While the inside of the school was still inaccessible until Monday, Twilight Sparks had already found enough information to move forward from the outside alone. But as more students arrived, she had to stop in order to avoid suspicion.
What are these idiots even doing here? The school isn't open on weekends, and there isn't anything marked on the schedule. So why are they cavorting around like that?
Scanning the grounds again, she took statistics on the students:
The gleeful laughs of three kids tossing a ball back and forth.
The sound and smell of sizzling meat on a grill as Lyra, Mystery Mint, and a grey girl with cross-eyes had a barbecue.
Off to the side, an orange teen and a white teen were wrestling for dominance as other males looked on. The testosterone was enough to make her eyes water.
In the background, five weird looking girls seemed to be out for a stroll.
Sparks watched all of this...and remembered.
"Aw come on Twilight, just one time?"
"I already told you, I can't. The test is in a few days and I NEED to pass."
"I know, but you've been studying nonstop for three days, you've consumed over ten cups of coffee, and your hair looks like birds made a nest in it. I'm asking you, as a friend, to please take a break."
"But I need to be absolutely sure. I can't risk a bad grade."
"Plus, if you go to the testing center all wound up like that, it might leave a bad impression regardless of how well you do."
"That just shows I'm serious about this. I mean, just think about what could happen--"
"Stop right there. If you go on one of those wild tangents again, you'll never pass the test." The other put a hand on her shoulder. "You've been working so hard, Twilight. I'm worried about you."
"Then why are you trying to get me to stop? You of all people should know how important this is to me."
"Oh I know you can pass without a doubt. I'm just worried about what you'll give up in the process. You don't talk to anyone, you don't do any extracurriculars, and you go out of your way to avoid other people. That's just not healthy."
"You're not going to stop until I come with you, are you?"
"Nope."
"Hurrrgh. Fine. I guess one day of rest couldn't hurt. I think I'll come after all."
The other's expression was both joyful and relieved. "See, there you go. I guarantee you'll thank me later."
While one Twilight stood lost in thought on the grounds of Canterlot High, another Twilight battled with frustrations and fear.
"Ugh, I hate feeling like this. Without my horn, I can't use my magic, and without my magic, I can't help my friends. If any new threats show up, we're doomed."
She tried to take her mind off the subject; focusing on aspects she couldn't control would get her nowhere. And she needed to do something besides sit and mope.
Maybe you should talk to the other students, Twilight. With all this magic around, there's bound to be something going on.
She took a big whiff to confirm her suspicions and indeed, there was the faint scent of dormant magic.
"Let's see." The wheels started turning. "Unlike Equestria, the Human World seems to function involuntarily. So, if magic is beginning to integrate here, what would it have to affect?"
Unfortunately, she didn't have enough information to make a proper hypothesis. But what she did know was that magic wouldn't do anything without a catalyst to activate it. For her, it had been the Sonic Rainboom supercharging her magic. Sunset Shimmer had awakened hers through a similar test. For her human friends, Searing's attack that brought them together to defend the school.
And you had a hand in that too, remember?
But how would it work with regular people? If she was lucky, maybe she could get the science club to help figure that out. At that, she smiled and headed back to Pinkie's, once more with a purpose and a plan. Monday would certainly be fun.
Dusk had pulled its cloak over the school, and the students and Twilights had gone their separate ways. All except one girl who'd sneaked her way up to the school's roof, shivering in the breeze. This was the only place she could go. The only place she could get away from them.
"Freak."
Her hand rose to her cheek at the thought. Another bruise to add to her collection. Why did they think that attacking something ugly would somehow make it better?
"Eyesore."
Two attacks in one. And both were equally painful. Okay sure, she wasn't going to win any beauty pageants anytime soon, but that didn't warrant treating her like Quasimodo either. She'd begun to dread just looking in the mirror.
"Retard."
The worst insult of them all. Yes, she had a hard time picking up on what things meant. Yes, her cross-eyes made her look like a screwball. And yes, she had the lowest grades in the class when it came to abstract concepts like geometry.
"But I am NOT an IDIOT!" Frustration had turned her thoughts into words as the dam broke. The fallout over her poor choice of a band was only the most recent of attacks, and the most painful. As the memories swarmed through her mind, she felt tears starting to form and took a step towards the edge of the roof.
They won't miss me. They won't even care. Half of them don't even know my name.
This wasn't the first time she'd thought about it. But before, she'd always had a reason to keep going. And lost in grief and pain, she had no comfort now.
She took another step, her feet halfway over the edge, feeling the full force of the wind against her body. There was no going back now. Taking one final breath, she closed her eyes, spread out her arms, and let gravity do the rest.
She never hit the ground.
"Hey! What?" Her eyes snapped open. She was inches away from the pavement. She shook herself and looked again. She was still alive, and she felt...different.
"What's going on?" A grey aura surrounded her lifting her back into the sky. "What-what is this? Put me down!"
Then things got weirder. Her upper back suddenly got very hot as if something was trying to force its way out, jerking her around like a marionette. Closing her eyes again, she forced herself through the pain.
A few minutes later, the thrashings subsided, and she felt the ground under her feet once more. For a moment, she wondered if she'd hallucinated the whole thing. But all the thoughts dripped to a stop when she saw her new additions.
"Are those...wings?"
Rubbing her eyes, she checked again. They were still there. And she could feel them too, a new pair of limbs on her back. She moved first one and then the other, still in a daze. Both responded naturally as if they had always been a part of her.
Her expression changed from confused, to awed, and finally excited.
"Stop the bus, stop the bus, you forgot me!"
Twilight's shouts were to no avail as the last bus back to Crystal Prep closed its doors and rolled out of the depot. She'd wasted far too much time on a failed search for this Vinyl and then tripped over her lab coat in her rush.
But at least I have something to think about over the entire two mile walk back.
With an annoyed sigh, she began the slow trudge, already anticipating tomorrow's plan of attack. Finding out how everyone seemed to know her was a high priority as was finding the DJ. But the overall goal remained the study and exploitation of substance X. If for no other reason than to explain all these weird happenings.
"Fast-growing plants, giant color explosions, raging she-demons, can it get any weirder?"
At that very moment, a blast of wind nearly swept her off her feet. She steadied herself and looked up, only to be blasted from the other direction.
"What the heck?!"
"Look at me! Look at me!" came a squeal of pure joy. "I'M FLYING!"
Sparks stared slack jawed at the newcomer...and then promptly fainted.