Hitting The Books

by CrypticMetaphor

Chapter 6- An Eventful Day

Breakfast was pretty good that morning, best damn pancakes I had ever eaten. Now Rainbow Dash’s mother Firefly was an awesome cook to say the least, and we made sure she knew it too. After much kudos on the exceptional meal we soon found ourselves sitting in a nearby park as the day began in earnest. The thing was that we had no idea what to do, tomorrow was another school day and it was still the weekend so there was a major problem.

Rarity was absently checking her nails, “Well we could always go to the mall for the day.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, “Yeah cause that would be fun for EVERYONE.”

Rarity turned her nose up, “It was merely a suggestion.”

Sunset was deep in thought, “We could check around instead of just sitting here.”

A familiar voice spooked us from behind, “Well there’s always the carnival at the pier.”

We all turned and saw Umbra standing with another dude that the girls seemed to recognize.

I stood up and pointed at Umbra in slight fright, “Stop doing that!”

Umbra raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

I lowered my hand, “Ninja sneaking, it’s creeping me out.”

The other guy laughed, “Yeah he tends to do that.”

I glanced at the other dude, “Hey, name Cryptic Scribe.”

The other guy raised his hand which I took, “Flash Sentry.”

Twilight stood up, “How did you know we were here?”

Flash cocked a thumb at Umbra, “He told me.”

Fluttershy was surprised at this, “But how?”

Umbra flashed a grin, “Sunset texted me and asked if I could swing by and offer my input. I was in the neighborhood with Flash and thought what the heck.”

I turned and looked at Sunset who was glancing absently at her phone and shook her head, “Yeah…I did.”

Applejack stood up excitedly, “Well what are we waitin for! Let’s get to that carnival!”

We all voiced our agreement and departed.

*

Thing is I used to go to Playland back on Earth but the amount of rides and attractions at THIS carnival made me slack jawed upon entering. There were bumper cars, small rollercoasters, and other fantastical rides. The many junk food assortments they sold caused me and Pinkie Pie to drool in hunger. The other girls merely laughed at our faces as Pinkie went and bought two bags of mini-doughnuts.

She passed me one, “Here ya go!”

I took the bag gratefully, “Sweet thanks!”

Soon we all headed off toward the attractions with glee and mirth aplenty. The day that followed was by far the most fun.

*

Rarity sat on the metal swing, “Um…Rainbow Dash, you’re sure this isn’t going to go too fast?”

Rainbow Dash smiled, “Of course not! Its way to slow in my opinion but you’ll still have a blast.”

Rarity fidgeted in fright as the swing jerked slightly, “What was that?!”

Rainbow sighed, “Relax Rare’s you’ll be fine.”

Rarity was glancing around in fright as her feet left the ground, “Where are we going!? What’s going on?!”

Rainbow looked to the side, “Wait for it.”

Rarity looked down and noticed her new height and then glanced back at Rainbow, “WAIT FOR WHAT!?”

The swing ride then began to spin, that’s when the screaming started.

*

Twilight turned her head at the sound of screaming as Flash followed her glance, “Rarity?”

Twilight nodded, “Rarity.”

Pinkie smiled, “Sounds like she’s having loads of fun!”

Fluttershy blinked as few times, “I don’t think those are screams of joy.”

*

Rainbow Dash yelled over the rushing wind, “SEE WHAT DID I TELL YOU!”

Rarity’s answer came as such, “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh!!!!”

*

I glanced around the mirror maze I was lost in with AJ, “Okay I swear to god if I don’t find the exit I’m going to lose my mind!”

Applejack smacked into a mirror, “OW! Yeah, ahm with ya there.”

I turned around and almost smacked into AJ only for a mirror to separate us, “By Odin’s beard, WHAT THE HELL!?!”

Applejack was using her hands to guide her which I did as well, “Nother dead end Scribe.”

I halted and looked around, “Oookay, I am officially developing claustrophobia.”

Applejack emerged in front of me and placed her hand upon my shoulder in determination, “No you aint’! We’re gonna beat this crummy maze together!”

I nodded with renewed purpose, “Hell yeah!”

We were lost for two more hours without success in sight.

*

The rest of the group stood outside the massive mirror maze talking to the ticket giver. He informed them that the two people whom they had described were indeed still inside the maze and looked like they wouldn't be coming out soon. He informed them also that he was going to go in and get them anyway.

Umbra raised his hand, “No need, we’ll do it.”

Twilight nodded, “Yeah, come on girls. Let’s get our friends out of there!”

Soon the group was then ensnared by the dreaded reflective labyrinth.

*

Applejack was stuck with me in a circular outcropping that had one entrance that also acted as the exit. I was sitting on the ground staring at the mirrored wall.

I then deadpanned, “We are going to die in here.”

Applejack turned and gave me a blank look, “It would help if ya would give me a hand.”

I waved around us, “Hey I did alright? I tried to find the exit and failed, so let’s just wait for someone to get us.”

Applejack shook her head as she got me to my feet, “Oh no! You are not gonna give up on me.”

I sighed, “Alright cowgirl, any ideas?”

Applejack scrunched her face in thought, “Hm, we could try following the left wall.”

I nodded, “Oh yeah, they said that if you follow the left wall it may lead to the exit.”

Applejack stopped for a minute, “Right…”

I stared blankly at her as we followed the wall, “You had no idea did you?”

She remained silent.

*

Rarity was looking around in circles at all of her reflections that stared back, “Though this is quite interesting, it’s quite surreal.”

Pinkie Pie was busy making faces at herself, “I think it’s funny!”

Twilight smacked into a mirror, “RGH!!”

Flash looked around, “Okay, maybe we made the wrong choice here.”

Umbra laughed with mirth, “Oh come on! This is fun!”

Sunset looked at Umbra, “I really don’t see how.”

The Umbra she stared at walked to the side and popped out behind her, “SURPRISE!”

Sunset jumped a foot, “Don’t do that!”

Rainbow Dash stopped moving, “Hey do you hear that?”

Fluttershy turned her head and noticed Applejack’s and Scribe’s walking in different directions, “Everyone I found…them?”

Twilight gazed at the reflections, “This could take a while.”

*

I noticed numerous duplicates of the group when we turned the corner, “It’s the-“

Applejack began to bang on the glass, “GIRLS!”

I then dramatically declared, “The fools! Now they have fallen prey to the same fate!”

Applejack cast me an amused glance, “Do ya always do this?”

I casually smiled, “When I’m bored.”

Applejack smiled at that, “Then ya should be bored more often.”

I then put on a mock bemused look, “Are you trying to compliment me Miss AJ?”

Applejack blushed ever so lightly, “L-let’s jus get to the group.”

I pointed and proclaimed in a powerful voice, “ONWARD MY GOOD WOMAN!!”

*

The group rounded a corner and came face to face with the duo they had been searching for. Both parties stepped forward to greet only to be stopped by a pane of glass. Scribe then visibly dropped to his knees and yelled out in frustration.

Sunset placed her hands on the mirror and slowly began to walk left as Twilight became frazzled, “Who BUILT this!”

Rarity looked around once more and cowered under her own gaze, “A twisted fiend.”

Umbra shrugged, “Or someone with a good sense of humor.”

Flash looked after Sunset, “What are you doing?”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed in focus until she stumbled forward, “Found the corridor!”

*

We soon all met up and were walking in a well-coordinated fashion. Twilight was at the head of the group with Dash bringing up the rear. I checked my watch and saw we had all spent most of the day inside of the maze. Upon delivering this information everyone collectively groaned in annoyance. Many more hours passed by until a horrifying occurrence took hold…our group became separated. I was alone in the slowly darkening maze, an actual soundtrack began to play to I guess set an ominous mood. I slowly began to back up until I smacked into something.

I and the object yelled, “AH!”

I turned around to face Sunset Shimmer who was in a fighting stance which I mirrored, “Alright Scribe time to start talking!”

I was confused as we circled each other, “What are you talking about?”

Sunset narrowed her eyes, “Don’t give me that, I’ve never seen you at all around this city and you suddenly pop up out of nowhere? Yeah I don’t buy it.”

I narrowed my eyes as well, “I exchanged into the school remember? I moved here from-“

Sunset cut me off, “Vanhoover, I heard. Funny thing is that I find it hard because you don’t have an accent that most inhabitants have.”

My eyebrows raised, “What?”

Sunset smiled in triumph, “Yeah, I used to know someone in the school who’s from there.”

I rolled my eyes, “Ever thought that maybe I might have been raised by non-Vanhooverite parents?”

Sunset lowered her defenses, “Um…that never really-“

I stood up fully, “So THAT’S why you've been avoiding me! You've been trying to poke holes in my story this whole time? Man I thought I was paranoid.”

Sunset sighed, “I guess you’re right, sorry. It’s just that I’ve been on edge a lot recently since trying to get over…”

I titled my head, “Over what?”

Sunset shook her head, “Nothing.”

I was about to ask once more when I felt a breeze. I turned my head slowly and whooped with joy.

Sunset followed my eyes, “The exit?”

We both then screamed, “THE EXIT!!”

The others must have heard us because soon we heard them approaching.

Sunset and I both emerged into the setting sun. She then hugged me in exhilaration which she then pulled away from in embarrassment. Looked over to the exit and noticed Umbra standing on the threshold in silence. I stepped back slightly until the others emerged and joined in our collective happiness of our victory over the cursed glass maze of insanity. We then all decided that it was time to head our separate ways. I and Twilight headed off with Rainbow Dash, but all the while even as I went to sleep I thought back to that moment when Sunset hugged me and seeing Umbra. Maybe it was a trick of the light or something but I could have sworn Umbra had been…glaring at me in anger.

Comments

[Lucky424]

Yeah, let's piss of the changeling by getting a hug from his crush, that's going to work out well!!
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