//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 - Friends and Enemies // Story: Of Hearts and Gazing Eyes // by A bag of plums //------------------------------// The next morning, Lightning Strike jumped out of bed and slapped his alarm clock to silence it. He had gone to sleep early last night after doing his homework, wanting today to come. He had also spent some time counting the fat stack of notes that he had gotten from Merlina, and was still slightly awestruck that it was all there, all two thousand dollars of it. The money appeared to be legitimate, with all the correct details and watermarks and numbers. Lightning had slipped a couple of hundred dollar bills into his wallet and stashed the rest of it under his bed. Humming a tune to himself as he got dressed and ate breakfast, he found himself examining the gazing eye that Merlina had given him in the mirror. He ran his finger over its round surface. It was cool and hard, like a gemstone, though the pendant still looked somewhat disturbingly alive. He almost expected it to blink. Still, it wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, and Merlina had told him to keep it on his person at all times, so that was exactly what he would do. A small thing to ask in exchange for all he had been given. He would not be walking to school today, oh no. Instead he went into his home’s garage and took a moment to admire the bike that he had been given yesterday. His old bike, or what was left of it, lay in the corner, crumpled and bent out of shape from the crash. He had liked that bike a lot, but this new one was just such an improvement that he didn’t hesitate to mount it and feel the soft leather of the seat, the smooth texture of the handlebars, the soft rumble of the engine as he started it up. It was, he thought happily, a truly beautiful machine. His eyes wide behind the visor of his helmet, Lighting wheeled the bike out of the garage and out onto the driveway. With a whoop, he sped off towards Canterlot High. Nothing could ruin this day for him, and he was looking forward to going back to work after school. After parking his bike in the CHS parking lot, Lightning walked towards the front doors, a spring in his step, and he knew exactly why. He took up his usual position by the front door and leaned against the wall, not even bothered by the other students’ sideways glances at him.  “Good morning!” Pinkie Pie popped up next to Lightning. By now, he had been expecting something like this and only flinched slightly as the intrusion. “Good morning, Pinkie Pie,” Lightning said in return, humoring her. “Can I help you?” Pinkie gasped. “You said good morning to me! Does that mean you want to be friends now?” Lightning rolled his eyes. “Not really. I’m just being polite.” “It’s still an improvement!” Pinkie grinned. “It’s nice that you’re feeling happy.” “Yeah, I had a rather good day, with my arm all being healed and a new ride.” Lightning wiggled his fingers.  “You got a new car?” Pinkie gasped comically.  “Bike,” Lightning corrected.  Pinkie’s eyes went wide and starry and her mouth opened to say something else, but then the bell rang for class and Lightning gave the pink girl a small wave before trotting off into the school building. Just one school day separated him from going to work again, and he wasn’t going to let anything dampen his spirits. The day passed quickly enough until lunch, where Lightning sat alone as usual, eating another salmon filled bagel. It was one of his favorites that he had packed from home, following a recipe from Painsley Lariat, the celebrity chef.  “Hey, Lightning Strike!” A familiar but unwelcome voice called from behind him.  Lightning sighed before putting down his lunch and turned to see Zero Gravity and Clyde standing there, looking almost like twins with their matching hair and skin colors. “Yes?” Lightning asked plainly, keeping his face as neutral as he could.  “You seem to be in a better mood today,” Zero said, swaggering closer to Lightning. “I had a good day yesterday,” Lightning shrugged nonchalantly. “No thanks to this school.” “Hey, this school is just fine,” Zero shot back. “I mean, yeah, it took a while for me to settle in, but that’s why I’m here now, to make sure you don’t have to go through that before you get settled in too.” “Well, I have to say, it’s not really helping.” Lightning held up his fork to him. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some food to consume. Don’t you guys eat?” Zero glanced at Clyde. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you need to lighten up,” he said, shaking his head. “What do you even get out of being such a douche, anyway?” “Who were your friends at Crystal Prep?” Clyde said, holding Zero back. “Minuette and some others used to go there too. Maybe they know each other.” “You mean who are my friends at Crystal Prep,” Lightning corrected him. “I don’t see how others knowing my friends will help in any way. And I’m not a douche. I just want my own space, which you guys keep invading, so I think you have it the other way around.” “But your friends at Crystal Prep aren’t here,” Zero pointed out. “It’s going to be tough going to school here if you just isolate yourself for the rest of the year. Come on, man. Why don’t you join a club or something, then maybe you could get to know someone after school.” “Can’t,” Lightning said shortly. “I have to work after school, and I have to say I’m looking forward to it more than any club here at Canterlot High could provide.” “How do you know that if you haven’t tried out in any of the clubs?” Clyde reasoned. “Just give it a shot and you’ll see.” “Didn’t I just say I had to go work after school’s over?” Lightning said, giving both Zero and Clyde a squinted look. “I don’t have time to join a club or after school activity.” “You don’t know what you’re missing out. Trust me.” “Why do you even need a job, anyway?” Zero put his hands behind his head. “I thought you people from Crystal Prep were supposed to be loaded, going to a big fancy private school like that.” “Ugh.” Lightning planted his face in his lunch. He couldn’t stand how nosy these guys were. “I enjoy it, alright? What more do I need to say? Come on, you two; I was having a good day until now.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Zero’s expression grew angry. “Look, I don’t know what’s got your shorts in a twist, but-” “And that’s enough, Zero,” Clyde grabbed his friend and pulled him away. “The guy wants to be left alone for now. Arguing with him isn’t going to make him your friend.” “Yes, see, Clyde sees my logic.” Lightning removed his face from his food and wiped a hand down his face before flicking it to his side to dislodge potatoes and grease from it. “Now, why don’t you two go have some food before lunch is over? It’s good to have some nutrition before the second half of the school day.” “Don’t tell me what to do-!” Zero squirmed in Clyde’s grip, but Clyde refused to let him go. Lightning smirked to himself as he watched Clyde drag his companion away. Perhaps today wasn’t a total loss after all. “I’m back,” Lightning said as he entered the Heart’s Desire Art Supplier’s front doors, pushing the curtain of beads aside with a satisfying clattering sound. Merlina was standing behind the counter, leaning on the tabletop and reading from a book. As soon as Lightning announced himself, she shut the book and tucked it back into her robes. She gave the youth a charming smile and clapped her hands. “Welcome back, Lightning Strike. I hope the weather wasn’t too tumultuous on the way here?” It had been getting colder on the ride back to the art shop, but as soon as Lightning stepped inside, the air felt warm and dry, very comfortable. There was also that faint classical music playing somewhere deep inside the shop, which he found intriguing. The shop’s dimensions were a bit of a mystery to Lighting, as yesterday he had been sure that there was no garage attached to the store, but Merlina had made it so.  “Wasn’t too bad,” Lightning smiled back and walked up to the countertop. “I’m ready for my next delivery job.” “Oh, that’s good,” Merlina nodded. “Still, there’s no need to rush. Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll bring you something to drink. What will you have? Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Or something else entirely?” She looked at Lightning expectantly, her visible eye shining in the light of the lamps like liquid. “Umm, hot chocolate would be nice in this weather.” He managed a wider smile. “Splendid!” Merlina spun herself around. “I’ll be right back, don’t wander off now.” And she disappeared into the back, leaving Lightning standing there on his own, with the only sounds being the quiet music in the background. He went around to look at the shelves while he waited to see what the store sold exactly. It all looked just as normal as it had seemed when he had first come in. However, as Lightning picked up a tube of paint from a shelf, he read the ingredients. He was fairly sure he hadn’t heard of some of these things, and there was no such place as this in the world. He had been very good at geography in Crystal Prep and the more products he looked at, the more he was certain that the countries that the art supplies were from did not exist in this or any language. “Made in C’tango?” He read one of the cans. “Where in the world in C’tango?” He put the paint back and looked at some brushes. The little tags on them seemed to boast of it being made of ‘100% pegacorn tail hair’. “What?” Lightning asked as he felt the bristles. They were soft and malleable, and always seemed to go back to being straight even after he bent them back. It was honestly quite soft, but also firm enough to be of use to a painter. “And here we are! One hot chocolate with whipped cream and Lunacreste marshmallows,” Merlina came back from the rear of the shop with a platter that had a steaming white mug placed on it. “Here, drink up while I tell you today’s job.” “Thanks.” Lightning returned to the counter and accepted the drink. It was piping hot and it worked well on his frosted lips. “So, where am I going today?” “This package today is just like yesterday’s one,” Merlina took out a small box wrapped in brown paper and string, with a little white tag attached with the name and address of the recipient on it. “This one goes to 4 Palm Street, Canterlot. I believe it’s near the southern part of the city, in the suburbs. A bit of a long ride, but I know that won’t bother you unduly. Go in, get the signature, give them the package, and come back.” “Right as rain.” Lightning sipped a bit more of his hot chocolate, then placed it back down on the counter. “I don’t suppose you could keep this warm for me, could you?” Merlina raised one hand and clicked her fingers. A tiny burst of light came from the point where her fingertips met. “Of course. Be careful, now, and remember: the package is for the customer only. Nobody else is to touch it, save yourself when  you deliver it.” “Got it,” Lightning said as he went back outside to his bike and slipped his helmet onto his head after taking the package and putting it into his delivery bag.  Soon Lightning Strike was back on the road, his bike rumbling along the highway and headed for his destination. Palm Street was out of the city towards the edge of Canterlot, but with a monstrous bike like this, getting there wouldn’t be a problem at all. That’s what Lightning thought until he hit his seventh red light in ten minutes. “Are you for real?” He leaned against his handles and groaned. His bike was good, but even a good bike still had to follow the road rules and that stank. “Come on. Hurry up. Hurry up.” Finally, the light turned green and he tore off down towards Palm Street. On the way he passed by Canterlot High School, and he slowed down to see if there were still any students on campus. There were a couple of kids still wandering around, and Lightning swore he could see Rainbow Dash scoring goals with her soccer team on the football field. Not wanting to hang around and be recognized, he sped up and left the school behind. Lightning knew all of Canterlot city, and as he pulled his bike into Palm Street, looking for number 4, he wondered about what he was delivering. Merlina hadn’t told him exactly what was in the packages, only that it somehow made people’s hearts’ desires come true, and that it wasn’t illegal. He trusted Merlina, but he felt a curiosity that made him want to know what was in these little paper wrapped boxes.  Easily finding number 4 at the middle of the street, Lightning parked his bike next to a fire hydrant and dismounted. The house was a quaint little single story building with a statue of a squarish-shaped dog on the front lawn, spewing water from… Well, he didn’t want to say more. He walked up the pathway towards the front door, and instead of a door bell, he found one of those door knockers instead. He lifted its handle and swung it back, resounding a loud thud into the air. There was a shuffle of feet inside, followed by a groan. The door soon opened, revealing a pudgy but grumpy old man. “Whaddya want?” He seemed to stare daggers at Lightning, but softened when he saw the box in the boy's hands, along with the clipboard. “Is that for me?” "Are you Mr. Crookback?" Lightning asked the old man. "I have a package for him." "Yes, that’s me, young'un," Crookback said, taking the clipboard and signing his name on the paper. "To be honest, I wasn't sure you'd show up. Whole thing seemed too good to be true." Lightning wasn't sure how to answer this, so he simply gave the old man his package. “Oh boy, I’ve been waiting long and hard for this.” He accepted his item and stalked back into the house, slamming the door behind him, which was unfortunately in Lightning’s face. “You’re uh, welcome…” The boy rubbed his nose. He was walking back to his bike when a dark brown patrol car stopped a short ways away. It had sirens on the top and had the letters ‘SCAR’ emblazoned on the hood in deep red paint. The driver and passenger seat doors opened and two men wearing black suits got out. One of them was holding a small device that looked like a bulky smartphone with a long antenna on the end. Lightning was going to ignore them and head back, but then they seemed to be approaching him now. Oh great. Just what I needed. “Excuse me, young man,” the man without the device walked up to Lightning Strike, who stood there unsure of what to do. “Do you have a moment to talk?” Lightning opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment the gazing eye necklace under his shirt seemed to grow warm, as if to warn him about something. Whoever these suits were, some kind of intuition was telling him that they were bad news. “Yes…” Lightning said cautiously. “My partner and I are with the Supernatural Containment and Research Division,” the man said. He had light brown hair that was slicked back over his forehead and had a badge on the front of his suit with the letters ‘SCAR’ on it, just like his car. “We were tracking an abnormal energy signature and it led us here. Did you see anything out of the ordinary in the area?” “No,” Lightning answered truthfully. “I’m just a bike courier, doing my rounds; I wasn’t in the area very long.” The other man, the one holding the device, slowly pointed it around. The device squawked when the antenna passed by Lightning. The man stared at the screen and tapped his partner on the shoulder. “Can you excuse me for a moment?” the first man said before turning his back to Lightning and muttering with the other man for about a minute. Lightning didn’t like the look of this. They had been talking about an abnormal energy signature and once they pointed it at him, it made a little noise. Perhaps they had been talking about the package Merlina had handed to him. He didn’t know what was in it, but he didn’t want to have to get in trouble for something as simple as a delivery. Instead, while their backs were turned, he tiptoed over to the side, trying to make his way back to his bike. Unfortunately, his bike was in their field of view and he had to think of a way to get to it without them seeing him. The perfect chance came when the two of them spun back towards the house, where he was supposed to be standing. Lightning threw himself into a hedge as the two of them began looking around frantically. “Where’d he go?” One of them began darting his head around like a pigeon. “He was just here!” “Something is afoul,” the other one said. No, you’re just not observant, is all. Lightning shook his head. Now all he needed was for them to move away. “Let’s check the house. That’s where the signature was coming from anyway.” The brown haired one pointed to the front door. As the two of them straightened their suits, Lightning shoved his way out of the hedge and crept over to his bike. Starting it now would be any fool’s choice, but he was no fool. Instead, he pushed back the kickstand and began wheeling his ride away. Once he was far enough, all the way down the street’s end, Lightning flung himself on and drove away. That had been a weird experience, but surely Merlina would know who they were and what they were after. With more questions than answers now, Lightning began making his way back to the store, but cursed as the light in front of him turned red. “I’m back,” Lightning Strike said as he pushed the door open to the storefront. No one was standing there, but he could hear some whispers from the backroom. He walked closer and placed his hands on the counter, waiting for someone to come out to greet him. Eventually, Merlina came out from behind, with Sherry following close still dressed in the black cloak and hood. The former wasn’t smiling, which Lightning took to be an immediate bad sign. She had always smiled in his presence. “Good, you’ve returned,” Merlina said, coming back behind the counter. “And none the worse for wear.” “Yeah,” Lightning said, taking out the clipboard. “I delivered the package and got the signature, just like you asked.” Merlina took the paper and tucked it into the drawer on the countertop. “You did well. Tell me, did you run into anyone unusual while you were out there on the job?” “Now that you mention it, yes,” Lightning said, thinking about the two men and their device. “There were these two guys in suits looking around for anomalies or something. They wanted me to talk to them about it.” “And did you tell them anything?” Merlina asked patiently. “I figured they were trouble and I managed to get away,” he explained. “They weren’t the brightest tools in the shed. They were looking kind of dumb.” “Did you see what their organization was called?” Merlina asked. “Oh yeah, uh, SCAR. Uh, Special Circulation and Restoration or something, I can’t remember the exact words.” Lightning rubbed the back of his head. “Supernatural Containment and Research,” Sherry supplied.  “Master’s wings…” Merlina said quietly. “They’ve found us, even after hiring a courier. This is… problematic.” “Yeah, their anomaly detector thing seemed to find something on me,” Lightning continued. “I don’t know what it was looking for, but I think it found it.” “It was magic,” Merlina said, trailing one hand through the air and leaving sparkles in its wake. “This is how it works. We have these packages that you deliver. To make sure there’s no tampering, each box is enchanted with a minor glyph of protection, making it so that it can’t be opened by anyone until it’s delivered to the recipient. The glypic spell breaks upon contact with the addressee, rendering the box completely mundane. However, you handling the package makes some of the magic rub off on you. That would be the magic that these SCAR people must have detected on you.” “Right…” Lightning said, trying to process what he had just been told. All this talk of magic and glyphs and spells was honestly a bit over his head for the time being. “Wait, so they’re after magic?’ “Supernatural Containment and Research,” Merlina reminded him. “Emphasis on containment. It’s nothing new, people are always after magic, and we didn’t want to attract any undue attention.” “We as magical beings emit a lot of magical energy,” Sherry explained. “That is why we needed a courier who wasn’t magical to deliver the packages for us. We didn’t feel like inciting a war with these SCAR people over a few boxes of goods.” “Would this become a problem for me delivering packages?” Lightning was worried his days of happiness would already be over. “Is there a way I could mask the package's contents from rubbing off on me?” “Unfortunately not that we have current access to,” Merlina said. “The magic will wear off on its own, like water evaporating off wet clothes. This just means that you will have to take breaks between deliveries. At your current level of magical contamination… a day or two and it should all wear off and render SCAR unable to track you. I’ll also see about getting a major glyph of protection placed around your house, so nobody can get the jump on you there.” “Won’t that just let them track me?” "Major glyphs of protection aren’t like the minor ones,” Sherry said. “All a major one does is make sure that nobody with hostile intent can enter. There’s one cast on this shop as well. They can be unpicked, but we don’t think anyone in SCAR has the knowledge or skills to do so.” Lightning took a while to process this. “Does… does this mean I can’t come in to see you every day?” He asked, trying not to sound too disappointed. “Oh, no, no, no, of course not!” Merlina stressed, waving her hands as if trying to ward off a fly. “You may continue to come in after school if you like, all that’s changed is that you’re not delivering packages every day. That’s all this arrangement means.” Merlina and Sherry turned to face Lightning, both smiling expectantly. “You are welcome here any time.” “Thanks,” Lightning said, feeling a warm feeling blooming in his chest. Even if Crystal Prep didn’t want him anymore and Canterlot High wasn’t to his taste, he could still come here. “Really. Ever since I got kicked out of my old school, this place has been the one bright spot in my day.” “That’s very sweet of you to say,” Merlina purred appreciatively. “Tell you what, since you did such a good job today and managed to dodge those SCAR ruffians as well, I’ll add an extra bit of cash to your reward money. Hazard pay. Why don’t you finish your hot chocolate before you go?” Merlina took the mug from before out from under the counter and placed it on top, where it still steamed like it had just been made. “I kept it warm for you, just like you asked.” While Lightning Strike finished his hot chocolate, Sherry returned to the back of the shop while Merlina opened the cash register and counted out some money. Today’s salary was noticeably thicker than yesterday’s. “I threw in an additional thousand on top of the two,” Merlina said as she slid the stack of notes across the countertop to Lightning. “It’s only fair to compensate you for such a risky outing.”  “But I…” Lightning began, staring at the three grand he had just been offered. Then he glanced up and saw Merlina giving him a look. “Nevermind. Thank you, Ms. Moonshadow. There’s just one thing that I wanted to ask you.” “And what might that be?” Merlina replied, busying herself with shutting the cash register. “What’s inside the packages that I’m delivering, exactly?” Merlina blinked, shuttering her one visible eye for a microsecond. “I’m afraid, dear boy, that I am not the person you should ask about the nature of those packages. It’s somewhat confidential, but I can assure you with all truthfulness that there is nothing illegal or dangerous inside those boxes. Even if there was, the people who ordered them know exactly what they bought. There are no unpleasant surprises hidden in the packages.” “I see…” Lightning muttered. “But are they magic?” “Well, yes.” “Then won’t SCAR be able to detect them and take them away from their owners?” Lightning pointed out. “I mean, just because I delivered it doesn’t mean it can’t be taken from them.” “That’s simple,” Merlina said perkily. “The contents of those parcels don’t emit any magical signature. It’s all contained inside them, and it uses the energy of the user as a power source. SCAR’s detectors won’t track them as magical. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.” Lightning nodded, not really getting it, but he didn’t really feel like asking more since it would probably get even more confusing. He finished his hot chocolate and placed the empty mug on the countertop. “So, what happens now?” “Now?” Merlina took the mug and put it away under the countertop. “You may do whatever you please. I’m going to go consult with my immediate superior about what to do about these SCAR people. It might be a while, so don’t hang about expecting me to see you off.” Waving to Lightning, Merlina went into the back of the shop, leaving the youth alone in the store’s main area. He slowly picked up his pay off the table and thumbed through it. Three thousand dollars, all neatly bundled up in his hands. He carefully put the money into his school backpack and decided to have another look around the shop.  Only slightly to his surprise, the shop kept going around the back. In the hallway there were several large cubes of white stone, neatly stacked against the wall, presumably for carving. There were shelves of chisels and other sculpting tools. The smell of paint was stronger back here, Lightning noticed.  He spent some time inspecting the goods back here, even though he had never done sculpting before, there were several white stone busts arranged on a nearby shelf. Some of them, Lightning noticed, weren’t exactly human, sporting pointed ears, horns, or other unusual features. He wondered who had carved them; Merlina perhaps? They were beautiful, but all those faces staring blankly into space made him feel a little uncomfortable.  After spending a few more minutes pondering this, Lightning decided to go back to the front of the shop. This place was located in pretty much the middle of an office district and far away from any major shopping centers in the city, and Lightning wondered how much business this shop actually got. He had certainly never seen anyone else coming in or leaving, much less buying anything. Eventually his mind settled on the one thing that held all his problems and solutions together.  Magic. He still wasn’t sure what he thought of it. On one hand, he had seen just how much trouble it could be at the Friendship Games. According to all sources, Twilight Sparkle almost destroyed the fabric of reality while high on magic. Sunset Shimmer had put things right, thankfully.  And now he was working for a self-admitted magical… person. The people in the shop seemed to have a much better grasp of magic than he did, if all their talk of glyphs and magical energy was anything to go by.  Still, Lightning felt completely safe in this shop, despite all the mysteries. Its occupants were definitely better than those people at Canterlot High. They weren’t nosy and obnoxious, and didn’t ask him any probing questions. It was a nice feeling, interacting with Sherry and Merlina. Without any further ideas on what to do in the shop, Lightning shouldered his bag and turned to leave, brushing aside the bead curtain as he left. Maybe he would stop by the mall and buy himself something nice as a reward for a job well done.