Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic

by onekface

Clues of Her Past

Ok Fluttershy. You can do this. You have to be strong.

Your friends are counting on you. You just need to keep close to Neighsay and make sure he doesn’t do anything suspicious. If he does something strange, just call Applejack or Pinkie and they’ll come running.

It would’ve been a lot easier if only the man didn’t look so frighteningly intimidating. Seriously, who wears a cape like that to school? Only villainous characters would wear such an attire. If Rarity were here she would have some colorfully harsh words to say about his sense of fashion Even if you are a professor, you need some class and decency. The man looked like a freaking vampire walking in broad daylight. And not the sweet romantic kind like the one in Fangshire. Is he somehow allergic to sunlight?

Ugh… she can already feel her stomach twisting at the mere thought of being discovered by the man. If he was any powerful as indicated, he could probably turn her into a frog. Or worse yet, capture her with his own shadow monster.

Wait… did he have a shadow monster? The other two they battled against did. A wolf and a snake-like being. What if this guy had a dragon, or a bat? Maybe even…

Nope. She’s distracting herself again. She needs to stop and focus.

Yeah… that should be easy enough. She just needs to be inconspicuous. Pretend that you’re going around handing out flyers and give the folks here some free samples. Yeah. Nothing suspicious here.

Just smile and wave. Smile and wave. Don’t worry. You’re not alone either. Gummy and Angel are here too. If Neighsay tries anything, they’ll protect her. Yeah. Angel is strong, loyal and brave. And Gummy is…… well… Gummy.

Either way, you can do this! You will do this! You will watch his every step. His every movement. You will not take your eyes off him for even a second!

Taking a deep breath, she mustered up her courage and proceeded. Now where are those free samples?

*Meep?*

“Angel!” She quickly snatched to goods from her bunny who seemed to have consumed almost all of it. “Those were not for you. These free samples were supposed to be for my cover!” The bunny simply shrugged unapologetically, giving little mind to her woes and continued eating the last piece like nothing was wrong. “Oh… now what am I supposed to do?”

“You could try being quiet, for one.” A dark and sinister voice answered her unfocused question followed by a shadow that loomed over her body.

Every hair on her head began to stand on ends, her arms and legs froze as if they were encased in ice. Fluttershy slowly creaked her head around, only to crackle at the sight of the vampire himself starring down at her like a predator sizing its prey.

“Hello, Ms. Shy.”

“EEEEEEEEEEPPP!” Fluttershy wanted to scream but the voice choked inside her throat. The man was every bit as frightening as her friends said he was. The pale face, that dead panned expression reminiscent of Maud Pie, and that glare. He could probably beat a rock in a staring contest.

But she didn’t need to fear. Her little Angel will protect her. Quickly she reached out for the bunny but the little ball of fur had already skipped town the moment it saw the monster it was facing. So much for her guardian. Gummy on the other hand simply blinked and fell on its stomach.

Oh well… back to freaking out then.

“Keeping an eye on me now, are we?” He added, which only made her whimper. “And doing a poor job at it too.”

Fluttershy felt like crying. But the tears were too afraid to even come out.

“Let me guess. That redhead friend of yours thought that I was being untrustworthy. So she sent one of you to spy on me.” He sighed, almost sounding disappointed rather than irritated. “I suppose it’s a natural thing to do. Though it’s rather poorly executed.”

Must he really demean her like this? It’s bad enough that she was just sitting there like a deer in headlights, but instead of putting her out of her misery, the car decided to take its time and rev its engine as if it was savoring the moment.

This wasn’t such a good idea after all.

No. Scratch that. This was a terrible idea to begin with. Maybe she should’ve objected on this mission. She was horrible at it! Why did those two even suggested this in the first place!?

“Well?” The man asked, taking a bite off his sandwich. “Care to elaborate?”

Gathering all the will she had in her, the girl lifted the flyers up using them like they were her only shield.

“Can I offer you a discount at our store?” She forced out a smile, squeaking as much voice as possible from her throat.

The man raised a sarcastic brow. His gaze locked themselves onto her body making her freeze like a human popsicle. He reached out to the flyer but a sudden gust of wind scattered them across the field.

Fluttershy could do nothing but watch as the last of her defense broke down like a literal house of cards. This was it. This is how she dies. If not by Neighsay then by shame. She can only hope she makes it quick and painless.

“Fluttershy?” The two tensed up when a third voice came into the mix. Their heads turn to the side noting the blue haired boy holding a couple of her flyers. “What are you doing?”

“Flash!” She yelped. “We were just… talking.”

“We?” He tilted his head in confusion. “We who?”

Fluttershy turned back only to find Neighsay gone without a trace.

Luna let out a cheer as she knocked the stack of bottles down, the ball dribbling around the back.

“Ha! Eat that! Winner on the first try.” She declared with such enthusiasm that many would mistake her as a student rather than a teacher around these parts. The manager of the game gracefully handed her the top shelf prize which was a hand sized doll of an extinct animal. “Hehe. I still got it. Even after all these years, I still got that cannon. Not bad for a Vice-Principal.”

“Are you complimenting yourself?” Sombra asked, attempting a throw which missed its mark. “You were the jock in the group. You know that, right?”

“And I see you still have your noodle arms.” She teased. “You never were a sports person, even back in college you could barely push a cart enough without losing breath.”

“Old hag.” He gruffed loudly, tossing another ball only to see it wobble off his hand and bounce haplessly on the floor. The students managing the booth gave pitiful looks which he brushed away with a forced cough. “Yes… well… I’ve always been known for my looks and my brains. Never my muscles. We can’t all be perfect.”

“Sounds more like an excuse.”

“Oh? And are you any better?”

Luna gave him a snarky reply, tracing her hand from her hair to her legs. “Why yes. I am. I got brawns, brains and the looks to match.”

“And humble too, I see.”

“Exactly.” Sombra’s eyes rolled. “I’m the perfect package. Why… back in our college days, I’d have just as many guys fawning outside my dorm room just waiting for the opportunity to bask in my beauty. Compared to my sister, I was the Belle of the Ball.”

“And yet despite all of that, you couldn’t hold on to a single one of them.”

“Oh don’t be jealous, jerk.”

“Me? Jealous?” He laughed heartily. “Please. While you were off dating half of the football team, I matured. Growing out of my playboy days.”

“Playboy? You?”

“Is it so hard to believe that I was the most attractive man in school?” He brushed his hair back, letting out a toothy smile which would’ve worked on her back in those days.

“Hardly. Not while you were dating my sister.”

…

…

…

And… that got awkward quickly enough.

“Sorry. That was…”

“No. It’s fine. I’m over it.” He brushed it off, forcefully. “Besides, we got back together.”

“Yeah… like after 20 years. I still don’t understand what you see in her.”

“Come now, Luna. That’s your sister you’re talking about here.”

“It’s because she is my sister that grants me the right to talk smack about her behind her back.” She countered snippily, as they walked pass a drink booth. Luna pointed to an order which the girl on the other side nodded. “Don’t take this the wrong way. But you two didn’t exactly split up on the best terms.”

“And you would know?”

“I know she left you with a note.”

Sombra choked on his drink. “Aha… so you do know.”

“In my defense, I only learned about that when you came back to Canterlot. For the last 20 years, I was made to believe that you two had a proper breakup.” That was probably the longest lasting lie Celestia has ever told her. “So it got me wondering.”

“A… about what?”

“Why did you get back together with Celestia?” Her face pointed at him. “I mean… I’m no relationship expert but if I was dumped by someone with a note, I’d have reacted differently.” Very… very differently. And a lot of carefully choice words not suited for school grounds.

Sombra’s face mellowed a bit. He didn’t seem to have much of an answer other than sipping from his drink every few seconds. He glanced around the field, perhaps looking for a way out. But after a deep sigh, he answered.

“To be honest… I… wasn’t planning to get back together with Lesty. It never really came to me.” He nursed his now half-empty cup, eyeing his reflection. “I didn’t even think she’d show up on my welcoming ceremony. It was… quite a surprise.”

“I’ll say.”

“Yes. That.” He hid a laugh. “It came as a surprise to everyone. You could even say I still had some lingering resentment from time when she left me for her new job in Hooverton. That note was… quite painful.” I can only imagine. “But when I saw her again for the first time after all those years apart. It felt as though… all that pain flew away. Those old feelings I once had for her came bubbling out of my heart like a torrent. Just one look at her and all the anger I felt from that fateful morning simply… disappeared.”

“Wow…” Luna cooed. “That sounds… pretty intense.”

“Oh definitely.” Sombra chuckled. “It would’ve been quite an encounter, before she vomited all over my expensive coat.”

The Vice-Principal threw a punch on his shoulder. “Oh come on! Don’t ruin the moment now. That whole spiel you said sounded really romantic!”

“I’m merely stating what happened.”

“Yeah, well, you can sugar coat reality.” She let out a tiresome groan. “Ugh… all this lovey dovey talk is bringing a bad taste to my mouth.”

“Aha! Now who’s jealous?”

Luna rolled her eyes, turning a cheeky grin. “Please. Don’t compare me to her. Celestia might be settling with you for love. But if I were to settle with anyone, it’d be for money.” Lots… and lots of money.

Twilight shuffled as she browsed through the books of the Everton Academy library. The place was a lot bigger than she previously imagined, even more so now that she got a good look inside.

Thorax certainly wasn’t kidding. This place must have every book known to man – and in multiple languages too. You can’t imagine the amount of information hidden in here. It took every ounce of her willpower to resist the urge of pulling out some random grimoire and just lose herself to its pages. Just looking at all these books makes her want to graduate quickly so she can delve into each and every one of them.

Sure the internet can provide you with all the knowledge in the world, but there was simply no replacing books. The way the pages turn, the smell? No computer can ever imitate that experience.

“So~~?” Her brother cooed, leaning nearby. “Whadaya think?”

“It’s… amazing.” She exhaled, wiping her mouth to cover the drool she was pooling over her chin. “This place is even larger than I imagined. They even have Canterlot Cannibals Volume 31! The City’s Public library doesn’t have that volume out in circulation yet!”

“If you think this is impressive, then you should check out the VIP section. Only members of the book club are allowed in there. They get to read the first edition of all new arrivals.”

“Eeeep! This is so cool! And imagine that you actually get to see this place every day! You must be enjoying yourself.”

“Yeah… but not in the way you’re thinking.” He added with a cool smirk. “Being a prefect around here certainly has its perks. The excellent pay, the health care, the responsibilities? I even get to teach substitute classes when one of the professors aren’t around. It’s been amazing. Way better than my time in Crystal Prep.”

“Really?” She gave a playful nudge. “Did you say that to Cadance too?”

His cool demeanor unsurprisingly faded, turning into a full blown uncomfortable mess. He slouched down, one hand rubbing over the back of his neck. A rough guess would say that it wasn’t a topic he wanted to discuss.

“Well… yeah.” Uh oh. That did not sound like the start of a happy ending.

“And did you guys… talked things over?”

“Well… yes and no.” Which one is it, brother? You can’t have both. “Well… not so much as talked, but rather argued over it.” He paused. “We… fought about it actually. Big time.”

Ouch. That must’ve been bad.

“How did she take it?”

“How do you think?” He scoffed, head dipping lower. “We’ve had our share of fights before. But this one got a little… heated in the end. I almost thought she was gonna kicked me out of the apartment.”

Cadance? Sweet lovable Cadance, who has shown both love and tolerance in everything and everyone? Don’t be absurd.

“Oh don’t be so overly dramatic, Shining. Cadance might be a bit of an emotional nutcase, but she’s not cruel. Give her time. I’m sure she’ll come around.”

“I wished it would come sooner.” A sigh escaped him. “I really like this job. I thought she’d like it.”

“Why did you decide to take it? You never really said why. Was your old job at Crystal Prep really that bad?”

“Of course not. I loved that place. Principal Sombra even offered me a big raise to keep me. But… I couldn’t take it.” He leaned over by the bookcase, sighing. “I spent the last six years studying and working in that school. I made a lot of friends, and I met Cadance there too. But… I also found out that I was in a rut.”

“A rut?”

He grunted. “Have you ever felt like you were stuck somewhere and you couldn’t get out?

Twilight froze. Memories of her days back in the old school suddenly came flooding in like bad dream. She recalled those moments painfully. Always alone in her private room, the student body competing against one another in a never ending cycle of dog-eat-dog. The loneliness.

Her silence trailed over, giving her brother the gesture to continue. “That’s what I felt. I was stuck doing the same old thing, walking the same old hallway, doing the same lectures. It was suffocating. I had to get out of there before I become part of the furniture. I needed… I needed something new. Something to turn my mundane life around.”

“Shining… I… I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“Yeah. Well… after I saw you transfer to CHS and met all your new friends. I figured… I could follow your example. Spruce up my life. It’s a big step up from my old one in Crystal Prep.”

“Well for what it’s worth… I think you made the right call.” Twilight reached out to him, showing a warm caring smile to sooth his nerves. “I didn’t really want to say this in front of Cadance, but I do support you for coming here.”

“I wished Cadance showed the same kind of support. I mean… does she know how hard it is to get a job around here? This is the most renowned learning center in the continent. I had to fight over this position with twelve other people.”

“She does…… I think.” Twilight can’t really answer that. “She just needs some time to adjust. I mean the two of you have been living and working in the same places for a while now. So losing you so suddenly must’ve been a shock to her. I mean… look at me. I was pretty shocked when Timber asked me to move in with him.”

Shining Armor blinked, his whole body jolting upward. “Wait… Timber did what?”

“Asked me to move in with him.”

“WHAT!?” A collective round of shush came from the library hushing the two. “Wait a minute here. Back up. Timber, asked you to move in with him? When did this happen?”

“Last year. I told you about this.”

“No you didn’t!”

She didn’t? Oh right… she told her friends, not her family. “Oh… well… now you know. Ahehehe.”

“Is this the reason why you asked me for relationship advice on the Winter Holiday?” Her expression answered that question for him. Ugh… I should’ve known. That whole conversation sounded way too serious to be small talk. This is what I get for letting you out of my sight all year long without supervision.”

“Well excuse me for having a love life. I just promised Timber that I’d move in with him after I graduate from CHS. It’s no big deal. It’s a trial period, to see if it can work out between us. His apartment is huge, and it’s only a fifteen minute drive from Everton Academy. It’s the perfect place to move in once I start my Independent Study Scholarship Program.”

“But there are dorms here.”

“True. But my scholarship doesn’t cover my dormitory rent. Staying here is morbidly expensive. I should know. I looked at the cost.” More times than she could count too. And by average, she’d have to work 4 jobs just to make ends meet or take out a student loan. And a big debt to the bank was not something she was inclined on doing. “And I’m not saddling mom and dad with any more of my expenses. Not since the whole electricity bill incidence. I just need to help pay half of the rent with Timber and Gloriosa.”

“That’s not exactly comforting.” He scratched his cheeks shyly. “I’m not comfortable having you live with a stranger. I mean… isn’t it a bit early?”

Her face gasped, looking somewhat insulted. “Excuse me. I’ll have you know that I’m far more responsible than I was when I was in Crystal Prep. And Timber is not a stranger. He’s my boyfriend. We’ve been dating for over a year now. Besides, how is it any different from you living with Cadance?”

“Cadance and I are both mature adults. And you…” He froze up when her sister squinted deathly at him. The man stepped on a landmine and he knew it. “… you’re my little sister. It’s my responsibility to look out for you.”

“I am a perfectly grown adolescent. I can take care of myself, thank you.”

“I know, I know. But still. I’m your brother. I can’t help it if I’m a little protective. Do mom and dad know about this?”

“Well… no. But like I said, it’s not a done deal yet. We’re just going for a trial run. And besides, I’ve stayed with him a whole week in a cabin in Camp Everfree – and it was perfectly fine.”

“Yeah… but… I’m worried.” He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. “I mean staying for a vacation trip is a lot different from moving in. This is a big change. You might end up making decisions you might regret. Trust me. I’m an expert.” A buzz from his phone prompted him to look away. His expression curled up annoyingly. “Ugh… look… I gotta go now. Just make sure that moving in with him is really what you want. Give it some thought alright? I’ll… see you later.”

He headed off a moment later, leaving her behind to ponder on her words.

What is with him all of a sudden? Shining Armor used to be such a supportive Big Brother. He was completely fine when she first introduced Timber to the family. Even mom and dad approved of him. Heck, he and Shining even went on one of those gyms together. They seemed to hit it off as buddies. And now he’s acting like the guy was a complete stranger or even a criminal just recently released from juvy.

Whatever. She may as well return to her search on magic. Rainbow should be done putting those scanners of hers across the school by now. Once she gets back to Sunset’s place, she’ll be able to get a proper reading of the campus.

“You won’t find it hanging around here.”

Twilight sighed. Her counterpart has returned, perfectly timing her arrival as her brother left. “Not now, Midnight.”

“Ooooh~. Well someone’s a bit snappy. I take it you didn’t like our BBBFF getting all nosy in your relationship.”

“Gee. What gave it away?” She scoffed. “And it’s MY BBBFF. Not ours. You’re just a part of my subconscious.”

“Which makes me a part of you, which in turn makes him as close a brother to me as is to you.”

“No it does not. Why are you even here? You haven’t shown yourself like this since the pageant show. If you’re not going to be useful, then you can go back into my mind and be quiet.”

“Wow… someone woke up on the wrong side of bed.” The angel grinned. “And here I thought I was going to help you out of the goodness of my heart for once.”

“Oh please. You don’t have a heart.”

Midnight laughed at the grim comment. “Ooooh! Two for two for the girl in blue. You’re getting better at this whole comeback wordplay. I must be influencing you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The only influence you’ve been doing is giving me a headache.”

“Are you really sure about that?” She challenged. “You’ve become far more daring ever since I came back to your life. Normally you’re a bit shy, timid, and a goody two shoes.”

“I am NOT a goodie two shoes.”

“SHHHHH!” Several passerbys hushed her forcing the girl to take her one-sided-conversation deeper into the library.

“Not anymore.” Midnight continued. “You formed a plan against Hoity, went on a daring mission to steal a Portal Stone, and you even went against your own promise not to include Flash into this whole thing.”

Ugh… she got her there.

“Th… those were circumstantial! We couldn’t allow Hoity to hypnotize the whole city, and we couldn’t allow such a powerful artifact to fall into the hands of the Order, and… Flash didn’t have magic back then.”

“Hmmm… sounds like excuses to me. Back when I came back, you wouldn’t even dare to steal from a shop. But now you’re here, conducting a secret operation in another school.” Midnight wiped an imaginary tear from her eyes. “Ah… they grow up so fast these days. I’m sure by the time you graduate, you’ll be having everyone here dancing at the palm of your hands.”

“I am not doing any of that. No one will be dancing in anyone’s hands, especially mine. I can prove to you that I’m still the same old me.”

“Really? Is that a challenge?”

Twilight’s eyes flared. “You bet it is.”

Midnight couldn’t help but grin even wider. There was just something so entertaining to watch her host try to prove something, even though she knows that she’s completely in the wrong.

“Alright then.” The dark angel flew over to a bookcase, placing a hand over one of the books. “Here… is your first challenge.”

A… book? Twilight’s head tilted in question. There had to be some kind of trick. A game she wasn’t seeing. Was this some kind of trap?

She shuffled carefully towards where Midnight hovered and suddenly felt a twinge on her neck. Her geode was reacting.

“There’s magic in this.” With a quick motion she wrestled the book off its place, feeling the familiar essence of magic pulse within her fingers. “How did you…?”

“I’ve noticed it ever since we walked into this place. It’s a little faint but it’s definitely Equestrian Magic.”

Twilight wiped the thin layer of dust off the covers and noted the patterns. It was a thick bound book made of hard paper. The spine was worn down and bent in a few areas which showed how old it was, and it was roughly about as thick as an old grimoire. There was no title. Only a strange symbol of a medicus at the center. Which was odd because she was sure she saw it from another time. She then flipped the pages, squinting at the chicken scratches written within.

“Strange. I don’t recognize this language.”

“Sure you have. Only one person here knows how.”

Of course! It was Equestrian! Or was it called Ponish? Ancient Ponish?

No… it doesn’t matter. What matters is that they’ve found themselves a clue. It was proof. Solid proof there was magical activity here in Everton Academy. She needed to get this to her Sunset and have her decipher it ASAP.

But the bigger question is… what was a book from Equestria doing all the way here on this world? I mean… artifacts and relics from Equestria have wandered into this plain of existence way before Sunset ever arrived. And there have been proof that the Yaztec people have traverse multiple worlds before. But this? This felt so… random.

She was jolted out of her daze when her phone buzzed to life. A text from Sunset. Rainbow finished placing the scanners. If she stayed here any longer she’ll hold up the tour.

“Excuse me.” Twilight rushed over to the front reception desk where the librarian was busy mulling around. “Sorry. But you wouldn’t happen to know where this book came from, would you?”

The older gentleman smiled and traced the spine of the book, only to raise a brow by the cover.

“Ah… this must be from the donors’ collection.” He said in a wise sagely voice. “Sorry dear. But most of the books in that section aren’t yet categorized. We often get a lot of donations from old shops that we can’t keep up.”

“Do you know who donated it?”

The old man got to his computer and typed a few keys here and there followed up by a quiet ding. He flicked his glasses, squinted on the small letterings on his screen. “Umm… oh… OH! Here it is. Yes. This book came in through the donors’ section roughly 15 years ago.” Fifteen years? And it’s still sitting in the corner collecting dust? You really need to get to work old man. “Let’s see here. Ah… it was donated to our collection by a Mrs. Sophia Hope.”

…!

“Sophia… Hope?”

“Oh well this just got interesting.”

Flash’s mother? That can’t be…

Why would she have a book from Equestria? And… why give it away?

So many questions, so many theories.

“Do you mind if I check out this book?”

“Not at all.” He answered happily. “I’ll just need your student ID.”

Her mouth opened. “Ah… well… that’s um…” The librarian eyed her. “I’m… not a student here.”

“Oh my. Well I’m afraid that’s not possible. This library follows a strict policy. Only students and faculty members are allowed to check out books from our collection.”

That seemed reasonable enough. Libraries like these are notoriously protective of their collection, and wouldn’t dare loan it to some outsider. Even Dusty Pages, the librarian in the public library, would hunt down overdue books like bondsman. But still… the information in these pages could be a breakthrough in their investigation. She couldn’t just leave it.

“Is there really no exception?”

“I’m afraid not.” He shook his head wisely. “Unless the Headmaster comes by and grants permission, there’s no way around it. Sorry dearie.”

The librarian took off, leaving Twilight to sulk. So much for that idea.

I guess the only thing left to do is to… return it.

…

…

…

Or… I could… just take it.

I mean… it’s barely even in their system. This thing dates back to about 15 years for goodness sake. And it’s not like anyone could read it. Not unless they’re ponies that came from a different world.

B… but that would also be considered stealing… and stealing is a crime. And she would never… ever… try to take something that doesn’t belong to her.

Twilight would never do such a thing.

Not such an immoral…… thing.

In the back of her mind, she could tell that her alter ego was smiling victoriously back there.

Ok, that… didn’t exactly go as planned.

Fluttershy pondered to herself as she relaxed on the bleachers regaining some of that little confidence. Her attempt to keep a close eye on Neighsay had failed spectacularly and now the man has disappeared from the field and was nowhere to be seen. Not that she mind. The guy was frighteningly intimidating. A single glare from his eyes was enough to send her knees shaking down to the bones. Not to mention that he was unnecessarily mean about it.

Just because she was bad at sneaking doesn’t mean he had the right to criticize or belittle her. His words alone stung her hard, and his comments seemingly dug nails into her morale. Honestly, that vampire could make a grown man feel like the most insignificant piece of human waste the world has ever seen and laugh about it.

And her friends were of no help either. Her best bud Angel ran away on the first sign of danger and just now returned, chomping on a carrot like nothing had happened. Thanks a lot.

And as for Gummy. Well… he was about as useless as a bicycle is to a fish. But at least he stood by her side. Or… maybe because he wasn’t really sure what was really going on. It’s really hard to tell with that gator. He had absolutely no hint of an emotion or a reaction. If it weren’t for his eyes blinking every now and then and the occasional croaking, Fluttershy would’ve mistaken it for a stuffed animal.

Her annoyance and confusion was thankfully interrupted by a warm cup of coco offered to her. “You feeling better?” Flash asked. The boy looking rather worried of her condition.

“Yes. Thank you.” She accepted the drink and took a good long gulp. The cold and fear she felt earlier melted away in mere seconds. “Ah… much better.”

“I can’t believe you went to keep an eye on Neighsay all by yourself. That’s quite brave of you.”

It’s not as heroic as it seems. “It wasn’t exactly by choice. And… I don’t think I did a good job at it.” The guy found out about it right away. “Maybe I should wear a disguise like Pinkie does.”

“I don’t think wearing a giant costume would make you look any less conspicuous.” Flash mentioned chuckling. “But it must’ve been scary to face him.”

“It was terrifying.” She shivered at the thought. “The way he stares down at you with those dead-shot eyes, the way he breathes, the way he moves. They reach down right to my soul.”

“Well at least all you got was a good scare. If he was anything like Hoity Toity, it would’ve been a different story.” Yeah. Like being brainwashed like Vignette or worse – become a zombie under his direct command. “So what do you plan to do now?”

Normally she’d say she’d go look for him again. But knowing Neighsay, he’ll probably have his guard up the whole time.

“I’m… not really sure.” She admitted. “I was supposed to look out for Neighsay. But I don’t think I can do a good job at it.”

“How about you we look for him together?” He offered which the girl tilted her head back in confusion. “What? Strength in numbers, right? Besides, I got magic now. If that guy tries anything, I’ll blast him off like I did that ceiling tile the other day.”

Aww… that was sweet of him to act all tough and mighty. But in all seriousness, Flash wouldn’t last a minute against someone like Neighsay. He looked crazy dangerous, and powerful. And if his words were anything to go by, he was probably way more powerful than either Cinch or Hoity Toity.

“That’s nice of you to offer. But I don’t think it’ll be safe.”

“Oh please.” He brushed her worries off like they were a smelly breeze. “I’ve tackled danger plenty of times with you girls. I’ve gone to the other side of the world through a portal, faced off a fashion designer who wanted to brainwash the whole city, and now I got a chance to make a difference.”

“Y… you actually like these things?”

“What? Going on your wild adventures? Absolutely. I mean who else here can say that they’ve fought shadow monsters, save the world from certain destruction, or even brave the dangers of mysterious magic?” Those sounded more like dangerous situations. “I’ve seen you girls do all the craziest things. If I was given the chance, I would trade places with any of you girls in a heartbeat.” He placed his hand over hers, the magic within the scar pulsing with a strange yet comforting warmth. “So whadaya say? Would you let me help? I promise that whatever happens, I’ll be around to protect you. Neighsay won’t dare to come near you with me around.”

…

Fluttershy’s cheeks turned a shade of pink. Her mouth croaking a chuckle.

It was corny. His words were lame. Like something out of a fantasy movie hero, yet somehow he said it with such determination that she can’t help but believe in them. They all sounded like words that a Prince would say to a Princess while rescuing her off a tower guarded by a fearsome dragon. A part of her wished she could show such confidence.

She couldn’t return to her friends like this either. And seeing he was offering…

“Alright… sure.” She said finally, brushing her hair back shyly as is her namesake. “Thanks Flash. I wish I had your courage.”

“Hey, if you can get back on the horse. You already got more courage than me.”

Ack! How can this guy say such lame things with a straight face? Does he rehearse these lines somewhere before he meets with people? Does he look in the mirror and try these phrases and comebacks?

Fluttershy stifled a laugh.

But her mood would change sourly when she suddenly noticed a third presence standing nearby. They turned to the newcomer only to see the slack-jawed face of her idiot brother, wheezing, with one shaky finger pointing at their held hands.