Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic

by onekface

The Magic Thickens

‘Hoity Toity and Fancy Pants arrive at Canterlot City.’

‘Power-Partners reunite for the first time in years’

- Photo submitted by Photo Finished

Those were the headlines Flash read on the newspaper with a photo of two abhorrently fashionable men looking away from one another in a disgruntled manner. Apparently they were some kind of major stars in the fashion industry and were visiting Canterlot for the pageant show at the mall. He didn’t know about them until recently when his dad mentioned them at one point. Surprisingly enough these two rivaling folks were able to be friends with his old man.

Makes him wonder how influential his father really was. But… then again… he was planning to run for mayor during the elections next year. Flash thought that his old man was just some dusty old explorer like Daring Do who would raid tombs and ancient ruins for lost treasures. Now he was rubbing elbows with all the political elites.

That would make things even more awkward if everyone in school found out.

Flash Sentry, the son of the mayor of Canterlot City. That’ll look good on his profile.

“Refill, Master Flash?” His butler offered with a jug in hand.

“Yes Edmund. Thanks.” The boy bit off the side of his toast as he answered. “Hey, quick question. What do you know about my dad’s campaign election?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to ask your father directly, sir?”

“I’d… prefer an outside opinion.” He reasoned. “I mean… my dad’s barely been back a few months and the next thing I know he’s the new Principal of Crystal Prep. And now he’s running for mayor? I mean those are pretty big achievements.”

“Master Sombra is a well-respected man in both political and academic circles.” Edmund explained. “He has spent the better part of the last few years acquainting himself with very important people. I am not one to spread rumors but I did hear from some of the employees that he is using various favors to fund his campaign. With his reputation alone as a benefactor of arts, science and desire to improve the education of the children, he stands a great chance of winning. It will certainly end Mayor Mare’s streak of running the town hall.”

“So it’s already in the bag before it begins huh?” The boy grunted, tossing the paper aside. “Next year I’ll be the son of the mayor. If I didn’t know better, he might put a security detail around me.”

“I think that’s a natural thing to do for political figures, Master Flash.” He replied in a monotone voice. “Speaking of which. Do you have any plans for today sir?”

“Just a few this afternoon.” The boy yawned brushing the topic aside. “I got some people to meet at the mall myself. I don’t suppose my car is back from the shop.”

“Unfortunately the replacement parts will take a bit longer to arrive, Master Flash. Your customized vehicle isn’t exactly on store shelves. Our mechanics are working as fast as they can to have your order done though they can only do so much.” He picked up a phone from the landline. “I can call in the chauffer to take you there if you wish.”

He waved it off. “Nah. I think I’ll be fine on my own. Thanks for breakfast.”

“My pleasure sir.” The older gentleman nodded. “Will you be coming for dinner?”

“Maybe. Depends on what happens tonight.” Flash tossed a joke in. “Speaking of which, is dad around?”

“He left to greet his guests at the Hotel Florin for the pageant show earlier this morning. Your father will also be attending an after party so I’m afraid he won’t be returning for dinner.”

Heh… what else was new? With all the time he spends in his meetings and social events it hardly ever feel like he’s back.

“I guess I’ll be ordering takeout then.”

“Please refrain from eating those junk food sir. They are quite… hazardous to your health. I’d rather suggest you take a balanced meal.”

“I know Edmund. Like you told me a hundred times before.” He laughed as he walked away. “Just keep the lights on for me. I’ll give you a call if I need anything.”

The butler sighed but bowed lowly either way. “Always a pleasure sir. I shall have your secondary vehicle brought up immediately.”

“You’re the best Edmund.”

“Thank you. Come again.” Sunset slumped behind the counter as she waved to the last pair that claimed their takeout. She rubbed the side of her cheeks feeling it sore in her fingers. Throwing those forced smiles every minute or so have been tiring for her face. She can’t tell how much longer she could last around here. Maybe pulling that extra shift wasn’t such a good idea. But the offer was just darn too tempting.

The whole mall was in full swing as customers and patrons flooded the grounds in anticipation of the fashion show. She saw many familiar faces pass through the store, and many more coming in for a bite. The whole place was practically swamped. It’s no wonder the manager was willing to double their pay. With the amount of customers that were rolling in, they stand to roll in enough cash to actually fix that salmon rack that broke down a month ago. Heck, even that tip jar they put in front of the cashier was looking mighty bloated right now. A few more bits and she’ll be able to share it with her co-workers.

She looked down to her watch and noted that her shift was about to end in two hours. The pageant wasn’t gonna start in another three so that gave her enough time to finish up and go for a little shopping. Tickle Fruit 3 ‘Revenge of Colonel Squirrel’, the highly anticipated sequel of her favorite game just came out on store yesterday and she was planning to spend her earning to get it. It was something to look forward to this weekend. She could use it to get her mind off this whole magic fiasco, just for a little while.

“Sunset-san.” Her manager, a rather slim, soft eyed man with an Eastern accent, called out from the back room. “May I have you here for a minute?”

“Sure thing boss.” She answered signaling her co-worker to take over the counter for a while. “What’s up Sakura-san? Did the fridge break down or did the over blow another fuse, again? I keep telling you that we need to replace the circuit-breaker so it won’t overload.”

“No no. Nothing of that sort.” He waved it off casually which seemed to state that some of the equipment here weren’t at tip-top shape. The store wasn’t exactly up to code in some key areas either. “I was hoping you could help guide our new waitress who will be taking the afternoon shift starting Monday.”

“Me?” She pointed at herself dumbly. “You want me to show the new girl around?”

“No one here is most experienced than you. You are the most senior member of the store, and you can pronounce each sushi fluently. You can perhaps… as they say: Show them the ropes?”

Sunset tilted her head around hiding a smile under all that fatigue. “I don’t know Sakura-san. That sounds a lot like extra work. I’m already swamped just manning the table today and…”

“I will give you first pick on all our leftovers for the whole week.”

“Deal.” She shook his hand faster than Rainbow Dash ever could. “So who’s our new waitress?”

“She is right in there.” The older man opened the door to his office beckoning the newbie to enter. And soon enough, the smile on Sunset’s face slipped and fell to the floor shattering into a million pieces. “Sunset-san. Please meet…”

“Adagio!?”

The new recruit palmed herself in reply. “Oh you have got to be kidding me.”

Their boss darted between the two of them with a curious eye. “You two… know each other?”

“We’re…”

“…acquainted.” The Siren leader folded her arms with a smug look on her face.

“Excellent!” Either the man didn’t catch the dark tone of her voice or that he didn’t care, he clasped his hand in joy. “This will make your teaching much easier Sunset-san. I have absolute faith in your abilities. You can start right now. And if you’ll excuse me, I must return to my station. Chop chop girls. This is not a self-serving store.”

Without even waiting or listening to Sunset’s protest, the manager bolted back to the kitchen leaving the two alone to stare at one another like two predators trying to claim the same land.

“What are you doing here Adagio?”

She rolled her eyes back. “Uh… what do you think? I’m here to get a job. Apparently this is the only place in the whole mall that actually pays half-decent for non-skilled labor. And if knew that you were working here, I wouldn’t have made the extra effort.”

“Work? What happened to the Sleepy Sirens?”

“The manager only has openings for evening shifts. And if you remember, me and my girls aren’t exactly keen on hanging out at night.”

Oh… right. The wolf monster.

“Oh…” She blinked. “Uh… well this is awkward.”

“You’re telling me. So are we doing this thing or should I just ask the next lady that comes by?”

“No no. It’s um… fine? I suppose.” Sunset wasn’t really sure if she was trying to convince her or herself. “I guess we’ll be working together for a while. That shouldn’t be too bad. And I am getting extra servings on the leftover table. You sure you can handle it though? Waitressing isn’t exactly an easy job.”

“I’ll stop you right there.” She raised her palm up in annoyance. “I’ll have you know that I’ve been trapped in this world longer than you and I didn’t last this long on charity alone. I’ve gone through more jobs here than you or any of your friends combined. So don’t treat me like some kind of newbie.”

Huh… now that she mentioned it, Sunset did recall from Twilight’s stories that the Sirens were banished to this world a long time ago. Roughly around the time when the Pillars of Old Equestria were still around.”

…

“Wait… how old are you guys?”

“Not important.” She brushed it off so naturally. “What’s important is that this place gives me enough so we can pay our rent, so I need to make a good impression on the boss. When the Winter Holiday rolls in, there’ll be less work going around and I’m not spending cold nights in our van… again.”

“Wow… Adagio. I guess I never really thought of it that much. You must have way more experience in this world than I do.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Her smug grin only made Sunset want to smack it off. “Speaking of experiences, what’s the situation with our… magical problem?”

Sunset’s gawked in realization. “Oh… right. I totally forgot to update you. Well… it’s… complicated.”

…

…

…

“So you’re saying this Cinch person is responsible for these attacks?”

Sunset shrugged back with a hint of uncertainty in her movement. She had spent the last fifteen minutes explaining everything she had found with everything regarding the magic and her latest suspect.

“Well not a hundred percent but we’re getting there. Out of everyone I know, she’s the only one with motive, has general knowledge of magic and the capability.”

“Sounds like a winner.” Adagio grinned. “Why don’t you confront her?”

“I want to, but Twilight thinks that I should get my facts checked. She doesn’t want me pointing fingers just because of what happened during the Friendship Games.”

“Giving that banshee the benefit of the doubt?”

Sunset nodded. “Something like that. It’s just… something you learn out of experience.” She looked down to her empty tray. “I mean… me and Twilight were once turned into magical monsters bent on destroying or conquering the world. We hurt a lot of people back then and it took some effort to get a fresh start. If people like me could change for the better, why can’t she?”

“What an adorable little story.” Adagio hid an eye roll gesture. “So what’s your next move?”

“Well… after the pageant show, Twilight and I plan to check the museum one more time.” It was technically something Twilight insisted on actually. But she didn’t need to know that. Her friend practically muscled her way into the investigation. But honestly she probably wanted to see if Cinch really was there. She was her Principal back in the day. Maybe she wanted some closure.

“Hmm… that sounds kind of reckless.” She added as she placed a tray down. “Going into the lair of the enemy with just the two of you? If I were thee villain in this story, I would’ve prepared a trap for you two seeing as you’re probably onto me. That… or flee.”

“You got a better idea?”

“As a matter of fact I do.” The songstress grinned. “Let me tag along.”

“You?”

“If this woman really is responsible for what happened to Sonata, you bet your bonus I want in.” She tightened her grip on a plate threatening to break it. “Besides, I have a better knowledge of magic than you and your friends. Seeing as I drink it like water.”

Sunset gave it a thought. There was no doubt that Adagio was indeed stronger than her when it came to magic. She proved that once before during the Battle of the Bands. Not to mention that she also had also fought the shadow monster head on and survived. That made her a proven weapon. And if they do meet that beast again, they’ll at least have a fighting chance.

“Hmm… we could use the extra firepower if things get hairy.” She nodded, finally convincing herself. “Alright. You can come. But no funny business.”

“Oh please.” The woman scoffed. “I’ll be a hoot.”

“Wow! Isn’t this amazing Maud!?” Pinkie gleefully hopped her way around the second floor of the mall seeing the finalization of the event. From the balcony she could see the runway extended towards the fountain where she and her friends would strutting with their pets like real daytime models. Banners and posters hung from every corner of the wing showing off names and figureheads she didn’t recognize. They even have a giant fog machine built at the back of the stage ready to put on an ambience of mysticism. And to top it all off, they even had this unknown DJ playing in the background. “Look how many people are out here! I’ve never seen the mall so packed even on the holidays. There has to be over a thousand people here!”

“Uh huh…”

“How cool is it that we get to walk the same runway as those supermodels!?”

“Ecstatic…” Her sister replied, sadly, still stoic as ever.

“Just think how gorgeous Gummy would look in that suit and tie. He’ll be the star of the show!”

“Yeah that’s…” Maud paused, eyes lit. “Wait… Gummy’s a guy?”

“Uh… duh. He has been for years now.”

“Huh… I did not know that.”

“You think Rarity will let me borrow that suit? He’ll look so good in parties. The clown outfit I had for him is really getting worn. I think he might be growing a little too fast.”

“That’s the problem with having an organic pet.” Maud replied. “They grow. You should consider getting something rock-based. Take Boulder here for example.” She pulled out her pet rock from her pocket. “He lost half an inch last year. I’ve been keeping him on a very strict diet and daily exercise. And he hasn’t complained. Well… most of the time anyway.”

“Uh… huh.” Pinkie didn’t stop her hopping. “So anyway. When I go down the runway – do you think I should do my sassy side or my goofy side?”

“You mean your usual side?”

“Yup!”

“You sure you don’t wanna try your third personality?”

“You mean Eiknip?”

“Yeah… her. The strong SILENT type.”

“Meh. I think I’d be better off doing what I do best. Hey!” Pinkie spotted a familiar figure in the distance. “That’s Rainbow Dash! HEYYYY!!! Rainbow Dash!” The sports maniac jolted when her name was called. So much so that she nearly dropped her phone.

“What? What are you talking about!?” She panicked when Pinkie sped up to her side. “I wasn’t doing anything suspicious!”

“I… never said you were.” Pinkie replied. “So whatchadoin?”

“N… nothing.” That was a lie and everyone knows it. Rainbow looked embarrassed about something and she wasn’t keen on sharing what it was. “I was just um… taking a selfie. You know? To uh… update my profile.”

Maud then noted the poster at the wall with a vampire knight and werewolf fighting over a bridge and a girl watching helplessly from a tower.

“Are you planning to watch Fangshire 3: Wilhelm’s Rebellion?”

“What!? Th… that lame sappy love triangle movie?” She stuck her tongue out in disgust. “Pfft! No. I’d never go anywhere near that thing. I’m more of a… super action kind of guy. Ahehe… hehehe.” Yeah… that tone of hers wasn’t convincing anyone. “Ah… anyway I just remembered. I need to be somewhere and… it’s super important. Later!” And just like that she was gone.

“Huh… that was very suspicious.” Pinkie cupped her chin in thought. “You think Rainbow has a thing for vampires?”

Her big sister rolled her eyes. “I think you should ask Rarity that question. By the way, you should really stop hopping. You might hit someone in this crowd.”

“Oh pa-lease. I’ve been bunny hopping on my feet before I could even walk. I’ve mastered the art of hopping. Why… I’m so good at hopping, I can do it with my eyes cl—doh!” And once again the universe decided to answer her challenge. “Ow… I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking.”

“Don’t mention it. It wouldn’t be the first or last time.” The boy replied, smiling.

“Flash!?” She squealed. That was starting to become a trend lately whenever they met. But her shock died out when she noted his empty ice cream cone in one hand and a chocolate stain on his jacket. “Oh… that’s… umm… sorry.”

“Forget it. I was just about to drop this with the cleaners tonight anyway. Hey Maud.”

“Hey.” The elder Pie greeted back with a hand wave, a smile growing when she saw Pinkie’s reaction.

“Let me… get that for you.” Pinkie pulled out a napkin from her dimensional hair and began to wipe the stain only to realize a little too late that she was making it worse. “Uh… aheh. That’s umm… better?” She tossed the napkin aside, quickly changing the subject. “So… you here for Rarity’s show?”

“Isn’t everybody?” He gestured to the floor below where many of their friends gathered. Heck, from the looks of it, the whole school was here. “And… aren’t you supposed to be with Rarity right now?”

“Oh she’s finishing up her designs. The show doesn’t start in a couple of hours. Besides she probably has her hands full with everyone we called up. You know?” Of course he knows you idiot. He was the one who came up with the idea! You practically shared all your contact numbers with him back in the diner. Come on, get your head out of the sky for a second. “Ouch…”

“Something wrong?”

“Not really. I just feel like the author of this story just scolded me for being silly.”

Flash opened his mouth to question but decided not to jump into that rabbit hole. “O…k? Well I don’t know anything about that. But I know what can help. A good side of ice cream. Wanna join me?”

“Oh… umm… well… Maud and I…”

“Would be happy to join you.” Her sister interjected quickly dragging the pinkette with her.

Sombra was amazed in how much attention his pageant show had garnered. The mall was practically brimming with people and the crowd gathering outside the stage looked as if they were about to explode. He made a mental note to give the security team extra pay later. If it wasn’t for them the whole place would’ve been swamped already.

Behind him stood the largest gathering of designers and models ever assembled in Canterlot. Many here were known celebrities in their own business but a few unknown stood out as well, all of them eagerly waiting to have their clothes strutted down the runway and have their names printed in on the newspaper. Already he could see rival designers and their underlings eyeing one another trying to intimidate the other side to submission. It will be a tough competition and some of these jackals will do anything to get an edge over their competitors. Though hopefully nothing against the rules. The last thing he wanted was a scandal over this event.

“Mr. Sombra.” Prim Hemline greeted with a plastered smile on her face. “I wasn’t aware you were coming to visit. Were the judges not allowed to visit the backstage before the show?”

“Just making sure everything was in order.” He replied smiling professionally. “I may be one of the judges but I am also the host of this pageant. I’ll be a poor host if I didn’t come to see things for myself.”

“Spoken like a true benefactor.” They shared a short laugh. “Speaking of benefactors. I don’t suppose the… other judges have arrived yet? I was hoping to make a good impression.”

“Hoity Toity and Fancy Pants are already here somewhere. But as you can probably guess they don’t see a lot of things eye to eye. I’m sure your designs will catch their attention. However…” He stretched that last bit with a wink. “I can probably introduce you to one of them in the after party.”

“Eeeep! Yes! I’ll take it! You can certainly count on my vote when you run for mayor next year.”

“It’ll be a landslide victory.” He chuckled before turning to his watch. “That’ll be my cue to go. Good luck on the pageant.”

“It’s already in the bag.”

Sombra exited the back stage with a smile. At least now he was sure that the jackals behind the curtains won’t eat each other before the show started. He looked at the time and noted that there were still hours before the sideshow started. Apparently Prim Hemline still had a card to play and had her protégé handle it.

“Everything in order?” A voice asked to which he gasped.

“Lesty?” Sombra felt like his breath was taken away by some magic when his eyes fell upon her. The formal shirt and pants she constantly wore was now replaced with a gorgeous deep blue dress with a moon glittered pattern on the lower area. Her well-toned body stretched out the dress in all the right places and you could tell some of the passersby were staring. “W… wow.”

“Do you think I overdressed?”

Shove the thought into an airlock and throw it into space!

“N… no! Not at all.” He gestured to several models in the back row. “You fit in perfectly around here. But… you’re a bit early. The pageant isn’t starting for a few hours.”

“I figured seeing as you wanted me as morale support, I thought I’d come in and see wizard behind the curtains.”

Sombra laughed, failing to hide his reddened cheeks. “Well you certainly got me fired up.” The woman raised a brow. “Ah… I mean… motivated. That’s right. Motivated. That’s what I meant to say.” He coughed into his hand as he approached. “Kind of reminds me of those good old days back in school.”

“You mean the time when you wore both a bowtie and a tie?”

“Need I remind you? That was my mother’s fault. Not mine.”

“Technically adding a bowtie to a tie makes it a double tie.” Another voice interjected coming from a gentleman in a vintage suit. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of being daring in fashion. After all I made one myself.”

“Fancy Pants! You made it.” Sombra greeted back patting the fancy looking stud with a sophisticated mustache. He practically looked like a nobleman from the renaissance age. “I thought you were still busy signing autographs.”

“I’ve filled my quota of one hundred signatures.” He replied, stretching his wrist. “Can’t be too generous or my brand would simply lose its value.”

“Well it’s good to see you old friend.” The professor shook hands with the fashion demi-god. “Oh. Fancy. Allow me to introduce to you my good friend from when. This is Celestia. She’s now the Principal of Canterlot High.”

“Charmed.” The fancy man nodded, giving her hand a kiss. “Two Principals in one room? I dread to see what kind of punishment you would give to children who get out of line. Ahehehehe. Ahem… sorry. Bad joke.”

“It’s… also good to meet you too, Mister… Pants?”

“Please. Just call me Fancy.” He insisted. “Any friend of Sombra is here is a friend of mine. Why… we’re practically brothers in arms since your expedition into the Foalaskan snowy desert.”

“Fancy was looking for a new inspiration for his winter lineup a few years back.” Sombra explained. “I told him I was heading the expedition for the lost city of Yakistown in Yakyakistan who were famous for their coats. I never would’ve found it without his help.”

“Oh please. You give yourself too little credit, old friend. Anyone could’ve spilled that hot soup randomly which revealed the cavern entrance of the great city. Why if it wasn’t for your discovery, I never would’ve had that flash of inspiration to combine both our modern technology and the primitive history into one magnificent piece.” He shed an imaginary tear for effect.

“That uh… sounds… interesting.” Celestia cocked a brow.

“It was one of my finest work I tell you. The cuffs were hand-stitched together to give the wearer the most pleasant feeling at all times.”

“And that’s why you’ll always be… second rate.” Another cocky voice interjected which came from the marvelously dazzling man with silver hair wearing purple shades and a gray blazer which fit him almost too perfectly. “You never were one for imaginations.”

“Hoity… Toity.” Fancy Pants growled lowly just enough to be heard. “I thought I smelled mediocrity for a moment. Turns out it’s just you.”

“Ha! Oh so very original. How long did it take you to come up with that?” HT strutted them, smiling beautifully for the cameras as he approached. “I see you’re still wearing the dullness on your sleeves. You’re so behind, Fancy. Don’t you know that cuffs are yesterday’s trend? This is the age of collars and frills.”

“Oh sure. Like that last one you made that nearly suffocated your models?”

Hoity fumed. “Th… that was an error on the calculations! And mind you, that was simply an experiment. You can’t craft perfection without breaking a few eggs. Unlike you fancy coat that had two buttons too many.”

“It was for diversity in adjustment!” He reasoned back. “You can keep your collars and your frills. People actually prefer clothes that are comfortable and stylish. Not like your prison uniforms. You could use some cuffs to spec that wrist of yours!”

“Oh you mean this?” Hoity Toity flexed his wrist at them. “I was busy writing thousands of autographs. I have to get my name out there after all. I must’ve reached a thousand by now.”

“Ha! What’s in a name if it doesn’t have value!?”

“A name that is chanted across the world. Unlike you, old man.”

“Old!? Why I’ll tell you…”

“Boys. Boys!” Sombra stopped them before gesturing to the cameras in which the two immediately altered their expressions to fair for the newspaper. “Let’s not bring out old wounds. This is a pageant I’m hosting and I’d very much love to share it with my old friends. I won’t ask you to bury the hatchet but can we at least have a truce for a short moment? Just for tonight?”

They looked at one another and huffed like children.

Hoity Toity answered first, arms folding. “Fine. But only because you’re helping me open a branch here in Canterlot.”

“WHAT?!” Fancy Pants held a curse back which made his ex-partner grin.

“Oh? Didn’t you hear? I’m planning to open a branch of my brand here in Canterlot City. It’s a very mysterious place with a lot of untapped potential and Sombra here offered to help. He’s been really sporty about it.”

“Only because I owe you for that expedition in Marewood. I wouldn’t have found the Treasure Armada without your help.”

“And besides… I have an eye for these things. Which is why he asked me to be part of this pageant. I simply don’t understand why he’d ask you.”

“Oh that’s it you little.”

“Gentlemen, please.” Celestia jumped in before the haymaker started throwing. “Remember, we’re still in public. Why don’t we all settle in for a while before the main show starts?”

Again they darted one another like two cats hissing for dominance over the area.

“Fine!”

There have been many great mysteries here in Canterlot City. One could say that it had a culture of magic and mysticism back in its days. Even now, many elderly folks would claim they’ve seen the great yeti in the forest or the multi-headed hydra by the river banks or maybe the ghosts haunting the old cemetery in the old town yonder. All of them were tales worth telling – and all of them worth passing down from parent to child.

But all of them paled in comparison to the unexplainable legend of the black hole that wanders around town. Bakers and restaurant owners know of it. They dread it, fear it… but at the same time welcome reluctantly with open arms. Because they know they cannot fight it.

That ungodly force of nature that is… Pinkie Pie.

Flash watched as the girl practically inhaled what was once a sixteen scoop ice cream platter with triple frosting whipped cream doubled with bananas. An ordinary human would take hours to consume such a feat but Pinkie here gobbled in up before it even started to melt. How she doesn’t suffer brain freeze or toothache after all that sweet was a mystery no amount of science or magic will ever be able to solve.

“I have to ask.” He whispered to Maud who was perfectly content with her donut. Though she was mostly just feeding it to Boulder. “Where does all of that go?”

“I stopped trying to make sense of it a long time ago.” She shrugged. “You learn to phase it out after a while. Trust me. You’ll save your sanity later on.”

“Huh… I guess there are just some mysteries that doesn’t need explaining.” He noted Pinkie eyeing his share which he gladly pushed away in her direction.

“Speaking of food. Mind telling me how the date went?” Maud asked turning the table around metaphorically. She ignored her sister’s glare turning to Flash who blushed back. “Pinkie here wouldn’t say a word about it but I’m willing to bet you’d have something to say.”

“O… oh… well…”

“Hey! Maud!” Pinkie scolded. “What did we talk about meddling into your sibling’s private business?”

“You meddle with me and Mudbriar all the time.” Maud countered.

Ok she might be right there but she was only doing it to get to know the guy better. Seriously the guy was had the strangest obsession with wood – or to be more precise: Sticks.

Don’t ask.

“And technically I’m not meddling in your private business, I’m meddling in Flash’s business.” That was a poor excuse and she knew it. “I want to know how it went through his perspective. Besides, is it wrong for your big sister to be worried about your love life? I’m just making sure that he’s treating you properly and protect you from potential danger. I’m only doing my sisterly duty. Isn’t that right Flash?”

“That’s… a loaded question, isn’t it?” He added smiling weakly much to Maud’s displeasure. “Besides, that was a one shot thing between our parents. We only did it because they insisted. I seriously doubt Pinkie would ever want to date me again.”

Well… that’s not… entirely true.

“Is that true Pinkie?” The stoic gal asked to her bubbly sister who flinched at her question. “If you had a chance to take this charmingly handsome boy out on a second date, would you take it?”

Pinkie opened her mouth and opened it twice. But sadly no words came. She looked at the boy in question seeing his cool-goofy smile shine at her. It’s not like she wouldn’t want to… it’s just… inappropriate.

Sure, Flash was a cool guy to hang out with and he is pretty cute. She could totally picture the two of them together again. Though not in a fancy dress or suit… and definitely not in another fancy restaurant like the Huffs and Hooves. She’d prefer a simple diner, or maybe an ice cream parlor like this. They’d come in as a couple, hold hands, tell jokes, he’d laugh at what she says and she’d laugh at what he says. They’d dance over the jukebox, and they’d take a drive to the hill overlooking the city where they would spend the evening watching the sun go down. Then Flash would take her by the shoulder and…

Whoa! Hold on a second there. Too much. That was just way too much!

Pinkie’s face turned red as those images crossed her mind. She tried to brush them off only to realize that she had been silent for the last minute.

“Pinkie?”

“I uh…” Her face flushed while one finger twirled around her hair. “I couldn’t wouldn’t exactly… not say no.” Wait… was that a triple or quadruple negative? They couldn’t tell.

“So that’s a no?”

“No!” She yelped. “I mean… yes? Maybe? Which answer will make me look better?”

Maud grinned. “I think you just answered your own question.” Oh she was definitely enjoying this. Maud might have the expression of a stone but she certainly have the wit of a villain. If anything, Pinkie might think that she was actually entertained by her misery. “See that Flash? I think you two have a good start.”

The boy chuckled awkwardly. No! Don’t blush! You’re just making things worse.

But thankfully before Maud could add more fuel to their fire, her hair began to vibrate. She reached in and pulled out her phone. She noted the name on the screen and answered. “Uh… hello?”

“WHERE ARE YOU!!!?” The voice on the other line practically blasted in full pitch blowing her hair like a dryer.

Pinkie reaffirmed herself before answering. “Rarity? I’m at the ice cream parlor. What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong!?” The dress maker asked, her tone practically bearing fangs at this point. “What’s wrong is that you were supposed to be at the backstage right this very minute!”

“Now? But the pageant show doesn’t start in a few hours.”

“Yes darling – pageant show doesn’t. But my sideshow starts in fifteen minutes!!!” She screamed again, this time the phone practically spraying spit at her. “I am already stressed enough as it is with all of this, not to mention that two of the biggest stars in the industry are visiting. So please do not add fuel to my fire.” The girl breathed out using some old meditation technique which doesn’t appear to be working. “Allow me to put it in laymen terms. You either get over here right now or GUMMY HERE WILL BE THE FIRST ORPHANED ALIGATOR WHO WILL BE WALKING SOLO ON MY CATWALK!!!!”

That wasn’t laymen. That was a downright threat.

Pinkie looked up to her friends and quickly gobbled the remains of her platter. “Sorry! Gotta run! Rarity needs me!” And without even waiting for a response she bolted out the door with such speed that would give Rainbow Dash a run for her magic. “Gummy! Wait! Don’t leave without me!”

The remaining two looked at one another oddly.

“Should we follow her?”

The stoic lady shrugged.

“I gotta admit, you weren’t kidding when you said you’ve done this before.” Sunset stated giving an admirable gesture to Adagio. Their shift at the sushi store had just ended and much to her surprise, there really wasn’t a lot to teach her. The Siren boss practically knew everything there was to waitressing. While her attitude left something to be desired, she at least knew how to wait on tables without using some snappy words to scare the customers away, take orders and post them on the kitchen and remember table numbers by heart. Heck, she’d probably be teaching her if she joined the sushi store a week earlier.

“I’ve waited tables in far more prestigious places before. I know the rules and regulations.”

“Your pronunciation of the sushi could use some work though. But I think those will just come naturally. You just have to learn the dialect. Give it time and you’ll be able to tell the difference between a temaki and sashimi by the end of the month.”

“Oh goody. I can’t wait.” She groaned lowly eyeing the location they were heading next. “Must we really attend this thing? I don’t understand the necessity of this. We can make it to the museum and have plenty of time before the sun goes down.”

“And miss once in a lifetime viewing? Not a chance. I mean… where else would you get to see animals wearing costumes?”

“You came from Equestria.” Adagio reminded her. “I think that speaks volume.”

Ah… well… she was technically not wrong in that regard. There were plenty of ponies and other creatures back there that wore costumes that matched their personality and cutie-marks. But it just wasn’t the same.

“Well… that’s different.” She replied though the Siren had a look that stated that she didn’t believe that for one second. “Just watch, alright? My friend put a lot of effort in this. The least you can do is clap.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “I’ll be sure to put on a performance.”

The lights then dimmed replaced by a multitude of colors that danced around the runway. The fog machine quickly sputtered, engulfing half the stage in a thick mysterious mist. It was amazing how the power of technology can create such wonder that would be equal or greater than magic itself.

“Ladies and gentlemen…” Rarity’s voice echoed across the speakers garnering the attention of the audience. No doubt that gal had been rehearsing that line to perfection. “Visitors from near and far. Allow me to dazzle you all today with the side show performance. Coming to you from your very own local Canterlot City, please welcome my troupe as they present: Rarity for You!”

And just like that the show was on.

Flash slumped down on the bench that evening breathing a sigh of relief. It seems like the entire city population had decided to squeeze themselves into the mall leaving the whole place practically abandoned. There was not a soul to be seen or heard save but the few animals that were left prowling around.

By now the pageant show was probably at full swing. He could hear the crowd inside gasping and gawking loudly while the DJ blast some heavy beats to match it. No doubt some main headliner was throwing everything he had on the pageant revealing some godly design for all to see. Either that… or one of the models just tripped on the runway which would undoubtedly embarrass everyone around.

“Why… hello darling.” A soothing yet seductive voice chattered him up by surprise. “You come here often?”

“Rarity?” The boy’s eyes widened as he turned to the figure. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be with your boss basking in some of that glory you keep talking about.”

The fashion designer strutted over to his side offering a can of carbonated drink to which he accepted. “Oh I will. I’m just taking a little break after my sideshow. But even a rising star like myself often have to come down for air. It’s just natural.”

“Well the air is free.” He scooted over, giving her room to sit. “Did everything work out?”

“More than I could ever hope for. Everyone performed admirably, especially Bulk. Who knew that a brick like him would look so regal in a musketeer’s outfit?” Oh he saw that too. The big overly muscled boy donned an infantry attire with cape, rapier, feathered hat and everything. His dog, Wooyoo also played the part as his sidekick with a similar uniform who practically captured the heart of the crowd. They practically went wild for him. And if he didn’t know better, his father might’ve actually been impressed by it.

“Tell me about it.” He smiled warmly at her. “And in my opinion: Your designs look way better than whatever they put on stage.”

Rarity gave him gentle nod. “Thank you darling. But even I know that my designs are still paling compared to whatever Ms. Hemline and the other designers put on stage. Why, the fabric alone made them sparkle like gemstones. And that only motivates me to strive to be even better. By next year, I will make something that would outshine even the best of them!”

“Then I guess I know who to vouch for in the next pageant show.”

“Oh now you’re just being sly.” She chuckled cutely as her hands slid to her drink. “But I didn’t just come here for a bit of air or to hear compliments from you.” She didn’t? That didn’t sound like the Rarity he knew. She loved getting praises. “In truth I came here to thank you in person.”

“Me?” He blinked. “For what?”

“Oh don’t be so modest.” She patted him on the back as he flipped open his drink. “Fluttershy told me everything about your little scheme. I could scarcely believe it if I didn’t see them myself.”

Flash chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. “Well… I figured you could use some help. Besides I didn’t do much. I just called a bunch of my friends and told them that you needed help. No biggie.”

“Yet you did it anyway. All for me.”

He blushed. “I… didn’t want to see all those beautiful designs of yours to go to waste. You worked really hard on all of them and it’d be a shame if you didn’t get your time to shine.”

“Flash, darling.” Her hand reached out for his as she spoke softly to his face. “You don’t need to make an excuse for helping me. I find it to be the sweetest thing you have ever done. I never would’ve thought of asking all of my friends from school to take time off their busy schedule to help me – and I really can’t thank you enough for it.”

“Well… I did say I always wanted to help you girls. You face magical adventures almost on a daily basis. I thought you could use a little help to make life easier.”

“Well you certainly succeeded in that regard.” Rarity added taking a sip from her drink. Her eyes fell softly on the boy beside her, a natural feeling thumping in her chest. “Normally I’d show my thanks to my friends with clothes, shoes and other accessories I can get my hands on. But you don’t appear to be the type who enjoys such things.”

“Hey seeing you girls happy is enough for me.”

“Perish such thoughts darling.” She brushed her hand up as if blowing away an imaginary thought-bubble. “If anyone’s showing generosity around here, it will be me. I don’t care what you people say about chivalry, I won’t allow good deeds go unrewarded in this town.”

“Heh. Seriously Rarity. You don’t ha-” His voice clogged in his lungs when he felt the fashionista’s soft and tender lips press against his cheek caressing it like a lover’s touch. She planted it there for barely a minute yet it felt like eternities flew by when she finally released.

“It’s not the adequate reward I wanted to give you but it will do for now.” The little girl stated softly, grinning sheepishly at him. It took a while for his brain to return to its function having to mentally reboot itself from the sheer overload of information.

The gob smacked boy sat there, stunned, eyes bulging from their sockets. He brought his hand up to his face feeling the texture of her lipstick as he brought it forward seeing the red stain on two of his fingers, finally putting it down to stare at the flustered and embarrassed Rarity, who quickly looked away.

“A… anyway. I should probably be going.” She announced, standing up from her seat, still facing away from him, both of them failing to notice her pony ears and tails slowly glittering on her body. “The pageant is still going on and I wouldn’t want to miss out on Ms. Hemline winning the show. Tata.”

Flash could do nothing but watch as she strutted away, the girl desperately trying to hide the fact that she was going a little faster than normally. Her silhouette vanished through the doors of the mall as the sound of the crowd grew even louder than before. The boy sat still, his drink slipping from his fingers when his face turned redder than a rose.

A single phrase ran through his mind

…

… totally… worth it.

Twilight took a deep breath as she walked to the entrance of the museum. It has been a while since she came here. During her last visit she was practically apprehended by two burly security guards who were ready to throw her back out like some street-rat. Luckily Flash was there to get her out of a jam. And much to her surprise, that night viewing all those ancient relics from a lost civilization was pretty fun.

“Alright. Got everything you need?” Sunset inquired as she got off the taxi.

Twilight quickly ran her hand through her backpack pulling out her magic tracker. “All’s in order. I got my magic scanner, energy reader, flashlight for emergencies and my handy dandy voice recorder.”

“Voice recorder? What do we need a voice recorder for?”

“For scientific recording, obviously. Like this.” She played an example, pressing the red button. “Vice President Twilight Sparkle of the C.I.C. Magic journal entry #1: Arrived at museum of natural history to investigate the magical energy disturbance. Will continue search for any magical properties left behind. End recording.” She added that last part with another click, smiling over at Sunset. “What do you think?”

“I think you really need to stop watching those documentary channels. Heh. It’s too bad we couldn’t celebrate with Rarity for a job well done. She put a lot of effort on her sideshow than I thought.”

But the bespectacled gal waved it off. “Oh don’t worry about it. I’m sure she’ll understand that our investigation here is very important. We’ll make it up to her another time. Besides, Pinkie Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are with her. They’ll have a blast even without us.”

“Heh… you’re probably right.” She nodded. “So anyway. Maud said that the team handling the new wing are working overtime today. Ms. Cinch should also be there. So we need to hurry if we want to catch them.”

“Uh huh. Just one quick question.” Twilight pointed her finger at the stranger behind them. “What is she doing here?”

“Subtle.” Adagio scoffed, checking her nails like they were more important.

“Adagio said that she wanted to help out so I thought I’d bring her along just in case. It never hurts to have numbers on our side. Besides, if we get into trouble, we can at least count on her for backup.”

“And you’re sure she won’t stab us in the back like an actual villain?”

The woman glared boringly at them. “I’m not deaf you know.”

“Relax Twilight. She’s cool. Just give her a chance. You told me that we shouldn’t judge people because of their past.”

Twilight eyed the Siren not really sure if they were trustworthy. But sadly time wasn’t on their side. “Fine. As long as she promise not to break any more historical relics.”

“Deal.”

“Hooray~ for team.” She waved out sarcastically.

Their investigation would’ve been rather spontaneous too. But before they could even set one foot inside the museum they were stopped by three large guards.

“Uh hi.” Sunset greeted weakly. “We’d like to see the exhibit.”

“Sorry Miss. But the museum is closed for the day. Curator’s orders.”

“Closed?” Twilight questioned as she looked at the timer on her phone. “But it’s barely passed five. You can’t be closed now.”

“Sorry but that’s what they told us. Only staff and construction workers are allowed. This is for your safety so please come again when we’re open on Monday.”

The trio looked at each other with a giant question on their heads. They wanted to argue but decided not to press their luck on the giant hulking security guards. Quietly they left, heading to the local store next door.

Adagio spoke first bitterly. “Well that was a big waste of time. So much for our investigation.”

“Maud didn’t say anything about the museum closing early.” Sunset stated folding her arms together. “This is very suspicious.”

“They’re probably just doing this to keep people like us safe. It is a massive project after all.” Twilight reasoned. “We can’t expect everything to go our way all the time. It’s probably just a coincidence. Why don’t we try again on Monday and see where it goes?”

“That… does seem like the only thing we can do.”

“Why don’t we just sneak in?”

“What!?” Twilight turned to the Siren who made that suggestion. “Are you crazy? We can’t just walk into a place we’re not supposed to. That’s called breaking and entering! We can get into serious trouble for doing that!”

“I don’t see what you’re worried about. I do it all the time.” That statement was more volatile than she realized.

“You what!?”

“Easy Twilight.” Sunset stopped her. “Remember we’re all on the same side here. But yeah – sorry Adagio, but we’re not breaking into the museum.” As cool as it might actually sound. “Let’s all take a break and we can come back on Monday. We can enter the place legally then. Alright?”

“Hmph. Fine. But you’re paying for the taxi. My income isn’t exactly covering my…” But just as they were about to turn in for the night, that same uncomfortable feeling came again. The three of them froze on their tracks as electrical equipment around them went haywire. Parked cars began to blare out alarms, streets lights flickered and even their phones died out. “Please tell me you felt that.”

“That magic.” Sunset recognized it, her body shivering from the energy surge. “It’s the same one I felt from back then. And… it came from inside.” They all eyed the building just as the commotion in the area slowly began to die down. “But how is that possible? The relics are supposed to be in Flash’s place.”

“Either you’re wrong or someone decided to use that magic to cast a spell. And a powerful one.” Adagio nodded, her brow curling downward. “I don’t recognize it though.”

“We have to get in there. Whoever is using it is our culprit and the one responsible for all these attacks.”

“You’re really planning to break in!?” Twilight screamed in panic. “Have you gone mental!?”

“Twilight, this is our one time chance to find out who’s responsible for all these attacks! We need to go in now or never.”

Twilight gave it a thought, biting her nails. While she did want to find the culprit, breaking and entering would ruin her perfect record. If they’re caught they might be turned in to the police and her parents will find out!

After twiddling her thumbs for a few seconds she finally decided. “Alright fine. But how do we get in? Those guards aren’t gonna let us through.”

Adagio grinned. “Leave that to me.”

“Ugh… four hours until the end of shift. I don’t know how much more I can take, just standing here.”

“Oh stop whining.” The guard sitting by the information booth groaned, rubbing his aching neck. “It’s bad enough we just stand around here doing nothing. I don’t need to hear you complain about it all the time.”

“Easy for you to say. You get to sit around watching camera go left and right.”

“Hey! It’s still a job. And it’s a lot harder to keep an eye over everything.”

“Why don’t we trade places and see who has it harder?”

The guard with the coffee scoffed. “What? No! Why in the world would I want to trade places with you? You can’t even keep your own eyes open for twenty minutes.”

“Oh! So you think you can do better?”

“I know I can do better.” He irritably added.

Before long the three guards began to argue at one another, anger and irritation rising in their chest like they were being influenced by some kind of magic. And in the midst of their argument, the three girls slipped through their watch like a bunch of cat burglars.

Twilight was amazed how easily three large men fell enamored by the Siren’s call. While she never saw how it worked on a large scale before, she can’t deny how effective Adagio’s powers were. In just one stanza she made those guards bicker like school children.

“Wow Adagio.” Sunset sounded awfully impressed. “I almost forgot how powerful your voice can be.”

“You’d be amazed how often we use it to get what we want around here.” The Siren smirked. “They can be quite… ugh…”

Sunset reached out quickly when she saw the girl fumble on her step. “Whoa. Are you ok?”

“I’m fine. Just… a little weak. I haven’t eaten in days.”

“Oh.” Sunset ruffled through her pocket. “I have a candy bar.”

She brushed the unicorn off. “I meant magic, you idiot. You can’t compare candy to the sweet nourishing power of magical energy.”

“Because you’re creatures of magic, right?” Twilight recalled. “You feed on it.”

“Because we need it to survive.” She corrected. “Never mind. Forget it. Let’s just find this magic user and be done with this. The faster things go back to normal, the faster I can get my job back at the Sleepy Sirens.”

They all agreed on that and hastily made their way to the back of the museum through the restricted area where the new wing of museum was being made. There were a few construction workers hanging about but none of them seemed to be aware of their presence. They were far more concerned on their task to pay them any mind.

When they arrived at the Yaztec exhibition, Twilight could tell something was amiss here. Just like her friend, the nerd gal felt every fiber of her being standing at attention. A voice at the back of her mind screamed at her to run out of there and don’t look back. The atmosphere and ambience alone made the hair on her neck stand on ends. It was like this very area was giving off an aura of danger.

“This is the new wing of the museum?” She gawked both in disbelief and fear. “Looks kind of… creepy.”

“I know, right?” Sunset agreed wholeheartedly. “I don’t know what it is about this place but every time I look at it, it just feels… wrong somehow. Maud said that they were trying to get the feeling of the old Yaztec civilization or something.”

“Well if they were going for the creepy shamanistic culture of the people, I guess they got it.” Twilight shivered. “But this doesn’t look like any kind of museum wing I’ve ever seen before.”

“That’s because it’s a ritual ground.” The two of them turned to Adagio who made that comment. “A ritual ground? Don’t tell me you’ve never seen one before.” Twilight and Sunset looked at each other confused much to the Siren’s annoyance. “Ugh. Seriously? How in the world did I ever lose to you?” She pranced over to the side of the main hall where the raised platform was built. “You know how magic and spells work right?”

Sunset nodded. “Of course. Magic is the energy used to power spells. Our bodies are the tools that are used to convert them.”

“Correct. But you must also remember that your frail human bodies can only take so much magic. Use too much and you’ll break down. Ritual grounds like these are made to channel large amount of magic using them as mediums to use more powerful spells. With the right materials, timing and location, they can be used to conjure sorcery of the greatest kind.”

“Like… the elements of harmony!”

“Bingo.” Adagio nodded. “Your geodes are also vessels though on a lesser scale. This however…” She gestured to the platform. “… this is way bigger. Whoever designed this wing surely knows what they were doing.”

“Can you tell us what they’re planning?” Twilight asked. “Any information will be helpful right now.”

The Siren leader quickly looked around and shrugged. “From what I can tell, this whole wing appears to be a chamber of some kind. Each hallway is meant direct energy to the object at the main platform like a focal point. And judging that there’s only one window on that side, the spell being used here will require either the sun or moon to be at a very precise angle.”

Twilight’s eyes shot up. “Did you say the sun or moon?”

“Yeah. I think it’s a catalyst. Something to refine the magic quickly. But it would require very precise timing.”

Sunset noted her friend’s expression. “Is something wrong Twilight?”

“Well… the Winter Solstice is coming up two months from now. It comes twice a year and judging from the timing of all of this… I’m starting to believe that it can’t be a coincidence. Something big is about to go down and I’m afraid what we might find.”

“Don’t you worry.” The redhead patted her back reassuringly. “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it. Now come on. What’s your gizmo saying?”

Twilight nodded back. Panicking or worrying about things they didn’t understand was pointless. Quietly she reached for her tracker, noting a tick pointing in the direction of the nearby door on the other side of the hall. There were a few people standing there. No doubt part of the archivists group. They didn’t seem to notice the girls hiding in the dark. Not yet at least. There were a lot of dark corners here. None of the lights seemed to be working and the sun was dropping fast.

“It seems like the magic energy is coming from that office. We need to sneak by those guys.”

“Got it. Adagio. You got enough strength for one more song?”

The woman looked back sighing weakly. “I’ll try. Just…”

“Wait!” Twilight whispered, pulling the two of them back just as the said door suddenly opened from within. A familiar figure exited wearing the same scowl she wore since she last saw it. “It… it really is her. Principal Cinch.”

“I told you so.”

“What is the meaning of this!?” The former Principal yelled out to her crew who cowered at her. “I thought you said that everything was in order.”

“We’re sorry ma’am. It’s just that… we need to realign the old armor set first.”

“And I told you those are secondary. The painting and murals are first. The armors are supposed to be secondary.”

“We know ma’am. But this order came from the top. He wants all the mannequins dressed up in the armor before his next visit.”

Cinch’s eye rose. “Professor Sombra said so?”

“Yes ma’am. He made the call just a few hours ago.”

The woman groaned, one hand rubbing the temple between her eyes. “Fine. If he insists, then we’ll just have to do it first. Come. We’ll get the dolls from the storeroom.” She brushed pass them leading the men through the darkened corridors.

“Huh… hey wait a second.” Twilight tilted her glasses when she spotted something shiny around her former Principal’s neck. “Is that…?”

“Come on Twilight.” Sunset urged her forward. Taking the chance they rushed towards the door where she struggled with the knob.

“Ugh… figures. It’s lock.” But to Twilight’s surprise, Sunset took point on that. “Uh… what are you doing?”

“Picking out the lock.” She answered pulling out a hair pin from her pocket and using it like some post-apocalyptic adventurer. “I did it once when I broke into the Fashion Boutique to change Rarity’s window display.”

“Uh huh.” Twilight cocked a brow. “Should I be worried that my best friend from the other world knows how to pick locks?”

“Hey, I was a very different person back then.” She reasoned. “This world was far different from where I came from, ok? I needed a skillset to survive around here. Without my usual magic I couldn’t do most of the stuff like I did back home. And speaking of which, pfft. What a joke. This is a Ruther three spring lock-set. These things are pretty much antiques. The door to the school library is twice as tough as this.”

“And your uncouth gloating isn’t exactly filling me with assurance.” Twilight swallowed those questions away when the door opened moments later.

It was a simple office with a desk, computer, a few shelves and a reading light. For some reason this place actually reminded her of the Principal’s office back in Crystal Prep. It was dark, cold and with only a single headlamp dangling from on top. One might even say that it was an exact replica. Heck she even had a fresh pot of coffee at the ready and several of her diplomas hanging on the wall. If she didn’t know better a rough guess would say she was still clinging to her old position back in her old school.

There was a vent on the side though, perhaps big enough for people to squeeze into.

“Anything?”

Twilight checked her scanners again but tilted her head when she saw the dial spinning wildly. “No doubt about it. We’re definitely at the epicenter of where the spell originated from. Quick. Look for anything out of place. Something strange or magical in nature.”

“No need to look far.” Adagio announced pulling out a strange purple seashell-like object from the drawer of the computer table. “Found it. This thing was practically humming with magic.”

“This thing?” Sunset snatched it eyeing the strange object eyeing it carefully. “Wait… I feel like I’ve seen this thing before. Somewhere. I just can’t put my finger on it.”

“I can.” Twilight declared, grabbing the seashell. Her eyes flared solemnly as she clutched it tightly within her palms. “Because I was the one who made it.”