Light Comes From Stars

by Gapeagle

Chapter 3: Off Balance

"Spike, let's go over this again."

The young dragon sighed. "Again?"

"Again."

Twilight held her head up with her hooves. Spike was sitting across a red table that was covered in hills, mountains, and cities. The red table was a map of Equestria. Nothing on it was different, except that it was red instead of its usual blue. The alicorn lifted an impatient brow at the young dragon.

"Well, Starlight had this scroll-" he began.

"Yes, but how?" Twilight roared in frustration. "What caused her to do this? How did she do this?"

"Starswirl's spell," Spike frowned.

"Yes, but how did she tweak it? I mean, I messed with that spell once and I only was in the past for like, 30 seconds. We keep going through some endless cycle of alternate realities!"

"Twilight, we can't worry about all this. We need to stop Starlight."

"You're right, Spike."

"Good!" Spike brightened.

The dragon stood up and walked around the table. With his claws, he took Twilight's right front leg and pulled her from the table. She reluctantly allowed him to do that, still wondering about the situation they were in.

"Maybe we can find out how this world went bad," Spike suggested. "I mean, I've never seen a red sky like this."

Twilight looked at the sky as well. "It's definitely not good. There's not even a moon in the sky. I feel like something happened to Luna."

"Do you think she's dead?" Spike asked worriedly.

"With how these realities been going, I would not be surprised."

The two of them headed toward Ponyville. The town was boarded up and only a few nervous ponies stood out in the dirt roads. Twilight couldn't help but look at the ponies who sat by their pitiful fires. Everypony was in desperate search of light and flocked to any source like a pack of mindless moths. It was all so depressing.

The moans of the Ponyville residents were a horrid reminder of hopelessness. Twilight had to stare straight ahead to avoid the sad gazes of the ponies that crept on the sides of the streets. Most ponies hid and stuck to structures as if the buildings gave them a feeling of safety. From there they would either watch her or the fires made by the bolder ponies. Their eyes reflected the deep flames and that was all that allowed Twilight to know they were there.

"We have to come up with a plan, Spike," Twilight insisted when they were on the other side of the village. Fewer ponies were on the east side of town, as those who did live there had fled to Canterlot for some sort of refuge. Whether it helped them or not, nopony knew.

"I know," Spike sighed. "But I think we can't just make some plan right now. We need to at least know what we are up against. Right?"

"Spike, we've been through seven realities so far, including this one. Well, if you call them 'realities' because you know, this could all be some massive illusion Starlight created. I really hope that's the case as creating this many alternate universes could bring havoc on.....everything!" Twilight sweated from the brow.

Spike shrugged. "Well, I think the first step is to find our good pal Starlight. If we can get her to submit, maybe she knows how to fix all this?"

"She could be anywhere in Equestria," Twilight sighed.

"Maybe, I mean, she would want to watch us suffer, right? She could be watching us right now."

"There's been no sign that that is her goal. For all we know, she is creating worlds until she finds one that has her winning."

The two rested at a bench right before a river's bridge. It was this bridge and road that would eventually lead to Canterlot, though it was normal to simply use the train, if it had not been destroyed. Twilight looked up at the mountaintop capital, seeing looming spires that no longer swelled with pride. It seemed the city was as melancholy as the rest of the world, lost and terrified under the menacing red sky.

"How did this happen, Spike? It was so peaceful before. Everything was so well with the world and then, Starlight showed up. Ugh!" Twilight huffed. "Why would she do this? I would rather have it we fought right in my castle, but no, she had to drag us into a...maybe literally endless mess!" she crossed her legs and looked at the ground.

"Twilight, it'll work out. We've been in tough situations before, right? I'm sure we'll be able to get Starlight and turn the world back to normal. Through friendship right?" he smiled to give his friend the hope she needed.

"Friendship, yup," Twilight rolled her eyes. "Our friends are probably dead or worse in this world. I think we are on our own..."

Twilight got up from the bench and spread her wings out. Spike knew that she was about to head off to Canterlot and hopped on her back. He never enjoyed riding on her back when she flew, but he was not one to complain about it. He prepared himself for the ride and held on to her neck.

Right before she was about to take off, a wild howl rang from the town. A vicious, blood-curling howl that sent shivers up both their spines. Twilight turned around to see timberwolves running from the forests towards Ponyville, attacking every pony they came across.

"Timberwolves? But they never leave the Everfree!" Twilight said in shock.

"Yeah, but that was when things were normal," Spike huffed. "But we should keep going."

"Are you crazy? They're going to kill ponies!" Twilight barked at him.

"Yes, but we need to save the world and by doing that we need to capture Starlight as soon as possible. And you even just said this could all be an elaborate illusion!"

"Spike, I...we can't risk that. We just can't."

Twilight took off and flew over the village. Dozens, if not a hundred, wolves ran through the town, ripping into any ponies who did not stand near fires. Cries of agony rang from the dark streets. The alicorn soared over the town, shooting beams of magic at the wooden canines. Some shattered upon being struck with such a massive blow, others swiftly dodged the attacks and continued their hunt, mostly ignoring the pony that flew over their heads.

"This is so unlike timberwolves," Twilight gasped.

She landed near a pack of them while they surrounded two poor earth ponies. Their eyes were not the usual pale menacing green, but a light blue. Smoke of the same color rolled down the wooden canine cheeks and seeped from their open mouths. Even when Twilight landed so near them, they mostly ignored her, aiming for the pitiful ponies for no other reason but destruction.

Twilight sent another bolt of magic, destroying a devilish hound. Only now did the other wolves look her way. One wolf, who held a struggling stallion in his maw, dropped him and growled a low growl at the princess. Their bluish eyes were so bright, they hurt the eyes against the darkness. The wolves took cautious steps towards the alicorn.

"Twilight? Are they being possessed?" Spike asked.

"It seems so," Twilight said.

One wolf, who was larger than the others, pounced at the princess. Twilight generated a shield bubble just in time, making the wolf bounce off and into an abandoned house. The wolves followed suit, but were shot down by the alicorn's powerful magic.

The large wolf got up and howled into the air, calling in reinforcements. The rest of the possessed wolves surrounded the duo. Their claws and jaws coated in warm blood. Their low growls rattled off their wooden frames. They did not care about their fallen brothers, as they simply walked over the branches and bark of the recently deceased wolves.

"But who could be controlling the wolves?" Spike wondered.

Twilight eyed the wolves and held a bubble shield over herself. "I think the answer is obvious. This is Starlight's work."

When she said this, a chuckle left the mouth of the largest wolf. Its eyes went up as if it was amused by what she said. After the laughing, it cocked its head to one said and words began to leave its frightful maw.

"It is obvious, isn't it?" said a feminine voice.

"Why are you still doing this, Starlight? These ponies have done nothing to you!"

"Do you think I care about that?" Starlight said through her wolf. "These ponies are nothing to either of us. Well, they are nothing to me. This is simply another failed world caused by you. But I savor in the distraught it brings to you. So if ponies suffer in these pathetic universes, as long as they bring you misery, then it'll keep happening!"

"This is insane. This is an irrational! I know I ruined you, but take it out on me, not these ponies," Twilight commanded.

The wolf rubbed its chin with a paw. Much like a pony, it appeared to think about Twilight's command. The large timberwolf looked to the others, who in their possessed state, never turned to glance at their leader.

"If you wish to endure the pain from my wolves, I'll oblige. In this world, the Everfree's curse has spread much farther, and well, I have plenty more wolves to control. I am confident you'll survive this, and so next time, I won't be so willing to spare these pathetic, unequal ponies."

Starlight's crazed low cackle came the pack's leader. The wooden hounds crept close to the ground, waiting for the right moment. However, Twilight remained firm and kept her shield up. Spike bit on his claw tips nervously. It was a brutal waiting game between the cursed beasts of the Everfree and the Princess of Friendship.

The pack leader laughed once more. "Well, if you are just going to sit in that bubble, why should I have my pack simply stare at you?" Starlight wondered. "Hmm, perhaps you can just sit here for eternity. I have much better things to do. Perhaps I should do the spell again? Create another world? Hmm, seems nice, but we've hardly spent any time in this one. This pale red sky is intriguing. It's a mystery on how this alternate universe failed so miserably. I would guess you and your friends faltered in a mission. Maybe Fluttershy perished? Oh, I hope that liar was ripped to shreds by some monster! Perhaps Rarity was murdered in a dark alley? Would serve that wretch right! Maybe you, the Twilight of this world, couldn't live up to her destiny? Maybe your cutie mark led you to destruction and with nopony so special to save Equestria, it succumbed to this darkness!"

"Resorting to taunts, have you?" Twilight raised an annoyed brow.

"Would you rather have me just send my hounds on the villagers? I can do that. Have them rip the flesh off of the bones of these fools! Hehehe, for all we know, it would be a kindness to end the lives of the poor ponies."

"I never thought you could be murderous, Starlight," Twilight growled.

"When you drive a mare to ruin, like you did to me, she can become many things."

Some of the wolves began to back off, seemingly to go after the fleeing Ponyville residents. Twilight knew that if she didn't lower her bubble soon, then innocent ponies would be attacked once more. She lowered her shield and readied to fire her magic at the timberwolves.

Two wolves charged at her. The princess jumped back, using her wings to give her extended flight, and aimed her glowing horn at them. Before the wolves knew it, they had been vanquished and their wooden parts flew through far through the air.

"Way to get them, Twi!" Spike cheered from her back.

Twilight zapped another pair of wolves, blowing them up into many little pieces. The Everfree hounds growled and jumped up to bite at Twilight's dangling legs. She barely took them out of reach and was caught off guard by how nimble the possessed dogs were.

"Fight all you want, Twilight Sparkle," Starlight hissed. "You could be here all night! Well, if there is such a thing as day in this world. If not, you'll be here forever wasting your energy on useless timberwolves while I create the next world to torment you with!"

Twilight angrily zapped the large wolf that Starlight spoke through, sending it flying into a building. She then returned her attention to the rest of the pack. The wolves climbed up on each other in the desperate attempt to reach the princess, but Twilight only used this to her advantage, striking several wolves down at once with a powerful blast spell.

Wolf after wolf was destroyed in the alicorn's might. Some were knocked out of Starlight's possession and they fled with twigs between their legs. Most of them continued to haplessly rush around the ground, nibbling at the air or desperately howling at the red sky.

"They just keep coming!" Twilight grunted in frustration.

"Well, at least we can just hover here," Spike said uneasily. "They can't get us, right?"

Twilight suddenly caught a wolf in the corner of her eye. The beast was clamping onto a large wooden board. She noticed it spinning rapidly with the object in its mouth. She gasped and realized what the wolf was doing, but it was too late. The board was flung at her with tremendous speed smacking her right in the side and sending both of them tumbling back to the ground.

Twilight hit first and bounced roughly off the cobblestone street. Spike flew a bit farther and went through a window of an abandoned hut. After rolling to a stop, Twilight tried to stand up, but the pain in her side and wing caused her to cry out in agony.

A timberwolf rushed over to her and bit into her injured wing before flinging her into the wall of a house. The wolf growled loudly and charged at her again, his wooden spiked teeth now painted in her dark red blood.

Twilight charged a spell and fired, but it only took off the top part of the wolf's head. The bottom jaw and the rest of the wolf still went over to attack her. The princess took hold of the wolf with her magical grip and was able to keep the hound just out of claws' reach. The wolf could only make guttural sounds and its legs flung about wildly. Twilight breathed heavily as sharp wooden claws barely missed her.

She fired another weak spell, successfully destroying the rest of the hound. She fell over on her side, inspecting the wound in her wing. The other wolves approached her, but she needed a bit more time to charge another beam attack.

"Get away!" she shouted. "Get away!"

"Oh? Are you afraid?" Starlight's voice chuckled from the nearest wolf. "Do you feel helpless? Like the world is ending right before your very eyes?" the voice deepened with hatred. "Hm, sounds like how I felt when you drove me from my home! Took my followers! And the worst part, you led them down a path of hate and depression just so that you could ruin my work! You deserve all this, Twilight! All of it!"

The wolf was about to sink its maw into the princess's neck when the sound of a furnace roared through the air. The wolves, with their ears lifted up, turned to look back at the Canterlot road. Intense flames rose from that direction and timberwolves covered in burning fire yelped pitifully as they fled the village.

"What in Equestria is that?" Starlight shouted. "Are the dragons here too?"

"Starlight, we would hear a dragon big enough to create firestorms like that," Twilight corrected. "Dragons are noisy creatures and they most likely would be in the air shooting flames down at us."

"Be quiet!" Starlight barked. "Don't give me your useless facts!"

"Useless facts are your worse enemy," Twilight rolled her eyes.

The timberwolf howled into the air, rallying the others in the pack. Some dogs rushed off to meet the creator of the fires, but they too were swept away in the inferno. Starlight's timberwolf began to back away in fear of what was coming their way.

"What could create such fire?" Starlight asked aloud.

The answer rounded the street corner. It was a unicorn with a yellow and red mane. Her horn was on fire as she spit magical flames at the timberwolves. She fought them all back alone and the hounds were no match for the overwhelming flames.

"A pyromancer!" Starlight gasped. "But...but who?"

Twilight chuckled and spat some blood out. "I think I know who."

"Then we shall meet soon enough. Enjoy with your wounds, Twilight. You know full well this is not our last encounter. Oh, I have plans for you yet!"

The dog lost its blue eyes, being replaced with the normal green ones. In sudden fright, it howled and then ran away. The pyromancer made the remaining wolves scatter before galloping over to the princess.

"Twilight! Twilight!" she yelled worriedly.

"I'm alive, Sunset. Oh, I'm so glad to see you," Twilight smiled weakly.

"I'm sure."

Sunset stopped right in front of her friend. Her teal eyes looked down on Twilight with deep concern. Her magic enveloped the princess and she levitated her.

"Be gentle with me," Twilight complained. "Wings are very sensitive."

Sunset panicked "I need to find you a bed! Some water! Umm..."

"I'm fine, Sunset, really I am. I'm just really confused."

Sunset raised a brow. "Confused? About what?"

"How are you here?" Twilight asked loudly. "Well, I mean, you could be this world's Sunset, by then how do you know who I am? Did we meet?"

"Twilight, I am the Sunset you met at Canterlot High."

"Yeah, that still raises a bunch of questions."

"It's a long story, ok?" Sunset giggled. "So what happened to Equestria?"

"It's......It's an even longer story..." Twilight sighed.

Spike suddenly opened up the door from the house he fell in. "Don't mind me, girls, just got a kink in my back and you know, found a nice bed and some clean water. But yeah, not need to give me attention."

"Good job, Spike," Twilight smiled at him.

"Well, I guess you should rest while we tell our respected stories, right?" Sunset suggested.

Twilight nodded. "Yup, that would be ideal."

~

Author's Note:

It's back...again!

Comments

[badninja]

Well at least Sunset has met up with Twilight! Now poor Starlight has to deal with another former student of Celestia one who is just as powerful as she is and way more savvy.

[HB_DS2013]

I personally think she should suffer by having no access to magic and mind-wiped to the point where she IS an immobile vegetable! That sociopathic time breaker doesn't deserve mercy of any kind. Or being sent to an inescapable ironic hell would be just as nice.

[Nohate]

So I guess this has turned into another one of those bloodlusted Starlight fics. Okay than.

[Gapeagle]

8323409
Eh, not entirely. It's going to be violent, but Starlight is not going to be absolutely "Cupcake Pinkie." She is just far more violent than what the show can offer. This story has always been the season 5 finale but way darker and slightly horrifying.

But yeah, Starlight isn't some simple murderer in this tale. She will have quite the character development.

[Bigou]

A nice story so far, with a surprisingly even more demented than the usual, pre-reformation Starlight. Sad it seem to be abandoned.