"Well...." Crimson thought. "Basically, we should have been killed last week. They shot us with rifles and pistols, emptied entire clips of magazines at us, and all the bullets didn't even touch a meter from us. Like some invisible force field was protecting us..." Rarity and Pinkie looked away, signs of concern already on their face. "I....don't know how that happened dear. Are you sure they didn't just have bad aim?" Pinkie said "They had us locked in the entire time!" Crimson cried out. Meanwhile, while the girls had been trying to keep Crimson quiet, Sunset looked over Applejack's shoulder and almost cursed in panic. "Its Circuit....." She muttered, knowing how hard it's going to be when it came to ignore the question now, if not impossible. "Oh hey Circuit..." Crimson waved him over. "You know how last week, there was that weird invisible thing that saved me and the girls? What's up with that? Meanwhile, Twilight had a single bead of sweat drip down from her neck...
"What?" replied Circuit, itching an ear as he approached. "Wasn't there to see that, then. Busy trying to get to the boss undetected." "What's he talking about?" asked Twilight. Sunset whispered something in her ear. Twilight's eyes widened. "Girls," she said, "can I speak to you all in private?" The other girls got up. "We'll be right back," said Rainbow Dash. Crimson got up long after the door to the supply closet they had entered was shut, so he wouldn't arouse suspicion. He slowly approached the door, putting his ear up against a crack in the door. "...couldn't help it, dear," Rarity could be heard saying, "We would've been reduced to bullet-ridden corpses otherwise, and it was completely involuntary." "I don't care," said Twilight sternly, "Do you realize what would happen if word of this got out?! The ramifications would be astronomical, and nothing will ever be the same!" "It still doesn't help that he chose now to start asking questions," said Sunset. "Do you think maybe..." "Oh dear Celestia," said Twilight, "please... I hope he's not..." "Well, either way, ah told y'all he was gonna find out eventually," said Applejack. "Besides, ah don't know if ah can keep up the charade much longer." "AJ, c'mon," said Rainbow Dash, "I'm sure they can keep a secret." "Well, I'm still somewhat disappointed that magic was used," said Twilight, "but, if it was in defense, then..." Backing away slowly from the door, Crimson was attempting to comprehend what he had just heard. His slow backing away quickly became a run as he rushed to sit back down at the table before the door opened again. "Crim, what's up?" asked Circuit curiously. Crimson simply replied, "...I don't know."
"Dude? What's up?" Circuit asked Crimson, placing a hand around his back to a visibly distraught Crim. "Did you just get dumped?" "What!? No!" Crimson retaliated before shaking his head in disbelief. "It's just th-" The girls walked out of the closet only a moment or two later, keeping quiet. "I'll tell you later...." Crimson nudged Circuit to silence him. "Don't get me to say it to the girls." Circuit shrugged while the Aussie next to him quickly put on a charade of acting normal, while the rest of the girls took their spots back at the table. "Well, we're back." Twilight told the two boys, brushing her hair out from her eyes. "Sorry about that....lady issues." "Yeah, I've noticed" Crimson said, awkwardly darting his eyes out to the window.
"Hmmm? Oh! Um....I'm fine, thanks Fluttershy." Crimson waved. "Are you sure?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Yeah...why wouldn't I be?" Crimson looked skeptical.
The table was full of awkward smiles and an awkward silence. "So, you guys wanna swing by Sugarcube Corner after school?" asked Twilight, trying to break the tension.
"Well, I was gonna he-" Circuit started to speak before being slightly ribbed in the gut by Crim. "Yeah, we'd love to come with you girls." Crimson said happily before looking at Circuit. "Hey dude, mind if we talk in private for a sec." "Well...errr, alright." Circuit said before the two boys got up and walked out the cafeteria, soon heading into one of the most remote parts of the school. Crimson made sure the two of them weren't followed at all in the slightest, and his previously friendly appearance before transformed into a serious one. "I just found out why the hell I'm still walking around breathing..." Crimson told him the moment the two had been out of ear-shot. "You aren't gonna believe it..."
"Oh, really?" said Circuit, shrugging and rolling his eyes. "I don't know how to explain," said Crim, "but what I do know is, the girls seem to be into black magic or something, because we almost got shot. Rarity seems to have put up a forcefield around us. I know it sounds crazy, but--" But Crimson was interrupted by the sound of Circuit's laughter. "Oh man, that's a good one..." he said. "'Black magic...' Next you'll tell me the new girl is a magical princess from a parallel dimension. Oh, I gotta write this down--" "Mate, I'm serious," replied Crim, his serious glare intensifying. "Do you think I'd joke around about something like this, eh?" Circuit stopped laughing. "Your lips are moving, but all I'm hearing is crazy," he said. "I'm telling the bloody truth, Circuit," Crim said desperately. Circuit rolled his eyes. "I'm starting to think you got brain damage in that cave-in on top of the broken ribs and such," he said. "You're just spouting nonsense."
Crimson chuckled. "Tell ya what mate. You and me go to the girls, ask them bout this, and one of them is gonna confess to this magic stuff." "You've lost your damn mind." Circuit said worryingly. "I'll bet you Twenty dollars" Crimson smirked. "Fine, it's a deal." Circuit shrugged. "I can't wait to see the look on your face when they reject you."
----- Circuit sat awkwardly at a table in Sugarcube Corner Bakery and Coffee, with the girls chatting away at the next table over. "When do you think Crim's gonna be here, Circuit?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Any minute now," he replied.
Crimson came into the store just a moment later, dressed per usual as he went to sit down on the same table. His eyes had been locked onto Twilight for the entire time as he took his seat, almost having an incredibly uneasy aura around him. It wasn't purely being skeptical, he had a strong feeling that his friends are hiding something from him. "Howdy ladies" Crim said before looking at Circuit and winking, reminding him of their boyish bet. The girls looked confused but decided to think nothing of it.....
Circuit sighed guiltily. "Crim thinks you guys are into some kind of black magic or something," he said. "What?!" replied Applejack incredulously, "We ain't practicin' no witchcraft or nothin'!" Circuit slyly whispered into Crim's ear, "Where's my 20 dollars, brah?" "Ah mean, really, there ain't nothin' evil about our magic!" Applejack continued indignantly, only to cover her mouth in shock.
"AH-HA!" Crimson suddenly said triumphantly, pointing his finger to the girls and rising out of his chair, before pointing the same finger at Circuit. "Pay up, Circuit!" Circuit's eyes however, widened in utter shock and disbelief. Did Applejack just....say she had magic?
"Nice going, Applejack," said Twilight snidely. "Wait... did you guys seriously bet on this?" asked Rainbow Dash. "And how did you figure it out?" asked Rarity. Crimson shrugged. "I admit, I may have... eavesdropped a bit..." he said, with a mix of triumph and guilt, much to the displeasure of the girls. Circuit, however, refused to fork over the cash. "Dude... either you guys are pulling a massive prank on me, or I'm going insane and they actually are capable of magic, albeit not of the dark variety. Either way, the bet is void," he said skeptically.
Crimson didn't back down, smirking at the girls and folding his arms. "Well....I might have an idea." Crimson then got a glass and filled it to the top with water. Like the biblical story of Jesus turning water into wine, he looked at the girls. "Prove it...."
"Alright, fine," said Twilight, "but not here. Meet us at the little wooden bridge by the river and we'll show you." "It's a deal," said Crim smugly. "And keep that 20 dollars handy until then, huh, Circuit?" Circuit groaned, rolling his eyes. Was this really happening to him?
After a small walk, Crimson sat from the top of a nearby tree as he waited for the others to arrive. Circuit, skeptical at seemingly everything the two have been saying all day, was also the most unenthusiastic one. "Took ya long enough, mate!" Crimson chuckled, leaning back and enjoying the view around him. "I hope you fall off and break another rib" Circuit grumbled before soon seeing the girls walk towards them, deep in conversation together. Crimson chuckled at Circuit's comment. "Hey! Now that was just uncalled for!" Soon, Twilight went towards Circuit. "I can't believe we are doing to do this....but I suppose the two of you would find out anyway." "Oh come on! This is just one giant prank! Just a ruse to pl-" Circuit began before Twilight lifted up a single finger, as water droplets from the river soon started to spin around it. Crimson, getting a good view of what's going on from the tree, couldn't believe his eyes. Yet, he believed that it was magic that saved his life. He really wanted to see Circuit's reaction to something so.....amazing
For a moment, Circuit froze, staring vacantly in shock as Twilight began to manipulate the water in the river. However, before Crimson could so much as say, "I told you so," Circuit's eyes rolled into the back of his head, as he fell backward off the the bridge, landing on the shore, as a loud, cracking noise could be heard from his chest. He was out cold before he hit the floor. "OH GOD!! CIRCUIT!!" Rainbow Dash was the first to come running towards her unconscious boyfriend, quickly followed by the others.
