,” Rarity sighed. She felt like she’d sooner pull her own horn out. “You call it the business but it’s your life really, isn’t it?”
Johnny blinked again.
“Not that that’s a bad thing!” Rarity waved a hoof hastily. “Oh dear, I’m making a Diamond Dog’s breakfast of this, I swear I’m not trying to insult you, you must think I’m as tactless as a pair of monogrammed Ugg boots!”
“After what you went through today you can say pretty much whatever you like,” he smiled encouragingly.
“You’re a very kind colt.” Her smile wavered as she held his gaze, working up to something. “I have a confession to make.”
“Okay…?” He sat down on the ghastly couch and promptly sat up again, which made her smile.
“I have a place lined up.” She tried not to gulp. “A store, I mean.”
“Hey, congrats!” She was getting good at telling when he actually meant something. Maybe it wasn’t so hard to believe a younger Rainbow would have drifted so close to somepony like him. “Want a celebrity endorsement?”
“I’ve had it since after last Fashion Week.”
To Johnny’s credit he didn’t get angry, burst into flames or die of a heart attack, but she could tell it was that stupid, stupid, so terribly wonderful, almost foal like inability to understand. ‘Adapt?’ again. If Princess Luna could kindly just quickly nip in and banish her to the moon that would be lovely, thanks.
“I didn’t have to check out those other places,” Rarity sighed, looking at her hooves. Why couldn’t her fringe be Fluttershy sized? “In fact, they gave me so much paperwork I was able to go through them and find deliberate reasons I couldn’t lease them. Besides, um, already arranging with my partner to get the place we have our eye on. It’s why that stupid trap business doesn’t really get to me. It was just an excuse to go touring the city together.”
“Did you…think you needed one?” Johnny asked uncertainly, sounding like a propeller trying to wind itself in three different directions at once.
“No, it was just…” Rarity shrugged. “I don’t know, it’s been a long time since I had somepony to…play with, I guess. Oh gosh, how that must sound!”
“Grim Skies has saved my life and the free world more times than I’ve flamed on,” Johnny reassured. “Once I glued a false beard to his face, dressed up like a grandpa, and changed all our living room furniture around so I could pretend he’d been asleep for forty years. Trust me, you’re the only pony in this room who probably shouldn’t worry about impulse control.”
“Well, when you put it like that,” Rarity smiled, accepting the round about compliment with a nod. “But still, I should have been honest with you! Just because we enjoy playing games with each other doesn’t mean we should! Who are we kidding, today was a first date. All that official talk was just…just…”
“Fun?” Johnny tried.
“Yes,” Rarity admitted. Sun and moon, there must be something wrong with her. How had Rainbow Dash lost it with this Happy Days runaway and she hadn’t? “But if not for Mr. Trapster’s interruption perhaps one of us would have said something that hurt the other. As is, oh, don’t get me wrong, I still like you, you’re the most entertaining stallion I’ve met in a long time, but our conversation…it concerns me as much as it fascinated me.”
“Okay,” Johnny said in that same uncertain if he’d missed some kind of run up voice. “And what concerns you exactly?”
“You were describing your friends…”
“Oh, if this is about beating each other up—!”
“Little bit.” Rarity tried not to cringe or burst out laughing, teeth grinding slightly trying to contain both. “But the only normal sounding fellows in the bunch were friends you made at flight school! Friends you had with your ex-girlfriend.”
“Soarin’s kinda normal,” Johnny said quickly and looked puzzled at the defensiveness in his voice.
“Yes, but he’s a Wonderbolt. So’s Rainbow Dash! If they’re normal it’s really only compared to, well, heroes like you.”
“Like us,” Johnny insisted.
“Not quite, although thank you,” Rarity smiled sadly. “Because even Rainbow Dash turns it off when we get home. I like you a lot Johnny, but my impression is while we’d have a lot of fun together…I couldn’t see anything past that conversation being different. This wasn’t even supposed to be ‘Ho-ffical’ and we practically told each other our cutie mark stories!”
Johnny’s tail flicked slightly as he tried to stop it flying to his mark as if to cover it in shame. She reached out and took his hoof because she felt like she’d just tied a puppy to some railroad tracks.
“All your friends, they’re wonderful people. To know you at all they’d have to be.”
“I’m roommates with Spider-Pony.”
“Not helping your case,” Rarity smiled then frowned. “Anyway, don’t interrupt! I’m getting my hooves here!”
“Sorry,” Johnny said, voice carefully devoid of his internal monologue's sardonic “Mystics.”
“You have a lot of friends Johnny Storm. But they’re all heroes.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. That’s not a problem but…perhaps a difficulty? As far as I can tell the only ponies you talk to are also answering a calling. Or to put it another way, the only people you talk to are people who do what you do."
Nothing but the chatter and bustle of a Manehattan precinct at sunset around them. Rarity fervently wished the spare office this was taking place in didn’t look so 70’s, because with the goldening light coming through the windows it looked a bit like the set of one of her Latin soap operas, and she kind of loved that.
She searched Johnny’s eyes and still found no anger, but a distinct processing look.
She chanced another smile. “Well, without your distinctive flair.”
“Thanks for that.”
“I am speaking rather bluntly here, so--” Rarity began, trying not to scuff her hoof like a school filly.
“That was what I meant,” Johnny smiled. Now she was trying not to sigh from relief.
It wasn’t remotely the threat of angering someone who could literally explode. Even if she hadn’t grown up with Applejack and met Rainbow Dash, she worked in fashion for heaven’s sake! But necessary words could hurt too, even with care.
“What I’m saying is, I think you need a friend. An outside one.” She took a step away from but only to hold out a hopeful hoof. “And I’d very much like it to be me.”
A beat.
“I’d like that too.”
His smile hadn’t changed, which she chose to interpret as a good sign. She could feel his surprise as she hugged him though.
“You’re a very sweet pony,” Rarity said sincerely. “I like talking to you. And you’re going to love all my advice, soon you’ll wonder how you ever got along without my endorsement!”
“Other way around,” Johnny grinned with a raised brow.
“Whatever helps you sleep tonight, darling.” She loosened the embrace and give him a deadly serious smile. “And I’m still going to get those delicious school Dash stories if it kills you.”
“Oh hey, meant to say before, could you tell her the FF had a blood feud with Chrysalis first? This has been bugging me since the royal wedding.”
“Oh what, not enough of your friends beat you up as is?”
“This is gonna be fun, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely, darling.”
Understanding. Tenderness. Iris out.
***
Just kidding. Magenta flash!
“Why are you in jail?!” an aghast Twilight Sparkle demanded.
“What are you wearing?!” Rarity practically shrieked, looking the rumpled ESU t-shirt she was wearing up and down with scandalised delight and germaphobe horror.
“It’s romantic!” Twilight shot back. “Hello, Johnnycake. I’m staying over tonight and my balloon’s sort of parked on your roof, hope that’s okay.”
“I can find something to do, Princess,” Johnny assured, casually waving the foreleg Rarity wasn’t death gripping.
“Twilight, please! Do I want to know where Rainbow Dash is?”
20
Hugging a rock monster in the shadow of a compact space age jet, as it turned out.
“Geez kid,” the abashed Thing rumbled, “it’s alright. Don’t call myself an idol of millions for nothin’!”
“I know, I’m one of ‘em.” Dash rubbed her eyes as everypony hovered awkwardly in the doorway of the landing pad’s stairwell. “It’s just…you’re not too ugly and stupid to quit. Okay? You just don’t quit.”
“Preachin’ to the choir, shrimp.” Johnny could swear the old man’s lip (well, the tortoise-esque lower jaw thing that had replaced it) was wobbling as he delicately raised a stone hoof to pat Dash’s back without altering the shape of her spine. “Now, great as it is to meet somepony who’s into my good old days as well, time you was all gettin’ home, yeah? Got me a rep to maintain, can’t have a rookie tailin’ me around all the time. Folks’ll think I hired ya to boost my image!”
“Not that it needs it!” Dash grinned.
***
Another flash of Twilight’s magic and Johnny was standing in his and Peter’s living room, blinking at the number of pizza boxes on the table and kitchen counter.
The pulsing purple doorway of love that connected said living room to the one inside a tree, back in a small town on the doorstep of perhaps the most savage zone of inland Equestria, didn’t really phase him anymore.
“Johnny?” Peter was on the couch, surprise languidly bubbling under the relaxation he was still enjoying. Twilight had materialised herself on the other side of the couch and was nuzzling her way back under his foreleg.
“Yeah, I’m surprised we’re back this early too.”
“I meant more you’re still alive.” Peter nodded at the two bearers on either side of him. “No offence ladies, it’s just the E.U.P. band said you were both at the local precinct and, well, it’s Johnny, sooo…”
“Good evening Peter,” Rarity said brightly as Dash gave him a double wing tip gun for a good line. “We’ll just be off to Ponyville then! Do you still have your camera?”
“Uh, yeah, think it’s in the closet with the outfit. Need it?”
“Stat.” Rarity nodded severely, framing them between her hooves with the same energy as a dictator moving figurines around a map. “Because remove those ghastly boxes of cellulite and heart disease and this scene is precious.”
“Touch my pizza and die,” Twilight said contentedly, head against Peter’s chest and levitating a pen to fill out another form.
“Which one’s your least favourite toppings?” Dash shoved past Johnny. “All I’ve had since breakfast is explorer stuff. Fun fact: food comin’ in tubes stops being cool sooner than you’d think.”
“Ugh, and Sue keeps stocking health stuff,” Johnny rolled his eyes. “And it’s like, sis, seriously, it’s just mustard without any of the fun!”
Dash acted like she hadn’t heard him.
“Uh, that one over there’s got onions on it and I feel like I’m about to explode as is?” Twilight shrugged, indicating. “You’ll have to microwave it!”
“So real Manehattan style!” Dash scooped it up then sniffed the air, frowning. “Why do your wings smell delicious?”
“Mine,” Peter said without looking up from his own paperwork but tightening his foreleg around Twilight.
“Relax man, neither of you could afford me.” Dash flipped her prize open, waving a wing vaguely at the couple. “G’night, Egghead. Sayonara, Spidey.”
“Dosvedanya, Dash.”
“It was good to see you again,” Johnny tried.
“Kiss my wingtips,” Dash said, mouth already full as she hopped into the light. She hadn’t even been looking at him.
“She needs time,” Rarity assured, giving him a frustratingly platonic nuzzle. She yawned. “And I need to turn in. Today was lovely. Thanks ever so!”
She gave him a peck on the cheek which actually did make him feel better. “Ms. Belle.”
“Mr. Storm.” She winked as she was swallowed by the portal light, which evaporated in just the right way for her.
“What happened between you two?” Peter smirked, hugging Twilight a little closer.
Johnny shrugged. “Think I made a friend.”
“Really?!” Twilight sat up ecstatically in Peter’s grasp, almost knocking over pizza and papers. “I was just in it for the schadenfreude and gossip before, but if you’re serious I have notes I could lend you! In fact, did Peter tell you, we’ve started a journal, hmm, although you’re sort of a celebrity so maybe we’d have to sign something before we could add you?”
“Sort of?!” Johnny spluttered.
“Did Twilight mention she’s staying over?” Peter asked pointedly.
“It came up.” Johnny trotted for his room. “I’ve got a Trapster plan to make up for, so I’m just gonna grab a fresh collar and go rustle up some night life while all the good spots are opening. I assume you guys’ll be in bed before I get home, probably midnight because you’re both adorably basic like that.”
“Sweet Celestia,” Twilight whispered in awe. “Near complete overlap of Rarity and Rainbow. I’d theorised but I didn’t think it was possible!”
“Johnny’s one of a kind, thank her for small mercies,” Peter said loudly enough to be heard. Johnny swiped a slice out of the box by his hooves as retaliation. “By the way, what’d you do to 16th street?”
“Guaranteed your half of the rent,” Johnny called as he swung the balcony doors open.
“Fair.” Peter went back to his girlfriend, papers and pizza. “Good night, man.”
“Night.”
The Horseshoe Torch’s slipstream pulled the doors closed for the happy couple. He did it well enough that Twilight would think it had been an accident. He needed a few more months to figure out quite what he thought of Peter’s weird Not Technically in the Business But girlfriend.
And he had other priorities. Rarity’s talk had been appreciated and he was glad to have her in his life now, but it had got him thinking. Or not. Not exactly. He hadn’t just been getting a fresh utility collar and if he had been thinking he’d probably admit what he was about to do was a bad idea.
To be fair he managed to put it off for a while. A few interrupted muggings, one cart chase, Whirlwind and Blizzard having a team up which was adorable, really.
Eventually though, well, that broadcast tower was right there, too above the civilian airspaces to be interrupted by anypony other than maintenance workers, and it was after 5:00.
Casualness pouring out of him like his flames, the Torch lowered the temperature of one hoof, running it along the rim of his collar like any stallion out on the town would until he’d leisurely slipped out the communicator hidden there. The one the tower’s systems, designed to send, receive and boost even through Equestria’s background magic, would sync up with and boost all the way back to the land of its origin.
In case you need to talk, she’d said. Which was why he hadn’t talked to her outside of the business for...he didn’t like to think how long. Because if he did, he’d probably admit what he was doing was a bad idea.
Not a crisis. In case he needed to talk.
He looked at it in the sunset, a peaceful black against the glow of his flames. It looked like her headband.
The hay with it. It’s my life. He nudged the tip with his nose.
A slight pulse and hum as a connection was established.
“Hey, it’s me,” Johnny said trying not to bite his own tongue to stop himself from going too quickly. “Sorry to just spring up like this after so long, I needed to think. I do that now! I think I didn’t before because life without you…it hasn’t been bad, but it’s been pretty samey. Our fault for being so great at the job, I guess! But things have been happening in my life lately! Moved out! Got a roommate! Made friends with an Element of Harmony! Beat a dragon from outer space and I’ve been dying to tell you how, I think you’d love it. But listen, I’ve been changing, and I’d like to see how you have too, y’know, as friends and adults. Man, can you believe we’re technically adults now? And instead of waiting for your brother-in-law, you know, the crazy one, to put both our worlds in danger would you like to do it on our terms and just pick a place and sit down and talk? I’d like that. Unless you don’t, then it’s dumb and I hate it. Sitting down I mean, we can both fly. Man, can you fly. But we should talk. I’ll shut up now.”
Nothing on the other end for a while. Traffic noises. The crackle of his flames. The windchime sound of her communicator.
“Tropical Storm?” asked a languid voice that perfectly embodied the moustache and dorky headgear that came with it.
Sisters, this was a bad idea.
“Karnack!” Johnny said as suddenly and brightly as the oncoming headlamp of a runaway train.
At least it wasn’t Medusa.
“Is Crystal around?”
Such a bad idea.
To be Continued