//------------------------------// // Torn // Story: Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic // by onekface //------------------------------// Chapter 88: Torn (Park) Ok something strange was going here. Flash could feel it right under his nose. … or better yet, he could feel it right beneath his feet. The park was changing. It was slow and subtle but he could see it manifest from the corner of his eye. He and Rarity were trailing Twilight just a moment ago following them through a dirt path. But ever since then the park around them began to turn into some sort of rain forest – and not the good kind either. Trees and roots began to spring out of nowhere. Their once vibrant branches began to grow horrifyingly, thorns and vines sprouting from within. Their barks now forming faces resembling that of monsters from kids’ books. It was like this whole place was becoming… alive. “Alright. That’s it!” The boy paused as he heard Rarity whine. “This is ridiculous! I’ve heard about incompetence before but this is unacceptable! Whoever is in charge of maintaining this park should be taken out back and fired! This mess is a gross negligence of maintenance!” And he would agree. This place was starting to look like a haunted forest like the Everfree Woods. But the trees were oddly shaped. It almost looked as if they were dead for months. Their leaves stripped down to the last petal, their life sucked out of them, the earth beneath their feet turned to mud slowly trying to pull them into a filthy sinkhole, and there was an unsettling eeriness hanging in the air like they were being watched. It was as if this place was being transformed into a horror movie set. “Is it just me or does it feel like we’re going in circles?” The boy asked suddenly getting an odd feeling that they’ve been walking around only to land back right where they started. Rarity barely registered and scoffed. “I’m not entirely sure what is rightly going on here. But I will certainly file a complaint to the city to increase their maintenance on the city park. This is a blatant disregard for the safety standard of public areas. Why just now I almost ripped my…” She paused to gasp in dread when she noticed a tear in her skirt. “NO!” “Rarity? You ok?” “I am far from ‘Ok’! This is genuine Saddle Arabian silk! And it’s ruined! Do you have any idea how long it took me to get these fabric shipped from across the world!?” Roughly a week or so through standard channels, or 12 hours if you decide to Over-Night the delivery. He should know. His dad made plenty of orders before. “We need to keep moving. Twilight and Timber were heading in this area. They could be in trouble.” “Oh relax, darling. There’s no need to fuss. Twilight is more than capable of handling herself. Not to mention she’s with Timber. And I seriously doubt he would allow any harm to befall her. Breakup or not.” “But don’t you find these trees a little weird? And the ground too? It all seems like magic.” “Come now Flash. Don’t be ridiculous.” Rarity waved him off looking back at him like he was the craziest person in the world. “While we do have a tendency to draw the supernatural to us, not everything here has to involve magic. Sometimes things happen naturally. Nature can be a bit of an annoyance every now and then but they never hurt anyone.” However, her tone quickly changed when a branch snapped from the trees, making her flinch back in fear. “But then again… I’m not an expert when it comes to nature.” Neither was he. But even Flash knew that something was wrong around here. Everything about this place felt wrong. Some of these roots even looked like they were trying to latch onto them. And if the thick fog in the air wasn’t any indication, the big scary trees ‘walking’ towards them gave them a hint. “Uh… did you see that?” Rarity shivered, hastily rushing behind him. “You mean that big scary tree that’s slowly and creepily walking towards us with those sharp thorny branches?” She swallowed her fears down. “…Yes.” Good to know. And bad for them. Monsters, check. Scary atmosphere, check. They were definitely in a magical scenario. “Alright. Let’s backtrack.” Flash suggested, his feet inching away from the… tree… thing? “Maybe we can go around it.” “Agreed. The last thing I want is to fight that th—INNGGG!!” The fashionista’s words turned to a scream as she found herself hoisted away hastily by some nasty looking vines. “Rarity!?” “Flash! A little help!” Flash hastily grabbed her and pulled, but mother nature proved the stronger and continued to pull the fashionista away dragging the boy with it. “Hang on Rare. I’ll save you!” “Does it look like I have a choice!?” Not really. Just wanted to put some drama into it. “Ew! Ew ew ew ew ew ew! It’s sticky and gross! Get it off, get it off, get it off!” Flash yanked again and again but found it impossible to even move these crazy vines. Despite their icky look, they were sturdy and resilient to his pull. But the boy persisted again and again, until mother nature decided that he was an annoyance and thrashed him over like a used sock. The boy struck the ground a moment later, a pile of leaves cushioning his fall. All the while he could hear Rarity screaming for aid. xxxxxxxxxx Twilight ran. She ran as fast as her legs would carry. The girl brushed through thicket of thorns and sharp branches, some hitting and scraping her arms and legs and some cutting through her clothes leaving wears and tears that would make Rarity faint. But the girl didn’t care. Her legs bolted off in a random direction, ignoring everything that came at her. Fear and terror gripped her heart, forcing her to this marathon. She wasn’t even sure what she was running towards or what she what she was running from. All that she knew was that something bad was going to happen if she stopped. The voice of her boyfriend…… no. Sorry. Ex-boyfriend… was creeping up behind her, eerily calling out her name in a strange singsong tone. But it wasn’t Timber. No. Far from it. It was some kind of monster wearing his face. She can’t remember what happened entirely but she recalled him turning oddly into some kind of monster before she bolted out of there at the behest of her inner voice. If it weren’t for Midnight, she would’ve been paralyzed there and… god knows what else. Twilight had a feeling that the angel was gonna use that for later blackmail. But right now there was a swirl of questions running through her mind. Like… what the heck just happened? Why did Timber try to put that magical amulet on her? What was that thing, and where did he get it? It didn’t look like one of the Order’s magic black gemstones – or any of the artifact she encountered so far. And it didn’t pulse with Equestrian Magic either. So it must be something else. “It’s definitely dark magic.” Her inner voice stated, appearing out of the blue in her iconic outfit, her gaze cast into the woods. “What?” “Dark magic. Definitely not your ordinary run of the mill kind either. It’s definitely twisted, and corrupt.” “You knew?” “Partly. I wasn’t entirely sure until he whipped that amulet out. I couldn’t exactly give it a good read. But we both know that if he puts that on you isn’t gonna be help your fashion statement.” “And what’s that supposed to mean?” “Look around you, numb nut! Isn’t there something off about this place?!” Twilight glanced around, her vision finally focusing. It was only after she caught her breath did she realize how corrupted her surrounding was. The whole park had changed. She wasn’t sure when or how but she certainly couldn’t recognize her location. A few minutes ago she was just strolling down the path with Timber. Now… the whole place looked like it was ripped out of a horror set and she was thrust right into it as the main cast. The trees were all withered and rotten, their barks twisting into faces while branches and thorns sprouted in twisted angles, the earth beneath her feet became muddy to the touch, slowly sinking her into a bottomless pit. And if that wasn’t enough, the lake at the center of the park began glowing with a sickening green hue. It was as if someone had poisoned the very land, turning everything into a vile version of itself. “TwILiGht~~~. wHEre’D yOu gO~?” Timber’s voice sent shivers down her spine bringing her out of her tiresome daze. She could feel him coming close. The rustling of leafs and sinister giggling followed. “We need to go. Now!” “I know that. But where!? I can barely see where I’m going!” “Certainly far FAR away from your crazy stalking ex! Does it even matter where? Anywhere is better than here! Move it lady!” Right. Moving in a random direction away from the scary voice? I can do that. xxxxxxxxxx Twilight~~~ where are you~~~~? Why’d you run away? I just wanted to give you a present. A little trinket that will remind you of how… happy we were. (Highway) The drive to Twilight’s place was slow at best. Rainbow Dash groaned inward as she was forced to sit at the passenger seat in while AJ drove the annoyingly slow clunker of Big Mac through the city streets. For a moment she thought Applejack would’ve inherited some of her grandmother’s driving habits. But alas, that wasn’t meant to be. In fact, she entertained the thought that the cowgirl was doing it on purpose. Rainbow could probably reach Twilight’s place in about half a minute. Her super speed allowed her to be anywhere in but a fraction of the time. But unfortunately, the slightest touch of the surface would render an electroshock therapy on her. And that was something she was experiencing on an hourly basis. The sports gal cursed the day she received these new powers. They felt cool at first. Throwing lightning everywhere thinking she was gonna be like a literal Thunder Goddess like those old heroes in comics. But now they became an annoyance. In fact, she could barely even hold it together. She couldn’t take so much as a single step without jolting upward. Even the jackets she wore wasn’t helping much anymore. “Applejack… can you please drive a little faster? This slow pace of yours is killing me.” “No can do.” The cowgirl responded smugly, wagging one finger at her while her head held up high. “You gotta respect the laws of the road. You can’t just go speeding in the city. Reckless driving is a good way to end up on the wrong side of the slammer.” Gods above. She knew that the cowgirl was a law abiding citizen but who would’ve thought that she’d be such a bore on the wheels? “There’s literally no one in front of us! It’s the middle of the night! The streets are empty! I think the law will permit you to go just a little bit faster.” “And that’s a good way to get yourself a speeding ticket. I should know. Granny Smith’s got a record.” Somehow that doesn’t surprise her as much as it should. It’s a wonder how that old lady kept her license all this time. “Can we at least get the AC on? I’m burning up through all my clothes.” “Ah… no. We haven’t had that fixed since… ever. Big Mac always preferred it toasty in here.” Oh for goodness sake. “Now don’t rattle your tail. Why don’t you settle down on some good old music?” “And hear your Granny’s old western country songs play in a loop over and over? No offense but even that’s a little retro for me.” “Now now. Don’t judge a song by its rhythm. Granny might be a little old-school but she has good taste.” “I’d rather go through another magical disaster than listen to that.” And just as she wished, it came true. A great quake rocked the ground sending everything and everyone on the road in all manner of directions. Lamp posts fell, lights from buildings flickered, and the very earth itself cracked. Thankfully AJ was able to stop the car in time before it hit any hurdle. “Ow…” “Weeee! That was so much fun!” Pinkie cheered gleefully from the backseat. “Can we go again?” “What in tarnation was that?” Her answer came in the form of a green flow coming from the city, which looked like it was coming from the park. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know what was causing that mess over there. And knowing their luck with the mystical and magical force, they knew that their friends were somehow involved. “Ah… actually.” Rainbow gave an awkward chuckle. “Is it too late to switch back to music? I think I’m ready to give the track another go.” (Park) It was Freefall Island all over again. That was what Flash thought as he forced himself through the park slamming everything out of his way. He was running like his pants was on fire, wearing through his shoes and dodging branches as they came. The woods – or in this case – the park, was alive. The moment Rarity was whisked away, every tree in this place sprang into action as if someone had given them the signal to attack. They’ve all uprooted themselves, and turned on him like he was the last piece of candy in the candy store – and they were the kids trying to nibble him. But he wasn’t gonna get caught that easily. After experiencing many life-threatening scenarios, the boy had accustomed himself to running, dodging and observing all manners of danger. It was self-preservation at its finest. He made a mental note to thank Adagio for that later on. There was no doubt in his mind that this was magic. And the dangerous kind too. Normally magic casters would be subtle and secretive. But whoever was casting this spell had no pretense of hiding. The land itself was being corrupted. The soil was dying. From the last blade of grass to the lake at the very center of the park. Everything was being sucked up of all life. And judging from the reaction around here, it seems to be spreading outside the park as well. People are gonna notice when trees start walking and attacking folks on the streets. The news will be all over the place. “Gahh!” The boy groaned as he found his jacket snatched by one of the treants. “Hey! Let go!” If these monstrosities understood anything he said, they clearly didn’t show it. Their faces all looked terrifyingly the same with two holes making for eyes and a long wide one that supposed to imitate a mouth that smiled like a deranged clown. They all looked like well-made jack-o-lanterns, carved up perfectly for the occasion. And with the way they were eyeing and laughing menacingly at him, Flash could guess that they weren’t taking him on a fun ride. “Uh… I don’t suppose we can just… talk things out?” He tried playing the negotiation card which was responded with even more mockery laughter. The larger of the trees opened its mouth, a black empty void was all that he could see beneath. That and jagged edges that resembled teeth. So this is it eh? This is how Flash Sentry meets his end. Not by dying heroically, saving a damsel or anyone for that matter. But instead to be eaten by a tree and turned into fertilizer like some kind of side character in a TV series. Not exactly how he pictured his life ending. But there certainly was worse ways to go. He just hoped that they’ll think he was delicious. But as his body hovered over the monster’s mouth, the boy’s hand began to glow. He then recalled that he still had a way out. His powers! Desperate and seeing no one options, the blue boy reached out and thrust his hand forward letting the magic take over. The energy within flowed freely before finally conjuring a diamond shield out of the blue. It stretched out in all directions cutting through the cage he was trapped in and then slamming onto the face of the treant crushing it beneath the weight. The monsters were confused, and so was he for that matter. Rarity’s shield? But how? Then he remembered the incident from earlier. I must’ve done the magic handshake when she was taken. He certainly wasn’t complaining, that’s for sure. And the shield looked way cooler than he imagined. He would’ve liked to admire it more had the treants not threaten him with a bad time. “Well… I wasn’t really much of a nature person to begin with.” He raised his barrier up in defiance. “Alright you walking firewood. Batter up!” A poor choice of words as the trees picked out the acorns from their branches, one of them holding a larger branch like a baseball bat, grinning devilishly in return. “Oh… crud.” xxxxxxxxxx Twilight was not safe. In fact, she was probably far from being safe at all. When Midnight told her to run away from her weird creepy stalking ex-boyfriend, she expected her to run for the nearest exit and get the heck out of there. But nope. She decided to be a smart aleck and went straight for the lake saying that she could get her bearings better if she knew where she was. And as you can imagine… that plan went out just as you would have expected from a girl who thought she knew best. Her host had to go through a few of those creepy trees that almost snatched her up, the muddy ground took one of her shoes, her dress is a complete mess, and her glasses were fogging up from the heat. And now… thanks to her brilliant planning she got herself stuck on this gosh darn pier, cornered like a rat! There’s no boat to use to cross over! And even if there was a boat, there was no way she was gonna paddle through that green gooey water. Who knows what that stuff will do you to you? “Great job, genius. Not only did you get yourself trapped, you wasted time and effort getting here!” “Hey! At least I’m trying. How was I supposed to know there’d be no boat after dark?” “It’s the park rule!” She roared. “You walk through here at least three times a week! Don’t tell me you’ve never read the signs! Come on Twi! You’re supposed to be the smart one in the team!Not some dumb bimbo.” “Well excuse me, Princess. I don’t see you doing anything useful.” I would, if I had a body to actually wield my magic. Ugh… she could do so much if she was allowed to roam free for just a few minutes. But alas, she was bound to remain alongside her host, chained up like a prisoner to be dragged anywhere like an unwanted baggage. Being an idle spirit was becoming downright annoying. “We should double back.” Twilight suggested. “If we just follow the cobble road, we’ll be able to reach the exit.” Midnight would’ve agreed on that strategy, but she tensed up when she felt a sickening energy coming from behind. “Oh… no.” The girl barely managed to get two steps in before she had to pull a stop when she realized that her only exit was now being blocked. A figure stood between her and safety. A figure so foreign and yet so familiar at the same time. Though it wore the face of someone she once loved, she could tell that it was not him. It was not her Timber. But rather a creature born out of jealousy and despair. “TwILigHT~~” ‘It’ spoke her name, taking one cautious step after another. His voice droned on, like they were being forced out of his mouth. “Timber?” Twilight gulped, inching away from the man. “Is that… you?” “oF cOuRSE iT’S mE. WhO… elSE cOuLD it BE?” It was only when the moonlight shined above over did they manage to get a good grasp of him. Timber had turned from… a simple handsome boy to…… this monstrosity. Parts of his body was morphing to what Midnight can only guess was: A werewolf. His mouth stretched out, resembling that of a snout, while his right hand had elongated claws poking out of his fingers. His body stood twice as tall ripping off his clothes, with fur growing out of his body. But strangely enough his transformation stopped halfway making him look even more grotesque than ever. The dark magic that filtered around him even felt icky to the touch. “Wh… what happened to you?” “dOn’T yOU LiKE iTT? ShE gAvE mE THIs powER! ThE MAgIc is iNcRediBLE!” Who was this ‘she’ person? Was it a member of the Order… or something else? There were so many questions to ask, but the situation deemed it unnecessary for answers. “IT maDE mEEE tHIS waY. SHE PrOMised… arghh!” But the boy flinched back in pain mid-sentence, his hand clutching his head as if he was suffering a headache. “Timber?” Twilight gasped with worry. “Timber, what’s wrong?” “Don’t go near him!” Midnight warned. “It’s that strange magic he’s wielding. It’s corrupting him.” “Then he’s being controlled by it.” “Most likely. But he barely has any control over it. Get anywhere near him and you’ll be affected too.” “Then how do we help him?” “Didn’t you hear me? That magic of his is unstable! If he gets that onto you, it’ll corrupt you too! You’ll end up just like him, or worse!” “But I can’t just leave him like this!” Is she an idiot!? This guy wants to put you under a spell. Quite literally, and a dangerous one too. If he had his way, he would’ve put that necklace onto you and this story would’ve ended right then and there. The power of your love and friendship is far beyond his reach. Hasn’t she learned anything from all of her failed attempts in magic? …! “Look out!” Twilight flinched just as Timber closed the distance between them with speed that would make that rainbow haired friend of hers blush. But thankfully her warning got through and Twilight was able to summon some measure of her power to keep her ex at bay. He floated helplessly in the air, swinging one of his deformed claws hoping to get a lucky hit. But thankfully he could barely reach the flakes on her nose. “Timber, stop!” Her host pleaded. “You’re not yourself. Let me help.” “RARRRRR!” His words were now contorted with growls and snarls, barely making any sort of sense. “Timber, please! Don’t make me do this!” But the boy… man… thing, didn’t listen. Instead he continued to struggle, trying to pry himself from Twilight’s grip while inching ever closer with every swing. He was like a feral creature with only one purpose in mind. “Toss him out!” Midnight ordered. “Throw him as far as you can! Use everything you have!” “I am not hurting him!” “Don’t be an idiot! He’s too far gone! If you don’t slam him out of his mind, he’s going to hurt you! There’s no way to bring him back!” “Then find a way!” She snapped. “You’re a genius when it comes to magic, aren’t you?” This girl is unbelievable. Was she really going to risk her life for some ex that she just dumped a few minutes ago? Ahhh who am I kidding? Of course she would. She was just another goody-two-shoes who didn’t know better. But she wasn’t wrong. She is a genius when it came to magic. Even the more advance knowledge of sorcery wasn’t a problem for her. But the magic this… Timber-wolf guy had was on another level. There was a hint of Yaztec Magic hidden in there but at the same time Equestrian Magic. The best Midnight could compare it was the mixture in Flash Sentry. Though this one was far too unstable. Too toxic. Touching an energy source that volatile would end with catastrophic results! Anyone who tries to handle it was more likely to lose a limb just by touching the boy. But if you can get rid of the source without touching it… “There!” Midnight pointed to the boy’s neck where that sapphire gemstone dangled. “That’s where the bad magic is coming from. If you can get it away from him, he might come back to his senses.” It was a long shot. But if Twilight can pull that thing out, the magic ‘should’ disappear. But alas, it was easier said than done. Twilight was barely holding the boy back with her powers. Any less effort and she could risk getting cut. And Timber moving around like an aerial-clown wasn’t exactly making it easy. You’d have to be a master of telekinesis if you wanted to get that thing out without hurting the kid. Still… the angel couldn’t deter Twilight from trying. With some effort, and a little more power, the girl reached out to pull that accursed jewelry. “NoooOoOO!” But Timber gripped it with his other normal-looking hand, tucking it into his fur. “Timber. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be!” What is that girl doing now? Is she trying to pry his fingers, pulling the sapphire, while holding the boy in place? There’s no way she can concentrate on that many objects at the same time! She’s not strong enough! “GRAHHH!” And just as she expected, Timber broke free from her grasp and swung his claw at the girl. And this time it didn’t miss. “Twilight!” Twilight cried out, pain slicing on her right arm. The cut was shallow but it was enough to seep down her skin, her own blood oozing out. If Timber had any kind of remorse left, he didn’t show it. All she could see was the animal eyes showing on his face. His growl becoming even more feral and wild-like. Twilight knelt down, holding the boy back as she bore the pain. It hurt real badly, and Midnight could tell that she was barely holding on. If she held on like this, there was a good chance her host would bleed out before the night is over. The wolf man thrashed even more wildly than before. His body was continuing on its metamorphic change, many of his body taking on a beastly appearance. Hardly any of his limbs remained human. At this rate they’ll be dead within the hour. All because of this girl’s stupidity. … ARGHHHH! “Give it to me!” “What?” “Give me control of your body, right now!” Midnight demanded angrily, her voice rough and stormy. “I am far more powerful than you. With me in control, I can take him down and save both of us!” “Are you crazy!? Why would I let you take over!?” “Because you have no other choice! You’re hurt, and about to become wolf-chow if you don’t act. I am not going to let you get us both eaten by some crazy stalker because of your incompetence! Now hand it over!” Twilight grunted but can’t seem to find a way out. Even she could see that she couldn’t hold off Timber forever. He was getting stronger while the life literally seeped out of her. The girl had to make a choice. Or at least that’s what Midnight thought she would. Until they were interrupted by a manly scream, followed by a human figure that came at them at near lightning speed. The figure slammed against Timber sending that werewolf down to the lake like a bowling ball hitting the last pin on the lane. Is this what folks call Divine Intervention? If so then maybe it was time Midnight got into the business of religion. “Ow…” The bowling ball groaned rising back from the dirt, revealing his handsome feature. “That was… embarrassing.” “Flash?” Her host recognized the newcomer like she was struck by a bolt of lightning. “Twilight?” “What are you doing here?” He got up and approached her, his body looking rather ragged like he had just been through a fight. “It’s a… long story. But there’s something you should know. I think there’s some kind of magic affecting the park. It’s turning everything around here… weird and…” He put the pause on when he noticed blood on her arm. “Wait… Twi. You’re hurt!” “Forget about that! We need to get out of here before he comes back!” She urged him. “Before who… comes back?” The rising figure from the lake answered his question. xxxxxxxxxx Yup… this was definitely magic. Rainbow didn’t even need to touch it to tell that this whole flora fiasco was caused by wild magic. Heck, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that this whole thing was unnatural. The park entrance was entrenched with barbed thorns and branches making it impossible to enter. The foliage has grown so much that even the walls were heavily reinforced making it look like a natural fortress than a leisurely park. “Now what in the world happened here?” Applejack questioned, eyeing the premise from top to bottom. “I’ve heard about weeds growing in your backyard, but this is plain ridiculous. Did the gardeners take the week off or something?” Pinkie surprisingly enough answered. “Eh. Green Thumb normally takes a holiday every Saturday. I’m pretty sure this whole thing is caused by some wild Equestrian Magic. That or they’re trying out some seriously wacky fertilizers. I wonder if they’ll let me borrow some if they have. Oh oh oh! Maybe if I gave some to Boulder, he’ll grow roots too!” Not exactly what they were talking about but sure… yeah. “I don’t think I’ve seen the park like this before.” Fluttershy added, putting her two cents in. “I wonder what happened.” “It’s obvious ain’t it?” Rainbow rolled her eyes at her friends. “It’s got to be magic. I mean come on. The thorny bushes, the dead trees, the GLOWING green sky above it? How more obvious can it get!?” “I don’t normally agreed with Rainbow Dash here, but she’s got a point.” The cowgirl nodded. “This has magic written all over it. And this ain’t my first rodeo with magic vegetation either.” It’s not? “Twilight turned Principal Celestia’s greenhouse into a flower choir.” She shrugged. “Don’t ask.” “Well whatever it is. It’s definitely not something we can ignore. I reckon we bust in there, find out what’s making this green glow, and put a stop to it – Rainboom style.” “Now hold on. We don’t know what’s causing all this magical mumbo jumbo just yet, and I’m not keen about bulldozing our way inside. For all we know it could be a trap.” Rainbow groaned in annoyance. “Oh come on. It’s obviously bad magic. Are we supposed to just stand around while this park destroys everything around it?” She gestured to the roots that were already stretching outside of the park, damaging the road. “It’s called being cautious. Not everyone is like you, Rainbow. We should call Twilight at least. Maybe she can give us an answer.” Fat chance on that. They’ve been trying to reach that girl ever since they saw the green glow in the sky and haven’t heard a peep or even a return text from her. She’s either out of reach or sleeping soundly at home. “Besides. It’s not like you can be of any use in a fight wearing all that.” “Hey! Just because I’m dressed like a weird snowman, doesn’t mean you can count me out of a fight. I’ll take on any baddie with both hands tied behind my back if I have to.” AJ rolled her eyes. “Uh huh. I just wished Sunset was here. She’d be able to tell us what’s going on.” And as luck would have it, her request was answered. “Guys?” The gang turned to the new voice, surprised to see the redhead standing there with one figure they recognized, and another that they didn’t. “Sunset?” Rainbow balked. “And… Starlight Glimmer?” “Hey.” The purple hippy gal waved back weakly. “When did you get here? We thought you were still in Equestria.” “I just got back.” She answered, noting their confused look at her new companions. “It’s a long story. But what’s going on here? What’s with this big plume of magic? I’ve never seen anything like it.” “Not a clue.” Pinkie replied in her usual bubbly way. “We were just driving off to Twilight’s place when we saw this big green mystical glow coming from the park, which was obviously magic by the way. Then we decided to drive all the way here, and then we were standing around until you showed up.” Fluttershy sighed. “Umm… so… in the short version. We have no idea. We were hoping you’d be able to tell us.” “So… no one knows what this is all about?” They all shook their collective heads in response. “May I be of assistance?” The tall looking conman asked, though he didn’t seem to wait for permission before suddenly flicking his fingers to conjure what looked like a weird version of an inverted telescope, his eyes physically poking through to the other side. “Hmm… interesting. I may not be an expert when it comes to magic in this world. But I’m willing to guess that’s some sort of twisted version of Equestrian Magic.” Sunset’s eyes bulged up. “Equestrian Magic? Are you sure?” The tall man with the goatee chuckled sarcastically. “Oh believe me. I know magic when I see it. I am the keeper of it after all. At least the chaotic part.” He added with a playful wink. “Though the ones flowing through here are more… convoluted. Like someone mixed the whole thing up in a blender with an entirely new chemical and it came out all… like that.” “And you are…?” Rainbow questioned. Sunset tapped her head in annoyance. “Sorry. Guys, this is Discord. Discord – these are my friends. He’s a… visitor from Equestria. I… brought him here for a reason.” He waved back in a carefree manner. “Can you tell us what’s causing it?” “I’d be happy to.” He then jumped trying to get a better angle, looking like he was about to grow wings and fly… only to fall flat on his rear. “Ow! Dang confounded gravity! I don’t know how you ponies live with such force holding you down.” The gang had a question for the man, and questions about his appearance, but they all decided to keep it to themselves for now. The woods suddenly began to grow, their wooden frames cracking upon the metal bars, roots tearing through the road and sidewalk. That was definitely not a good sign. “Wait! Something’s coming.” Starlight pointed towards the thick trees as they noticed movement coming along the branches. It looked oddly like a figure they’ve seen somewhere before. “Is that…?” Rarity’s face came a moment later, hitting the ground in a loud and audible splat. “AHHHHHH!!” The purple gal’s scream made them all flinch in turn. “That is it! I. HAVE. HAD. IT!!! I’ve tried to be nice, I’ve tried to be open minded, I’ve tried to be calm and mature, a voice for nature and all her love, and even friendly. But I am done, you hear me?! DONE! This park is the absolute worst there is in all of Canterlot! If not the whole world! You and your supervisors will be hearing a very lengthy complaint from me! I’ll make it my mission to have you permanently shut down for every possible hazard and have a strip mall built over the remains of your ill ridden cadaver! I swear upon it – or my name isn’t…” “Rarity!” The gang chimed, much to her surprise. “Oh… hello darlings. You’ve caught me in a rather foul mood at the moment.” “Forget about that.” AJ interrupted. “Were you just inside the park? What the heck is going on in there?” “I honestly have absolutely no idea.” She replied, patting the dirt and leaves off her skirt. Her face twisting in disgust eyeing the mud on her dress. “One minute we were trailing behind Twilight and Timber, and the next thing I know the trees started turning into monster and attacked us. They’ve been rude to me for the last fifteen minutes.” “Twilight’s in there?” Sunset gasped. “Facing tree monsters all by herself!? Then she’s got to be in trouble.” Rainbow deduced as she shed off her encumbering jackets. “We’ve got to help her.” The gang all agreed on that part. “These trees are in the way.” Sunset stated. “We’ll never get through like this. Let’s split up and find another entrance. After that we’ll…” “Ahem.” Applejack forced an attentive cough. “Why don’t you let me handle this?” Rainbow and Pinkie Pie flashed knowing grins as the cowgirl cracked her knuckles much to the other’s confusion. “Applejack. We don’t have time for…” But the redhead’s protest choked half way when the earth beneath them split up with giant roots sprouting from the ground. Within seconds, the wall of thorns and vines cracked under pressure splitting apart. Easy to say, Sunset and her new companions were stumped. “That’s… new.” xxxxxxxxxx “YOU!!” Me? Flash gulped hard as the large ferocious beast glared daggers at him, towering over the boy like a predator sizing up its prey. His body froze up, paralyzed in terror. The monster came out of the lake like a creature from a movie, growling and snarling like a rabid dog. Its body towered over them nearly three times their size, with razor sharp claws, pointy fangs, and eyes gleaming with rage. “Timber don’t! Please stop!” That’s Timber? When did he turn into that thing? Twilight tried to restrain the… werewolf thing, but he proved to be far too powerful. Her magic barely managed to keep him at bay, if at all. “RARRRR!” The beast let out an irritable roar swiping madly. Each swing of his muscular arms tearing through the pier into tiny pieces of driftwood. “Run!” Twilight insisted and pushed him aside just as Timber clawed through. Thankfully they were able to dodge the wild attack. The werewolf’s massive size looked difficult to control, fumbling madly before sinking into the deeper part of the lake. It would’ve been a moment of reprieve till Flash noted how pale his friend was. “Twilight! Are you alright?” “N… no.” She panted through the pain. “I have to stop… Timber.” The girl was clearly delusional if she thinks she can stop that guy in that state. Even Flash could tell that he was far too dangerous to even approach. The guy was more likely to rip their heads off than to listen to a word they had to say. They needed to get out of there, like… right now. Grabbing Twilight and carrying her bridal style, Flash decided to answer his fight or flight mentality and choose the latter option. He bolted out of there running as fast as his legs would take him. “NOOOOOOOO! SHE IS mInE!!!” As if answering to Timber’s howl, the treants reemerged from the tree lines, blocking the boy’s path. Each of those thorny creep looking even more frightening than the last. Crap. So much for a quick exit. “Flash… run.” Twilight spoke wearily in his arms, using what little strength she had to push him away. The girl was looking paler with every passing minute– which wasn’t a good sign. “It’s too dangerous for you.” “Don’t you worry. I’ll get us out of here. Somehow…” He wasn’t entirely sure if he was saying that out of desperation or simply the fact that it sounded cool. Either way, he had to think fast or risk getting cornered for a second time. And thankfully an idea struck. He still had his magic. And with a little improvisation, he could probably do more than just block objects. It was such a silly plan that it might just work. Not that he had much of a choice for that matter. With a single breath of courage, Flash ran back towards the pier and leap into the air, using his borrowed magic once more. A magical shield conjured beneath him in a slightly curved angle acting as a surfboard for him to ride through the contaminated water. “Wooo hooo! This is totally awesome!” Flash made a mental note to try this on the waves next time he hits the beach. He zigged and zagged through the waters, dodging Timber-Wolf as he tried to catch them, narrowly avoiding his attacks by a hair’s breadth right before landing on the opposite side of the lake. It was a gamble. And luckily for Flash, it paid off handsomely. Not only did he avoid certain doom, but he was able to get a good distance between him and Timber. … or so he thought. With speed that would’ve made Rainbow Dash blush, the creature leaped from the lake, landing flawlessly onto the ground. He turned and snarl at the boy, bearing his fangs angrily. “YOU!” “Uh… h… hey?” “I WARNED YOU NOT TO COME NEAR HER. AND YET YOU DO THIS?!” “Hey back off Timber!” Flash snapped back. “I don’t know what your beef is with me, but you’ve crossed the line here. Look… Twilight is hurt. She needs help. I can take her on my car and…” “YOU WON’T TAKE HER FROM ME!” He roared, swiping one hand which Flash dodged just by an inch. “THIS… ALL OF THIS. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF YOU!! YOU DID THIS!” “Me? How? I’m not the one turning into a monster or changing the whole park into a death trap!” He grunted for a moment when he heard the girl in his arms groan. “Look. We can discuss this later. Right now Twilight needs help. We need to get her to a hospital.” “NOO. YOU WILL GIVE HER TO ME. MY MAGIC… WILL HELP HER.” You mean the same magic that’s turning you into a feral creature and killing the land and air around them? Fat chance. There’s no telling what kind of reaction Twilight would have exposed to such dangerous magic. He’d rather wreck his own car a dozen times over than hand her over. “That’s not going to happen.” “YOU WILL… GIVE HER TO ME.” Timber took one threatening step forward. And Flash didn’t back off. “Come and make me.” The werewolf pounced. And the fight was on.