Sunday, June 12, 2016
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Today's Horoscope (Virgo): If all you're looking for is something you've lost, you'll never be able to see what you've found.
Early Morning
The second day of our four-day trip to Canterlittle...
Today, we'll be facing another Shadow in the Velvet Room.
Daytime
Everyone does their own thing for breakfast. Around nine in the morning, we all meet up at the front of the hotel.
"So, what're we all doing today?" Sunset asks brightly.
We all look around at each other. "Well," Twilight says slowly, "we were thinking about maybe having a cookout on the beach tonight, but we'll have to do a lot of shopping and rent a gas grill and all the other stuff we'd need for that."
"Yeah, it'll take most of the day to get ready for it," I say.
"Can we really do something like that?" Apple Bloom asks.
"Sure, cooking and camping on the beach is allowed," Shining Armor says. "So long as you clean up after yourselves." He grins. "A cookout on the beach sounds like fun."
"And fireworks!" Pinkie adds. "We gotta shoot off some fireworks!"
"Ooh, that does sound like fun," Sweetie Belle says.
"I think we're going to split up into groups and take care of getting everything we need for tonight," Cadance says. "We have enough people that not everybody needs to go into town." She smiles at Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. "You girls should go have fun on the beach today."
"Yeah, we got this," Rainbow says.
"I think I'll look after these two," Shining Armor says. "I'd rather not let them run around on the beach unsupervised."
"Hey! We ain't little kids!" Apple Bloom protests.
"Now Apple Bloom, behave," Applejack says. "Ah for one would rather have Coach lookin' after y'all while th' rest of us git ready."
"Sweetie Belle," Rarity says, "what was it you were saying last night about dolphins?"
"Ooh!" Sweetie Belle exclaims excitedly. "That's right! I heard some girls talking about a spot down the beach where they saw dolphins yesterday!"
"Oh yeah, I heard there's dolphins wandering around down here," Sunset says.
"Tell you what," Shining says. "Let's go see if we can find those dolphins while the rest of the gang gets ready for tonight."
"I think I'll go with you," Sunset says. "A little dolphin-watching sounds like fun."
Twilight shoots her a dubious frown, but covers it quickly. "Alright. Hopefully it won't take the rest of us too long to get ready. When we have everything, we'll bring it down to the beach and set up."
"Can't wait!" Sunset grabs Shining Armor's arm and steers him off toward the beach. "Come on, kids!"
As the four of them wander off, the rest of us move away to the side and huddle together.
"That was awfully convenient," Rarity says with a frown.
"It's also no surprise," Twilight says. "Cadance...be careful."
Cadance grimaces. "I trust my husband," she insists. Her eyes are clouded...
"Okay," I say, getting everyone's attention. "We deal with this thing, then we get ready to have a good time tonight."
"But how do we know when we'll get pulled away to—"
Rainbow Dash doesn't get to finish, because the vast space where we fought Vinyl's Shadow forms around us.
"I sensed your readiness," Zecora says. "Shall we attend to business?" She waves her right hand, and a gold-framed door rises out of the floor. The face of the door depicts the Moon Arcana card. "You are well aware of what lies in store. Whenever you wish, you may open the door."
"Let's all gear up for battle first," Twilight suggests. We nod to each other, then activate Black Butterfly. The girls all turn to me. I walk forward and touch the door. Zecora steps away as the door opens, a faint silvery light filling the open frame...
Trixie steps out. She glares at me.
You reminded me why I started doing magic and playing music in the first place...
She glares at me.
But it's all BULLSHIT! I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE! I AM better than everyone around me! INCLUDING YOU!
"Oy," Rainbow grunts. Twilight facepalms.
You forced me to accept that I'm not better than anyone else! You forced me to accept that it's wrong to act superior and boast about my talents! WELL WHO ASKED YOU? Just because you're so good at making friends you don't even have to TRY, you think you can tell Trixie how to live her life?
"Trixie..."
Trixie's eyes turn gold-on-black.
SHUT UP! You should be on your knees at my feet, begging for forgiveness! Begging for MERCY!
"Uhh...whut th' hell's goin' on here?" Applejack asks. "This...this ain't nothin' like th' last one."
"Everyone's pain is different," Fluttershy says. "You should understand that better than anyone, Applejack."
Applejack grimaces. "Well...yeah. Still, this don't seem like—"
"Trixie! This isn't you!" I shout. "You're better than this!"
Trixie's Shadow laughs.
I am the Shadow, the True Self! Watch and be AMAZED!
Everything suddenly goes pitch dark.
//Look out!//
With thunderous snaps, two massive spotlights ignite, trained on the center of a gilded stage with royal blue curtains patterned with silver stars and crescent moons serving as a backdrop. A cloud of glittery blue smoke billows up from the stage. When the smoke clears, it reveals the new form Trixie's Shadow has taken: a shapely magician, easily four meters tall, with jet black skin and Trixie's platinum hair, wearing a spangled dark blue corset teddy with matching high heels and a dark blue top hat with a sky blue band. A silver cape made up of dozens of hand-type Shadows trails from her shoulders; the hands are in constant motion, doing card tricks or coin tricks or pulling things like doves, flowers, handkerchiefs, and juggling balls out of nowhere and making them disappear again. The cape is fastened by a steel-grey triangular clasp which bears a stylized unicorn head and broad, red-edged wings at the top and a rhombus-cut red gem in the center. A silver butterfly mask covers the Shadow's eyes; the only visible feature of her face is the enigmatic smirk she wears, highlighted by silver lipstick.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Watch and be amazed as THE GRRRREAT! AND POWERFUL! TRRRRRRIXIE!...KILLS YOU!
Trixie produces a massive magician's wand from thin air and waves it at the ground. Four top hats appear on the stage, turned upside-down.
"Fluttershy, you have a barrier that repels magic, right?" Twilight asks.
Fluttershy nods. "ECHO!"
Makarakarn
Echo appears; a golden wireframe cage of light surrounds us briefly before fading away.
"Alright!" Rainbow yells. "Time to get started! PERSONA!"
Garudyne
Nike Invicta soars up into the air, at chest level with Trixie's Shadow, and summons a massive tornado. One of the hats jumps up and swallows it, then drops back to the ground. Doves fly out of the other three hats and home in on Nike, exploding on impact; Rainbow cries out and drops to the ground, clutching her head.
"RAINBOW!" Pinkie cries.
"I'm okay," Rainbow says, standing up shakily. "The hell just happened?"
"It...ate your attack."
"Okay, so if wind don't work," Applejack says, "Let's try somethin' else! PERSEPHONE!"
Heat Wave
Persephone appears and slams a massive foot into the ground, shaking the arena. The ground under the stage bucks violently upward. All four of the hats tip over...
...and shoot reams of playing cards at Applejack. She covers her head and cries out as she's cut dozens of times.
"PERSONA!" Twilight cries.
Diarahan
Athena appears and heals Applejack, who rubs her arms and grumbles.
"Okay...stupid move, Ah'll admit it," Applejack says.
"I'm almost afraid to try to do anything," Sonata says. "There's no telling what'll happen if I try to poison that thing, and about the only other thing I can do is use that one attack..."
"Hang back for now," Fluttershy says. "Rarity, you're up next. Try using ice."
Rarity looks uncertain, but nods. "Alright then. PERSONA!"
Mabufudyne
Bastet appears and scatters sharp, icy shards over the stage. One of the hats leaps up and sucks up some of the ice. The other three shudder and flip over.
HMPH!
Trixie points her wand at Rarity.
ABRACADABRA!
Rarity disappears!
The other girls gasp. "Ra-rarity?!"
//I'm...I'm not detecting her! She's...she's gone!//
"Is...is she...dead?" Pinkie whimpers.
//...I don't know...// Cadance's voice is small and afraid.
On the stage, the fourth hat—the one that sucked up the ice—flips over. All four hats shudder and lift up off the ground. Fat white rabbits pop out and start scurrying around with the hats on their heads, changing positions. After a minute, the rabbits disappear into the hats, which flip back over in a row in front of Trixie.
We glance at each other uncertainly, then back at the hats and the Shadow. She flips her hair and poses, conjuring a rose out of thin air and sniffing it.
"Okay, I...am seriously open to suggestions here," I say.
Sonata has a thoughtful frown on her face. "Twilight, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I'm thinking I'm scared to death of what happened to Rarity," Twilight says.
"Well yeah, that, but I mean about the hats. You noticed it, right?"
Fluttershy's brow furrows. "A different hat absorbed Rarity's attack than the one that absorbed...Rainbow's..."
"And the others all got hit," Twilight says, nodding. "And then they shuffled around like..."
"The shell game," Pinkie Pie finishes. She gasps. "I've seen this in a video game!"
"That's right," Sonata says. "Fluttershy, can you try—?"
Fluttershy nods. "Alright. PERSONA!"
Magarula
Echo reappears, unleashing a broad, sweeping wind blast that strikes all the hats. The one on the far left sucks it up, while the others all flip over.
Trixie raises her wand again. Fluttershy braces herself...
A drumroll sounds from nowhere as Trixie leans forward and taps the hat on the left with her wand, then reaches in and pulls out Rarity, who is now clad in an even skimpier version of the costume Trixie is wearing, in black instead of blue, minus the cape, and with a tuxedo collar and satin bunny ears instead of a top hat.
"RARITY!" the girls yell, relieved.
//Something's wrong...!//
Rarity stands on the palm of Trixie's free hand. She takes aim at Fluttershy and shoots her in the heart. Fluttershy doesn't even have time to cry out as she slumps to the ground.
"GAH!" Pinkie hurriedly summons her Persona and revives Fluttershy, who clutches her chest and glares at Rarity. Rarity's face is devoid of emotion as she simply stands there like a lifeless doll.
YOUR FRIEND BELONGS TO ME NOW.
The hat Rarity came out of flips over, and the rabbits reappear, running around the stage for a minute before disappearing into the hats, which once again flip over. The entire time, Twilight's gaze is fixated on one specific hat...
"Flash," she says quietly. "Try hitting any hat except the second one from the right with a wind attack."
"Huh? But—"
"Just trust me."
"Okay." Shaking my head, I slide the Magician onto my phone. "MERLIN!"
Garudyne
Merlin appears and conjures a tornado which picks up the hat on the left and hurls it high into the air. Trixie flinches as the hat lands, wobbling. For a moment, Rarity staggers, seeming to come back to herself, before becoming lifeless and blank again.
"I KNEW IT!" Sonata cries.
Twilight nods. "Which means..." She smiles grimly. "PERSONA!"
Ziodyne
Athena appears and drops a lightning bolt on the second hat from the right. Trixie cries out in pain as the hat shudders.
Catching on, Rainbow summons Nike and aims for the same hat I attacked.
Garudyne
Trixie falls to her knees, and Rarity rolls out of her hand, landing bonelessly on the stage.
"RARITY!" Heedless of her own safety, Pinkie rushes up on the stage and collects Rarity, bringing her back over to the rest of us.
Rarity stirs and groans, rubbing her head. "Ugh...what happened?" she asks. She looks down at herself and makes a strangled noise of mixed surprise and disgust. "And what in blazes am I wearing?"
We all laugh and sigh in relief.
IGNORANT FOOLS! YOU DARE INTERRUPT TRIXIE'S PERFORMANCE?!
Trixie's Shadow stands up and stomps a foot angrily. The hats all rise up off the stage and turn to face us. A veritable hailstorm of throwing knives erupts from the hats. We take cover as best we can, but there are just too many; we all get cut up pretty severely. Trixie's shrieking, boastful laughter rolls over us like a shockwave.
"BASTET."
Mediarama
Rarity just barely manages to summon her Persona; most of the cuts and gashes on my arms, legs, face, and torso fade. The others get their bearings back as they're healed, and we all stare grimly at Trixie's Shadow, who is once again preening and posing. The hats turn into cards, shuffle themselves, then turn back into hats and land on the stage.
We look at each other uneasily.
"The key to winning this is wind," I say slowly. "Three of us can use wind attacks. That means we'll always be able to figure out which hat is the wind hat. The only problem is..."
"Someone...someone's gotta be the sacrifice," Rainbow says. "One of us has to end up like Rarity."
"I'll do it," Fluttershy says. "But first...Sonata, would you try that one attack?"
Sonata swallows. "A...alright..."
"No," Twilight says, shaking her head. "Not now. Sonata, you need to hold back. Don't attack until I say."
Fluttershy shoots her a cross look. "Excuse me?"
"Just trust me, okay?" Twilight says.
"We'll do it Twilight's way," I say. "I think she's got a plan."
Fluttershy sighs. "Alright, fine." Shaking her head and muttering, she summons her Persona.
Magarula
Echo once again attacks the entire stage with wind. This time, the hat on the far right sucks it up. Trixie raises her wand.
ALAKAZAM!
Fluttershy turns into a tree.
We all blink.
"Oh...kay..." Rainbow says. Shaking her head, she taps her phone. "PERSONA!"
Garudyne
Nike appears, blasting the hat on the far left with a tornado. Trixie staggers.
"MERLIN!"
Garudyne
Merlin targets the same hat Rainbow attacked. Just like before, Trixie falls to her knees.
"SONATA, NOW!"
"LEVIATHAN!"
Tidal Wave
Sonata's Persona appears. A rushing tsunami crashes over the stage, washing away the four hats and completely submerging Trixie.
Next to us, Fluttershy returns to normal. She blinks several times in confusion. "Huh?"
//Guys, she's stunned! This is your chance!//
"AWW YEAH!" Rainbow cries as she charges the stage. The rest of us follow suit, piling onto the giant Shadow and cutting loose with everything we've got.
Trixie lets out a roar of rage and backhands the girls, sending them all flying. She then scoops me up...
...and tucks me into her cleavage.
"Huh," Applejack says. "Didn't see that comin'."
I struggle to escape, but I can't move...
"Comfy up there?" Dash asks, smirking.
"Dash, this isn't funny!" Twilight says, face red. "Flash, get down from there!"
"I can't! I'm stuck!"
"Yeah, right," Dash scoffs.
"I'm serious!"
DO YOU DARE DEFY TRIXIE NOW, IGNORANT PEONS? STRIKE TRIXIE, AND YOUR FRIEND SUFFERS!
//Be careful! She's up to something!//
"No shit, really?" Fluttershy snaps.
"Hold on, Flash! I'm getting you down from there!" Pinkie cries. "EUPHORIA!"
Slam Dance
"Pinkie, wait—!" Twilight yells, but it's too late. Euphoria spins through the air, body-checking Trixie's Shadow. As Euphoria makes contact, an agonizing jolt runs through my body. At the same time, Trixie cries out and staggers.
//Hold on a minute!// Cadance cries. //I think...yes! Her resistances are the same as Flash's right now!//
"What, you mean she's weak to anything pink and naked?" Rainbow asks. Twilight slaps her upside the head.
"So what do we do now?" Sonata moans. "If we attack the Shadow, we'll hit Flash!"
"But she's also vulnerable right now," Fluttershy points out. "The hats are gone. We know what hurts her. This is our chance."
"You can't be serious!" Twilight cries, rounding on her. "We can't! Not while Flash is—"
"Applejack!" I yell. "I'm counting on you!"
"Huh? But..."
"Don't worry about me! This is your chance! Do it!"
"What?!" Twilight yells in alarm. "NO!"
"Twilight, SHUT UP!" I snarl. "Trust me! Applejack, NOW!"
"Uhh...okay, sugarcube. If you're sure...Persona..."
Gigantic Fist
Persephone appears and drives a violent haymaker into Trixie's face. The pain is excruciating, like my entire body is about to tear in half...
Trixie screams and crumples to the stage in a heap. Twilight and Pinkie run up, grab hold of me, and pull as hard as they can. I pop free from Trixie's cleavage with enough force to bowl them over, and we land in an ungainly heap. Meanwhile, Fluttershy takes advantage of the situation, summoning Echo, who unleashes a devastating wind attack on the fallen Shadow.
I stand up. "Hey Trixie! You know the trick where the assistant saws the magician in half?"
"Umm, Flash? It's the magician who saws the assistant in half—" Pinkie says. Twilight claps a hand over her mouth.
"Well let's see how well that works!" I swipe the Moon Arcana onto my phone. "URSA MAJOR!"
Tempest Slash
Ursa Major fades into view from nothingness, snarling in ursine fury. Massive claws made of the ether of the universe rip into Trixie's Shadow, eliciting screams of pain as Shadow-stuff flies like blood.
"Yeah, that's showin' her!" Rainbow cheers.
Trixie's foot lashes out and kicks us all off the stage. The heel of her shoe catches Pinkie right in the chest; Pinkie screams as she crumples. Twilight hurriedly heals her as Trixie stands up, hands on her hips and glaring down at all of us.
YOU ARE THE MOST IMPERTINENT AUDIENCE THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE HAS EVER SEEN! With a flourish, she produces her wand and sweeps it across the stage. A row of giant playing cards appears, hovering at the edge of the stage, their backs facing us.
HOW ABOUT A CARD TRICK? Trixie sneers. CHOOSE A CARD AND CHOOSE YOUR FATE!
"How about no?" Rainbow says. "PERSONA!"
Magarudyne
Nike appears, unleashing a furious wind attack...that scatters against an invisible barrier.
CHOOSE A CARD! THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE COMMANDS IT!
//I'm reading a barrier that's too strong for any attack to penetrate! Just...play along for now...//
Rainbow scowls. "Fine. That one." She points at a card. It flips around...
The image on the front is a horse.
YOU'VE CHOSEN YOUR CARD! NOW HERE COMES THE TRICK!
Sparks and smoke explode from beneath Rainbow. When the smoke clears...
Fluttershy's eyes widen. She covers her mouth and blushes. "Oh...oh my..."
"Uhh...what the fuck just happened?" the...horse? Pony? Whatever it is, it kinda looks like Rainbow Dash...asks.
"Goodness," Rarity says, fighting not to laugh. "That's...that's quite a look for you, Rainbow Dash..."
Trixie discards the horse card and begins shuffling the others.
//Guys! Focus! She's vulnerable now!//
"Right," I scowl. "I've had more than enough of this bad magic act." I swipe the Tower onto my phone. "GOJIRA!"
Everything shakes. A terrifying roar fills the air.
Trixie stops shuffling and looks up. And up. And up.
Atomic Breath
A column of scorching blue atomic fire engulfs her. She screams...
The breath attack lets up, and Gojira fades away. Trixie's Shadow is still standing, but her hat is melted, her mask has cracked in half, her costume is in tatters, and she's snapped a heel.
YOU DARE?!
Trixie flicks a card at me with terrifying speed. I can't move...
The next thing I know, I'm lying in the lap of a sobbing Twilight. "Flash!"
"Uhh...what happened...?"
"She cut you in half, dude," the pony-thing that might be Rainbow Dash says. "It was totally sick. There were like, guts and everything—"
"PLEASE don't give us the play-by-play," Rarity says. She looks distinctly green.
I sit up and look around. The girls all look nauseated, and Trixie looks more beaten and battered than she did after my attack. "How long was I dead?"
"About five minutes," Fluttershy says.
I grimace and stand up. "Right, let's—"
Twilight stands up, head bowed and fists clenched. Without even touching her phone, she calls forth Athena. Athena speeds toward Trixie, growing even larger. Her spear crackles with electricity. With lightning speed, she furiously stabs Trixie's Shadow over and over again with the white-hot, electrified spear. Trixie twitches and spasms, screaming in agony.
Then, with one last, violent jab, Trixie explodes, raining Shadow-stuff all over the place.
Twilight collapses to her knees, drawing in on herself and shuddering.
With a *pop*, Rainbow turns back to normal. I crouch beside Twilight and hug her.
//Guys...it's not over yet..//
Trixie's Shadow stands before us, head bowed and fists clenched.
Why do you deny me my pride?
"What's she talking about?" Rainbow asks.
I sigh, bowing my head. "Trixie changed because I convinced her to swallow her pride and drop the attitude that was driving people away from her. I think, deep down, she misses the way she used to be. She misses being arrogant and condescending. It...it was such a big part of her self-image..."
I stand and walk over to Trixie.
"You'll always be the Great and Powerful Trixie. The pride that gives you the confidence to be on stage, performing for people...that's something that's always inside you. I'm sorry if you feel like I made you give that up." I pause. "But...isn't it better to have real confidence in yourself than to hide behind an illusion of arrogance?"
You humbled and humiliated me. You did it without even trying...why?
"Because you needed a friend. You reached out to me, remember?"
A friend...
Trixie looks up, tears in her eyes. She fades away, leaving behind the Moon card, floating serenely in midair.
The ultimate power of the Moon awakens unto Thee...
Thy Persona, Ursa Major, has awakened to the skill Asteroid.
Use this power wisely...
Zecora returns, bearing an enigmatic smile. "Congratulations on your win. Farewell, until we meet again."
The sounds of the sea return as the hotel reappears behind us.
Cadance sighs. "Well. That's done. Now, let's go get ready for that cookout."
"Yeah, we've pretty much earned it after all that," Rainbow agrees tiredly.
We separate into groups. Each group has a different task: Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy are buying the food; Pinkie, Rainbow, and Sonata are in charge of the party supplies and the fireworks; Twilight, Cadance, and I are in charge of renting a propane grill and some portable tables and chairs, as well as buying our cooking utensils, paper plates, and disposable tablecloths. Since the rental place is right on the beachfront strip, the three of us are done renting our gear and wheeling it down to the beach by noon. Cadance insists on pushing the wheeled gas grill over Twilight's protests, leaving the two of us to lug the tables and chairs down on dollies. About an hour later, we have everything set up; Shining Armor, Sunset Shimmer, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle return just as we finish.
"Did you see any dolphins?" Cadance asks with a smile as she sits down on one of the picnic chairs.
"No dolphins, but we did see a whale!" Apple Bloom exclaims.
"And a lot of jellyfish," Shining Armor says with an amused smirk and a glance at Sunset.
Sunset grimaces and rubs the back of her left leg with her right foot. "So much for my perfect skin," she mutters. Then, with a coy pout, she says, "Kiss it and make it better?"
"Kiss my ass," Twilight mutters under her breath; I don't think anyone else heard her.
"So when do we eat?" Sweetie Belle asks.
"Well, we're having a night picnic, so not for a while yet," Cadance says. Her stomach growls. "But...I guess we do need to get lunch."
"I'll go," I offer. "Coach, you come too." Shining Armor nods, and we head up to the strip. Once we're some distance from the girls, I ask, "Is she putting the moves on you?"
Shining sweats. "Umm...n-not really, so much..."
I glance at him. He gulps. "Okay, she doesn't have to do much except be on the beach in a swimsuit," he admits. "I know what you're gonna say. I know. But it's one thing to know who she is and what she is and another to have her two feet away and smell that spice scent and—"
I hold up a hand to stop him. "Just...don't fall for any of her shit. I still don't know what she's up to, but I do know she'll do anything to get us riled up. I'm pretty sure she's going to try to drive a wedge between us, and you and I are, let's face it, weak points she can use. Well...more you than me. I'm sort of immune to her after everything that's happened."
"Flash, you don't really think I'd—"
"It doesn't matter what I think. What matters is how she can make things look. Just keep your guard up around her."
There are seven of us for lunch, but one is pregnant and one is Twilight, so we buy enough food for eleven people. When we get back, we find the girls playing Uno. They deal us in while we eat. By the time we're done eating lunch, Pinkie's group shows up, loaded down with fireworks and party supplies. About an hour later, the rest of the girls make it back. We all spend some time resting and relaxing on the beach; at around four, Shining Armor gets the grill ready and we start cooking.
Evening
The smell of the sea mixes with the smell of sizzling hot dogs, hamburgers, and assorted chicken parts. Everyone's going back for seconds and thirds. In addition to all the delicious meat, we're roasting potatoes on the grill. We have veggies and fixings for burgers and hot dogs, we have slaw, we have potato chips, and we have cookies and assorted pastries for later.
"So, have you given any more thought to renting a fishing boat for tomorrow?" Cadance asks Shining Armor as she works on her third hot dog.
Shining Armor sighs. "No boats available," he says. "They sold them last year to buy new jet skis and stuff. Nobody was renting the fishing boats anymore."
"Well that sucks," Rainbow says.
"It's just as well," Shining Armor replies with a shrug. "I mean, if we really want to go fishing, we can go up to the lake later in the summer."
"You wouldn't have liked fishing anyway, Rainbow," Applejack says. "It's hours of sittin' doin' nothin'."
Rainbow makes a face. "Yeah, that's so not for me." We all laugh.
Once most of the food is gone, we clean up our mess. Applejack, Rainbow, and Shining Armor return the grill and the picnic equipment to the shop just before sunset. The rest of us laze around on the beach, watching the waves reflect the shifting colors of the sky.
"It's so nice out here," Twilight says.
"Yeah..."
The sun has fully set by the time they return. Pinkie gets the fireworks ready. Watching Rainbow Dash shoot off bottle rockets is like watching a crazed kitten with a toy mouse. It's adorable and hilarious. Meanwhile. Pinkie is shooting off the "big guns", dazzling us all with a spectacle of bright, colorful explosions. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are running around with sparklers. The rest of us are amusing ourselves with a variety of other fireworks; I, personally, have far too much fun setting off those things that go 'fweeee!'.
All too soon, the fireworks are gone, and we all sigh and trudge back up to the hotel. As Twilight and I are about to head to our room, Fluttershy walks up. "Umm...I need to borrow Flash for a little while," she says.
Twilight quirks an eyebrow at her, but shrugs, waves goodnight, and heads in alone. "See you later," she says. "Or in the morning."
I follow Fluttershy back to the room she's been sharing with Sonata. "Sonata's playing board games with Pinkie and Rainbow tonight," Fluttershy says. She takes a deep, steadying breath as she puts a trembling hand on the door to her room, then pushes it open and beckons me in.
"So, umm..." Fluttershy fidgets for a moment. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom for a few minutes. Wait out here, I'll be right back."
I nod, sit in one of the chairs in the corner of the room, and wait. A few minutes later, Fluttershy walks out again, wearing the skimpiest, sluttiest bikini I've ever seen. It's green, it's strapless, it covers almost nothing, and the only other thing she's wearing is a pair of stiletto-heeled sandals, some lipstick and eyeshadow, and a smile.
"Do you like it?" she asks.
My jaw is on the floor. "Uh-huh," I utter. I think.
Fluttershy smiles and slinks over to me. She beckons me to stand up, then slowly drops to her knees. "I see you do like it," she says in a husky voice. She tugs my shorts off, letting them slip down around my ankles. She wraps her fingers around my stiff cock, cupping my balls with her other hand as she strokes me. Her cheeks are tinged red. "I think I understand why you're so...popular around the dorm," she says with a light, musical laugh. She smirks up at me. "You know, I was listening in the day you blew your load all over Rarity's face. I really wish I'd had a camera in there to see that."
"Grk!"
"Don't worry, I won't tell Twilight," she says with a teasing smirk. "Although at this point, I think if she did hear about that day, she'd probably just laugh." She keeps stroking me, fondling my balls as she gives me a half-lidded, smoldering stare. She presses her moist pink lips against the end of my shaft. Her tongue lolls out and slowly, sensually caresses my sensitive knob. Then, never breaking eye contact, she takes me into her mouth, her lips squeezing my shaft as they slide all the way down.
Oh god...
It only takes a few minutes of Fluttershy vigorously sucking my dick, her spit slicking my shaft and her fingers caressing my balls, to bring me to the brink. Just as I'm ready to blow my load, however, Fluttershy suddenly moves the hand she's rubbing my nuts with and does something that's sharp and painful. I groan and recoil, but she pulls me closer and keeps sucking my dick. Whatever she did, it's stopping me from coming...
Which isn't such a bad thing, because feeling and hearing Fluttershy work me over with her mouth is so fucking amazing.
After several minutes of the best blowjob I've ever had, the pressure that's been building up explodes outward. I grab the back of Fluttershy's head and pound into her mouth, pumping as much cum into her as I can. As soon as I'm empty, I let go of her and stagger back, almost falling down.
Fluttershy looks up at me with a sultry smile, eyes half-lidded, and slowly undulates up, sliding her hands up my body as she rises to meet my gaze. She wraps her hands around the back of my head and pulls me in for a deep kiss...
As our lips meet, she spits my entire load into my mouth. My eyes fly open in surprise and disgust. I reflexively try to spit it out, but Fluttershy forces me to swallow...
Gah...I just swallowed my own cum...
Fluttershy steps back and giggles, smirking at me.
"Gah!" I cough a few times. "What the hell, Fluttershy?"
She shakes her head, laughing, and unfastens her bikini top, letting it trail between her fingers and fall to the floor. I take hold of her breasts and gently knead them, pinching and twisting her nipples. She closes her eyes and moans softly, reaching down to untie the sides of her bikini bottom. She pulls it from between her thighs and holds it under my nose, letting me smell her musk. I slide one hand down her trim, toned body, trailing it over her hip and caressing her thigh before probing between her legs, stroking her flushed, burning hot pussy lips.
"Mmmmnnn," Fluttershy moans.
I'm already getting hard again...
I guide Fluttershy over to the bed and turn her around, bending her over. She braces herself on her hands and spreads her legs, lifting her ass invitingly into the air. I grab hold of that beautiful, buttery yellow ass and squeeze it, teasing open her sex with a finger. She moans as I slide my finger into her pussy, curling it into a hook and pulling against her inner flesh. I move closer and rub my dick against her clit.
"Ooooh," she gasps. "Yeah..."
I take my time, enjoying her soft moans and gasps, the way she wriggles around as I tease at her sex, the heady smell of her arousal. Finally, I can't hold back. Taking firm hold of her ass, I part her pussy lips with my cock, making one sharp, fast thrust. Fluttershy cries out as I nearly hilt myself.
"Aah! Not so hard!"
I pull out slowly, then thrust in again, a little slower. Fluttershy tenses up and groans, then pushes her ass up against me, wriggling.
For several minutes, the only sounds in the room are my grunts, her ragged breaths and low moans, and the sound of her ass slapping against me as I fuck her. "Ahh! I'm...going to...!"
"Don't do it...ahh...inside me," Fluttershy says.
I pull out, fighting against the instinct to unload into her pussy. As she wriggles around, my eyes land on her tight, puckered asshole.
I think back to Spring Break and what I did to Twilight...
Maybe if I'm careful, and don't...
Before I explode, I grab firm hold of her ass and spread her cheeks, giving me access to her anus. I push the tip of my dick against it.
"H-HEY! WHAT ARE YOU—!"
Slowly, carefully, I push just enough of my dick into her ass to do the trick, then convulse as I let go, pumping everything right into her tight asshole.
"Guwaaaaah," Fluttershy groans, shuddering. "What...what the fu...ooooooh..."
I pull out and let go of her ass, staggering away. Fluttershy shakily stands up, listing slightly to the left as she turns, crossing her arms and glaring at me. "Asshole! What the hell was that?"
"Revenge for spitting my cum into my mouth."
She blinks. "Umm..." She shakes her head. "Okay. Fair enough." She winces. "Damn, that feels weird..." She reaches back and rubs her ass, then brings a cum-covered hand up to her face. "Ugh. I think I'm gonna go take a hot shower." She stumbles over to the bathroom. "Don't leave yet," she says. "I...I wanted to talk for a little while too. I just...need to get clean first."
I nod and sit patiently on the bed, turning on the TV with the volume low. I'm just about asleep when Fluttershy returns, wrapped in a fluffy towel, and sits on the bed next to me.
"I've been thinking a lot lately," Fluttershy says softly. "I've been thinking about how Canterbook and Zodiac stole my innocence, and how I turned into such a terrible person, and how...how even now, I'm struggling to..."
She trails off, then runs a hand through her hair.
"Last night," she says with a small, silly smile, "Sonata was watching this movie. It's this animated movie about what goes on inside your head, with your emotions as people..."
"I know the movie," I say. "Watched it with Twilight during Christmas break."
Fluttershy nods. "Well, at first I wasn't too interested, but then when it got all sad, I started paying attention, and..." She plays with her hair thoughtfully. "It got me to thinking about my own little emotional balancing act lately. I've been so angry and so spiteful for so long, but when I try to be all gentle and sweet the way I used to be...that doesn't really work either." She sighs.
"I don't know, you seem to have found a happy medium," I say. "The last month or so, you've been more well-adjusted. Maybe a little bitchy sometimes, but..."
She shrugs. "Yeah, I guess." She shakes her head. "It's just...it got me, the end of that movie. All the emotions all mixed together, working as one...it made me realize that the person I turned into when I was Eris...that's part of who I am now, and I'm just going to have to live with it." She frowns. "More than that, I need that edge. That anger. If I tried to get rid of all the worst parts of myself, all that'd be left is a shy, terrified wallflower." She laughs softly. "Innocence comes at a terrible price. I think...I think maybe I'm better off without it after all."
"I don't think you should completely give up your innocence," I say. "I've seen how kind you can be. I've also seen how jaded you can be. I think I like you better when you're kind than when you're jaded." I smile. "Like in the movie, you just have to find the right balance. Make them work together."
Fluttershy smiles. "Yeah..."
The Fluttershy Social Link of the Priestess Arcana has reached rank 8!
Your power to create Personas of the Priestess Arcana has grown!
Suddenly, her smile turns impish. She sheds her towel and straddles me. "Speaking of making things work together..."
By the time she's done fucking me, I'm too exhausted to move...
