Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic

by onekface

Shatter

Everything was exactly as she remembered it.

Twilight glanced over to the restaurant, remembering the ambience well.

The hint of spice lingering in the air, the soft foreign music playing in the background, the exotic decorations lining the wall. The mere sight, smell, and sound of the place was enough to flood her brain with memories of her previous visit.

How Timber managed to score a reservation to this place, she’ll never know. She asked him earlier, but he brushed it off, saying that he came upon some money and wanted to splurge. A rough guess would say he won some kind of prize or a tournament somewhere. Maybe even the lottery. But the guy wasn’t budging an answer.

He was absolutely giddy about bringing her here thinking he just won her over again. Though he was far from it.

Twilight didn’t have the heart to tell him that this wasn’t her first visit. He looked proud of himself. She came to this restaurant some time ago with another guy who… was paying back a debt. In fact, she could even recall the whole event down to the last detail.

She glanced over to the corner booth where she and Flash sat. It was a small area with the glassed window view of the mall’s fountain. She recalled the food they ordered, the things they talked about. She recalled enjoying her time there, laughing and chuckling like it was one of the best days of her life.

It was…… great…

“So~~? Whadaya think?” The girl jolted back to her body, turning to face her boyfriend who was smiling sweetly from ear to ear. “Was this everything you dreamed about?”

“Y… yeah! It certainly is.” Dang it Twilight. Keep your focus. Do not let your mind wander now. You are here to prove that your bond with Timber is rock-solid. Do not give that angel the satisfaction of victory. You are in a healthy and thriving long term relationship, so now it’s time to prove it.

“Yup. This place was pretty pricy even for me. Thankfully I was able to get a reservation just for the two of us. Am I the best boyfriend or what?”

He truly was.

“You really are.” She replied with a semi-monotoned voice. Strangely enough Twilight can’t seem to muster that loving adorable feeling from within.

She should be ecstatic. Timber just scored her a trip to the restaurant where they dreamed on dining. She should be overjoyed. Maybe even a little giddy. But strangely enough nothing came. It was like she was dead inside, grayed and hollow. All the butterflies in her stomach had gone extinct leaving an empty void somewhere along the line.

“So what’s the occasion?” Twilight asked, lifting herself from the menu for a few minutes. She merely wanted to get a conversation going to keep her focus away from that dreadful feeling.

“I just wanted to treat my favorite nerd somewhere special for a change.” Even more special than that whole weekend at the cabin? “Besides, we’ve always been talking about visiting this place. I thought we may as well do it. Why? Something wrong?”

“No. Of course not. It’s just that you don’t normally do something like this unless something big happened.”

The boy’s smile turned sly for a second there. “Well… I guess you could say that. Something big did happen. It just so happens I got myself a sweet new gig.”

A new gig? “As in a job?”

“That’s right sweet cheeks. Got myself landed on something nice. Easy money on a big business.” Ok, was he trying something new here? Because that is definitely not the usual way he talks. Timber was more casual, calm, and a little bit awkward at times. Here… he’s suave, savvy and somewhat pretentious.

“Is that why you were out of contact for two whole days?”

“Partly. But I also needed a little alone time. You know how I am. I like to get loss in the wind. But I can say that my new job is out of this world.”

A strange choice of words there. A job that pays well for a low skilled employee? If it was anyone else, Twilight would say that it sounded rather shady. But this was Timber. One of the finest, law-abiding citizen you’ll find here.

“So… what is this job?”

“Ah. Sorry, Twi. But I can’t reveal anything just yet. It’s all confidential. Contract binding, you see.” Sounds fairly logical. Though it was starting to sound shadier that more he explained it. “But I can say that you’ll approve. Oh… speaking of which, I got us tickets to the movies. Special Couple seats.”

“Movies?” She blinked. “As in… today?”

“As in an hour.” He gave a toothy smile which sparkled like mirrors.

“But it’s so sudden. I mean… I have plans and…”

“Come on Twi. It’s just for one afternoon.” But my studies… my research! The Nobel Prize winning calculation. “Trust me. One long date and I’ll get you home before dinner.”

Twilight didn’t want to. In fact… she REALLY didn’t want to. This whole date was all too sudden and it was taking time off her valuable studies.

“Please?”

… dang it.

Ah~~~ That hit the spot.

Luna let out a satisfied moan as she left the establishment with a full stomach and a sated pallete.

The food in that restaurant might’ve been fancy and hard to pronounce, but it was undoubtedly delicious. The taste alone lingered on the tip of her tongue, and the full doggy bag she had with her promised for a wonderful dinner later tonight. She only wished she could’ve tasted some of their fine assortment of wines, but Celestia would probably give her a stern lecture if she came back home buzzed. Honestly, that woman acts more like a den mother than she realizes.

“You know. Out of all the people I’ve met, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with your appetite.” Sombra followed her out of the establishment, smiling teasingly and holding a takeout bag in hand.

“What can I say? I’m a growing girl.”

“Growing the wrong way, you mean.”

She smacked him on the shoulder. “Don’t be coy. We both had the same order.”

“I had foie gras and a caesar salad.” He mocked. “You had the same with two extra portions, an extra side of cheese bread, AND dessert. Not to mention the juice.”

“Hey if they say ‘Unlimited-refills, then they should’ve known what to expect.” Though to be honest, she might’ve overdone it a teeny tiny bit with the drinks. The waiter practically had to run back and forth just to refill their jug about six times over. The other diners must’ve thought she was a thirsty peasant. “Don’t be afraid to order extra as it was offered freely.”

Sombra didn’t seem to mind and laughed it off. “I was more afraid that you would explode from all that consumption. I think you might’ve gained one or two sizes after that meal.”

“And you’re inching closer to getting a good smack on the head if you keep up with those insults.”

He quickly raised his hands up in defense but paused when his phone buzzed.

“It’s Lesty.” He announced with a small smile on his lips, scanning the content of the text message. “Looks like she just remembered we had a big date today.”

“Great. Does it sound like she’s wallowing in guilt? I’d very much like to hear that.”

“Possibly.” Sombra gave an apologetic shrug. “It says she wants to make it up to me by cooking dinner at her place.” Oh. Bravo sister. Nice redemption act. And here she thought she’d have to watch her wallow in misery again. No doubt she learned from her previous breakup with the guy. Her cooking wasn’t stellar but it wasn’t entirely bad either. No doubt it would make for a memorable night.

“Oooh. A late dinner date between two Principals? How scandalous.” Luna cooed teasingly. “Should I book a hotel?”

“Now now. It’s nothing that raunchy. We’re both mature adults. Not wild animals.”

“I’d beg to differ. If I remember correctly. You were just as wild as I was when we were both in college.”

“Your memory must be failing. I hear that happens a lot during old age.”

“Jerk.” She tossed him a punch which he masterfully failed to dodge. “Well I guess this is where we part ways. Wouldn’t want to keep my sister waiting.”

Sombra’s face tilted with confusion. “It doesn’t have to be. Lesty’s still going to be with the Board for another three hours. We may as well kill time here while we’re at it. What say you and I go through memory lane?”

“Now that’s something old people would say.” She countered back grinning cheesily from ear to ear. “But I don’t think we should hang out too long. A lot of students hang out in this place. People might get the wrong idea about us.”

“And when did you start worrying about public image?”

About the same time I woke up one night hammered in a frat house, smelling like a dumpster.

“You aren’t the only one who grew up after college.” She paused. “But on the off chance. What did you have in mind?”

“A movie or a walk in the park.” Two classic options for a short date. Though Luna expected something more out of him. “That… or you could go back to school and finish that stack of paperwork.”

…

Luna’s expression pruned at the mere mention of work. She knew she had to go back to it. But after enjoying such a satisfying meal she hardly had the stomach or capacity to return. She had no idea why, but she got the feeling that the stack must’ve gotten bigger by now.

“On a weekend no less.” Sombra added that last bit with a hint of pity in his voice. A twisted mockery of empathy that allured her to a more scenic life. She eyed him annoyingly knowing full well what he was trying to do.

And to no surprise… it worked.

“You’re despicable.” She mumbled while his triumphant grin widened. “Fine. But you’re treating to ice cream before this is all over.”

“I think I can afford it.” Sombra let out another cheer.

Bananas barked out lowly as he tried to reach for the bag of treats that hovered mysteriously over him. Flash gave a soft chuckle, enjoying his new found abilities for a spell, watching his dog jump up and down with futility and confusion. He glanced over his glowing hand as it hummed with new found power. The itch was still there, but he barely reacted to it. No doubt he was far too engrossed with the magic to even bother with such a minor discomfort.

“I can get used to this.” He muttered to no in particular before finally putting the bag of treats down and letting his little mutt gorge on it. It took some effort, a little bit of practice, and a whole heap of plates and utensils from the kitchen, but the boy was able to get the power under his control.

After nearly killing himself with a spoon and breaking a few kitchenware, Flash realized that everything just needed a little bit of easing in. Kind of like trying out a new car and getting used to the steering wheel. Not exactly the most unique metaphor, but that was how he would describe it to himself.

Eventually he was able to get a hang of the ability and now he began using it to move his room around. This is probably how Twilight manages to get all of her stuff done so quickly and efficiently. It was highly entertaining, addicting… and dangerous. How that girl resisted to abuse it was probably a testament to her patience.

Twilight…

Flash couldn’t help but reflect on that name.

There was no denying it, something weird was going on when he visited her. The way she acted around him was becoming more… attaching. It was more personal, more affectionate. It was like she wasn’t even sure of what she was trying to do. But he could see it. She had her guard down, shown her vulnerable side. So much so that she unconsciously invited him to her bedroom, her personal space. In his experience, you don’t get to do that until after the fifth or sixth date.

It’s no wonder Timber felt a little threatened. At first he thought that the guy was just being a paranoid boyfriend. But after seeing how her eyes glitter, and how she smiles oh so sweetly, anyone would mistake those action as signs of affection.

But he couldn’t really help it. Twilight just looked oh so unbearably adorable. Especially when she starts talking about topics she likes. It’s like her entire body lights up like a bumbling beam of energy that you could just watch for hours without getting bored. Even her cheeks looked squishy to the touch.

Honestly, if he knew that this world’s Twilight would be this cute, he would’ve swooped down on her a long time ago. Which is probably saying a lot considering his crush on her pony counterpart, who is now a ruler of an entire world.

Dang it. Thinking about her made him realize how jealous he is of Timber. He’s a lucky guy to get a girl like Twilight on his side.

Hope their date goes well.

*Woof!*

“Wha…? Oh crud!” Flash was drawn out of his thoughts when he realized several objects around him floating aimlessly like they were suspended in mid-air, including his dog which whimpered helplessly. “Uh… hold on Bananas! I got you.” He must’ve did it right because everything came crashing down afterward leaving a great big mess. “Oh…”

*Woof!* Bananas let out a happy bark and gave a quick lick to his master’s face. If Flash could hear him talk right now, he’d be reciting some poetry of gratitude.

“Wow… Twilight was right. Maybe I should lay off the magic until I get professional help.” His mutt agreed wholeheartedly on that.

A knock on the door suddenly followed with the voice of his butler chiming. “Master Flash? Are you alright? I heard a crash.” The man poked his head through the door with a hint of worry. But it all vanished a second later when he saw the mess.

The boy’s face went slack. “Uh… I was just… doing some cleaning?”

*Woof!*

“It… kinda got out of hand.”

“I noticed.” The butler replied with a monotone voice. “I shall send someone to… ‘Properly’ clean your room. Ahem. Anyway sir. I would highly recommend that your change into more comfortable attire. We have an appointment to keep.”

Appointment?

He tilted his head in confusion. “Really? With who?”

“Why… with the doctor of course.” He replied as a matter of factly. “Master Sombra arranged an appointment with Dr. Heartbeat today to give you the full checkup and to see the progress on your leg.”

Oh right. He almost forgot about that last injury. Ever since he removed the cast he hardly even recalled the pain.

“Was that today?” He whined. “Can’t you just tell him that I’ve healed and leave?”

“Absolutely not, Sir. The good Doctor has given up his valuable time to come all the way here. It would be insulting to simply shoo him away.”

“But I really don’t wanna.”

“It’s for your own good, Master Flash. Be a little considerate for your father as well, seeing as he wants you be fit and healthy. It’s not easy to get a doctor for a house call.” Yeah yeah… like you tell me a dozen times before. “Not to mention how expensive it is. Not just anyone can call on a renowned doctor like Heartbeat.”

“Alright alright. You don’t have to give the whole guilt-trip talk. I’ll go.”

“Please ensure that you are properly dressed sir. The good doctor will be here any minute now.” And as if on cue, the doorbell rang echoing throughout the house. “Impeccable timing. Master Flash…”

“Yeah yeah. I got it. Just give me a minute.”

Flash can’t recall going to a hospital before, so he really had no context on how people reacted to getting a medical checkup. He heard from his friends that they never liked it. The smell of the place and the ambience was just too tense, especially the dentists. And if that’s how they react, Flash would agree with them in a moment. He never liked doctors. Especially the guy his dad hired.

Dr. Heartbeat was the name. Any time Flash got a bike injury or suffer a slight cold or fever, his old man would dial the guy up like he was on a 24/7 house call. And he was scary beyond belief.

He always used big and complex words that was way beyond what a rocker like him would understand. Something Flash couldn’t really follow. The old guy would just plug some stuff onto him and get some readings like it was a repeated process. Edmund mostly jots down whatever the guy in the white coat says and gives everything to his old man. Then he just tells him that he was perfectly healthy and leaves without as much as a hi, hello, greetings or goodbye. While Dr. Heartbeat was undoubtedly one of the best in his field, his bedside manners were definitely something to be desired. He was like Twilight, except far less interesting to be with.

Speaking of which. Flash wondered if his magical arm would be read in the scans. It would be bad if something mysterious came upon the checkup. The last thing he wanted was to be a guinea pig for some kind of lab experiment…

… but then again he was tested on by Twilight so… that reasoning can’t be held in court.

So… fingers crossed.

“The doctor will be with up shortly sir.” His butler came along bringing out the old notes like they were research papers followed by a trolley with snacks on top. The guy never failed to bring in some lighthearted treats for him.

Flash passed his thanks along, pausing just for a moment before some idle thoughts came to his mind. “Hey Edmund. Can I ask you something?”

“Of course Master Flash. I’m always at your disposal.”

“Why hasn’t dad taken me to a hospital?”

It was such an innocent question born out of pure curiosity and a hint of boredom. Something so benign that you might’ve just let it pass overhead without a second thought. Flash even thought that the answer wouldn’t really matter. But the reaction he got out of his butler was different than what he expected.

Edmund’s body trembled as if struck by lightning. The normally unflappable servant of the household, whose actions were always so precise and on point, skipped a step and spilled tea onto the floor.

“Edmund?”

“Apologies sir. Just a little miscalculation.” The older man responded throwing a weak laugh into the mix. “As per your question: I’m afraid it is the result of your father. He… umm… let’s just say that he has a strong distaste for hospitals.”

“He hated hospitals? Why?”

“It would be regards to his late-wife, Ms. Hope.” Edmund added, taking a hollow breath. “When she passed away, Sir Sombra became somewhat… distant. There are too much memories in those places. He disliked hospitals ever since. Which is why he orders Dr. Heartbeat to provide whatever help he could.”

That was a pretty reasonable explanation. The loss of a love one can really change a man.

Still… Flash couldn’t help but feel like his butler was keeping something from him.

This is wrong…

This is all just so… wrong.

Twilight tried to fight the thoughts from her head, but she couldn’t.

Even as she stared at her own reflection in the mirror in the bathroom, she couldn’t deny the expression coming from her own face.

Her date with Timber went well. Surprisingly well in fact. The last few hours they spent together was undoubtedly the best they’ve had in months. They had good food, watched a movie, visited the petting zoo, and even shopped at her 2^nd favorite bookstore. And right now they were going to end it by having a super-smoothy at Midtown’s favorite ice cream parlor. This had all the hallmarks of a successful date. She should be grinning from ear to ear just like she did back in Camp Everfree. Perhaps even more so.

But that wasn’t the case. In fact… she was bored as heck. You might even say that this date was deader than a doorknob. Twilight tried. She really tried to enjoy herself, but nothing stuck. It was as if everything they did hardly left a mark on her.

Timber was the perfect gentleman too. He was polite, sweet, flirty, despite his strange shift in personality. But even so… it failed to garner any kind of reaction. He had all the words but none of the substance.

It’s like…

“All the flare you had for him died out.” Her reflection spoke out, taking the shape of her alter ego. “So…? How’s the date going so far?” That witch already knew. She just wanted to hear it.

“It’s… going fine.” It really wasn’t. “Just fine. He’s… great.”

“Are you trying to convince me… or yourself?” Midnight crooned, slowly hovering out of the mirror and floated around like a magical creature. “Face it girl. You can feel it inside your heart. There’s no magic between you two. All that crushing and fleeting feelings of love are dead and gone. Even a dummy can tell that you’re done with him. The guy’s a bore, a chump, a bread sandwich.” Was that a wordplay?

“But he’s really trying.”

“And certainly not succeeding.” She retorted. “Come on. I’ve been watching you from start to finish. And even you can’t be blind to the truth.” Indeed she cannot. As much as she hated to agree with her inner mind, she wasn’t wrong. Timber simply didn’t invoke the usual reaction out of her like before. His words were colorful and his actions were pure. But they felt… empty on the inside. It was all style with no substance. “So… are you ready to admit it?”

Damn you, accursed demon! Can’t you just leave me alone for a few minutes to gather my thoughts?

Twilight gritted her teeth and sighed. She didn’t want to admit it but the Angel was right. The old crush she had with Timber no longer existed. It was high and dry, dead and gone, it wrinkled up and turned to dust.

…

…

…

No. That wasn’t right either.

The emptiness she felt, the boredom, the shallow feeling of irritation has always been there. Far longer than either of them knew. It’s just that she didn’t want to accept it.

This was her first ever loving relationship after all. So naturally everything was new. Heck she even thought she might spend the rest of her life with Timber. The future they had planned together felt so sure, so certain, like it was written in stone.

And when he invited her to move to his place, she was even more certain that… her destiny was set.

But that wasn’t it. That wasn’t the future she wanted.

“How long?”

“Eh?”

“How long have I been feeling this way?” She asked. “You’ve been telling me about this whole… dry spell. When did I start becoming… like this?”

Midnight scoffed. “You really think I’d keep a record of all your emotional baggage? I’m an observer, not a record keeper. If anything I’d rather forget half of the stuff you know.” Insulting but not unexpected. “Besides… does it really matter when? The important thing is that you know it and that you’re aware of what you feel. The bigger question is… what are you going to do now?”

“Me?”

“Don’t give me that look. It’s already obvious that you got no hots for the guy. You’re ready to move on. So be the bigger person around here and do what needs to be done.”

“And that would be…?”

Midnight’s eyes rolled. “Let me put this in a way that even a nerd like you can understand. Break-Up-With-Him.”

Twilight’s face filled with dread. Oh god. That voice inside her head was right. Accumulating all the knowledge she gained from movies and TV series, she recalled that she now had to perform the most hated pieces in every long loving relationship.

The breakup.

It was going to be heart wrenching. There’d probably be tears, a lot of begging and pleading – and a whole mess of explaining.

Ugh… she was definitely not looking forward to that.

Maybe she could send him a text or a voicemail inste—

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” The Fallen Angel bellowed with the cries of every man and woman who experienced such a betrayal. “You are not going to leave this guy up to dry with a half-baked goodbye! What kind of a sick, cold, heartless person would breakup with another guy with a note!?”

In a far off meeting room, a certain Principal felt a disturbance in the force. She turned away from the hearing, glancing suspiciously by the window.

“Is everything alright ma’am?”

She quickly brushed it off apologetically. “No. Just my imagination. Please continue, Councilor.”

“But it’s going to be so awkward and… weird.” Twilight tried to reason but her subconscious wasn’t having any of it.

“That doesn’t give you an excuse to dump a guy with a blasted note!” She yelled, eyes blaring fire. “This is what you get for not understanding your own feelings faster. Consider it karma. You are going to go back out there, bring Timber to the table, get him to talk, break up with him, and you’re going to give a proper and logical reason for it. You will deal with whatever comes up afterward.”

“But what if he takes it the wrong way? What if I hurt him?”

“Better him than stringing him along. Now stop being a scaredy cat and go and face the music. You’ve been in this bathroom for over ten minutes now. Other folks might think you got bad stomach or something.”

“W… wait. What do I say to him?”

“How should I know? You’re the one in a committed relationship. You figure it out! Now get!”

Ughhhh! Dang it! Why does she have to be right today!?

Groaning angrily at herself and her alter ego, Twilight pushed the door and readied herself for battle.

But the idea poofed away when she bumped onto Mrs. Cake spilling what looked like a tray of donuts.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry Mrs. Cake. I didn’t see you there.” She knelt down to pick the pastries. “Here. Let me help you get that.”

“Oh no need dearie. Just a little leftover from the table.” The older lady smiled back as sweetly as ever. “You’ve been in there for a long time. Is everything alright?”

“Y… yeah. I was just… fixing myself.”

“It’s not constipation is it?”

Constipa… wha?

“What? No! Nothing like that. Really.”

“That’s good. Don’t want you young folks go through that kind of trauma.” Mrs. Cake added, quickly dumping the leftover pastries to the bin. “Are you and your boyfriend having some love problems?”

“No.” At least not yet.

“Good good. I would want you two arguing like what he did with that other fellow.”

What?

“What?”

“What?” Twilight’s ears perked up at the thought. “What do you mean? Are you… talking about Timber?”

“Yeah. That boy of yours got into an argument with some other guy the other day. It was more of a one-sided yelling really. My husband said it got really heated too.” Timber was having an argument with someone? He never mentioned anything to her. That normally sounds like something you’d share.

“Who was he arguing with?”

“Uh… I don’t recall his name. But it that blue haired fellow. The one who was dating that redhead friend of yours.”

Twilight’s lips turned a frown.