Chapter 79: Cracks in Our Bond
(CHS) (Principal’s office)
VP Luna hated mornings for a lot of reasons. For one it signaled the end of a good night’s sleep and the beginning of work. She was a lady of the night who reveled under the moon-lit city. Even when she was in her younger years she was known to be a party animal who hung out in festive events. This however was extra brutal seeing it was the weekends. Meaning the only people around here were her, the janitor, and the accursed paperwork which seems to grow in size every time she looked away. She opted to bring their work home with them, but then realized it would only pile up in their apartment.
Ugh… what she wouldn’t give to go back in time and to be young again. Partying with her friends and not caring what tomorrow brought. There certainly wasn’t any paperwork to deal with. Heck, if she had kissed that quarterback that one summer night, maybe her life would’ve turned out differently.
God she hated mornings.
And she wasn’t even supposed to be alone today either. Her sister was supposed to be here suffering the same amount of paper cuts. But she was called on to attend an emergency meeting with the board of education trying to convince those bloodsuckers not to cut their school funding. She swore, they were nothing more than a bunch of penny pinching poltergeists who reveled in their misery. Luna was more than certain that they were doing this to line up their own pockets, or the pockets of those they deemed worthy.
Canterlot High School wasn’t as prestigious as the other academies in the continent but they had charm. Ok so we might’ve overstretched out budget with all of the constant repairs the school goes through, and they might’ve overdone some of their activities – thanks to Celestia’s policy of freedom of imagination – but that should be a given. If the Board knew about the kind of magical mumbo jumbo they had to deal with in a monthly basis, they’d be floored. Sadly… we did not live in a perfect world. If we did she’d be sitting on the broadside of a yacht, basking in the sun while sipping her favorite drink in one of those fancy glasses with the cute umbrellas.
Alas… they were flat near-broke.
Thankfully the fundraising event the other day managed to get them out of the red, even if it was for the moment. And honestly more than half of that money came from the aid of Crystal Prep – or to be more precise, Sombra’s raffle. If it wasn’t for that little stunt he pulled the whole thing might’ve turned sour. Bake sales and games just aren’t cutting it anymore. Especially not in this economy.
Ugh… and not to mention she has to supervise today’s disciplinary actions. The usual suspects are all on the list with the surprising exception of two.
Fluttershy and Rarity.
Apparently those two got into some kind of heated argument and brought magic into the mix, which was kind of surprising in a lot of ways. Fluttershy mostly because she’s practically the last person in school she’d expect to get in an altercation. Rarity was more of a fashionista rather than a fighter. She wouldn’t dare do anything that would ruin her perfectly styled hair, much less her clothes.
Oh well… at least their punishments were made. Fluttershy will be helping the janitor clean out the animal shelter at the back of the school, while Rarity will be helping Granny Smith with lunch period. That old crone has been pestering the school to get her a new assistant. Not that they could afford any at this point. At least this will keep her quiet for the next few days. Gosh, next week is gonna be a full house.
Maybe it was high time she got a refill on coffee.
Thankfully she stopped when the buzzer came to life.
“Excuse me ma’am.” Leo, the janitor, spoke on the other line. “You have a Mr. Sombra here for you.”
Sombra? What was he doing here? Did he have an appointment? A guy like that doesn’t naturally show up without a good reason.
Was Flash up to something again?
No… wait…
Celestia mentioned something about going out for lunch today. Something kind of special occasion. But then she had to go do that super important meeting with the board. It’s possible she forgot to mention it to him.
“Send him in.”
Oh boy. How in the world do I break it to a guy who…
“Happy anniversary!” A loud booming voice chimed in as the man himself entered through the door like a gallant knight, dressed to the nines, smelling like gold, and holding onto the a bouquet of roses. He presented himself like a champion of a far simpler times, grinning smugly as if he had won some kind of challenge, arms stretched out like he was expecting a hug.
Luna wasn’t sure whether she was supposed to be impressed or amused to see the man. He looked clean, shaven, and prepared for whatever tribulation the date imposed. A part of her thought it was kind of overkill. But then again… this was the guy who raffled one of his cars out in a school fundraising event.
When he realized that he wasn’t getting any hugs… or a reply for that matter, the man opened his eyes, only to freeze like a child who was caught in an embarrassing moment.
“Oh.” He coughed into his hand, hiding his blush. “You weren’t who I was expecting. Ahem. Is uh… Lesty here?”
“Hello to you too Sombra.” She curtly responded. “I see you’re as fancy as ever. Nice to see you go through the extra effort for my sister.”
“Yes… well… I always say that you should never do things half-hazardly. If you don’t go big, then don’t do it at all.”
“I noticed.” Luna rolled her eyes and leaned in the Principal’s seat, admiring his attire, which looked damn expensive. Were those gold embroidery? “So what’s the occasion? You said something about an anniversary?”
“Our monthiversary. It’s been a full month since Lesty and I have gone steady.” He explained with a charming tone which only made it sound oh so romantic. “I thought I’d make it a memorable one.”
“Oooh. Sounds… romantic. I take it you have plans.”
“I figured we’d go to that fancy restaurant she loves so much. The one near the docks. And after that I’d take her to the botanical garden and we can stroll around in the greenhouse. Nothing overly taxing.”
“That’s it?” Luna sounded rather disappointed. “What? No oversea trip? No private shows that you booked over with a stack of money? That’s a bummer. Normally your dates are more exotic.”
“Lesty got tired of all that and asked to keep it simple.” He explained. “Besides, it’s a lunch date Luna. Not a vacation.” True. But with all the ridiculous stuff you pulled off these last few months, she was kind of hoping of something grander. I mean you took Celestia to a political gathering on your first unofficial date. That kind of stuff are normally reserved for… fifth or sixth dates.
“Well it doesn’t matter. Because you just missed her. Celestia just got an emergency call from the Board of Education. They’re thinking of slashing another portion of our funds.”
“Again?” He face drooped, and so did the flowers.
“Yup. She left about an hour ago. Leaving me with all this paperwork. She probably forgot to mention it to you with all of the confusion. Sorry.”
“I swear. The Board members are greedier than my staff on a good day.” He grumbled lowly. “I should know. I had a talk with my own staff at the dig sight this morning. I take it CHS will be running on the red?”
“Thankfully no. The fundraiser we had the other day, helped out. Or… maybe I should say that your raffle event helped out?” She gave a teasing wink which the man did not rise to answer. “Maybe you can reschedule? I’m sure a man of your caliber can handle a little inconvenience.”
“Doubtful. That restaurant has been booked ever since the New Year started. Apparently it’s quite popular amongst the locals. If I cancel it now, they’ll just sell the seat to the next highest bidder. Though I suppose I could take her to that other fancy place. I mean… it wouldn’t really do much against my credit scores.”
Ugh… the flexing of the 1%. How droll.
“Hang on.” A comical light bulb suddenly appeared over his head. “Why don’t I take you instead?”
What?
Luna violently choked on her coffee, spitting the contents out like a fountain. “Cah! Wha? Me?” He nodded. “Oh no. I couldn’t possibly do that.”
“Why not? It’s just lunch.”
More like a minefield. “Don’t get me wrong. It sounds like a generous offer but I don’t think that’ll be wise.”
“Come now. You always said that you wanted to eat at a fancy restaurant before. And I still owe you for helping me with Flash. I figured I could use this stone to kill another bird entirely.”
“That metaphor doesn’t even make sense.”
Her? Going to a reservation meant for her sister? That sounded like a bomb that could go off in front of her face. There was a myriad of disasters that was just waiting to happen. And don’t even get her started on the ethical applications. There are things you just don’t do.
He casually walked up to her table, flashing that trademark smile of his which was absolutely irresistible. “Come on now Luna. Let me. I promise it’ll be at least entertaining.”
“Entertaining?”
“Absolutely.” He said, striding forward with such confidence that reminded her of the time when they were in college. That impeccable jawline, and deep red eyes that seemed to be both seductive and intimidating. “Anyone that goes out with the Legendary Sombra is destined to have a good time, or they shall strike my name from history.”
That… sounded something like Flash would say.
Luna opened her mouth to speak but the reply clogged in her throat. Sombra was close enough to smell, and there was no denying that he smelled great. The offer was also very tempting. A lunch date for two in one of the fanciest places in the city? It’d take her months just to afford an appetizer, much less dessert. Not to mention it would certainly be fun to take her mind off the girls for a few hours.
But…… no. She couldn’t possibly accept such an offer. It wouldn’t be right to just be Celestia’s replacement. There were just some things you don’t do even with family. Besides, she was too busy doing the last of her paperwork – and they needed to be finished by Monday or they’ll be clogged up in the system.
Yes… paperwork. The large stack of paperwork that just seemed to have grown even larger the last time she laid eyes on it. She swore that pile was alive somehow and it had a mind of its own.
…
…
…
Ah to hell with it. She could use a good afternoon.
“I’ll get my coat.”
Sombra cheered.
(Twilight’s house)
“I don’t get it.” Twilight mumbled to herself as she stuffed her nose into her notebook on her bed writing down more calculations that would make an astronaut dizzy. She had been going on and on about her research for hours now and so far nothing conclusive have come up. The discovery of Flash’s new magical powers was definitely a wonderful discovery, but at the same time it brought insurmountable amount of questions. Questions which… again… unfortunately… she had no answers to.
“How is this even possible? There has to be something I’m missing.”
“Talking to yourself again?” Her counterpart asked, appearing beside her like magic. Though her sudden arrival didn’t exactly frighten her. “That’s a bad habit to have.”
Thankfully Spike wasn’t around to hear her literally talk to herself. The little mutt took a day off with Fluttershy yesterday to hang out with his own gang.
“I just don’t get how Equestrian Magic and Yaztec Magic can merge together without creating friction. I’ve done this process several time before and it almost blew me to pieces.” Catastrophically too. Putting these two energy sources was like trying to add gasoline to a nuclear reactor, then lighting it on fire and crossing your fingers that it won’t blow up. “But for some reason, Flash doesn’t seem to be suffering any negative side-effect. It’s like something is binding them together.”
“Who knows? Maybe it’s that weird blue hair of his. For a rock star, he’s got strange taste.”
“Don’t brush this off like it doesn’t involve you.” Twilight chastised. “You knew. You knew he had magic inside of him right from the start, didn’t you?”
Midnight shrugged and feigned innocence. “I had my suspicions. But yes.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
“I knew he had magic. But I didn’t know he had THAT kind of magic. I mean… the power to copy other people’s magic? That’s something you just don’t make up on the go.”
True. It was certainly one of the more unique powers. But then again the magical handshake was a catalyst somehow.
“Wait.” Her thoughts snapped together in realization. “Could that be the reason why you’re able to manifest like this? Because of his magic? I remember holding Flash’s hands when we jumped through the portal and wounded up on the other side of the world. That stream of magic could be the reason why you came out.”
“Hmm… true. But again, thinking about it won’t make any difference.”
“Uh… it totally would.”
“No it wouldn’t.” She insisted. “Trust me. You can theorize all you want. After all the test you did to him, you still don’t understand how his magic work.”
Sadly it was true. After the discovery, Twilight set upon testing Flash’s powers with the other members of the club almost immediately. It was a quick test. Nothing dangerous other than that mess made with Pinkie’s confectionary power – though that was partly her fault too.
The conclusion was that Flash can only copy one power at a time and with limited degrees in control. He tried Applejack’s super strength first and he nearly tore the table to splinters with a light tap. Rainbow Dash’s super speed came next… and sadly… he had no way of stopping. It was only after he slammed onto five walls did he managed to come to a complete halt.
To simplify the matter: His powers only allow him to copy one ability. That alone limits his magical capabilities but at the same time, it gave him flexibility whenever multiple magic users are around him. If he can learn how to control his powers… he’d be a great asset to the team. Heck… he might be able to go farther and steal Neighsay’s power for himself… whatever that may be.
The two things that she didn’t understand was how two sources of magic can surge inside of him without going all explody, and the shining effect.
Whenever one of them goes for a magical handshake with Flash, the donor of the magic would suddenly brim with magical energy. So much so that they Pony-Up almost immediately.
Pinkie came to call it as The ‘Glow’. And so far there hasn’t been any side-effect either. Applejack said that it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Rainbow Dash said that she felt light on her feet, and Pinkie was just… well… hungry.
Ugh… she so wanted to study that magic. Sunset would’ve been able to get this working with her knowledge on magic. But sadly she’s off helping an emergency in another world.
If she could somehow replicate it, it would advance her knowledge of magic by a hundred-fold. But alas, her limited resources could only come up with a few theories.
“Ugh… if only I had my lab. I could give Flash a quick scan and I’ll be able to know everything.”
“Well… you could.” Midnight teased. “I mean… all of your advance equipment are right here.”
Twilight’s face immediately went sour. “Oh no. No no no no. We are not…”
“Why not? You have everything you need, right here. All you need to do is do a quick scan and boom. You get your answers.”
“But I’ll need someone else to do the magical handshake.”
“You can do it yourself.”
Well… yeah. She probably could. “But what if he finds out about… you? You’re connected through me through magic so… it might be possible for him to see you.”
“Oh relax. I’m your subconscious. He won’t see a thing. And even if he could, I’ll be in your head the whole time.”
That would be a good thing. It would undoubtedly be quick. Not to mention the data she could collect from…
No. She swore she wouldn’t use her lab anymore. At least not until she can help mom and dad pay the massive electric bill she accumulated. Shining Armor would be very upset with her if he found out that she turned her lab on again.
Twilight had the idea of transferring her equipment to the new house, but… things simply got in the way. But the answers she gets from this could be life changing.
No. She couldn’t. And even if she wanted to, mom and dad were still downstairs. They’d know.
“Twilight honey.” And as if on cue, her mother’s voice rang from below. “Your father and I are going out for a bit. Keep the house clean while we’re gone.”
Twilight didn’t need to look but she was more than certain that her evil twin was grinning from ear to ear right now.
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The doorbell rang and Twilight answered it almost immediately.
“Twilight?” The boy on the other side blinked. “Is something wrong? I got a text from you saying to come to yo…”
“No time!” She pulled him in and immediately went to work.
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“Ok… let me get this straight. When you said that you had an emergency, you meant a scientific one?” Flash was obviously upset to be tricked like that. A natural reaction to someone who just got bamboozled.
Twilight couldn’t help but give out a weak smile in response. “Well… technically I said that I needed you to come to my place urgently. I never said that it was an emergency.” It was a weak excuse, but it was all she had. “Ok fine. Sorry. But there was an opportunity so I took it. I really wanted to understand how your magic work so I figured why not kill two birds with one stone?”
“Yeah. I wouldn’t recommend using that metaphor around Fluttershy.” He grumbled in defeat. “Well… we may as well do this seeing that I’m here already.”
“Excellent! I knew you’d see it my way.” Not that he had much of a choice in that matter.
“As long as I don’t have to run into any more walls.” He shivered at the thought. “I don’t know how Rainbow Dash does it going that fast without suffering whiplash. I thought I wouldn’t stop.”
“We did warn you that trying out new powers was going to be tricky. I mean Rainbow Dash didn’t start out good with it either.” That girl kept sliding from one side to another like the world’s worse ice skater. It actually took them a whole song montage to actually master it - according to Sunset anyway.
“I guess so.” He coughed. “I really want this whole new magic thing to work out. I mean… this is my first time ever wielding magic. How cool is that?”
“Yes yes. That is ‘Cool’. But remember to be responsible. Me and the girls are already up to our necks with people who abuse their magic.”
“Hey. Give me a little credit here. It’s me, remember?”
“Just promise me that you won’t go using your magic for evil purposes.”
“Scout’s honor.” He raised his hand childishly in a symbolic gesture. And she believed him.
After all, what else was he going to use his powers for? Rob a bank? The guy’s already richer than Filthy Rich. He can buy himself an island and it wouldn’t make much of a difference.
To become more popular? Ha! He already got that gig in the bag.
Flash was the boy who had everything. And with his new magic… that sentence might be more true than anyone realize.
“So how does this work, exactly?” He asked.
“Oh that’s easy. We get a detailed scan of your entire arm, the magic entity, and a few other readings just for good measure. All you need to do is wear this wire and make our magic handshake. The machine will do the rest.”
It sounds easy because it was easy. She spent years troubleshooting this scanning device. It was one of her prime achievements in life.
Flipping the big red switch at the corner quickly made the whole machine come to life. Twilight hadn’t noticed it until now but she can see now why her electricity bill was exactly as it was. Each of her invention were energy guzzling machines. With all the lights, gizmos and gadgets she installed, it would easily drain the power plant of all its juice. Even now she could feel that bill suddenly spiking just by turning this place on.
“Ok… let’s get this over with.” Twilight said to herself before offering Flash a seat beside her. He gladly accepted which strangely made her feel somewhat… warm inside. Was he always this tall and good looking? And he smelled pretty good for some reason. And those blue eyes of his were so deep you could lose yourself in.
“Twilight Sparkle!”
Gah!
“Twilight?”
“Right right. Sorry. Was in deep thought.” Focus girl. You only have an hour till mom and dad gets back. Every minute of this study was costing the family MONEY. No time to be thinking random thoughts.
Quickly and carefully she slipped the device around Flash’s scar. The scanning machine hummed positively which was a good sign.
“Ok… now… we… hold hands.” The words went coarse out of her mouth. Was she shaking? Why was she shaking? It’s absolutely normal to hold hands with another person. She’s done it plenty of times before. However this time it felt… different. The good and scary kind. Her body shivered in fear and excitement at the same time.
Did that make sense? No it didn’t. Why is she thinking all these random thoughts? Was she nervous? No of course not. She was just angling for the best possible position for the magic to connect and…
“And… here.” Flash decided to take the next step and slip his fingers onto hers. “Is that ok?”
Twilight’s brain fizzled for a moment there. “Y… yeah. That’s um… perfect.”
She could feel the boy’s strong grip, the thick fingers. They somehow felt warm to the touch. It’s incredible how big he was compared to her. She bet he could even wrap himself around her and she wouldn’t even mind it. Was that the magic transferring? Possibly. She never really implemented how it would feel personally.
Oooh. This could be added to her research. An in-depth study to magic transfer. Yes, it would be her magnum opus.
“I’m getting a brain cramp.”
“Feel any different?” Flash asked from his side sounding somewhat worried.
“N… not really.” Her answer came out as part laugh and part squeak. “I mean we could be doing it wrong. I mean… last night’s hypothesis was a rough guess. But this… is different. How can we know if it’s even working?” And as if coming to answer her question, her body began to glow with magic bringing out her pony ears and tails. A colorful aurora appeared and began dancing around them forking over every color one could imagine. “Oh…”
“Are you ok?”
“Yeah. YEAH! Totally.” She muffled her mouth as that answer came back way too loudly. “I mean… yes. I’m ok. Just… um… excited. This is a mystery after all. And uncovering mysteries is the duty of every genius.” That or a bunch of teens and their trusty canine companion.
A moment of silence passed them by.
“So… how long is this gonna take?”
“Not long at all. About 3 to 4 minutes. Depending on the transfer of data.”
Another silence.
Damn it. She didn’t anticipate the awkwardness. Normally she’d have Spike around to keep her centered but he’s not around right now. All she could do was sit and wait and maybe listen to the noise of the machine beside her.
Uh… crud. Hey Midnight. Can you give me a hand here? I need something to talk about.
…
Great. Of course you’d be quiet. The one time I actually ask for your help, you’re nowhere to be found!
“So… this is what you do huh?” Flash seemed equally uncomfortable and decided to fill the silence himself. “You do all your research here.”
“Huh? Oh yeah. This is where the magic happens. Kind of. I made most of these during my time back in Crystal Prep. The gadgets I use on our magical adventures are all made here.” From her magical radar, down to her Magic Trap Mk. II. Everything the gang needed to fight the shadow monsters were invented in these very walls.
“That’s kind of amazing.” His praise made her giggle inside. “I can’t believe you managed to do all of this all on your own. You’re kind of a super genius.” Well at least someone noticed.
“Well… I do get the occasional help from the others. Sunset mostly because of her indepth knowledge on magic. As for the rest… well…” Her eyes rolled. “Let’s just say that science and sorcery aren’t exactly their field of expertise.”
“That’s true.” He nodded, again glancing around. “So… this is your lab?”
“Well no. My lab’s in the attic. I just moved all the necessary equipment to my room just for this experiment.”
“O… oh!” She noted his reddened face. “I guess that would explain… the room.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well… it’s just that… it’s not every day I get to see a girl’s room.”
…
Oh…
Realization slowly dawned on Twilight as she turned to her room in frozen horror.
She had brought a boy into her room. Her humble abode, her private quarters, her personal space. The first ever boy who is not related to her in any way. Not even Timber has ever even seen this place. The moment came to her as she noticed the mess she left behind.
Strips of her research were strewn across the floor, her bookshelves unorganized, her trash bin overflowing with snacks from last night’s power-study, and her pajamas strewn across the bed for everyone to see. Gah! And… her wardrobe was unkempt. This wasn’t a room, it was a pigsty! Anyone who saw this place would judge the tenant to be a pig. What was she? 10? Get it together Twi!
“Umm… this isn’t what it looks like.” She said as she frantically moved all her clothes out of the way with her telekinesis power. But she immediately regretted it when parts of her undergarment whisked passed them in slow motion. “It was umm… it was Spike’s fault.” Sorry Spike. “He can be such a slob sometimes when he’s playing around. Trust me, this place is way cleaner when he’s not around. Ahe… hehehe.” Her wavering smile didn’t do much to convince him.
“Well it certainly has… character.” The boy eyed the used pair of socks which she quickly floated away with a flick of her finger. “Heh… never thought I’d see this side of you again.”
“This side?” Her eyes widened. “Wh… what side?”
“The adorable panicky side.” He answered. “You’re usually kind of uptight.”
“Me?” She took offense to that. “I’m not uptight. I’m never uptight. I consider myself to be a rather lax and free spirited person with a hint of a refreshing attitude.”
Again he laughed. “See? There. That’s the usual Twilight. The gal who always has an answer to everything. No matter what happened, you always seemed to have a solution.”
“So what? I find that a good thing.”
“True.” He agreed on that wholeheartedly. “But when I looked back at that time we spent together, I kind of find your other side to be… refreshing.”
“Refreshing?” Oh please. That was such a vague statement. “Refreshing how?”
“Well… for one thing. She was kind of angry. Like all the time.”
“We were trapped on the other side of the world!”
“A little snarky. Kind of condescending.”
“I was under duress! We were practically stuck!”
“She gets really moody when things don’t go her way or can’t figure something out.”
“I was trying to get the portal to work! You can’t blame me for being a little prickly!”
“She’s also very irritable in the morning.”
“You’d be too if a sheep keeps trying to nibble your hair!”
“But ultimately, I thought she was pretty adorable.”
“Well I’d like…” She froze, eyeing him shyly and immediately her cheeks burned. “Oh. R… really?”
“Absolutely.” The boy turned a smile, which made her heart race. Did he practice these lines before hand? How can a guy like him be so smooth with words? It’s like he’s reciting them out from a playbook. Was he always a playboy? I mean… this is Flash Sentry after all, so that wouldn’t be such a farfetched story.
Dang it. What was this strange sensation building inside of her? That churning inside of her stomach, the tensing of her muscles, her sweat glands overworking. Was the weather changing? Was she changing? Maybe her pony-up form had a side effect. Maybe she’s sick. No… that can’t be right. She made sure to check her temperature daily to keep herself from any sort of illness.
But Twilight could feel it. Deep down, inside her heart, something was happening. An odd yet familiar feeling began swirling from within. Her eyes locked with Flash, unable to tear away from that deep blue cerulean gem staring down at her. A person can really get lost within them if they’re not careful.
*Ding!*
The sound of her machine popping signaled the end which quickly prompted her back to reality.
“A… ahem! We… well that’s done.” Slowly she let go of his hand, feeling the magical bond broken within seconds. “With this, I can make a conclusive understanding of your magical abilities. And learn how to reproduce it.”
She fiddled with the device, quickly shutting it down before it consumed more power.
“So…”
“So……” Flash mimicked looking about as equally as awkward as she was. “I guess we’re done?”
“Yeah…” For some reason that sounded disheartening. “I guess… we are.”
“So… I guess I should get going.”
“Yeah.” Wait… not yet.
“I’ll see you at school then.” Quietly the boy rose and headed off to the door, giving out a gentle wave goodbye.
“Yeah…” Twilight couldn’t help notice her heart suddenly sinking at the thought.
“Oh for the love of…… GRAHH! W-”
“-ait!” The words left her mouth before she even realized it. But it was enough to get Flash to freeze and turn. Twilight smacked her mouth, suddenly realizing the tone she used. “I mean… w… wait. Maybe you can stay for a bit.”
The boy’s eyes rose up. “Really?”
“Yeah… YEAH! I mean… it’s the weekends, and I’m not really doing anything important right now. So why don’t we spend some time here and I can help you hone your magic? I mean… I did promise to help you with it after all. And now’s a good a time as any, right? We wouldn’t want you going around with my telekinesis powers breaking stuff now, do we?”
Flash gave it a quick thought and recalled his previous experience with magic. “Yeah. That does sound pretty good. And I do want to get used to this magic. Eh… why not?”
“Really?”
“Like you said: Now’s a good a time as any. And it’d be good to get ahead in my magic.”
“Great! We can use my backyard. I can show you the ropes on how to use my magic.”
“Sounds like fun.”
It does, doesn’t it? She could take notes too! Analyze the implication of magic firsthand. It’ll be a worthwhile field test. The thought alone started to make her feel giddy inside.
But the moment was rudely interrupted when her phone began to ring.
“Hello?”
“Hey there. How’s my favorite girl doing?” Wait a second. That singsong voice. That flirty teasing question.
“Timber?” Twilight’s face went slack unaware of her guest’s tenseness. Why was he calling now of all times? She must’ve left him like a dozen text messages and voice mails to boot. “Is that you?”
“The one and only. Did you miss me?”
“Well… yeah! I haven’t heard from you for a few days now. Gloriosa has been trying to reach you. She’s been worried sick.”
“I know I know. She gave me an earful when I got back to camp. Always going on and on, worrying about me all the time. But you know me. Sometimes a guy need a little space every now and then to clear his mind.” That sounds like Timber. Though he was gone far longer than usual. “Anyway, enough about me. I got a surprise for you. Can you meet me the mall in about 20 minutes?”
“The mall?” She sputtered. “As in… Canterlot Mall? As in right now?”
“Yup. I got a big surprise for ya. You’re gonna love it.”
A surprise? What could possibly outclass the stay they had in Camp Everfree?
“That’s… great. But I don’t think now is such a good time. I’m kind of in the middle of something right now.”
“Oh come on Twilly. It’s the weekend. Surely you could make time for your boyfriend now. Trust me. This is gonna blow your mind. Metaphorically speaking of course.” He corrected that last bit rather quickly. “So whadaya say?”
It sounded nice but Twilight really didn’t want to. She just made plans, great plans. It would be the cuff of her research project. And honestly, staying here with Flash felt a lot more appealing to whatever surprise that guy had in store. I mean… you really can’t beat magic.
“I mean… it’s a bit sudden.”
“I know you like to keep your life on schedule. But sometimes the best things in life comes from the unexpected. So how about it? One lunch date with sweet old Spruce? My treat~~~. I’ll even let you pick dessert.”
Ugh god, did he always sound so dorky?
Twilight really didn’t want to. But somehow she felt like she needed to. It was Timber after all. And he was just trying to be the best boyfriend he can be. It wouldn’t hurt to go on one date. It would be good to maintain her relationship.
“I… suppose I can go. For a moment.”
“Awesome! I’ll see you there.” And with a chirpy reply, he hung up.
Twilight turned from her phone, noticing how quiet Flash looked. He likely heard the whole conversation and can guess the rest. “Umm… sorry. But I’m gonna have to take a rain check on our practice session. Again…”
But the boy hastily waved it off like it was nothing. “No no. I heard the whole thing and I completely understand. Relationship comes first. And I kind of remember that I have something to do back home.”
“Totally.” And just like that… that awkward silence which she tried so hard to remove, returned with a vengeance. “I… can cancel it if you want…”
“No! Please. It’s fine. Really. I’m not mad or anything. It’s just that I understand. Guys like Timber are hard to come by. It’s not every day you get to have a date with your boyfriend. You should… really hold onto him.”
“Yeah…”
“I mean I wouldn’t want him getting the wrong idea about us like last time.”
“Right. Of cour… wait what?” Twilight blinked just as Flash slapped his mouth shut. She saw a hint of panic in his eyes like he let loose something dangerous. “What did you mean last time?”
“Uh. Nothing. Just a play-on words.” That was a lie. She could see it on his face. “Anyway, have fun on your date. I gotta go.”
And just like that, he was gone. And for some reason her heart sank with it.
(Canterlot Mall)
Twilight felt a little moody after she arrived at the mall. She let out a long winded sigh as she looked at her reflection at the fountain water, the glittering coins at the bottom sparkling underneath.
“Ugh… you are unbelievable.” Oh great. The angel came back when she wasn’t needed. How convenient. “We had prime material back there! And you decided to waste it all on this?” Midnight groaned back, taking over her reflection. For some reason, the fallen angel looked annoyed. “I can’t believe you would drop a whole day of magical research for… for a stupid date!”
Trust me, I’m not thrilled about it either. Normally spending a whole day with Timber would spark some kind of reaction out of her. Mostly positive. She’d be excited, happy even. But now, she hardly even looked forward to it. She’d rather be back in her house, studying Flash’s unique magic. The data was already collected. All she needed to do was analyze it.
And why was she even feeling this down? She felt annoyed, perhaps even a little ticked off. Like… she was robbed of something.
“Are you kidding me right now!? How can you not understand after everything you’ve gone through!?”
Am I supposed to know what you’re thinking? Because as far as I know, this whole telepathic mindset only works in your favor.
“ARGHH! For the love of all that is……” Midnight looked like she wanted to tear her own hair out. “How are you the smartest, yet the stupidest person, at the same time!? Seriously. Even rocks have less density than you!”
Oh wow, a geology joke. Score one for her alter ego.
Ugh… where’s Timber? He should be here by now.
“Hey! Don’t you ignore me! I’m trying to help you.”
Yeah, like when I needed your help twenty minutes ago.
“At least I’m not the one lying to herself.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Midnight rolled her eyes as she hovered towards her. “Ok look. This little gag between you and your feelings have been entertaining to watch for a while. But the joke’s gone on for too long. And honestly, it’s lost its charm.”
“I have no idea what you’re going on about.”
“Look at yourself Twilight. Even a blind guy can see how unhappy you are for this little… ugh… date. That Timber guy is not a match for you.”
“What? That’s crazy. Timber and I are a perfect match. We have that spark. We both like dogs, we like math, science and geology, and we have the same interest in outdoors activity. We even had that big Winter Solstice date back in Camp Everfree.”
“And tell me. Did you feel that… spark?”
Twilight paused but answered. “Well… it was… pretty cool… I guess.”
“It was dull. Come on girl. I was watching the whole time. You can smile, and laugh, and look like everything’s right in the world. But we both know the truth.”
The… truth?
“Take a look at the recent takes. You no longer look forward to meeting him, his voice sounds like sandpaper rubbing against the chalkboard, and you haven’t even kissed him once this year.”
“W… we kiss.”
“Pecks on the cheek and blow kiss don’t count.” No. That can’t be true. “Face it Twi. You might have the same interests, but even people can change. And as far as I can tell, you’re the one who changed the most.”
Could she be right? Twilight entertained the thought before but she simply brushed it off as a mere blunder in their relationship. I mean… that’s how every relationship worked. At least the ones she knew. Everyone had their dry-spell. But eventually the drought ends, right?
“Yours have been dry for a while now Twi.”
It… it can’t be true.
No that’s not possible. Her relationship was steady. She and Timber were good. They had to be. She was his rock and he was her one true love.
And yet. Why didn’t her heart ache? Why did nothing beat inside her chest? Only an empty voice resounded, leaving her stunned and confused.
Was Midnight Sparkle right? Has that spark between them really gone out? Her words rang close and echoed through her entire being.
No. No of course not. Get it together Twilight. This is the witch that tried to destroy your world. She’s just trying to get in your head.
“I’m already there, genius.”
It’s a metaphor! Shut up!
I need to… I need to think. Her relationship with Timber was just hitting a rough patch. That’s it. The BIG surprise he had in store was just what she needed to get the spark going again. You’ll see. We’ll both fall in love all over again.
“Hey there Twilight.” And as luck would have it, the boy in question arrived in the nick of time.
“Timber! Hey! You’re…” Twilight froze as she turned to face her date expecting him to be in the usual attire. But instead she found Timber dressed up to the nines. He traded that old casual outgoing attire to a grey business suit with tie and vest included. But what really caught Twilight’s attention was how his hair was all gelled up and shiny. You’d almost mistake him as one of those guys in fashion magazine. “Wow…”
Timber gave a finger gun gesture followed by a wink. “You like my new digs?”
She wasn’t entirely sure. “It… certainly is something. Where did you get it?”
“Oh just a brand store a few blocks over. The tailor there saw me and told me I could use some new threads. What do you think?”
“I think it looks expensive.” No kidding either. The pants, the tie, and those high-quality leather shoes? Those look like they cost a small fortune – or your whole lifesavings. You’d expect to see Flash wear something similar if he were to go to a formal event. “What’s the occasion?”
“I thought I’d give myself a makeover for my special girl after I got her something special.”
“Oh yeah. You mentioned a big surprise.”
The boy grinned from cheek to cheek. “You betcha. And you’ll never believe it. But I’ve decided to take you to… that super fancy restaurant, Tasty Treats.”
…
Eh?