//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Night // Story: The Neo-Equestrian Chronicles // by The Sorrow Of Joy //------------------------------// Jessica popped another chocolate into her mouth as the sizable group emerged from the theater. The movie proved to be quite exciting, yet certain parts had been interrupted by Diana’s squeals of excitement. Nonetheless, everyone was quite content, including Jessica. “Daring Do is so awesome!” Julia exclaimed. “I just can’t believe that the next movie doesn’t come out for another two years!” “It’s just two years,” Erika said quietly. “Besides, you could always read the books.” “Yeah, right!” Julia scoffed. “Nothing is as exciting as the movie!” “I think you’d be surprised,” Jessica began. “A good book can really suck you in.” Julia ignored Jessica’s statement and was instead beginning to drift off towards fountain in the middle of the plaza. Jessica shrugged it off and instead directed her attention to her strange, new surroundings. Apparently, the quiet part of the city where she had settled was considered “Old Town”. Here was the true heart of the City of the Valley; a beautiful cylindrical plaza, surrounded by a large number of clothing stores and posh restaurants all held together by a grand, pearl white fountain in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. Downtown Equitem was like a completely different world from the quiet little streets just several miles away. “This place is so big!” Jessica exclaimed excitedly. “Canterlot didn’t have anything like this.” “Are you serious?” Victoria said, aghast. “You would prefer this over that beautiful city?” “Well, yeah, I would,” Jessica said. “Canterlot really isn’t all that special.” “Perhaps for someone like you, but for a true fashionista and designer like me, its paradise!” the other Spellweaver exclaimed. Jessica and Laura, who had remained silent since they had left the house, rolled their eyes in secret. “One day, I’ll be up there, getting custom orders from stars and royalty! It will be grand!” “Yeah, and maybe you’ll end up being some sorta princess,” Laura said flatly with a smirk. “I know, right? Oh, I can see it now!” Victoria said dramatically, not catching the sarcasm in her friend’s voice. Laura shook her head and Jessica laughed a little, but Victoria was absorbed in her own fantasies now, and paid no mind to these gestures. The trio continued to circle the plaza, until Jessica realized they had separated from the other members of their group. “Hey, where did the others go?” the young Spellweaver asked. “Dunno. Diane was always runnin’ off, so I wouldn’t doubt if she still does. And as for those two love birds-“ “Wait, so they really are-?” Jessica whispered, drawing closer to her companion. At this point, Victoria’s phone began to ring. Laura was growing nervous. Shoot! Why’d I go and have to say that? I told them I wouldn’t say! “W-well, I don’t really know, but I would reckon, seeing as how they're always so close and such…” Laura said, voice fading out. She sunk her hands into her pockets and looked away from Jessica, trying to convey that she didn’t want to talk, but Jessica didn’t quite get the hint. “Do the others know?” Jessica said, at this point absolutely giddy with the excitement of gossip. From behind, the ringing ceased with a pleasant ‘Hello’. “No! I mean, I don’t really know if they really got a thing or not, just a guess!” Laura said. “Are you sure?” Jessica asked suspiciously. “Positive. Now just drop the whole situation and forget I ever said any-“ “What!?” Victoria screamed loudly. The pair in front turned with a start. They could hear chatter coming from the phone, followed by several gasps on Victoria’s part. There was a little more chatter before the phone was slammed shut abruptly. Victoria shot forward, knocking Jessica and Laura to the side. “Hey! What’s the big idea?” Laura reached forward and grabbed Victoria by the shoulder. The Spellweaver tried to wrench free, but there was no escaping the herculean grip of an Earthmover. “Laura! Let go of me this instant!” Victoria said. Her voice was full of panic and concern. “Wait! What’s going on?” Jessica asked, trotting up next to Victoria. “It’s Elizabeth! She’s in the hospital! I’ve got to go now!” Victoria exclaimed. Upon hearing this, Laura let her hand go limp, allowing Victoria to go free. She started towards her car. “Wait a minute, Mary was with her! What if something happened to her too?” Laura asked herself. “Hey, wait for me!” She ran to catch up with Victoria, who was already fumbling with the keys. “What about the others?” Jessica said frantically. She began to approach the car as well “Guys, wait! I’m going too!” Jessica barely had enough time to get into the car before it gave an incredible roar and took off. Julia and Erika sat together quietly on a bench in the park just outside the town plaza. The sun was setting in the distance, bathing the lake in front of them in a glorious twilight. The floating city that hung just above the sun’s reach was beginning to light up like a fire; it began slowly, starting with the highest and lowest points first, until the entire metropolis was akin to a second sun in the sky. It was a sight that was rarely seen by most Cloudwalkers who lived in that great city, but the members of the Royal Air Force were well acquainted with the sight. Julia must have seen it hundreds of times while she was patrolling the night skies, but it never got old to her. She marveled quietly at its beauty, trying to act as if it really was no big deal, but she couldn’t help but smile every time she saw it. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Erika said quietly. “Yeah,” Julia said in awe. “I love seeing it lit up like this. There really is nothing like it, you know?” Erika smiled and gave a gentle nod in agreement. They sat there silently, looking into the sky as the sun sunk more and more into the mountains. Erika slid slightly closer to Julia. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t make any words come out. She tried again, but was cut off by Julia. “Do you want to come out and do some cloud clearing tomorrow? It’ll be nice to see you get back in a PEGASUS,” she said as she stretched out on the bench, her arm extending behind Erika. Julia changed when she was around just Erika. She felt as though she didn’t need to put up the façade she always had going. “Oh, of course, I’ll try,” Erika whispered. She slid more towards Julia and again tried to ask Julia a question that she had been keeping for quite a while. She failed to do so again. “Hey, Erika,” Julia said as she turned towards the shy Cloudwalker. Erika turned as well, and the two locked eyes. “You and I, how long have we known each other?” Erika blushed slightly and turned away, not out of embarrassment, but in an attempt to recall the years. It finally hit her. “Close to fifteen years,” she said, turning back. “It’s a pretty long time when you think about it, huh?” “Yeah,” Julia replied. “And all those years, we had always been close, right?” “Of course.” “But lately, I’ve felt that something is different between us. Like we’re close on a whole different level.” Erika and Julia locked eyes once more. The roar of a far off engine ripped through the silence. “I… I feel the same, too,” Erika said, ignoring the engine. They began to lean in closer and closer. Erika closed her eyes as she drew closer to Julia. A million things flashed through both their minds in a blink of a second. A flood of inexplicable emotions raged through their bodies. What is this I’m feeling? Can this be-? Their hearts were practically bursting through their chests as they felt the other’s breath on their mouth. They had all but made contact when a sudden ringing interrupted their tender moment. The two separated quickly, in a sudden and unnatural disgust that quickly disappeared, yet still enough to bring the two apart. Erika looked away to the lake and sunk into the fur of leather jacket, redder than she had ever been, as Julia reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone. She checked the caller ID, only to find it was Victoria. “Hello?” she said with disdain. “We’re at the hospital. I’m afraid you’ll have to find another ride back to the house,” the Spellweaver’s voice said through the speaker. “I have to go now.” She hung up. “Who was it?” Erika asked without looking at Julia. “Just Victoria. Had to go to the hospital,” Julia said, snapping the phone shut. “Oh, dear!” Erika gasped. “What happened to her?” “I don’t think anything happened to her, but that she was going to the hospital for someone else.” “Oh. I see.” “We also lost our ride. Gonna have to hoof it back home to Victoria’s.” “Why don’t you just call Anthony?” Julia considered this. She saw Thunder’s jet in the air when they were walking into the theatre several hours ago, meaning that he was already off duty. She nodded and began to dial his number into the phone. The two stared into the darkened horizon, the moon beginning to take its place in the sky. Erika reclined in the bench, and smiled. Diane had been swamped the second she walked out of the theatre. Her attempts to remain anonymous were failing horribly. Her pink hair, a rarity amongst Earthmovers, made her stand out too much and any attempts at dying it were futile. After signing a few dozen signatures, she had been able to push her way into the plaza, where she quickly ducked into the nearest Equestrian Outfitters. Ten minutes later, she emerged discreetly, hair hidden in a black hoodie. Not quite her style, but how else was she supposed to live without getting harassed by fans all the time? She made her way to the nearby park, a quiet place that few people went to at sunset. She spotted Julia and Erika in the distance and started towards them excitedly. She stopped short when she saw the two sit on a bench and decided to leave them alone. She walked away slightly disappointed, but was content with seeing her friends happy. Diane smiled as she plopped on a bench by the lakeside. She was remembering the first time she came here with her parents. It was a warm summer day and all the ducks were gliding across the top of the water, the sun setting just as it was now, and a there was cool breeze that seemed to defy the summer heat. Now here she was again, in the same place she remembered all those years ago. “Finally! I’m finally back home!” Diane said ecstatically. She tried to skip one more stone on the water, only to have it skip a perfect six times. She squealed and fell back in her seat. She hoped that this would never go away. Hoped that it would never change. A loud roar shook the calm air.