Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic

by onekface

A Particularly Perilous Problem

The first thing Twilight felt when her eyes drifted open was the ache she felt on her body. That and the uncomfortable feeling her bed gave. It felt like she was sleeping on straws and her pillow was literally a hay bale that pricked and poked her head like a soft-needled porcupine.

She struggled to find a comfortable spot but failed, shifting from side to side only to feel someone lick her cheeks.

“Eww… Spike. I told you not to do that.” She reached out to the side, grabbing her glasses granting her vision back. “Stupid dog.” She felt too tired, too grumpy to deal with him at the moment. But instead of finding her lovable-adorable purple companion, she was greeted by the snout of a sheep chewing on her hair. “Bwahh!” Her whole body jolted up fumbling clumsily before reaching the large barn door breaking it open and landing head-first on the sand. “Ow…”

The sheep that lingered in the barn poured out of there letting their annoying baa sound as they ran.

Spitting the sand out, Twilight rose back wondering what in the world just happened. Did Fluttershy put them here? Or was this another one of Pinkie’s pranks? She wouldn’t put it pass that bubbly girl to do something as sinister as this. Though animals weren’t normally her forte.

As her vision slowly returned to her she quickly realized that there was a crack on one of her lenses hampering her sights. She would’ve complained and whined about the whole thing too had she not noticed something else that frazzled her brain entirely.

Where in the world was she?

Or… hopefully not WHEN was she.

Looking up she discovered that she was no longer in Canterlot. It was more like a remote farm in the middle of nowhere. Several structures made out of clay, straws and wood dotted the area, one of which was the place she woke up. There were two pens housing pigs and sheep, a water well and a whole mountain side as far as the eye could see. It way WAY different from Applejack’s farm. Probably because of the lack of grass and a whole heap of sand.

Wait… sand?

“Correct us if we’re wrong. But I don’t think there’s sand this plain where we come from.”

There certainly wasn’t. That would certainly explain the course and rough feeling she had all over her body. And it would explain why it felt so much warmer than usual. She cupped a handful of the powder making sure it was real.

Wherever she was now, it certainly wasn’t Canterlot. And it certainly wasn’t Equestria either. She still had her fingers and her rear side wasn’t exposed like it did during her first incursion into the land of ponies. She even made sure of it checking her own reflection on the well water. Nope. No snouts or horns. Just your average ordinary boring human face. Thank goodness for that.

“Ok Twilight. No need to panic. Calm down and think this thoroughly.”

“Oh sure. You say that now. But we both know how this ends.”

“What happened to you last night?” She never got the chance to question her bewilderment when another foreign voice called her out from behind.

“You’re awake!” A girl her age with amber hair dashed to her side. Twilight barely had the time to tense up when two strong yet surprisingly slender arms wrapped around her pulling her into a tight embrace. “And you’re not dead too! That’s a plus.” The girl boomed a second time, a smile so large that it practically split her face in two. “Oh I’m so happy you’re ok. I was beginning to think you were gonna sleep forever. How are you feeling? Any pains? Aches? Swollen features or bumps?” She practically violated Twilight’s face poking her face in every corner like a mad doctor.

“Uh… no? Thank you?”

“Oh you are absolutely welcome.” The girl released her tight grip. “Man that was one heck of a fall you took. I’m surprised you weren’t too badly hurt.”

“I uh… me too?” She stammered, trying to make sense of this bizarre invasion of personal space. “And uh… who are you exactly?”

The young lady in a strange greenish attire let her go, slapping her head in realization. “Oh sorry. I must’ve left my manners in my other pants. You’re the first guests I’ve had over here in um…” She counted her fingers muttering something but decided to leave it be. “A long while. I kinda forget how to greet people properly. Ahem.” She coughed into her hand before extending it. “Hi. I’m Autumn Blaze.”

“I’m… Twilight… S-s-s-s-Sparkle~!” The bespectacled girl accepted it hesitantly which she immediately regretted when the woman practically shook it frantically.

“Hello there Twilight Sparkle. How was your sleep? Were you comfortable? Were there enough pillows? Blankets? Can I offer you some snacks? Cucumber sandwich.” She brought out the said sandwich from nowhere. “They’re delicious~”

“N – no thank you. I’m not hungry. Ah… anyway. Autumn Blaze?”

“Oh! Are we going through first name basis? Does that make us friends? Oh please say yes!”

“No.”

Twilight’s craz-dar alarm was going off. Something tells her that she was going to regret it. “Uh… sure. Why not?” Strangely enough she heard someone palm their face in reaction.

Autumn pumped her sandwich up into the air laughing giddily. “Ooooh! I knew this was going to be a great day. It’s barely noon and I already made a friend! How awesome is that? And here I thought I was gonna be bad with this friend stuff. Oh! Does that mean we get to paint our nails, try on clothes and talk about cute boys and stuff? I have a selection of teen magazines in my house.”

“Actually…”

“Oh! We can fill in the quizzes that requires two people! And we can pass them to one another and compare. How cool is that!?”

“Can I just…”

“And we can finally have that sleepover. I’ve always wanted to try a sleepover. It sounds like so much fun!”

“Excuse me!” Twilight snapped, grateful that she finally stopped talking to have her think. “Sorry. Autumn Blaze, was it? I don’t mean to be rude or anything but can I ask you a few questions?”

“Oh! Are we playing that game called 20 Questions? I love games. Go right ahead.”

“God. Talking to her was like talking to a sugar-dosed Pinkie Pie.”

“Ok… firstly… where am I? And how did I get here!?”

She gave Twilight a questioning look. “None of those sound like yes or no questions.”

“Can you just… answer the damn question!?”

“It’s a new type of rule to the game.”

“Oh? Really? Honestly this is my first time playing it. But ok!” Oh thank god. “So, you’re at my home. It doesn’t exactly have an official name. But we’re close to my hometown of Peril Peaks, so I guess we could call it that.” She grinned like a cat who only learned how to smile. “As for your 2^nd question. Umm… well… I don’t know.”

Don’t know? “How can you not know!?” She was starting to lose her patience.

“Well I honestly don’t know. When you guys came through that magic gateway yesterday, I patched you up and brought you here.”

Wait… magic gateway?

The portal?

Those key words alone were enough to jolt her brain awake and clicked her memories into place. Memories of critical moments that happened not long ago.

“The portal…” Twilight covered her mouth gasping. “The fight… Hoity… my friends… Flash!”

“Flash? Is that like a band?”

“No!” She cringed. “You wouldn’t happen to know a guy named Flash, would you?”

“Oh are you talking about that blue haired kid with the leather jacket, quite handsome?”

“Yes!”

“Nope. Never heard of him.”

…

Huh? “But you just said…”

“But I do have a boy who looks like him in my storehouse.” You know what? Twilight wasn’t even gonna question it anymore. Making sense out of her loony words was just too much to handle right now. “Oh and just a heads up: Your friend isn’t doing so well either.”

…

Well that didn’t sound ominous at all.

The brunette led Twilight to the back of her home pass the sheep pens in what looked like a small warehouse made out of clay. And inside, lying on a bed made of hay was the boy in question, his whole upper body wrapped in more bandages that made him look like a half-baked mummy.

“Flash!” Twilight dashed over as the boy stirred from his sleep after hearing his name.

“Twilight? Is that you?” He struggled to get up, pain surging through his body with every move. “Are you ok?”

“Forget about me! I should be the one asking you that!” She scolded, pushing the boy back on his bed and scanning for every injury she could find through her cracked lens. There were bruises and bumps all over his body. Scratches decorating his handsome face down to his legs. Much of his clothes looked like they were torn up from the fall. “Look at you! You’re a complete mess.”

“Heh… yeah.” He forced out a smile trying to calm her. “I’m gonna get a lot of scars from this. The girls are gonna go crazy for me now.” Oh you stupid boy and your stupid scars.

Autumn Blaze chuckled. “Oh! I read about that. It was in-”

“Not now. How bad is it?” Twilight asked her, turning away from the boy for a brief moment.

“Oh. Well I’m no nurse, but from what I saw… it’s pretty bad. You should’ve seen him when I brought him over. Yeesh. He was not in good shape. Not that he’s in any better shape now. But you know? He’s in bad… yeah I’m rambling.”

“Gee ya think?”

“Don’t sweat it.” He tried to assure her but his sweating beads and flinching body didn’t really put a convincing act. “It’s not as bad as it looks.” Yeah it wasn’t. It was worse. Definitely a lot worse.

“We need to get you to a doctor.” Twilight insisted.

“More like a mortuary.”

“Quick. Where’s the nearest hospital?”

“Hospital. Yeah…” Autumn breathed. “You might wanna take a rain check on that. Because there aren’t any around here.”

“What!?”

“Have you seen outside? There’s nothing out there but sand for miles around here. This is by far the most remote place you’ll find around this corner of the world. They don’t call this place the Perilous Peaks of Peril for nothing. The closest thing we have to a nurse around here is our resident witch doctor. And honestly, she’s not exactly reliable. All her solutions usually involves her special tonics. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it.” She leaned in to whisper. “They say all of her tonics are the same. But she just uses food coloring to make them look different.”

“Wait… how long were we out?”

“Eh… about a day or so… give or take.”

“My friends!” She gasped. “Sunset and the others. They might be trapped when the castle came down. I need to call them.” She reached for her cellphone and began dialing only to find that there was again no signal. “No signal!? What the heck? Is this thing broken?”

“Twilight, calm down.” Flash placed a hand over her shoulder, squeezing it softly before she began hyperventilating. “I’m sure they’re fine. That portal must’ve sent us somewhere pretty far. We just need to cool our jets and think of a solution.”

Twilight hesitantly agreed. She knew time and time again that panicking and being angry doesn’t resolve anything. After a few deep breaths, she spoke. “You’re right. I’m probably just thinking the worst case scenario. They should be fine. With their magic combined, they can tackle anything.” Another sigh escaped her. “Autumn Blaze. You wouldn’t happen to have a phone I can borrow, would you?”

“Nope.” The happy lady replied in and oddly giddy tone.

“O… k? Do you know anyone who happens to own a phone?”

“Well. No one here owns anything as fancy as your little gizmo there. I mean we are literally in the middle of nowhere. The only person I knows who owns something close to a phone around here is the shopkeeper. Maybe we can ask him.”

It was the middle of the night in Canterlot.

Sunset paced around the living room, terrified out of her mind. She could hardly get any sleep at all last night. After they escaped Castle Hoofbeard through a powerful teleportation spell, the whole place seemed to have swallowed itself. Whatever was left of the castle sunk into the ocean, the last of bygone architecture now buried at the bottom of the sea.

Such a catastrophic event wouldn’t be ignored either. Roughly an hour after the whole mountain came down, emergency services from Canterlot arrived the quarantine the area. The official news was that the whole Castle itself was built on top of an unstable mountain and that it was high time that it came down. Thankfully no one was hurt when it fell and the most anyone felt there was perhaps a light tremor. Even the newly open resort that Filthy Rich opened hardly saw any damage and was still planning to open regardless.

The gang opted to stay as long as they could to wait for their friend to appear but sadly the authorities told them that they should leave as the last ferry back to the city was going.

Ever since then she had been waiting by the living room, worried out of her mind.

“Didn’t get any sleep either I see.” Rarity’s voice came up leaning by the kitchen holding a cup of hot coco in hand. “I don’t suppose she called?”

“No.” She shook her head, taking a seat by the fireplace. “I tried calling her but they’re all going to voicemail. Maybe I should head back to the island and check.”

“You won’t make it pass the quarantine dear. We both know that.” The whole section of the island had been declared a hazardous zone prompting the new owner of the island to make some new… renovations. A whole army of construction workers were sent there to ‘fix’ the area making it more appealing. Some even say that they were gonna convert it into a golf course. “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you might think. Twilight does have a habit of losing her phone in the worse possible moment.”

“She does… doesn’t she?” Sunset groaned. “I’m not taking this very well.”

“Don’t be so gloomy. Despite your lack of sleep dear, I still believe you’re taking this far better than Rainbow Dash.”

That was an understatement. The poor girl was practically furious when they got back. She was in such an emotional state that she was ready to bust down Hoity’s store and attack him then and there. Thankfully Applejack and Fluttershy were able to talk her out of it saying that striking at the man in broad daylight in a crowded area will only bring even more harm to those around them. The damage they did on the island was proof enough. Besides, with the power he invoked there was no telling what else he was capable of.

“I just wish there was just some way to find out if she’s alright.”

“Twilight is a resourceful girl darling. She’s one of the bravest persons I know. There hasn’t been a challenge she hasn’t been able to beat with that big brain of hers. And don’t forget she’s not alone. Flash is there with her and he promised to come back safe. A man like him tends to keep their word one way or another.” Somehow knowing that he was there too made her even more worried. “Oh? Are these cupcakes?”

“Yeah. Pinkie made them as part of her… cheer up confection before she left to check up on her family. I think the whole incident really got her spooked. And honestly… I don’t blame her.”

“Well for a girl like Pinkie, she really does look out for you.” Yeah… she really does. “Speaking of which, I do happen to have a bit of good news though.”

“Really?”

“My spy network in Hoity’s inner circle just called in.”

“You mean Vignette.”

“Spy network…” Rarity insisted. “… found out that Hoity is planning something big. Apparently he’s moving a lot of his designs to Filthy Rich’s resort. He’s practically booked the whole venue.”

“Wasn’t he going to put the next part of his show there?”

“Yes but even this is a little too much. Even fashion stars like him have limits. It’s like he’s preparing for something big. Vignette also texted me that he’s become… a little odd. Angrier for some reason.”

“Glad to know we weren’t the only ones affected by that fight.”

“That too.” Rarity bobbed her head in agreement. “Anyway. She’s invited me for a little dinner outing to tell me all about it. And honestly I could use a little distraction from… all of this.”

“Yeah… I understand. Sorry for wrecking your chance for the Grand Runway.”

She waved it off jokingly. “Oh there will be plenty of opportunities to get there. A spot in the limelight may come and go, but a true friend like Twilight comes once in a lifetime. And I wouldn’t feel comfortable being anywhere near that snake. Brrr.” The thought of facing that man alone in his stronghold made her shiver. “Call me when Twilight calls?”

“Definitely.”

Luna let out a satisfied moan as she got out of the showers feeling warm and fresh. It was one of the rare moments that she would be home all alone with nothing but a good movie, leftover food from the party and a good drink to wash it down. Celestia was off to some meeting in town and wouldn’t be back until later tonight leaving her in charge of the whole apartment. Normally she’d bring friends over and set up a party that’ll last till dawn. But sadly she stopped having those ever since the last party she held in their school dorm ended with them having many of their personal effects stolen.

Leaning back on her favorite chair with nothing but her bathrobes and a plate of leftover tacos, she switched on the TV and leaned back, expecting today to be one of relaxation. But… sadly the universe had to spoil her fun. The landline suddenly began to ring prompting her to answer.

“Hello?” If this was some kind of advertisement, she was going to slam the phone.

Thankfully it wasn’t. “Oh. Luna?”

“Sombra?” The girl sounded surprise recognizing his voice. “Kind of late to be making calls, don’t you think?”

“I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you so late. Is this a bad time?”

“No. Not at all.” She tightened her bathrobes feeling somewhat exposed. “I was just um… having a little snack. A 'healthy' snack. Uh… anyway, my sister isn’t around.”

“Oh that’s a shame. I’ve been trying to reach her cell but she’s not answering.”

“Yeah she does that. Celestia has a habit of putting her phone on silent. I’ve been getting her to fix that. What’s up?”

“Well… actually I’m a little concerned.”

“Concerned?" That wasn't a word he used lightly. "Did something happen?”

“I’m… not quite sure.” How can you not be sure? “It’s actually... about my son.”

“Flash? What about him?”

“Well that’s the thing. I don’t really know. My butler said that he failed to come home last night and he hasn’t left a single message.”

“Did you try calling him?”

“Of course I have but it’s going straight to voice mail. I sent him on an errand the other day but it shouldn’t be difficult. I’m worried something might’ve happened to him.”

“Whoa whoa. Calm down now Sombra. Deep breaths.” Luna cooed him. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious. Flash is a mature and responsible boy. But he is still just a kid at heart. It’s possible that might’ve left his phone unattended. Besides, we just had our school annual Winter Holiday party. He probably just stayed over at a friend’s house and forgot to tell you. It happens all the time. Trust me.”

“Right. Right of course.” He sounded somewhat relieved though a part of him still felt unsure. “I’m probably just overthinking things. My parenting skills are in dire need of work.” Wow she never thought Sombra would be such a doting overprotective parent. Points for him. “But what if he’s in trouble? What if he’s hanging out with the wrong crowd and it got him arrested?” Ok. Going from overprotective parent to dangerously overprotective parent with a hyperactive imagination. A dangerous combination and a nightmarish client for those parent-teacher conferences. It wouldn’t be the first one she dealt with.

“Sombra! Just remain calm. There’s no need for you to go all crazy on me. I don’t want you calling all of his friends to find him.”

“Right right. Of course. Maybe I should just mobilize the police. Have them search the vicinity.”

She blinked. “Y… you can do that?”

“I’m friends with the Police Commissioner. I can have him scour the city.” Luna gripped the phone tighter, biting her lip. She didn’t want to respond as she wanted to see if he could actually pull it off. Watching the whole police force scouring the city for one boy sounded very tempting. But thankfully her angelic conscience won over.

“Why don’t we try something subtle before we go full freak-out mode. I know some of his friends. I’ll give them a call in the morning and see if they know where he is. Someone’s bound to know I assure you, everything is perfectly fine.”

“But…”

“Sombra.” She responded firmly. “It’ll be fine. I promise. I’ll call you in the morning.”

“O… ok. If you say so. I’ll book the next flight back to Canterlot. I’ll see you soon.”

The call ended with a defining tone on the other line leaving the Vice-Principal hanging. She rolled her eyes thinking that this might just be another hiccup. He wouldn’t be the first parent who’d call to check up on their children.

But…… knowing Flash’s past relationships with some of the girls…

…

Hmm… maybe he was right to be worried.

Well… at least she knows who to call first.

When Twilight came to town she was hoping for some standard to civilization, some kind of beacon to give her some measure of hope. But instead she felt like she had gone through a worm hole going back in time. The town of Perilous Peaks, whose name still baffles her, was stuck in the renaissance age. There was absolutely no electricity, the most advance technology here was a railway station that only connected to a city she never heard of before, the closest thing they had to a doctor around here was a crackpot witch doctor who looked more like someone who’d poison you for fun, and the people here live in huts and hovels made out of clay bricks, straws and scrap wood. There wasn’t even a single car or bicycle to boot because those things would easily sink into the sand the moment it slips off the road.

“Well that was a complete waste of time.” Twilight restrained a scream throwing her hands up in the air.

Flash tried to reassure her patting her shoulder as he exited the store, now sporting a new cane. “It wasn’t that bad. The shopkeeper was nice. He gave me this cool walking stick for free. It’s not his fault that his phone was low keyed.”

“His ‘Phone’ wasn’t even a phone to begin with! It’s a glorified walkie-talkie. What kind of phone works with only one number!? You might as well be using two plastic cups attached with strings!”

‘That’s… gonna take a lot of strings.’ Flash wanted to say but decided to let her have a moment to rant. The poor girl looked like she needed it.

“Well at least we know that we’re not in some alternate world or back in time.” That was the first of their concerns which was thankfully resolved. For a moment there Twilight began to think that they had gone to a separate universe or, as Flash said, gone back in time. That would simply complicate things. But thankfully the store had an updated calendar of today and a globe which thankfully had all the names they recognized. So no worries there.

“Yes… just some place in Saddle Arabia. Literally on the other side of the world.”

“Considering the fact that we were gonna be squashed by a castle, I still think this is the better option.”

“Can you please take this seriously!?” She snapped. “We are trying to reach our friends who are probably worried sick about us after our fight with Hoity who, may I remind you, is still out to get us! Try to take this with a little more urgency.”

“Sorry. I’ll try to sound a little more urgent next time.” He let out a soft chuckle surprisingly unflinching to her sudden outburst. “So what do we do now?”

“I… don’t know.” And she hated that. She hated not knowing things. She hated being here. She hated the sand that seemed to go in her mouth every time she talks. “We’re stranded in the middle of who-knows-where with no method of communication, no resources and out of our depth. I should be panicking right now but I’m keeping a level head. Normally in situations like this I’d call a friend for a favor or try to find the authorities. But there are none of those around here!”

“Ouch… that’s bad.”

“Gee, you think?” The strange voice echoed in her head.

She cradled her face sighing heavily. “Give me a moment. I need to come up with a solution. I’m just…”

“Hey, easy now. You’re gonna blow a gasket if you keep trying too hard. Why don’t we take a break and grab something to eat?”

Twilight opened her mouth to complain but then her stomach answered for her growling loudly, enough so that a few passerby even noticed. “Ugh… maybe some calories will help me think. What is there to eat around here?”

Their resident tour guide gladly accepted the question. “Oh I’m glad you asked. I have just the place! It’s the best restaurant in the whole town.” Twilight sensed a ‘but’ in that sentence. “Only because it’s the only restaurant we have here.” There it is. “The special cactus milk juice is to die for. And their pickled egg salad just melts in your mouth.”

Some food at last. Flash was more than happy to take whatever they had on offer. Now that he thought about it. Neither he nor Twilight had eaten anything for a day and a half.

“Sounds great. Uh… do you guys take coins?” He pulled out some loose change from his pocket handing it awkwardly to the girl. “I didn’t exactly bring a lot of money with me.”

Twilight couldn’t help but roll her eyes. How can one of, if not THE richest bachelor in Canterlot not have money in his pocket.

Autumn however shook her head in decline. “Well sorry to burst your bubble. But folks around here don’t use coins or cash like those in the big city. We’re more into the traditional way of transactions.”

Twilight’s face twitched. “Which is?”

“Bartering!”

She pulled out two bags of wool from her sack, grinning giddily before slamming in front of the table where a disinterested waiter sat. Their food came a minute later which was surprisingly edible despite its strange coloring. They ate without much of a hassle with Twilight trying her best to keep a level head of the situation at hand. She even went as far as muttering and trying to write something on the table they were on.

“So let me get this straight. You guys are came from the other side of the world?” Autumn Blaze continued

Flash nodded taking a bite off his sandwich which made his face turn sour. “Pretty much. Just your ordinary teens.”

“Do teens on the other side of the world use magic and go through portals?”

“No no. Nothing like that.” She pouted back dejectedly. “That’s just Twilight and her friends. They’re the special ones.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? You can use magic? As in real magic?”

Twilight didn’t really want to answer. Her mind was still processing the situation they were in. But thankfully a nudge from the boy jolted her to amuse her new friend’s question. “Huh? Ah… yes. Magic. Whatever. Woo…”

“What kind?”

Is there no end to her questions? “Just a few basic spells. I can cast a light spell, move or hold objects.” She demonstrated by casually moving their cups in formation which naturally amazed the locals.

“Oh wow! That is amazing.” Her giddiness and excitement were so adorable that it kind of reminded them of Pinkie. “You know… I happen to be a practitioner of magic too.” She pulled out a deck of cards and flashed it at them. “Go ahead. Pick a card any card.” Twilight rolled her eyes boringly but Flash stepped in to humor her. “Now look at it and put it back.” He did so and she shuffled the cards randomly before pulling one out. “Is this your card?”

“Uh… no.”

“Huh… that’s weird. It always seem to work when I play by myself. Maybe I did a move wrong? Can I try that again?”

“Please say no.”

Twilight decided to ignore the two and focused on the real problem at hand. Firstly they had to contact their friends who were undoubtedly worried sick about them. And the feeling was mutual. They needed a way back home and sadly the only REAL method of transportation was through a two way railway system whose train rarely comes by – if at all.

And even if they could catch a ride to the big city, they’d still be miles away from home with no connections, no resources and barely enough cash to get by.

Ugh… this is so much worse than the time they stumbled into Equestria. And Flash was no use either. He was busy being friends with the new girl who continued to play a few other cheap magic tricks like a coin behind your ear. Honestly, why even pretend?

If only she had some way of getting contacting her friends.

At least that way they can get something done around here.

Rarity didn’t think she could ever get depressed in the mall before. Normally visiting this place would bring her smiles throughout the day. The lights, the sights and sounds. The specials sales in the boutiques. None of them ever fails to bring a smile to her face. But sadly tonight was different and she could tell why.

While she tried to put on a brave face for Sunset, in the back of her mind, her subconscious was gnawing at each other. Each bite producing terrible scenarios in which her two friends could’ve ended up. She tried to convince herself that they were fine. That they must’ve just gotten themselves into a little mishap and would be calling them soon to tell them that they were fine. But that didn’t seem like the case here.

“Rarity! There you are, you silly goose you.” A silky voice brought her out of her rut which prompted her to force out a polite smile.

“Vignette! It’s so good to see y---ou?” She looked up only to find herself flinching back at the girl she did not recognize. “Uh… who… are you?”

“Oh you and your jokes dear. It’s me! Vignette.” Was it her though? She sounded like Vignette, talked like Vignette but the woman in front of her was not Vignette. At least… not the Vignette she remembered. Vignette Valencia was the epiphany of fashion and a lover of all things bright and beautiful. This girl was like a gothic version of her. With those heavy combat boots, thick overly compensating leather top that drove into her skin, a jacket adorned with skulls and bones, and a spiky hairdo that screamed ‘troublemaker’. Many eyes in the mall fell upon her – and not the good kind of stares.

“It… it is you.” She gawked.

“Oh you must be dazzled by my new outfit.” Oh she was dazzled alright. Though not in the way she was thinking. “It’s part of my new outlook. A new… point of view if I have to say so myself. I was going for bleak and hopelessness. The Doom and Gloom kind of vibe.”

She certainly got the doom and gloom part alright. An evil warlord in those fantasy novel would take her as a bride the moment they set their eyes on her. Heck a lot of folks can already picture her sitting on a spiky throne while resting her feet atop some poor unfortunate soul. Honestly, not even a Skull Cruncher fan would wear so much mascara.

“It’s certainly something.” Rarity eyed her up and down before returning to her seat.

“Coffee, black.” Vignette stated to the waiter who immediately jotted it down. “And one of those lovely chocolate.”

Rarity continued to observe her friend but found her attire to be increasingly distracting. That girl was one belt buckle away to give a dominatrix a run for her money. It was a rather sudden change for the girl to go from hippie lover to…… whatever this was.

“It’s so nice to finally see you again.” The lady in black cooed, throwing a cute smile which only seemed to make her mascara crackle like wrinkles. “Where have you been? I’ve been quite worried since you stopped showing up at the amphitheater.”

“Yes. That. It’s a long story.”

“It certainly must be. When I heard that you were forfeiting from Hoity’s pageant show, I was completely shocked. Did something happen?”

“Let’s just say that Hoity and I don’t see eye to eye with some things.” It wasn’t a lie. The man was a genius with fashion, but trying to hurt her friends was another matter. “As a matter of fact, I think you should do the same.”

Vignette waved her hand bluntly. “Oh nonsense now Rarity. I’m having the time of my life working in that place. I even managed to make some new friends with the other contestants. It’s a wonder why we were even at each other’s throats to begin with when we can work together to make our designs even better.”

“That does sound wonderful and I am happy for you Vignette but… Hoity isn’t what he seems.” Rarity took a sip from her cup failing to notice her friend’s glare turning deathly for a brief moment. “He’s up to something, I’m sure of it.”

She expected the girl to deny such a fact, saying that she was coo-coo. But surprisingly she just nodded back as if agreeing with her. “Well… he has been rather prickly of late. And not to mention all those strange people he’s been meeting.”

Rarity’s eyes shot up. “Strange people?”

“Oh it’s nothing. Probably just his fellow star fashionists. One of them dropped by yesterday after he came back from Freefall Island. He kind of reminds me of a vampire to be honest. But that’s not even the weirdest part.” Vignette took her friend’s silence as a sign to continue. “He moved the next part of his pageant ahead. Instead of next weekend, he plans to host it at the resort next Wednesday.”

Next Wednesday? That’s a tad bit early and highly unusual. Hoity’s pageant show didn’t really involve them or any of his plans. That kind of last minute change would only look bad on his image.

Unless…

There was something they weren’t seeing yet.

Now that she thought about it, during the first leg of the pageant show, Twilight said that Hoity casted a powerful spell in the area. There weren’t any changes. At least not that they could see. But what if that was the point? What if that spell had something to do with the pageant?

There were too many variables. Too many theories and none of them can be good especially with that crazed fashionista at the head of it all.

“But why would Hoity do all that?”

The dominatrix shrugged as her order finally arrived. “Beats me. But all I know is that a lot of big names are going to be there. Chestnut Magnifico, Mayor Mare, Filthy Rich and a whole slew of celebrities. He even RSVP his old partner, Fancy Pants. I took a shot at the guest list. It’s actually quite remarkable.”

“I don’t suppose you’d mind if I took a quick look?”

“Not at all.” She handed out her phone only to pull it back cunningly. “But~~ you’ll have to do something for me in return.”

Rarity opened her mouth to speak but decided not to. It was only fair that they both got something out of it. “And that would be?”

“The other contestants and I are meeting up tomorrow afternoon at a local warehouse for a final draft on our designs and I’d like you to model for me. There’s this saucy new outfit that I made which would look perfect on you.”

“Oh… Vignette I’m honored. But I don’t think…”

“Please?” She reached out to her hand pleading with a coy smile. “Not many people have your kind of pizazz. Not to mention your grace and perfection.” Oh what a lovely compliment. That actually managed to cheer her up. “If not for me then for the guest list.”

Rarity wasn’t in the mood for fashion right now but… if it’ll help shed some light into Hoity’s plans then…

“Oh alright. I suppose I could use the extra distraction.” Her friend’s grin widened.

Flash found this place to be strangely… relaxing. It might just be the pain numbing his thoughts, or the itch on his hand, or maybe it was that sandwich he ate. Either way… he didn’t seem all that troubled with the situation he was in.

Sure he was trapped on the other side of the world but comparing that to a dull day back in Canterlot, he’ll pick this place any time.

There was a certain charm to it. The small desert town down in the valley had character. While it was stuck in the past, that only seemed to give it its own personality. The folks there seemed friendly enough. They did seem a little quiet and many would pass the occasional glance at them. Foreigners must be quite a rare sight around here and their attires were a dead giveaway too.

Thankfully their new friend, Autumn Blaze, was more than happy to have them stay for a while. Honestly, if it wasn’t for her, he and Twilight would be eating dust in the desert for god knows how long – or… worse.

Still there was something odd about that new girl. And he wasn’t talking about her overfriendliness either.

“So Autumn. I’ve been wondering…”

“Oh! About how the sky is an infinite void full of everything yet nothing at the same time?”

He paused, brow raised at the smiling girl. “Uh… no. I was actually wondering who else live with you? I mean other than the animals.”

“Well other than me and my shadow.” I’m sorry. Did I hear that right? Did she just say her shadow? “I call mine Silhouette Gloom of the Sundown Lands. She’s been with me since like… forever.”

“Right~~~” The boy wasn’t sure if he should be amazed or just creep out. No. You know what? He was going for the latter part. “Where are your parents?” He froze. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Oh they live in the big city.” That answer gave the boy some measure of relief. “My dad owns a plantation there so they’re pretty much busy all season long. They send the occasional letters from time to time – or a postcard. I really love those. I have many of them hanging on my wall.”

“Oh…” Flash bobbed his head, putting the pieces together. “So you’re just staying here for the holidays.”

“Nope. I live here.” Here? In this desolate ranch in the middle of nowhere? “Been living here on my own for a few years now. It’s been awesome.”

“Really?”

“Of course!” She said so with a wide smile. “I mean what’s not to love? I got my goats, my own house, I live by my own rules, eat whatever I want, sleep whenever I want and don’t have to worry about a thing.” There was a pause there. “Well except for giant sandstorms that come over every once in a while. But other than that, it’s been a peach.”

“Ok… but don’t you have friends?”

“Oh I have plenty of those.” Autumn pointed over to the view overlooking the town where three scarecrow-like figures stood with faces drawn over their ‘heads’. “That’s Henry the Hay, Billy the Bucket Master and Coco the Coconut.” She gave them a strange friendly wave before leaning in to whisper. “Whatever you do, don’t ask about Billy’s feet. He’s really sensitive about it.”

Ooooo… kay. Somehow this explains a lot… and a little at the same time.

“I’ll uh… keep that in mind.”

“Hey, do you guys want to hang out tomorrow? We can go to my favorite spot in the whole village just up the mountain. Your mind will be blown. I guarantee it.” Hopefully not in a literal sense.

“Sounds like fun.” The boy looked in Twilight’s direction noticing her tracing something on the sands before scrubbing it off angrily. “But we’ll probably be busy so maybe we’ll take a rain check on that.” Do they even have rains around here?

Autumn nodded, accepting that answer before heading off to her house leaving the two of them alone.

Flash had a feeling that Twilight wasn’t in the best of moods right now. Her snappy change in attitude was a dead giveaway. She’s normally such a sweet, nerdy, calm and collected gal who had a sarcastic sense of humor. But now it seems like even the most mundane thing can annoy her. Even the trip back to the ranch was arduous.

“Hey, Twilight. Are you ok?”

“Ok!?” She snapped at him out of her usual behavior, eye twitching. “Oh sure. I’m perfectly fine. We’re just trapped on another continent entirely, completely cut off from everyone we know. I’m peachy!”

Yeah… he’ll take that as a no.

“Maybe you might wanna take it easy for a while. I mean… no offense but we did just come through a fight with a five headed monster the other day. How about you take a break?”

“How can you be so calm in this situation right now!? Don’t you get it? We’re trapped with no way of going home! Who knows how long it’ll take for us to back!? It could take months! Years even! If ever!”

Honestly he wasn’t sure either. He should be panicking like her. He should be feeling some sense of dread in his body. But strangely enough he was calmer than the ocean on a lovely day.

“I dunno.” He admitted. “I mean… yeah… we are in a bit of a pickle right now but I figured that getting all worked up on it isn’t going to help anyone. Besides… this place is kind of nice.”

“Well I’m glad one of us is having fun. But some of us here want to go home to our friends and families. Not hang around some desert!” Youch. That was prickly for her standards. “So while you’re off hanging out with your new buddy, I’m going to the portal and find us a way back. Some of us here actually care about our old friends.”

“That’s not what I…” She shoved him aside and walked off, looking like something crawled up her skin and died. That girl was angry. Unusually so. Even a bit of her magic seemed to flare up.

And was it just him or did he see her sprout black wings for a second there?