Mimicry
Chapter 78:Mimicry
(Equestria) (Canterlot Castle)
Stygian. It was a name well known around Equestria and Sunset knew all of it.
He was the unicorn that founded the Pillars of Equestria, the greatest heroes of the last age. Their deeds were legendary even today. There wasn’t a creature in all that lands that didn’t know of them. And through their feats and accomplishment, Equestria entered a Golden Age bringing about peace and prosperity for all who lived in it.
It was because of this one pony, the finest warriors, sorcerers, and mystics came together, creating the greatest force that brought about the end to the darkness. It was through them, the land became what it was. And it was because of them, evil receded from the world.
But he was also the Pillar’s greatest enemy.
After a falling out with its members, Stygian took a dark path, delving into forbidden practices. From his anger, hatred, jealousy and desire for recognition, he brought about Equestria’s ultimate foe.
He became… the Pony of Shadows.
The hero who forged the Pillar’s becoming its fiercest opponent. That was truly the making of a great novel. You really can’t make that stuff up in this day and age.
“Are you alright?”
Sunset bobbed out of her thoughts. “Huh? Oh! Yeah. Sorry. It’s just that… I can’t believe I’m actually meeting with the actual Founder of the Pillars. It’s an honor.”
Stygian waved it off with a polite chuckle. “Please. I’m not that amazing. Not as amazing as the actual Pillars.”
“Are you kidding? You’re the one who brought them together. The Pillars! The greatest heroes of the last age. If it wasn’t for you, the world would’ve been engulfed in darkness for another hundred moons. That’s incredible!”
The gray pony turned away shyly. “Umm… thank you. It’s not every day I get a fine compliment. Folks these days tend to remember me for my… darker deeds.”
“About you becoming the Pony of Shadows?”
He scoffed. “Yes. That…”
“Hey don’t sweat it.” Sunset gave him a gentle nudge. “Trust me. I’ve experienced something quite similar to what you went through. I once tried to conquer Equestria with an army of zombies from another world.”
Stygian balked. “R… really?”
“Yeah. And I almost succeeded too. But I changed.” She added hastily with a shrug. “So believe me when I say: I know what you’re going through. And there are other ponies out there who share your experience. All you need to do is find them.” They shared a quick laugh. “Speaking of which. What’s this about you being the foremost expert on Dark Magic? I thought the whole realm outlawed it.”
“Well I wouldn’t call myself an expert.” The gray pony grumbled. “I’m actually just the only pony around who actually knows more about Dark Magic than others. I guess when you’re the only one who knows how Dark Magic works, other folks would consider you the expert.”
“Stygian was brought in to bolster our defenses against the Shadow Monsters.” Luna explained from the front trotting along with her fellow Alicorns. “After that recent encounter in the portal room, we thought it best to improve our ways of combating creatures of darkness. We don’t want a repeat of that day ever again.”
“And with Starswirl still out of commission, Stygian was the obvious choice.” Celestia followed. “It would be beneficial if all four of you to work together in this matter and resolve it quickly.”
“Four?”
“I will be assisting you in this endeavor.” Cadance explained. “I might not be an expert on Ancient Magic like Twilight but I am versed on some of the more advance studies. Besides… it’d be beneficial to the fourth member of this study group.”
Sunset opened to ask for more but pulled a stop when they realized they arrived at the royal library. The guards there noted their presence and bowed respectively before Shining Armor moved in to open the heavy barded doors.
Inside, they found the whole place turned inside out. Books and grimoires of all shapes and sizes were cast to the group like used socks, the shelves were emptied, and scribbled notes scattered across the floor. At first glance, you might think a tornado came through here. But if you look closer, there was somepony hanging at the center.
“Starlight?” Sunset noted, calling out to her friend which was left unanswered. The purple unicorn hovered weighty tomes overhead, scanning one book after another only to toss them to a pile when the information she needed wasn’t found. Grunts and grumbles could be heard from her station along with a number of frustrated sighs.
“She’s been cooped up in here ever since the incident.” Luna answered her unspoken question. “She’s been going through all of Starswirl’s notes to find a way to fix the portal hoping to save her friend. But so far all of her attempts have failed to produce results.”
“She hardly sleeps or eat anymore. And honestly it’s become quite… worrying.” The pony of the sun added, glancing over to the headmare. “Which is why we called for you, Sunset.”
“Me?”
“You and Twilight both worked on the portal to the human world. It’s how it managed to work without the old journal. We were hoping your expertise could be put to use.”
Expertise? Are they serious? She and Twilight hardly did anything to improve the portal. The simply made it fully autonomous without the reliance of the journal. It was pretty much like adding an extra cog in a machine. The only unique thing they did was adding a lock feature so that no one else would accidentally come through without their say-so. Everything else was built upon Starswirl’s design and even that was barely manageable.
Still… she can’t let down her friends. Not this time at least.
“We’ll do our best.” Sunset said finally.
Her former mentor gave a thankful nod, wholly expecting her answer. “In the meantime, we will continue to maintain the castle’s defenses should the need arises. We have high hopes that you will bring a swift resolution to this problem.”
“And if you don’t… well… there’s always a Plan-B.” Luna added that last bit to herself holding up an industrial hammer threateningly.
Gee… very subtle warning there. No need for threats, Princess.
“In the meantime, I’ll bolster the guards around the portals.” Shining spoke to his wife. “And don’t you worry about Flurry. I can handle her.”
“You sure?”
“Course I’m sure.” He said with such confidence that it might’ve actually convinced them. “I had to get the hang of parenting eventually. Right? We’ll be fine. You girls just do what you do best.”
With the two former rulers and the former Captain of the Guards away, Sunset returned her attention back into the library – or to be more precise: Her friend.
Starlight looked exhausted even from a distance. If her unkempt hair wasn’t any indication, then the large bags under her eyes were clear signs. Even her attire, which she took time and effort to meticulously pick out, looked haggard and worn three times over. She barely even noticed their approach. All of her attention was focused on the pages in front of her. She eyed every word, read every sentence repeatedly, making sure that she didn’t miss a single letter.
“Starlight?” There was no response. “Starlight?”
Silence.
“Allow me.” Cadance strutted in. And with a gentle tap, a stack of books fell to the ground startling the pony.
“Huh? Who? Wha? What’s happening!?” The purple pony spun around panicked before finally calming down to notice them. “Oh… OH! Sundance! Hi! You’re here!”
“Sunset.” She corrected.
“Right right. Sunset. Of course. I remember now. Ahehe. Sorry. Things have been a little hectic around here. Uh… what are you doing here exactly?”
Sunset blinked. “Uh… you called me?”
“I did?” Her eyes widened in realization. “Oh right! I did. Silly me. Uh… must be my memory going muddy.”
“Princess Celestia told me everything. I’m so sorry about what happened. But don’t you worry.”
“Worried? Who’s worried? I’m not worried. I’m totally fine.” She clearly wasn’t. “Sunburst just happened to wander into some mystical land and got himself in trouble. No big deal. It’s definitely not the first time. I’m sure he’s fine. Ahe… ahehehe.”
“Why don’t you take a short break first?” Princess Cadance offered, to which made the purple pony jolt up.
“No!” She snapped, almost like a devil-pony, only to stifle her mouth in realization. “I mean… no. I can’t. I’m so close to deciphering Starswirl’s notes on the portal. I just need a little more time to figure it out. I’m sure I’ll get it right this time.”
“That’s what you said the last time. And the two other times before that.”
“Oh please. It wasn’t that bad.”
The ruler of the Crystal Empire rolled her eyes. “You caused a magical backlash.”
“That was totally not my fault. How was I supposed to know that the portal spell would need a constant swirl on magical energy?” Starlight reasoned rather poorly. “If anyone’s to blame it’s Starswirl. His horn-writing is almost impossible to read, and none of them are organized… like… at all. He’s a bigger mess maker than Pinkie Pie. Except… in papers and books instead of cake and cookies.”
“Why don’t you let us take over?” Sunset followed, patting her panicking friend. “This isn’t the first time I’ve delved into ancient magic. Not to mention we got another expert on our hands.”
“Hands?” Stygian tilted.
“Anyway. You should get some rest. You look like you could fall over any second.”
“I don’t need rest! That’s what coffee is made for! I’ve actually worked five-times faster with caffeine in me!”
“You can barely see straight.”
“I can see things just fine, Sunny Starbuck!”
“Sunset.”
“That’s what I said! Now, if you’ll excuse me. I need to get back to my research…… and another mug of coffee.”
Cadance, again, decided to intervene. “All right. I think you’ve had enough.” With a gleam of her horn, she cast a familiar charm on the Headmare.
“Bwhey… whab arrr youzz…?” That was about as far as she got before she hit the floor, snoozing peacefully like she was stung with a sleeping dart.
“A light sleeping spell.” Cadance explained to Sunset’s unannounced question. “Twilight taught it to me a while ago when Shining had sleeping problems. I’ll take her to the guest wing for a good nap. Why don’t you get started?”
“You can count on us.” Sunset’s confidence dimmed however when she turned over to the pile of notes she was forced to contend. “Though… finding a starting point might not be that easy.”
“Never fear.” Stygian reassured her. “Like they say: The hardest part of every journey, is the beginning. We just need to find an angle and row with it.”
He’s quite the optimist. Hopefully it’ll be enough to get them through this study.
(House by the hill)
Flash could feel something changing in the air. And no, it wasn’t the weather. Though spring was indeed approaching. No, it was something else entirely. Something was about to happen. Something big. He just didn’t really know what, and that alone scared him.
The scenario playing around the city was becoming more and more dangerous with each passing day. Before, magic used to be a simple inconvenience. A pastime or an incident that can easily be resolved with Sunset and her friends. But now it was changing – growing. The arrival of The Black Stone Order, Yaztec Magic, and the portals scattered throughout the lands. In a span of a few months, their views on the whole magic stuff grew from the small portion of the city, to the entire world itself.
No… that wasn’t right. Magic has always been here even before Sunset came through that mirror years ago. They just weren’t aware of its existence until now. They were merely shortsighted from all the glamor thinking that they were the center of it all.
And now that magic has extended itself to him. If by a limited means.
Don’t get him wrong. He was still happy to be a part of this exclusive club. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was coming to a head. Everyone here and out there who bore even a semblance of magic were riding on the same boat, enduring a storm that was sending them crashing upon a rock in the middle of the ocean. And when it comes down to it, it’ll be every man or pony to themselves.
“Flash! Will you please hold still?” Twilight insisted, her hands tracing all over his arm like an octopus. She was plugging all manners of wires and gadgets onto him like a science experiment. “I can’t get a proper reading if you keep moving.”
“I know. But Twilight. Are you sure this is necessary? I mean… shouldn’t we be talking about Sunset?”
“We have and did.” She retorted courtly, not taking a moment off her actions.
Rainbow Dash chimed. “Yeah! Like how she didn’t bother to even call us. She should’ve brought us along to fight bad guys and show off our skills. I wouldn’t mind turning into a Pegasus and flying through the air like that one time.”
“I’m with you on that, Sugar Cube.” Applejack nodded. “But we can’t exactly follow her through the portal. She put that whole lock thing on the mirror so no one could use it.”
“Oh come on. We gotta do something. She could going on a super epic adventure right now and we’re just sitting back here missing out on all the cool action! I mean this is an emergency call from EQUESTRIA. The land of talking ponies and magic! You just don’t get calls from the other side for nothing.”
“Or… it could be a good kind of emergency.” Pinkie added, gorging on the promised cake that Flash brought. She spooned one in her mouth and crooned on the taste. The butler certainly was a master of the culinary arts. “Like maybe she was summoned to plan an emergency birthday party! Or emergency three legged race! Or or or or or or… someone in Equestria needed an emergency babysitter! Oooh~~! Do you think they’ll pay extra for interdimentional travel? How much do you think the rates are over there? I mean I get a bonus for taking the bus if the job is in Midtown…”
“Focus, Pinkie.” The sports gal sighed. “I doubt she was called back just to sit on some royal baby.”
“Or is it?”
“Regardless.” Twilight coughed. “Sunset’s situation is out of our hands at the moment. Whatever it is she’s dealing with she will have to handle on her own. Speaking of which. Where’s Fluttershy and Rarity? I sent them a text to meet up today.”
“Serving detention and community service.” AJ answered with a tiresome groan much to their surprise. “Apparently the two of them got into some big disagreement and damaged some equipment in the band room. Vice-Principal Luna is overseeing their punishment.” Rarity and Fluttershy got into a fight? That seems rightly unbelievable. Rare was hardly someone who would resort to scuffle as it would wrinkle her attire, and Fluttershy was the last person anyone would see as an aggressor. I mean… it’s Fluttershy.
Flash asked. “What did they argue about?”
“Not entirely sure. I asked Rarity just after school but she didn’t give me a straight answer. Ugh… and we were supposed to go for a spa treatment today too. So much for that idea.”
“Well… nothing we can do for them.” Twilight added, nodding to her instruments. “I’m far more interested in this arm of yours though. The powers it’s emitting is wholly unique. It’s like a blend of Yaztec Magic and Equestrian Magic, which is highly unusual.”
“Unusual how?” He asked dreading the answer.
“Well… if you remember that time you and I were trapped on the other side of the world, I kind of tried the same thing to open a portal back home.” He partially remembered. Though sadly it didn’t invite the most pleasant of memories. “Putting the magic of two worlds together doesn’t exactly mix well, and normally results in a… um… volatile return.”
Flash’s face went rigid. “Are you saying I’m gonna blow up!?”
“No no no no. Of course not.” She laughed it off casually. “Though I thought about the same thing. Thankfully the blend in your hand is stable. No risk of anything blowing up……yet.” Her ‘Yet’ at the end there did not give him a sense of confidence.
“That doesn’t explain why he’s hearing animals talk.” Rainbow Dash added. “I thought only Fluttershy did that. And isn’t she… unique?”
“All of our powers are unique.” Twilight explained, going in her full teacher mode. “Each of our geodes correspond to our personalities. As to how Flash got that power…” She then paused, turning slightly to the side as if listening to someone. “I might have a theory.”
“Which is?”
“Flash. Were you hanging out with Fluttershy at any time yesterday?”
The fundraising event came to mind. “Well… yeah. I was helping her during the fundraising event. Why?”
She scribbled down something on her notepad. “Good good. And did you physically interact with her for a certain duration?” He stared blankly. “Did you touch or shake hands?”
Well… she was oddly clingy that afternoon. Though that might’ve just been fear kicking in.
“Well… I guess so.”
“Good. This might just clear things up.”
“Uh… Twi. Mind filling us in on your theory?” AJ chimed in. “Not all of us here have a degree in magic.”
“Of course.” The nerd gal nodded giddily. “But for this next step to prove my hypothesis, I will need a volunteer from you guys.” The trio raised a quizzical brow together. “Can any one of you come over here and hold his hand?”
“Hold his… hand?”
“Yup. Just for a minute.” Surprisingly enough the whole gang went quiet on the table. Applejack in particular turning away to force out a cough. “Rainbow Dash?”
“Huh? Me?” The sports gal jolted up, her fingers tangling against her hair. “Oh… umm… my hands are umm… dirty… at the moment.”
“I’ll do it!” Pinkie volunteered, happily hopping to his side and grabbing his hand, slipping her fingers through his like it was the most natural thing to do in the world. “Pfft. This is easy. What next?”
“Just stand there and keep holding hands for about a minute. Can you do that?”
“Easy peasy, pudding in the freezy.” Flash couldn’t help but chuckle at her attitude. This wasn’t exactly the first time they held hands. He recalled their first date at the Huffs and Hooves a while back. Pinkie looked absolutely adorable. Even though she was forcing herself to be prim and proper. The look on her face back then was unforgettable. And her fingers felt soft at the touch. A hint of chocolate stain could be felt in its crevices, but that only served to show her character. It wouldn’t be Pinkie if she wasn’t a tad bit messy.
…
They stood there for a while, hands locked together while the crowd around them stared like they were the exotic animals in the zoo. Only the whistling of trees and the waves crashing onto shore could be heard echoing from outside.
It lasted for about twenty seconds before Flash noted the pinkette’s face turn. It was quick and subtle but you can see her expression changing with every moment. She looked down to her hand, wiggling her fingers trying her best to make a joke out of the whole thing but nothing seemed to click. Soon enough it got gentle. She tried to laugh it off but it just came out weak and whimpish. Like she was trying real hard to fill in the empty silence.
“So……” Pinkie spoke, looking like she was a loss for words. “You come here often?”
Flash chuckled, getting into character. “I should. I own the place.”
It was a corny joke. Probably one of the less witty lines he’s ever written. But it certainly was enough to make her beam.
“This is umm… this is…”
“Awkweird?” He offered their secret word which again made her stifle a laugh.
“Yeah. Awkweird.” And just as those words left her lips, Pinkie’s body began to glow with magical energy. Pony ears and tails sprouted from her hair and back burning brightly like a beacon. “Whoa~.
“Uh… Twilight. What’s happening?” Rainbow Dash quickly hid behind the couch expecting something to blow up.
Thankfully nothing did.
Pinkie pulled their hands up noting a strange shift in color in the boy’s scar. “Did I do that? Or…”
“Did I do that?” Flash mumbled, just as equally surprised.
“Technically you both did.” Twilight explained, coming in between the two and eyeing their held hands with great interest. “Interesting. Very interesting. Our theory was correct!” Our theory? “Flash’s hand is a conduit that modifies magic, changing it, modifying its purpose to match the original owner.”
“Translation?”
“He can copy the magic of another. It’s a genuine Mimicry!”
“A what?” Applejack asked.
“A Mimicry. The ability to copy the powers of others upon contact.” You make it sound like it was a common thing around here. “Seeing as Fluttershy’s magic is wholly unique to her, I figured the only way for Flash to have the same power is to copy it. The merging of two magic is highly unstable when used. That’s why every time he tried to use magic, it turns into something… random or chaotic. The mixture is just so complex that it simply doesn’t know how to do it. But if you have the blueprint of the spell itself, it becomes focused. We’ll need more tests to see how far it can go.”
Rainbow Dash hovered over, eyeing the whole situation with a highly suspicious look. “So what you’re saying is… that Flash here can have all our powers?”
“Technically, yes. But like I said: We still need to do some tests. The magical properties here are near limitless.”
“But what about Pinkie Pie?” The cowgirl reminded, gesturing to their pinkette friend who was still glowing like a star. “Why is she brimming with magic?” She really was. The girl looked like she was living disco ball. Even Flash had to admit that she looked even stunning in those magical attires.
“That is… a good question. I have absolutely no idea. I thought that the magic only flowed one way.” Twilight’s instruments began to flicker. “Her magical energy is going off the chart. Pinkie. How do you feel?”
Pinkie examined herself, playing with her clothes and hair and shrugged. “Hmmmmm… tingly, itchy… also like…” She quickly pulled out a cupcake from her hair, and watched it gleam with a gentle glow. It all seemed normal, until it began to vibrate with enormous amount of power. A feeling of dread surrounded her which made everyone stepped back subconciously. “Uh oh…”
Uh oh?
“Duck!” Someone screamed and bodies hit the floor. They all expected something to go boom. The same kind of mess that came from every confection that Pinkie held.
…
But thankfully, again, nothing did.
“Ooooh~~ tasty.” With little care, Pinkie swallowed the enhanced cupcake, crooning at the taste. “Now that’s what I call icing. No need to worry guys. False alarm.”
Flash made a mental note that every new test should be conducted outside.
(Canterlot Mall)
Stupid Fluttershy and her stupid plan. This is all her fault! If she had only followed her idea from the start, they could’ve ended this little misunderstanding right before it went out of control. But noooo~~. She decided to turn tail and stick with her dumb plan! What in the world could’ve caused her to conjure such an idea!?
Well… her brother, that’s for sure. But still! You really can’t be this dumb. Sure it might look good now with everyone treating you like royalty and leaving you alone. But what do you think will happen when the wrong people starts to hear about the rumor?! Sunset alone was a minefield just waiting to be stepped on. But then there was Applejack and Pinkie Pie! This garbage fire was turning into a massive oil spill, and it was spreading too quickly to be snubbed. The result of this rumor combined with the emotional turmoil of her friends will be far more apocalyptic than any of them could expect. It would be a reckoning. A dangerous kind.
She’d bet that by this time tomorrow, the whole school would’ve heard it by then – and there was nothing they could do to stop it. They…… nay… Fluttershy, will be the one who will deal with the consequences. She can only hope that it wouldn’t be too severe. That girl deserves better.
Still… Fluttershy wasn’t entirely at fault here. She was just so desperate to get out of the limelight. To get out of the dating market. The thought of other folks asking her out was such a mortifying thing that she decided to fake her own relationship not knowing the ripple effect it might have. There’s a sad twisted irony hidden in that sentence, but she couldn’t quite nail it.
Fear and desperation motivated her. And the opportunity was there. Flash offered a quick and somewhat painless solution and she took it without even thinking of the consequences. There was not a doubt in her mind that this whole thing will blow up in all their faces and that boy will, sadly, be at the center of it all. Rarity wondered if she should pity Flash or wish him misfortune. He didn’t entirely deserve it. But he was somehow drawn to their problems whether he liked it or not.
Heck, there’s a good chance he would’ve agreed to the whole charade if Fluttershy had just asked. That kid had a weakness for their group and he would do pretty much anything to help them out. Heck he was already helping out Rainbow Dash with her a similar problem with her parents and he did it with little hesitation. Rarity wasn’t entirely sure if that was a fine quality or a flaw to have.
Ugh… nonetheless this whole ordeal has ruined her mood completely. She even had to cancel her spa-date with Applejack thanks to Principal Celestia calling them out on their little fight. Thankfully the damage they did to the band room wasn’t too severe. A few broken chairs and tables, and a window. Fluttershy got off easy seeing as she was the one handling the animal shelter behind the school.
Rarity on the other hand had to do three days of community service with Granny Smith as an assistant lunch-lady.
They really… REALLY don’t like magic anywhere near their school.
Haaaa… this year really wasn’t starting the way she wanted it. She was downright depressed right now – and this little window shopping trip downtown wasn’t improving her mood either.
“Does sorrow bother you child? And here I thought this place brought nothing but smiles.”
The fashionista jolted upright, trailing the voice to a strangely out of place blue-pup-tent. Odd… she was sure that wasn’t here earlier. It hardly even matched the coloring scheme of the mall.
“Who? Who said that?”
Zecora’s House of Fortune?
Rarity cast her eyes around the sign before she hovered close to the tent. She could’ve sworn that this tent wasn’t around here before. Was it a new attraction of some kind?
“Come in, young lady, and take a seat. For I am the one you are destined to meet.”
The gleaming yellow eyes of its proprietor beckoned her to approach with a wicked smile hiding under that veil.
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Okay, now I'm really starting to wonder who Zecora is here.
Mimicry? If that's the case... I wonder what's gonna happen if Flash copied Sunset's ability and then accidentally read Twilight's mind.
Calling it now. Flash is going to absorb all seven powers and basically become a god.
Damn, I don't blame her 1 bit that she's doing this but she should take a break eventually since she can't do it all night.
Makes sense why they'd call her.
If you say so shinning armor. Don't forget that flurry heart is an alicorn too just like cadance.
Man, she sure is actually like princess twilight when she's going through a pain. 😬
Nice, that sure came in handy.
What's she's doing rainbow is still important as ever.
That explains things now. 🤔
Interesting.
Good idea.
11088210
If he did that, he could read everyone's minds. Also waiting to see why he has Equestrian Magic. Can't wait for the next chapter!
Wow, so that explains it. Flash can mimic the girl's powers. That is pretty awesome. I guess that just leaves the question, can he only do one at a time or will he eventually be able to do all seven at once?
Now Rarity has met Zecora too. I like Zecora but sometimes she gives off some odd vibes in this story. I hope she isn't a member of The Black Stone Order too, because I would hate for her to be one of the villains.