Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic

by onekface

Reprieve

Sunset let out a tiresome yawn as she got to the living room of her new home. The greeting of the hazy dawn and the smell of freshly cooked eggs in the kitchen was a welcoming feeling especially in these cold days. A rough guess would say Rainbow Dash had kitchen duties. No offense to Pinkie Pie but her she could learn to expand her culinary skills to things other than pastries. If they simply had her cooking, their sugar levels would rise higher than your average human.

“Morning sugar cube. Had a good sleep?” Sunset found Applejack by the fireplace feeding Winona and Spike.

“Not really. Had to deal with Rarity all night when we tore through her designer clothes.” The poor fashionista cried rivers for every piece of fabric they ripped to discover the magic behind them. “I… kind of feel bad for her.”

“It’s all for the best.” The cowgirl defended. “Hope it was worth it.”

“Definitely. Hoity Toity really did put a spell on those clothes. It’s really complex and designed to put the wearer in a deep trance while something else took over. Thankfully, after last night’s research, I think I can reverse it.”

“That’s good news.”

“Yes and… no.” Sunset grumbled. “The counter-spell requires a lot of work. And there just happens to be hundreds of people under its influence. I’ll need more time to develop a better one. I got Starlight working on it in Equestria.”

“Well… anything me and the girls can do to help?”

“Thanks but I think I can handle the magic part. I just wish we had something more to go on. And… speaking of which, where are Pinkie and Fluttershy?”

“They volunteered to keep an eye on Hoity while we figure things out.”

Fluttershy sat on a bench just outside Hoity Toity Trendsetter wearing the most elaborate disguise she ever had in her wardrobe. It was something that Rarity had prepared for her in case for a stakeout mission. The hat, trench coat and boots were both functional and stylish in all the right manner, complete with a fake wig and a mustache for extra detail. She even had a newspaper spread out in front of her to sell the act. In another world she’d probably make a decent detective.

Pinkie on the other hand was camouflaged in a less concealing outfit.

“Churros! Come get your churros! Get them while they’re hot and yummy! 20% off today only at the one and only, Sweet Shoppe! Get a discount coupon right here!” The bubbly gal was dressed as a churro holding up pamphlets and balloons like some mascot animal. And the surprising thing was that she was actually being successful. Even the kids came over to her asking for coupons. Though she wonder if they were real.

“That’s good initiative.”

Applejack nodded in agreement. “Yup. Their mood got a lot better after we got that message from Twilight. Don’t wanna get caught unprepared again.”

“I’m all for it. I just hope Twilight is staying safe. I’m still worried about her.”

“Don’t you worry about little old Twi. She’s a big girl and she can handle herself. And she’s the smartest out of all of us. She wouldn’t do anything dangerous. Besides, Flash is with her. I’m sure they’re… having a ball wherever they are.”

She chuckled at her friend’s attempt to cheer her. “Thanks Applejack.”

But then an explosion from the kitchen alerted them to smoke. Rainbow Dash poked her head from the doorway with a guilty looking smile. “Uh… Applejack. When you said I should keep the microwave on for 30. Did you mean that in minutes or temperature?”

“Oh for the love of.” The cowgirl face palmed. “Hang on. I’m coming.”

Sunset watched the two of them control the damage. Hopefully they won’t burn this place down as well. Having one home set on fire was enough as it is. She was about to assist when she noted her magic journal buzzing by the table.

It was a message from Starlight. She wanted to talk.

And like clockwork, the music box she left over the fireplace came to life with the dancing pony on top changing form.

“Oh! Sunset hi. Sorry. I hope I’m not interrupting. I didn’t want to scare you a third time so I wrote on ahead.”

Sunset laughed. “Yeah. I got your message. What’s up? Did you get those notes I sent you?”

“Yup. I got a REAL professional working on it. Anyway, that’s not why I called. I got somepony here who can help you with your magical problem.”

Her eyes beamed. “Is Princess Twilight back?”

“Uh… no.” Starlight replied much to her disappointment. “But you’ll be thrilled either way. Sunset. Get ready to meet a special guest.” A second dancing statue manifested revealing an older pony wearing a blue cape, wizard had and sporting a long curly beard.

Whoa…

“Oh my…” The mythical pony stated as his visions cleared up. “This is a rather interesting spell you’ve developed. You have to show me how you did it Starlight.”

“Oh it’s easy. Twilight showed it to me a while back. I just gave it a few of my own personal touches. Anyway, let’s save that for later. Sunset. Allow me to introduce you to S…”

“Starswirl the Bearded!” The redhead let out a gasp she soon realize she was holding. “Wow. It really is you! Oh my goodness. This is such a tremendous honor. I’ve heard so much about you when I was just a filly back in Celestia’s magic school. You were like… the biggest inspiration of all time. You practically wrote THE book on magic.”

The bearded pony laughed at her hysteria. “I appreciate the praise. But I’m afraid that all the great things you’ve heard about me were rather exaggerated and a tad bit biased. After all I was the one who taught Celestia and Luna magic.”

“I heard that Twilight brought you and the Pillars back but I’ve never had the chance to see any of you. This is… incredible. I read so much about you. Especially the adventures of Rockhoof the Mighty. It was one of my favorite books. I checked it out of the library more times than I could count. Aheh. Oh and Mistmane’s guide for magical arts was also…”

“Ahem…” Starlight coughed. “Magical problem?”

“What? Oh! Right. Sorry. It’s just that… I never thought I’d ever get to meet a mythical figure like yourself in my lifetime.”

Starswirl chuckled back. “You’d be surprised how many people say that when they meet me for the first time. But this is also quite an interesting subject itself. I never thought I’d get to another human ever again.”

Sunset blinked. “You’ve… seen other humans?” She face palmed. “Doh right of course. You’re the one who invented the magical mirror portals.”

“One of my greatest works if I do say so myself. Starlight has given me the quick version of your predicament. Though I am rather surprised by this.” He brushed his beard gently like a wise-sage. “I visited the human world back in my… well… younger days. It was a strange and wondrous place. Though I don’t seem to recall that place ever having any magic. If I remember correctly, that place was more in-tuned with technology and science.”

The redhead cringed. “Yeah… that’s kind of my fault actually. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. Anyway, you’ve seen the Portal Stone and black gem from earlier, right?”

“Yes. I’ve read the notes. Quite admirable if I do say so myself.” Starswirl nodded impressively. “The ‘Portal Stone’ in particular was quite a new discovery. However I can state with absolute confidence that these artifacts clearly do not belong in the world you’re in. In fact… there’s something familiar about the magic lingering in these objects.”

“I knew it! So there really isn’t magic in this world after all.”

“Not that I remember. I will go to Canterlot tomorrow and look through my collection. I’m sure I can find out where these objects came from. What I’m more concerned about right now are these Shadow Monsters you’ve been encountering. They are quite alarming to say the least.”

“You know about shadow magic?”

“I do. I spent a great amount of time researching ways to…… deal with such dark magic. Before… Stygian.” His face pained as if recalling a terrible memory. Starlight tapped him on the back reassuring the old pony, urging him to go on. “Anyway, I do have a spell that might help. It’s something I cooked up in one my all-night studies. I’ll have Starlight here send it over. During the next alignment of stars. Sadly these portals can only activate when certain conditions are met.”

“Oh you don’t have to worry about that.” Starlight chuckled. “Twilight already made some changes on the portal. We can travel back and forth whenever we want.”

“She did?” Starswirl’s face beamed. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised anymore considering that she’ll be the next ruler of Equestria. Thoughd I would rather have this matter settled quickly. Such interference between two worlds can be catastrophic.”

“Heh… yeah. Catastrophic.” She chuckled awkwardly.

But Starlight brushed it off. “Oh don’t you worry your tiny little hoof… or… hands. You’ve handled worse things. And when you’re done, maybe you can come back to Equestria for a quick visit. We’d love to have your firsthand experience over there.”

“Another time Starlight. But I’ll keep the offer in mind.”

“What?” Starswirl’s eyes shot up, his bearded jaw going slack for a moment. “Visit? Hold on a moment. Sunset. You said that you studied in Celestia’s school of magic?”

The girl in question nodded dumbly. “Yeah. Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I was a student there… before uh… stuff happened.”

“So what you’re saying is that… you’re from Equestria, originally, yes?” She nodded again not really understanding the question. “H… how long have you’ve been in that world?”

“Uh… the dates and time in this world and Equestria aren’t all that different. So… about 3 years. Maybe 4, give or take.”

The old pony’s face paled. “Oh no. That’s… not good.”

Starlight raised a concerned look. “Is something wrong Starswirl?”

“Sunset. Listen to me very carefully.” Starswirl’s voice turned dead serious. “You need to come back immediately.”

“What? Why?”

“Nopony should ever visit another world for too long. The universal backlash is far too dangerous.”

Sunset’s brow curled. “What do you meant?”

“It’s difficult to explain but Celestia and I have experienced the danger of world traveling first hand. I must highly insist that you return.”

“Starswirl. I… I can’t.” Sunset darted at the kitchen noting Rarity coming from her room looking more exhausted than before. Rainbow on the other hand was burning the eggs along with Applejack. “There’s too much at stake here. Especially now when all my friends could be in danger.”

“Just by being there puts both our worlds in danger, child. Believe me. It’s not worth it. I implore you to come back at once.”

“Hey Sunset!” Rainbow Dash called out. “Do you prefer scrambled or sunny side up for your eggs?”

“Either is fine.” She replied before whispering back to the two dancing figurines. “Sorry Starswirl, but until this matter is wrapped up, I’m not going back.”

“Suns-.”

“We understand.” Starlight interjected. “Your friends are important to you. I’m sure we can deal with this problem quickly before whatever catastrophe comes along. Right Starswirl?”

The old wizard didn’t seem keen on letting the matter go but decided to go against his better judgment for now. “Very well. I shall defer to your decision. But please consider coming back the moment this problem is resolved Sunset. For all our sakes.” The transmission ended a moment later leaving the former unicorn a rather ominous feeling inside.

“What was that about?” Rainbow Dash asked as she got out of the kitchen with a plate of burnt toast.

She didn’t bother answering.

Ugh… waking up on a straw bed was never going to feel comfortable no matter what position she tried. Twilight stretched her body, feeling her neck creaking from the lack of pillows. God she missed her bed so much. And showers. Nice warm water running down her hair. Some shampoo or cool soap to improve her hygiene. Heck, she’d do anything for a proper change of clothes.

Autumn offered some of hers but they didn’t exactly match her style… or fit her for that matter. That brunette was a few size too big for her.

At least the temperature was bearable in the morning. It wasn’t too hot or too cold, it was just right.

That sounded a lot like a fairytale line but who cares? At least the sheep were keeping silent and not eating her…

“AHHH! My hair!” She screamed loudly as one of the stupid animals nibbled at the loose strand prompting her awake. “Hey! Let go of me you little…!” The wooly animal did so and fled joining its flock by the entrance. Twilight hastily began fixing her bedhead but failed to save chunks that were chewed off. “Oh come on! Do you guys have any idea how long it took me to have this hair done perfectly? It took me three visits to Rarity’s place to get it just right.”

*Bahhh~~*

“Don’t ‘bahh’ me. It takes effort to keep my hair this straight. The next time you take a bite off me, I’m sending you Rarity’s bill.” If the animals were concerned of her threat, they certainly didn’t show it. Instead they just returned to their corner, ignoring the girl. “Don’t ignore me!”

*Bahh…*

“Well bahh back at you too!” She gave that last sentence a thought before she face palmed herself. “Ugh… I need to get out of here. I think I might be going crazy. I’m starting to argue with animals like Fluttershy. Next thing you know I’ll be hearing voices in my head and talking to myself.” Another pause. “Oh wait…”

Not wanting to go for a long mathematical debate with the sheep, Twilight decided to get out of there before she loses what little sanity she had left.

“Morning sleepyhead.” Flash greeted her from the pens still holding the cane like a walking stick. “Whoa… someone looked like they woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“Haha. Laugh it up.” She grumbled lowly as she reached for her hair trying her best to straighten them out but her constant ruffling only made the torn edges more apparent. Not to mention a few hairball stuck out as well. “Ugh… stupid sheep.”

“Having trouble with your new roommates?” He eyed the said sheep who gave him a strange look in return.

“More like they’re having trouble with me. If it’s not their late night choir serenading, it’s their wool getting all over me.”

“Hey, come on now. I figured you’d be used to having animals shed all over you.”

“Spike only sheds twice a year. Three at most. And he doesn’t take chunks out of my hair!” Her whining went on. “Honestly, how can you stand this place?”

“It’s all about adapting.” He explained in a sagely manner. “When the world changes around you, don’t fight it, instead change with it. You’d be surprised how relaxing this place can be.”

“I’ll be relaxed if I can finally get home and get a proper bathroom. We’ve been stuck in this place for three days. THREE! I’ve been wearing the same clothes and haven’t had a shower since we got here! I smell like the backside of a donkey and not in a good way either.”

There’s actually a good way in that quote?

“Ok~. I see that you’re in a bad mood.” The boy raised his hands up acting like a shield. “But I think I got just the thing to brighten your day.”

“Is it the Portal Stone so we can finally get out of here?” She droned on, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“No. Autumn’s still working on that. Getting 50 bags of wool isn’t gonna be easy. But I’m guessing it’s the next best thing. The town’s apparently throwing a New Year festival today. Autumn says it’s going to be amazing.”

New Year.

Wow she totally forgot about that. The whole lack of snow has really thrown her internal clock into disarray. With this heat, you’d think it was practically summer.

“New Year…” She muttered before her mind jogged up. “That’s right… New Year is just two weeks away.”

“Yup. There’ll be music and dancing and maybe even some free food. It’ll be a once in a lifetime experience.”

“Giant parties?” Twilight chuckled. “Don’t we have that like… almost every day?”

“Yeah but never in the desert.” His reasoning was rather poor on that one. “Come on. What do we got to lose?” He offered his hand so casually with his trademark smile. There were so many ways she could answer that question, but she restrained those thoughts.

Instead she accepted his hand and allowed him to drag her off.

Perhaps one day of relaxation is what she needed to get her out of her rut.

The celebration wasn’t as big as Flash thought it’d be. But for a sleepy town like Perilous Peaks, a name he still finds weird, in the middle of nowhere it was practically a festival in its own right. Everything here was hastily erected to accommodate for the party. The town was small. Probably no more than a few dozen families living like next door neighbors. Heck he’d safely say that the Applejack’s family reunion was slightly bigger than this. And brighter too.

You’d expect a festival to have brightly colored banners, and giant flowers decorated upon every window. But considering that they were in the desert. That would be asking a tad bit much.

But at the very least there was music and a lot of dancing. A stage was erected at the middle of town where a band was playing some local music.

Autumn led the two outsiders through the streets, finding a place by the plaza, where they enjoyed what little sights the town had in its festive swing.

“This is so exciting!” Autumn exclaimed with more enthusiasm than the situation entailed. “I’ve never been to a town festival with friends before. Normally I’d try to chat up with one of the locals, but they’d just ignore me or just try to listen. So this is all new territory for me. Oh! You should try out the house-special here. The food is to die for.”

“Is it more pickled sandwiches?” Twilight groaned. Other than the occasional fruits, that was pretty much the only thing they’ve been eating for the last few days around here.

“Nope. It’s this amazing thing called ‘Ice Cream’.” The two outsiders looked at her strangely. “It’s this creamy thing with different flavors that are so cold that…”

“We know what ice cream are.” Twilight stopped her. “And yes. Actually, we’d love to have some.” The girl gleefully went on her to way to the stall to purchase their order. “Thank goodness. For a moment there I thought she was gonna get us more of those pickled sandwiches.”

Flash shrugged. “Eh… they aren’t so bad.”

“We’ve been eating those things for three days straight.” She countered.

“Ok maybe it is that bad. But they’re good for you… I think.”

“And it’s not just that either. If it’s not pickled sandwiches, it’s pickled eggs… or pickled beans, or pickled peaches. I know that they can good preservatives but there has to be a limit. If I have to eat another thing dumped in pickle broth, I’ll go bananas!” A sigh escaped her. “What I wouldn’t give for one of Pinkie’s cupcakes right about now… or any of Sunset’s failed fruitcakes… or Applejack’s delicious pies.”

Flash’s stomach suddenly groaned, recalling the taste. “Ugh… please stop. Now you’re making me hungry.” He laid his head on his hand before a thought came to mind. “Alright. How about this? Seeing as I am partially responsible for our current situation, why don’t I take you out?”

“Take me out?”

“Anything you want to eat.” He added. “After this is over and we get home. Name the food or the restaurant and I’ll take you there myself. Everything on the house.”

For the first time today, the girl managed to show a smile… and perhaps even a short chuckle. “Now you’re just trying to be nice.”

“I’m serious.” The boy insisted. “I can make a reservation to any bistro in the city. Nothing’s too exclusive for me.”

Twilight’s smile began to form again, though she looked somewhat skeptical. “Are you… flaunting your money at me right now?”

“Only for you girls. Besides, I do feel somewhat responsible for our situation.” He admitted softly, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. “So whadaya say?”

What did she say?

Twilight’s lips puckered a bit as she rolled the idea in her head. There was a place in Midtown she always wanted to visit. A bistro called the Tasty Treats. It served exotic food from different regions and often had a long lineup waiting outside their doors. Not to mention their reservation list are backlogged for months. It was a little on the pricy side but it never fails to attract customers. She can still recall that alluring smell she caught when she pass by the window.

“Well… there is this one place.” She confessed, hands waving around to exaggerate the situation. “A small diner in Restaurant Row. Timber and I have been planning to go there but we never got to doing it.”

“Say no more. It’s done.” Flash made a note on his phone. “Just give me the name and I’ll have us served first-class. And~~…” He grinned. “… I’ll be sure to tell them to hold the pickles.” The terrible joke was the kicker that finally got the girl bursting out in full laughter. She held it back with her hand but it was far too late as a few eyes wandered their way. “There we go. I finally did it.”

“D… did what?” She asked through laughs.

“I finally got you to smile.” He answered. “I was afraid you were just gonna sulk like you did back in the ranch.”

Her head recoiled. “I wasn’t sulking.”

“Twilight, you’ve been sulking ever since you woke up here. I haven’t seen you smile or laugh until now. You’ve been stressed out and obsessed about getting home. You needed a break. And I thought this little outing could do you some good.”

The girl paused, a little surprised to hear that. “You… were worried about me?”

“Of course. You and your friends are important to me. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you girls.”

Her cheeks turned red as her fingers wiggled over a strand of her hair. “I… guess I have been a little overbearing these last few days. And… maybe a little anxious after what happened with Hoity. I guess all those things really got to me and I’ve been taking it out on you… unconsciously.” Eh… maybe a tad bit. “Sorry…”

“Hey, no sweat. I’m used to having people vent their steam at me. Besides, what are friends for if not an outlet for their pent up frustration?”

Twilight’s shoulder unbuckled a bit. A sweet smile returning to her face. “So… how about we look at what this festival has to offer?”

Flash was interrupted when two ice cream cones were shoved to their face with Autumn smiling down at them. “Here you go! Two special orders for my new two best friends.” They graciously accepted them though the best friend thing was kind of a stretch. “Pickled flavor ice cream!”

Twilight spat it out a second later.

Starswirl couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia as he trotted down the once familiar hall of the castle. While the stuffy smell could easily be removed with a simple spell, he preferred to keep it this way. He wondered if this place has always been this small. He certainly remembered it to be a lot bigger when he was young and spruce.

His collection of magical tomes, which he spent painstakingly assemble, was probably worth a small mountain of bits. Some of these books are hardly even in found anymore, their authors having been lost to time. Oh how he remembered reading many of these back in the day over the castle library, with a nice hot cup of tea.

“Is everything alright, Mr. Starswirl… sir?” The young wizard stallion he recalled as Sunburst asked.

“I’m just feeling a bit… lightheaded from all the nostalgia.” He answered longingly while his eyes cast over his old home. Each piece of furniture, each book and tapestry stirring a part of his mind with a sense of déjà vu. “It’s been quite a while since I last visited this place. Every bit and pieces here holds such precious memories of my uh… younger years.”

Sunburst smiled in understanding as he led the old wizard through. “Well you’ll be happy to know that everything here is exactly as you left it. Princess Celestia had this whole area cordoned off when you disappeared into Limbo. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve taken the liberty of reorganizing some of your collection. I couldn’t make sense of the order you put them on.”

Starswirl hid a smile under his beard. Celestia and Luna always did pester him about organizing his things. Despite what other creatures may think of him, he was an absolutely disorganized pony. From his room, right down to his penmanship. All of them were about as organized as a museum holding a yak dance. The reason why Sunburst couldn’t make heads or tails of his belongings was probably because he never bothered to sort them out. They were all simply thrown in together and forgotten. It’s hard to keep tabs with relics from another world entirely.

“I’m sure you’ll treat my collection with respect, Sunburst. But for now let’s focus on the matter at hand. You said that you found a relic that has similar magical elements as those found by Sunset?”

“Yes! That’s right.” Sunburst hastily led the old wizard through his room, down to the mirror hall where the old man’s ingenious masterpiece stood, arrayed for all to see. An entire room dedicated to the study of mirror portals. A single hallway stretched on for ages while rows upon rows of portals stood on both sides. One can only wonder what was on the other side of each creation. “No matter how many times I come here, I always find myself enthralled. To think that each of these mirrors connects to different worlds.”

“Indeed. They can be quite alluring. Each of them had their own unique charm that also mirrors our own.”

“I can only fathom how many adventures you undertook in these places. You must’ve experienced so many new and wonderful things.”

“Concentrate Sunburst. Your mind is wandering again.”

“Huh? Oh! Right.” The young stallion nodded shyly before bringing the great wizard to the table with a single object standing atop of it. “This artifact is the one I was telling you about. It’s the only object in your entire collection that has the same magical readings as the Portal Stone.”

It was a cup… or perhaps a bowl? Not that it really matters. Though the design of the thing look rather exotic. There were figures painted around it symbolizing creatures that he had never seen before…… or perhaps simply creatures he had forgotten. His memory wasn’t as it used to be. What he was sure about was that it definitely wasn’t from Equestria or this world at all.

“We’ve tried comparing its magic to the residual magic of several portals but there are a lot of them and sadly we’ve had little luck.” Sunburst explained stroking his short goatee. “I don’t suppose you know which world you brought this from.”

He wished he knew. It would certainly accelerate this whole ordeal. But then again he visited hundreds of worlds before the whole incident with the Pony of Shadows and never really had any real reason to organize all this stuff. Perhaps he should’ve hired someone to keep this place clean.

“I’m afraid not.” He answered, trying to sound as sagely as possible. “It’s been a long time since I actually visited any of the worlds I came across. And I didn’t exactly go there to collect souvenirs or useless trinkets. My passion has always been magic and that it what my time is spent on.”

“I completely understand, sir. I too am a practitioner of all things magical. I read Wynnum’s Guide to Magical Arcana over a hundred times now. It never gets boring no matter how many times I go through it. It’s like the whole thing was written to be…” He stopped when he noticed the look he was getting from the old wizard. “Oh… right. Sorry. Focusing.”

“Well if you can keep your mind focused on the task at hand, we may be able to settle this quickly.” Starswirl marched towards his mirrors, each of them humming to life as if acknowledging their creator’s presence. “We must hurry though. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can bring Sunset back from the human world.”

Sunburst raised a questioning brow. “Bring her back? Why? Did something happen?”

“When I made these mirror portals, I may have underestimate the consequences of tearing through the fabric of space and time. Ponies and people were not meant to traverse through other worlds. At least… not in this manner.” Starswirl let out a sigh. “If I had known of the repercussions beforehand, I never would’ve made these portals to begin with.”

“Wh… what kind of repercussions?”

The old leader of the Pillars cast a deathly look. “The worst kind.”