Birthday Horoscope (Libra): You are going to die today.

Early Morning

I wait at the bottom of the stairs for Twilight to come down to breakfast. As soon as I see her at the top of the stairs, I duck out of sight. As she reaches the bottom, I wrap my arms around her and pull her into a tight hug. "Happy birthday," I say.

"Eep!" She squirms. "Flash! Don't scare me like that!"

I turn her to face me and kiss her on the forehead. She blushes and plays with a lock of her hair.

"Hey Twilight!" Pinkie calls from the kitchen entrance. "Happy birthday! Ready for your special birthday breakfast?"

Twilight smiles. "Sounds great, Pinkie."

Fluttershy offers to walk Spike this morning so that Twilight can relax and take her time getting ready.

I want to know whether or not Twilight's birthday horoscope is...is that, but...the app is set up so it only shows the birthday horoscope if it's your birthday. I would only be able to check if I somehow lifted Twilight's phone.

I'll just...have to wait...

I could ask her to check it herself, but I don't...I can't.

After School

I duck into the Music Club room on my way out. "See you guys Tuesday," I say. "Got a birthday party to go to this afternoon."

"Sure thing," Lyra says. "How's Rainbow Dash doing?"

"She's bored," I say. "And mad."

I hurry back to the dorm, where Pinkie Pie is setting things up. "Need any help?" I ask.

"Sure," she says.

I help Pinkie set up the party decorations. "Pizza should already be on the way, I placed the advance order at lunch," she says.

"Where's Twilight?"

"Upstairs talking to her parents."

As the others return to the dorm, the pizza arrives. Cadance goes upstairs to fetch Twilight. We all sing "Happy Birthday" to her, then start helping ourselves to pizza and drinks while Pinkie lays out Twilight's presents on a table. All except mine, that is, which I'm deliberately saving for last.

While we're all eating, Twilight starts opening presents. Cadance took care of picking up Rainbow Dash's gift for Twilight, since Rainbow never had a chance to go shopping: a $25 gift card for the bookstore and a large tin of assorted nuts, crackers, dried fruits, and cookies. Twilight pulls out her phone and texts Rainbow, then moves on to the next gift in the pile.

Pinkie's gift is a $30 gift card for Sugar Cube Corner. Rarity gives Twilight a sparkly pink knit top with a layered skirt in three shades of violet, as well as a pair of high-heeled purple sandals.

"I...don't know when I'd ever wear this," Twilight says with a sheepish look, "but...it's really nice. Thank you."

Fluttershy gives Twilight a purple waterproof vinyl book tote and a tug toy for Spike. Applejack gives her a huge book called The Applepedia: 1001 Facts About Apples.

"Oooh, this'll be fun to read!" Twilight says, beaming.

"This is from your parents," Cadance says, handing Twilight a package. "They thought it might come in handy."

Twilight unwraps it, and we're all impressed. It's one of those brand-new, high-capacity, full-HD bookpads.

"It's a lot less to carry around than a stack of books, and you don't have to worry about running out of shelf space," Shining Armor says with a chuckle.

Twilight nods thoughtfully. "To be honest, my room is getting a little too full," she says. "I could probably repurchase half my collection on this and donate the hard copies to the library or a bookmobile..." She taps her chin. "I won't want to go all-digital, though. I do like the feel of a good book."

"Well, I got you a two-year subscription to the digital library," Shining Armor says, handing Twilight an envelope with a ribbon tied around it.

Twilight squeals. "Thanks, B.B.B.F.F.!"

"B.B.B.F.F.?" I ask.

"Big Brother Best Friend Forever," Twilight says. "It's...my little nickname for Shining Armor."

"And I got you something I think you might appreciate," Cadance says. She hands Twilight another envelope with a ribbon. "Six months of spa treatments. You can go twice a month."

"Oooh, that sounds absolutely divine!" Rarity says.

Cadance leans in close and stage-whispers to Twilight, "It'll make you feel wonderful, and make you even more beautiful for your boyfriend."

Twilight blushes, but laughs. "Thank you, Cadance."

Well, it's my turn now. I cough. "And here's mine."

I hand Twilight my present. She sets everything she's holding down and takes it, tilting her head curiously. She unwraps it, and her eyes widen.

"Oooh, it is jewelry?" Rarity asks, leaning in curiously. The others all watch with interest.

Twilight finishes unwrapping the box, running her hand over the velvet. "Flash, you didn't..." She opens it. When she sees the locket, she gasps.

"Oh my...that's so pretty!" Fluttershy says.

"It's positively gorgeous!" Rarity declares.

Twilight lifts it out of the box and studies it. "How...where did you find...?"

Cadance examines it. "You had it custom made, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

Twilight gasps. "This...this is...?" She fingers it. "You had this made...just for me?"

"Of course I did. Happy birthday, Twilight." I stand up and move over to her, taking it from her. I unclasp the chain and brush her hair away from the back of her neck, then put the chain around her neck. As I let her hair fall back into place, she looks down at the locket, which rests just above her chest.

"Is it a pendant or a locket?" Cadance asks.

"It's a locket," I say. "It has a swivel cover."

Twilight fingers the front of the locket and figures out how to open it. "Wow," she says. Suddenly, she stands up and throws her arms around me, then kisses me. "Thank you," she says. "I love it."

"I think I have just the picture to put in it, too," Rarity says.

"Not the one where we're asleep," Twilight says, giving Rarity a cross-eyed look.

"No, heavens no!" Rarity says with a laugh. "Remember when you two had your first date? I can print out the picture I took that day."

"Oh." Twilight blushes. "That'd be nice."

After that, we all head to the dining room for the birthday cake. Pinkie had the good taste not to pull the same stunt on Twilight she pulled on me; this cake has simple buttercream frosting, with alternating pink and lavender candles.

It's already getting pretty late, but we decide to head to the hospital and check in on Rainbow Dash. Cadance helps Twilight take her presents upstairs while Pinkie, Fluttershy, and I clean up the lounge and dining room, and Pinkie gets a piece of cake ready to take to Rainbow. Shining Armor isn't coming with us, saying there's already too many of us going as it is.

Evening

"So, have a good birthday?" Rainbow asks Twilight as we crowd into her room.

"I sure did!" Twilight says. She tells Rainbow what she got, then shows her the locket. "Flash gave me this."

Rainbow's eyes bug out. "Whoa. That's awesome."

We've been at the hospital for about twenty minutes when I realize I have to go to the bathroom. I excuse myself and head for the nearest men's room. Unfortunately, it's out of order; I'm going to have to go two halls over to the other one.

By the time I get there, I'm about to explode. It takes nearly a full minute to empty my bladder. I'm in the middle of washing my hands when...

Zodiac

No.

Oh God no.

A message crawls across the mirror.

Say goodbye to that little purple whore of yours!

What the...?!

That's...!

I don't know how you and that bitch nurse have survived this long, but your girlfriend WILL die tonight!

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

//Flash! Flash, can you hear me?//

"Cadance! Don't tell me you let Twilight out of your sight!"

//...I had to go to the bathroom, alright? I wanted to wait for you to get back, but...//

"Damn...where is she?"

//She can't be too far from Rainbow Dash's room, but there's Shadows all over the place! And...oh no...! Flash, I'm sensing Libra!//

"Shit...Cadance, I'm unarmed!"

//There's no time to worry about that. Hurry back to where Twilight is!//

I rush out of the bathroom. I make it all of three steps before a Shadow undulates right in front of me: a large, twisting black snake wearing a red mask atop its head, engraved with the number VI. It's coiled up in a large metal Mars sign, which is in turn entangled in a metal Venus sign.

Pierce Attack

It catches me in the shoulder before I can do anything; it doesn't even manage to tear my jacket, but the hit sure hurts. "Persona!"

Bufu

Jack Frost appears and exhales plumes of ice. The snake crusts over with ice and falls to the ground. I grab it and slam it against the wall until it shatters, then take off running.

//Flash! Twilight isn't near Rainbow Dash's room! I'm reading Libra...it's approaching the lobby!//

"Crap!"

//Turn right!//

I turn and run in the direction of the lobby. Three Shadows appear in my path; they're floating in midair and have big round gold crowns with books floating inside. I summon Jack Frost, who unleashes a blast of icy breath.

Mabufu

It doesn't knock the Shadows out of the air, but they do recoil. I change to Chiron, who obliterates the Shadows with a swing of his axe.

I lose track of how many Shadows attack, or how I fight them. All I can think about is getting to Twilight.

I hear her scream.

I push onward, ignoring the Shadows closing in around me. I find her with her back pressed against a vending machine, glowing text messages swarming all around her. A half-dozen weak blob Shadows are surrounding her.

"Twilight! Hold on!"

"Flash...?! Flash, what's going on here?"

The Shadows turn their attention on me. Snarling, I tap my phone. "PERSONA!"

Cleave

Chiron appears, cleaving the weak Shadows with his blazing axe.

I run up to Twilight, who's staring at me with wide, terrified eyes. "F-Flash? Wh-what IS that?!"

"Shh...just...hold tight," I say, wrapping my arms around her. "Cadance? Is there ANY way out of here?"

"Cadance?! Where is—?"

//I'm sorry, Flash! It's just like that night...we can't leave Zodiac as long as Libra is here!//

Twilight blinks. "What..." She looks around. "Cadance? Where...where are you? How..." She grabs her head. "What's going on here?"

//Look out, Flash! Libra's closing in on you!//

I look around. There's absolutely nothing here I can use as a weapon! "Dammit...!"

"Flash...I'm scared...what's—"

I take hold of Twilight's shoulders. "Twilight...we're in danger. I need you to hold still, stay safe, and let me deal with it." I turn and look around warily.

//Here it comes!//

A column of shadow boils out of the ground, becoming a feminine arm that stretches to the ceiling. The hand holds aloft a set of ornate brass scales, with the sign of Libra engraved in the balance bar. A dark idol stands in each of the dishes: the one on my left has an angry face, baring sharp fangs; the one on the right wears a serene expression, hands folded in prayer.

Twilight gasps. "What...?"

"Cadance, scan it!"

//I'm trying, but the Zodiac Shadows always interfere with my scans! You may be on your own here!//

"Wonderful." I summon Chiron; he charges forward, leaping high into the air and striking the chains holding up the left balance with his axe.

Cleave

Libra shudders as the left balance wobbles.

Suddenly, the eyes of the angry idol glow and the scale holding it drops to the ground.

Garula

A massive, glowing gust of wind blows Chiron back toward me. I stagger, nearly falling into Twilight.

//Be careful! Chiron is weak to wind attacks!//

"I...noticed," I grunt. It's time to switch Personas. "Jack Frost!"

Chiron vanishes, replaced by Jack Frost.

Sonic Punch

Jack Frost charges forward, driving a powerful punch into the angry idol's face. The idol wobbles and rises back off the floor; the scales are in balance again.

Bufu

Jack Frost uses his ice attack; frost creeps up the arm holding the scales. The right balance drops, and the serene idol opens her eyes.

Dia

A pale light washes over Libra, and the frost recedes.

"The one on the left attacks...the one on the right looks like it heals..."

That wasn't Cadance. It was Twilight.

"I...I don't know what's going on here, but..."

"You're right, Twilight...that's exactly what it's doing. So I need to break the one that heals it!" I swipe the Fool Arcana card back onto my phone. "CHIRON!"

Chiron appears, then rushes forward, bringing his axe down on the serene idol with a tremendous swing.

Cleave

The idol cracks; Libra's hand opens, dropping the scales.

"AGAIN!"

Chiron rears, whinnying and snorting steam as he readies another blow.

Strike Attack

However, the mighty hand of Libra backhands him away; he crashes in a heap in front of me.

Dia

The serene idol shudders; a weak wave of healing light washes over Libra. The hand picks up the scales again, and the angry idol drops to the ground.

//LOOK OUT!//

Garula

I don't have time to change Personas again before Chiron is buffeted by a blast of wind. I double over; I feel like I'm about to throw up.

Twilight grabs me around the middle and holds me tightly. "Flash...!"

The left scale rises again. Both idols' eyes glow. A pressure wave spreads out from Libra...

Tentarafoo

Suddenly, I can't seem to feel my Persona. I look up; Chiron is becoming frayed around the edges. He thrashes in mad panic before scattering like a reflection in a pond when a pebble is cast into the water.

"What...what did that thing just...do to me?"

//I don't know!// Cadance sounds frantic. //It's disrupted your Persona somehow! Flash, you and Twilight need to run!//

"We can't!" Twilight cries. "All the exits are blocked! We're trapped in here!"

I look around; glowing red-and-black walls have appeared at every exit.

"Twilight...I'm sorry...I can't...I can't protect you..." I look down at my phone. The Persona app is completely distorted.

Without my Persona, we're dead.

Twilight's arms slip from around me. She stares at the Shadow, which is regarding us coldly. The left balance slowly starts to fall...

"I think..." Twilight says ponderously. "I think...it's my turn to protect you now."

She pulls out her phone. The screen lights up brilliantly.

The Persona app appears on her phone!

Twilight glares up at Libra. "You came here to kill me, didn't you?" she says. There's a hint of steel in her voice. "Well I'm not ready to die!"

Twilight taps her phone.

"PERSONA!"

The image on her phone's screen explodes in blue shards...

Standing between us and Libra is what appears to be Twilight herself, only older, larger, and with her skin and hair colors reversed. She's wearing Greek robes and sandals, with a huge gold helmet with a tall crest on top and sweeping gold wings on the side. She has a spear in one hand and a pile of books at her feet; a small brown owl is flying around her head. She extends her free hand in front of her, and several of the books fly up off the ground, fusing together to form a huge book-shaped shield. The owl hoots and perches atop the shield.

I can only stare in wonder. "What...?!"

//Flash? What's...what's going on? I'm reading something...did you awaken another new Persona?//

"No...Twilight did."

//WHAT?!//

Zio

Twilight's Persona raises her spear aloft. A bolt of lightning arcs from the tip, slamming into Libra's hand; the hand spasms, dropping the scales.

The Persona app on my phone snaps back into sharp relief. I can feel Chiron and Jack Frost again! I tap my phone. "CHIRON!"

Chiron reappears, glaring furiously at the collapsed Shadow. Libra's hand is scrambling frantically, trying to pick the scales back up.

"Together, NOW!" I yell.

"Right!" Twilight agrees.

Chiron and Twilight's Persona charge, unleashing a combined assault on the serene idol. The idol screams in pain as it shatters.

Cleave

Chiron draws back his axe and slams it into the chains holding the left dish; the chains shatter.

The angry idol stares in bewilderment at the two Personas and unleashes a gust of wind.

Magarula

Chiron is driven back, but Twilight's Persona is barely affected, her shield having absorbed most of the impact.

Zio

Another jolt of electricity strikes the dark idol, which topples over. The Persona then twirls her spear and leaps into the air, impaling the grasping palm of Libra's hand.

Libra melts into a pool of darkness.

Twilight's Persona turns to regard her calmly with blank, glowing blue eyes. Twilight looks up at her, eyes wide in wonder.

"You're...Athena..." Twilight whispers.

The Persona nods, then vanishes. Chiron vanishes as well.

And just like that, we're standing in the lobby of the hospital, the sounds of intercom pages and nurses going about their rounds rushing back in. Twilight doubles over, grasping her head. I catch her.

Cadance comes running. "Are you two alright?"

"We need to get Twilight back to the dorm," I say.

"I...I'll be alright," Twilight says. "I just...have a terrible headache..."

She faints in my arms.

A nurse rounds a corner.

"Nurse! This girl just fainted!" Cadance says.

The nurse looks alarmed. "Bring her this way," she says. I pick Twilight up, and we follow the nurse to a triage room. Cadance and the hospital nurse hover over Twilight, checking her vitals and examining her while I sit in the corner.

After a few harrowing minutes, the hospital nurse sighs with relief. "Well, she seems to be healthy," she says. "I'll draw some blood to send to the lab. It looks to me like she just overexerted herself."

"She is on her period," Cadance says.

The nurse laughs. "Oh, well...that'd explain it." She shakes her head. "You should've just told me that in the first place."

"It's been a long day," Cadance says tiredly.

"Well...let's let her rest here for a little while, just in case. If she wakes up and seems fine, you can take her home."

Once the nurse is gone, Cadance turns to me. "Twilight has a Persona?" she asks.

"Yeah...she just saved both our lives." I stand up and walk over to Twilight, brushing her bangs away from her forehead. "I can't believe...I almost lost her tonight..." I remember what happened in the bathroom. "Cadance...I think we have a new problem."

"What is it?"

"You know those messages we see in Zodiac?" Cadance nods, frowning. "Well...tonight...I saw one that was talking to me. It...it wasn't like the usual ones." I take a deep breath. "I think somebody's controlling these Shadows. And they're after me and Twilight."

Cadance gasps. "What?!"

I explain what I saw. Cadance looks horrified. "But...that's..."

"Yeah," I say. I look at Twilight, then bow my head. "Why can't we just be left in peace? Things were just starting to go our way..."

Cadance looks like she wants to cry. She sniffles. "I...I'd better round up the girls...it'll be time to go back to the dorm soon..."

"What about Twilight?" I ask. "She's...she's not gonna be out for three days, is she?"

"No, but...I think I might have to stay home from school tomorrow..."

We both turn to see Twilight looking at us. She looks tired, and her voice is weak.

"Twilight!" Cadance cries. "Are you...?"

Twilight sits up, clutching her head. "I...didn't dream all that, did I?"

Cadance sighs. "It wasn't a dream," she says.

I take Twilight's hand. "I'm sorry you got dragged into all this," I say. I frown. "Hey, how come she woke up so fast, when I was out for three days?"

Cadance shrugs. "I woke up a few hours after I summoned Aphrodite the first time. I guess it's different for everybody." She tilts her head. "Or maybe..." She looks at me. "Maybe you were out longer because of that power you have."

My power...

...the Fool Arcana...

...multiple Personas...

"What WAS that thing?" Twilight asks.

Cadance rubs her back. "We'll explain in the morning," she says. "We need to get you home so you can take something for that headache and sleep."

"I'm fine," Twilight insists.

"No, Twilight," I say. "You're going home and you're going to bed. Worry about it tomorrow...Libra's gone. We killed it. We're safe for now."

Twilight looks from me to Cadance uncertainly. After a minute, she sighs. "I am pretty tired," she admits.

I "borrow" a wheelchair while Cadance calls the girls and tells them to meet us in the lobby. They're worried when they see Twilight in a wheelchair; moreso when I tell them she fainted. Twilight assures them she's fine, just a little worn down.

"That's a sucky way for your birthday to end," Pinkie says with a frown.

We all pile into Cadance's SUV and return to the dorm.