"You sure its cool for me to tag along Dash?" Soarin asked as they gently coasted along a stray air current
"You did your job for the day right?" Rainbow asked with a smirk.
"Of course I did." Soarin scoffed
"Then its cool. If not, I'll take the heat, its no biggie. But you gotta meet Scoots." Rainbow said with a smile.
"Yea...Spitfire told me a little bit about her. Said she reminded her of a certain someone we both know." Soarin chuckled, tucking his hands into his jean pockets as they landed softly
"So, wheres this bundle of sugar and joy?" the Wonderbolt asked as he glanced around. Rainbow patted his shoulder as she marched into the school, grunting as Scootaloo hugged her.
"Hey squirt, ready to go?" Rainbow asked with a smile.
"Yup. Bye Miss Yearling! Bye Doctor!" Scootaloo called out as she rushed out of the school, bumping headfirst into Soarin. Rainbow smiled to herself, staying behind to talk to the teachers.
"So...how'd it go?" Rainbow asked softly as she walked up to them.
"I would say it was a rather productive day. Miss Yearling seems to have everything under control. Even I am amazed by her well of knowledge in History" The Doctor chuckled.
"Well, I like my tales as accurate as possible. I have weak subjects though. Math for example...it's always just been..."
"Mathy?" The Doctor offered, the pair sharing a laugh.
"Wasn't there some other teacher?" Rainbow wondered.
"Spell Nexus excused himself earlier in the day. He seemed satisfied that we had things under control." Miss Yearling said with a roll of her eyes.
"And Scootaloo? There weren't any outbursts or anything were there?" Rainbow wondered.
"She was very well behaved, her and those friends of hers seem like a good bunch. Just a bit too excited to try new things they might not be ready for." The Doctor chuckled.
"For someone so young, you make a wonderful mother." Miss Yearling said with a smile. Rainbow chuckled nervously.
"Well I was in her shoes once, I guess my foster mom taught me right."
"It's hard to tell she's adopted, had you not mentioned it, I would've thought you two were blood." Miss Yearling admitted.
"Heh, I keep hearin' that. Guess it's just cause of everything the two of us have been through..."
"Well, Lessons to be planned and papers to grade. Lots to do and so little time. Until tomorrow ladies." The Doctor smiled, taking Dinky's hand and walking out of the school with her.
"He's a strange one..." Miss Yearling chuckled as she packed up her notes.
"Welcome to Eraville." Rainbow scoffed, marching outside and smiling as she watched Scootaloo squeal and dance around Soarin.
"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! You're Soarin Stormwing!" She squealed once more.
"Yea...Uh..." Soarin looked to Rainbow, the younger Skyborn grinning as she marched up to them.
"Alright Scoots, ease up. Soarin likes kids but not crowds."
"Just how many of the bolts do you know Dash?" Scootaloo wondered.
"Well, I only lived with Spitfire and Soarin, the others I saw a few times." Rainbow shrugged
"That reminds me. Spitfire had a lot to say about you. Said you were somethin' special." Soarin chuckled as he knelt down in front of Scootaloo.
"Welll...I don't like to brag but...I did beat Rainbow in a race. It's how she adopted me ya know!" Scootaloo boasted. Rainbow rolled her eyes and gave a shake of her head.
"Heh, she used to always beat me in races. You must be pretty quick."
"That's nothin! Check this out!" Scootaloo stuck her tongue out as she focused, holding up her hands and letting a spark jump between her fingers. Rainbow and Soarin froze in shock, Scootaloo's smile fading away.
"Scoot's...h-how long have you been able to do that?" Rainbow asked softly.
"I dunno, I just kinda...did it the other day..." She admitted. Soarin, noticing the youngest Skyborns' frown, burst into laughter as he stood.
"Oh man, that brings back memories. She's definitely your kid Dash." he said with a large grin, Scootaloo's smile quickly returning. Rainbow opened her mouth to argue but realized what he was doing.
Right...no reason to make a bad situation worse. We just talk to Twilight and...give Scoot's the rules on magic. Rainbow thought to herself.
"Alright, pack it up, we gotta get to the library!" Rainbow said as she snatched up Scootaloo and took off, Soarin shaking his head as he chased after them.
"Welcome home young miss" a maid greeted Diamond Tiara. she sighed and waved the woman away, making her way upstairs towards her room. She had more important things to worry about than whatever the maid wanted.
Embrace your power... a gentle voice whispered, her hand drifting to the necklace she wore. She had been sure it was a gift from her father. She had awoken one morning to find it on her nightstand. But when she had thanked him for it he had seemed...surprised...as if he had been unaware of the gift.
Her suspicions went to one of the maids, or perhaps an admirer who had left it for her, but no one knew where it had come from. And then the voices started...telling her to seek out her power, to take control...and she liked it.
And then the strangest of things had happened. She had been keeping an eye on the girls who had stood up to her. Scootaloo most of all. The sickly Skyborn seemed to be healthier every day and then there was that strange display she had put on for her friends.
"Now how does a Skyborn use magic, hm?" She wondered aloud as she paced about her room.
The girl is different...special...she could be of use...
"Her?! Special?! HA! She's nothing but a worthless Skyborn!" Diamond argued with the voice.
And yet she has power...power you could make your own...
Now there was a thought. But how could she take that power from Scootaloo? She had money and influence, but she doubted that would give her the edge she needed.
Earn her trust...and trust in your own power...
She smiled, putting her hand over the necklace and letting out a happy sigh.
"So I just have to be all buddy buddy with her, make her believe we are friends and then when the moment is right...I'll strike and take everything from her."
"Phew...sure is a hot one t'day..." Applebloom muttered under her breath as she made the trek home. She blinked in surprise, finding an umbrella above her head.
"Can't have one of my students dying of heatstroke." Spell Nexus said with a smile, flinching as Applebloom sneezed and shivered.
"Pardon me...sorry Mister Nexus, ah can't help mah uh...sinuses! Ah get real bad 'round them fancy fabrics that come in from Celamont." She fibbed, feeling very uncomfortable around the strange Magian.
"Not at all, it should be I apologizing. But I couldn't help but notice you walking all alone. Also I wanted to ask you about that girl in class...Diamond Tiara I think was her name. Do you know anything about her?" he asked as they walked, Applebloom feeling her eyes water and her body turn into lead as The Chill settled in.
"Well...she ain't th' nicest o' people. In fact, she enjoys bullyin' everyone she can, sides fer Silver Spoon, her lackey. Ain't much else t' tell. Her pa owns a pretty big business so she's all rich an whatnot an likes throwin that in everyones faces." Applebloom explained, wiping the snot from her nose and letting out a sigh. There was definitely something wrong nearby.
"Well this is my stop! Thanks fer th' umbrella!" Applebloom shouted quickly as she took off at a run, her runes glowing dimly as she pushed herself as far away from the man as possible. Each step away from him was a breath of fresh air. She burst into her home, panting heavily but with a clear head.
"Landsakes girl, ya'll dun look like ya been tryin' to outrun a bear! Whats'a'matter with ya?" Granny Smith asked, putting her hand against the girls forehead.
"Hmm, Th' Chill huh? Musta been somethin fierce t' make ya run like that."
"Granny ah think my teacher is evil." Applebloom blurted out.
"Nonsense! Why?" Granny asked as she sat in her rocking chair.
"Ah was fine all day, but every time he got near ah would get Th' Chill. And jus' now he started walkin' home with me an askin questions 'bout Diamond Tiara an th' Chill got worse an worse th' longer ah was near him, but now ah'm fine!" Applebloom explained quickly, still out of breath and slumping down to the ground.
"Hmmm...thats mighty strange lil Apple...Ah ain't never known Th' Chill t' be wrong...but ain't much t' go on. Keep yer eyes an ears sharp, an make sure yer brother knows."
"Granny, ah know Big Mac ain't my brother..."
"Shoot, jus' cause Applejacks yer Ma' don't mean anythin' changed. He ain't the uncle type anyhow." Granny cackled. Applebloom sighed, lifting her bag and heading into the den to start on her homework.
Twilight squeaked in surprise as the library door opened, Spike and Fluttershy marching inside.
"Oh, hello Twilight..." Fluttershy greeted softly.
"Just wanted to check in and make sure everything was okay" Spike said with a smile. He took a quick glance around as his smile faded.
"Is everything okay?" he asked softly.
"Yes...I don't see why it wouldn't be...And before you ask, no, I haven't been using magic. It's been...difficult..." Twilight sighed, slumping against her ladder.
"Well take a break! Your number one assistant is on the job!" Spike grinned, snatching up the scattered books and rushing to reshelve them.
"Just like old times huh?" Twilight smiled.
"Yea...like old times..." Spike said under his breath, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"Oh Spike, I-I'm sorry..."
"No, it's fine. Nothing we can really do about it now. But hey! If you'll make the cupcakes I'll make the tea" He said with a fang toothed smile. Twilight returned the smile and made her way to the kitchen, Fluttershy following behind.
"I'm really sorry about everything Twilight..."
"Fluttershy, for the last time, none of this is your fault. Do we really need to go over it again?" Twilight sighed, frowning as she had to duck down into her cabinets, remembering not to use magic.
"I-I know but...With Spike always keeping an eye on me...t-theres no one here to help with the Library..."
"I'm the Librarian, it's my job to take care of this place. Spike helps out whenever he can, so does Rainbow. Even Scootaloo fixes up the Fiction Section. Besides, Spike does a lot, if he gets a break in every now and again, I'm happy."
Fluttershy sighed, hanging her head.
"He's hurting Twilight..." She said softly, causing the Magian to pause.
"I can see it in his eyes...in the way he talks...all of this...it hurts him a-and I don't know what to do..." Fluttershy hiccuped as she began to cry. Twilight gently hugged her Skyborn friend.
"Fluttershy..."
"I hurt him...a-and I'm forcing him away from you and it's only hurting him more! B-But I don't want him to leave me...I'm so selfish..." She continued to cry.
"Ya know, it's kinda hard to talk behind a beast-kin's back. Heightened senses and all that." Spike said from the doorway, Fluttershy stammering and blushing, trying to wipe away her tears. Spike walked up to her, grabbing her hands gently and smiling up at her.
"You weren't yourself Fluttershy. That monster isn't you, just something inside of you. We all have that same monster in us. Discord forced that monster out of you and you fought it back." he assured her.
"B-But...I..."
"As for everything else. I just miss things being the way they were...just like you do, heh...It's hard to deal with, but I'll get over it. And if this is about my eye, just have a talk with Vinyl...Or any of the Knights. Firefly snapped my arm in half once. I made the mistake of walking up behind her..." Spike chuckled. Twilight watched them for a moment, squeaking once more as an arm was slung around her shoulder.
She turned towards the owner, one more squeak escaping her as a pair of lips were pressed firmly against hers.
"Well that's interesting." Soarin chuckled as he walked into the kitchen with Scootaloo on his shoulders. Rainbow pulled away from Twilight with a grin.
"Yea, life is pretty good." she smirked, giving Twilight's shoulder a squeeze. Spike froze as Soarin locked eyes with him, still holding Fluttershy's hands.
"Sup lil man?" Soarin chuckled, Spike internally sighing with relief.
"Nothin' really. Just working hard" Spike chuckled nervously. Rainbow furrowed her brow and sighed before taking a quick glance around, her eyes glowing for a moment and darkness filling the room as a symbol appeared over the window.
"Alright, I'm sick of this secrety bullshit." Rainbow growled, letting go of Twilight and marching up to Spike, hefting him up by his shirt.
"Spill. Everything. NOW!" She demanded. Spike sighed, placing his hands on her wrists.
"Alright alright, calm down." Spike grumbled, Rainbow setting him down. He turned to Soarin and Scootaloo, biting his lip. Sure, it would be easy to tell Soarin the truth...but Scootaloo? He was her friend, someone she trusted, another kid she could be herself around.
Here goes nothing... He thought to himself, his armor appearing around him. Soarin nearly dropped Scootaloo as years of military instinct kicked in and he saluted.
"At ease Soldier." Spike ordered, his armor fading away. Soarin chuckled a little, resting his hands on Scootaloo's knees.
"So uh...this is weird." Soarin mumbled
"Very." Spike agreed.
"Spike that was awesome! How'd ya do that?" Scootaloo wondered, leaning forward.
"I uh...I'm..."
"Spike works for Princess Celestia as a knight. He's my personal bodyguard." Twilight said with a wink.
"A-And since you and Rainbow live here now, he's also been your bodyguard." she continued. It wasn't really a lie. But it made things easier.
"Oh wow! Can I be a bodyguard?" Scootaloo wondered as Soarin set her down.
"No way Squirt, not til you are older. Spike gets away with it cause he's a dragon." Rainbow chuckled, ruffling Scootaloo's hair.
"But I can do the magic thing!" Scootaloo argued, Twilight blinking and Spike pausing.
"Yea, I wanted to ask...Dash, you sure she's adopted?" Soarin grinned, laughing as Rainbow punched his shoulder. He blinked in surprise as he noticed Fluttershy, quickly rushing over to her and glancing at her bandages.
"What the heck happened to you girls?" Soarin asked softly, clenching his fists.
"M-Mr Stormwing, please don't be upset!" Fluttershy stammered, squeaking as he hugged her.
"My name is Soarin...you know that Shy...now whats wrong? You never call me by my last name unless something is bugging you." He said softly, the Skyborn trembling in his grasp and burying her face in his chest.
"Ugh..." Rainbow groaned, the symbol on the window flickering as she put her hand to her head.
"Now who is the idiot?" Twilight teased as the symbol vanished, light returning to the room.
"Yea yea, but some stuff needs to be said in private." Rainbow grumbled.
"First things first. Soarin, Shy, I need the two of you to go hang out in the living room or somethin'...Spike, go with em. Me, Scoots, and Twi need to talk. Magic stuff." She explained. Soarin nodded without argument, practically carrying Fluttershy with Spike trailing behind. Rainbow turned to Twilight, slamming her hands on the Island in the kitchen.
"Why does she have magic?" Rainbow demanded, Scootaloo hanging her head.
"I-I don't know! I-It has to have been a side effect."
"Twilight, as a kid, magic almost killed me, we gotta do something!" Rainbow yelled, causing the Magian to flinch.
"M-Maybe it's different? I-I mean...your mothers magic was forced on you. My Magic was part of the potion a-and Scootaloo accepted it." Twilight pointed out. Rainbow paused, kneeling in front of Scootaloo and grabbing her hands.
"Listen Squirt, I'm not mad at you, or Twilight. I just need to know, and be honest...what does it feel like when you do that trick of yours?" she asked softly.
"I-I dunno, I just feel...warm I guess? It's kind of exciting and awesome to look at." Scootaloo admitted.
"Does it...hurt at all?" Rainbow wondered, Scootaloo shaking her head.
"No...is it supposed to? D-Did I screw up?" Scootaloo panicked, gasping as Rainbow hugged her.
"Not at all kiddo...I'm just freaking out over stupid stuff...but just in case, I'm gonna have Twilight check you out, alright?"
"A-Alright Dash..."
Rainbow ruffled her hair as she stood, glancing at Twilight.
"Sorry for yelling, I just..."
"I understand Rainbow...a life changing event like that...well, I'd be worried if you took something like this in stride..." Twilight sighed, taking a slow breath as she knelt in front of Scootaloo.
"I-I'm gonna need to use magic to double check and make sure everything is fine..."
"Just a little Twilight, Doc's orders." Rainbow nodded. Twilight placed her hands on Scootaloo's shoulders, giving her a warm smile.
"I need you to be brave, okay? This might feel a little weird, but its just a diagnostic. Everything should go smoothly as long as we both stay calm and relaxed."
"A-Alright Miss Twilight...Rainbow trusts you, s-so I trust you too."
Twilight managed to hide her frown. At least the girl trusted her, if for different reasons than she would've hoped for. She closed her eyes, letting a bit of Mana fill her and then passing it through Scootaloo, the Skyborn shivering and clenching her fists, her eyes glowing dimly. Twilight slowly opened her eyes, the same glow consuming her.
"Well? Anything...weird?" Rainbow wondered aloud.
"Shhh..." Twilight said softly, leaning forward and resting her forehead against Scootaloo's, the two closing their eyes.
"Everything...is fine...perfect even..." Twilight murmured as she stood, stumbling a bit as her magic faded.
"So I'm not sick or anything?" Scootaloo asked, the glow fading from her eyes. Twilight smiled as she sat on a stool, her legs shaking a bit.
"You seem healthier than me actually." Twilight giggled, Scootaloo smiling widely.
"But magic is dangerous Scoot's. You can't just use it whenever you want." Rainbow added quickly.
"B-But..."
"It's cool Squirt. Once Twilight and I recover, we'll give you the rundown on magic and its rules, kay? Til then, try to keep the lightshow to a minimum. It's uh...well...when I was a kid, I got called a freak...a lot..."
"So...I'm a freak?" Scootaloo mumbled, looking at her hands.
"Hell no! You're awesome! But people can't handle our level of awesome, so they try to bring you down to their level with insults and bullshit."
"Rainbow!" Twilight admonished
"She's heard worse." Rainbow argued, Scootaloo laughing and smiling up at them.
"You two argue like my mom an dad..." She said with a sigh, squeaking as she was pulled into a hug by Rainbow. Twilight joining soon after.
"Hey, that's what family is for right?" Rainbow beamed, sighing as both Twilight and Scootaloo rolled their eyes.
"Oh you two are so gonna get it!" She laughed, starting with Scootaloo in what would forever be known as the Great Tickle-Fight War.
"So...I don't suppose you know whats going on Sir?" Soarin asked of Spike.
"Just...Spike...And, well...it's a bit of a story." Spike sighed as he sat down.
"It's all my fault..." Fluttershy choked, Soarin squeezing her shoulder.
"I refuse to believe that Shy."
"Good, because it isn't true. There was a Chaotician, Discord himself. He was hiding under the Alias Dr Dickson Accord." Spike explained, Soarin gritting his teeth and Fluttershy trembling in his arms.
"The Doc was...no way, there's no way he coulda...What did he do? What did he do to Rainbow? What did he do to Fluttershy?!" Soarin yelled.
"Calm down. He's a living statue right now thanks to the Elements of Harmony. As for what he did...He tore through their minds, turning Rainbow into a vegetable and Fluttershy into a killing machine against her own friends." Spike explained.
"Her wounds are from fighting against his magic and then fighting against her own father. If Rainbow didn't already hold it, I'd think Fluttershy would hold the Element of Loyalty." the Dragonkin chuckled.
"So all this time...your pops was..."
"H-He really did help Rainbow! A-And h-he never treated me badly." Fluttershy argued. Soarin gently let go of her, Fluttershy stammering and taking a step back. Soarin sat down on the couch, letting everything sink in. He glanced up at Fluttershy, patting the couch.
"Sit down Shy, I'm not gonna bite. I'm just...dealing with everything." he mumbled. Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, weighing her options. Though, she decided it'd be best to face the consequences now rather than later.
"So, from the start of all of this...I've been buddy buddy with some evil bastard?" Soarin asked.
"H-He wasn't...isn't evil." Fluttershy stammered, hanging her head.
"I know he's your dad and everything Shy, but the guy was a Chaotician."
"So am I." Fluttershy blurted out, chaos filling the air around her as she clenched her fists. Soarin simply stared at her, shaking his head.
"That's different Shy, you're..." He started, Fluttershy facing him suddenly
"What!? Trustworthy? Kind? Skyborn? I'm still a Chaotician, like my father. Does that make me evil? Just because of what I am?!" She yelled, tears flowing freely as the Chaos faded
"He attacked you, turned you against your friends, made you fight. I get it, I shouldn't judge just cause someone is different in some way...shoulda learned that lesson with Rainbow. But if all that stuff he did is true then he got what he deserved." Soarin argued.
"More like he got what he planned for." Rainbow said, leaning against the chair Spike sat in.
"Right after we creamed the guy he straight up told us he had planned it all from the start. But...I've been doin' a lot of thinking...and he really did help me...ya know?" Rainbow sighed as she took a seat.
"We actually came to a similar conclusion. All of Discords interactions with all of you led directly to this point. He had an involvement with Rarity's family in Celamont..." Spike began, drawing a symbol into the table with his claw and tapping it.
"Which lead to Rarity ending up here in Eraville. He fathered the line leading to Ataxia Pie which led to our interesting situation with Pinkie Pie. His actions around the Apple household led one woman to suffer greatly but come out stronger because of it.
His sessions with Rainbow led her to be able to function in an open society such as Eraville and to even give a bit of trust to the Magians she hates. And then there's Fluttershy...his own daughter. He gave her a friend, helped her out of her shell and gave her the courage to speak."
"What are you saying?" Soarin asked, trying to piece together a puzzle he couldn't see.
"It's almost as if he were teaching them...grooming them...but for what?" Spike mumbled.
"Well, whatever his reasons, there is just a part of me that can't stay mad at him...he was family..." Rainbow sighed. Soarin crossed his arms, leaning back on the couch and letting his thoughts wander.
"This morning, I was just a guy headin' out to see the girl I watched grow into a woman and crack some stupid jokes..." Soarin grumbled.
"Welcome to my world." Spike chuckled.
"And you are certain of this?" Luna asked softly. Angel rolled his shoulder and gave a nod.
"He didn't go into great detail about it, but I like to think I know my pops pretty well...He was hurtin' somethin' bad. At first I thought he was just ticked that things weren't goin' his way. But when I was fading and he caught Shy...I saw the truth then. He coulda killed me. Right then and there. But instead he left me to bleed out...and I probably woulda healed up before that." Angel sighed, sitting cross legged, one hand on his leg and his new arm being worked on by Trixie.
"Master did often times seem distracted by his own thoughts. Trixie knew better than to question him though." Trixie muttered as her magic worked, eyes focused on the task at hand and chaos carefully weaved in-between her own Mana to bind her magic firmly to his body.
"I realized much the same in my own encounter with Discord. His lone punch that left me a mess upon the floor...It would've taken less effort on his part to simply kill me in that punch rather than render me unconscious." Luna agreed.
"He was definitely holding back. Right up until that last hit. It was like he knew exactly where I was gonna be." Angel sighed, blinking as Trixie backed away from him. He experimented with his new arm, rolling his shoulder a bit.
"Your student is pretty amazing Princess." Angel chuckled, patting his shoulder.
"Of course she is." Luna smirked, Trixie blushing slightly and bowing her head.
"But back to the matter at hand. Discord was playing with a stacked deck, as he was want to do. If we understand current events...his deck was stacked in our favor." Luna murmured as she began to pace back and forth.
"So you are thinking the same thing? That he was just doing all of this to make them tougher?" Angel asked. Luna gave a small nod, letting out a sigh.
"My only concern is...What could be so terrible that Discord would give up everything to stop it?"
"So whats on yer mind Pinks?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow at the Gaian across from her. The two sat in Sugarcube Corner in one of the many colorful booths. Pinkie had spent the past five minutes staring at a milkshake. Which was a bad sign. Normally she would've been on her twelfth shake at this point.
"I was thinking about Applebloom and I got really really really worried so I started watching her and i noticed she gets kinda weird sick around strange things, kinda like my Pinkie sense and then my Pinkie sense went off and I realized it really WAS like my Pinkie sense and that her powers are showing already." Pinkie quickly explained
"Ya mean Th' Chill? But that's always been a part o' th' Apple family. Granny gets it sometimes too." Applejack argued.
"Applejack...I can feel Chaos and...she's using A LOT..." Pinkie mumbled, staring into her milkshake. Applejack gulped, gripping the table.
"She ain't hurtin' or nothin' is she?"
"I don't think so...but better safe than sorry. You gotta tell her a-and I'll...I'll teach her what I can." Pinkie promised, crossing over her heart and holding up her Pinkie.
"Ah trust ya Pinkie, but ah gotta be there when ya...well when ya do whatever it is ya gotta do..."
"Sure thing Applejack, it'll probably be better that way. And uh...sorry for spying on Applebloom..."
"Yer heart was in th' right place Sugarcube,"
"Shining please..."
"I KNEW! I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG!" Shining Armor yelled, slamming his fist into the wall, his entire body shaking.
"I knew something was wrong...and I did nothing...I failed in my duty as Captain..."
"What could you have done? He fooled all of us Shiny...If anything, I failed you...I knew him. I should've recognized it was him and I am sure Celestia and Luna feel the same. If the people who knew him best were so easily fooled, why are you the failure for seeing what we didn't?" Cadence argued. Shining Armor sighed and shook his head.
"The problem is...I still feel like something is wrong. Something I've forgotten, something so important..." he muttered, tensing up as Cadence slipped her arms around him.
"Please, you can't keep beating yourself up over this. Tomorrow, if you like, we can have an audience with Celestia and discuss everything, but today is a day to relax, you promised." She argued softly. Shining took a slow breath, staring at the crack in the wall and gave a weak nod.
"I did...I'm sorry Cady, I just..." he began
"I know Shiny, I know. It's one of the reasons I love you so much." she giggled as she slid away from him.
"I still wonder...why me?" he chuckled weakly, letting her pull him by his hand to the couch.
"I'm not going to lie Shining...I'm a lot older than I look, but you knew that...I've had a few suitors, none that I really felt a true bond with, but people I loved all the same. There's something oddly different about you.
You've got just the perfect amount of goofball and honor. You treat me like a person, instead of an object to be worshipped. You're the kind of person I could see myself marrying someday." Cadence listed off her fingers, blinking as Shining chuckled. She pouted, glaring at the soldier.
"What?" she frowned at his laughter. Shining dug into his pocket and cleared his throat.
"Funny story, I kinda had the same idea." he admitted, pulling a small box out of his pocket. Cadence felt her eyes widen as Shining Armor slid off the couch and down to one knee. He showed her that same goofy smile that had won her heart on their first date and popped open the box.
"Princess Mi Amore' Cadenza...would you marry me?" he asked softly. Cadence gently lifted the box from his hands, setting it aside and grabbing his hands. She looked into his eyes, unable to hold back the tears that filled her own.
"Cadence, I..."
"Shut up and kiss me." she interrupted, tackling him to the ground in a passionate kiss. Shining wrapped his arms around her, indulging the kiss, though his heart still thumped in his throat. She hadn't exactly answered his question and this wouldn't be the first time she had distracted him from a topic.
Sensing his unease, she broke the kiss and smiled.
"Yes..." she whispered against his lips, causing him to blink.
"Really?" he chuckled.
"Of course really! Why would I say no?" she squealed as she sat up in his lap.
"Well, I'm just some crazy soldier. You're a Princess." he pointed out.
"If you thought I would say no, why ask?"
"Well, if I didn't ask, I'd just spend the rest of my life wondering if I should have. I'd rather spend what years I've got left as your husband." Shining said, flashing a grin. Cadence rolled her eyes and smiled.
"Not gonna lie, that really caught me off guard. I guess that's another one of the reasons I love you." she murmured, holding out her hand. Shining smiled, lifting the box in his magic. He carefully slid the ring over her finger, planting a kiss upon the back of her hand.
"You know, I had this whole romantic dinner planned out for this." He admitted.
"Got impatient?"
"Just felt it was the right moment. Guess my gut instincts really are always right."
Which only worries me more...what am I forgetting?
"Well, I've got a lot to think about, I'll leave it to you Si...Uh, Spike." Soarin chuckled. He gave Rainbow one last hug and turned to Fluttershy, pulling her close and hugging her as tightly as he dared with all the bandages she wore.
"This isn't your fault Shy, and even if it was your fault...We love you, and we always will." he whispered before pulling away. He gave a wave and walked out the door.
"He's right Shy." Rainbow added before Fluttershy could speak up. She glanced over at Spike, nodding her head towards Fluttershy. He blinked and stared for a moment, until Rainbow walked past him.
"I don't care what kind of badass you are. Hurt her, and I'll bury you." she whispered in passing, patting his shoulder.
"Well, Twi's got some research stuff to do and I promised to help her. You two are always welcome here, but I gotta kinda ask the two of ya to leave so we don't get distracted." Rainbow beamed towards Fluttershy.
"Oh, um, sure Rainbow. See you later?"
"Of course Shy. Go get some rest." Rainbow winked. She waited until they had both gone to let out a sigh.
"You two can come out now." Rainbow called, Twilight and Scootaloo stammering as they stumbled out of the kitchen.
"Soooo, Miss Fluttershy is like us?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow gulped and chuckled nervously.
"Uh, well ya see kid, uh..."
"Fluttershy's mother was a Skyborn, but her Father was a Chaotician. Her magic is different from ours Scootaloo, but only in its rules and its method of use. Chaos Magic is normally frowned upon because its dangerous." Twilight explained.
"But you said Magic itself was dangerous too." Scootaloo argued.
"And that's exactly right Scootaloo. Any type of magic is dangerous, but magic itself...is alive." Twilight smiled, a twinkle in her eye as she sat down. Most people ignored her when she began to rant, but Scootaloo seemed entranced by her every word.
"Mana, that which Magians call to in order to cast spells and use magic, is a living breathing entity."
"This is that Pool thing right?" Scootaloo asked.
"Thats right...The Great Pool, from which all Mana comes from. One exists within each Magian and ones power determines the size of that Pool. But with Chaoticians', there is no Pool." Twilight continued.
"Then how do they use magic?"
"Chaos Magic...is something no one truly understands. Not even those who wield it. It is something that is created around and within the wielder or stolen from others...Magic is dangerous, because it can cause great harm if used without proper knowledge. Chaos Magic is dangerous because of its very nature.
But that doesn't mean its bad. It is just different. When used right, it can do things Magic itself could never hope to do. Which is why so many are tempted to use it and end up hurting themselves."
"So, Magic is dangerous, until you learn it. But Chaos Magic is always dangerous? Then why does Miss Fluttershy use it?" Scootaloo continued to ask.
"She doesn't, Squirt. It's just part of who she is, just like Magic is a part of who we are." Rainbow said softly.
"Ohhhh. Do you know how to use Chaos stuff Twilight?" Scootaloo wondered. Twilight squeeked and shook her head.
"N-No, I just know theories and things I've read!"
"Oh. Well thats cool I guess. Soooo, when do I start learning magic?"
KNOCK KNOCK
"Who the heck could that be?" Rainbow wondered as she answered the door. A little girl wearing a diamond encrusted tiara smiled and waved.
"Hi! Can Scootaloo come out and play?"
"Ah'm home!" Applejack called, grunting as Applebloom slammed into her and hugged her.
"Welcome home Applejack!" she beamed up at her. Applejack chuckled, ruffling the Gaians' hair as she removed her hat, hanging it next to the door.
"How was School?" Applejack asked. Applebloom frowned for a moment and sighed.
"Ah think my Teacher is evil." She mumbled, Applejack bursting into laughter.
"Sounds about right si...uh...Applebloom." Applejack quickly corrected herself. The two stood in an awkward silence for a moment, before Applebloom giggled.
"That's gonna take us a while, ain't it?" She asked with a smile. Applejack chuckled and gave a nod.
"Yea, but ah'm sure we'll get it. Now, whats this 'bout yer Teacher bein' evil?"
"I don't like it." Vinyl growled
"We don't get a choice." Spitfire argued.
"We've got clear evidence he had connections to the Chaotician and we want to just LEAVE THEM?!" Vinyl yelled.
"We have to trust in Princess Celestia's Judgement. She knows Spell Nexus well, better than she knows us." Spitfire continued.
"Yea, she knew Doctor Accord pretty damn well too." Vinyl spat as she marched away.