Chapter 43: Back and Forth
(Autumn’s Ranch)
Twilight let out a tiresome yawn as she and Flash (+Autumn) returned to the ranch after a long day of rest and relaxation. Though she would put a quote on the ‘rest’ part.
She thought that the festival in town would be on a small scale, like the size of the town itself. But she was so wrong. Dead wrong. The festival was way bigger than she imagined. Apparently most of it was constructed outside of town to make use of the open field. There were stalls, games and other strange bizarre activities that she never even heard of. There was even this pyromancer who juggled torches and spew fire from his mouth. It was all quite enlightening.
From what she can gather, people from all over the desert have come to this quaint little settlement to join in on the celebration. It’s not every day you get to experience another culture’s celebration of the New Year so she may as well roll with it while she can. And thankfully this little vacation worked wonders for her mentality. She hardly even thought about getting home at all, much less about the Portal Stone. She could just sit back and relax and enjoy the festivities. If anything she might even stay until nightfall.
Flash and Autumn had stayed with her for the better portion of the afternoon enjoying all manner of festivities around the festival. There was a little bit of dancing, some sightseeing and even some game stalls.
By the end of it all, the day was mostly productive.
“That was… amazing!” Autumn went into a singsong tone as she giddily hopped on the sand, holding a smile so wide it threatened to split her face in two. “I can’t believe I actually went to a festival… with friends! It was everything I could’ve hoped for. We hung out, we danced, we ate and we partied hard! Ha!”
“Ok ok.” Twilight calmed the girl down. “It was… ok… I suppose. I mean it wasn’t exactly that thrilling.”
“Really?” Flash challenged. “Because I think you were having a little too much fun on that ring toss game.” And indeed she was. Though mostly it was because she was trying to get over a trauma that happened back in Equestria World some time ago.
Her cheeks flushed. “Ok. So I might’ve gone a little overboard with the game. But in my defense, it was way easier than the one I played back home. And at least I got a cool prize out of the deal.” She brought out a stuffed unicorn that looked pretty worn. “I’m calling him… Smarty Pants. For obvious reasons.”
“Oh~~~! You name your stuff too?” Autumn cooed so adorably. “This is so much fun. I wished this day would never end. We should totally do this again.”
“Maybe another time.” The boy opted. “This festival was pretty cool on its own.”
“Oh if you think the festival was festive, wait till you see the fireworks they shoot out later tonight. It’ll be… magical.” She exaggerated with a wave of her arms. “We’ll have the best view in town.”
“Sounds great.”
“It is! Oh! I’ll grab some midnight snacks!” She can guess what it is. “Pickled mushrooms!” Twilight rolled her eyes in defeat as the girl literally hopped to her house, humming like she was the happiest girl in town. She kinda reminds her of Pinkie, if just a little bit. With their boundless energy and positive attitude they could make a graveyard shine with every color of the rainbow. Twilight took a mental note to never let those two meet. It would be like putting billions of atoms together in a jar and shake it wildly just to watch them split in an atomic level. The result would be… unimaginable. The world just isn’t ready for that kind of reaction.
“I’m gonna freshen up too.” Twilight added, combing her hair with her fingers. “I got sand all over me with all that walking.”
She then made her way to the outhouse sink where a bucket of water was placed to clean her up and a semi-cracked mirror to give her reflection. God, she missed showers. The feeling of being clean, water just running down your hair, the smell of soap and shampoo. Basic hygiene! The saying really is true. You never know what you had until it’s taken from you. Heck, she missed it so much, she’s practically seeing herself having a bubble bath in the mirror.
“Do you mind? I’m trying to relax here.”
“Gahh!” She startled back when her own reflection spoke up, Bloody Mary style. “Midnight Sparkle!?”
“The one and only.” The dark angel answered, her wings manifesting in her flames while she sunk into her tub. “You really could use a shower yourself, Twilight. You’re looking mighty filthy. And I don’t like being inside a filthy host.”
“I would if this place offered it. But it’s not like we have sub-par indoor plumbing out here.”
“Too bad.” Midnight cooed as the bubbles popped. “You really should try these bubble baths more often. They really do just melt the stress off your back.” She moaned seductively.
Twilight rolled her eyes. She knew that none of it was real. In the end, that woman was just bubbling in an imaginary tub. “Why are you even here? If you’re trying to convince me to let you out, then you know my answer.”
“Oh come now Twilight. Not all of our meetings have to be so dramatic. Can’t your conscience just pop in out of the blue and say hi?”
“From what I can garner from interacting with you. We both know that you don’t just show up without a reason. And if I had my way, I’d lock you back in my head and throw away the keys.”
“Oooh aren’t we grouchy today. And here I thought you were enjoying your little vacation.” She was. Until her alter ego decided to make a surprise visit and taking an imaginary bath. “What’s the matter? Didn’t you enjoy hanging out with the most popular boy in school?” Oh she did, until someone decided to pay a surprise visit. But she didn’t need to tell her that. “You know I’m part of your mind, right? I can your every thought.”
Damn it. She forgot about that. “Fine. So I had fun for one day. What about it? Are you going to tell me to do something immoral again?”
“Hmmm… maybe.”
Twilight rolled her eyes again. “Look. Flash was right. I have been going at this whole magic thing too hard lately. It’s the reason why I have you out and about talking to me like a vision.”
“I prefer to define myself as your conscience. Like those cartoonish angel and demon that appear on your shoulder whenever you’re in a dilemma.”
“And which are you?”
“Why both, of course.” She chuckled evilly. “Do you require guidance from yours truly?”
“I’d rather take ballroom dancing advice from a Yak.” She added lowly while her alter ego splashed. “Will you please get out of there!?”
“I don’t wanna.” What is she? A child? “What’s the matter? Jealous just because I can take a bath and you can’t?”
“No.” She paused. “Well… yes. Maybe. It’s just that seeing myself in a tub like this is making me… uncomfortable.”
“Aww… sweet little Twilly. Not confident in yourself?” Midnight teased but submitted in the end. With a snap of her fingers the tub was gone and she was back to the goth style fashion with fiery eyes. “Fine. Is this better?”
“Immensely.” Twilight gave a sigh of relief. “Now tell me why you’re here so I can shoo you back to whatever dark void you came from.”
“Twilight.” Midnight gasped feigning shock. “How rude of you. And here I thought you and I could be friends.”
“I don’t make friends with someone who tries to destroy the fabric of reality.”
“Oh. Of course not. My mistake. You just make friends with people who turn people into mindless zombies to conquer the world.”
Ah… right.
“That’s… that’s different.” She stammered. “Sunset was another person back then. She’s changed. Besides, I wasn’t even there so it doesn’t count.”
“I’m just saying.” The angel shrugged non-apologetically. “You have strange taste in friends.”
“Twilight?” She snapped her head around when Flash’s voice rung in. “Are you ok?”
“Y… yeah! Totally!” She mentally slapped herself when she realized that her answer came in a tone a little too high. “I’m just umm… a little tired.” The girl stretched out her arms faking a yawn. “All that partying really tuckered me out.”
“Were you… talking with someone?”
“Nope! That’s just me uh… thinking out loud ahehehe.”
“Nice save.”
Quiet you.
“Are you sure?” He didn’t seem convinced. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
“Of course! Absolutely! No problem.”
“Well… come on then. The firework display is starting. Wouldn’t want to miss that.”
“Be right there.” She waved him off before snapping back to her alter ego. “Look, if you’re going to be with me then can you at least be quiet? At least when there are other people around? It’s bad enough I have to talk with a voice in my head, if Flash saw me like this he’ll start thinking that I’m crazy.”
Midnight opened her mouth to make a snarky comeback but decided to save it for later.
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She found Flash at the cliffs of the ranch overlooking the town. The night was calm, which was a welcome change from all the racket in the festival.
“Wow. Autumn wasn’t kidding. This place really does have the best view in town.”
“I know, right?” The boy agreed letting out a soft chuckle. “Reminds you of the cliff outside Canterlot. Though less grassy.”
They paused for a moment, admiring the scenery, with only each other to keep them company. The music from the plaza could be heard playing, though neither of them could really understand the lyrics. Twilight scanned her surroundings for a moment just to make sure that her ‘Guardian Angel’ wasn’t around to surprise her. Hopefully she’ll stick to her head and stay there if god’s willing.
“What’s the matter?” Flash noted her expression and called her out.
“Oh I’m uh… fine. Just… umm…” She eyed the town below. “Just taking in the view. Nothing weird about that.”
“Well… at long as you’re having fun.”
What was with this guy?
Twilight began to wonder curiously. It’s been a while now since they’ve been teleported to this place yet this boy next to her has been calm. Despite everything they’ve gone through, all the death-defying missions and chaos they found themselves in, Flash didn’t seem all that panicked. Any other person worth their salt would be hyperventilating or going half-mad already. Even some of her classmates back in CHS would be tearing their heads out trying to find a way back like…… well… like her. But Flash was like some kind of guru who found inner peace. In fact, he was probably the only one here who’s keeping both of them sane. Perhaps all that experience with dangerous magic made him immune to the bizarre nature of their adventures.
“Thanks Flash.” She stated openly which unsurprisingly earned his full attention.
“For what?”
“For today. If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be shuffling around ancient temples and tinkering with that portal till my bones dry.” Her eyes wandered over to him, while one hand hovered over her head. “That… or blowing myself up. I really needed this day off from all that mess. What I’m trying to say is… thanks for putting up with me. I know I’ve been a little over the top when it comes to these types of situations.”
“Don’t sweat it.” He returned the gesture, chuckling softly. “When it comes to getting down time, I’m your guy. But you sure can’t beat the view from here.”
“Tell me about it.” Twilight agreed, glancing up to the sky. “I’m supposed to be spending this time with Timber. I promised that I’d be staying at his place. Instead I’m on the other side of the world hanging out with you.” She paused on that thought before realizing how insulting it was. “Not that you’re bad company or anything. You’re a great guy. It’s just that…”
“It’s fine. I totally understand.” He laughed loudly. “I take it you two finally got things together?”
“Yup. I decided to move in with him. But only after graduation. Best to keep things slow for now. I mean… it’s no 3 storied mansion but it got its own charm. Not to mention how close it is to Everton Academy. It’s prime-real-estate.”
“Oh right. You’re going to Everton after CHS.” The blue boy bobbed his head. “Must be nice having the future planned out ahead of time.”
“Well… for the next six or seven years at least, depending on my research and possible funding. But yeah. My future is quite set at the moment. How about you? What are your plans after graduation?”
“Me? Well… I’m not so sure.” He shrugged. “Never really thought about it.”
“What? Don’t tell me that the popular Flash Sentry doesn’t have a goal. Don’t you have some kind of plan or career path you’ve always wanted to do?”
“I’m more of a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. Other than music, I can’t really picture myself doing anything. I mean… can you imagine me working in an office or a workshop?”
Twilight wanted to counter but found that the boy had a good point. Flash’s family was practically living the 1% life. His old man was practically swimming in money, and soon enough he’ll become the next mayor of Canterlot City. With all that wealth and power, Flash could literally live the rest of his life in luxurious comfort. And there’s no way he was going to be a politician or a civil worker. The guy doesn’t have the attitude for it.
“Huh… that is true.” She admitted. “I guess being rich doesn’t open a lot of doors for you.”
“It does.” He corrected. “Just not the ones I want.”
“Well… I’m sure you’ll find something. I mean nothing is set in stone. Firstly we need to find a way to get home.”
“Oh I got that part covered.” With a quick motion, Flash reached into his jacket and pulled out the figurine, handing it over like it was a gift. Twilight recognized it instantly, her eyes bulging from their sockets.
“The Portal Stone!” She snatched it, staring at the object in disbelief. “But how…? When?”
“I went over to the shop while you were out playing in the game stalls.”
“But I thought you said that Autumn didn’t have enough to pay for it.”
“Oh she didn’t. But luckily for you, I did.” He gave out a smug grin. “I traded my pin for it.”
Twilight’s jaw went slacked. “Wait… you… you traded away your mother’s pin?”
“I figured that lady was interested in shiny things when she wanted your geode. So I figured she’d trade it for another shiny thing.”
“But Flash…! That pin is…”
“It means nothing to me.” He cut her off. “Like I said… I never knew my mom. She passed away long before I could remember. As far as I’m concerned, that pin was just a pretty stone.”
“Won’t your dad be mad?”
“You let me worry about that.”
Twilight held the Portal Stone up, eyeing it wither some hint of reverence. For the last three days this little figurine had been the object of her greatest desire. She was ready to do almost anything to get it. Even that evil voice in her head tempted her to great lengths. But now that she had it in her hand and knowing the cost that came with it, she didn’t really know how to feel.
She should be happy. She should be ecstatic. Jumping around with joy like Pinkie Pie in one of her sugar-dosed phases. The key to getting home was literally within her grasp.
“Flash… I…” And thus, out of all the logical thinking she could muster, she couldn’t bear with it. “I can’t accept this.”
“You can.” Flash nodded, pushing the figurine back to her. “And I’d do it again for you. Like I said before: You’re important to me Twilight. And compared to that pin, you’re a million times more precious.”
Twilight couldn’t fight back a blush anymore. She wanted to say something. Something that would show her appreciation and gratitude. But before her lungs could conjure the words, a brilliant array of lights snatched their attention.
Sizzling sounds from the village whistled towards the stars exploding in the night sky, decorating it with a multitude of shapes and colors. Twilight was grateful. Because the noise covered the sudden beating in her heart.
“Thanks… Flash.” She said finally earning his trademark smile.
“Anytime…” He held up his hand and she accepted the gesture, feeling a strange warmth in her chest. “Uh… Twilight?”
Huh?
She looked at her hands finding her body gleaming with a familiar glow. Her pony ears and tails sprung up followed by the wings sprouting from her back. Magic coursed through her body, leaking out from her fingernails threatening to explode.
“Ok that never happened before.”
“No… that can’t be…”
“Twilight? What’s…” Flash never got a chance to finish when Twilight pulled her hand away only to find the Portal Stone vibrating in her grasp. Its eyes gleamed with power before it tore a portal right in front of them. “Twilight!?”
“It’s not me! I’m…” And like a vacuum, the portal pulled them in with nary a care whether they desired it or not. They tried to call for help but the sound of fireworks masked their pleas. Before long, they couldn’t hold and they were quickly sucked through the whirling pool just as it closed.
“Tada!” Autumn announced her arrival with a platter of snacks. “Two orders of pickled sandwiches straight from the kitchen!” Her smile faded however when she found no reply. “Guys?” She looked around at the empty landscape. “Guys?”
xxxxxxxxxx
The two teens let out a childish scream as their bodies flung through the portal dropping them in what appears to be another realm entirely.
Flash dropped in first smacking his head on something hard before Twilight followed in, her hands reaching out to grab onto something only to fumble on the grip bringing down curtains and metal bars down on top of them. The two of them wondered if this was going to be a recurring habit. Them being tossed into portals and thrown around like sacks of grain.
Thankfully the drop was short so the damage was minimal. Still… it was not a pleasant drop.
“Ow…” The boy groaned loudly, feeling a sense of déjà vu as his previous injuries began to resurface. “Why~~~~?”
“Oh… my head.” Twilight agreed on that pained notion. “Flash! Are you ok?”
“No.” His answer was pained and gruff, like sandpaper. “You know you could’ve given me a heads up before you tried something.”
“It wasn’t me. I swear! My body just ponied up by itself. The next thing I know this Portal Stone activated.”
“Well at least I can say with certainty now: I hate portals.” He groaned painfully as he placed one hand over his sides feeling the soreness return. “Next time we do a cross-country trip, I’m taking my dad’s private jet. That seems like a much safer way to travel.”
“I’m so sorry. Ow… where can I go around here?”
“You can start by taking your hand off my ribs.” He pointed out which the girl quickly complied. “Where are we?”
“I don’t know. I can’t see anything.” Her fingers fumbled around but quickly realized that the place they were thrown into was pitched black. “Wait. I found something.”
“What is it?”
“I think it’s a set of knobs of some kind.” With nothing left to lose, she turned it, only to have cold water sprinkle all over them. “Gwahh! Cold cold cold cold cold!”
“Yeow! Turn it off!”
“I’m trying!” She reached out, but the water pouring over them made it difficult to find the right knob. “This isn’t working!”
“Spin it the other way!”
“There are a bunch of knobs here. I don’t know which one!” She turned another which made the water boiling. “Gahh! Now it’s hot! Hot hot hot hot!”
“Twilight, you’re making it worse!”
“I’m trying my best here! Stop squiggling for a minute!”
“That’s easy for you to say when you’re not the one drowning down here!”
“Wait wait! I think I got it!” She turned a third knob but that only made a second source of water pour over the poor boy. “Or… not.”
But thankfully, before Flash could throw in a sarcastic comment, a pair of footsteps rushed in, storming through a door they didn’t know existed. “Alright. Who’s there!?” It demanded, raising what looked like a baseball bat in its hand. “I know you’re in here so you might as well show yourself!”
Wait a minute…
Twilight recognized that voice. And that silhouette…
“Cadance?”
The figure by the door reacted to the name, pausing for a brief moment before reaching for the light switch, turning it on and illuminating the room.
“Twilight?” Her soon to be sister-in-law gasped, lowering her weapon. “What are you doing here?” Her eyes fell upon the figure at the bottom. “And who… is…… that?”
It didn’t take long for Twilight to figure out where she was. The walls alone were a dead giveaway.
She was home…
… or to be more precise - she was in her bathroom, sitting atop a boy soaked from head to toe while her old babysitter watched on the sideline.
This was definitely going to make for an awkward conversation later.
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“So… let me get this straight.” Cadence sat down with a hot cup of coco as Twilight finished up her journey in a long winded explanation. “You were out fighting a giant shadow monster in Freefall Island which caused Castle Hoofbeard to collapse.”
“Yup…” The little nerd gal bobbed her head in agreement as she held a cup of coco in her hand, taking a quick sip in. The simple sweet taste of chocolate immediately wiped away all the pickle in her tongue leaving it in the lovely embrace of sugar.
“And in the ensuing battle, you were teleported to some desert land in Saddle Arabia and have been stranded there for the last three days.”
“Correct.” Twilight nodded. It was pretty much the simplified version of the story leaving a few key details out.
Naturally of course, Cadance didn’t take it all quite well. She quietly took her seat by the table, taking a quick sip from her mug as she tried to process everything that she heard. “It’s not that I don’t believe you Twilight. I mean… I have seen magic firsthand during the Friendship Games and a few more times afterward. But this is all just so…”
Weird? Bizarre? Weirdly bizarre and out of this world? She’d agree on all of those in a heartbeat.
“I know it’s a lot to take in. But that’s what really happened.”
“And honestly, I believe you. And it’d certainly explain why you haven’t called these last few days. We all still thought that you were hanging out with your friends. If your parents find out about this, they’d be furious.”
“Yeah… about that.” Twilight chuckled awkwardly. “I was kind of hoping we could keep this between us instead of telling this to everyone.”
Cadance gave her a look. The stern look of a Principal. “Twilight. You know I can’t lie to your parents or your brother. It’s not right.” She was lucky that both her parents and Shining Armor were out doing some last minute shopping. Otherwise they would’ve been here to witness this whole magical phenomenon firsthand. And that’ll be a parent-teacher meeting she didn’t want to attend.
“Please? If they find out about this whole mess, they’ll totally freak. You know how overprotective Shining Armor can be.” Far more than she’d like to remember. The guy can be a real big bad bear when he wants to. When Twilight was in grade school, he’d be the one stalking her in the playgrounds making sure that she wasn’t getting bullied. He almost got a restraining-order at one point. “Please Cadance? For old time’s sake? Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake?”
The former Principal’s face softened at the mention of those words. “Clap your hands and do a little shake.” They shared a short laugh. “Alright. I’ll keep it to myself. But if do something dangerous again, all bets are off. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Deal.”
“Now, on another matter.” Cadance’s eyes wandered over to the bathroom where Flash was, fixing himself with some new threads. “What’s the deal with him?”
Twilight raised a brow. “What? Flash? I told you: He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Does he also have magic?”
“No. He’s just… a really helpful guy.” She paused. “If it wasn’t for him, I’d probably still be stuck on the other side of the world going crazy out of my mind.”
“Well if that’s the case then I’m glad that he was there with you.” Cadance grinned. “For a moment there I thought you were trading him for Timber.”
“Cadance?”
“I’m just kidding Twilly. You know how I am when it comes to these things.” She giggled cutely. “He is pretty cute though.”
“Cadance!” The boy in question thankfully came out a few seconds later, limping on his leg. “Flash! How’re you feeling?”
“Well my leg still hurts and my back aches.” He replied, gesturing to his injuries. “But other than that, I feel perfectly fine. And hey… we got back safely and… we didn’t die either. So that’s a plus. Thanks for the change of clothes by the way.”
Cadance waved it off coolly. “Don’t mention it. Those were some of Shining’s old clothes anyway. I was planning to throw them out after the holidays. But I’m glad we found some use for it.” And surprisingly enough the shirt fits. “What are your plans now?”
Flash shrugged. “Well… I figure I should probably get home before my dad starts to panic.”
“You sure you don’t want to stay a while?” Twilight asked. “You’re still hurt. Mom and dad will be back soon and we can take you to a hospital.”
“It’s not that bad.” He waved it off, giving her a reassuring smile. “Nothing a little rest can’t fix. Besides, now that I’m back, I’m going to spoil myself a bit and eat everything that I’ve been missing for the last three days.”
“I’ll drive him.” Cadance offered to which he accepted. “My car’s out front. I’ll get the keys.” She quietly went off, leaving the two behind in momentary silence.
…
“So…” They said in unison which in turn made them blush. “Oh sorry…” And again. “You go ahead…” And a third time.
“Well I guess this is it.” Flash managed to get through first.
“Yeah…” She nodded. “It’s been one heck of a ride. Sorry for… the whole… teleporting mishap. And your leg.”
“What? This thing?” He patted his wound. “It’s a trophy. Who else in the world can claim that they saw some magic wielding sorceresses fight off a giant shadow monster and lived to tell the tale? I am going to remember this adventure for a long time. I only wish I could brag about it to all my friends. Besides, that just means I got another scar to impress the ladies.”
Twilight snickered. He wouldn’t be wrong about that. “Well if you’re interested in getting more battle scars, I’ll be sure to give you a call.”
“Really?” His expression beamed.
“Really.” She nodded. “Despite what Sunset might think or say, you’ve been a great help. Not just to me but everyone on the team. It’d be nice to have someone else help us out whenever some evil magic stirs. And on a personal note: If I were to be stranded on a desert wasteland in the middle of nowhere, on the other side of the world. I know who I’d like to spend it with.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” He gave her a pat on the shoulder before they heard a loud screeching noise coming from outside.
“That must be Shining Armor. I should probably say hi.” She quickly slip to the doorway opening it, expecting to see her brother on the other side, equally surprised to see her arrive.
But instead they were greeted by blinding lights of red and blue and a horde of uniformed officers surrounding the premises.
“Flash Sentry! This is the Police! Stay right where you are!”