5. As the Wheels Turn
Tirek looked down at his Soul Lock, slowly turning the golden amulet over fingers that weren’t his own. They still felt stiff and slow to respond. It wasn’t just this body’s debilitation from being motionless for so long, he had fixed that with magic. It was more akin to the body trying to reject him. He could understand why—his host was also the spawn of his mortal enemy.
He let go of his Soul Lock and folded his arms behind his back. Another bluster of wind billowed his cloak out and pushed his long hair from in front of his face. He took a step forward and leaned over the edge of the tower. Canterlot City sprawled out beneath him, noisy with their automatic transports and construction and loud music. He wasn’t sure what to make of this city of steel. It fascinated him how far humanity had advanced without the aid of magic, yet to see a world without marble temples and stone castles was strange.
“What do you think, My Lord?”
Tempest sat behind him on a metal box with grates that blew out hot air. She had spent the last two days informing him on the current state of the world. Technological advances, military powers, governing bodies. The world had grown even more chaotic and messy over the years. The gods had stopped even pretending to care.
Another gust of wind pushed Tirek’s hair back into his face. He brushed it away and said, “Militaries boast powerful weapons, and this ‘surveillance’ technology allows them to observe things at all times.” He despised the soft-sounding voice coming from his throat.
“The world has managed a great deal despite being robbed of magic,” he continued. “But, that makes our job that much more difficult.”
Tempest nodded. “That is why soul gathering has been slow-going. Large amounts of people dropping into comatose states would draw attention.”
Tirek closed his eyes and growled. “A hindrance to be sure. I will need to borrow as many souls as possible to gain enough power to usurp the gods. What you’ve gathered is a start but is still just a mere pittance.”
He raised a hand to his chin where his beard should have been. “But, if Starlight’s research yields the results she promises, the threat of military interference will be of little consequence. No, we have something more immediate to concern ourselves with.”
“The Rainbow of Light?”
Tirek turned and faced Tempest, the wind pushing his cloak against the back of his legs. “I had gathered countless souls and neared my ascension when Megan and her gaggle of minions stormed my castle. A decent witch in her own right, but nothing I could not handle, especially with the power I had gained. It would have been an inconsequential fight if not for divine intervention.”
He clenched his jaw. “Too afraid to face me themselves, the gods picked her as their champion and handed her an instrument to match my powers. A ‘light’ to counter my so-called ‘darkness’. Pure, concentrated Divine Magic. I could not have anticipated it, and in an instant, all of my work was undone.
“Years later, after I was brought back and resumed my conquest, I sent my followers to put down any magician they could find; anyone who might be able to wield the Rainbow. Yet Merlin and his friends outmaneuvered me and once again, I lost.”
Tirek clenched a fist and looked up at the pale blue sky. “Twice I’ve been caught unprepared. It will not happen a third time.”
“What do you propose, My Lord?” Tempest raised her recreated arm, and black electricity danced around her fingertips. “We could rip the flower out at the root.”
“No.” Tirek turned and looked out over the city again. “These girls you’ve quarreled with… you’re certain they don’t already have the Rainbow of Light in their position?”
“Positive. They bear a magic that is similar, but it doesn’t appear Divine in nature.”
“Hmmm, I see. All the more reason to spare them for now.”
“My Lord?”
Tirek spread his arms from his sides. “In both ages that I was strong enough to threaten the divine order, the Rainbow of Light has also appeared. Even if I destroyed those who might be able to summon it, others would surely rise in time and attempt it again. It is godly power given to mortals. Particularly mortals who think it is their duty to stop me.”
He dropped his left arm and in his right, a crackling blade made of angry red energy appeared. “Now, imagine, Commander, if I had control of such power. A divine weapon turned against its creators and the power of a legion of souls. Tearing down the pantheon of old would be child’s play, and I would become the god humanity deserves.”
Tirek slashed the air in front of him. It rippled like a red-tinged mirage and left red specks of magic to float on the wind.
After a beat of silence, Tempest spoke. “So, you want them to find the Rainbow of Light?”
“Indeed.” The red sword disappeared in a burst of crimson embers. “Let us observe them. Even push when necessary. Allow their souls to grow, and when the Rainbow is within their grasp…”
Tirek looked over his shoulder and smiled. “We take it for ourselves.”
*******
“So, here’s where things stand. We have one key to the Rainbow of Light. Moondancer is in charge of Shade Enterprises. And now, Adagio Dazzle has the Crystal Heart in her grubby hands along with a shard that can absorb and recast magic.”
Sunset watched Artemis pace back and forth in front of her and her friends. The six of them and Trixie were lined up in the Lulamoon backyard for the first day of magical training. Twilight sat off to the side with Selena, notebook and pencil at the ready.
“I’d ask how this situation could get worse,” Artemis said, “but I know better than to tempt the universe.”
“Why’d you give the crystal back to the museum in the first place?” Rainbow asked.
“What was I supposed to do with it?” Artemis asked, ceasing his pacing. “Its sole purpose is to amplify emotions, and the three creatures in the entire world who could use that for devious ends had been beaten! Forgive me for not being able to predict they’d find a way to get their powers back and come steal it again!”
“Hey, Adagio is the one that stole it,” Pinkie clarified pointedly. “Sonata already called and told me she and Aria had nothing to do with it.”
“She called you?” Applejack asked.
“Uh-huh! They get thirty minutes of phone time at the detention center.”
Artemis crossed his arms. “Innocent until proven guilty, I suppose. Though you’ll forgive me if I’m not unconvinced this isn’t all a part of some grander scheme.”
“It isn’t!”
“Regardless! We have enemies moving about both in the open and in the shadows. You all need to be as prepared as possible for whatever happens next. So, to best find a way to hone your magical powers, I will need a proper demonstration first from each of you.”
Twilight raised her hand.
“My dear Trixie and I have created an illusionary field around the backyard. To the outside world, it will seem as if nothing is amiss.”
Twilight lowered her hand.
Artemis smirked. “Well, if there are no more questions, who wants to go first?”
“Dibs!” Rainbow called. She punched a fist into her open palm and instantly ponied up, taking a moment to bask in her own blue glow. She then phased into a chromatic blur that bounced from one side of the backyard to the other, creating a bluster of wind.
She skidded to a stop, hopped into the air, and pretended to take a seat while her wings kept her aloft. “So, how was that?”
“Super speed! Classic!” Artemis said jovially. “Alright, who’s next?”
Pinkie waved her hand in the air. “Me, me!” She made a peace sign and held it to her eye while placing her other hand on her hip. “Pony power, maaaake up!”
In a burst of pink flare, Pinkie’s pony ears popped out of her now extended hair. She cupped her hands in front of her face, a soft glow radiating from between her fingers. She then thrust her hands skyward and released a burst of light from her palms. It carried upward and exploded into hundreds of smaller lights, still visible despite the bright sunshine.
Pinke then made finger guns and pointed them at the sky, making, “Pew pew,” noises as she shot off smaller fireworks.
Artemis stroked his goatee. “Interesting. Some form of pyrotechnic projectiles. Very good for offense.”
“I just call ‘em fireworks!” Pinkie threw another large one into the air. When it exploded, five smaller balls of light dropped down and exploded again in a rainbow of colors.
Trixie whistled. “Trixie approves of that one.”
“Well, Ah ain’t got anythin’ fancy like that,” Applejack said. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. It took a few seconds, but her orange aura blazed to life and her already impressive ponytail lengthened. She walked over to the lawn table, grabbed it with one hand, and lifted it over her head.
“Ah, super strength! Another classic! Hardly anything to be bashful about!” Artemis cheered.
Rarity ponied up next, having to close her eyes and concentrate like Applejack. When her purple aura manifested, she raised her hand and a palm-sized diamond shield materialized before her. She raised both her hands and the single diamond quickly multiplied into a wall. She then squeezed her eyes shut and threw her arms over her head, raising an entire dome of crystal around herself.
She dropped her arms down and doubled over as the shield fell. “Oh my, that still takes some effort to do on command.”
“That’s an interesting one,” Artemis said. “Are they hard light shields or actual crystals? And how durable are they? We definitely have to test those later.”
Fluttershy, already ponied up, walked over and put a hand on Rarity’s back. A soothing pink light washed over Rarity and she straightened up.
“Thank you, sweetness, I feel much better!”
“Ah yes, you’re the healer! Invaluable to any team!”
Fluttershy’s cheek turned as pink as her magic.
Artemis turned his attention to Sunset. “Well, that just leaves you, Sunny.”
Sunset inhaled. “Right. Just remember, I have two.” She closed her eyes and focused on her center, meditating like she had in Equestria. The warmth of her magic radiated through her body, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a golden sheen hugging her arms. She reached up and ran a finger up her horn, feeling whole again.
“So, this is my ponied-up form. I guess I can look into people’s souls.” Sunset rubbed her arm. “It’s kinda invasive honestly.”
“Oh, oh, do me!” Pinkie ran over and hopped up and down in front of Sunset.
Sunset swallowed a nervous lump, wondering what sort of sugar-craziness resided in Pinkie’s soul. She took Pinkie’s hand and felt their souls connect. In a flash of light, the backyard disappeared.
Pinkie bounced as high as she could in the bounce house. The feeling of her stomach dropping as she came back down drew another laugh out of her. Her friends laughed as well, jumping and belly-flopping against the inflated plastic. She couldn’t believe her friends had thrown this surprise birthday party for her. Actually, she could; they were the best friends she could have ever asked for!
Then she was on a swing set, kicking her legs as hard as she could to get as high as possible. Sonata sat in the swing next to her, trying to beat her height. They laughed in stereo, drawing the attention of the kids scattered around the playground.
Once she reached max height, Pinkie jumped from her swing and soared through the air, letting out a loud, “Wheeee!” She landed firmly on her feet and threw her arms in the air in celebration. Sonata landed next to her, stumbling a few steps before catching herself and straightening up like nothing had happened.
She turned and beamed at Pinkie. “Aria and Dagi never ride the swings with me! It’s so much fun!”
Then, Pinkie sat on a beach towel watching another marshmallow turn a golden brown in the bonfire. She didn’t say anything. She just looked around at her friends, talking and smiling. They were all happy. And that was all Pinkie wanted.
Sunset pulled her hand away as laughter bubbled up from her core. She wiped a tear away and smiled at Pinkie who beamed back at her.
“Whatcha see, whatcha see?”
“Just a lot of happy memories,” Sunset said. “But I felt how much you love all of us and just want us to be happy.”
“That’s ‘cause it’s the truth!”
Artemis put his hands on his hips, looking mystified. “Soul reading? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it.”
“I also did something to Fluttershy and made her stronger?” Sunset thought back to their trauma-inducing camping trip and how Fluttershy had removed the black magic infecting Jörmungandr after Sunset had put a hand on her. “I still don’t know how I did that one.”
Pinkie leaned forward, smiling eagerly. “You wanna test it on me?”
“I just said I don’t know how I did it.”
“And you’ll never learn unless you try!”
Sunset pursed her lips. “I hate when you make sense.” She flexed her fingers and put a hand on Pinkie’s shoulder. A warm thread tied their souls together, and Sunset found herself staring at more memories. A random birthday party, a trip to an amusement park, their Halloween sleepover from a year ago. As the pictures passed across her vision, Sunset felt embraced by a joyous euphoria. It was like a warm hug. She wanted to laugh and share that feeling with everyone she met.
Too saccharine!
Sunset pulled her hand off and shook her head. The coat of happiness fell away, though she could still feel it tickling her soul. She liked to be happy, but that was too much.
“I don’t feel any different,” Pinkie said, looking at her own hand.
“That’s because I didn’t do it right.”
“Then come on! I know you can do it!”
Sunset set her jaw and reached for Pinkie again, forcing herself to try and give something instead of take. This time when she made contact, she wasn’t drawn into Pinkie’s soul. Instead, she felt her own soul pulse before Pinkie’s aura blazed brighter and she let out a squeal of excitement.
“Holy flying cupcakes, I feel like I can do anything!” Pinkie turned her palms skyward and blasted out a firework twice as large as her last one. It zoomed high above the house, leaving a glittering trail behind it until it erupted into a mini Fourth of July display, unleashing a dozen small explosions in a spectrum of colors and star patterns. They crackled and fizzled as they faded from view.
“That was awesome!” Rainbow shouted. She zipped over to Sunset. “Do me next!”
Sunset sighed and pressed a hand against Rainbow’s face, both to get Rainbow out of her personal space and to repeat what she had done for Pinkie. Sunset’s soul pulsed again, and Rainbow’s aura intensified.
“Heck yeah!” Rainbow twisted around and rocketed into the air.
In the next moment, Sunset was knocked off her feet and landed on her back as a great boom ripped across her ears. Her eardrums popped and she instantly became lightheaded as a high-pitched trill rang in her ears. While the ground spun beneath her, she could make out a tiny dot zipping about high in the sky.
“Dammit, Dash,” Sunset moaned, her voice muffled to her damaged ears.
Rainbow dropped back to the ground with a superhero landing. Sunset felt a small tremor as Rainbow’s fist hit the ground. She lifted her head, a jubilant grin on her face, and mouthed something.
Sunset sat up and cupped her ears. “I can’t hear anything, Dash, you broke my eardrums!”
Two hands folded over hers and a gentle warmth spread through her ears. Car alarms and barking dogs were the first things Sunset heard.
“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Sunset said as the girl removed her hands and moved onto Applejack.
Selena rubbed her temples. “I kindly ask you to refrain from doing that in close proximity to people.”
Rainbow stood up and eased a hand behind her head. “Heh, sorry. Totally my bad. But did you see that? I went supersonic! It felt awesome! I lapped the entire city in like, two seconds!”
“Good for you, Rainbow,” Twilight said with disgruntlement, holding up her cracked glasses.
Artemis flicked his wand at the lenses. The cracks sealed themselves up and the plastic took on a glossy sheen, good as new. He then proceeded to fix the kitchen door and the windows. “Yes well, as impressive as that was, my illusion barrier doesn’t cover the whole city. No one probably saw you, but let’s try to be a little more discreet.”
“I never thought I’d see the day you ask for discretion,” Selena said.
Artemis playfully rolled his eyes and turned to Sunset. “Well, you seem to be some sort of empath with the additional ability to boost other people’s powers.” He crossed his arms and gave his boyish grin. “I knew there was something special about you the moment we crossed paths.”
“Must be. I still have another power to show.”
“Yeah! Show them Super Saiyan!” Rainbow cheered.
“Phoenix form!” Sunset countered.
“Super Saiyan!”
“Uugh!” Sunset closed her eyes. Her agitation wouldn’t be enough to get her into phoenix form. Instead, she reimagined Tempest looming over Twilight, Soul Lock in hand.
Her horn vanished, and a wave of surging heat spread through every fiber of her being. Her ponytail came apart and instead danced behind her in a solar wind. Blazing wings burst from her back, and a shimmering tail extended from the base of her spine. Sunset opened her eyes and exhaled, her very breath overheated.
“Incredible,” Artemis whispered. “I’ve never seen magic like this.”
“Yeah.” Sunset gave her wings a flutter, scattering embers to the wind. “This is phoenix form—”
“Super Saiyan!”
“Phoenix form!” Sunset glared daggers at Rainbow who just snickered. “Anyway, after I literally confronted my demon side and accepted what I did in the past, this happened. Still not sure why, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak.”
She held her hand up and a ball of fire ignited just over her palm. “This one’s easier to understand. Basic fire powers.”
“She’s also super warm to hug!” Pinkie said, embracing Sunset from behind.
“I guess my wings and tail don’t hurt people I like,” Sunset said, watching Pinkie nuzzle one of her fiery wings.
Artemis smirked and stroked his goatee. “Well, this is quite the range of powers we have here. I’m going to have to think how best to train you, especially given our limited space. And with your specializations, I’ll have to come up with a different training regiment than how I trained Trixie.”
“How did you train Trixie?” Twilight asked, looking up from her notes.
“We started with the basics: just being able to feel the magic within her and drawing upon it. Then we went onto mental imaging: being able to see yourself casting the spell. Then we moved onto actual spellwork. You girls appear to be able to ‘pony up’ whenever you want to, so that completes step one.”
Twilight held her pen up. “Well, instead of image training, the next step would be to test the limits of everyone’s abilities while trying to see if there are any extra powers we’re not yet aware of. We would also be able to monitor the duration of their power-ups and see if using their magic shortens the time they can be in that form, as well as examine if training can extend that time, like exercising a muscle. Then, I would propose we work on coordination between powers. Applejack and Rarity already demonstrated good chemistry with their powers at Prom.”
Artemis coughed into his fist. “Er, yes! I was just about to propose the same thing! Good job, Twilight!”
“Agreed,” Selena said. “However, we still have the space issue. It’ll be hard to test their powers in such a limited area. Let’s not forget how many fences Trixie broke while you were training her.”
“It only happened twice!” Trixie said indignantly.
“Four times.”
“What about Sweet Apple Acres?” Rarity asked.
“And give mah grannie a heart attack?” Applejack shook her head. “Besides, this magic training is gonna be messy business. Ah’d rather not have y’all mess up mah farm.”
“I’m sure I’ll come up with something,” Artemis said, airily waving his hand. “I suppose that’s it for today. Now that I know what you’re all capable of, I can plan accordingly.”
Rarity exhaled deeply and her pony accessories vanished. “I’m glad we made a little headway. If that’s everything, then I must excuse myself.”
“Where are you off to?” Rainbow asked.
Rarity straightened up to her full height, looking proud of herself. “I’m going to conduct a few interviews for my new boutique assistant.”
Twilight closed her notebook and looked up. “An assistant? Why?”
“Two reasons.” Rarity held a finger up. “One, I would like someone to carry on tending to the store while I’m away at school. I’ve put a lot of hard work into it these past years and would hate to just simply let it go. So, I would like an assistant I can train to become my successor.”
She held up a second finger. “Second and more excitingly, the fashion institute has a design competition every year. The student who produces the best fall line gets an internship with Prim Hemline!” Rarity pressed her hands against her cheeks. “Do you know how badly I want to work with the Prim Hemline? An internship would set my career ahead by years!”
Moving her hands down, Rarity took on a determined expression. “No incoming freshman has ever won the competition, and I want to be the first. So, I’m enlisting a little extra help to make sure my designs get done on time.”
“I’m doing something similar,” Twilight said excitedly. “There’s a research and development lab offering an internship for the best-designed invention. It’ll look really good on my transcripts if I got in.”
“Sparky, you already got accepted into MIT, you’re fine,” Sunset said with slight exasperation.
“But what if I wanted to transfer at some point? Besides, it’ll look great on job applications. And it’ll be fun!”
Rarity waved a hand. “Well then, I wish luck to the both of us. Toodles, girls!” She hurried off through the kitchen.
Selena stood up and grabbed her sword. “Magic training may be over, but sword practice is just getting started.”
Twilight dropped her notebook and jumped to her feet. “Yes, ma’am!”
Artemis and the rest of the girls piled into the kitchen to give them space. Sunset took cups from the cabinets and began pouring everyone lemonade.
“So, what are we gonna do about Adagio?” Rainbow asked.
Artemis took a sip of his drink before speaking. “Unless we find out where she’s hiding, we’ll have to wait for her to make the first move. I don’t like that she has her gemstone back, not to mention the Crystal Heart, but, I think it’ll be harder for her to gain any sort of grip on the public after her embarrassment at the Battle of the Bands.”
Sunset squeezed her glass and looked out the window. Twilight and Selena were engaged in a quick back and forth. Even if it was harder for Adagio to get a foothold, the idea she could hypnotize people again made Sunset uneasy.
Twilight’s stronger now, Sunset thought as Twilight parried and riposted Selena’s attack. She’ll be fine.
*******
Rarity took another glance down at the application in front of her. The ‘application’ being mostly photos of homemade outfits and sketches of suits and dresses.
“I must say, Miss Pommel, these designs are marvelous. Simple yet elegant. Oooh, I really like the color palette of this one!”
The girl in the seat across from her blushed. “Thank you. And please, call me Coco.”
Rarity nodded as she turned a page. “Oh, I love this beret!”
Coco managed to turn a brighter shade of pink. It contrasted perfectly with her cream-colored skin and her two-toned blue bob cut. “Thank you. I made that during this year’s Yarn-Off.”
“It’s wonderful!” Rarity flipped through the remainder of the portfolio and gently closed it. “Your work is lovely, Coco. Now, let’s talk about you. Why do you want to work at Carousel Boutique?”
Coco fidgeted with the red and orange clip in her hair. “Umm, I love fashion,” she said lamely. “I mean, obviously or I wouldn’t be here. What I mean to say is…”
She took a deep breath, and her cheeks finally returned to their normal color. “Even at Crystal Prep, we know that you make great designs. I’ve wanted to be in the fashion industry ever since I was little and I thought working for someone like you who’s already so good at it would be a great opportunity.”
Coco raised her hands and nervously rubbed her knuckles together. “Not only that but… the Midsummer Theater Revival is happening soon, or at least, it’s trying to. It’s been getting harder and harder to put on every year, and we’re not sure how much longer it’ll last. I’ve been going every year my entire life so this year, I want to contribute something that might make a difference. If I can design amazing costumes for the theater, it might help bring in an audience. So, I want as much practice as possible.”
She dipped her head, the blush in her cheeks making a comeback. “It’s silly, I know.”
Rarity reached into her pocket and pulled out her handkerchief. “You’re hired!” she cried, then dabbed her eyes.
Coco snapped her head up. “I am?”
“Of course! You’re a wonderful designer with a beautiful dream! You’re exactly the kind of assistant I want! And I promise, we’ll make time for your theater designs! You’ll be the woman who revived the Revival!”
“Really?” Coco pressed her hands against her mouth, tears in her eyes. “Thank you so much, Miss Rarity! You won’t regret this!”
“I’m certain I won’t.” Rarity finished dabbing her eyes and reached over to shake Coco’s hand. “I’ll see you at nine o’clock, Monday morning.”
*******
Applejack skimmed the surface of the wood with her knife, watching another sliver flutter onto the floor. She sat in her room, feet propped up on her desk, balancing her chair on its back two legs. Winona laid on her bed, legs twitching as she chased something in her dream.
Crickets and an occasional owl hoot broke the silence over the farm. From her window, Applejack could see the edge of the Everfree Forest. The full moon illuminated the tops of some of the evergreen trees. She breathed in the summer night air: pollen and leaves and tilled soil, and hummed in content.
She shaved off another piece of wood and turned the piece over in her hand. It was coming along nicely. She actually wasn’t sure what it was yet, but it was looking smooth.
“Once… upon a time,
“You came into my world and made the stars align.”
The sudden ringtone made Applejack drop her feet and sit up in her chair. Her phone buzzed on her desk, Rarity’s face winking up at her. Applejack swiped to answer and pressed the speaker button.
“Hey, Rares.”
“Good evening, Applejack,” Rarity said in a polite yet excited voice. “How are you?”
“Ah’m fine. Just practicin’ my whittlin’. How’d those interviews of yours go?”
“Oh, they were fantastic! I’ve found the perfect assistant named Coco Pommel! She’s cute as a button and is already very talented. Can you believe it, Applejack? I have my own protege!” She gave a girlish squeal.
Applejack leaned back in her chair and began scraping off more wood shavings. “Yeah, bet that’s excitin’. Try not to overload the girl on her first day.”
“Pish posh, what do you take me for? I’m no slave-driver.”
“Ah know. You just tend to get a little too excited about fashion is all.”
“I also know how to handle people, so don’t you worry your pretty little head. And speaking of that pretty head,” Rarity said with a coyish tone.
Here it comes. Rarity only called this late when she wanted something.
“Are you busy this Saturday?”
Applejack looked at her calendar on the wall. Sadly, it looked like she was free. “Maybe. Why?”
“Oh no reason in particular…” The windup was all too easy to hear. “Just that I have two tickets to see Countess Coloratura! Backstage passes included!” She let out a scream of delight.
Applejack winced, glad she wasn’t holding the phone to her ear. “Real happy for ya, Rares. But, uh, why don’t you ask Flash?”
“Because he’s out of town on a fishing trip with his father,” she complained.
“Aw. Well, Ah’m flattered Ah was your next choice, but you know Ah’m not a big fan of all that pop music.”
“You played in a pop band,” Rarity deadpanned.
“Didn’t mean Ah liked it.”
“Applejack!”
“Ah’m mostly jokin’,” Applejack said, cracking a brief smile. “It’s fun when we’re doin’ it ‘cause our music actually means somethin’. Most of that mainstream music is just stuff the industry churns out to make a quick dime. There’s no soul in it.”
“Have you heard any of Countess Coloratura’s songs?” Rarity challenged.
“Uhh… probably? All that radio music sounds the same.”
“A rather narrow view you have,” Rarity said cooly. Her voice warmed slightly. “Which is why you should come with me to the concert. Broaden your horizons, Applejack. Plus, backstage passes! It’ll be fun!”
Applejack sucked on her teeth. “Ah don’t know, Rarity…”
“Fine, I understand,” Rarity bemoaned. She gave a loud sigh. “I suppose I’ll just go by myself. I’ll sit next to an empty seat, haunted by the knowledge that my dear friend Applejack didn’t want to spend time with me.”
“Hold on now, Ah never said that!”
“So you’ll come with me then?” Rarity’s voice was immediately filled with pep.
“Ah mean Ah’ll—”
“Oh, excellent! Thank you so much, Applejack! We’ll have tons of fun, I promise! Pick you up at five! Ciao!”
Applejack’s phone beeped twice before the screen went dark. She stared at it for a second before furrowing her brow. “Ah hate when she does that.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.025 seconds
Total duration
979 users online
265,868 hits today, 2,244,100 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Coco!
The shipping between Rarity and AJ is strong 😂 I needed this story to come back with a chapter so bad.
Tierk is making a classic villain mistake. Underestimating the power of friendship, you'd think he would try and gather followers who were basically the anti versions of the mane 7 but I suppose that would be to obvious but I get the feeling this is trending that way anyway.
Great chapter, made me smile as always.
Sunset has the best powers by the way!
10886034
Coco is adorable as always and glad to see Rarity mingling with those who attended Crystal prep. Just goes to show it doesn't matter where you went to school or where you from, friends can be made over anything
I was just thinking about SS, and low and behold, new chapter.
So, the villain is planning to turn the Rainbow of Light into the Rainbow of Darkness. Sounds like a Tirek plan to me.
Glad the girls have something of a plan to deal with Tirek et al. Sunset's role as the heart of the group makes her amplifier powers pretty apropriate if ya ask me.
And then there's the little bit of Rarity and AJ drama at the end. I don't know if this is going in a RariJack direction, but regardless of whether or not it does, I suspect there will be fireworks at the concert.
Thank you for the chapter Albi. Made me smile.
Nice update. And yeah, pop is pretty much the same chewed up gum with very little exceptions, and excitement.
Anyway, keep going!!
Oh yes.
And that's your downfall. Hubris.
Easier said than done.
Y'know, I KNOW he has a woman's voice right now, but I can only hear Megatron from Transformers Prime.
GOOD.
Understandable.
When in doubt, hit it very hard.
OHO yeah.
Aaaw.
Oh wow.
Fair.
Honestly, fair.
Oh fun.
I love this drama queen so much.
HAH!
Artemis crossed his arms. “Innocent until proven guilty, I suppose. Though you’ll forgive me if I’m not unconvinced this isn’t all a part of some grander scheme.”
It should say either I'm unconvinced or I'm not convinced
Yesyesyesyes YES another chapter! So good!!
But does AJ know Rara in this universe? If so the are all for a big surprise.
10886069
10886126
Imma nip this in the bud right now, no, there is no Rarjack shipping happening in this story. And for bonus points, no, there is no ship involving Coloratura happening either. I am sorry if anyone is disappointed.
10886254
No worries Albi.
10886254
Figured as much, I got the feeling it was more friendly fan service shipping anyway and that's fine by me. The main ship I am here for is Sci-Twi and Sunset so I am happy with that ^.^
10886034
That's Ms. Pommel to you, pal.
:)
Seriously though, Interesting seeing the "key bearers" show up.
Looking forward to the next chapter.
--Spade
Time for Jackie to reunite with an childhood friend and maybe expose a scummy manager
*squee* this was so awesome to read!
It's so great and wholesome to see how you went over every girls magic and made it so lively, especially how the presentation turned out for pinkie and Rarity. Such a vivid image!
I love Coco and Rarity's business relation already and am looking forward to the epic anime magical girl training compilation
>also I'm fairly sure Tirek somehow saw those 2 seconds of Rainbow rainbowing around town >.<
Talking about Tirek I really like how you put him in scene: still struggling with adjusting to the body and feeling uncomfortable with the voice and all.
This is gonna be so awesome!!
Ps: My prediction about the finale is something like Tirek drains the Rainbow of Light out of them but the Mane 7 use the Magic of Friendship channeled through the Crystal Heart's amplification - after converting the last of the sirens in the heat of the moment.
I’m quite curious about the possibility of if or when Twilight gains levitation abilities. Also seeing the season mirroring from the show rather heavily in this volume…time to find all the keys to the harmony tree box!
Oh I knew Rara and Coco would be worked in from those foreshadowings earlier! ^.^
Now to see how the other payoff goes and, is it just me, or is there some Rarijack hint/teasing going on here? 😛
But how much long much Aria and Sonata be in jail?! 😭 I want to see piñata happen! QwQ (if that ship dosnt happen, I’ll eat my scarf) 🧣
Spectacular return and I just loved everything! Tirek certainly shows himself as an ominous force to be reckoned with and seeing how he is planning to ensure military powers and the like will not be a problem is worrisome. His plan about the Rainbow of Light is risky for him, but pulling it off would indeed make him strong. Fortunately, he most likely doesn't know anything about the magic of friendship or what it can do. Even if he does, he might see it as inferior to magic of the gods.
The training scene was fun, getting to see all the girls show off their gifts, as well as how Sunset boosted Pinkie and Rainbow. Seeing how these combos can be used going forth will allow for a lot of creative fight scenes. Just imagine if Sunset could make Applejack strong enough to literally press coal into diamonds. Rarity would swoon! It was also quite fun and warm to see Sunset feel just joyous mirth as she tapped into Pinkie's soul, even if it is a bit too much happiness for her. I fully expected it to go like Legend of Everfree, so this was a wholesome surprise.
And it looks like future keys are in the making. Coco - and it is COCO - was very cute and huggable and I want things to go well for her. But I fear there may be some manipulation on her on the horizon. And seeing Rara coming in will be something for Applejack. I wonder what all their history is and how things shall be resolved. It should all be fun!
This chapter was utterly perfect and I can't wait to see what you have in store next! Take your time with it and take care of yourself, Albi. I hope all is well and have a happy 4th of July!
"Indeed! And once they have it,we will take it from them! And once I possess the Energy Field Larger Than My Head... I will consume it!
Soon I will be invincible! Mwahahaha!"
I feel you AJ. I had a lady friend who could easily manipulate me in a playful way like Rarity. I did quite a bit for her including playing wingman or accompanying friend to a movie if her roommate was unavailable. Good times.
Heh, Sunset Supercharger.
10887548
Then he will just need to interrogate the Rainbooms in his inner sanctum, betray his trusted lieutenant, and transform into a snake, and he will unstoppable!
They actually do which you don't know about thankfully
Pats her back you'll get your chance eventually Sci twi, hopefully.....
Thx a lot rainbow
Yep this is gonna be hard.
Or think she's seeing things and possibly faint.
Agreed.
I really hope this goes well and not like what happened in season 4 of mlp fim.
It's looking like Volume 4 is going to have a lot more slice of life stuff to it, with adventure every once in a while to remind us what's yet to come. It seems that AJ and Rara weren't childhood friends in this universe, though it could be for the same reason it was in the show.
Wait a minute.
A theater performance and a concert? Something big's gonna go down at one of those. My money's on the concert for obvious reasons.
Loved Pinkies power up. Sailor Senshi FTW, lol.