//------------------------------// // Determination // Story: Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic // by onekface //------------------------------// Chapter 85: Determination (Equestria) (Canterlot Castle) Sunset let out a sigh as she strolled down the castle. It’s been an hour since she was kicked out of the library as the Princesses took over, barring her from even looking at the destroyed portal. The twin royals practically locked down the whole place doubling the guards and locking all the doors. Talk about paranoid. Though she would guess their former mentor had something to do with it. Dang it. All their hard work gone, just like that. Starswirl could’ve at least waited for them to test the portal at least. It was hard to tell if the portal would even lead them to Ezaquatel. I mean… who was he to decide who can make portals around here? Just because he happens to be the greatest wizard of his time, doesn’t mean he can dictate what others can do! For the love of Celestia, for someone who Twilight idolizes, he can be such a pain in the neck. For once she wished Twilight wouldn’t bother to bring him back from Limbo. Heck, maybe he should be the one stuck in that place! “Sunset?” The red maned pony jolt up from her anger when Stygian poked her. “Are… are you ok? You looked kinda scary for a minute there.” She quickly shook away the anger, taking a deep breath. She felt something boiling inside of her. “Sorry. I was just… thinking about what happened. I mean… all of our hard work just went up in flames. We were so close on finding out if it actually worked too. We put so much effort in that portal, and then Starswirl just comes out of nowhere and breaks it all down. That’s just so not fair.” “I know how you feel.” Stygian rolled his eyes. “I tried to use the artifacts of my friends to become their equal and they accused me of stealing their power, and then banished me from Equestria. It’s not the same thing but I just thought I’d put it out there.” He tried to crack a bad joke, but it didn’t exactly click. “Aheh. So what’ll you do now?” “I… don’t know. I can’t exactly do anything around here. Not without Princess Celestia and Princess Luna barring my way to the library. If anything… I’ll… probably head back to the human world and find another way to help. They’re probably missing me already. But right after I check up on Starlight.” “Want me to tag along? I can give a good pep talk.” “Nah. I think it’d be best if we didn’t overcrowd her. Talks like these are best done in private… and some ice-cream.” Stygian nodded along in understanding before they parted ways. Soon enough Sunset found herself in front of the guest room where Starlight was residing. The girl must be devastated after hearing Celestia’s decree. Being unable to save her friend, and told to abandon him for the betterment of the world? She couldn’t even begin to understand what she’s going through. Best to take it easy and be there for her. No need to take things too quickly. Starlight’s probably sobbing her eyes out. … or at least that’s what Sunset expected to find. “Starlight? Are you o…kay?” She caught the headmare in the process of… wait… is that a magic circle? “Oh! Sunset. Hi.” The purple unicorn laughed comically as she tried to hide something with a few pillows – only that it barely concealed the light illuminating within. “Umm… I was just um… packing.” “It looks more like you’re about to cast a powerful spell.” Sunset threw in an accusing look. “What are you planning?” “N… nothing.” Not a very convincing lie and she knew it. “Ugh… ok. I’m… actually doing… something. I’m uh… using a summoning spell.” And it’s a pretty strong one too. Enough to conjure a magical familiar. “And what are you doing, exactly?” “Looking for help help.” She replied plainly and bluntly. “I know Princess Celestia and Princess Luna told me that I should abandon this whole… expedition. But… I can’t. I’m not going to abandon Sunburst there. Not as long as there’s a chance that he’s still alive over there.” “And… how do you plan on doing that?” “By getting help from the only creature in all of Equestria that has knowledge of ancient magic.” She paused, noticing the red pony’s gawking expression. “I know you don’t approve…” “Don’t approve? Are you kidding me?” Sunset scoffed like that was the last thing on her mind. “I’m totally in! You’re not the only one who isn’t giving up around here.” “Really?” “Honestly I was thinking you might’ve been depressed and crying your eyes out. I even brought ice cream for the occasion.” Sunset pulled out the said ice cream from her saddlebag. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t leave Sunburst behind.” “It’s kind of what friends do after all.” She brushed her mane awkwardly. “But are you sure you want to join me? I mean… this might be dangerous.” “I’ve dealt with all manners of shadow monsters, survived a sinking cruise ship, time traveling scenarios, and saw my own apartment burn down to the ground. I think I can handle a little more danger. Besides… like you said: That’s what friends do. I’m only disappointed that you didn’t bother to include me. This is the kind of thing I live for.” Rebelling against the social order and giving the royal sisters the hoof? It reminded her of the days when she was still in Celestia’s magic school. Though to a lesser degree. Starlight’s face grew a soft but thankful smile in return. “I…… thanks Sunset…” “You can thank me after we get Sunburst back. So what’s the plan?” The purple unicorn nodded and tapped the magic circle with her hoof. “Firstly, we’re gonna need some help. Without the castle’s resources or facilities, we’ll need someone who can provide us with what we need to build a new portal. And with the distance we need to make, it’d be best if I brought him here.” “But doesn’t the castle defenses stop people from teleporting in and out?” “Conventional magic, yes. But this is… far more complicated than that.” Sure. That made no sense. “It would be better if I showed you. I’m surprised I didn’t think of it sooner. Ah… ahem.” Starlight took a deep breath before yelling out. “Hear me, fair citizens of Outerland!” Wait… what? “Dark forces has wormed its way to the heart of our nation! Evil now bears its fangs! Thus I call the champions of old to answer this cry for help! Come forth and claim thy quest!” Sunset couldn’t help but blink in confusion of the whole speech. Was that some kind of monologue? A ritual spell? Magic words of some sort? If it was, then it was a spell she certainly didn’t know of. For a brief moment there was silence. Nothing but the birds chirping outside and the occasional guards yawning in the hallway. But that soon changed when the magic circle lit up, humming with power. The two unicorns backed away slightly, before at long last, a puff of smoke conjured from within, revealing the champion that was summoned. “Huzzah! Greetings your majesty. Captain Wuzz of the Radiant Woods, has arrived to answer your summons!” An oddly familiar Draconequus appeared from the smoke, dressed up like a cheap cosplayer with wig and bow in hand. “What mighty foe threatens thee? What mighty beast shall we vanquish this day? And better yet, what might be our rewarrrr—ah… hey wait a minute. This isn’t our usual haunt. It doesn’t smell like cheap drinks, cards, and cold pizza. What gives? Oh?” His eye wandered towards Sunset. “And who is this? Another new player for our game?” “Sunset… meet… Discord. Discord, Sunset. Don’t let his appearance get to you. He’s a good friend.” Starlight answered awkwardly, earning a questioning brow from the LITERAL Lord of Chaos. “As for the usual gang. They’re uh… not here. Sorry.” Discord stretched his neck towards them, eyeing the purple pony with grave suspicion. “You did summon me for a rousing game night of Ogres and Oubliettes, did you not?” “Sorry… but no. I… actually called you in for a favor.” The multi-limbed monster let out an annoyed groan. “You appear to be abusing your status as Queen of Outerland, your highness. That was a dirty trick you did there, so don’t expect to see my vote on your next election. Besides, I don’t really do favors. Sounds like a lot of work.” “Wait!” Starlight pleaded just as he raised his claws to snap. “Please Discord. It’s important. It’s Sunburst. He’s in danger!” That was enough to get Discord to pause. “Sir Sunray of Fangleton, Champion of Outerland, the level 12 Paladin of our party? In dire trouble? Well why didn’t you say so? You really should’ve opened up with that? I’m always happy to aid a fellow O&O veteran like Sunburst. Besides, he still owes me 10 silvers for getting him that new armor set. So what kind of unmitigated problem did he find himself in this time? Did his cape get flushed down the toilet, tugging him with it again? Or maybe he got stuck with another one of his experiments? Honestly, he’s such a magnet for trouble. Never fails to make me laugh.” “Uh… not quite.” … … … Starlight would spend the next ten minutes explaining the recent events that transpired at the castle. Discord listened intently, his smile slowly fading with each iteration. He discarded his fancy outfit and conjured a tea set to pass the time. “Oh my. That is quite the predicament he’s having. Sounds like quite an adventure too.” “So… can you help?” “Of course! I would be more than happy to.” That’s great! Having the Lord of Chaos on their side will definitely be a good thing… I hope. “… is what I would say if I could actually help.” “What?” Starlight gawked. “Sorry. But what you’re asking is a little way~~~ over my capabilities.” “But… but you’re the Lord of chaos! You can do anything.” “The Lord of Chaos, yes.” He countered, taking a quick sip of his tea. “But even the powers of chaos have some limits. Ugh… even saying it makes me queasy. I can make gravity go sideways, make it rain chocolate, or turn the mountain into gelatin. But the moment my magic leaves this world, it becomes um… what’s the word I’m looking for? Like tea with too much water?” “Diluted? Sunset offered. “Yes! That’s right. Diluted. The magic of chaos is very restrictive to its origins. But on the other hand…” He gave a dramatic pause. “… I can pull things in.” “Pull things in?” The two ponies tilted their heads. “My magic gets weaker when it goes to the other world. But that doesn’t mean I can’t bring the other world to here. I mean… where do you think I conjure all these fantastical things? Creating chaos isn’t as easy as pulling a rabbit out of a hat.” He demonstrated by doing that exact thing. But instead of a rabbit, it was another version of himself. “Hello rabbit me.” “Hello other me.” He vanished a second later. “Wait. You mean to tell me you can bring anything from another world?” “Mostly random things.” He let out a childish giggle. “A few junk here, a funny creature there. Last time I tried something like that, I pulled another version of Spike from a land of mermaids. It was one silly afternoon. Quite entertaining.” Starlight’s eyes widened as an idea came through. “Do you think you can bring Sunburst back if you did it again?” The Draconequus tilted his head in thought. “Hmm… that is a possibility. But I’ll need to know the exact place he’s in. Otherwise I’ll just be pulling random things out of nowhere. Like this.” He demonstrated, pulling more stuff out of the hat including a Pony that looked somewhat like Derpy. “Oops…” He snapped his fingers sending them all back. “You see? Chaos is powerful. But when it comes to precision… it’s… meh.” “What if you had a portal?” Sunset asked. “A portal to that specific world. Can it help?” “Hmm… maybe. Never really tried it.” “But how are we gonna build another portal?” Starlight questioned. “Starswirl pretty much took all of our research and our equipment. And even if we could make one here, the Princesses will know about it.” “Who said we have to build it here?” Sunset grinned just as she pulled out her magical journal. “Meet me at the castle garden in half an hour. I got an idea.” (Canterlot High) Oh dear. This wasn’t good. Fluttershy looked at herself in the mirror in her locker trying to make sure that she was still herself. Ears looked normal, no elongated nose hair, no bat teeth, tails, or any horns for that matter. She was human… or at least she looked good enough to pass as human and not some hybrid creature that came straight out of a fictional novel. If you’re wondering why she was so antsy with her own appearance, you can point the blame at her new abilities. Ever since she managed to turn back to human form, it has made her extra self-conscious. As Twilight described it, she had the power to morph into any animal of her choosing (Sorta). Twilight said that it was pretty cool, but so far it’s been nothing but a mitigated disaster just waiting to happen. There was no telling when she would lose control over this power. Last night when she got home, she turned into a dolphin when she was in the showers. And when she woke up this morning, she saw herself turned into a lama in the mirror and nearly gave her mother a heart attack. There was also the annoyance of cleaning up all the fur she left behind too. Thankfully there was a way of controlling it. From what Twilight surmised, the whole thing was somehow related to her emotional state. She just needed to keep the feelings in check and make sure it doesn’t leak out. There were a lot more technical stuff she put in but Fluttershy decided to just keep it simple so it wouldn’t tax her brain. It shouldn’t be too hard. She was good at keeping her emotions in check. She was the master of it. All she had to do was be totally stoic… like Maud! Hopefully none of the teachers would notice anything out of the ordinary. Principal Celestia was adamant about keeping magic out of school. Imagine what would happen if she suddenly turned into an elephant in the middle of class. She wouldn’t be able to live with the shame. “Sup Flutterwings. You’re looking super band-digidy pretty, this morning.” “Oh… hello Tree Hugger.” She greeted her lockermate. “I was just… umm… what?” “You’ve been looking at yourself on that mirror for ten minutes now.” The hippy explained with an amused chuckle. “Never figured you one to be self-conscious over looks.” Was she taking that long. “O… oh! It’s nothing. I was just umm… checking my teeth. I had a big breakfast this morning and I think I might’ve gotten something stuck.” Tree Hugger’s squinted eyes, and half-curled grin stated that she didn’t believe a lick of it. “Uh huh. More like you’re trying to put some extra effort for someone special.” I am? “I am?” “Oh come on Fluttercheeks. Pretty much everybody knows it now after the stunt you pulled at the fundraising fair.” “Know… what?” “About you and the Flash. The whole school saw you locking arms with him and walking around the grounds the other day like you were the only couple in the world.” Fluttershy blinked… and then twice before her memories clicked in. “Oh… OH! That…… thing.” “Yeah him!” Tree Hugger chimed laughing heavily like she had been wanting to talk about it for so long. “I never would’ve believed it myself if I didn’t see it firsthand. I mean… I know this guy is the golden goose of the school and all that. But man~~. You really struck gold there, sister. That’s so radical.” Yes… radical indeed. “How come you never told me you were going steady with handsome rocker boy? Figured you’d go with someone calm, cool and kinda centered… like yourself, not like the… Chaotic type.” Honestly, neither did she. “Uh… well… it’s kind of… complicated.” Very complicated. So complicated that even she didn’t know how deep it ran. “It just sorta… happened?” “Hmmm I’ll bet.” The hippy gal eyed her down, still grinning. “So? Spill girl. At least give me something to go on. I needs-ta-know how my best friend got together with THE rock star of Canterlot High. Was he the one who asked you out, or did you initiate it? Though I can’t imagine you getting up and asking someone out like that.” If Fluttershy felt insulted, she showed it through her downtrodden face. Though her friend didn’t seem to mind. “What’s it like going out with Mr. Alpha? Is he cute and charming like a Prince or is he rowdy and wild like an animal?” Please don’t ask me these kinds of questions. They’re really not something I’m used to answering. All Fluttershy could do was freeze, flinch and stutter. “Speaking of animals. I’m liking the rabbit ears. You trying a new look? Where’d ya get’em?” Rabbit ears? Fluttershy quickly checked herself in the mirror and immediately saw two bunny ears sprouting from her head. It’s the same ones from before. She brushed them away in panic which they then vanished in a puff of magical smoke. Dang it. Her emotions were spilling out again. She can’t let down her guard for even a second. “You should say hi to him.” Fluttershy froze. “Oh… no. I don’t think I should…” “Why not? It’s natural for couples to just hang around together, right?” “Umm… well… not right now. I kind of… have… things to do.” Tree Hugger shrugged. “Fine. But you owe me a story on how you guys started out. A Lot of folks are curious about him.” The hippy gal gave a knowing wink before heading off, leaving the animal lover behind to sigh in distraught. Fluttershy glanced over her mirror again and saw her bunny ears plop out. And again she patted them down only to see them plop out a third time. This was going to be a long day if this thing keeps happening. “Oh dear. I hope I won’t turn into animal in the middle of class. I don’t think I can handle all this pressure.” “You said it sister.” Another voice interjected with a whiny accented tone. “Applejack?” Fluttershy greeted questioningly before glancing at what looked like the largest corn she has ever laid eyes on. “Is that a…?” “Corn? Yeah.” She grunted holding the said vegetable up like it was some kind of hammer. The thing was huge enough to be considered a weapon at this point. “Happened just last night. I tried using my powers to see what else I can do with it. Turns out it can make any plant grow a hundred times bigger – just like Twilight said. Though I didn’t really expect it to turn my backyard into a forest. Spent all morning trimming the grass before things got out of hand.” “That sounds… troubling.” “Tell me about it! I have no idea how this thing works. I just touch something then poof, it turns all… weird-like. Just last night, my whole bed started growing vines all over the place. It covered the whole floor like a bad case of overgrowth. Had to chop them off before Granny saw anything.” “At least you can still walk around.” They turned to the other voice only to find Rainbow Dash waddling towards them wearing what looked like six layers of jackets. “Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy tilted her head. “W… what are you wearing?” “It’s my winter uniform.” She responded bluntly, her words dripping with sarcasm. “What do you think I’m wearing? I can’t touch anything because of my new powers! Gah!” She flinched after taking one step forward, her shoes sending out an electrical buzz noise. “Ever since I got them, ouch! I can’t touch anything without getting myself shocked like some kind of super-conductor. Ow!” She reached out for her bag only to get electrocuted by the fabric. “I’ve been like this all day. I couldn’t even eat breakfast! I hardly got any sleep! Yeow! Ow! Doh!” Every surface her skin touched made her flinch. In fact, one might even think that she was doing some kind of weird ritual dance. “Aww, you poor thing.” Fluttershy reached out only to find herself shocked too at the slightest touch. “Ow! You’re right. That is troubling.” “You said it. Ow!” Another jolt surged from her fingers. “We need a solution… and fast. We can’t go on like this. I’m gonna lose my mind if I keep jumping at everything I do!” And that they can all agree. Fluttershy won’t be able to live with herself if she suddenly turned into a rabbit in the middle of class. Or worse yet. A donkey. xxxxxxxxxx Out on the other side of school, Professor Doodle felt a disturbance in the force. xxxxxxxxxx “I’m with Rainbow Dash on this one.” Applejack nodded, putting her giant corn down. “But what can we do? Sunset’s still in Equestria and Twilight’s got her own stuff to deal with. Unless one of us knows a way to deal with this new magic, we’re stranded like a couple of kids in a deserted island.” That was also true. None of them were proficient in magic other than the powers they were given, and a few handy dandy spells Sunset taught them. But other than those, their knowledge was pretty limited. Makes you wonder how much the rest of them relied on those two for all their magical problems. “Hey guys!” Another friendly voice interjected bouncing into the conversation like a slingshot. No surprise, it was Pinkie Pie. And unlike the rest of them, she seemed to having little trouble controlling her powers. The girl was practically bouncing around more so than normal as her new ability seemed to turn every surface she touched into gelatin making her go boing like the worlds’ weirdest basketball. “Enjoying the new powers? I certainly am. You have got to try this.” “Pinkie!” Applejack grabbed her just in time as Principal Celestia passed by. The sudden rumble caught her attention which made the Principal turn her gaze at them suspiciously. They plastered a reassuring smile on their faces, waving her off as if everything was normal. It was only thanks to the interruption of Ms. Cheerilee that they were able to get away with it. “Are you out of your mind?” “Nope. My mind’s still right here.” She bonked her head in response, giggling happily as ever. “You do know that Principal Celestia banned all magic in school, right? If she catches you or any of us using magic, we’ll be big trouble. And I’ve had enough of trouble for one morning.” “Aww… but these new powers of mine are totally awesome! It’s like I’m living inside a world made out of trampolines! Or a world made of jello! You should try it.” “We need a way to control these powers.” Fluttershy reminded. “Otherwise we’ll be like this forever. Anyone got any ideas?” Sadly none came to mind. At least not until Rainbow gave her two cent. “Hey, instead of asking Twilight to fix this problem. Why don’t we ask Flash instead?” They all turned to her. “I mean… he’s the whole reason why we got these powers in the first place, right? Maybe he can help us control it or maybe even remove it.” Huh… that was a thought. “Maybe if we do another magical handshake, it’ll make things right again.” It was a shot in the dark. And honestly they didn’t have much of an option. “That might actually work.” Applejack again agreed, finding little reason to argue. “I saw him at Home Ec earlier. Maybe we can all meet up at lunch. Can you guys hold out for a few more hours?” Rainbow Dash grumbled under her layered jackets. “Do we have a choice? Ow!” xxxxxxxxxx Oh my. This really is serious. Rarity had always enjoyed drama. They were the special ingredient needed to spice things up in life. Some were captivating and some were frightening. But nonetheless it added some excitement to this somewhat mundane livelihood. “Twilight, darling. This is rather big news. Why in the world would you want to break up with dear old Timber? You two are quite the adorable couple in my eyes. I figured you were happy.” “I thought so too.” Twilight sighed, leaning on her seat like she had just the worst-day-ever. “But the more I hung around with him, the more I realized that the spark we had together just isn’t there anymore. I used to see him as the cute, perfect guy who I would always love to be with. But now…” “But…?” “Now… I’m not so sure.” She slumped tiresomely. “Now it’s just… empty and…” “Boring? Mundane? Lacking flare and pizazz?” “Not the words I would use… but… kinda. It’s just… being with him has become… too tiresome.” Ah… the natural dilemma. What a breath of fresh air. An actual relationship problem that she could actually handle. And not a single hint of a certain blue haired boy in the mixture. Yeah… she can deal with this. “Twilight Twilight Twilight…” Rarity began in a joyful tone, leaning back in her seat and enjoying the privacy of the band room. “You’re way overthinking this. People are very complicated creatures. Our needs and wants change overtime. You can’t exactly remain stagnant forever. Why… take me for example. About a week ago I used to wear Aunt Moose’s Eye Liners thinking that they were the finest in the city. But then a week later I turned to using regular eye liners. Think of it like fashion. One minute you go goth, then tomorrow you’ll turn to Victorian fashion and the day after that, exotic will be the new in thing. Do you understand, darling?” “Uh… no.” “Fashions change as the seasons change. And just like fashion, YOU are changing.” She gave her a poke on the chest. “Perhaps back then you were into Timber because you had little to no interest in your own love life. But now that your world has expanded… your interests broadens. Sure we all love your adorable Timber. He’s cute, funny, smart, and gets your nonsensical jokes. I wouldn’t mind if you two got together. But if he no longer gives you that flare in your heart, then it is only right that you break up with him. It’s perfectly normal for relationships to break down after a long while. Better to end it now than stringing him along.” “Yeah… I know that. But I don’t know how.” Twilight groaned. “I mean… Timber’s my first ever boyfriend. And interpersonal relationships aren’t really my expertise. That’s why I came to you.” “I’m honored that you feel that way.” “I mean… you must’ve had plenty of relationships before. How did you break up with your first boyfriend?” Rarity froze. Her eyes locked upward while she plastered a cool smile on her face. Sweat threatened to pour as her brain went into overdrive. Crap crap. Double crap. This isn’t good. Despite all of Rarity’s words of wisdom, she will never openly admit that she never really had a deep relationship before. As a matter of fact, every advice she gives out about love and crushes are pretty much pulled out of TV dramas and romantic novels in which she poured hours over. They were perhaps somewhat believable to the untrained mind like her friends. If it were anyone else, they’d see pass her sham immediately. She may as well be pulling her words out of that one place where the sun don’t shine. “Rarity?” “Ah… ahem. It… doesn’t really matter.” She forced out a cough. “No two relationships are ever alike my dear. You can’t possibly garner anything from my… ‘Previous’ experience.” Twilight eyed her, but it seemed like she bought that excuse. Phew. Nice save Rarity. “Anyway. In my personal experience. If you want to break up with someone, you must do so face-to-face. Anything less than that is unacceptable.” “Ugh… she said the same thing too.” Twilight mumbled in her hand. “I’m an awful person, aren’t I?” “Feeling bad about a break up is natural darling. But it is for the best. Anywho. If you really want to get the flow going. I would suggest taking the lead.” Rarity added to which her friend listened intently. “I suggest inviting Timber over. Not a date. But as a sit down period. A serious talk to discuss your relationship. But you must be the one to initiate it.” “And how do I do that?” “Call him over. Invite him to a place where both of you can feel comfortable. Be gentle so as you won’t overwhelm him. Give him your reasoning. Tell him straight of why you’re breaking up with him. Don’t stutter and be direct. We wouldn’t want any misunderstandings to happen now.” Trust me, I’ve seen enough of that to last me a lifetime. “That sounds… hard.” “I never said it would be easy, darling. Consider it another task that you can put under your belt. So when someone has a relationship problem, you can put your own experience to good use.” “I thought you said that no two relationship are alike.” Dang it. She always could poke holes in her words. “This is this. That was that darling.” Twilight gave her a confused look. “In any case. You should absolutely do this as soon as possible. I would even say tonight if permitted.” “Tonight!?” “You don’t want this who charade to go on forever now, do you?” Twilight flicked her glasses and went into deep thought. She was probably processing all this information and troubleshoot a solution. She looked absolutely adorable too being all panicky inside. “I guess you’re right. I can’t leave it hanging forever.” With a heavy heart and a troublesome sigh, the girl reached for her phone and began typing a painful text. “And I know just the spot to meet him.” It looks like she has a hand on things. Though Rarity had to admit that she pitied poor little Timber. He definitely deserved better. The guy was sweet and well-mannered even with his many many faults. But stringing a dead relationship was unhealthy. So… all in all, this would be a good thing for the both of them. “There. It’s done.” Twilight declared, putting her phone down, dreading for the reply that would eventually come. “What do I do now?” “Now, we wait.” Rarity answered resting her head in her hand. “Despite this whole break up thing. I find this whole talk with you rather refreshing for a change.” “You find my break up to be… refreshing?” “Oh don’t get me wrong. It’s a horrifying experience to be sure. But with all the relationship trouble I’ve been dealing with our friends, this is far worthwhile experience.” “Our friends have relationship problems?” Twilight’s eyes rose in interest. “Who?” “Sorry darling. But these lips are sealed on the matter.” Rarity did a zip motion on her mouth chuckling softly. “Let’s just say that their love lives aren’t as glamorous as life makes it to be in television. Speaking of which. Mind sharing some details on yours? I figured we could pass the time here with a little small talk.” Twilight didn’t seem to mind and shrugged back nonchalantly. “What was it that made you decide to break up with sweet old Timber?” Rarity asked, much to her friend’s surprise. “Clearly he must’ve done something to make you all… heartbreaking.” Twilight fidgeted a bit, stubbing her shoe into the floorboard. Her eyes shifted away, avoiding Rarity completely before she finally answered. “I guess you could say it was a long time coming. I mean we’ve been going on so many dates, went to so many places, it’s hard to keep track of them all. I suppose it was everything we did together.” So she was pretty much just bored with the same old routine. Pretty standard for school drama. “And then there was this big fight he had.” Big fight? Rarity’s eyes widened. It sounded like a story. Violence, tension, pure raw emotions! Yes! Finally! Something interesting. “A big fight you say?” She asked, taking a quick brush on her hair, pretending to be mildly interested while in truth she was being giddy inside. It’s about high time this circle of friends got into the more nature of life. “Yeah. Apparently he had this argument with Flash some time ago.” Wha…? Rarity’s comb snapped in two. Her head was aching again. “Rarity?” WHY……..!? (Timber’s Apartment) Timber felt…… good. He felt different. Heck he looked different. He could hardly recognize the man staring back at him in the mirror. Was he always this tall? Did his jaw looked this rugged? Was his hair always so slick? And what was that suit he was wearing? It looked like a cross between a jacket and a blazer. The lady at the fashion store told him it was some sort of the latest trend amongst the fashion of today, but sadly he couldn’t really get the name. The lady didn’t seem to mind taking his money though. Well whatever it was, he was definitely killing it. The boy checked himself again, striking a pose. He didn’t just look like a winner, he felt like it too. One might say he even looked superior to the lesser folk. How can anyone say no to a face like that? Twilight did. And that thought alone made the boy pause. All this glamor, all this charm. It wasn’t worth squat if it didn’t even impress her. Twilight hardly even looked at him. No… it was more like she didn’t even recognize him. Did he do something wrong? Was it too much for her to process? Or maybe he should change into something more expensive and fancy? “Your worries are apparent for all to see.” Timber jolted when a voice suddenly spoke up from somewhere in his room. He scanned around thinking it was the wind, only to find his reflection in the mirror warp into a familiar figure. “Or perhaps that is merely what we all agree.” “Z… Zecora? Is that you?” The figure smiled under her veiled face, tilting sideways in mocking amusement. “I sensed your irritation from across the void. I began to wonder what it was that made your so… annoyed. Was my gift to you not to your satisfaction? Are you perhaps displeased with our transaction?” “N… no… NO!” He hastily replied. “Everything is great. The money got me everything I wanted.” “Wealth is an illusion you bonded. But I sense what you gained was not what you wanted.” “I… no.” He slumped down. The sudden confident posture he had vanished. “Don’t get me wrong. It feels great. I didn’t think I could get so much. But… none of it really matters if I can’t even get the girl I really like to rekindle our love.” He groaned. “I thought if I showed Twilight that I was a completely new person she might see me in a new light. But instead it just made me look like a weirdo. With all the money I have right now, I can get her anything she could ever want. A new house, a new centrifuge, all the books money could buy. She can have everything. I even offered her a new lab to work in. But she didn’t want it.” “Love is worth more than what wealth can offer. The feeling of safety, the joy of laughter.” “I know what love is worth. But for Twilight, that isn’t enough! I need something more. Something that would wow her. Something that’ll make her look at me like she did the first time we met. I mean… what makes that Flash guy so much better than me?” Zecora’s eyes gleamed. “Flash Sentry, you mean?” “Yeah. The pretty rich boy from Uptown. What does he have that I don’t? Money? Love of music? I have both of those and yet… she still sees him.” “Perhaps you are merely looking in the wrong direction. There is often a reason for her… infatuation.” Timber squinted questioningly. “You know her better than most. You should know… what it is she boasts.” “Well… if anything, she likes studying magic. And Flash doesn’t have magic.” “Are you quite sure of that?” The image in the mirror shifted again swirling in a smoky picture. “Is… is that…?” The picture suddenly came clear again showing the house by the hill. It was the gang’s unofficial club house. A safe haven of sorts. And there at the courtyard, was his girlfriend, smiling brightly along with her friends. “What is this?” “A picture of the past.” The strange witch explained. “A meeting second to last.” Timber was starting to think this woman was only rhyming for the sake of rhyming. But his thoughts were too preoccupied when he suddenly noticed the blue haired bastard walking out of the house. He couldn’t hear them but he could see their faces well enough. Timber felt his guts squeezing every moment Flash was near Twilight. She watched her laugh as the boy in the mirror said something that amused her. Her eyes sparkled brilliantly as they spoke, yammering away with all kinds of friendly comments. And that smile? He hasn’t seen that kind of warm loving smile in ages. Not since their time at the botanical garden years ago. She probably wasn’t even aware of her own actions. But why? Why him? What made that guy more appealing than him? It can’t be the looks. Twilight wasn’t as shallow as to allow simple appearance to sway her heart. She wasn’t that kind of gal. And it definitely wasn’t the pedigree or his wealth. It had to be something. Something he couldn’t see. And his answer came sooner than expected when he saw Flash’s hand glow with a radiant power. It was faint but he could see it. It was the same glow that came from their geodes. A pulsing energy that sparked his girlfriend’s interest. He… he has magic. “He has magic!?” “Power from beyond the common the air.” Zecora responded. “A power no amount of wealth can compare.” Timber jolted back as if struck by realization. Magic. Of course. It was the one thing he could never conceive. The one thing he could never truly relate with Twilight. But if Flash managed to get his hands on some… that must be how he enticed her. It made sense. It has to! The vision faded, returning to the woman once more. “So that’s why.” Timber wanted to laugh at his idiocy. Heh… what a stupid notion to think that it was all so complicated. All that because of magic. Well… two can play at that game, Flash. He reached out for the sapphire necklace. A present he wanted to give to Twilight and clutched it hard. “Zecora. I want another gift.”