//------------------------------// // A Glimpse at the Big Picture // Story: Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic // by onekface //------------------------------// Chapter 19: A Glimpse at the Big Picture (Thursday) (Evening) (Rarity’s house) In through the front door, around the back, peep through the window, and jump off Jack! “Tada! Done at last!” Rarity declared with a proud raising of her hand as the last stitch of her work was finished. “Ten variants of my buttoned blazers all knitted and ready to be put on display. And people tell me that doing all of this in one night is simply impossible. HA! Take that Manehattan Weekly!” “They’re beautiful, sis!” Sweetie Belle sang her praises, a smile on her face. “You really outdid yourself this time.” “That’s sweet of you sweetie. But it’ll take a lot more than this to impress someone as skillful and knowledgeable as Hoity Toity.” She patted her sister gratefully. “But nonetheless this will, at the very least, get me in good standing with him. I can’t wait to show him my designs. Which reminds me. Would you mind putting my design folders in order? I want to present them to Hoity when I meet him. One of them is bound to catch his attention.” “No problem.” The little Belle gave a playful salute and hastily made her way to Rarity’s work table putting down several notebooks where the fashionista had jotted down all of her future ideas. “Speaking of attention.” Rainbow Dash forced a cough to gather her attention. “Can I move now? I think my legs are starting to cramp up from all this ‘No-moving’ you made me do.” “Ah… of course.” Rarity allowed it. “You may move. Just be sure not to make any tares. Otherwise I’ll have to do the whole thing all over again.” And neither of them wanted that. “Thank you again Rainbow Dash. I couldn’t have done this without you.” “Oh sure you can.” She flashed a toothy smile. “But probably 20% less cooler.” Rarity rolled her eyes, already used to the usual response. “Oh dear. Is it night already? My word. Time really does fly when you’re doing your labor of love. Looks like we’ll be ordering takeout today. Would you care to join us Rainbow? Consider it payment for putting yourself up there for so long.” “Ugh… love to. But I got to get home and study. I still got my makeup test with Professor Doodle tomorrow. Maybe this weekend you can treat me to pizza.” (Canterlot Mall) Sunset felt like a pack mule today. And that wasn't surprising seeing that she was being treated like one. When she agreed to come to the mall with Twilight today to prepare for expedition tomorrow she didn’t really think much about it and agreed not really expecting much. Twilight said that they were only packing a few essential things. Sunset probably thought a few gadgets here and there. But after two hours of shopping later, she wondered if she should've just slept through the day. With all the gears they've prepared, they practically looked like hardcore explorers or prospectors. The only things missing were drills and pickaxes. “Twilight. You know how I like to prepare for all eventualities. But don’t you think you’re overdoing it just a tad bit?” “Not at all.” Twilight casually replied. “These are simply the basics. We’re about to go in an unexplored cave system. Who knows how deep it goes or what we’ll even find down there. We can’t afford to leave anything to chance. So anyway. I’m thinking we should double up on protective gears and maybe some extra repellant along the way.” “Yeah… but why do we need diving gears?” Sunset gestured to the third bag on her left arm. “Just in case we run into an underground water system!" That's your reasoning? "Come on. Don't give me that look. Haven’t you seen Daring Do and the Cavern of Lost Souls? If Daring Do had been a little more prepared, she wouldn’t have lost the Arsene Amulet to Dr. Caballeron and his goons and had to go through Saddle Arabia for the whole ordeal." Yeah... and the movie would've been an hour shorter too. But Sunset didn't want to point that out. “I’m thinking that the adventures of a fictional character in a story isn’t the perfect example of survival in real life.” She put the bags down resting her arms. “All we need are our phones, flashlights and some food. We don’t need any of this.” “But what if we get attacked by poisonous snakes, or get attack by cave bears, or worse yet… get bitten by cave bats!?” “Ok. Snake bites are… possible.” Sunset agreed somewhat. “And maybe we’ll find bats. But I seriously doubt there’ll be bears there.” Twilight folded her arm, cocking one brow in a challenge. “Oh really? Where do you think those bears in the animal shelter came from?” … Sunset opened her mouth to argue, but then thought about it for a second before coming to a conclusion. “So I’m thinking we triple on the bear repellants and the bug spray, just in case.” “Triple it is!” They gave each other a congratulatory high-five and laughed at their idiocy. But then Twilight noted a familiar figure sticking out of the corner of her glasses. “Hey… is that Flash?” They turned to the boy noting he was at a toy store making a rather large purchase. “Blue hair and sweet guitar?” Sunset smirked eyeing her friend. “Couldn’t be anyone else. And… is he buying a box load of… stuffed animals?” Out of curiosity they approached him, which he quickly sensed. “Oh, hey there you two. Doing a little last minute shopping for the weekend?” “I’ll say.” Sunset chuckled, looking over the large box brimming with all manner of childish toys like choo choo trains, dolls and other kiddy stuff. "And so are you, apparently. Aren’t you a little old to be playing with toys?” “You’re never too old to play with toys.” He countered with his own grin. “I still keep my favorite first ever action figure of Rockhoof the Mighty in my room at all times.” But then he paused at that remark. “Wow…… that sounded a lot better when it was in my head.” Twilight stifled a laugh. “Don’t worry Flash. We won’t tell anyone that you still play with dolls.” “Action figures. Totally different.” “Sure.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “And you splurging for the Winter Holiday has nothing to do with it.” “I can say the same thing for you.” He gestured to the stacks of bags on her arms to which she blushed. “Th… they’re all Twilight! I was just holding it for her!” She shoved the plastic bags in her direction hearing her yelp on the floor. The boy laughed in return. “Hey it’s cool. These toys aren’t for me either.” He leaned in to whisper. “They’re for the families who lost their homes in the fire the other day.” Oh! The girls cringed at the thought. “Yeah. Many of them pretty much lost everything in that fire. I kinda feel responsible. And… I figured that it was the Winter Holidays. So what better way to give back to them than with a bunch of presents?” “W… wow Flash.” Twilight flicked her glasses up, her voice sounding awed and impressed. “That’s really sweet of you. Does your dad know you’re buying all of this?” “Of course. He’s the one paying for it.” He replied handing a credit card to the cashier. “He’s actually holding a charity event as part of his election campaign. And seeing as he’ll be giving to the city itself, he may as well get a few voters while he’s at it.” “So… it’s a selfish charity.” Sunset smugly stated. Flash opted to argue but found the name to be fairly fitting. “I wouldn’t say it that way but yeah. Kinda. A lot of folks will be there to help out. And I don’t want to toot my own horn here. But yours-truly will be performing live on stage as well.” He patted his coat down being as show-off-ish as he could. “Not to brag but there’ll be at least five hundred people watching us. Way bigger than what the music festival ever pulled.” “How very humble of you.” Twilight snickered. “Make sure Rainbow Dash doesn’t hear about it or she might try something to out-stage you.” “Heh… she’s welcome to try. But I have something that’ll blow their minds away. I got Micro Chips working on a little surprise.” Flash winked which in turn made her blush. “I don’t suppose you girls would want to stop by and help out. The event is this Saturday at the park. We could certainly use the extra hands – and it’d be nice to have you around.” “Wouldn’t miss it.” Sunset nodded in agreement. “As long as our little outing doesn’t take too long.” Flash blinked. “Outing? Are you guys going somewhere?” But Sunset covered her partner’s mouth before she could say anymore. “Oh we thought we’d hang out together tomorrow to uh… study!” She forced a smile out sending a signal to Twilight to hush. “You know? For the finals? She’s helping me brush over a few subjects that I’ve been having some trouble on.” That made sense. Right? “Really? I figured you were great in every subject.” And she really was. When it came to science, math or sports, Sunset had more than enough credits to pass all of them with barely much effort. Apparently the educational system here was pretty much child’s play compared to the lessons she had to learn in Equestria. “Well they do get harder every year.” She reasoned poorly. “And I haven’t really had the chance to study these last few days. So an extra brain would help.” “Oh… ok then.” The boy had the look saying ‘I’m not buying that’ but decided to let it go for now. The cashier soon returned with his receipt and handed the literal box load of toys. “I’ll see you on Saturday then.” “Yeah… absolutely.” They watched at the boy departed with his purchase. It took a while before Twilight decided to finally pull her friend’s hand off her mouth. “What was that about?” Sunset shrugged feigning ignorance. “What was what about?” “That!” She pointed at the boy in the distance. “Why didn’t you tell him that we were going to the Everfree Woods?” “Because……” She paused, looking the floor guiltily. “I don’t want him involved.” “Involved?” Twilight raised a brow as they left the store together. “Are you still upset that he saved us from Cinch the other night?” “No of course not.” She eyed her. “Ok. Maybe not entirely. I know things could’ve gotten bad if he didn’t show up. But I don’t want him to endanger himself for our sakes. And if we told him about our little adventure to Everfree forest, I’ll bet my bits he’ll join us at the drop of a hat.” “Ok. Firstly, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Flash isn’t that irresponsible. He’s a strong, kind, brave and independent boy who knows what he’s getting into. If it wasn’t for him, Cinch would’ve taken all our magic and who knows what might've happened. Second… what are bits?” “I know… and I’m grateful for that. But… I just have this feeling that one of these days, he might seriously get himself hurt. First his car, now he’s getting scorched. And… the worst part of it is that we’re responsible for it.” “Nothing bad will happen to him Sunset.” Twilight reassured her. “He's big enough to know what he's getting into.” She gave a care free smile. “Besides, if he's with us then at least we know there'll be two powerful magic users to protect him. Now come on. We still have time to get those bear repellants.” Sunset tilted her head in confusion. “Wait… those actually exists here?” (Celestia/Luna’s Apartment) Luna sat by the dinner table that night eating peacefully while listening to her sister talk on the phone. Her lips curled to a sultry smile as she saw how bashful Celestia was. With the way she waved her hand, playing with the long end of her hair and grinning like she just won the lottery, one good guess would say that she was talking with her new boyfriend. It was rare to see Celestia this way. If anything it kind of reminded her of the time when they were still in college. She’d be all giddy whenever she talked to him and they’d spend the odd days out late at night. God knows what goes on in their private moments. It took about half an hour before she finally came back to the table looking like she was luckiest girl in the world. Luna placed her head on her hand wearing that knowing smile as she asked. “Sooo? What did he say?” Celestia gave up on trying to hide anything from her sister anymore. If anything, denying it only made her all the more devious. “Nothing much. Sombra was just asking if I was faring well.” “And~?” “And he wanted to invite me us to the charity event he’s hosting in the park this Saturday.” She cooed. “Ooooh… another event? And out in the park? How romantic. I can see you two strolling down by the lake watching the moonlight glitter on the waters.” Of course she’d like that too. “He invited both of us, sister and all of our old friends from school. Besides he’s hosting the event. I doubt I’ll get to see much of him.” “Oh please. For a man like him, he’ll likely find a way one way or another.” Luna grinned mischievously. “If I didn’t know any better, it might even make a good place for a proposal.” Her sister was not amused. “Too soon? Yeah I thought as much. But… just saying.” (Friday) (Morning) (Everfree Woods) (Picnic ground parking lot) The Everfree Forest wasn’t really much of a forest. At least not compared to the one in Equestria. From Sunset’s point of view, it looked more like a string of meadows, trees and mountain clumped together around a river. The one in Ponyville was dark, deep and mysterious in various ways. The tree lines there were so thick that you could hardly see the sky at all. Heck, it even had literal Timberwolves and other manner of evil creatures haunting its trees. The Everfree forest here had about 1/3rd the danger level of its worldly counterpart. There were even a few settlement communities littered around the area with dirt roads leading deeper within. Some of Applejack’s relatives also live here making it tamer by comparison. “Uh… Twilight. Are you sure this is the right place? I don’t see any caves around here.” The two of them were standing over a large parking lot that was used by hikers who enjoyed a stroll in the woods. Sadly though there weren’t any coming around here at this time of year. With the snow already piling in, you’d need a good reason to go delving into the woods. Even the forest rangers had put up warning signs discouraging folks from going too deep. “Definitely. The map that our fellow website users gave us dictated that the cave with the mysterious voice is not far from here. But I understand your concerns so I took the liberty of getting a guide for us.” A guide? “And here he is now.” The egghead pointed over to the parking lot entrance where a truck rolled in parking right next to their vehicle. A man with vibrant green hair stepped out with a lady-killer smile. “Hey there ladies.” “Timber?” “Yup!” Twilight confirmed it with a smile of her own. “Timber is actually one of our website user.” “I was sure I left myself anonymous.” His girlfriend elbowed him. “Oh please. Sapphire Spruce? Can you be any more obvious?” “I was thinking of you when I made that.” He let out a small chuckle tapping her nose. “Anyway, I figured I’d give you guys a hand with your new club activities. When Twilight told me that she wanted to visit the spooky cave, I volunteered. Figured I’d spend more time with my favorite girl.” “Oh stop that. Now you’re just teasing.” “Only because I know you like it.” Oh god. The sweetness level these two are showing are off the charts. Sunset felt her stomach churning her breakfast. “So ready to head out? We have to do this while there’s still sunlight. You don’t want to be caught dead in the woods at night.” Sunset nodded and told him to lead the way. And led the way, he did. xxxxxxxxxx They took a dirt road path just a few clicks off the parking lot where the tree lines were thin. The snow covered trees made for an excellent view around this part of countryside making it feel like they were back in nature's embrace. You can even spot several wildlife going on about which Fluttershy would be more than happy to see. But as they pass through the area, Sunset and Twilight began to notice the trees becoming sparser and sparser the deeper they went. Whole sections of the forest seemed to have been cut, some of which were uprooted from the ground. It was as if someone or something had been deforesting this part of the woods. “Uh… Timber. Is it just me or are there less trees around here than normal?” The boy groaned into his hand. “So you noticed huh? No… it’s not just you. It’s the construction.” He led them to a nearby hill above the trees where you can see a large portion of the forest. “You can blame that little black spot over there.” He pointed to a large construction site in the distance where cranes and other heavy equipment were parked and a giant billboard holding the face of a certain millionaire winking back at them. “Is that… Filthy Rich?” “Everfree Day Spa Resort.” Twilight read the name out loud. “Wait… is he building a spa!? But I thought we raised enough money for the camp.” “We did.” Timber nodded. “But that didn’t stop him from buying the land next door and building his spa there. Apparently he got it for dirt cheap from his new ‘Partner’ so now he’s building his high-class spa right here. And it’s going to be opening next month for the holidays. Right when we have our new campers too. They’ve been clearing the forest for weeks now to make room for all their equipment.” “Ouch.” Sunset cringed. “How’s Gloriosa taking it?” “How do you think? She’s been having fits. I can tell because she twitches every time someone mentions it. But like before, she tries not to show it.” “Let me guess. ‘I got this’!” The redhead added doing her hand motion copying the camp manager’s style which earned her a couple of snickers from the pair. “I’m sure your camp will do fine even with that new spa. It’s not like people will just ditch the camp to enjoy a nice and hot relaxing bath.” Rarity might but that wasn't saying much. “I hope so. I really don’t want all our renovations to go to waste.” Something tells her that wasn’t really going to be case. “Anyway, we’re here.” He pushed the bushes away revealing a cave mouth on the other side. It was a lot larger than what was shown in the website. “Whoa…” Sunset gasped. “That’s a big cave.” “Yeah. I know right? Hikers tend to come through here to get a view of the woods. When construction started on the day spa they accidentally caused a rockslide which opened this new cave system. Some people tried to explore it before but they ran off when they heard the spooky noise coming from within.” “Spooky noise? What kind of noise?” “The voices of the dead! Ooooooh~~~! Goh! My ribs.” He clutched the side of his body feeling Twilight’s elbow. “Knock it off. This isn’t like one of your campfire stories. Besides, everyone knows that strange noises from caves are simply ambient sounds caused by wind and the natural shape and/or structure of the cave itself. Think of it as a giant flute playing one tone.” Wow. Way to ruin the mystery there Twilight. “I know. But you gotta admit: This place has the making of an awesome ghost story.” “Ghosts are merely figments of people’s imagination. There are no such thing.” She paused. “But if there was… maybe I can find a way to efficiently harvest ectoplasm! Oooh! Maybe I can ask Flash to fund my research!” Sunset chuckled but quickly noted something wrong with Timber. Did... did his eye twitch just now? “Speaking of ghosts, did you make sure you packed your gear for cave exploration?” Twilight casually grab her backpack revealing the multitude of equipment she purchased from the store. “Flashlight, flares, glow sticks, diving masks, snacks and refreshing energy drinks.” “Diving mask?” Sunset groaned. “Don’t ask.” He thankfully didn't. “Well if you have everything, then let’s do this!” “That’s fine Timber. Sunset and I can take it from here. It might be a bit dangerous going in.” “Oh no you don’t.” The boy protested sternly. “The last time I allowed a girl to go into a cave alone she discovered these magical gemstones that gave her supernatural powers and nearly turned our camp into an evil lair of nature.” The two can guess who he was referring to. “I’m coming too.” "Are... you sure? It could be dangerous." "Oh please. Danger is my middle name." He paused, noting their blank stares. "Ok it's not. But it would certainly sound cool! Timber Danger Spruce! AKA: Danger Sprout." Sunset laughed. "Whatever you say, Sprout." Twilight wanted to protest but immediately went against her own wishes. If she pushed him out of the action she'd be acting just like Sunset. “Alright. You can come. But if anything magically dangerous happens, you let us deal with it? Ok?” “Camp Everfree scout’s honor.” Gathering their courage together the three marched into the cave pulling out their flashlights to illuminate the path. The cave itself was large and open. It was probably big enough to accommodate Sunset’s apartment. Provided the lack of electricity. But despite its size, the place was rather easy to traverse. The ground itself was smooth and weathered. It gave the kind of feeling that only Mother Nature can do. This went on for about ten or so minutes before Sunset started to notice Timber trying and failing to get his girlfriend’s attention. Poor guy got the guts to reach for her hand only to find Twilight finding interest with the wall and the formation of stones. The boy grumbled and groaned but he wasn’t giving up. He even went for the obviously-fake-yawning-then-overextending-his-arm-around-your-special-someone trick and he missed – by a large margin. She heard of people trying too hard but this guy was the literal definition of it. Heck it was painful just to watch him fumble around. (Hoity Toity Trendsetter) Ok Rarity. This is it. The big leagues. You’ve worked hard for this day so you’re not going to screw this up. You’ve gone from independent designer to working for the best of the best. Time to take off the kiddy gloves and show the world what you’re made of. You didn’t spend all that time working for Ms. Hemline and not learn a few tricks. If you want to be noticed, you have to be hungry. Yank fate by the hair, and pull that lady with everything you have! Make noises, be positive, never show weakness to the boss or you can kiss your butt to the curb. Slowly reeling, the fashionista took a deep breath and stared at the door in front of her. The atmosphere here in Uptown was a league different from the rest of the city. Fancy mansions as far as the eye can see. Paved roads, cleaned sidewalks and decors so beautiful they may as well be putting on a parade. Even the people here dressed differently. She can judge the wealth of a man just by the clothes on his back… and the jiggling of his wallet. It was either the ruffling unchangeable bills or the sound of credit cards scratching the leather. One of these days she was gonna move to a house here. One of these days. With another deep breath she pushed through the doors finding a woman decked in a secretary outfit waiting for her by the cashier. Judging by the amount of items put on display, the store was just about ready to open. “Name?” The secretary lady asked to which she blinked. “Oh… um… Rarity. I was asked to come here to present my collection for Hoity Toity.” She gestured to her clothes rack which she brought herself. If the lady had any interest, she certainly didn’t show it. Instead she returned to her table looking down on a piece of paper scanning for her name. When she finally spotted it she looked up and nodded. “You’re expected. Mr. Toity is waiting for you at the stage. You’re the last to arrive.” “Last to… arrive?” Rarity wasn’t really sure what that meant. She’s never been late. In fact she was 10 minutes early. The secretary lady didn’t seem interested in explaining and simply led her to the back of the shop where the amphitheater was. And from there she immediately understood what she meant. Standing in a row on stage was a group of young talented designers. Each and every one of them vying for Hoity’s attention. And the master of fashion was there too, going through their collection like a demi-god judging their work trying to see if he would deem them worthy… or be banished forever into the void. “Mr. Toity.” The secretary spoke up catching the man’s attention. “The last of your invitees, has arrived.” Hoity Toity glanced at the fashionista under his shades before showing a wild smile. “Aha! Rarity! Of course! You are the one who made the adorable Musketeer poodle! Welcome. Please join us. We’ll be starting in a few minutes.” Rarity gladly took her place on the stage standing by her other fellow designers. She adjusted her clothes rack like everyone else until she noted a familiar face beside her. “Vignette? Vignette Valencia is that you?” “Rarity! How good to see you again my fellow chic!” They shared a light hug. “I knew I wasn’t hearing things. What are you doing here?” “Hoity Toity invited me for his pageant show.” “Ah! Me too! I guess he certainly has an eye for fashion if he invited the both of us.” “He is one of the best in the business after all.” Vignette laughed. “I know. Oh this is such a welcome surprise. We definitely have to catch up after this. My treat.” “Oh no. I couldn’t possibly.” “Quiet please.” Hoity Toity spoke up garnering their attention. “Thank you. Now. I’m sure you already know why I have gathered you all here. As you may have heard, the Winter Holidays is coming up and I intend to host the pageant show here at this very place. You were brought here because you are all recommended to be both imaginative, and talented. And most importantly each of you have had some measure of exposure to the public.” The participants all nodded in agreement on that part. Even Rarity has been seen on TV every once in a blue moon along with Ms. Hemline. “But to truly thrive in this business, to shine like the stars themselves, you must ensure that everyone… EVERYONE knows your name. Your brand is your creed, your badge of pride! Which is why each and every one of you will be competing in the pageant. The media will be broadcasting your designs to the world so exposure to the public will be guaranteed.” “Ooooh!” Rarity giddied. “How exciting.” “However…” Of course there’d be a catch. “Do not think that this show will be some charity. Only the best of the best among you may pass through. I am here to weed out the weak from the strong. Only three from the forty of you will be selected. And those that are picked will become my new protégés and you will bring your designs and join me at the fashion show of the Grand Runway next year.” Eyes bulged as a collective gasp came from the crowd. Murmurs of excitement echoed as many planned to form secret alliances within. “Ex… excuse me.” Vignette raised her hand up. “Are you talking about the…” “The Grand Runway fashion show in Las Pegasus. Yes.” Hoity answered already knowing the question. The Grand Runway… Rarity felt her breath leaving her body. There isn’t a fashion designer alive who didn’t know that event. It was a three day festival that can last as long as a week if necessary. Once every five years or so, the greatest and brightest designers from all over the world would gather in Las Pegasus for 15 minutes of spotlight. The Grand Runway was the pinnacle of every designers’ ambition, their greatest desire made manifest. The slots in that event very limited to only barely a hundred. Only the most talented and influential are permitted. But every now and then, some star would introduce someone new into the fold letting them bask in the glory of fame. Those that show their designs on that runway are guaranteed to become famously rich in a matter of minutes! Sponsors, talk show hosts and all manner of media exposure would make every participant known throughout the world. Many of them here would tear each other apart just to get a spot on that show. “But do not expect this to be easy.” Hoity added bringing them all back to reality. “In the weeks you will be spending with me, you will all be challenged in more ways than you can imagine. The pageant is in 3 weeks’ time. And by the end of each week, I will eliminate the worst of each of you until only 3 remain. Do not expect mercy from me. Compris?” They nodded. The rules were simple enough. Be the last designer standing. It's pretty much a standard game of Battle Royale, fashion designer edition. “Excellent.” He continued, eyeing each of the competition fiercely. “Now, you have all brought what I asked of you. Good. This shows that you are committed and have some spunk! For the pageant, you will bring the best your puny brains can make. This pageant requires imagination, a sense of the times and art! And the theme for the first part shall be: Magic fantasy!” “Magic?” Rarity raised a quizzical brow. “Yes! Magic! The mystery of the culture itself! The culmination of stories passed through generations. Dragons, mermaids, unicorns, adventurers and dark lords! Elves and dwarves. Knights in armor saving princesses from lonely towers trapped by foul wizards! Bring me five of your best examples by next Friday! Only half of you shall move on to the next round. Move!” With that last order the designers scrambled like headless chickens. “All materials will be provided and paid for. You may get them at the back of the stage. You may work here or at home. I do not care. All that matters is the final product! Do not fail me!” Free fabric? Rarity’s eyes gleamed as she dashed off to the back with the rest of her rivals and saw the numerous rolls of silk, wool, reeds and leather provided. This was going to be her time. Her moment to shine. And nothing was going to stop her. (Everfree cave) How deep does this cave go? That was a question ringing in Sunset’s head as they pressed through the seemingly endless tunnel. It had been well over an hour since they entered the cave and thankfully it’s been a singular straight path. But the deeper they went, the more everything here started to look the same. It began to feel like they were walking in circles. Sunset pressed the side of her head trying to remove that thought. She sensed no magic around here but she could also be wrong. The magic of this world didn’t exactly follow the rules of Equestria. Here, magic was just plain bizarre in all kinds of wa… “Yeow!” Twilight flinched quickly turning her flashlight in her direction. “You ok?” “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Sunset waved it off kneeling to reach her feet. “The sole of my boots just tore off, that’s all. I guess it finally reached the end of its mileage. I don’t suppose you packed some glue?” “No, but I did bring duct tape.” Twilight showed her the tape to which her friend gladly accepted. “Let’s take a quick break and rest up for now. I brought snacks.” She gently pulled Sunset to a flat stony surface to use as a seat putting a can of soda along with a bag of chips by her side. “You stay here while I go and collect some rock samples. There are some fascinating specimens here.” She didn’t wait for a reply as she headed off to the closest rock formation. Huh… and here she thought she’d only hear something like that from Maud. Sunset returned her attention to her boot and slowly began wrapping the sole up with duct tape. “Here, let me do that.” Timber offered grabbing the tape from her hand. “Trust me. When it comes to fixing things or using duct tape, I’m your guy.” “Thanks.” Sunset appreciated it and allowed him to handle the repairs. She would’ve dug into the snacks Twilight provided had she not noticed his oddly repressed irritated expression. “Is something wrong?” The boy blinked back, the expression returning to ignorance. “Hmm? What do you mean?” “You have that look on you. Like… you’re mad about something.” “What? No~~. This is my normal face. I’m just being cautious. You know? Be prepared for all eventualities?” He didn’t look like he was lying. Either that or he was really good at hiding his real thoughts. “You never know what can happen in these caves.” He reached out for her hand to help her up but would soon regret it when Sunset’s powers activated at the touch. What she felt through him… wasn’t exactly pleasant. If she was to put a word into describing Timber’s emotions right now, it would be… jealousy. A growing irritation building at the pit of his stomach. Like a pack of porcupines was playing a game of hopscotch in his belly. He’s keeping it all in – or at the very least, he tried. The boy was agitated. Perhaps even conflicted. And from what she saw in those visions, Twilight seemed to be the source of his anguish. “Whoa…” The girl muttered softly. “Timber……” He let go of her hand as she whispered. “Are you… having relationship problems with Twilight?” “What!?” He coughed, forcing out an awkward laugh. “Pfft… no! Of course not. What makes you say that? We’re fine. I’m fine. She’s fine.” She gave him a frowned look which shattered his own illusion. “Ugh… is it that obvious?” “Not really. But… a part of you kind of gave it away.” She didn’t want to mention her powers fearing he might take offense to it. “So what seems to be the problem? I thought you two were happy together.” “We are!” The boy stifled his voice as they turned to the girl in question who seemed strangely taken by a bunch of rocks. “I mean… I think we are. Don’t get me wrong. Twilight is an amazing gal and I love being with her. But I get the feeling that I haven’t been spending a lot of time with her.” “Didn’t you guys go to the movies the other night?” “Yeah and we had plans to go to the botanical garden but she kinda bailed on me at the last minute. Apparently something important came up. I assume it was something magic related.” He must be referring to that night at the museum. “W… well Twilight has been busy these last few weeks. We all have our own lives to deal with.” “And not just that. It’s been getting worse too.” He added with a bit of concern in his voice. “These last few days she’s been going on and on about this guy, Flash like he's the greatest. Every time we’re on the phone she’d go on and on about him being so cool and awesome.” “Twilight has more than one guy friend.” “It’s not that.” He corrected quickly, making sure he didn’t portray himself as a clingy possessive boyfriend. “Of course Twilight can talk to anyone she wants. But whenever she starts mentioning ‘Him’, I get this feeling that there’s something more. Do you ever noticed your special someone having a deeper connection with someone other than you?” Sunset opened her mouth and closed it thinking twice over what the guy was going through. Now that she thought about, her best friend does seem to have grown a soft spot for her ex-boyfriend ever since their time at Camp Everfree. Not surprising seeing how that guy has been around them these last few days. He’s been going around, risking his neck over magical problems like some hero wannabe. But then again he has been sweet on the girl too saving her flank from and pulling her out of a jam a few times already. Not to mention that ‘Arts and Craft’ project they’ve been handling. If anything, Twilight would almost feel indebted to the guy. It wouldn’t be surprising that she’d have nothing but praises for him. “Listen Timber. I’m… probably the last person who should be lecturing you about your love life. But I’m more than certain that it’s not as bad as you think it is.” She pat his shoulder reassuringly. “Flash is just a really good friend and I guess you could say that he’s a bit of a worry wart. A lot of stuff has been going on around the city lately. And with Twilight moving out and this whole magic fiasco, we’re kind of in a bind and…” “Whoa whoa. Hold up. Back up a minute here.” His eyes shot up. “Twilight’s moving?” “Yeah. She’s graduating after the next semester and moving closer to Everton. The academy is a little up on the eastside of the city so she’s looking for an apartment close by.” “Huh… she never said anything to me.” “I’m sure she just didn’t want you to freak out. Don’t worry about it. Be the better boyfriend she deserves.” Sunset once again patted his shoulder reassuring him. “How about this? After we’re done here, you can take Twilight off to some big romantic dinner. I’ll just tell her I uh… forgot a dentist appointment.” “You’d do that?” “Absolutely!” She pumped her chest proudly as she returned her broken boot back in its rightful foot. “And to prove to you that I’m committed I’ll give you two 10 minutes of alone time.” “How do you plan on doing that?” With a swift motion of her hand Sunset knocked her can of energy drink down letting it roll down the floor backtracking down where they came. “Oh no~ I dropped my drink and it’s rolling back~. I’d better go and get it before it’s lost forever… ooooh no~” With that poorly acted line given out she gave a knowing wink to the boy before casually walking back to get her beverage, making sure to take her time coming back. It didn’t take long for Timber to realize that he and Twilight were now alone in that stretch of the cave. He turned over to his girlfriend who still – surprisingly – busied herself with the rocks. “Soooooooo… whatcha find?” The boy chimed in. “Nothing much.” Twilight replied fidgeting with her glasses with one hand while holding onto a magic tracker on the other. “I was hoping that this place would have some trace of magical energy. But my tracker isn’t even giving a tick.” Ok Timber. You can do this. You’re Twilight’s boyfriend. No other guy is gonna swoop down and take her from right under your feet. There’s no need to worry. You can just play it cool and be the bigger man. Be calm and understanding. Be the better boyfriend just like Sunset said.. “How come you never told me that you were moving?” Or you can just go for the Hail-Mary approach and drop the bomb on the whole thing. Twilight turned to face him, adequately shocked. “What?” “Sunset told me that you were moving. How come you never said anything?” “I… didn’t think it was important.” She said calmly though a hint of panic could be felt within. “Besides, I still have one semester ahead of me. I’ll have plenty of time to pick and choose.” “Yeah… but the least you could’ve done was give me a heads up.” Timber reasoned. “Don’t you think your boyfriend deserves to know this kind of stuff? It feels like you don’t tell me anything anymore.” Well she has been kind of busy but that was hardly an excuse. Twilight lowered her equipment eyeing him guiltily. “Sorry Timber. It’s just that with all this magic stuff going on – I guess I’ve just been preoccupied.” “I know that I don’t have any clue on your magic. But shouldn’t we talk a bit on stuff like this? I feel like we’re always missing out on each other. I really want this thing of ours to work and I can’t do that if you won’t open up to me.” He unconsciously kicked a pebble on the ground turning his head the other way. "I want to be part of your life too." “I… didn’t know you felt that way.” She admitted. “But in my defense this is kind of my first ever serious relationship. I guess you can say I’m… kind of new with this whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing.” “We’ve been dating for over a year now.” Has it been that long? It certainly didn’t feel that way. “Wow… I guess I’m even worse at this whole interpersonal relation than I thought.” She gave him a shy look before an idea pop. “Why don’t I make it up to you? I’m going to look into a few apartments on the eastside of the city. I could use someone with a different point of view to help.” His mood brightened at the offer. “Really? You uh… wouldn’t want your friends to help out?” “Let’s just say my friends have different perspective when it comes to their needs. And maybe after all this, we can spend the whole Winter Holiday in Camp Everfree, just like you wanted. So how about it?” Timber smiled cheekily. “Well I might have to take a look at my busy schedule. But I think I can… wait…” He realized something. “Did you say eastside?” “Yeah. Everton is on the outskirts of the city near the coast. Why?” “Well it’s funny because my apartment is on the eastside too. I work as a coastguard at the beach, remember?” “Really?” Twilight beamed. “Huh… I guess that means we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.” He nodded. “Yeah… yeah. I think we will.” An idea popped in mind. “As a matter of fact. How about you move in…” “Hey guys. I’m… back?” Of all the time for Sunset to return, she had to pick now. “Hey Sunset.” Twilight responded hiding a blush under her hair. “I didn’t see you there. And…” But her embarrassment was quickly dispersed when she noted something strange. “Wait… how are you get ahead of us? Didn't you go back the way we came?” The redhead blinked turning back to the path she came from. “I... think so. I’m pretty sure I went back to the entrance. Was there a loop we didn’t see?” “We’ve been going a single path this whole time.” They shared an eerie pause with one another. “M… maybe there was a turn we didn’t notice?” “Uh... yeah. Definitely. I was pretty absorbed with the can so I didn't really see where I was going." They tried to laugh it off as Sunset tossed the can back into the way she came. But that laugh died off quickly and abruptly when they heard the can still rolling for a long while. ... And it would later return to them from the opposite end of the tunnel hitting Timber by his foot.