• Published 10th Nov 2019
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Equestria Girls: Love Is Magic - onekface



A new enemy threatens Sunset's new home. It craves magic and it craves all who has it. She and her friends must rise to face it. But they can't do it alone. Flash x Mane 7

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Rules of Engagement

Chapter 24: Rules of Engagement

(Hoity Toity Trendsetter Amphitheater) (Tueday) (Morning)

“Hmmm…” Rarity puckered her lips curiously as she added several touches to her lineup. She arrived at the crack of dawn to put her first production on display. It was grueling at first attempting to put all her imagination into one outfit but she had to admit that the results were well worth the stress.

She based much of her design on the runic statue photo that Twilight gave her yesterday. The goddess’ wings looked absolutely foreign. With all the decorative feathers radiant jewels, it was definitely one of her greatest masterpiece. One might even say that it had the mixture of Saddle Arabia’s elegance and the Yaztec people’s warmongering attitude. It was a blend of both truth and myths, fantasy and reality. A little something that she hope would garner a tad bit of attention from Hoity Toity.

“Rarity?” Vignette Velencia, her partner in fashion gasped as she entered the backstage of the amphitheater. She approached and gave her partner a cute hug. “Well what do you know. Here before the morning sun. It seems we great minds really do think alike.”

“Yes. I came by to finalize my designs. It took me all night but I’m sure it will leave an impact. I was hoping to have Hoity Toity judge it before my next exam.” She looked at the timer in her phone. “Which starts in two hours.”

“Well I hope so too. Did you hear that three more candidates dropped out of the contest yesterday?” Three more? That’s about 1/3 of the contestants. They really are dropping like flies. At this rate there won’t be enough people for the second round. “Apparently the three of them formed an alliance with one another – and it turned out that they each stole each other’s designs. You can tell where that led.”

Rarity knew it far too well. Their alliance broke apart and they couldn’t bear the peer pressure of stardom. This business can be tough but come on people, have some self-worth! At the very least try to act like professionals.

“Goodness. How many does that make it?”

“I stopped counting after the sixth.” Vignette sighed. “Honestly, these people have no sense of professionalism. If you can’t trust each other, who can you trust?”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Rarity nodded. Why make an alliance if you’re just gonna stab each other in the back? “But I must admit that this little competition Hoity Toity has us doing is a bit unorthodox. Making us compete like this.”

“You heard what he said Rarity. This business isn’t for the weak. Only the strongest and most tenacious among us will be able to reach the top.” The former star designer added with good reason. “Just think of the prize that comes after. The Grand Runway. Anyone who runs through that lot is bound to get a spot at the limelight. In just 15 minutes and everyone in the world will know your name.”

“You have the right mindset Vignette.” The two fashionistas flinched when a shady voice crept up behind them with a shadowy grin. “Always keep your eye on the prize. Only the result counts in this world. The end justifies the means.”

“Mr. Toity.” The two of them gave a respectful nod to the man.

“Please. Don’t be humble. In the end we are all cut from the same cloth, no?”

“Umm… yes of course.”

“Rarity. And Vignette. I see you two are here to submit your own designs.” Hoity added flicking his shades upward. How can he see anything with those? The sun was still barely up. “I do hope you’re better than those before you. When Sombra invited me to open my store in this city I was promised the greatest and most imaginative minds. Yet so far I am…… unimpressed. Honestly, regal dress and modern day knights? You may as well bring me jeans and T-shirts and no one would be able to tell the difference.” Ouch… that was harsh, but fair.

“Mr… Toity. I have here one of my…”

“Mr. Toity.” Vignette interrupted, taking the spotlight in the man’s eyes. “I have here five of my original designs. Please… judge them.”

And like a god judging the mortal’s worth, he did. “Very well. Let us see what you have brought me.” He took a long look at the lineup of mannequins and hummed every time he found something. Vignette held her breath all the while flinching at every waking moment.

Even Rarity could tell that she was nervous.

Finally… after a long silence, Hoity returned to give out his judgment. “Your designs are… adequate… I suppose.” The star designer breathed a sigh of relief. That kind of comment from him was pretty much a seal of approval. She was definitely through the first round. “They are certainly better than the rags the others brought me.”

“Oh! Thank you Mr. Toity.” Vignette practically deflated, holding her phone, waiting for him to look away so she can text to her heart’s desire. “I knew I would catch your attention if I gave it my all.”

“Yes yes. Congratulations and so and so.” He brushed her off with little care before turning to Rarity’s singular dress. “And what do you have for me, young Rarity? Do you bring me clothes fit for gods – or are you only good at making outfits for… animals?”

Rarity gulped. The man was clearly in a league of his own. Not even Ms. Hemline commanded such presence before. Heck, just having his shades reflect her imperfect face made her bones sweat.

“Um… actually… I was hoping to get your opinion to one of my dresses. I made it through one of my inspired moments.”

He cared little for her reasoning and immediately went to work. His pose made a boring gesture before he finally scanned the dress in question. Rarity wanted to hold her breath in but Hoity beat her to it.

She felt him react strangely like he was hit by a brick. There was friction in his clothes as his body froze in place. His eyes traced the dress from top to bottom, even going as far as almost touching the headpiece.

“Rarity.” He stated her name which made the said girl flinch. “Where did you come across this… inspiration?”

“Oh… oh! Well it was um… inspired by a statue – or a figurine.” She brought out her phone flashing the said photo. “It was something I came across with my friends. It’s of uh…”

“Yaztec design.” The man’s voice went cold and harsh like he swallowed a sour pill.

“Do you not like it?”

He exhaled and somehow remembered where he was. “On the contrary. It’s rather impressive.” Rarity’s eyes glittered. “Well designed, no blemishes, folds or wrinkles, original sleeves and the fabric. This is not one of mine.”

“N… no sir. Actually the fabric was something I cooked up in my workshop. I used different pieces to makeup the seams.”

“Very good.” Hoity grinned. “Very good indeed. I might even put this up on my display case. Excellent work Rarity. You are clearly on the right path.”

“Oh! Thank you Mr. Toity!”

“But…!” He raised his hand up ruining the moment. “One simple dress is not enough to sway me. You must keep up this trend. Show me more of your originality. I asked for five and you will bring me five. Understood?”

“Yes. Of course! Absolutely!”

(Flash’s house)

Nope… nope… nada. Nilch. None. Nothing.

Flash grumbled into his hand as the last of the document slid to the side of the dining table. He had been going through a list of his dad’s collector friends looking for a Cloudsdale model. With a roster of wealthy donors and snooty rich folk he expected that at least one of them would have one of those old classics hidden in a private museum somewhere. But sadly there was none. After some quick research he discovered the model wasn’t exactly popular to folks around here.

Apparently the model had some major flaws in it which struck its sales. Flaws that made even the most daring dare-devil think twice on purchasing it. Loose wheels, suspension that would break on the first bump, seats that would heat up and explode when you drive for too long. That sort of stuff. By the time the company fixed the problems and put the new ones on the shelves, they went bankrupt and the company was sold to the highest bidder a year later. Now only a handful of them even exists around here and the rest of their product fell into obscurity. He had hope to at least get the parts, but the factory that manufactured the ride closed down too. Word has it that the parts alone were liable to breakdown, leak or… worse for worse: spontaneously combust.

Yeesh. The more he read about this bike, the worse it looked. Perhaps that mechanic was right. Maybe it would be better if Rainbow Dash bought a new one instead. Her bike sounded like a deathtrap just waiting to happen.

“Looking through antiques?”

“Gah!” The boy flipped, spilling his documents on the table. “Oh… hey dad. Uh… yeah. Just looking over some stuff.”

Sombra smugly laughed. “Well if you’re going to be interested in something, I prefer if you had a safer hobby, son. Those old ‘Classics’ as they call them are far more reliable to explode.” Yeah, so he knows. “Edmund told me that you’re looking for a Cloudsdale Classic. Terrible model at the start until they fixed the problems. No one would dare keep something so… volatile... in their collection.”

“So no one has it?”

“Doubtful son.” His father joined him at the table snapping his finger at his butler who came by with a glass of juice. “Why are you so interested all of a sudden?”

Flash sighed. “Well… a friend of mine had an accident – a totally normal accident.” He added that last bit suspiciously fast. “…and her bike was damaged. I wanted to look for the parts but no dice. I checked four garages and no one has them in stock.”

“Hmmmm…” The professor put a hand over his chin in thought. “You might not be able to get the right model… but I think you can convert some from various other bikes. The company that made the bike have similar parts. If you use those, you might even make it a whole lot safer.”

“Really?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time someone Frankensteined their vehicles. I think we might have a few of them in our garage.”

“That’s great! I’ll take a look.”

“Slow down, son.” Sombra ushered him back to his seat. “Don’t go thinking you can just break apart MY collection for your friends. You’ll need to earn it. I’m still upset about the sudden loss of my account when you hired an entire construction company to rebuild a farm.” Oh… right… that. “However I am willing to let you go through our parts under one condition.”

“O…k?”

“This Friday, I’m inviting my business partner, Igneous Rock and his family, over for dinner. And I want you to attend. He and I along with his wife will be negotiating over some of his owned land to me. I want you to keep his daughter, Pinkie Pie, entertained.”

Oh god. Not this again.

“Pinkie? She’s coming too?”

“Yes. I believe you remember her.” You can never forget someone like Pinkie, but that wasn’t what he was so surprised at. “It would be a good opportunity for you two to bond.”

“Uh… yeah dad. About that.” Flash opted shyly. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

He gave a stunted look. “Oh? Why not? If I remember correctly, you said that you had a wonderful time together on your date.”

“We did. But I don’t think that Pinkie and I will work out.”

“Oh nonsense. She looks like a lovely girl to be with. A little awkward at times but she’s definitely the better of all her sisters.” He eyed his son. “Why so hesitant? It’s not like you’re dating anyone right now.”

“Not yet anyway.”

“That’s the spirit son.”

Flash groaned. “Not like that. Besides, she doesn’t see me that way. We’re just good friends.”

“Really? That’s odd. She didn’t seem to think like that when I last saw her.” She didn’t? “In fact she was kind of looking forward to it. Almost excitedly so.” That can’t be right. Pinkie looked pretty irked by the whole thing. But then again she wasn’t exactly clear on her stance. “But I suppose, if you don’t wish to join, then I can’t force you either.”

Oh that’s a relief. It would be really awkward. “Thanks dad.”

“But then… I suppose you won’t be getting those parts for your friend’s motorcycle either.” He finished with a dung eating grin.

...

Dang it.

“Do I need to wear a tie?”

(CHS) (Band room) (Afternoon)

“Wow… so you’re saying that this is a real live multi-formulative-transdimensional key?” Twilight’s face practically oozed nerdiness as she said that name out in perfect pronunciation at the first try. Sunset had explained the details that Starlight and Sunburst gave her which prompted the two of them to have a private meeting in the band room. Sadly the rest of the club were too busy with other things to meet up. Applejack and Fluttershy were studying for their exams, Rarity’s off saying something about her future as a fashion designer, Pinkie’s filing a complaint for the lack of sugar treats in the menu (Again) and Rainbow was at the cafeteria helping out as part of her punishment for breaking the magic ban yesterday.

“We simply call it a portal stone.”

“That would explain what I saw in the cave the other day!” Twilight huffed, her mouth practically frothing over the figurine. “The structure that I was teleported to, had to be the portal that connects to the stone. If we bring this back there, reattach the statue to the platform, we’ll be able to activate the portal itself! We’ll be able to travel the world in seconds!”

“Easy there Twilight. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Sunset cooed, bringing the girl back to reality. “Remember that we still got a giant Cyclops to deal with? The one that our magic had no effect on and almost crushed us?”

She rocked her head back and forth in a 50-50 agreement. “Ok maybe we have a few obstacles in our way but that’s nothing compared to the reward! Can you imagine, instant teleportation from one corner of the world to another? Oh the implications!” Red alert. We’re losing her. Someone bring in a mathematical problem stat before she conks! “Oh and this thing explains so much too!”

“It does?”

Twilight hastily brought out a book from her bag flipping it to a page she folded. “The Yaztec was a tribe of people who was bent on conquering the world through force. It was said that their armies brought ruin to hundreds of civilizations.” Yikes. Not exactly the kind of neighbors you’d want to have. “Speculations says that they could wipe out an entire nation within days. Their warriors would appear out of nowhere and vanish the next day. They would’ve ruled the whole world too if they hadn’t disappeared so mysterious.”

“O…k? And what does that have to do with anything?”

“Don’t you get it!?” She grinned like a mad scientist discovering a secret formula. “The rumor about them conquering the world wasn’t a rumor at all. It’s why their civilization springs out in different parts of the world. This was how they were planning to do it. They’d send small groups throughout key points throughout the world and build these giant portals. Once they were done, they’d send their armies through them and attack like they came out of thin air.”

Wow… that was kind of smart… and kind of scary too. It was a brilliant strategy. With that kind of ability, there’d be little to no problem in taking over the world. Just build a portal between your warriors and your target and there’ll be no walls that can stop you.

Sunset raised a brow. “But if they’re so powerful, why’d they disappear?”

“That’s the mystery! No one knows!” Her best friend grinned. “Some say that a cataclysmic event wiped them all out. A plague, a famine, a great flood, earthquake. Some speculate that a meteor struck, wiping them off the world.” That last one sounded a bit too much like the dinosaurs, but Sunset wasn’t going to point that out. Her guess was as good as anyone.

“So what’s our next move? Did our website catch anything?”

She took a glance at her phone as she answered. “A few hits. There’s one place in particular just outside of the city called Freefall Island. Cinch’s readings pinged at a castle there. There’s a ferry that runs from there to the docks. I can book us a trip.”

“Whoa whoa. Easy there Twilight.” The redhead cooled her jets. “You do remember we still have our exams, right?”

“Right right. Of course. Education is important.” There we go. Back to the sane clear thinking Twilight. “I know that we said that we wouldn’t go after any magical adventures but it won’t hurt to plan ahead. I’ll reserve tickets for the whole club. We’ll just make it an activity. I’m sure Principal Celestia won’t mind.”

“Oh right… our club.” Sunset cooed in realization. Their club was still a thing. Vice-Principal Luna even stated that they were still active and would be allowed a minimum budget from the school. The only difference is that they weren’t allowed to operate within the school itself. It goes against the… no magic thing. “Speaking of planning ahead… how’d your talk with Timber go? Did you give him an answer on his offer?”

Twilight blushed at the thought. “Actually. No. I mean… not yet. I’m still conflicted. I want to say that I do want to move in with him some day. Just… not right now. I feel like he’s going a little too fast on this whole relationship.”

“Huh… that sounds like the right call to make.”

“But what if he takes it the wrong way? He might think I don’t love him anymore. What if me declining his heartfelt offer tears us apart?”

“Is your relationship really that fragile?”

“Yes!” She paused. “Well no. I mean we’ve only been through like… a few hundred dates together. We practically visited every remarkable location in Canterlot. Including the hilltop.” She then noted Sunset giving her a half-hearted look. “Sorry. It’s just that I’m not really used to relationships. Timber is my first ever boyfriend and I really want things to work out. I just don’t really know how I’m supposed to act around him. Do you have any advice?”

Sunset turned away shyly. “Oh… I don’t think I’m the right girl to turn to when it comes to interpersonal relationships.”

“But you used to date Flash, right?” Why do people keep bringing that up?

“Yeah. But I was different back then. I didn’t put that much effort in that relationship. In the end I was just using him to increase my popularity.”

“I don’t think that’s the whole truth.” Twilight spoke up much to Sunset’s surprise. “You keep saying that you don’t like-like him, but I get the feeling there’s more to that.” She smiled sweetly leaning by the piano.

“What?”

“You go on and on about keeping him safe, you worry about him constantly, always trying to make it up to him saying that you were a terrible girlfriend. But in truth, I think deep down, you must’ve liked him. No. Correction: You still do like him.”

Sunset turned away hiding her colored cheeks. “You’re crazy. We’re not that close.”

“Am I?” Twilight took on that challenge. “Because it seems to me you got even closer. If I was a gambling girl, which I’m not. I bet he’s still secretly into you. Why else would he willingly risk his neck for us on so many occasions?”

“Because he’s a reckless meathead who wants to be part of our magical adventures?”

“Or… he secretly wants to get back with you!” Twilight insisted on that. “I mean think about it. It makes total sense in the end. He brought you to the museum, brought you priceless relics from his home, and even saved us from a power raging professor! That has to mean something.”

“Yeah. And he also fixed Applejack’s farm and helped Rarity out in a bind. I don’t see either of them fawning over him or the other way around.” Oh Sunset. If only you knew the truth.

“Just give it a shot. I’m sure he’s doing all of this so that he could get your attention.”

Yeah right. They were just friends now. There’s no way he could still be interested in her romantically now…… can he?

(Later that night) (Rarity’s house)

Rarity couldn’t sleep.

Despite being wrapped in her comfy blanket and tucked into her bed she can’t seem to get a single wink in. Her mind was racing. When she heard Hoity Toity sing praises for her dress her brain had been going through overdrive trying to come up with the best designs. She tried to imagine something related to the Yaztec and only found a few scarce information lying in books and the internet. A few portraits came around and a large variety of weapons and armors but nothing that could be used for her costumes. Not unless she wanted to present the next season of Canterlot Cannibals in her presentation.

“Ugh… this is useless.” She muttered to herself as she pulled her blankets off. “It normally isn’t this hard for me to design my own clothes. And the deadline is in a few days. I really need to get my game on or I’ll be missing the biggest chance of a lifetime.” The fashionista grumbled and groaned for a few minutes going through the designs she had on her table but found none of them eye-catching. “How am I supposed to present anything at all if I don’t have anything to go by? Maybe a little midnight snack will help jog my brain up.”

She quietly headed down to the kitchen pass Sweetie Belle’s room. There on the fridge she grabbed herself a diet soda and chugged it down easily.

It would’ve made for a calm night too had she not heard an echo. Rarity quickly whipped her head around scanning the room she was in.

“H… hello?” She called out. “Is someone there?” There was no reply. Only the snowy breeze outside her house and the old humming of the heaters. Could it have been her imagination? “Goodness. All this stress is simply getting to my head. Is this what it feels like to be deprived of sleep?”

“Pffft!”

Ok… forget that. Rarity definitely heard someone chuckling just now.

“Sweetie Belle? Darling? Is that you?” Another giggle and a snarky laugh. “Sweetie Belle. If that’s you sneaking around, I will have you know that this isn’t funny. Come out right now, young lady or you’re going to be in so much trouble.”

A loud noise of objects falling came from the adjacent room which caused her to sprint it that direction. It came from her workshop. Reaching for the door she yanked it open hoping to catch the perp in the act. But instead she found the place completely trashed like a tornado came through.

“My workspace!” Rarity screamed as she turned to her clothes. “My fabrics! My designs! My collection!” Everything was scattered everywhere. Not even Opal’s litter-box was spared. There was no way Sweetie Belle would’ve done this. Her sister knew far too well how important her dresses are. “Who’s there!? I know you’re in here.” She immediately ponied-up drawing power from her geode to cast a light spell.

From there she saw them. Three feminine shadowy figures lingered in her workshop staring back at her with bright yellow eyes and an amused grin.

“Y… you’re definitely not Sweetie Belle.” She heard them hiss as they slithered within the shadows like snakes. “I don’t know who you are or what you want but I’ll have you know that you messed with the wrong fashionista! As Rainbow Dash would say: Prepare to be schooled!”

The shadowy figures answered that challenge with a gleeful laugh and attacked.

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