Magical Espionage
Chapter 92: Magical Espionage
(House by the hill)
Waking up came as something of an anti-climax.
He expected something dramatic, like a gasp, or a vivid dream followed by a startling lurch from the bed. Maybe even a lucid dream that would bring him closer to some heroic destiny brought upon by some cryptic prophecy in a far off world. But sadly none of those made the cut and instead he merely opened his eyes, staring at the strangely familiar ceiling for a minute before finally getting up. His room didn’t have such sloppy wooden frames. They were marbles and smoothed stones with imprints of animals carved onto the surface. Nor did his room have two beds or the smell of pancakes whiffing from the floor.
Ah… that’s right. He was at Sunset’s place. His old family house – sorta.
A rough guess would say that Pinkie was making breakfast. It was her trademark dish.
Finally having enough time to count the marks on the ceiling, Flash rose from his bed, only to regret it a second later when every bone in his body began to ache and creak like an old man. The memories of the battle soon returned to him sending vivid images of that fight. Sort of like a nightmare to be honest.
The mirror in the room granted him a full view of his injuries. There were a few bruises and cuts left behind, a good number of swollen areas signifying where he was hit hardest, and some shallow cuts that have yet to heal. Thankfully nothing bled. Perhaps all that time playing football gave him a skin of stone.
To think that a single swing of Timber’s wolfish arm was enough to injure him to such a state. He remembered it like it was just yesterday. And if not, then the constant pains pangs were a good reminder. He could still see that blow coming at him. The rage in Timber’s eyes as he smite him down with all his might. It felt like getting hit with a truck, repeatedly. The blow alone sent him flying across the sky, and then tumbling down the ground like a sack of meat. To be completely honest, that blow should’ve killed him right then and there. His body should’ve been battered and broken, snapped like a twig in a storm. The Grim Reaper should’ve called his number, but fortunately he was skipped.
Not that he was in any rush for that.
Flash was glad that Sunset took him in for the weekend. He couldn’t bear to go home in such a state. He could already imagine what his dad would say if he saw him coming back home beaten and bruised. His old man would flip three times over. He’d assign bodyguards, and put a number of restrictions in his life. Probably ground him to infinity too along with a 24hr surveillance, if he could.
Flash would kiss his private rocker life goodbye.
Another thing that caught his attention was the scar on his hand.
He recalled the injury to be small and miniscule. Something hardly worth mentioning.
But now it seems like the thing had somehow grown. The scar now extended from the top of his hand reaching towards his elbow, perhaps even beyond, and stranger still was that the glow was getting… stronger. Strong enough that even Sunset’s spell couldn’t hide it.
Whether this was a good or bad thing… he wasn’t sure.
At least… not yet. But if his magic grows stronger, then he might help the girls even more.
Yeah… he’ll take it as a good thing.
His self-admiration however was interrupted by a click on the door.
“Sorry to intrude. I’m here to change your banda—oooh!” The soothing sweet singsong voice of Fluttershy was muffled by an embarrassingly adorable squeak the moment she turned towards the room. Her eyes immediately lit up like saucers just as her face turned beat red. “I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!” She mouthed several thousand apologies in a span of seconds before slamming the door.
That was surprisingly wholesome and cute. He wished he had a camera.
“It’s alright.” Flash chuckled, feeling his throat dry from inactivity before putting back his shirt. “You can come in.”
The door creaked open with one shy eye peeking through the tiny gap. Her face was a shade of pink which went matching with her hair.
“I… I didn’t know you were up. I… I should’ve knocked.”
And miss seeing that adorable look on your face? Perish the thought.
“Yeah, I was feeling kind of stiff so I thought I’d do some light exercise.”
The little lady shyly entered, head raised. “Um… are you sure you should be up? I don’t think it’s good to move about like that. Your body is still recovering.”
“I know. But I got a little bored lying on the bed all day. And I’m feeling a lot better than before. Thanks for taking care of me these last few days.”
She brushed it off sweetly. “Oh please. Don’t mention it. I’m more than happy to help. It’s the least I could do after you risked your life for Twilight. And it’s nice to apply some of my skills on people rather than animals for a change. I’ve had plenty of practice.” She gestured to the little rabbit that poked out of her hair who gave a huffy fit.
Aww that’s sweet of her – and adorable too. Fluttershy has been his self-appointed nurse ever since his arrival here at the house. With that cute demeanor and superb bedside manners, her patients wouldn’t want to be cured too quickly. The girl had learned much from the vet who frequented the animal shelter. Who would’ve thought that treating animals wasn’t all that different from treating people?
“Well that’s good to know. If I ever get into another scuffle, I’d have you to look after me.” The animal lover blushed and waved his compliments away.
“That’s sweet of you. But try not to hurt yourself too badly. I still think you should get yourself checked in the hospital, just in case. You can get a professional opinion.”
“And not have you take care of me? No way.” He let out a chuckle which only made the gal turn redder. “Besides, hospitals keep records. If my dad finds out that I got myself injured, he’d throw a fit. He might even ground me till college if I’m lucky. I’d rather keep this little incident between us for now.”
“Is your father really that strict?”
“Strict? Not really. Protective, maybe. Let’s just say that he really doesn’t want me getting hurt.”
Fluttershy nodded. “I’m sure he only has your best interest at heart.”
“Sometimes I wonder about that.”
“Well… if you’re feeling better. Perhaps I can change your bandages now?”
“Ah… yeah. Sure.”
But alas, their sweet tender moment together was rudely interrupted by a rather loud barging from outside. Like a comical typhoon, the door nearly broke off its hinges with dust spreading in all directions.
“Rise and shine, my fellow two legged friends! Breakfast is ready!” The singsong voice of an unfamiliar man entered uninvited. “The pink one down below asked me to call everyone downstairs, and you’re the… oh?” His brow rose in vivid interest. “Am I interrupting?”
Kinda…
“Discord!” Fluttershy scolded, eyes sharpened at the man. “I thought we agreed that you’d knock first before entering other people’s room.”
“I did.” He defended, which only made the girl frown. “Alright. So it wasn’t so much of a knock, but rather a very gentle tap.” He illustrated by rapping one finger on the door. “But I did follow your instructions to the letter. You didn’t exactly specify what goes for a knock around here. You have to understand that I’m still learning, my alternate fluffy friend.”
“Hang on. I remember you.” The boy’s memories clicked into place. “You’re that weird guy from that night.”
“Weird!?” Discord feign hurt. “That’s not a nice thing to say to a person you’ve just met.”
“Ah… right. Sorry. I didn’t mean…”
“I’d much prefer to be called: Silly, wacky, tacky, crazy, godzooks, yippers, bizarre, or outright strange.” He counted with all fifteen fingers on him as he recited. “After all, it is what I am.”
“It is?” Flash blinked twice before suddenly finding his hand grabbed and yanked towards the older looking gentleman who gave him all manner of high-fives and handshake gestures as he introduced himself.
“Allow me to introduce myself. Discord. Lord of Chaos, Master of the Upside-Down Realm, Knight of the Outerlands, Captain of the Radiant Woods Guards, and 2nd amongst the earls of the yore. But as a friend of Fluttershy, you may just call me, Discord. A pleasure to meet you.”
“Uh… ok?” Flash paused, taking in the title like wind on a brick wall. He took a glance at Fluttershy who simply shrugged back uncaringly. “I’m…”
“And you must be, THE Flash Sentry.” The guy added, invading his personal space, shaking his hands violently, practically yanking him up and down. “An absolute pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about your exploits.”
“You have?”
“Oh quite. The newest Captain of the Royal Guard, the greatest flyer in all of Equestria, tamer of the evil Yetis, and the right hoof of justice of Princess Twilight!” A captain of the what now? “Or am I getting these two mixed up? It’s really hard to know the difference these days.”
“Alright enough.” Fluttershy interjected, separating the two. “You shouldn’t be doing that to someone who is still recovering.”
“Oh come now. No harm in two humans becoming friends. I just wanted to see if this Flash Sentry was similar to the Flash Sentry of my world.” Discord struck one eyeball towards the boy in question. “So far… he’s about eh… a 2.” Flash wasn’t sure if he should take that as a compliment or an insult. “I don’t suppose, you belong to some royal guard somewhere.”
“Uh… no?” Flash replied dumbly.
“Really? Not even a little bit? Any royal guard training? Security detail? Prismatic and/or any enchanted weapons?”
Those aren’t the kind of questions you get asked every day…… or any day for that matter.
“Umm… no?”
“Hmm… pity.” Discord pulled out a notepad, licked his pen, and scratched something off the list. “And here I was expecting something interesting. But I suppose we can’t always get what we want.”
“Discord… out.” Fluttershy insisted this time, pushing the man out with her noodle arms. The man seemingly sliding on the floor in a childishly cartoonish manner.
“Fine fine. I can see you want him all to yourself. I guess I’ll find more entertainment with Pinkie Pie. At least that’s one character who is consistent around the multiverse.” She slammed the door right at his face.
Peace and silence returned to the room. A tranquil state that Flash suddenly found comforting.
“That was… something.”
(Canterlot Mall)
Twilight wasn’t a big fan of the mall’s bathroom. Despite it being cleaner than most part of the establishment, she couldn’t help but feel like the place was laced with enough germs to make Rarity feel unnerved. It was probably the last place where she expected anything magical to happen.
“Adagio. I know that magic is supposed to be a secret and all. But are you sure we have to do it here?” She said quietly to the occupied stall which hummed with a magical glow.
“Where else are we supposed to conduct a magic experiment around here?” Adagio responded, her voice echoing in the empty place. “It’s the only place where we’re guaranteed to get some privacy. Not unless you have a private lab where we can practice in peace.”
She did have a place. But with her parents cutting off her lab… it was… empty.
“There. It’s done.” Adagio stated, returning with the broken sapphire amulet just as she exited the stall. The girl momentarily reverted to her semi-siren state, with wings and tail, glowing like a true magical beast. “I’ve analyzed your trinket.”
“You did?” Twilight blinked dumbly. “Already?”
“Were you expecting me to perform some kind of ritual? A dance or break into some kind of song?”
“Actually… yeah… kinda. I mean… that has been a trend lately.”
“Don’t be an idiot. Magic may seem alien to you. But it’s not exactly hard when you’re someone born with latent connection to it.” She gave a huffy noise in turn. “As someone who’s lived with magic all her life, things like this becomes natural.”
I suppose that makes sense. Twilight has only known about magic for a few years, while Adagio has been with it all her life. It’s no wonder she’s a master of it.
“So what did you find?”
“Well for one thing, it’s not corrupted magic.” Adagio explained much to her surprise. “It’s a melding of magical energies.”
“Melding?”
“The process of pitching two types of magic together to create something… new. Think of this process like metallurgy. You put two different types of metals together, mold them in a fire, and they become something else.”
“Like copper and tin to make bronze.”
“Correct. Except that molding metal and molding energy takes a different kind of approach. Especially something as volatile as magic. One wrong step and you get… that.” The amulet sparked as if it was insulted by the remark. “Whoever tried to mold your energy together clearly knew how to do it, but they made the error of using cheap knockoffs.” She tapped the gemstone around her neck. “The medium that needs to hold magic has to be of quality material. Like a real gem. That thing you have is a fake. That’s why the magic inside is going all crazy.”
That… actually made sense. Magic – especially Equestrian magic – appears to be attracted to shiny objects. Adagio’s necklace, her geode, Juniper’s mirror, the Time Twirler, even Vignette’s phone was made of rare earth minerals. It made a mess of her own hypothesis, but it’s good to rectify that error.
That’s something to take note of.
“I don’t suppose you know what type of magic were used on it.”
Adagio raised a brow as if the answer was perfectly obvious. “Well duh. It’s Equestrian Magic. I thought that’d be quite obvious.”
Twilight palmed her face in response. Of course it was. What else did she expect? All their trouble, especially magical ones, always seem to lead back to Sunset’s home-world. Honestly, it was kind of ridiculous how much magic seems to seep from that place.
“Why am I not surprised?” Twilight made a mental note to speak with Sunset about it later. They really need a way to plug this magic leak or they’ll be dealing with more shenanigans than they can handle. “And the other part?”
“That’s the kicker.” Adagio spoke, leaning by the sink. “I had some trouble pin-pointing it out. But I’m more than certain that it’s the same type of magic that old hag we fought used.”
Old hag?
“You mean Professor Cinch? Are you sure?”
“Are you doubting me?” The Siren rolled her eyes. “Trust me. I’ve had a taste of that magic before. And I’m more than certain of my deduction.” But then that would mean there was Yaztec magic here as well. The same type of magic that Hoity Toity, and Counselor Neighsay use. “Something catch your eye?”
“No. But this does narrow our list of suspects.” It seems like they’ll have to grill that Neighsay for more answers this time. “But I’m more confused on this whole melding magic thing.”
“What’s there to be confused about? You put two magic together and boom.”
Emphasis on the boom.
“The last time I tried doing that, it nearly blew me to smithereens.” But that was an investigation for another day. “Anyway. I don’t suppose you can sense more of this magic in the city.”
Adagio raised a cautious brow at her, noticing the odd flare in the girl’s eyes. “And why in the world would you want to do that?”
“It’s… personal.” It was hard not to notice the sudden change in her demeanor, or the way she bit her lip.
“Oh… I see.” The Siren’s expression turned giddy in exchange. She leaned in closer. A grin appearing on her lips. “You’re angry – aren’t you?”
“What? No.”
“Don’t try to hide it. I’ve seen enough faces to know when people are ticked. And right now, your face is showing all the signs. You are super angry.” Her smile widened, almost like she’s amused. You couldn’t possibly hide your true feelings when it came to one of her kind. “I didn’t know someone like you can be so… annoyed. I figured you to be a goody-two-shoes like the rest of your friends.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t fret. I was just making an observation.” She laughed it off. “Though I guess you could say I’m a little curious. It’s not every day I get to see you so… fired up. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you want revenge.”
She… wasn’t wrong.
Twilight wanted to get back at those who attacked her. She wanted to find the guy who gave Timber this accursed gem, and punch them right on the jawline. It would probably hurt her more than the guy, but she was ready for it.
“Someone got hurt because of me.” She explained. “Someone important. I can’t let whoever did this get away.” A certain blue headed rocker came to mind.
“So it is revenge.” Adagio nodded with satisfaction, now looking even more interested than before. “Now this is a breath of fresh air.”
“Can you help me or not?”
The puffy haired girl smiled. “I think I can. As a matter of fact… I know exactly where to look.”
xxxxxxxxxx
How did she not notice it earlier?
Situated between the coffee shop and the shoe store, was a tent that stood out like a sore thumb. It was a pavilion of sorts, decorated with all manners of foreign looking objects. Masks of suspicious origins guarded the slit entrance, a smoke machine hidden somewhere producing a purple smoke, chimes and bells hung above making a lovely if rather out-worldly music, and there was a smell coming from within. Incense candles if Twilight can guess. Timber had the same back at his place.
Zecora’s House of Fortune? What kind of a wacky cliché title was that?
The name was plastered over a professionally made sign with a portrait of a lady hiding under a veil, with her hands hovering over a crystal ball.
An ordinary folk would be rather skeptical about such a place.
But there was definitely something… here.
Twilight could sense it. Even her geode was reacting just by being near that tent.
There was a familiar pulse of energy coming from within. The same pulse of magic that emanated from that gemstone. There was no doubt about it. There was magic here.
To think that the suspect would be here… in the mall of all places. You’d think she’d have to search the whole city for clues.
“You feel it too, don’t you?” Adagio stated, not taking her eyes off the tent. “The magic?”
“Yeah. It’s faint… but I can definitely feel it the closer I get. What is this place?”
“Some kind of tourist trap. Sonata found it the other day and went in out of curiosity.” She what!? “She’s fine. As far as I know, it’s just another con-artist taking cash out of suckers.”
“And you didn’t think to report this?”
She shrugged back without worries. “I told you: I make trouble. I don’t look for them. Besides, it’s been nothing but a eyesore.”
There’s no way this place was just another con. The whole tent screamed of mystery and magic. Only those who were proficient with such things could see that this… fortune teller, was more than what she seems.
Twilight took a step forward, only to be grabbed by the Siren. “Whoa… what do you think you’re doing?”
“Uh… going inside?”
“You’re just gonna waltz in there, knowing that the person who might be responsible for your troubles is also there?”
“You got a better idea?”
“Certainly not going through the front door.”
But Twilight wasn’t going to stop. That twisted feeling in her chest was insisting her to continue, compelling her to walk in there and confront the proprietor. There was simply no time for second guessing or planning. She needed answers, and she was getting them with or without her.
Prying her hand off Adagio’s grip, she marched onward, into the hazy tent. The Siren raised a brow, contemplating and then scoffing before finally following her in.
“If we die. I’m blaming you.”
(House by the hill)
Luna held a shred of hope that it was nothing.
That she was overthinking things. And the weekend debacle had nothing to do with the girls. She knew that she was fooling herself, but even so… she dared to hope a teeny tiny bit. And that when she arrives at the house, everything would be perfectly normal. But even she knew that it was a sucker’s bet.
Celestia was practically furious about the whole thing. Both of them half expected to receive a call from the authorities for an explanation, but thankfully it never came. Still, that didn’t help the fact that they knew exactly what was going on. Celestia and was ready to call up the girls and demand an explanation. But cooler heads prevailed and Luna suggested that she handle the situation personally before they make any final judgment.
And here she was, hoping to whatever god that was listening, to hear her prayers.
But alas… like always, her hopes were dashed when she parked up to the front of Sunset’s new home, catching the whole gang in one place, along with a few new faces, building what looked like a mirror strapped with pipes and other gizmos beyond her comprehension.
Her arrival unsurprisingly caught the girls unexpectedly with all their heads snapping in her direction. And like a child who knew she did wrong, Sunset shyly approached. A fake smile plastered on her face, hands folded together, and one foot drilling the ground behind her.
“Oh… Vice Principal Luna. H… hi?” Sunset said in the most unconvincing way possible. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
That was the voice of the guilty if she ever heard one.
All the girls in one spot? A machine that looks out of this world? And a man floating in mid-air? Pinkie Pie floating next to the said man with balloons strapped to her side?
Oh wait… that last part was normal.
Still… this wasn’t looking good on her.
…
…
…
The whole explanation took about an hour or so. Maybe longer. And Luna got the gist of what happened. Though honestly, if she didn’t know about magic in the first place, she’d say that these girls had great imagination. Seriously, the stuff they told her was like that out of fantasy story book.
It had magic, girls with special powers, creatures from another realm, and a battle that could be told through the ages. It even had a hero who saves the day. The stuff they spout was enough to write a bestselling novel.
Though she wished the hero wasn’t so reckless as to risk his own personal safety.
Flash too seemed to have been roped into this mess. The boy guiltily sat by the table, beside Sunset, trying his best to avoid eye-contact. Luna took note of the new scars and injuries, some of them seemed newer than most. Especially the one on his brow. He tried to hide the bandages, but even the best makeup artists couldn’t cover those. A rough guess would say that his love that certain redhead altered his better judgment.
The term ‘Love is Blind’ might prove true here.
And what’s with all the girls hanging around him like some kind of…?
No… forget it. That’s another talk for another time.
“So let me get this straight.” Luna opened up with a sigh and stinging headache. “Somehow Timber Spruce got turned into a werewolf by some corrupted magic and caused the incident at the park.” The girls collectively nodded with the exception of Starlight Glimmer who stood at the side holding onto the strange floating man as if she was expecting him to cause trouble.
“That’s… pretty much it.” Sunset answered, looking both tired and desperate at the same time.
“And do you know who’s responsible for it?” The awkward silence revealed their answer. “Oh boy.”
“But we’re working on it.” Sunset added. “Twilight’s looking into a lead. So we might get some answers.”
“That’s not the point.” Luna responded, shaking her head. “While I am glad that you were able to stop it, and that you’re all safe, I’m more afraid of what happens next. This incident was far more public than your usual encounters with magic. It stirred quite a crowd last night.”
“Yeah… sorry.”
“There’s no reason for you to apologize, Sunset. I understand that these things weren’t under your control.” A small hint of relief spread over her student’s face. “But that doesn’t mean I’m giving you a free pass either. I was hoping that you and your friends would be able to handle this whole magical debacle before other people caught wind of it. But it would seem like… that’s isn’t the case.”
Not to mention that one of those magical debacles was working at their school too, posing as a guidance counselor.
“We’re doing our best, Vice Principal Luna.” Rainbow Dash came to Sunset’s defense. “It’s kinda hard tracking down and understanding this whole magic thing.”
“I know. And I commend all of you for it. If anyone can solve this… magic problem around the world, it’ll be you.” The VP showed a small smile, comforting the girls. “As for my other question…” She pointing her index finger wearily at the floating man at the corner who was now upside down. “Who is that?”
“Hello~.” He greeted with a smile which permeated with ill intent. Luna compared it to a devious child who was plotting something.
“That’s… umm… Discord.” Sunset answered. “He’s from my world. We… need him for something.”
“Does that something involve that giant mirror device you’re building outside?”
The poor redhead stole a glance at Starlight. “Yes…”
“And does that something involve even more magic?”
Sunset sunk into her seat. “Yes…”
“And will that something be dangerous?”
A sigh escaped her. “Yes…”
Ah… hell…
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Filler chapter. Simple, but effective.
I'm guessing that before this is over, he's going to be covered head to toe in magic runes.
I liked Flash and Discord's meeting.
Sounds like Pony Flash is pretty successful.
Idk, a part of me is still worried it's a bad thing.
You still didn't comply with the instructions you were given.
Is godzooks even a word?
Fair enough.
*grabs a bottle of booze or wine*
Here you might need this.
If Flash 's "crystal" is extending over his body, could he be risking to become like the living statues in that world Sunburst was exploring?