The Goddessy II: The Trials of Zeus

Chapter Ten

Rarity and Aphrodite had banded together for some reason. They spent the night locked in Aphrodite's room doing a bunch of stuff together, that stinking love potion in full view of Twilight. She pushed her glasses up her nose, wishing she could go in and punch Rarity in the face.

She knew exactly what that girl was up to: impressing Jacob with her charm and beauty (and her "wicked sense of fashion" she had heard Rarity tell Aphrodite) and then sneaking that love potion into a red drink of his during the events before and after in the arena.

How could Rarity stoop this low? How could she become so evil in front of their eyes? What had happened to Twilight's friend? The Rarity she knew would never think of doing this! What had happened? It was like a piece of something involved with evil love had taken over Rarity and was holding the real her hostage. And Twilight knew very well what it was like to be held hostage!

That's when she saw Marie Curie run down the hallways again, holding a notebook and pen. Checking to see if anyone was watching, Marie slipped behind a bright white door, and Twilight thought for a second that she saw flaming hair.

Hestia...

The second she knew what she was doing, she already had her ear pressed against the door.

"It's me again," Marie's voice said. "Marie Curie. That scientist from the other day."

"I remember," Hestia's voice said, sounding lost and fleeting.

Twilight stepped away from the door. This wasn't her business to mess with.

Now, this Rarity thing was definitely her business. Rarity wanted her to help, anyway.

So she briskly walked down the halls when her phone buzzed. A text from her boyfriend, Timber.

Timber: hey twi, do u think we could talk?? if u can, meet me by the old fountain.

Twilight: sure

Twilight had two possibilities for this. Either he was about to find out her dual life now or he was going to point out how the two of them hadn't been spending a lot of time together.

But she couldn't refuse.

"Twi! You came!" Timber said as Twilight ran up to him by the old fountain, the sun glittering among the clouds.

"Well, I followed your text," Twilight said.

"Well then," Timber said as they both sat on the fountain. "The sun certainly looks pretty today."

"Yeah," Twilight pushed her glasses up her nose, knowing very well Apollo's moon tattoo was glowing as bright as the gates on Olympus.

"Probably is more on schedule than you," Timber muttered.

"Wait, what?" Twilight was confused.

"Look," he said. "Maybe I should show you something first."

He took her hand, and they walked around for a little while until finding a gazebo with a bunch of flowers curled around the edges, a single red rose on a pedestal in the center. And it was clear either Demeter or Persephone was behind it. In fact, there was a scrap of paper only she noticed that said Rarity could take the rose for the potion.

"I found this last week," Timber said, picking off a stray flower and tucking it into Twilight hair. "Every day, it appears for an hour. It's been here for about fifteen minutes now."

"And what does this have to do with me?" she asked.

"I've noticed this past month that you barely hang out with me anymore," he explained. "You just run off. It's like you're holding secrets from me."