Between a Rock and a Pillow
Chapter 93:
(Canterlot Mall) (Zecora’s House of Fortune)
Twilight wasn’t sure what she was expecting. After everything she’s experienced these last few months, it could literally be anything. And walking into the den of a potential enemy seemed to be a common trend nowadays. It wouldn’t even surprise her if a monster would drop out of nowhere and scare the living daylights out of them.
She was daring to go the distance, readied herself for a fight if need be. Heck, she already had one hand over her geode to Pony-Up on a moment’s notice. With all the creepy decorations hanging about, you’d think that this was going to be some kind of trap. Unfortunately, reality was… not as exciting.
“Out for lunch?” Twilight read the note on the table next to the obviously-fake crystal ball at the center. That single phrase written clumsily on that single piece of paper removed all the tension she held in her body deflating her like a balloon. “Is that even possible?”
“Of course it is.” Adagio responded. Though the question wasn’t actually directed at her. “It doesn’t matter who you are, or what your alignment is. People have to eat.”
Duh… that was obvious. Even villains have to satisfy their baser needs.
Still, it was kind of anti-climactic. She was kind of expecting a showdown between her and a villain like in those old cartoons. The setting itself was perfect.
Weird masks on the wall, a thick eerie fog, tapestries woven into the inside of the tent, wacky voodoo music playing in the background? Even Rainbow Dash would be thrilled by this place, saying that it came straight out of a Daring Do flick.
“Well. It looks like she’s not here. Too bad. Time to get back before…” Adagio choked when Twilight pulled her by her collar.
“Not yet. We came here to get answers.”
“And, pray tell, what kind of answers are you looking for?”
“I don’t know! Clues – or any indication to who this person is, or traces of magic.”
“And you really expect to find them snooping around some witch’s tent?”
Not really… but she wasn’t going to call it quits just yet.
“There has to be something here. Anything that can make us understand what we’re up against.”
Adagio rolled her eyes on the plan. “Ugh… and to think I thought I put my thieving days behind me.”
Twilight ignored her and began ruffling through whatever was in the tent. There were a lot of gimmicks to be had. A fully functional lightshow that displayed constellation onto the ceiling, even a pressure pad plate with multiple functions probably to control every other magical machines around here. Not a bad setup if she was being honest.
But nothing useful though. Honestly, the insides of this tent seemed far less magical than the outside. It felt like she was looking at the wizard behind the curtains and was disappointed by the truth. It seems deliberately made to look like a con-artist’s room.
Oh?
A lockbox? Hidden under a cloth. It seems weighty, large and durable, secured with a rather intimidating padlock. And that tingling on her geode…?
Magic… definitely.
“This looks promising.” She stated plainly. “But it’s locked.”
“Stand aside.” Adagio butted in, grabbing a hairpin from her pocket.
Twilight blinked in amazement. “You know how to pick locks?”
She returned a smug smile. “It’s not the first time I had to break into someone else’s strongbox. I can even crack into your school locker, easy.”
“That’s not possible.”
“You use your birthday as the combination. It’s an easy formula to remember. Not exactly rocket science, sweetheart.” She snorted. “And… there.” With a little effort, and a little finesse, the giant lock clicked open and fell off like it was nothing. “It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. Maybe I should go back to a life of crime.”
That’s… disturbing. But Twilight ignored her again and opened the box hoping to find something that could lead them to the root of their problems.
…
And she wasn’t disappointed.
“No way…” Her hands trembled as she reached inside grabbing a slender yet unfamiliar marbled object. “It can’t be.”
“Holy granoly…” Even the voice in her head couldn’t help but gasp.
“Is that what I think it is?”
A black gemstone. There was no denying it. It’s the same thing that Neighsay and the other members of the Order use, but bigger.
The whole thing was about the size of an ostrich egg, jagged in many areas like it was chipped off from a bigger piece. Twilight could see her own broken reflection looking back at her from its many surfaces. But the magic it radiated – was in a league of its own.
And it wasn’t simple magic lingering inside. It was that strange corrupting magic. The unstable mixture of Equestrian and Yaztec magic. The one that nearly killed Timber, and all of them!
This… is bad. Most definitely bad. There’s a good chance that the person who attacked them was a member of the Order itself. They could really be the ones responsible for all of this. They could be the ones behind all this mayhem.
“I need to call Sunset. She needs to know.” Twilight reached for her phone, fumbling on the dial.
“Uh… call me cautious here, but that doesn’t look safe.” They both glanced back at the giant gemstone, seeing it sparked. “That’s the same twisted magic you showed me earlier.”
“Oh gee! Ya think!?”
“It’s just as unstable as the other.” Twilight noted. “I think removing it from the container must’ve triggered it somehow!”
“Th… then put it back!”
“But… we need it!”
“Think for a second, you idiot! If a small piece can turn a whole park into a nightmarish jungle gym. What do you think that giant stone can do!?”
The Siren raised a good point. The magic inside the gem was dangerously volatile. Any more sudden movement could destabilize the whole thing and cause a chain reaction. That kind of damage would make the incident in the park look like a summer heat wave.
“There, done.” She put the stone back, and slammed the lid. But not before the stone sent out a shockwave of magical energy. The surge of power sent many light bulbs and lamps shattering into tiny pieces. A string of frightened screams echoed in the mall, sending a few patrons running in panic.
…
The girls paused for a moment, stepping away from the box. They looked at one another and listened. A few seconds would pass before they would breathe a sigh of relief.
But that relief was short lived when her inner voice chimed.
“You’ve got company.”
“Someone’s coming.” Twilight whispered.
“What? How can you tell?”
“I just know! Quick! Hide!”
“There’s nowhere to hide!”
Ah crud!
Without thinking, she grabbed the Siren, pulled her close, and held her breath just as the entrance fluttered open.
…
…
…
A middle-aged woman stormed in with a frown on her face. Her features were clear, similar to that of the poster outside. A tanned skin, long straight hair, eyes decorated with foreign makeup. She was about as tall as Principal Celestia. Regal with a noble flare. She had an assortment of jewelry dangling from her neck as well as a few more hanging on her ears.
There was a stench of magic on her. The dangerous kind. And the expression on her face discern a hint of anger.
She scanned the room, her eyes briefly making contact with hers.
Cautiously she strolled in, continuing to scan the premises, thinking she could still catch whoever was hiding in her humble abode. Each step she took felt weighty and with purpose, only to stop at the box that was laid out next to her table.
The box that the girls so foolishly left out in the open, with its padlock undone.
A multitude of curses paraded across Twilight’s mind. That was such an amateur mistake. Now she knows someone was here.
The woman, possibly Zecora, scooped the box. A frown forming on her face. Though there seemed to be some form of relief when she noted that the contents were still within. She seemed unnerved, like she figured someone broke into her home and ransacked it – which wasn’t far from the truth to be honest.
Whether she acted out of anger or fear was debatable. But the woman reacted quickly, grabbing what little she could get her hands on and bolted out of there a moment later, leaving the two girls in the corner.
It was only after they were sure that she was gone, did Twilight let out the breath she had been holding and removed the magical cloak from her body turning both her and Adagio visible again.
“That was close. Good thing I kept this with me. I need to ask Sunset if I can use more of those magical artifacts she brought from Equestria.”
“We need to go. Now.”
The two of them ran out of there before anyone was the wiser.
…
They gave a good distance from the area before finally coming to a stop at the fountain. The crowd there easily gave them cover, and they blended in perfectly amongst the swarm of patrons who were wandering around.
“That was too close.” Adagio said after pants. “Did you see that woman?”
Of course I saw her. We were both there.
“Yeah. She…”
“She reeked of magic.”
Twilight blinked. “She did? How?”
“It’s a Siren thing.” That wasn’t really much of an explanation. “I didn’t notice it until she was close to us. I thought I’d smell her a mile away. Either she’s wearing four types of perfume, she must be using something to hide her powers.”
“There’s something else about her.” Twilight added earning a look from the Siren. “There’s… something familiar about her. It’s… it’s like I’ve seen her before.”
But from where though?
(House by the hill)
Sunset was in a rut.
The talk with VP Luna couldn’t have gone worse. And while she was far more receptive than most, it was understandable that she’d be upset.
She was pretty cool when it came to the incident at the park. She was even kind of understanding. But after explaining about the construction of the new portal, the VP kinda lost it.
Sunset had promised time and time again that they were trying to control the magic in this world. Perhaps even removing it completely. There was a magic portal built in front of the school already, causing all sorts of mayhem and destruction, and here she was building another to an even crazier realm.
Easy to say, Vice Principal Luna flipped. That last debrief was the straw that broke the camel’s back… figuratively. They debated for a while, with her friends coming to her defense. Though Sunset would admit that Luna had the moral high-ground here. She left about an hour later to think of a suitable solution to… ‘Handle’ this. But honestly, she probably just needed an excuse to get out of there and find a quiet place to think. Though she didn’t try to stop them from continuing with their project.
So here she was, lying on her bed in her new room, contemplating about her life’s choices. Hoping that she wasn’t making the wrong decision.
Until a knock on the door interrupted her train of thoughts.
“Hey…” Flash greeted, his head poking through a crack on the door. That sweet, gentle smile of his gleaming despite the few scars marring his face. “Mind if I come in?”
She sighed. “Sure. I could use the company.”
“You need a shoulder to cry on?”
A hallow joke if she ever heard one. But it got her to chuckle at least. “I’m not crying.”
He wiped an imaginary sweat off his brow. “Phew! Great! Because, I am terrible when it comes to waterworks.” He swung his hand up producing a pity-sandwich. “Here. Pinkie said you could use a little treat after all that talking.”
“Talking? Is that how you heard it? Because I’m pretty sure we were on the verge of downright yelling. I’m pretty sure Vice-Principal Luna won that argument. And honestly, she took our situation here better than I thought. I was half expecting her to expel me at some point.”
“Oh come on. She’s on our side. I’m sure it won’t come to that. Besides, none of what happened was your fault. She said so herself.”
“Yeah… but I’m still partial to blame.”
The boy rolled his eyes. “Don’t be like that. You’re not gonna blame yourself at every magical debacle that happens in Canterlot, are you?”
“Well… not exactly.” Her shoulder slugged back, as she graciously accepted the sandwich, taking a quick bite off it. Pinkie’s signature recipe. “It’s just that… I can’t feel like I’m sort of to blame. I WAS the one who brought magic here in the first place.”
“Magic has always been around.”
“I know that. But it wasn’t like this when…… ugh… you know what I mean.”
“Yeah. I do. And I know that you’re doing your best to fix it.”
“You think so?” She challenged, her back slamming the bed while her gaze fixated on the ceiling. “Because the way I see it, I’m bringing even more magic in than before – without even realizing it.” I’m about to make another portal to another world, which is even more dangerous than Equestria. Who knows what kind of mishap can happen?”
“You’re doing it to save a friend.”
“Yeah. And I’m risking my other friends to do it. Not to mention I could be dooming this whole world in the process!”
“That’s a little extreme, isn’t it?”
“I’m not joking Flash. This isn’t simple magic. The spells we’re using is far more powerful than anything we’ve come across.”
“Even more powerful than the one in the park?”
“A hundred times more. We’re talking about ripping through time and space, connecting two worlds together through funnels in Limbo and then stabilizing it. It’s the kind of magic not even Starswirl fully understood.”
“Starswirl?” His brow rose. “You mean the scientist?”
“The unicorn.” She corrected. “We’re talking about breaking the laws of physics in more ways than one. There’s a good chance that I might be bringing about the end of the world.” The boy opened to counter but she raised a hand to stop him. “And yes, I know I tried to end the world once before by turning you all into mindless zombies. No need to bring that up, thank you.”
Flash went silent for a moment, looking like he had a good speech before becoming speechless. “Wow… when you put it like that – it sounds – not good.”
“No Flash. None of it is good.” Sunset added with another angry bite to her sandwich. “Not to mention we still have this whole Yaztec magic to figure out, and Neighsay and his Order of human wizards and witches. ARGHHH!”
“Well… look on the bright side.”
…
…
…
“You know when you say that, you’re supposed to follow it up WITH the bright side.”
“I know. I was hoping I’d think of one when I said that.” He sulked. “But if it makes you feel any better, I think what you’re doing is amazing.”
Flash Sentry used random compliment.
It was not effective.
“Gee… thanks.”
“I’m serious. I can count the number of people who’d go as far as you to save a friend in one hand. The fact that you went as far as you did, really shows that you’ve grown.”
“Grown incompetent maybe.”
The boy let out a chuckle. “Come on. If any of us here were in big trouble like your friend, you’d probably do the same thing. It just shows you’re willing to take the risk.”
Huh… that was kind of effective. “I wish there was a better way than doing something so… reckless.”
“Well if I were in your shoes, I’d probably do the same.”
“If you were in my shoes, you’d probably jump head long into danger first hand and without a plan.”
His smile turned to a frown. “Hey no fair. Besides, no one really got hurt.”
“Really?” She gave him a poke on the stomach which he responded with a pained yelp. He can hide his bandages under a layer of clothing but he can’t hide his injuries. “You wanna try that again?”
“Ok… maybe some of us got hurt. But I was voluntary. And it wasn’t that bad. GAH!” Another poke on his rib changed his tune.
“Flash. Aren’t you even the slightest bit afraid of what happened?”
“You mean getting my powers? Yeow!” She pinched his shoulder.
“I’m serious here. This is like… what? The fourth time you’ve risked your life for us. First Cinch, twice with Hoity Toity, and now this?”
“Eh… I’ve had worse at soccer practice.”
“Flash!” He jolted back, raising his hands up in defense when she threatened to smack his ribs. “I am being real here. I told you over and over to stay away. But every time something happens, you just keep getting into these dangerous situations. Why are you being so… careless with your life? That scuffle with Timber could’ve ended badly in so many ways.”
“But it didn’t.”
“But it could’ve!” She parroted, grabbing him his sleeve. “I don’t understand how someone like you can just jump into a fight with a monster and just… think it’ll all be ok. You could’ve… you could’ve really…”
Pained thoughts swarmed through her head. The images of the other night flashed across her mind. Scenery of that dead forest became apparent, and Flash’s bloody and beaten figure laid lifeless on the ground, his eyes closed forever, his beautiful light gone forever. It haunted her deeply. Sending a wave of horrifying scenarios that she would have to endure. Her whole body trembled at the mere thought of it.
“Hey, don’t be like that.” Flash arm reached out towards her. His hand caressing her cheeks, a single finger wiping the tear she unconsciously shed. “I’m not going anywhere any time soon. You can throw the biggest, baddest, meanest monster you can find, and I’ll still be around.”
She sniffed. “You can’t possibly know that.”
“I do.” He smiled. “Listen Sunset. None of this is your fault. All these scars, bruises and broken bones. They’re my choice. I knew that helping you girls is gonna be dangerous. But I did it anyway. I accept what happened to me, and I don’t regret it for a moment.”
“But the next time, you might really get hurt and…”
“Then maybe it’s time you taught me some of that magic of yours.”
Her eyes widened. “You… wanna learn magic?”
“More than anything.” He said with such conviction that it made her warm inside. “Twilight said that you all got your powers for a reason. So… maybe I got a reason to. You help me hone my new powers, and maybe the next time a big bad monster comes knocking, I’ll be able to hurl it across the park instead of me being thrashed.”
She laughed… genuinely this time. That was such a corny white-knight line to say. Yet he said it so… seriously.
Perhaps it was time for a change in strategy.
If the guy was going to get himself into trouble for all their sake, she may as well prep him for it. He certainly wasn’t gonna change his ways any time soon.
And who knows? Getting another helping hand with magic might work in their favor.
“Alright…” She said finally, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I think that might be a good idea.”
“So you’ll have me?”
“Not that I have much of a choice.” She gave him another playful poke which he gritted. “If I left you alone, you’d still come after me.”
“You make it sound like a bad thing.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. That boy always had a way of making her feel right. Perhaps it was the guilt, or the anxiety that she built up over the months. But whatever the case, having him here… just made everything melt away.
Unconsciously she couldn’t help but lean in on him. Sunset rested her head on his shoulder, glad to have him by her side. It felt… right. Like a silly longing she thought she had rid of herself. It felt even better when his hand caressed over her head, scrubbing all those worries away.
She wished this moment could last… even for a second longer. To simply sit here in this room where nothing in the universe could bother them. To enjoy this brief respite for all eternity.
It was a selfish wish, but not unreasonable.
Can a girl simply have a moment to herself and her ex?
Ha… it feels like such a long time ago since those days.
Heat filled her cheeks, as memories of the old days washed through. She looked out the window where the ocean stared back. For a moment everything felt… perfect. Like nothing could bother them. It all felt so right as the camera recorded, all the while popcorn crunched in the sideline…
…
… wait… what was that last part?
Her head turned instantly towards the source, where an oddly dressed man sat by. A bag of popcorn in one hand while the other held a camera.
“Oh… hello.” He greeted between chews. A third hand appearing from his blazer, waving innocently.
“GAHH! Discord!” Sunset screeched, smacking Flash to the ground, her face turning to a shade coherent to her hair. “How long have you been sitting there!?”
The man pulled out a sizable pocket watch, humming a tune. “Oh… about 2 minutes give or take. Pinkie said that lunch is ready. But please continue. Pretend I’m not even here.”
She threw her leftover sandwich at his face, missing just by an inch. The strange man laughed as he slid away, while the contents of that sandwich slid down the wall.
(Sweet Shoppe)
Luna couldn’t help but slouch back on her seat, an annoyed groan escaping her mouth echoing throughout the store.
There weren’t a lot of customers in that place. And the few that were there hardly gave her much than a curious passing glance before returning to their treats. Apparently, she wouldn’t be the first or last patron who’d let out a sigh of resignation in this place.
Her talk with the girls didn’t pan out so well. In fact, you could say that it was downright abysmal. They were even on the verge of yelling at one another. But thankfully calmer heads ruled the day and she decided to get out of there before any of them started saying thing they’ll regret.
But seriously though. What was that girl thinking? Building another portal? It’s bad enough that they had one of those magical mirrors standing in front of their school. And god knows how much trouble that thing brought. Now they’re gonna have a second one right outside the city? Not to mention, it was leading to an even more dangerous realm.
Ok sure, they were doing it to save a friend. But they were also endangering everyone in the world. Who knows what kind of monsters would sneak through that portal and what kind of damage they could do in the long run? It was really in the luck of the dice. And one bad roll could spell doom for everyone.
“Oh I know that look.” The voice of an old friend propped the woman up from her table, greeting a warm and comforting face. “That’s the ‘I’m having a bad day’ look. Having a tough time, sweetie? Did you have another fight with your sister?”
“Hey Chiffon.” Luna responded, recognizing the shop keeper’s old name. “And… yes. I am. And no, I’m not.”
“Well nothing fixes a bad day better than a double frosting donut. Fresh from the oven.” Mrs. Cake quickly placed the said treat, smiling in her usual manner. The aroma of the donut
“That’s really nice of you, Chiffon. But I…”
“On the house.”
“… will gratefully accept your generosity.” Luna nibbed a bite almost immediately. It would be rude to decline such a gift.
It was only after that first gulp did the older lady sat on the opposite end, eyes beaming. “So what’s tugging your mind, sweet heart?. Are you going through another breakup?”
Pffft!
“Chiffon!” Luna nearly choked.
“I’m just assuming.” She defended. “You’d be surprised how many folks come by this place after they go through a heartbreak. I had this kid come by the other day. Feather Bangs, I think. He was weeping at that corner for hours saying that the love of his life broke his pretty little heart because she was with another guy. Poor thing. He spent a pretty penny around here. He pretty much emptied one of my cabinets. I was afraid he would go through a brain freeze coma.”
Well you are selling comfort food by the bulk. They say that ice cream can mend a broken heart at times.
“Please tell me you at least gave him a discount.”
“Oh I would’ve.” She paused. “But with the twins already here… I figured I could make a little extra.”
“Chiffon!” Luna scolded. “Please tell me you didn’t just take advantage of a poor boy going through a heartbreak.”
“Of course not, dearie. I’m not that heartless.” Another awkward pause. “I gave him a free bagel on the way out.” How is that any better!? “I’ll admit. Not my proudest moment. But I have a clear conscience.”
“Sure.”
“So what’s your deal? It’s not every day I get to see you around here all by your lonesome. Even less when you’re like this.” Mrs. Cake added, her eyes suddenly sparkling gleefully. “Anything you want to get out of your chest?”
“Do I get a free bagel if I told you?”
“I already got you a free donut, sweetie.”
Crap.
Luna looked down to her half-eaten treat and realized that she was tricked. Quite cleverly in fact. It was so subtle that not even the smartest man alive would’ve noticed. Now she was pastry-bound to answer.
“Very clever.” Luna admitted, smiling coyly. “This is so unlike you.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Mrs. Cake groaned into her arms. “It’s just that ever since I had the twins, I’ve been tending to this store forever. It gets boring after the first few months. And you know how tight lip kids can be nowadays. I could use the gossip.” So the old gal was just bored. Figures.
But how was one supposed to branch a subject with magic? There’s only so much nonsense one can take before someone decides to call them a crackpot. And Mrs. Cake was perceptive. She’s the type of gal who can spot horse dung a mile away before the stench even reaches her shop.
Ah… but who the heck cares? It’s not like Luna can outsource her problem to anyone else. She may as well take up on the woman’s generosity.
“It’s… one of my students.” She began with a shrug. “She and her friends are going through a rather… significant problem.”
“Oh?” Mrs. Cake’s eyes beamed with excitement. “What kind of problem? Is it a boy? A love triangle? Or… is it…” She pointed at her belly knowingly.
“No. Nothing like that.” Chiffon slumped in disappointment. Though to be honest she’d much rather tackle that kind of problem than this. “Let’s just say that this student is trying to help out a friend of hers. But in order to help that friend they have to do something… dangerous.”
“Oh my.” Her interest came back. “So a back alley problem?”
“Something like that.” Luna nodded sighing. “And right now I’m conflicted on what I’m supposed to do. On one side I respect her for trying to help out a friend. But on the other, I want to stop her and her friends on doing something so… stupid.”
“Sounds to me like you’re torn between being a good friend and being a good teacher.” Yeah… that sounds about right. “Gosh. So what did you say to them?”
“Nothing. Yet.” Another shrug. “I told them that going through with their plan was reckless and dangerous. But at the same time I can’t stop them because……” Her glance fell to the window, down to the streets. “I’d probably do the same thing if I were in their shoes.”
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I don't know if that was intentional, but just in case, I got that Red vs Blue reference.
11607178
Yeah, I saw it too. Then a Pokémon reference shortly after it.
Well do you have any better ideas Adagio?
Kinda sounds similar to what I do with my locker combination, except it's not the date of my bday.
Yep, they're in serious trouble now!
Not to mention make the situation their in worse.
Welp, they're dead.
Good going girls.
Thank goodness she had that. Otherwise they'd be done for!
Wait, she recognized her!?!
Flash's arm*
reason too.*
It's Flash, what did you expect from him.
God damn it Discord!
things they'll regret.*
Technically this would be the third one as there's a second one on the island the girls ended up on during the events of spring breakdown.
heart? Are*
I just love this series so far. I can't wait for the next chapter.