"WOAH! How are you doing that?" asked Lily, a light blue haired, lime green filli.
Everen grinned in glee as his friend stared at him with a look of awe. "Pretty cool huh? I can only keep the shield up for a few moments at a time. But it feels like I can keep it going just a little bit longer each time." he said, pleased with himself.
He was showing off his energy shield to his friends. But only one of them showed up to the clubhouse so far. He dismissed the shield as he felt himself getting a little bit tired. He walked over to the window and looked out of it. "Hey Cyrul, get your flank up here!" Everen shouted as he saw the blue-green colt approach the treehouse.
"Alright, alright. I'm coming." groaned Cyrulian, as he ran a hoof through his short green hair. "What was so important to show me that it couldn't wait until later."
As Cyrulian made his way into the clubhouse, Everen lit up his horn. "This." he said as the shield reappeared.
Cyrul's jaw dropped as he looked at the sight in front of him. "What is that?" the colt asked, his light-blue eyes opened wide in astonishment.
"Like it? When the others get here I'll tell you all what happened yesterday." Everen said, looking back to the window, hoping that the other two would arrive soon, and preferably together, letting his shield go again as he did. "What is taking them so long?"
"Well Bliss is probably just getting more 'beauty sleep'. And Libra's most likely looking at his star charts again." Lily said, chuckled as she cantered over to Everen.
"Yeah, you're probably right." he replied, annoyed nonetheless.
Everen's eyes narrowed suddenly as he got an odd feeling. "C'mon lets go!" he said as he galloped out of the treehouse.
"What is it?" Lily asks as she runs after him.
"I've got a weird feeling; I think they're in trouble." Everen explains.
"What kind of trouble?" Cyrul asks, catching up to them.
"I'm not sure." Everen said.
The three rounded a street corner and ran up to Bliss' house. Everen knocked on the door, and Blissful's mom opened the door a moment later. "Do you know where Bliss is?" he asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.
"She left a few minutes ago with Libra I don't know where they went though. Why do you ask." Blissful's mother answered.
Everen turned around to Cyrul and Lily. "We've gotta find them." he said proceeding to gallop down the nearest alleyway, completely out of instinct.
"Where are you going Everen?" Lily asked, exasperated.
"This way!" he responded simply, making a sudden turn down another alley.
A few more moments of running and the trio came upon three colts who were cornering Bliss and Libra, both of whom looked terrified.
"HEY! BACK AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS!" Everen shouted at the top of his voice, galloping right at the three.
"What? Who're you?" the middle one asked, a pale blue colt with mane and eyes of the same color.
Everen jumped clean over them and was in between them and his friends in a heartbeat, summoning up his shield as he did so.
"WHAT THE HAY?" the three colts exclaimed in unison, before turning tail and running away as fast as they could.
"What in Equestria just happened?" Libra asked, bewildered.
"I just saved your hindquarters, that's what." Everen said, a smug grin on his face. He then let his shield dissipate.
"What was that?" Bliss inquired.
"That, Bliss, was the new magic I've learned." he replied, smiling widely.
"How did you learn magic like that?" Bliss asked, shocked that Everen could learn magic that advanced.
"I didn't." Everen said, drawing curious stares from Bliss and Libra.
"Then how did you create that shield?" Libra asked, skeptically.
"I didn't." he said, simply. His two friends glared at him. "My necklace did." and with that he holds his necklace up to show his friends, and then turns to show them his flank.
"You got your cutie mark!" Bliss screamed in delight. "Congratulations!"
"Now that makes three of us that have our cutie marks." Libra observed, looking at his own flank then at Bliss' cutie mark. His being an eight pointed star, and hers a length of curling silk. "How'd you get it?" he asked, looking back at Everen.
"I'll tell you on the way." he said, moving out of the alleyway and back onto the main street. As the five foals walk back to their clubhouse, Everen recalls the story of how he saved the princess's life the day before. He finished as they arrived at the clubhouse, and his friends all look at him in amazement.
"You really saved the princess's life?" Bliss asked, stunned.
"Yes I did." Everen replied, grinning broadly.
"And she let you stay on her float for the rest of the parade?" Libra inquired.
"Yes she did. Though there wasn't much of the parade left." Everen said, a bit disappointed.
"How'd we miss that?" Cyrul asked, finding it odd that this could've happened without them noticing.
"Well you all live a few streets away from mine." Everen stated simply. None of you would've noticed any of it."
"Oh, well that makes sense I guess." Lily said, staring at Everen's flank.
"You seem a bit distant, Lily." Everen said, looking over at her. Then, noticing the direction of her gaze, he looking at his own flank. "Like my cutie mark?" he asked looking back at her.
"Huh? Oh! Y-yes, it suits you well." she stuttered, blushing and forcing her gaze away from Everen's flank.
Everen smiled gleefully. "Awesome! I like it too." Then noticing her blushing, he put two and two together. But he decided to deal with it later. "So Bliss, what were you and Libra doing in the alleys anyways?"
"We were chased in there by those three bullies you scared off." Libra answered quickly.
"Yes I gathered that much, I'm asking what you were doing walking together. You usually come to the clubhouse individually." Everen said, observantly. "I'm wondering why you would go that far out of your way just to walk together. You live on opposite sides of my street. Both of you two streets in your respective directions."
"Is it so wrong for us to walk together?" Libra asked, blushing, scared that Everen will reveal their secret.
"I never said it was wrong. But you don't have to hide anything from me. You know that, right?" he retorted.
"Yeah I know." Libra answered, hesitant to continue. "But it's embarrassing."
"Yeah, cause you've NEVER embarrassed yourself in front of us." Everen said with a smirk.
Libra winced at that, remembering a few times he'd humiliated himself. He look at Bliss, who was also blushing. She then nodded back at Libra.
"Well." Libra began, tentatively. "Me and Bliss, have been, dating. Not even our parents know yet. You're the first to know." He finishes, looking away.
"Well, you might be a bit young to be dating. But not too young if you ask me." Everen said, smiling warmly. "I think it's good you two have each other."
"You never cease to amaze me Everen." Libra says, a lot more comfortable now. He then looks over to Lily and Cyrul, waiting for their answers.
"If Everen approves of it, then I guess I do too." Lily says with trepidation.
"Well I guess I'd sound like a huge jerk if I were the only one to disagree, so its alright with me." Cyrul said, trying to act cool. It wasn't working.
Libra and Bliss lit up with delight. "That's awesome, I never thought you'd all be so accepting of this." Bliss squealed, unable to contain her glee."
"You know, you really are too observant for your own good Everen." Libra said, punching him in the shoulder lightly.
"Well if I weren't so observant we might not have a princess anymore." Everen retorted, smugly.
"You've got me there." Libra said, defeated. "So what do you have planned for today?"
"Well it's pretty hot outside, how about we go to the lake?" Everen suggested.
"Yeah, sounds like fun." Bliss said. "So, what're we waiting for? Let's go." she urges the others, ready and raring to go swimming.
"Sure let's go." Cyrul says, starting for the door.
Everypony begins to follow Cyrul, except for Lily, who stands there, motionless for a few seconds.
"You coming Lily?" Everen asked, noticing her delay.
"What?" she said, looking up, just realizing that everyone was leaving. "Oh! Sorry I spaced out there for a second." she apologized, as she trotted over to catch up to the group.
"Obviously." Everen pointed out, causing Lily to blush little.
As the five friends canter down the street, they become aware that the streets are very empty. Only a few ponies, outside trying to sell what little they can in their shaded stalls. Everen, who is at the head of the group, turns back towards the others, then looks over at the nearest alleyway. They all make for the alley, trying to look inconspicuous. When they enter the alley they all start galloping following Everen's lead. They make their way the lake, not slowing until they see the shoreline.
"So what was it this time?" Libra asked Everen, curious as to why they had to run.
"It was those bullies from the alley, they were following us." Everen explained, panting a bit as they reached the lake.
"Oh joy." Bliss said sarcastically, causing the others to laugh.
"Do you think they'll find us Everen?" Lily asks, worried.
"Honestly? Yes, but not for awhile." Everen stated, looking a bit on edge himself. "So let's have a good time while we can. Besides, five of us and three of them? I think we'll be fine." he continued reassuringly.
"Well then, in that case," starts Cyrul, "CANNONBALL!" he shouts running up to the lake and then jumping in, creating a large splash that soaked his friends.
"Dangit Cyrul! You're gonna get it now!" Lily screamed, infuriated at the inconsiderate colt.
Lily ran at the lake, and Cyrul began to swim away as fast as he could, trying to get away from the enraged filly.
"GET BACK HERE YOU COWARD!" Lily shrieked at the top of her lungs. She dived into the river and chased after Cyrul.
Meanwhile Bliss and Libra are leaning into each other, laughing their flanks off. Everen however was trotting over to the lake a devious grin on his face. When Everen reached the waters edge, he lit up his horn and levitated Lily out of the water. Lily squealed in response, and then, upon realising what the unicorn was planning, she calmed down and let him concentrate. Everen floated Lily over to where Cyrul was swimming, and dropped Lily on his head. Lily then got her revenge by punching Cyrul several times in his shoulders and back.
"OW, OW, OW!" the colt hollered in pain.
Lily let go and started swimming back to shore, only to be levitated back by Everen.
"Thanks for the assist Everen." Lily says with delight.
"Any time Lily." Everen replied, smiling back at her.
Libra and Bliss were now rolling on the ground, laughing hysterically.
"Everen, you suck." Cyrul said as he got back to shore, glaring at the unicorn.
"You know what I want to know?" Bliss asked, finally calmed enough to speak.
"What's that?" Everen asked.
"How were you able to lift Lily twice like that?" she inquired. "You didn't used to have that much magic energy."
"I think it's the necklace." Everen elucidated. "I think using the shield increases my magical stamina faster than just practicing everyday magic."
"What? Let me try!" Bliss demanded, holding out a hoof.
Everen handed it over, reluctantly. He knew better than to tell Bliss 'no'.
Bliss took the necklace and put it on. "How did you say this works again?" she questioned.
"Just charge your horn with magic with no clear intent in mind." Everen reminded her.
"Okay, here I go." she said, channeling magic into her horn. After a few moments passed by, Bliss became frustrated. "Why is it not working?" she yelled at Everen.
"Hey, hey. How should I know? I just figured out how to use it last night." he said, defensively. "Maybe it only works for me then." he pondered aloud.
"Only works for you, my flank!" Bliss objected, not convinced.
"Actually, it'd be my flank. The necklace IS also my cutie mark now." Everen said.
"But that shouldn't mean that only you can use it. Who's going to use it when you're gone?" Bliss ranted, outraged.
"Hmm. Maybe it's because the color of your magic doesn't match. My magic is green and so is the necklace. But your magic is a reddish-pink color." he said.
"Well, alright." Bliss sighed, upset that she can't advance her magical abilities any faster than she normally could. "Guess I'll just go for a swim then, coming Libra?"
"Of course." Libra smiled back at her. And the two went into the water and started lazily swimming about, and enjoying each others company.
"Oh! Let's see if my shield can work as an air bubble underwater!" Everen exclaimed, excited to test out his new theory.
"Hey, I'm going with you. That sounds fun!" Lily said, just as excited as Everen.
"Heh, screw that. If it doesn't work I don't wanna be caught in the middle of that." Cyrul scoffed. If you need me, I'll be relaxing in the shade of a tree on dry land."
"Wimp." Lily insulted the green-maned earth pony.
"Suit yourself." Everen said.
"I will, thank you very much." Cyrul replied, glaring and sticking his tongue out at Lily.
At this, Everen walked to the edge of the lake again, this time creating his shield around him and Lily. He then walked forward into the lake to find that the water level, while going up outside of the energy field, was not raising inside of it.
"Hah! It works!" Everen shouted, looking all around as the he and Lily became completely submerged. "This is awesome!"
"This rocks!" Lily exclaimed, glad she decided to come with Everen. "Hey, look, fish."
Everen turned about to see a small school of fish swim by one side of the green dome. The two continued to walk under their little air pocket for a little while. As they walked Lily inched closer and closer to Everen, until she was leaning against him, causing him to look over at her.
"Lily?" he says, getting her attention.
"Yes?" she asks looking back at Everen.
"Can I ask you something?" the colt asks.
"Yes." she answers.
Just as Everen was about to ask his question though, he looked up. "What was that?"
"Ye- wait what?" Lily inquired, disappointed.
Everen's eyes narrowed. "CYRUL! He's in trouble. I've never been more sure of anything in my life before!" he yelled.
Lily's face took on an expression of utter terror. "We have to get back to the shore, now!"
The two galloped back to the beach as fast as they could, worried beyond their wits.
When they got to shore they saw Bliss lying on the beach, crying.
"What happened?" Everen asked.
"It was those bullies, they found us here and two of them beat up Cyrul and dragged him off." Bliss said between sniffles. "And when Libra tried to follow them the other one beat HIM up and they've got him too."
"Oh no." Lily said. "Everen, what do we do?"
Everen looked at the two fillies before him. "I'll tell you what we're gonna do." he started. "We're gonna get them back."