End of the Year (Part 3)
Hey guys. Sorry for being a little late. I had to rewrite this chapter like a dozen times just to get the feeling right.
Also got myself roped into a wedding plan. So I might not be able to write for a while.
So stay safe out there. Stay healthy and keep warm. 
Chapter 56: The End of the Year (Part 3)
(Docks)
Numbers.
Why oh why did it have to be numbers?
Rainbow Dash slammed her head on the table in complete and total defeat feeling the life inside of her completely drained. She crumpled a piece of paper in her hand resisting the urge to throw it away and scream at the top of her lungs.
When she made this bet, she was expecting an easy win. An auto-resolve situation if you’d want to call it. There were dozens of games in this fair. Many of them requiring an athletic body or keen instinct to master. But never in her life did she ever expect to use her brains in a game.
Ahhhh! Dang it! My one weakness!
Who in their right mind would make math a game? It was bad enough already when it was the worst subject in school. She looked to her paper again and saw the numbers within, only to have them go all blurry in her eyes. How can anyone even consider this to be entertaining? People were just putting numbers in squares, finding some kind of pattern. There wasn’t even a crowd to watch this madness!
“And that’s it. Time’s up.” The announcer declared raising a hand signaling the rest of the players to stop. “Flash Sentry wins this table. Congratulations.”
Her date held a grin on his face when the prize was given. A stuffed toy that looked poorly made. It looked like a dinosaur… though one could probably mistake it for a dragon.
“Well well well… this feels familiar.” Flash stated smugly like he had won over her in an actual contest. “You really need to step up your game Rainbow Dash. Otherwise you’ll never be as awesome as me.”
“You… cheated.” She hissed, glaring dagger eyes at him.
He didn’t seem all that bothered and instead shrugged arrogantly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re the one who took the bet. And you did say any game after all.”
“I was thinking more like the usual fair game!” She growled. “Something like darts or bumper cars. Not… whatever this is.”
“It’s still a game. And I won.”
“It doesn’t count!”
“It totally does. Just like how I won in our shred off.”
Rainbow grumpily huffed, folding her arms together feeling like she had been dealt a low blow. She really needed to specify what kind of games she wanted to play. Ugh… she can already picture what her friends would say when they see this. If Applejack heard of her defeat, she’ll never let her live it down. She’ll take it to her grave and beyond.
“Come on. Don’t sulk.”
“I’m not sulking!” She barked before returning to her moping. “It was a stupid game anyway.”
“Will a drink make you feel better?”
Don’t you give me your pity, you cheater. I have no need for such useless gestures. I’d rather sulk here for hours before I give in.
“Pumpkin spice.” She said finally which made him smile.
…
After a quick drink and some popcorn from the kiosk, Rainbow returned to her somewhat neutral attitude. Food always did have a way of cooling her jets.
“Haa… alright. Let’s hear it.” Rainbow stated after a quick sip from her drink earning a look from her date. “As much as I hate to admit it: I lost fair and square. Even though I still think you cheated. But never say I was a skimp. So let’s hear this favor of yours. What is it? Want me to play backup again?”
The boy cupped his chin in thought. “Actually… I have no idea.”
Her expression soured. “You’re joking.” He wasn’t.
“I didn’t really think much of it. I was kind of going with the flow there.”
“Ugh… seriously? It’s bad enough that I lost, now the other guy doesn’t even get a prize?”
“I got this dragon.” It’s a dinosaur… or at least she thought it was.
“Not. The. Same.” She emphasized on every word swatting the stuffed toy away. “Ugh… you’re lame. How am I supposed to take this defeat with any dignity if my opponent won’t even take his win seriously?”
“Is it really that bad that you don’t get to hear all of my deepest darkest secrets?”
Yes!
“No…” She admitted, though her facial expression said otherwise. “Well… maybe. I was just thinking of a quick win alright?”
Flash laughed at her. Great. Now she just made a fool of herself. Why did she ever agree to this date to begin with?
“Well if it means that much to you. How about another game?”
She eyed him wearily, which was to be expected after the curve ball he threw at her just now. Was he gonna rope her into another trick or was it just a sucker’s bet? “What kind of game?” Her tone dripped with suspicion.
“Five questions.” He answered plainly raising five fingers. “Each of us asks the other person five questions each and the other guy answers truthfully. You can’t lie no matter what, but you get one veto.”
So basically it was truth or dare without the dare part. It sounded simple enough. But she knew better now than to jump straight into the fight. Better to be cautious. Fool me once, shame on me and all that nonsense.
“So I can ask anything from you and you won’t lie?”
“With this little dragon as my witness.” He raised the said toy like it was some kind of deity, holding one hand over his heart.
“No boundaries? No riddles or skeptic or cryptic messages?”
“The sky’s the limit.”
Rainbow gave the game a thought. It was a good offer. Though granted she had to reveal four secrets of her own, the return for that trade was pretty good all things considered. Besides, the guy already knew most of her embarrassment, thanks to her parents.
“Deal.” They shook hands on it.
“And as a gesture of good faith. I’ll let you go first.”
She shrugged. “Fine by me. What’s your most…”
“Veto.”
…
“Dang it Flash!” She threw her popcorn at him.
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Timber let out a groan, slogging down on the bench with an exhausted sigh. Tonight was simply the worst. He didn’t want to believe in anything like luck or karma but tonight he felt like he was cursed.
After they were declined at the viewing platform, Timber tried his best to make up for it by finding them a better view of the fireworks. First he tried the pier which was unfortunately swamped by couples and families that had the same idea he did. Then he tried the parking log which didn’t fare any better. Then he had the bright idea of reserving a spot at the Ferris wheel. But again, someone had beaten him to it. A number of couples had reserved their seats ahead of time.
After that, the boy tried to salvage the date by trying to win her a prize from the games. But even then, his curse seemed to follow him. Apparently some trio have been going around grabbing all the fancy prizes off the shelves winning games like they were using magic. Now all that was left were a few knick knacks that no one was interested in.
So all in all, he felt cursed.
And now Twilight and Spike ran off to the free buffet tent hoping to grab something to eat before the show starts.
Ugh… how did it get like this? This was supposed to be his time to shine. Why did it all have to go so wrong?
The boy huffed, unconsciously kicking a pebble down the floor.
The last few days with Twilight has been amazing to say the least. To have her with him alone in a cabin was like a dream come true. They’d go on walks, skate by the frozen river and just be by one another for comfort. But… even so he could tell that there was something bugging her. She might be with him but she wasn’t fully there per-se. Twilight would often have this look in her eyes like her mind would be far apart while her body went into auto-mode. It was hard trying to get into someone who had all the knowledge of magic.
Ugh… magic.
The mere thought of it made him rather upset. If it wasn’t for that, Twilight would’ve just been another ordinary girl. His ordinary girlfriend. They’d be together, instead of her going off into these weird adventures and fighting off shadowy monsters from beyond.
“Trouble in paradise?” A witch-like voice spoke from the deep, bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked around and noted a figure inside one of the tents where his pebble dropped in. “I can feel your frustration all the way from here. But I assure you, that you have nothing to fear. You have the face of a troubled soul. Please come in and get away from the cold.”
Was she… speaking in rhymes?
He noted the sign outside. ‘Zecora’s House of Fortune’
Oh… it was one of those gypsy’s nonsense. The fake magic tricks. Like the ones that grandiose magician in Twilight’s school.
“Hard for you to consider what is real and fake. When all you need to do is make one mistake.” The woman inside added. Did… she just read his mind? “Your mind? No. But your face tells me more.”
Curious… the boy decided to enter. He quickly found himself surrounded by objects and items that practically screamed witchery. Giant face totems, flowers he had never seen before, incense candles emitting strangely relaxing smell, a cauldron brewing nearby, and face masks that were frightening enough to dance lifelessly in the air. He could ever hear a strange tune humming in the background – or perhaps it was those giant speakers hidden behind pillows and carpets.
“Uh… hi?” He said finally, his body reaching for the chair to meet the woman who was covered in a dark blue shawl and a thin veil covering the lower part of her face. A crystal ball shining between them revealing white ink on her cheeks. “Sorry. I don’t normally… do this.”
“Of that, I can tell. But there is a first for everything as well.” The girl nodded, golden rings dangling on one ear. “I can see that you are marred by many troubles. Even the signs say that they are not subtle.”
“That obvious, huh?” Timber wondered. “I guess you could say that I’m having a little problem with someone.”
“A family? A friend? Or… perhaps someone closer?”
Wow… she’s good. “Uh… the last one.”
“Ah… a matter of the heart. Feelings of closeness yet fear of being apart.” Oh wow, another strike on the head there. “What ails you?”
Did he want to do this? Entrust his love life to a complete stranger?
Ah… heck. Why not? It’s not like anyone else had an idea.
“It’s just that. My girlfriend and I have been together for over a year now. And I love her really much. But… I get the feeling that we’re… as you say… growing apart.”
“Oh?” Her eyes lit up as if sparking interest. “And what brought these dark thoughts to bare? When all things should be right and fair?”
“Well… you see… my girlfriend is kind of… special. Like really REALLY special. And sometimes she has to do these things that I can’t put myself in. It’s kind of like… a line drawn between us. And now that she has this new uh… job… I can’t seem to involve myself somehow.”
“Ah… I see. You fear that your presence drifts from her mind. You fear what she will become and what she finds.”
“Uh… I guess?”
“Unique is this task she given. She is motivated to do it, and driven.” That’s… kind of true. Twilight had a fascination with magic ever since she discovered it. It was like… her sure fire road to a science grant. Nowadays it’s pretty much the only thing she ever thinks about. “And what is it you wish to do? What do you believe is best for her and you?”
“I…” He breathed. “I want to be more involved.”
“You wish to share her path. Even if it would incite her wrath?”
“Yeah. I want to be involved. Is it wrong that I want to be with my girlfriend more?”
The woman didn’t answer, instead turned her head towards her crystal ball. A hand crept out of her shawl, hovering around it, interacting with the mist inside. “To feel closer to the one you love is admirable, so to say. But best tread carefully less your involvement drives her away. Such actions are wrought with perils and danger. One misstep and you two… may become strangers.”
“I think we’re already heading there.”
“Fear is just an excuse. It is a shield, misuse.” She exclaimed, eyes widening. “If you truly believe such actions can strengthen your bond. Then go to her and find your common bound and beyond. You already have your goal! Fear nothing and search deep within your soul. The answers you seek may not easy to see. But I have something that may make your relationship… a guarantee.”
Does she mean like some kind of short cut?
“What is it?” Please tell me it’s not some silly love potion.
And thankfully it wasn’t.
She pulled out a beautiful amulet from her shawl and presented it to him like a gift. “A trinket from my home just for your size. It is not as pretty as others but it is worthy of a prize. Present your love this modest offering. And I can assure you that your love will be… uh… bud…ding!”
Timber wanted to call her out on that last rhyme but he was quite distracted by the amulet. At first glance it would look like some cheap knockoff you can get off any jewelry store. But upon closer inspection, he could see that it would make quite a gift. The necklace was made out of cheap material and everything it held looked very plain and ordinary. However, the shining sapphire in the center of it all caught his attention.
It was a great reminder of how their relationship started. A nostalgic blast from the past. He wondered why he didn’t think of it earlier.
“It’s perfect!” He reached out to it only for the woman to pull it back at the last second.
“That’s all dandy and fine. However… that’ll also be 5.99.”
The boy’s face soured while as he reached for his wallet while the grin on the fortune teller’s face palpable.
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“Ugh… that was the worst.” Twilight groaned as she left the buffet tent with nothing but a scoop of ice cream, her hair riddled with pasta. She was supposed to get something for Timber to cure his foul mood. But sadly that wasn’t going to happen. Apparently a girl came by and began stocking all the food she could carry. The chefs tried to stop her but by the time they got word, the attacker had consumed a large portion of the buffet sparking the others to do the same. By the time they got control of the situation, that girl made off like a bandit and disappeared into the crowd.
The mayhem left behind was so catastrophic that even her shoelaces came off.
And thanks to that, all she got for her effort was the last scoop of ice cream, which was hardly enough for one of them.
“Talk about an uproar. That place was crazy. Who knew so many people would be mad over free food?”
“Meh. I’d give that a 2/10 in disaster scale.” Midnight answered, floating above her host like an unwanted fairy. “Still. Seeing all those people fight over the last chicken leg was entertaining.” And surprisingly enough, Twilight agreed. To see such civilized folk devolved themselves into fighting for literal scraps of food like savages was kind of fun to watch. “And did you see that guy playing with the ketchup?”
How could she not? The guy was using it like a gun squirting everyone with sticky red liquid. One of the chefs had to tackle him down just to stop his reign of terror. In the end, it was a horrible mess that someone had to clean up.
Still… it earned her a few laughs which she desperately needed. Who knew that a little chaos could be so much fun?
“I know, right?” Her alter ego agreed wholeheartedly. “Chaos and mayhem in a budget! The madness of it all! Having men groveling at your feet while you hold their lives in your hands!”
“I… don’t remember seeing that happening.”
The fallen angel shrugged unapologetically. “Eh. Who cares? At least it was something that was actually entertaining. Unlike the rest of this date with what’s-his-name.”
“It’s Timber.” She insisted though it didn’t seem like her inner voice was listening. “You know, for a voice inside my head, you really don’t know much about me.”
“More like you don’t know yourself.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing~~.” The wicked witch whistled.
“You know. You’ve been really judgmental of Timber lately.” Twilight added. “What got you all worked up? Did he do something to you that I don’t know about?”
“Other than him being a complete snooze fest these last few days?”
“Hey! He’s trying his best. Timber has been a complete gentleman this whole week. Which is far more than I can say for some people.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
“So we had one bad date. It’s not the end of the world.”
“Sure sure. Whatever you say.” Midnight waved it off, not wanting to bother arguing. “Just know that when you finally come to the realization of your own stupidity, I’ll be here laughing.” Twilight wasn’t really sure what she meant by that, but it was clear that she held some manner of grudge against her boyfriend. Either that… or she knew something she didn’t. Either way it didn’t matter.
“We should probably get back to Timber before he starts worrying.”
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Ah… that felt so much better.
Adagio let out a satisfying moan as she took in a deep breath smelling the negative energy fill into her soul. The food fight in the buffet tent was menial to say the least but seeing those humans plaster themselves with all the pastries they could get their hands on was a welcome distraction. Seeing such savage actions on such semi-intelligent creatures never gets old.
It was even better when she deprived the game hosts with all of the greatest prizes. Some of those suckers really think they could one up against the Sirens. You’d think after all these years, people would know better than to try to cheat on them.
With a little allure, seduction, and a hint of magic, they robbed those suckers blind like they were a bunch of bandits. By the time they figured what was going on, (If they ever did) they’d find their stalls cleaned of all their precious prizes and their games rigged in the players’ favor. Their misery and loss was delicious to say the least. So much so that it even brought Adagio out of her rut.
Though she wouldn’t say this out loud, Aria might’ve been right. Perhaps all she needed was a little outing to oil her gears. Dust away the cobwebs, so to speak.
“Ugh… so… full.” She turned over to the sides finding her youngest sister groaning on the bench, her face plastered with all manner of sauce and condiments. After her raid in the buffet tent, that little girl made off with a bucket load of treats. And as per usual she stuffed herself silly with everything she could get her grubby little hands on. Now she was looking more like an overstuffed pig. Though granted there are actually pigs out there with better manners than her. “Can’t… eat… anymore.”
“I told you to take it slow.” Aria cooed over her little sister, placing her head on her lap. “Come on. Sit up properly before you hurl up again.”
Adagio simply shook her head and left her to her own devices. It wouldn’t be the first or last time she ate herself to oblivion. If there was any upside to these humans, they certainly knew how to cook. The creatures over in Equestria were far too green for her liking.
Now let’s see. What else can they do before the firework show? Maybe she can entice a couple into breaking up… or maybe have another food fight but on a larger scale.
No.
None of those sounds all that entertaining. She needed something more. Something enticing. Something that can get her blood pumping again.
Something like…
Hmm?
Lover Boy?
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Flash couldn’t help but stifle a laugh as he strolled down the pier listening Rainbow Dash. He had learned much about the girl after they started ‘dating’. After all, this is what dating was all about. But never in his years would he even thought of discovering so much of her deep dark secrets. Normally you’d think you’d have to bribe her with a boatload of Daring Do memorabilia to get her to reveal anything. But instead all it took was a simple game of questions.
“Wait. You serious?” He asked, cackling childishly in disbelief, barely holding back his own chuckles. “You’re afraid of rollercoasters?”
The bravest soul in CHS scoffed out loud, folding her arms. “Yeah. What about it?”
“But… how? Why?” The boy questioned. “I mean… don’t you go around with your super-speed jumping and flying and stuff? And… aren’t you like… faster?”
“That’s totally different!” She spat. “With my powers, I get to control where I go and what I do. I can twist and turn and stop whenever I want. But with a rollercoaster, you’re locked inside a giant metal death machine going 130mph with no breaks! I mean… who would want to go on such a dangerous ride?”
Huh… that actually sounds pretty logical. And there’s barely any kind of protection when you’re riding such a dangerous machine. A customer is far more liable to lose a limb or life than to have a good time.
“Hmm… now that is interesting.” He hummed, taking a sip off his drink. “Rainbow Dash is afraid of riding the rollercoaster. Who would’ve thought?”
“And don’t even think about telling others about it either.” Rainbow warned with an accusing eye, stabbing him with another finger. “If you say this to anyone, I will flat out deny you. You hear me?”
He quickly raised his hand up as if to swear an oath. “Relax. Your secrets are safe with me.” Besides, I don’t think anyone would even believe me if I told them. Folks would probably just laugh at me saying I was making things up.
“Alright. My turn.” She pointed out. “What’s your greatest fear?”
“What? You want to waste a question on that?”
“Hey, I told you mine. So it’s only right that you tell me yours.”
Ugh… what a petty girl she is. But then again, this was Rainbow Dash after all. You can’t expect someone so stubborn to hold a grudge.
“Fine. Mind control.”
“Mind control?” She parroted. Her eyebrow sinking suspiciously.
“Yup. If there’s one thing I’m really afraid of: It’s being brainwashed by another magical creature hell-bent on world domination.”
“That’s not a fear.”
He scoffed back. “That’s because you’ve never been mind-controlled before. Unlike you and your friends who have magical powers, we ordinary folk can’t even protect ourselves. I got turned into a zombie, and one time I was unconsciously under the control of three girls with magical singing voices. Can you imagine what it’s like to have your whole body put under a spell? Because I think speak for everyone in school when I say: It’s not a good experience.”
“Come on. It can’t be that bad?”
“Oh really?” He challenged back, grinning. “How’d you like it if one day you woke up and decided that you didn’t like sports and become a dancer instead?” The thought alone made Rainbow visibly shiver. “Or how about if you somehow gave up music and became a hair stylist… or worse… a fashion designer! Oooooooh~~~~!”
“Eeep!”
“Or how about one day you find yourself attracted to… Professor Doddle?”
“AHHHH! No no! No! Never!” She covered her ears and shrieked.
“I can picture it now…”
“Ok stop! I get it!” The girl capitulated almost immediately, rubbing her arms to chase away the goose bumps. “Ugh… now there’s an image I’ll never get out of my head. Thanks a lot.”
Flash let out a hearty laugh. There’s just no way he could get enough of Rainbow’s bashful face. That annoying pout, the mean glare she tries to give out reminds him so much of Bananas whenever he felt left out. You could easily picture her with animal ears and tails…
… oh wait.
“You know. When Rarity told me about this whole plan, I thought it’d be an absolute disaster. But now that we’re actually here, I think this is actually going pretty well.”
Rainbow scoffed not believing that for one bit. “Oh please. You just like to tease me.”
He shrugged. “Well… I can’t deny that.” She’s just so adorable when she’s all flustered and angry.
“But… it’s not exactly bad either.” She added, brushing her hair shyly like she was hinting at something else. “I mean… I know it’s a fake date and all. But if this is how a date goes… I wouldn’t mind doing another one.”
A small smile curled upon his lips. “Oh so are you saying that I actually have a chance with the infamous Rainbow Dash?”
“Uh… what?”
“My final question of the night.” The boy exaggerated throwing one hand in the air. “If I were to ask you out on a date – a real date – and not a fake one. Would you say yes?”
Rainbow immediately had the look of a deer staring down headlights. Her brain immediately went frizzled like it had burned up from all the processing it needed to do. In that instant, a cacophony of actions took place. Her cheeks turned beet red, her hands flustered over her hair and face while she dodgingly avoided eye contact. She stammered softly, muttering something under her breath, trying her darn best to form sentences but fumbled in and out of it. God she was an absolute doll when she’s shy. It took every ounce of mental fortitude for Flash to resist laughing. He even had the urge of pulling out his cell phone and snapping a picture in that moment of weakness. The guys back in school will be livid if they ever caught this expression. The sports teams will bid for it. Heck, Zephyr Breeze alone would probably sell off his kidney just to get a copy of such a picture.
After fumbling on her words for a couple of seconds, Rainbow did the smart thing and answered…
“Veto.” Oh my god! He flipping knew it! “Stop laughing! You’re the one asking weird questions!” She pounded her fists on his arm which he casually brushed off.
“Pfft! Sorry sorry.” He snickered, holding back his laugh and failing. “I just couldn’t resist.”
“Ugh. Whatever. I gotta go and wash up.”
“Come back before the fireworks. I still got one surprise left.” He shouted out which she acknowledged with a wave of her hand.
Ah… man. Who would’ve thought that Rainbow Dash, the coolest and most reputable girl in CHS would have such a cute side to her? He felt a little bad teasing her so much. He would’ve stopped immediately if she didn’t have such an adorable reaction. She was definitely rough around the edges and stubborn to a fault. But if you look closer you can see that she had more to offer than what she had on the outside.
Heck, if he wasn’t head over heels for Sunset, he would’ve asked that girl out a long time ago.
Oh well. Some things were never meant to be.
Ha! If only he knew what the universe had in store for him.
“Doh!” Just as the boy whipped around, he found himself bumping another traveler, who then spilled something cold and clunky onto his jacket.
His eyes shot up to his assailant. “Twilight?”
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Midnight couldn’t help but cackle evilly as she watched her host turn a bright shade of pink when she realized who it was she bumped onto. She never was one to believe in destiny before but this chance meeting might actually make her a believer. For a moment there she thought that this night would be another boring outing with whats-his-name. They’d hang out, flirt, and maybe even kiss. And she’d be sticking around to watch as her ignorant host makes a complete idiot of herself. They were waiting for that green haired moron to show up at the meeting place but for some bizarre reason, he hasn’t shown up yet, which was pretty dull. So imagine her surprise when they bumped into the one person who was even remotely interesting around here.
“Twilight?” The boy looked just about as surprised as she was.
“Flash?” She sensed a familiar emotion stirring inside her host. Her heart rate increased while other parts of her body continued to groan. How Twilight remains oblivious to these feelings was anyone’s guess.
The two of them froze, their brains processing the situation like it came as a shock.
Thankfully the boy spoke first. “Hey. Funny bumping into you here. Didn’t even recognized you.”
Her brain rebooted back, turning a smile. “I could say the same to you.” She paused on that sentence. “The bumping part. Not the… other thing.” The girl then quickly noted the ice cream stain on his jacket, eyes lighting in embarrassment as she reached for her handkerchief. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s nothing. I’ll have it dry cleaned tomorrow.” He brushed it off so casually as he removed the said jacket. “I’m guessing you’re here for the fireworks?”
No you idiot. We were here to enjoy the sights and smell of the ocean and enjoying the cultural significance of the city’s shipping industry. Why else would be standing in the pier?
“Wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
“That’s great. You here with your folks?”
“No I’m a……” Her heart wavered for a brief second there. “I’m with Timber. He’s uh… he’s running late.”
“Oh right. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” He scratched his head awkwardly.
“What about you? Who are you with?”
“Me? Oh… well…” Midnight crept in closer, analyzing every inch of his face. “I came alone actually.” That was a lie. She could tell. But it was surprisingly well hidden. The boy certainly had some experience. That… or someone’s been teaching him.
“You’re not with your dad?”
“He’s busy at work. As usual.” He shrugged on that last part. “Not surprising. Seeing how his election campaign is pretty much in the bag at this point. I’ll barely even see him once he becomes Mayor.”
“That’s… not good.”
“Meh. What can you do? It’s not like it’ll be any different from before.” And strangely enough he didn’t sound too bitter about it. Twilight felt some empathy for the boy. To spend this special day alone was rather unbecoming. Perhaps she could ask Cadance to talk some sense into his old man.
No.
That would be butting into his personal life. Best to leave it be.
“So… uh. It’s been a crazy yeah, eh?” Was that supposed to be a question or a statement? Midnight couldn’t tell.
To no surprise, the boy agreed. “Tell me about it. These last few months have been a blast. The whole Freefall Island pageant show, the shadow monsters, getting teleported to the other side of the world?”
“Pfft! Please. Only you’d find all of that to be fun.”
“Well I can certainly say that it’s never a boring day with you guys around.” Oh bravo. What a catchy comeback line. The guy was a natural when it came to pickup lines. And he did it so casually that he didn’t even realize that it just made her host all tingly inside. “If anything, I hope I get to spend more time with all of you next year as well.”
That won’t be too hard seeing as all of them were technically living under your roof.
“Really?” Twilight’s face beamed. “After everything that’s happened?”
“Absolutely.” He replied confidently. “As a matter of fact. I think I’ll make me one of my New Year’s resolution. If I get to be part of your adventures, I’m happy. Just… warn me whenever you’re gonna try teleporting next time.”
“Deal.”
Their laughter was soon interrupted by the fair’s PA speakers. “Attention, all visitors. The New Year’s countdown firework display will be starting in fifteen minutes.”
“Looks like the show will be starting soon.” Twilight sighed. “I wish I could see it from the viewing platform.”
“Didn’t you get tickets?”
“No. They were pretty much sold out by the time we got here.”
Flash’s face quickly turned a smile. “Well… why don’t you join me?” She raised a quizzical brow to which he quickly explained. “I rented the whole top gazebo.”
“That was you!?” Girl… why are you even surprised? You know this kid comes from money. “Wait… you bought a whole floor just for yourself?”
“Oh… uh… well… yeah.” He said quickly enough to avoid suspicion. “I figured I’d spend the New Year in style. Ahehe…”
Twilight gave him a curious look. It was definitely strange. But then again, this was a rich kid throwing his cash around. So what do they know what goes through his head.
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“We’re leaving.”
Aria’s eyes shot up when she heard her leader made a declaration.
“What?” She questioned.
“I said: We’re leaving.” Adagio repeated, face turned away sounding rather irritated.
“But… the fireworks…” Sonata tried to argue but was quickly shut down when Adagio turned towards them. “Eeeep!”
“Now…”
The two younger siblings looked at one another confusingly but complied nonetheless.
What crawled under her skin all of a sudden?
(Equestria) (Castle of Friendship)
“Well… that certainly was……… something.” Sunset rocked her head as she strutted through the halls of the Castle with a heavy heart and a messy mane, Starlight Glimmer following her not far behind. She wiped a stain of apple fritters that landed on her head and kicked off the gunk that latched on her hooves.
“I don’t think there’s a word out there that could possibly describe what just happened.” The purple pony agreed wholeheartedly on that matter which they followed with a hearty laugh while they removed some gunk from their nose.
The two of them had just come from their attendance of Princess Twilight’s coronation back at Canterlot Castle, which was an absolute disaster from start to finish. They all expected some kind of grand event. The kind where parties are spoken in legend like the Grand Galloping Gala. And they weren’t wrong either. The ceremony alone would be spoken far and wide and played on Manehattan Square for all to remember. Just… not in the way the Princess and her friends expected.
So many events took place in a span of just a few hours that it was difficult to even remember what happened and when. First it was her royal gown, then the yaks and dragons started challenging each other who could make the loudest noise, the gryphons then dropping in and intervening, then the parade animals went into some kind of frenzy creating all kinds of mess, the fireworks were out of synch, being managed by a wild alligator, the Wonderbolts performance that went absolutely horridly wrong, and the food? By Celestia… the food. The chef in Canterlot Castle needed to be fired and replaced by… well… just about anyone. A simple taste left many creatures rushing for the royal toilets and many more curling on the floor in disgust and pain.
It must’ve been so embarrassing for the Princess of honor to simply stand there and watch as everything fell apart like a house of cards. The poor alicorn could only wave and smile while the rest of the castle staff did their best to wing it as it went. And in the end… let’s just say that it concluded horribly.
“Well… at least you were right about one thing.” Sunset chuckled. “It certainly was a once in a lifetime event. No one will be forgetting this day any time soon.” The two of them shared a comical laugh before finally making their way to the back room where the portal was placed.
“I’m glad you were able to attend. I know things have been quite hectic on the other side. But you could’ve at least talked with Twilight while you were there. She would’ve definitely made time for you if she knew you were there.”
“I think she has a lot on her plate without me adding to the mix. Just being there to witness her ascension is enough for me.” She added while scrubbing what little gunk was left on her mane. The exploding fireworks did not mix well with the food. Though it certainly saved her from a bad stomach. “Besides, I can’t have the new ruler of Equestria waste her precious time on me. She has an entire kingdom to rule now. Not to mention the diplomatic tour she’ll be doing later on. That’s definitely gonna keep her busy for a long time.”
“Come on Sunset. You of all people know that Twilight always has time for a friend.” Starlight sighed but didn’t press it. “Well… at least you were able to attend. I suppose I’ll have to be satisfied with that. It was a nice event though. Even though it wasn’t exactly what everyone was expecting.”
No kidding. I don’t think anyone was expecting a toothless alligator to be managing the fireworks who nearly burned the whole place down to the ground. Not to mention the chaos that followed. Geez… Discord must be having a time of his life.
“I suppose no one’s perfect. Not even a Princess.” She tapped the mirror feeling its magic swirl on her hoof. “I should probably head home. Pass my congratulations to Twilight. And thanks again for the invite.”
“Any time.” Starlight waved her off. “We’ll be here if you need us. Happy to help whenever we can. It’ll be a heck of a lot quieter here now that the coronation is over.”
“Well… if you want, you can always drop by my place. We still got a lot of things to handle.”
“Oh please. After what happened today I think I’d rather enjoy some peace and quiet for once.”
(Equestria) (Canterlot Castle Library) (Starswirl’s chamber)
A lone Pegasus clad in golden armor patrolled these empty halls. He let out a lone grumble which echoed far and wide throughout this section of the library.
Normally the entirety of the castle guards would be on standby even after the coronation. Unfortunately, someone was needed to patrol the ancient hall of Starswirl the Bearded. And being the poor unfortunate soul that he was, he was given the ‘Honorable’ task of walking this hall dead in the night. What an honor indeed.
Though the thought of anyone infiltrating this place was remarkably unfounded, leaving it unguarded would be considered reckless. After all, a whole wealth of knowledge and magical artifacts was stashed here. Along with multiple portals to different worlds. That last part should’ve been put at a higher priority.
“Ugh… dang it.” He mumbled lowly to himself as he swung his lantern around his wings to get a better look at the area. “This stinks. Why am I the only one who gets this crummy assignment? Just because I miss one briefing, doesn’t mean I have to be put on night shift.”
There was actually many more reasons why he was given such a boring task. Sleeping on the job was the main cause, but he wouldn’t openly admit even to himself.
Resigning himself to his misery, the guard turned over around another empty corner hoping to finish his round. Perhaps after this next corridor, he could take a quick break in the guard station and catch up on some sleep.
Or… at least that was his plan until a loud crashing noise startled him from his routine. The pony raised his head towards the source, thinking it might’ve just been the wind. But realizing that he was deep underground, that reason seemed to be highly unlikely.
“W… who goes there?” He demanded, bracing his wings for an encounter. “I’m warning you. I’m a trained member of the royal guards. S… so you may as well show yourself.” Whether it responded to his demands was unclear, but a shadowy figure did reveal itself. “Who…?”
The Pegasus readied itself for battle, preparing to unleash all of his training. But would later stare dumbfounded when his would-be attacker fell face first on the floor.
“Whoa!” He recoiled, but quickly shook out the shock and brought up his lantern for a better look. The pony nearly had a heart attack when he recognized the intruder’s face. “Master Starswirl?”
“The Princess…” The great wizard rasp, his voice hoarse. His body looking positively drained. “I must speak… with… the Princess.”
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Ok.
Well it looks like things are going well for Flash. I totally knew he was going to bump into Twilight and invite her to watch the fireworks with him. Though now Adagio is angry. I am guessing seeing Flash with two other girls pissed her off, and maybe him saying how he fears brainwashing put her in a bad mood too. Maybe she really does like him?
I know Timber doesn’t think that necklace is a love potion, but I have a bad feeling about it for some reason.
If it were anyone else I would call Zecora a cheapskate, but since it is Timber I call it karma.
Zecora?!... Wow...
10696964
If the necklace is like a love potion, Twilight is the worst possible mark. Chances both Midnight and Sunset can detect its influence and act against it.
Twi isn't gonna be happy with her boyfriend.
Yep, figured she wouldn't be happy about it.
Yeah, and she did shake on it.
I can already tell it won't go the way rainbow wants it too.
Talk about a bad night.
This should be interesting. 👀
My gut is so telling me that something bad will happen once timber gives that to twilight.
Sounds like she ran into sonata. And wow this night isn't going well for twilight either, ouch.
Dang, seems like it's because of the sirens Twilight and Timber's fate isn't going well at all. That's just sad.
Yeah, I see now why he's afraid of it actually and don't blame him.
https://m.I still feel bad for the fact this happened on twilight's coronation.
This can't be good!