Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic

by onekface

Fashion Disaster

“Alright… thanks Twilight.” Sunset let out a long winded sigh as she hung up the phone. She knew that there was no such thing as a straight forward plan, but deep down she wished that today would be an exception. Twilight called in and notified her of Hoity’s counterattack. He was speeding up the pageant show, skipping a few of the lesser known designers to get to the main event. And seeing how no one else seems to be responding to their calls she can assume that something had happened on their end.

“Let me guess. Something’s wrong.” Adagio motioned with her hand, reaching out for a treat on the table, having one leg over the other. Her expression borderline teasing and annoyance.

“Or… it could be something went… right?” Pinkie tried to cheer them but even she can read the mood.

“What happened?” Flash followed suit, looking equally worried.

Another sigh escaped her before she finally answered. “Hoity’s moving up the timetable. He’s skipping some of the designers so he can get to the part of the show where he cast his spell.”

Flash gawked. “Wait… he can do that? I thought this whole event followed a strict schedule. Aren’t these guys supposed to be punctual?”

“He’s probably desperate.” The ticked off Siren explained from the couch. “A move like that is pretty much a publicity explosion. The audience will notice this too and it’ll show. His ratings will take a hit, not to mention his reputation. But considering what’s at stake… he might just do it.”

“So what does that mean for us? Are we going to change the plan?”

“Looks like we’ll have to get creative.” Sunset answered. “I can’t reach Rarity, Fluttershy or Applejack. They must’ve been found one way or another. That means we need to create another kind of diversion to get the people out of here.” She looked at them expectantly. “Anyone got any ideas?”

“Oh oh oh!” Pinkie raised her hand up before asking. “Why can’t you just use the spell here?”

“The spell takes about three minutes to cast. Hoity will see me a mile away and might do something drastic. We can’t risk a fight here while there are people around. No. We need to get them out.”

“I could try to convince them.” Adagio shrugged. “Me and my girls can use our powers to get them out without realizing what’s going on. If I can charm your whole school into doing my bidding, I think we can handle a few snooty rich folks.”

“How long will that take?”

“A while.” She admitted. “And Hoity’s goons might not be affected at all.”

That won’t do. Hoity will be taking the stage soon. And if they can’t these people out fast, they’ll be dealing with a whole mess of mind-controlled henchmen and a shadowy demon. She’d rather deal with one of them rather than all of them.

“How about we pull the fire alarm?” Flash put his two bits in earning a look from the three. “Works all the time from my experience.”

The old prank method? Tempting but it lacked subtlety.

“No. That was part of the old plan. But without the smoke bombs people will just think it’s a hoax and get back to the event.”

“What if we can convince them that there is a fire?” He added shrugging panicking. “There are fog machines in the yard added for special effects. If we crank those things up to a hundred, it’ll look like something’s burning around here. Combine that with the fire alarm, they’ll have to believe it’s an emergency.”

Sunset blinked. “That’s… actually not a bad idea. But it’ll be dangerous. And I need to stay here to cast the counter spell.”

“Oh! Me me! ME!” Pinkie gleefully volunteered hopping like a bunny. “Pick me! I can do it!”

“You sure Pinkie? This isn’t going to be easy.”

“Sure I’m sure. I still got my Eiknip persona on me. Besides, the model they’re using is a Shroud Maker 2000. A little pricey but the special effects are quality stuff. I have one just like it at home for my spooky surprise parties. It’ll be as easy as baking cake at the cake store. Which reminds me.” She grabbed the nearby tray of treats that casually stuffed them in her hair. “Ammunitions for the job.”

“Adagio and I can run a good distraction for her.” Flash volunteered surprising her.

“Flash. No. We tal—”

“Hoity thinks that Adagio and I are part of your grand plan and will be keeping watch for me. We’ll be the perfect diversion to keep any suspicions off Pinkie. Besides, we don’t have a choice. If we don’t stop Hoity now, everyone in this resort will become mind-controlled monsters. And I’d rather not have my dad being one of them.”

Sunset opened her mouth to argue but found herself lacking reasons. There was no telling what happened to the other teams and no way to contact them. Even Twilight was going radio silence. And if they lose here, Hoity will have complete control of the city and its people.

And so with a heavy heart, she agreed. “Alright. But nothing too dangerous.”

“Eh… no promises.”

“Whoa!” Applejack dodge rolled away just in time to avoid a mighty claw that cleaved through the pool ground like cardboard. “Hey! Easy on the clothes, will ya? If Rarity finds a single scratch on this, she’ll be having me model her fashion till next year!”

“Grahh!” Whether she cared or not, didn’t seem to be apparent on the attacker. Vignette looked like a woman possessed – probably because she was. Black streaks coursed around her face distorting whatever remained of her humanity. Her taunts and insults turned into hisses and growls, and anything that resembled words sounded alien and vengeful. “I should’ve gotten rid of you girls back in the fairground when I had the chance!”

“Alright missy. I ain’t playing games with you.” AJ reached for her hat pulling out her lasso and spinning it around like a pro. “I’ve tangled with a few rough ponies back in the farm. I think I can take you on.”

And with that next punch, the fight was on.

Applejack retaliated with a punch to the face which Vignette blocked easily. The snake-like creature completely shrouded her, taking command of its host with a gleeful grin.

The monster raised its hand calling forth a number of its shadow creating a wall of spikes to impede her opponent. But she underestimated AJ’s strength and easily crushed them like a sledgehammer on bricks.

Rainbow Dash on the other hand was busy stowing the last of the smoke bombs into the vents. Well… she tried at least.

Before she was even able to get close to the first vent, another one of the shadow snakes decided to pay her a visit and impede her progress. But instead of cowering in fear or groaning in annoyance, the little multi-hair-colored gal relished the thought of fighting one of these beasties on her own. Heck you could say that it was practically on her bucket list.

“Aww yeah. Finally! This whole thing is way better than being a glorified guard. Bring it on buddy! I’ve been looking forward to this since I was born.”

In another corner of the resort, Fluttershy had just finished relaying instructions for her animal companions. The dogs, cats, goats and all manner of birds have come to an agreement. A series of purring, barking chirping and… whatever sound goats made.

A loud thwack made her jerk upward, turning behind her to find one of Rarity’s barriers trapping a shadow monster within.

“I really do hate these things…” The fashionista stated with reliefs wiping the sweat off her brow.

Flash knew that keeping a cool head was an absolute must in an emergency. His father taught him that many times before – and that lesson served him well in many situations. But tonight he’ll have to admit that he was a little… troubled.

His mind wandered to Twilight and her friends who they’ve lost contact with a few minutes ago. A lot of things could’ve happened to them and none of those scenarios played well with his imagination. Even though he knew that each and every one of them could probably take on a monster by themselves, it still left some anxiety in his heart.

But right now he had to focus on the here and now. The plan was in jeopardy, and if they don’t do anything soon, Hoity will win.

“I got to admit. I’m impressed.” Said Adagio, trailing beside him, arm locked together to sell the act of their supposed ‘date’.

“Of what?”

“Of you.” She answered coyly, poking his nose. “You stood up for yourself back there. For a moment I thought you’d revert back to that loyal puppy attitude when your ex told you to stay.”

“Well… someone has been telling me to grow a backbone. I can’t sit on the backseat forever.”

“I’m touched.” Her grin slightly widened but it grew in meaning. “Should I consider myself a positive influence?”

“Influence? Yes. Positive? I doubt it.” He added in a mocking tone which only seemed to welled the Siren will even more pride. “Besides, I can’t let you girls do all the heavy lifting. It’s time I showed you ladies what a magic-less-guy like me can do.”

“Hmm… a man after my own heart.” The seductive siren crooned, fanning herself. “Now you’ve colored me interested. Don’t disappoint. So what’s the plan?”

“Well Pinkie said that she needs to get into the control room to activate the fog machines. But there are too many guards.” He gestured to the said door where two large hulky men stood by. Though they were quite subtle, you could tell that they were under Hoity’s control. The dark streaks across their necks were a dead giveaway. And the magical energy they gave out of course. “But first we need to get people to believe that there really is a fire when it starts.”

She nodded back, taking in the strategy. “A good idea. But the big boss man will notice something’s up. He’ll be having us watched like a hawk.”

“Yeah but not them.” He pointed forward where the two younger sirens appeared.

“Oh oh! Adagao! Hwey!” Sonata called out with a mouthful carrying what looked like a figurine made out of food. “You have got to try this. Did you know that this world has a bird made entirely out of fruits? I mean… how does something like that even exist?”

Aria groaned into her hand looking like she was used to this. “For the last time: it’s not a real animal. It’s a table decoration.”

“You don’t put decorations next to food.”

“Humans put them there just to make it look nice. It’s a weird tradition thing they have in this world, ok? It doesn’t have to make sense!”

“Really?” Sonata poked the ‘fruit bird’. “But… I can still it, right? I mean it is still food… I think. Can I take it home with me?”

“Focus girls.” Adagio snapped her fingers to garner their attention. “Time is of the essence here and it’s about time we inject a little life into this show.”

“Pfft. It’s about time. This whole pageant thing is duller than those puppet shows on the street.” Aria muttered back folding her arms. “I’d rather be spending my time watching TV back in our apartment. So… what are we doing?”

Flash relayed the plan to them, which felt more like a short skit rather than a briefing.

“So can you do it?”

“You mean putting these buffoons to do our every whim?” Aria let out a soft chuckle, looking at her nails casually. “I think we can manage.”

Sonata chimed in happily in agreement. “Uh hello. That’s kind of like… our thing here. Getting people to do what we want is like our whole existence.” Aria smacked her face again making a mental note to educate the idiot on the principals of sarcasm. “What?”

Well at least one of them was eager – or ignorantly eager. Flash didn’t mind either way.

“Great. Then get started. The more people the better.”

Adagio gave a dismissive wave and watched them blend with the crowd, hearing their favorite melody hum from their lips. If their powers were just as effective as it were during their time at their school, they’ll have the crowd under their spell before Hoity even has a chance to put them under his control.

“Alright. That takes care of the crowd. How are we going to deal with those muscle brains over there?”

Flash turned to the said guards and gave it a thought. There’s no way they can take them out, or bribe them. They also didn’t have the time to search for a backdoor or a vent to sneak into.

But what can they do against such muscle without raising a ruckus?

His eyes wandered outward for a solution.

…

And oddly enough, his sights landed on Adagio’s neck. An idea crossed his mind, and then a smile crossed his lips. “How’s your acting skill?”

Hoity felt every fiber of his muscle tighten as his turn to the catwalk inched closer with each passing second. His show was a complete disaster. A humiliating pageant that would undoubtedly be seen by everyone watching, here and on live TV.

He had to cut back on time, skip many traditions and even went out of his way to rush the whole procedure. Critics here and back home must already be writing harsh reviews, undoubtedly putting a damper to his career. His stock will plummet greatly for sure. But his reputation will survive. He didn’t build a castle made out of cards after all.

But damn that boy for wrecking this plan. Damn him to whatever hell he deserved.

Hoity could see him from where he stood, pass the crowd and the catwalk. He was standing there, smiling smugly at him like he had every possible route covered. He looked like someone who had already won.

But has he?

Arghh! Confound it all! If only he was given the power to read minds, this would’ve been a whole lot easier. What was he thinking? What was he planning? He had done everything to counter all of his moves, but none of that seemed to be working.

“Mr. Toity. You’re on in four minutes.” The stage manager announced and his gave a complimentary nod in return.

Should he just cut and run now? Tell the press that he had a family emergency or something? No. The scandal backlash would be too much. His reputation wouldn’t survive such an outrage. His sales, and credibility would be ruined.

Damn it! Just what are you thinking you dumb…

Hmm?

Hoity’s eyes sharpened when he noted the target of his scorn move. The boy shifted as his date approached him from behind, handing him something small that fit in the palm of his hand. He couldn’t tell what it was but he could feel an immense magical energy resonating from it. Could be another one of those magical artifacts?

It wouldn’t surprise him seeing as the girls he was with also possessed a number of strange and wondrous tools. That crown that split Twilight into separate beings would be of great interest to the Order.

The woman turned her gaze over to him. Despite her fair appearance, Hoity can feel a natural predator hiding behind that beauty. She flashed him a grin while a glint flashed before her pupils. It was a hint. Some kind of signal.

Yes. That must be it. His grand plan. His whole strategy. The boy must be making his move. He’ll try to interrupt the mind control spell with something to counter it.

Oh god. The moment he gets to that catwalk, it’ll be over. He has to be stopped before it’s too late.

And so with a whisper, he passed his command to his shadow.

“Kaaz. Deal with the boy, now.”

…

Oddly enough, this time, his shadow did not respond.

“Kaaz?” He raised his tone a bit just enough to be heard by some of his minions. But still there was no response. “Kaaz. I command you to deal with the boy, now!” If anyone else saw him whispering angrily to his own shadow, one might think he was going mental. But still… no one replied.

Did… did that boy someone how defeat his shadow monster? No. It must be those girls. They must be here with him. They must’ve done something to it. Could they have been more powerful than he realized?

“Mr. Toity. You’re on in 2.”

No no no! Gods cursed them! If he walks out now, it’ll be over. He’ll be a sitting duck out there. Cameras all around will be trained on him while the boy escapes unnoticed.

He had to do something, anything!

“Last model is exiting. Please make your way to the curtains.”

Damn it. No time. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text.

The sound of phones buzzing to life became rather apparent. Flash noticed it too as he saw many staff members pick up their cells, took a quick glance at the content before turning their attention to him. They looked like they wanted to make a beeline in their direction, but the sight of a dozen guards converging to one area would look far too suspicious. So instead they paced themselves.

“Well… color me impressed.” Adagio stated with some bewilderment in her voice. When she heard his idea, she didn’t think it would work. Flash just told her to loan her amulet, look cocky and smile like she always did and directed it at the curtains. It sounded rather stupid but strangely enough it garnered a massive reaction. She just never would’ve thought that it would garner this much of an attention. “I didn’t think that’d work.”

“Yup. And right now, we have their undivided attention.”

“A little too much attention. You were only supposed to get those three to follow us, not the whole resort.”

“Hey, the more eyes on us, the less eyes on Sunset and her friends.”

“Touching. But that also means we have to deal with this mess.”

He chuckled. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid.”

The Siren scoffed at his words. “Of them? Never. But I can’t say the same for you.”

“Aww… Adagio. I didn’t know you cared.”

A faint blush formed around her cheeks, but she hid it well. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. I hope this grand scheme of yours has a step-2.”

“Just follow my lead.” Again he locked arms with his date and casually led her to the snack table. “Have I ever told you about my childhood?”

Adagio gave him a look. “That… came out of nowhere.”

“Just pretend to be interested.” He added quickly which she shrugged.

“Fine. No. You haven’t.”

“I never really had much of it other than my time in school. As far as I can remember, I never really had a mom… or a dad. Whenever he’s around he just goes away the next minute on some grand expedition in a desert somewhere or a jungle.” The boy followed it up grabbing several soda bottles from the counter, shaking them violently before setting them on the table. “So most of the time I was pretty much on my own.”

“Alone and with all that money to keep you company.”

The boy nodded. “Alright so I had a pretty comfortable life too. There’s that. But… that also meant I had a lot of time to experiment on a few things. Like say… playing guitar, driving a few rides here and there… making a soda rocket to annoy my butler.”

Adagio’s eyes wandered to the soda bottles, which aligned perfectly to the oncoming goons. She immediately threw a knowing glance at Flash and in turn gave a smile.

“Sounds rather… lonely.”

Flash shrugged nonchalantly before returning the girl her magical amulet. “Meh. It wasn’t that bad. Besides, if things turned out differently, I wouldn’t be having such a grand adventure with all of you.”

“The feeling’s… mutual.” She traced a finger down his suit, her evil grin growing even wider. “Maybe next time the two of us can go out on a little adventure of our own. Somewhere quiet… and expensive.”

The boy returned a laugh. “I think I can show a girl like you a good time somewhere.”

A sweet seductive moan escaped her lips. “I’ll hold you on that.”

Somehow… that actually didn’t sound as bad as she made it to be.

And with a touch of magic, the two of them ducked behind the counter and watched as the soda bottles flew like rockets. A few hit their targets, slamming against bodies and heads like an unguided artillery barrage.

Did it work? Did they get him?

Hoity tried to take a peak but he can’t seem to see what was going on. He saw his minions pour over to the lounge where Flash was standing a minute ago but he lost sight of them afterward. He can’t seem to get a hold of any of them either.

Regardless, even if they failed to catch him, they bought him enough time to get the spell done. It wasn’t a complete spell but at least those closest to him will be charmed. He just needed to finish this.

“Mr. Toity. You’re up.”

With a deep breath, the man struck a poise and saw the curtains come up. An applause followed his entrance, though sadly it was more of a courteous applause rather than a genuine one.

With how his pageant show concluded so abruptly and skipping over so many of the details, no doubt people would notice. It was a rushed event, so it was no doubt that the quality of the work would deteriorate. Gah… he could already hear the questions piling on the lips of those reporters.

But it won’t matter. So long as the right people are brought under his control, he can lose a little reputation. Soon all the money and power he could ever want would only be a phone call away.

Not even a little fire would stop him.

…

Hmm? Wait… fire?

“FIRE!!!!” A random stranger screamed in the audience seat as smoke began to clog the area.

“Fire! There’s fire!” Another shouted out and ran off. And that second one was enough to start a mass panic.

Folks began to stand and tried to make a break for it to the door, covering their mouths as the others followed.

No… no no no no no no! This can’t be happening! Not now! His power, his fame and power! They were all scampering away from him on two legs! The VIPs that he cordially invited to this event were making a break for it.

The fire alarm sounded not long afterward which blared throughout the resort like an annoying bell.

Was this it? Was this part of that boy’s foolish plan to stop him? He had no way of knowing.

But there was still time. A few of those VIPs were still around helping others up.

Gathering himself, Hoity reached for his bracelet and raised it up to the sky, summoning the magic within. The smoke masked his presence giving him free reign. Pulse of energy echoed from deep within the gemstone, carrying off the spell that he had been conjuring. The effects of the magic would be limited, but at the very least he’ll have gained something.

A few politicians or rich folks are all that he needed to get the ball rolling. Nothing less.

Yes. He can feel it now. The magic, that unique feeling of numbness and loss… and… what?

No. This isn’t right. Something’s wrong. The magic in his hand. It’s diminishing. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It was supposed to explode and mark those around him with a curse. But now it’s… going away like it’s being drained of all its potency.

“Sorry Hoity.” A voice called out to him from the smoke. “But that won’t work here.”

“YOU!!??” He recognized the figure from before. “You’re that girl back in the castle!”

“And the owner of the apartment you blew up.” She added angrily as she approached him, holding what looked like an energy ball in her hand which pulsated with enough magic to fill a building. Hoity could practically feel it even from afar. It extended down to her clothes, like a radiant sun beaming with power. “Give it up. We know what you’re up to. Your days of controlling people are over.”

Hoity raised his hand up to blast the girl down but again he found his magic drained from his fingertips. “Wh… what have you done? My power.”

“Your shadow magic won’t work here.” The young lady proclaimed, one hand holding onto her precious geode. She must’ve used some kind of trick to hamper his power. Perhaps another artifact? That was the only explanation. There was no magic in his knowledge that could weaken him so… defiantly. Every step she took seemed to drain him further.

“Why you little…” He moved in to attack but was impeded when he stepped on a strawberry cupcake, which then exploded in a colorful confectionary smoke. The shockwave knocked him back on his butt, knocking his shades out of frame. He would’ve cursed out loud if the perpetrator hadn’t shown herself, grinning cheesily from the sideline.

“Booya! Cupcake trap for the win!” Pinkie declared, taking a bite off said treat. “Bet you didn’t see that one coming. Cuz I sure didn’t.”

“Great job Pinkie.”

Hoity looked to his attackers and bit his lip. For the first time in god knows how long, he felt like a cornered rat in a sinking ship. His pageant show, his grandmaster-plan, all the work he put in for the last few months has been thwarted by a couple of 3^rd rate upstarts who knew nothing of the power they wield.

Perhaps he should’ve made sure that they were crushed under the castle ruins.

Now the table has turned and he didn’t like these odds.

The redhead took another step closer, a threatening look on her face. He was powerless against such a force.

“Wait!” Out of desperation, the fashion legend raised his hands up, pleading for mercy. “Let’s not be too hasty here. You got me, alright? I surrender. There’s no need for more violence here. Perhaps we can call this a night and… go our separate ways?”

“After you tried to bury us under a castle and brainwash everyone here? I don’t think so.”

“Yeah you tell’em Sunshim!”

“Right right. Of course. You have two very-good reasons why you should be angry at me.” He nodded in agreement, panting. “But let’s think of this logically. Now that I’ve surrendered. What do you intend to do with me?” The shock on Sunset’s face was brief but it was enough to show that they didn’t think that far ahead. Yes – they were powerful, but they weren’t villains. Heck he was stupid to think that Flash fellow would be the mastermind of this whole scheme. “You can’t seriously want to take me to the authorities.”

Sunset bit her lip to keep herself from answering.

Of course they couldn’t. Who would they even take him to? The police? What would they even say? They instigated all this chaos to stop him from mind-controlling citizens for his personal gains? They’d have to reveal the existence of magic. And clearly that wasn’t something they’d do. And it’s not like they’d believe her either. Whose words would the authorities take anyway? A bunch of teens with an overactive imagination or a famously wealthy celebrity with a spotless record?

Could they keep him prisoner? No. That wouldn’t match their style. These were do-gooders. The kind of heroes that came straight out of a child’s comic. Sadly the real world didn’t support their bland notion of justice.

Besides, if a high profile man like him goes missing it’ll cause an uproar in the media.

Their silence only seemed to confirm his suspicion. They probably came here thinking it would come to a fight like the good old days. An epic showdown, a duel of strength to test one’s honor and other nonsense. Just like in their stupid imagination.

Yes… he can use this.

“Perhaps we can come to a compromise?” He offered sweetly, hiding the panic in his voice. “You let me go and I’ll leave Canterlot. You can keep the city and its secrets and you’ll never see me ever again.” He paused on that one last bit. “Except whenever I appear on television. I’ll even release those that I’ve put under my spell for the last few months.”

“As if.” Sunset scoffed. “And the moment we let you go, you’ll just start all over again in another city.” True. He already did this once in Las Pegasus. The loss of Canterlot would be a huge blow to his ego but it wasn’t worth losing everything else. “We might not be able to imprison you. But we can make sure that you won’t hurt anyone else.”

“Then… I suppose negotiations has failed.” He muttered. “You leave me with only one option.” And with the only logical move to make, he bolted towards the backstage hoping to lose the girls in the chaos. But the man barely made it ten steps before something slammed against his face. The impact alone shattered his shades leaving the lens broken on the floor. “Ow…”

“That’s for trying to bury me under the castle and trapping me in the desert for three days!”

Twilight removed the Cloak of Clover the Clever, huffing loudly as the man went out like a light after that heavy blow to the head. The metal bat prop she got from backstage really did the trick. Though honestly she didn’t expect to use it in such a manner.

“Twilight!” Sunset and Pinkie followed suit, both equally surprised to see her. “You got him.”

She shrugged. “I figured he’d try and make a run for it the moment things didn’t go his way. Great job trapping him you two. Just like we planned it.”

“More like we all just improvised.” Sunset chuckled. “I didn’t even think this would work.”

“Ehh… it all worked out in the end.” And worked out it did. Far better than any of them could ever hope. “You can’t expect everything to go perfectly.”

“That’s true. But… what do we do with him now?” The redhead pointed to the unconscious celebrity. “We can’t just leave him like this. If we let him go now, he’ll just do what he did all over again.”

“Probably. But not without this.” Twilight reached out and tore the bracelet off his wrist. The black gemstone dangled beautifully before them. “Without this medium, he won’t be able to use any of his magic or put anyone under his spell.”

“Yeah… but what about after?”

“Umm…” Oh wow. She hadn’t really thought about that. There was no guarantee that the man would simply give up on his effort here. They thwarted his plans today but what about tomorrow? Or the day after that?

“You could throw him down a cliff.” Her dark twin put a thought on which she immediately brushed away. “Just saying.”

Sadly, before any of them could conjure a plan to deal with the problem, a surge of magic made their skin crawl.

A black pool suddenly formed around Hoity’s body covering him in an ink-like substance. The sudden appearance caught the girls off guard making them jolt back. For a second they thought he was coming back for another fight. But instead he sank into the swirling pool like it swallowed him whole.

“Hey!” Sunset bolted forward to grab him but she was far too late. The pool vanished a few seconds afterward leaving nothing but the man’s broken shades.