The stallion floated through a dark void. It was vast, cold and empty. He liked the void. There was no screaming here.
Yes, this is where he belonged, beyond the baleful cries of anguish and suffering. Here he could simply let go, abandon himself to oblivion.
Something bright came into existence in the distance like a newborn star. Its glare stirred and roused the stallion.
What?
No!
There wasn't supposed to be anything here; just emptiness, a place where he could suffer for his sins in lonely isolation.
There was also a sound, a voice, calling out to him.
No, no, NO!
Why couldn't the world just go away? He didn't want to be part of it any more. There was too much pain, too much suffering.
He fell. The void possessed no up, no down, and yet he fell. The sudden feeling of vertigo was just as quickly replaced by surge of moisture as he crashed into an unseen ocean.
The stallion coughed up water as the world exploded back into existence around him. His eyes burned from the light and his head felt like it wanted to implode. He pressed his hooves to the side of his aching skull, whether to massage away the pain, or to aid in crushing the offending body part he wasn't quite sure.
Where was he? As he brought a hoof over to shield his still adjusting eyes from the harsh light, he could make out what looked to be the alleyway behind the local tavern. As he smacked his lips he could still taste the lingering remnants of salted ale. No doubt the proprietor had thrown him back here after having passed out.
What he couldn't figure out was why he was soaking wet. His hazy vision couldn't actually make out the sky above, but by the amount of light he could already tell the day was bright and sunny.
"Ah good, you're awake!"
There it was again, that same voice that had disturbed him in the void. He could hear it clearly now, well, as clearly as he could hear anything over the ringing in his ears. He could also see its source, sort of.
A vaguely pony-like shape stood over him, a mare, if his ears could be trusted to judge pitch in his current state. Probably a unicorn too, as she appeared to be levitating what looked like a bucket.
"Go away," he muttered as he clenched his eyes shut in a vain attempt to summon the void. He'd spent nearly every bit he had left to reach oblivion this last time; what was he going to do now?
"Actually, I really need your help."
Help? Ha! That was a laugh.
"Sorry, you got the wrong pony for that, miss…?" his rebuke trailed off into a question as he realized he had no clue who he was talking to. Not that he should really care about such things anymore. All he wanted was to be left alone to wallow in his own misery.
"…" the mare seemed hesitant to reply, but finally, "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I think we can both be a great help to each other, Sheriff Silverstar."
A light brown head plunged into the water. It was cool and refreshing, better still, it muffled all the noise of the world. It reminded Silverstar of the void. He briefly considered just leaving his head submerged beneath the rippling surface; to put a final end to it all, but at the heart of things he was still the same coward he had always been.
The stallion pulled his head from the trough and took in a mighty gasp of air. He shook the water from his coat and dark brown mane, giving his even darker mustache a twitch to shake loose any last remnants. As his brain returned to a somewhat conscious functionality, he turned to contemplate the mare that had dragged him back to the life he'd been so desperately trying to escape.
She had a fairly average build. Her coat was a shade of lavender and her dark blue mane was neatly trimmed though with a vibrant strip of purple and pink down the middle. He couldn't make out her cutie mark, hidden as it was beneath a light brown burlap cloak. Actually, to call it a cloak was a bit generous, it was more like a hastily cut potato sack that had been tied off with a bit of worn rope. Why she would bother with such a garment in this heat was beyond him, but he wasn't the type to pry, even before he gave up caring about the world.
What fixed his attention the most though was her eyes; a rich purple, and while she clearly tried to present an air of confidence, he could see a deep sadness underneath it all. He wondered briefly what had caused her such pain and what he could do to take it all away. No, that was the old Silverstar, the one that actually gave a damn about other ponies.
Still, she was kind of cute. Maybe it was just the hangover mugging up his vision, but if he were a younger stallion he might— He shook his head and once again tried to remind himself how there was nothing left for him to hope for, least of all some filly who was almost young enough to be his daughter.
He straightened his dust worn blue vest and the red bandana around his neck, before picking up his black stetson and placing it back atop his head. He then turned to face her proper "Alright then, Miss Sparkle. What exactly is it ya' want and what makes ya' think a bloke like me would be any help?"
"Well, Sheriff Silverstar, I—"
"Just Silverstar please," he interrupted, "I ain't a proper sheriff no more, not without a town to be sheriff of."
"Right, that's actually sort of why I'm here. You see—"
"Look, I'm sorry if'n you lost any kinfolk out there. I..." he hesitated, swallowing hard before continuing, "I did my damn best to get everypony I could out safely. I know that must be poor consolation an' I'd rightly understand if'n you felt like taking a buck upside my face. You wouldn't be the first, and you probably won't be the last either."
With that said, he just stood there. He didn't flinch or in any way seem to ready himself for the assault he'd just permitted. He was a bad pony, he deserved to suffer, and this filly deserved to have full at him.
"That's not at all why I'm here. I don't think any of my family have even ever been anywhere near the frontier reaches, most of them live in Latigo after all, and—" this time she shut herself up, all but cramming a hoof into her own mouth, before glancing about nervously as though she'd just said too much.
Silverstar only shrugged. If there was something in the young mare's past she didn't want to talk about, well, he certainly wouldn't pry. He just wished she'd go away and do him the same favor.
"Alright, fine. So if'n you're not here to take your piece o' me, then what possible reason could you have fer comin' here and dredgin' up my past?" His voice began to rise with more irritation than he intended, but he was hardly in much condition to practice proper self-restraint, "You one of them punks that gets off on laughin' on poor washed up gutter trash! Does that make ya' feel like a big shot! Like your own life isn't so miserable!"
The young mare backed up with each exclamation, "I... I..." Silverstar pressed forwards; he hated ponies that got their jollies by kickin' others when they were down. Sure he deserved it, but that was no reason to excuse such behavior. Then he looked into her eyes again. They were darting rapidly from side to side, clearly frightened of what he might do, but there was something more too.
She was starting to cry.
Aw haystacks! he thought. He'd done it again. He'd let his temper take charge, and now he'd made the young lass cry. He felt like even more of a monster than usual, and while he deserved to feel that way, she certainly didn't deserve to suffer for it. He'd have to give himself a few good licks for that little outburst, later though. Right now, he had a mess to clean up.
He reached up a hoof to wipe away the moisture that had been forming at the corners of her eyes, "Hush now there," he soothed. "It'll be alright. Now why don't you just tell this ol' washed up has-been just what it is you need help with. I can't make no promises, but if'n it'll make you feel better, then the least I can do is listen."
She sniffled as she brought her downtrodden gaze up to match his. "I'm in trouble... a lot of trouble, and well... I need a group of five ponies to help me out of it, and... and I was hoping you could be one of them."
He wondered what kind of trouble she was in that she'd need that kind of help with, and why five exactly. He briefly recalled that time so many years ago when he'd been part of a group of seven— No, that was the old Silverstar, an arrogant youth who thought such exploits would be magnificent. It had been a whole other life time ago, a life that belonged to a naive fool that had ignorantly confused a lack of fear for bravery.
Even as he tried banishing those memories, Silverstar found himself wishing he'd had some of those comrades with him more recently. Maybe things wouldn't have turned out so badly if— No, better that he bear the burden of that atrocity alone. Besides, none of that made a lick of difference now.
"Fine, so you need help. Why me?" He tried to be kind, but he saw her flinch at the bite of his words.
"We'll," she started nervously, "I read about how you risked your life and courageously defended that whole town and—"
"T'wern't courage, I was there, ponies were in trouble. I did what I had to do, nothin' more nothin' less."
Now that nervous edge seemed to bleed away as her eyes came alight, "But that's exactly what I need. You stood fast when others fled. You risked life and limb to save as many innocents as you could. You showed that singular most important quality I need from you: Loyalty."
Loyalty, now wasn't that a laugh.
"Little miss, let me tell you somethin' plain an' simple like. T'was just a job. I was there because the Apple Trust hired me to keep the peace, and so that's what I did. I had a contract, an obligation, and I've never been a pony to back out on my word. A promise is a promise, and come noon high sun or windigos' frost I always keep mine."
At what cost though?
The screams of the ponies he failed to save were bad enough. But it was the screams of the other side that truly haunted his soul. They hadn't been villains, only natives trying to reclaim the land they felt stolen from them. That hadn't mattered then though. Silverstar played his part, did what he had to. Now all that was left for him was to carry the pain of that sin till the day the final end that awaited all ponies blessed him with a more permanent void in which to lose himself.
"But you still helped them," she pleaded, "It's what you do. It's your job, it's your name, it's your special talent."
Silverstar looked back at the cutie mark that reflected its owner's name. He'd long since discarded the badge he used to wear on his vest. He'd torn the thing away with such violent fervor that it had left a jagged hole in the garment. He liked that hole; it mirrored the one in his heart.
The badge he wore on his flank though, well, that was another matter. It was the one indelible reminder of the pony he used to be. He'd often thought of taking hot iron to it and burning the offending brand away, but that wouldn't solve the real problem. No, he could live with the visual reminder of his discarded past. The pain it caused him to look upon his own flank really was another torment he deserved.
It was that niggling sensation in the back of his skull that he couldn't endure. That was the part of him he truly sought to drown away in the oblivion of the void. All the terrible crimes he'd committed in the name of justice, he could live with those. The screams were horrible to remember, but it was what he deserved.
What he couldn't tolerate, what he had to be rid of, was that somewhere deep down inside he was still possessed by that same fiery passion to protect other ponies. A passion that still burned every bit as fiercely as the day his destiny had first made itself manifest. Worst of all though, following that call still brought him the purest of joys, a joy he no longer deserved.
"So then, will you help me; will you promise?"
There it was, that niggle that ached to be scratched. Would he help her? Could he really let himself give into that temptation?
Silverstar looked into the mare's pleading eyes, eyes that held his damnation. He'd rather go to the surface of the sun itself and look its blazing queen straight into her empty soulless eyes than fill this pitiable young mare's own with even an ounce more of sorrow and disappointment. Every fiber of his being ached telling —no— demanding of him what action he must take.
And so he made his decision, Luna curse him for a thousand years, but it was the only choice he could make.
Hmm. So far Silverstar is reminding me a bit of Rooster Cogburn from True Grit. The 2010 one, not the 1969 one, but only because it's been forever since I've seen the 1969 one. If you play up that aspect (heck, go for the 1969 one and just make him Pony Wayne), you'll probably be able to get the comedy back.
I think Sheriff is supposed to be capitalized, but otherwise, this is brilliant!
Can't believe I forgot to do this last time, but a huge thanks goes out to LDLUYAB for proofing both chapters, and I mustn't forget Mally either, he's been helping out too. Without them my writing might still have all the same content you people all seem to like or whatever, but it would read like cheep trash.
Anyway, here we meet the first of Twilight's "team". Sorry if I dialed up the wangst too much for any of your, and if so, well, I hope you'll stick around a little bit longer. They won't all be so down and dreary, in fact, I think this should be the most depressing it gets, though possibly not the darkest.
Anyway, next up should be Laughter who's shaping up to be just about this guy's polar opposite. I might even get to add back in the COMEDY tag I originally wanted to put on this story. Unfortunately though, It may be a while. The mania that drove me to write all this in the first place has mostly passed, plus I've got a backlog of 17 or so chapters form various fics that I'd like to be reading.
And there's the "Lunaverse Burn" that gets me when we've got Twilight involved anywhere. Actions so terribly in character... and she's got the "Universe's Buttmonkey" flag ticked.
Poor girl can't make a friend without it being a crisis...
D'you think that any of her "elements of failmony" will ever actually be her friends? OR show up at her inevitable trial as witnesses for the defense?
This certainly paints a rather dark picture of Apploosa in the Lunaverse.
This is pretty great. I cracked a smile at the magnificent seven joke and even the mention of 'destiny' that 'manifest' itself hehehe.
Poor Twilight though :( the way she is clearly out of her depth in this whole situation, being a fugitive and all that jazz.
812144
Can't really say much for certain without spoilers. At a guess 2 maybe, 2 hard to say, 1 definitely not.
812335
Glad the Magnificent Seven reference made it though. Wish I could claim credit for manifest destiny, but that one is just a happy accident that I never noticed until just now.
812378 Hurrah for happy coincidence then!
Proceed...
814933
She's on the run from the law. Her whole life has been turned upside down. She's probably operating at some degree of a Lesson Zero mode. From her own warped vantage point I'd wager this "plan" of hers probably seems very well thought out and organized; her brain's just not firing with all cylinders, such as it were.
An excellent portrayal of a shattered life, there. I... don't know if it's gonna end well for him or not. I like to hope it will.
Notes:
- So she picked a Failure Knight as her element of Loyalty. This can only end well. (Also, I expect to see her dismissive commentary about the rest of the Luna Six owing her to failure to find value in ordinary ponies.)
- Well, that puts paid to Over a Barrel, doesn't it? The Apple Trust had the bisons exterminated for the money. This makes Applejack the most sympathetic of them.
- Judging from what I saw in Boast Busted, she's been running on fumes for years.
816031
Thank you. It was a bit rough to write in that mind set, kinda dropped myself into a bit of funk in the process, but it seems the effort paid off. Anyway, I too hope things work out for Silverstar, he's pretty down on himself right now but he seems to have an honest soul underneath it all (which is really the bulk of his troubles as were he truly the wicked pony he thinks himself to be he wouldn't be having these regrets). Too bad I have little clue where this is all going yet and so can't make any guarantees.
812324 816349
Minor Technical Note: According to RDD, L!Equestria has different borders than M!Equestria. I'm playing that some similar scenario accrued, but the name and location of the settlement has been left intentionally vague, as has the identity of the natives.
Also, Silverstar's statement that he no longer has a town to be sheriff of would suggest that it was the natives who won the conflict, though clearly not without losses, while the Apple Trust was forced to withdraw.
816461
Which would feed into Applejack's paranoia. The Night Court would see it as a minor skirmish brought on by ponies who overreached. AJ would see it as a sign of the end times.
816473
Well that might be a bit of an exaggeration. I'm not sure I believe AJ is quite that paranoid. She'd certainly be unhappy about what happened, but I'd like to think it's the loss of life that would trouble her more than the loss of profit/production.
816495
True enough. The problem is that she tends to see herself as the only thing standing between Ponyville and famine; this might color how she sees things just a little bit.
Well, I guess this Twilight has the same compulsion to FIX EVERYTHING, just way less to lose.
Looking forward to the next "Meet the Team" chapter.
Thumb-bump and cheers!
811913 17? That's nothing, try 50+ appearing at the same time. Also, sorry it took me this long to read; it was a good chapter, and I definitely want to see the rest. I wonder who the other 'elements' are going to be...
829899
I could probably match that 50 if I actually started reading the 60+ stories in my get-to-it-latter bin.
Anyway, glad you're enjoying and curious to meet the rest. I'd love to just tell you, but SPOILERS and all that such.
829926 heh, those updates all came from one story, actually. For over six weeks FiMFiction seemed to forget I was tracking it, and the author somehow manages to update everyday. So yeah...
And please, as much as my annoyingly powerful curiosity is driving me to find out everything, I think you should keep the no-reveal strategy going, thanks.
813259
Indeed.
4436271 Very well.....