//------------------------------// // Money is Magic // Story: Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic // by onekface //------------------------------// Chapter 14: Money is Magic (Museum of Natural History) “You… made that?” Sunset questioned when she finally came to her senses. Twilight cradled the strange object in her hands watching it with a hint of nostalgia. “But… how? When?” “Remember that old magic tracker I made when we first met during the Friendship Games? The one that sucked out your magic?” Realization dawned on the girl when she cast her sight back on the shell. Of course. No wonder it looked so familiar. That thing was practically the cause of all their troubles back during the games. It even caused some serious harm too. “Oh right. I remember now.” She nodded back before she threw in a puzzled expression. “Wait… wasn’t that thing destroyed when you turned into Midnight Sparkle? We all saw it blew up.” “I know. But there’s no mistaking it. This is definitely mine. It even has my initials written on the bottom.” She showed the two letters printed at the side. “But that can’t be right. I only made one of these prototypes. That could only mean someone must’ve brought the pieces together and fixed it.” “My money’s on the old lady.” Adagio chipped in to which Sunset readily agreed. “I hate to admit it but it seems like you were right Sunset. All the evidence points to her.” “But how did she repair the tracker?” The former unicorn inquired. “I mean… I know she’s smart and all but I doubt that Cinch has a P.H.D in magic.” “No doubt she stole the design plans from me.” Twilight deduced much to her friend’s confusion. “Right when I transferred to CHS I noticed some of my personal belongings went missing from Crystal Prep. Nothing important. Just a few trinkets and outdated research notes. I thought they were just misplaced. I never really thought of them since then. But looking back at it now I’m think Professor Cinch might’ve taken them. That data drive I saw her wearing is definitely one of mine. It contained some of my theorems and magic energy research.” “Knowledge of magic, power, motive and theft? This woman is beyond guilty at this point. So what do we do?” “Isn’t it obvious?” The Siren ruffed back in a battle tone. “We take her down. I say we ambush her right here. She won’t even see us coming.” “No.” Thankfully Twilight came in with the voice of reason. “We can’t confront her. Not until we know the full scope of her powers… or what her plans are. We should discuss this with the others and come up with a strategy. If Cinch used the magic in this tracker, a big bet would say she summoned that shadow monster again. We’re in no position to fight her, especially with the sun going down.” “I’m with you on that.” Sunset agreed. “Besides, if we start a fight here we’ll be damaging countless priceless artifacts. And yes… present company included.” Adagio rolled her eyes in response. “Now let’s get out of here. We wouldn’t want to overstay our… wel…” She froze when she heard a familiar voice coming from outside. “Wait one moment. I forgot something in my office. Just put the armor set over there and arrange them in age-order.” “Yes ma’am.” “Oh no! It’s Cinch!” The redhead whispered in panic. “What do we do!?” The knob fiddled as the woman groaned on the other end. “Ugh. Stupid antique locks. All the money we made from the fundraising and Sombra can’t even afford to improve security around here.” “She’s coming in!” A few seconds later, the door burst open. … “Hmm?” Cinch raised a brow as she scanned her office, her body shivered from the draft that came through. “Hmph. I’ll have to add better ventilation to the budget.” xxxxxxxxxx Adagio gasped for air when she punched the vent, dropping out of the pipeline and into the pile of trash below along with the two idiots that came along. It was a simple idea, a trifle one, maybe even cliché. But it worked. They were lucky that the vents inside weren’t shielded. No doubt a side effect of construction. If they were, they’d been caught in seconds. And who knows what that old lady would’ve done to them? Still… they were able to get away safely and without anyone knowing. Who knew that all those spy movies that Aria watched would actually be useful? “It’s clear.” “Phew. That… that was close.” The nerd girl plopped out of the trash, grateful that they weren’t caught but also disgusted about that banana peel on her head. Getting caught there wouldn’t only be bad for her but it would also be the most awkward reunion with her former Principal. “A few more seconds and we would’ve been caught. You ok Sunset?” “Are you kidding? That. Was. AWESOME!” Sunset boomed excitedly when she got her head out of the trash bin. “I’ve always wanted to go through the air vents like those spies in the movies! That was totally exhilarating! I can’t wait to tell Pinkie Pie about this! She’s gonna be so jealous! Sure it might not be as glamorous with the trash and all but hey… we totally snuck in and out of that place like real secret agents! You think next time we could bring a few gadgets? Like like… a suction cup gloves, or jet packs or or or or or that surveillance camera drone? No wait! Grappling hooks~” “Sunset? Hello?” Twilight waved her hand in front of her delusional friend. “Sunset! Shadow monster? Cinch? Magical chaos?” “Ah… right right. Sorry. Just got caught in the mood for a second there. But you gotta admit that was super fun.” They glanced up to the sky noting the disappearing sunlight. “We should probably also head home before this place turns into the wolf’s hunting ground. Catch up with you tomorrow?” She nodded back holding the old tracker in hand. “Absolutely. Now that I got this baby, I can probably figure out what Cinch is planning.” “Wait what!?” Adagio burst. “You took that thing with you!? What were you thinking!?” “Uh… I was thinking that I didn’t want to leave such a dangerous device in the hands of someone like Cinch.” “Are you serious!? Don’t you know what you just did? The moment she finds that thing missing from her room she’ll know that someone broke into her office! She’ll be even more on guard now when she realizes that her precious thingamabob was stolen.” Ah… right. That actually sounded pretty logical. “W… well… technically we didn’t steal. This thing was mine to begin with so we only committed one infraction. And no one got hurt.” “Not yet.” “Ok ok. Enough Adagio.” Sunset raised her hand up to stop her. “There were a few bumps along this mission but at least now we know who’s behind these attacks. That’s better that we hoped for.” “Hey. Did you hear something?” A guard-like voice from the alley spoke. Cones of light dangled closely. “It came from over there.” “And that’s our cue. Go go GO!” (Town Hall) The Town Hall of the City was about the same as Celestia remembered it when she visited it a few years back. It was still the center of governance here in Canterlot City and where many representatives from various districts come to complain and whine about their needs and such. Today however it seems like this place has been converted to accommodate a small gathering. And Sombra wasn’t kidding when he said that this party would include a lot of important people. You can’t take two steps around here without bumping onto a celebrity or a senator… or maybe even both at the same time. This was practically a prime hotspot for politicians to mingle with one another. If you look close enough, you’ll see folks here give half-baked promises, alluring smiles, shake hands one moment and cross their fingers with the other. Heck, some of them might even be arranging marriages already. “Care to share a drink, Principal Celestia?” A familiar figure approached her with a cocktail in hand. “Ms. Mayor.” She greeted back with a smile. “I’d be honored.” The slightly older woman took her place by the Principal’s side eyeing the folks at the party. Her hair was graying out but her figure was still as slender, honed through years of discipline and hard work. She wore these sophisticated glasses and a green scarf that complimented her dress suit. “A wonderful party you have here.” “Thank you dear. But I’m afraid it may be the last one I’ll be hosting in the town hall. Elections are coming next year and the competition is quite… strong.” “Oh don’t be so dramatic, mayor. You’ve handled tougher opponents before and came out on top for three terms now. I’m sure you can deal with whatever comes your way.” “I’ve dealt with politicians, celebrities and other ambitious people before.” The mayor agreed. “But I seriously doubt I’ll be able to match your date.” She pointed her gray hair over to Sombra who was surrounded by several high-class looking folk and impressively darting his head around dangling 9 separate conversations without pause. So it was true. Celestia heard the rumors about Sombra running for mayor. Using his nearly limitless finances and connections across the world, he was able to build a power base throughout the city, securing a comfortable position in the race. “He really is running for mayor then.” The lady beside her nodded. “Yup. He’s barely been back for a month and already he’s making waves. That kind of power doesn’t just come up without effort. I mean… look over there.” She pointed to the long bearded man who dressed like a noble from a foreign nation. “See that man over there having a hearty talk with Sombra? That’s the ambassador from Shire Lanka. He flew in all the way here just to visit him. Not the City, not me – Him.” “That… is amazing.” Having dignitaries come and visit you from far away does make for a great influence. “You bet it is. I can hardly get my secretary out of bed to get her to work.” The Mayor sighed. “Well I suppose it was nice while it lasted. I guess running for more than a decade should be good enough for my legacy. But don’t go thinking I’ll be going without a fight. If Sombra wants my chair, I’ll be sure to fight him tooth and nail for it.” “I’m certain he won’t pull any punches.” (Sunday) (Morning) (Movie house) “Oh dear oh dear oh dear!” Fluttershy sprinted across the street as she tried to fix her bedhead. She frantically looked between the road and her watch like a very peculiar rabbit that was late. “Of all the days to oversleep. I knew I was forgetting something!” She quickened her pace again but immediately came to a stop when the stop light turned red. The animal lover began to panic and trotted over the concrete floor ignoring the multiple stares she was getting from the pedestrians. “Come on, come on, come on, come on! I’m going to be late!” Thankfully the signal was quick and she hastily took advantage when it turned green. Once she was on the other side, she spotted her mark just a quick jog away. His blue hair was easily picked out in amongst the crowd. She cooled her jets and eased her pace feeling a hint of relief spreading in her heart. The boy spotted her back and waved, beckoning her to approach. “Hey Fluttershy.” He greeted, taking note of her panting breath. “What happened to you? You look exhausted.” “No… parking… at… the parking lot.” She said between pants before her breath finally caught up. “I’m so sorry. It’s just that I forgot to set up my alarm last night. I don’t really do much on Sundays. Am I… too late?” “Not at all.” Flash smiled. “We got a good 15 minutes before the next show.” He gestured her over to his side. “How are things back at the pet store? Is everything ok?” “Well, the pets won’t be getting adopted while they’re sick. But at least the worst is over. Ms. Cureall is busy replacing all the old food stock we had to throw out so I’m helping out whenever I can.” “That’s a relief.” He sighed. “Those animals at the store are lucky to have you.” “Oh please. You’re too kind. I’m just happy to be around animals.” The soft talking girl replied giggling cutely. “We should… probably get our tickets before they sell out.” But just as they approach the ticket booth, the two of them quickly realized the customer at the front. “Rainbow Dash? Is that you?” The athlete panicked at her voice and dropped to a stance. “Oh! F… Fluttershy. Flash. Wh… what are you two doing here?” “I invited Flash to watch a movie with me. Are you here to watch the new Daring Do movie too?” What is she talking about? Of course she is! Why else would she be here? Rainbow blinked… and then laughed awkwardly. “Ahehe… y… yeah. You know me. Always first in line for all her shows. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Hehehe.” But then the worker at the ticket booth appeared facing them. “Sorry Rainbow Dash. But I’m afraid we’re no longer showing Fangshire 3. The last one was yesterday.” Fangshire 3? Fluttershy recognized the title. It was the third installment of an old classical love story between two ancient rivals and a girl who was caught in the middle of the war. Rainbow’s face froze as she refused to make eye contact with the ticket man. “Ah… pfft. I aheh… I’m don’t know what you’re talking about, good… sir. I’m pretty sure I was asking for the next screening of Daring Do and the Terracotta Army.” The boy in the booth cocked a confused look as she leaned in to whisper. “Seriously?! But the posters said that they’ll be on all weekend! There has to be one left!” “I’m sorry Dash. But I checked all our screening and the screening of the other theaters. None of them will be showing Fangshire 3. That movie barely pulled in any customers at all. That’s why they decided to pull the plug early to make more room for the new Daring Do flick.” “Oh come on! Can’t you make an exception for me just this once? Please? I’ve been a loyal customer since I was in the ninth grade! I’m begging you here!” “Sorry Rainbow. But that’s out of my hands.” He shook his head much to her dejection. “I can offer you and your friends a discount on the new Daring Do movie though.” Rainbow slumped down in disappointment. You’d think that a ticket to the new Daring Do movie would make her grin from ear to ear. “Fangshire?” Flash spoke. “Isn’t that the lame love story they made years ago?” “Fangshire is not lame! It’s a classic!” She bolted to his face threatening it with her finger. “People these days have no appreciation for a good story! It’s not just some love story. It’s a true love story with awesome action sequences. It only got bad reviews because the critics couldn’t see the gem hidden inside! So don’t diss it until you see it!” Fluttershy nodded. “I agree. The love between the three main characters is so believable. Claire was so brave despite everything that happened to her.” “I know right!?” Rainbow agreed, quickly changing her tune. “She’s a damsel but she’s the kind of damsel who can kick butt and take names! You could even say that she was the inspiration of Daring Do.” “And it was so romantic when she finally picked the love she…” She paused when Rainbow’s hand pressed her mouth. “Dude! Don’t spoil it! I haven’t gotten that far yet! That’s the whole reason why I’m here! To watch the last of the trilogy!” “Wait…” Flash finally put the pieces together. “So you’re a fan of Fangshire?” The sports maniac flinched. She opted to rebuke it again but figured that the cat was already out of the metaphorical bag. “Ugh… fine. Yes I’m a big fan of Fangshire. I watched all the movies including the spin-off and the duology books. All except the third and final movie!” She directed that last part to the ticket boy who cowered behind his booth. “There, ya happy? Go ahead and mock me.” Aww… she looked so adorable when she pouts. “There’s no need to be embarrassed about liking something Rainbow Dash. Though I’m actually surprised you actually liked the movie. I never would’ve imagined you would be into something so… sweet?” “I didn’t.” She groaned. “It’s just something my parents forced me to watch on our movie night. It was years ago and I’ve never even heard of that movie until then. I thought of it to be nothing more than some ordinary vampire movie. But I was wrong and it turned out to be something way better! It had everything: Story, awesome battles, action! That was way better than two Daring Do movies combine!” Those were some big praises especially when it came Rainbow. “And don’t even get me started on the love-triangle! Like Count Vladcula and his eternal love for Claire or her friend Wilhelm, who turned out he was a werewolf this whole time. I got so invested into the story that I followed the whole thing. Then I found out that they were re-showing the last installment of the movie this weekend! But… they pulled it out.” “Oh that is unfortunate.” “And who knows when they’ll put it back again, if ever!? I’ve been keeping myself from reading and listening to every spoiler on the internet! I was waiting for this moment! I just… really thought I can finally see the ending.” “Oh don’t be sad Rainbow.” Fluttershy tried to cheer her up. “I’m sure they’ll show it again. If not we can find a copy of it in the video store.” Again the athlete slumped. “I already tried that. But the studio that made the movie went under. They never had the chance to make copies of it.” She sobbed. “Ugh… I would do anything to watch it! Anything at all! But I guess that’s not gonna happen now.” “Not necessarily.” Flash added having an idea pop in. “You two wait right here. I need to make a call.” He rushed out to the side of the road, pulling out his phone and dialing his favorite number. “Edmund, it’s me.” “Ah Master Flash. How may I be of assistance?” “You mind checking the record room for me? I’m looking for a certain movie, Fangshire 3. The last of the trilogy.” “Fangshire. Hmmm… yes one moment.” The sound of ruffling items could be heard in the background. “Ah yes. Here we are. Fangshire 3: Wilhelm’s Rebellion. Starring Ms. Flour. I believe it was one of Master Sombra’s favorite. It appears to be in decent condition. No scratches noteworthy.” “Can you set it up for me?” “Absolutely. It will be done.” “Great. Oh and mind sending the driver to pick me up? I’m bringing some friends over.” “He’s already there, sir.” And to his truth a car suddenly pulled over, rolling its window to reveal his dad’s chauffeur. “You’re the best Edmund.” “Always a pleasure, Master Flash.” Hanging up his phone, the boy turned over to his friends who eyed him curiously. “Fluttershy. You mind if we make some changes on our plans today?” “Umm… sure? What did you have in mind?” A surprise… (Twilight’s house) Sunset considered herself a smart girl. Even though the math and sciences of this world were light years ahead of Equestria she grasped them pretty easily. But compared to Twilight she may as well be mundane. How that girl can combine magic and technology together in such short notice is a mystery on its own. But she can’t deny that it brought in some progress. Heck with everything she’s done so far, she could probably earn herself a Nobel Prize – whatever that was. From what the redhead can tell from a glance it looked like Twilight had been busy constructing… or deconstructing her old tracking device using all of her technological gizmos to take it apart and put it back together. She was so enraptured by it that it looked as if she totally forgot that Sunset was even here. “Should I…?” “Please do.” Spike pleaded. “She’s been on that thing since last night.” Well if her dog commands it, who was she to say no? “Uh… Twilight. You know when I said that we should come up with a plan together? That usually means… the two of us.” The nerd gal jolt up from her work, grinning. “Huh? Oh right. Sorry. I’ve just been so busy working on this thing. Cinch really did a number on this tracker. She even added some kind of extra function but I can’t, for all intent and purposes, figure out what it does. But she was definitely using this to harness raw forms of magic. She must’ve used it on the Chalice of Wishes at one point to draw power from that artifact.” “That would explain where she got so much magic.” “Yes. But the good news is that I think I found a way to stop her!” “You did?” She tilted her head sideway. “How?” “When I brought my old tracker back to my lab, I had a flash of inspiration. Remember how this device used to track and drain Equestrian magic during the Friendship Games?” “And put all of us in life threatening situations and turned you into Midnight Sparkle?” She reminded earning herself a cute glare. “Not exactly easy to forget.” “Anyway~~ I’m planning to replicate that effect!” Wait… what? “Whoa hold on. You say what now? Don’t you remember how dangerous that was!?” But Twilight brushed her hand off. “Oh relax. I tweaked out all the problems and made some adjustments. I reconfigured the systems to trap magic in its purest form. It won’t have any effect on the wolf monster seeing that it’s already a completed spell. But if Cinch has any more of her magic lying around, we can suck it out of her without lifting a finger.” Wow… that actually sounded… better than what she imagined. While Sunset had some reservations about that thing, she can see the benefit of it. If they had that kind of weapon by their side, Cinch wouldn’t stand a chance. Once they defeat her shadow wolf creature, she won’t have anything else. She’ll have to surrender to them. “That’s… actually pretty good.” She admitted hesitantly. “But wouldn’t all that magic cause the device to go haywire? What happens when you lose control?” “I won’t. I told you I tweaked out all the problems. After taking a look at my geode, I only needed to improve the spectrometer and added secondary shielding to complete the air-tight sealing. Once the magic goes in here… they don’t come out unless I want it to. And once we contain all that magic from Professor Cinch, we can put it somewhere where it won’t do any harm and let it disappear naturally.” She held the seashell-object forward presenting it like a prize. “I call it… the Magic Trap!” She paused for effect. “You know? Because… it traps magic?” “Why don’t you leave the jokes to Pinkie Pie?” Sunset offered. “But I gotta admit. I can’t believe I’m saying this but that’s actually a good idea Vice President, Twilight.” She returned a graceful bow. Probably something she practiced when she would accept her Nobel Prize. “Thank you. I was sure you’d approve. Now we just need to test it out.” Her eye darted to her best friend. “I don’t suppose you’re willing to be a test subject.” Sunset frowned but sadly accepted. “I suppose if anyone’s gonna get their magic zapped out of them, it might as well be me. What do you want me to do?” “Just stand right there and do nothing.” Without warning Twilight opened the old device and pointed it at her. It hummed to life for a few seconds before emanating a soft light. Sunset then felt something slowly draining out of her. A red hue of sort. The pure essence of Equestrian Magic slipping from her body. Her eyes grew heavy while her mind became light. Seeing this, Twilight quickly closed the device. “So? How do you feel?” “Ugh… weak. Just like last time. Can’t… really… focus.” Twilight panicked. “I must’ve taken too much. Sorry. Here… let me give it back.” After a few button press the device hummed again and reversed the effect. The magic that was taken flowed back with a strange vibe. “How’s that?” “Not… good. Feeling… sick.” She grumbled, her hand reaching out to the table to keep herself balanced. “I guess we can say that was a successful test. I’m… just gonna lie down over here for… a minute.” “Ooh… yeah you do that. Looks like Adagio might be right. Our bodies really can’t handle that much magic all at once. Want me to get you anything?” “Juice…” Sunset replied weakly waving one finger up from Spike’s pillow. “And… a sandwich. Preferably… jam.” “Coming right up!” The moment she dashed to the kitchen, Spike suddenly felt a strange shift in the air. He looked around, noting something wrong with Sunset’s shadow. It looked… as if it was taking a different shape. Did it just… snarl at him? Huh… maybe he was hungry too. (Flash’s home) Rainbow Dash had seen giant mansions before. They were a dime a dozen here in Uptown. Overly compensating houses that were made for the rich and famous... or the famously rich. All of them had their own unique style. Some had fancy rooftops, others with privacy walls, large gardens, a menagerie of their own, even a miniature racing ring and Rainbow swore that she even saw one with a giant chess board with a full complimentary life size pieces. But alas… all of those paled in comparison to the one they arrived. The car they rode in drove passed a large obsidian gate. The road encircled around a giant fountain which was also then surrounded by a magnificently decorated garden with enough flowers to make even Wallflower Blush blush. And the house itself was three stories tall, made of equal part bricks and cement. It was so huge that it might as well encompass 1/3 of CHS. And… was that an outdoor pool over by the side? Ok, forget it. This house takes the cake! She was so enamored by the whole thing she didn’t even realize that they were already out of the car until now. “My goodness Flash.” Fluttershy gasped, finally breaking out of her zone. “You live here? It’s so big” He shrugged. “Eh… I wouldn’t really say ‘live’ here exactly. But… yeah I totally live here.” Ok. Be cool Rainbow. You don’t need to act surprise. Just be cool. You’re the coolest cat of Canterlot. Something like this shouldn’t impress you. You’ve gone through Equestria and back. Seen ponies and a dragon hatchling who live in a castle made out of crystals. You can do this. “This place is huge!” Rainbow Dash burst out, covering her mouth the next second in barely restrained excitement. “I mean look at this place! You can fit everyone in school here and you’d still have room to dance!” “It’s… not that big.” Flash blushed. “We only got like 20 or 25 rooms give or take.” Fluttershy took stock of the walls and turned to the garage door where she caught a glimpse of the super fancy cars all parked neatly in a row. They all looked well maintained and well designed that even Rarity might grow jealous. “Wow… how does your family afford all of this?” “My dad invests in a lot of stock.” That was his quick and precise explanation. Mental note. Find out what stocks are and how to invest. “Now come on. We don’t want to miss the movie. Not that we can. But you never know.” They entered through the finely crafted door and gasped again. The two girls were greeted by a multitude of furniture ranging from crystalline chandelier to brush painted portraits and carpets thicker than their own winter attires. And the floor! The floor was so clean you can probably eat off it without fear of germs. Rainbow Dash was now convinced. Flash was loaded. Like… Scrooge-kind of loaded. Like the kind who would dive into a bin full of gold coins and have no fear of breaking every bone in his body. “Master Flash.” A man in servant’s attire came to greet them with a gentle bow. “Welcome back sir. Everything has been prepared as you requested.” “Thanks Edmund.” The boy nodded. “Oh Fluttershy, Raindow Dash. I’d like you to meet Edmund. He’s my family’s butler.” “Charmed.” You have your own butler!? Rainbow restrained herself from shouting. Just barely. Her eye began to twitch. “Please, madams. This way to the record room.” Edmund bowed gracefully as he led them all to one of the hallways where they were greeted with even more portraits and furniture. Despite its heavy hue, this house looked as if it was made of glass. Everything here looked like they were worth millions. Even that simple vase over there looked fragile and gaudy to the touch. One wrong move and one simple bump and you’ll working the rest of your life just to pay it back. “Wow… this place is so… huge.” Fluttershy stated. “How do you find your way around here?” “Oh you get used to it… eventually.” Flash waved it off. “Believe me, I got lost in here so many times just looking for the bathroom.” Surprisingly enough Rainbow believed it. But she quickly snapped out of it. “So what kind of treatment are you getting us? An outdoor screening? A giant flat screen TV?” She asked with a wink. “Eh… something like that.” Oh please. Don’t insult her. After what she saw from the entrance alone, nothing could possibly surprise her at this poi… “Here we are, sir, madam.” The butler opened up a large door revealing a red room which made her jaw drop. It was a theater – or… at least something akin to a theater. There were seats rows, red curtains, and even lights that dimmed to set the mood. Her head exploded. “YOU HAVE YOUR OWN MOVIE THEATER!!!!!?” Forget being cool, forget being chill! This place was awesome! “We actually just call it a record room. But yeah it is a theater.” He said that so casually that it hurt just hearing it. How did they no one ever mention that he was this rich!? They were quickly ushered in to the center seat where they had plenty of leg room to go by. Fluttershy looked around but felt strangely comfortable, mostly because there weren’t a lot of people around. She must’ve expected a few other servants nearby like maids or maybe even a cake butler. Rainbow Dash on the other hand was ecstatic. She glanced around and pinched herself wondering if she was just dreaming. Ok calm down. This place might’ve taken you by surprise. But you can still play it cool. No need to be so gullible or naïve. She coughed into her hand clearing her surprised face. “Ok ok. I’ll admit. This is pretty all awesome. But it would 20% cooler if we have drinks and popcorn.” “Salted butter or caramel?” She ate those words instantly when the butler returned with a trolley of snacks making her hyperventilate like Twilight. There was even a popcorn popper bursting on top. “And for you Madam Shy?” Fluttershy’s eyes sparkled. “Oooh. You wouldn’t happen to have ginseng tea, would you?” Edmund responded with a flamboyant tea set and poured her a cup. The aroma alone was alluring. “Oh my. It’s wonderful. Thank you.” Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure what to say anymore. Her mind was fried. Everything she’d seen so far looked like something out of a fairy tale. It might not be magical but the effects were definitely the same. The mysterious carriage that appeared out of nowhere, the journey to the beautiful palace and all-powerful fairy-god-mother (Butler) who can do anything!? All they needed now was a song and dance and she’ll be running out of there screaming ‘Nothing makes sense anymore!!!!!’. She clung onto the large soda drink and the two popcorn buckets fearing that they might disappear along with her dream. Thankfully the room dimmed so as to hide her panicked huffs. The curtains rose revealing a screen and an old styled projector on top. The movie she dreamt of watching came in a few seconds later. … … … “Oh my god! That was… AMAZING!” Rainbow Dash burst out the door with a smile plastered all over her face. The movie had ended on a high note leaving the girl in a state of absolute euphoria. She was practically ready to run around the mansion screaming. “I can’t believe Claire actually decided to stay with Count Vladcula! I really thought for a moment there she would stay by Wilhelm’s side, but no! She found true love with the immortal vampire!” “Ahuh…” She failed to notice her two friends grinning at her childlike attitude. “And that battle sequence! Two sides duking it out in front of the red moon. And just when things were gonna get bad, Claire comes in and wins the day! I always thought that girls like her would go for the strong athletic type. But nope! She went for him! Isn’t that super romantic!?” “Absolutely.” Fluttershy gave a complimentary nod. Flash also agreed. “Well to be fair, Vladcula did die for her like…… four times in that movie.” Nine if you include the first two of the trilogy but Rainbow wasn’t gonna mention that. “Pfft! And he’s way cuter and stronger than that Werewolf. I mean… muscles and fur are cool and all, but they’re nothing compared to the dark, emotional insecurity of a vampire. Why I wouldn’t mind letting Rarity put mascara on me just to look like Claire.” She paused. “Please don’t tell Rarity I said that.” “My lips are sealed.” Fluttershy gave a mouth zipped gesture. “Speaking of which…” Flash opted. “You guys wanna stay for lunch?” “Absolutely!” “Oh no.” Fluttershy interjected. “We wouldn’t want to impose.” “Come on Fluttershy! How often do you get to eat at a place like this? Don’t you want to at least experience it?” “Rainbow Dash.” She scolded back politely. “We shouldn’t impose ourselves. Flash was already kind enough to let us watch in his home theater. We really shouldn’t overstay our welc…” “If you want, we can have it in the aviary.” Fluttershy froze, snapping her head back at him. “You… have an aviary?” xxxxxxxxxx He had an aviary. Or to be more precise, his family had an aviary. And no it wasn’t like those small boxes Fluttershy often see in zoos or animal shelters. Those were just miniature prisons in her eyes. This aviary was ten times… no… correction – it was a hundred if not a thousand times bigger than those she saw. It was a hot dang sanctuary for all feathered folks! The whole dome itself was built around a large ancient tree that towered at the back of the mansion. A multitude of birdhouses were hung across each and every tree branch acting like some kind of hotel for birds. Four open sections ventilated all the smell, allowing the cool winter breeze to whistle their way in. A few birdbaths also dotted the area giving a place where these folks could wash themselves. A single gazebo acted as their primary hangout with a wide picnic table for them to use. A single large pond sat at the edge of the aviary and acted as a home to several families of ducks who seemed to have migrated in for the season. Flash said that there would also be flamingos around here but it seems like they decided to move on. It was disappointing but seeing all of this alone was more than enough to make up for it. By the time lunch rolled in, Fluttershy was practically giggling childishly, surrounded by her feathery friends. “So what happened to not imposing ourselves?” Rainbow asked with a knowing grin. The animal lover simply shrugged back feigning ignorance. “Well… I suppose we can stay for another hour or so. Isn’t that right little fella?” The birds on her arm chirped happily in agreement. “Oh yes you are. Yes you are.” Flash couldn’t help but laugh. (Celestia/Luna’s Apartment) Luna awoke to the smell of something good. It stirred her from her bed, beckoning her to come out of her room. She tried to resist it, but it tickled her funny tummy and by then, she had surrendered to it. The dark sky haired woman yawned and slumped out of the comfort of her blanket, feeling the winter chill breezing through her window. Perhaps it was high time to change into her winter attire before the first snow fell. Putting on her squeaky slippers she followed the smell into the kitchen where she was surprised to find her sister cooking something. “Good afternoon Luna.” She greeted with a coy smirk. “Doing your Sunday routine, I take it?” Luna yawned again taking a seat by the table. “You know I’m never a morning person, sister.” “Staying up late is never good for you.” “Speak for yourself.” She grinned mischievously back at her. “I didn’t exactly see you come in last night either. I take it your date went well?” “It wasn’t a date.” Celestia insisted, though that blush on her face said otherwise. “I was just there for morale support.” “Ehmm hmm. So what did you two do… exactly… after the pageant show?” “Oh… nothing noteworthy. Just… some light meal and meeting a few people. I met the mayor again.” “Ms. Mayor? She still in office?” “Apparently so. But not for much longer if Sombra has any say in it.” Luna whistled. “Oooh. So the rumors about him running for office is true.” “He’s also the most likely candidate to win.” “My dear sister. Going after politicians now? You really have moved to higher prey. Not exactly the same as those roughnecks we used to ogle over back in school.” “That was just you, Luna.” Her sister scoffed. “Oh don’t deny it. Remember the Quarterback you had a massive crush on? What was his name again? Griffon? Gideon?” “Gael.” Celestia corrected. “And he was the Wide Receiver. The Quarterback was your favorite.” “Ah… right. He really was dashing with that amazing jawline.” She added dreamily. “But enough about the past. Don’t tell me that little ‘Friendly’ outing of yours didn’t lit any spark.” “Oh… I wouldn’t say that.” Aha! She knew it! “Well? What happened!? Spill girl! Did you at least kiss?” “Luna! Of course not.” “Boo! Chicken!” “I’m just being professional.” She reasoned as she flipped the pancake on the pan. “We’ve only just gotten back together and I don’t want to accelerate things, now that we’re actually talking with one another. I think he and I prefer to take things slow for now. What’s the worst that can happen?” “You leaving him a second note?” Luna replied with a wide eyed grin.