The following afternoon, Lemon Zest walked over to the local pharmacy after classes to stock up on toiletries. At the check out counter, she gave in to an impulse and purchased a bag of Pixy Stix. With her heavy metal playlist blaring, she sat on a bench outside the store and opened the bag. She tore open a tube of the cherry-flavored candy, savoring the taste and texture which reminded of the invisibility powder.
While the furor over the "ghosts" haunting the Academy remained strong, it would probably die down after a week without incidents. After that, it would not be long before something new began trending. More than anything, she missed that incredible thrill she had felt as she and Indigo ventured the halls of the Academy invisible and naked. Oh, what she would not give to experience it once more!
She felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up to find Twilight Sparkle smiling down on her. The bespectacled girl was almost unrecognizable out of her Academy uniform and with her hair out of her usual bun. Lemon pulled down her headphones and stood up to greet her former classmate.
"Hey, Twilight! Ain't this a surprise! How've you been? How's C.H.S. treating you?"
"Oh, wonderful, Lemon Zest. Everyone's been so great to me, especially the Rainbooms."
"I did hear that you joined their band. Always did tell you that you had a good set of pipes!" They chatted for several minutes, catching up on the latest happenings with their respective schools. Lemon was happy to see her former classmate now carry herself with newfound confidence. It was not long, however, before she gave into curiosity and decided to discreetly probe about the powder. "Say, last week, while I was helping Mr. Crimson clean your old lab, I found this bag of powder..."
Twilight groaned. "Please tell me you threw it out. I was never able to perfect that drain cleaner."
Lemon's smile evaporated. "Drain...cleaner?"
"I was trying to create a nontoxic, more environmentally-friendly formula, something I could possibly patent. But whenever it mixed with water, it only made the clogs invisible instead of actually clearing them." Twilight noticed that Lemon was suddenly looking rather sick. "Are you okay?"
Lemon quickly regained her composure, although it took every ounce of her fortitude to keep from losing her lunch. She did not feel like downing another tube of Pixy Stix. "I'm okay," she lied. "And don't you worry. I got rid of the stuff."
"Oh good," Twilight said relieved. Her eyes shifted to the bag of candy in Lemon's hand. "Maybe you should take it easy on those sweets."
"Good idea!" Lemon laughed nervously as she chucked the entire bag into a nearby trash can, much to Twilight's dismay.
"Well, I've gotta run. It was good seeing you again, Lemon. Say hi to the others for me!"
"I will. See you around, Twi!"
Lemon waved goodbye to Twilight as the latter sauntered off down the sidewalk. Only after her former classmate had disappeared around a distant corner did she bolt over to the trash can and retch.
THE END