Issue 0 - A Turn Of Events
Starlight looked at her hoof as everypony was running around and having fun in Our Town.
She sighed, feeling tears at the edge of her eyes. Seeing Starlight’s dismay, Twilight walked up to her protoge and lay a hoof on her in comfort. “What’s bothering you, Starlight?” Twilight inquired, wanting to help her student in any way.
“She… Chrysalis, I mean, didn’t take my hoof… And- and she vowed revenge…” Starlight whispered. “And I couldn’t even use my magic to help you at all… and I doubt I’ll ever be able to ever again..”
At that moment, Twilight truly took note of the bandages that were wrapped around Starlight’s horn and various other parts of her body. She had noticed them before, but had forgotten about them in all the excitement. “Oh dear Celestia, what happened to you?!” Twilight said worriedly, seeing Starlight’s current form.
“Oh, you know, just a normal hydra attack as me and Trixie made it back to Ponyville from Our Town…” Starlight chuckled lightly, even as black began to approach the edge of her vision.
“What?!” Twilight cried, fretting over Starlight. “And we weren’t there to help save you…” Twilight whispered in disdain carefully unwrapping Starlight’s horn and gasping at the sight of the cracks in Starlight’s horn. Mana pulsed from within, the cracks occasionally giving off a very faint light blue glow.
“Oh, and about that,” Starlight mumbled, now feeling drowsiness overcoming her mind. “You know, I may have… left… the hospital… a little too early… heh…” And with that she began to sway from side to side before falling to her right. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, she could hear Twilight cry in surprise and fear.
“STARLIGHT!”
Hours Earlier...
“Are you seriously still worrying about that whole fiasco?” Trixie asked as she trudged along with her sulking friend.
“Just because you said to pretend it never happened, doesn’t mean it didn’t,” Starlight grimaced.
“You need to lighten up,” Trixie announced as she came to stop. “How about a stand-up comedy routine to lighten up the mood, hm?” Trixie hummed before her trailer burst open into a stage. She then threw down a smoke ball, reappearing on stage before clearing her throat. “Welcome, one and all, to the Great and Powerful Trixie’s stand up comedy! Prepare to be mediocred with-!”
“Uh, Trixie?” Starlight interrupted as she rose a hoof hesitantly. “Maybe we shouldn’t start a show in the middle of the Everfree.”
“Hush! I’m about to start!” Trixie hissed before continuing. “Prepare to be mediocred with these sub-par jokes of my own invention!”
“Trixie!” Starlight prattled worriedly as a shadow loomed behind the trailer.
“Can’t you see what I’m trying to do here?” Trixie sighed as she facehoofed. “What’s so important that you must interrupt my show?”
Starlight shakily pointed her hoof behind Trixie. As Trixie turned slowly, she widened her eyes in surprise before jumping back and hugging Starlight fearfully. The two mares quivered as the four headed hydra pushed the trailer-stage away, making it revert back to trailer form.
“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” it roared as it stomped towards them and Starlight lit her horn with magic. A shield of light turquoise erupted around them before the hydra swiped at them. It’s claws collided with the shield, and it’s hand rebounded. A crack then appeared on Starlight’s shield just as the hydra attacked again, shattering the shield. The mana dissipated and Starlight shoved Trixie towards her trailer.
“Run, Trixie! I’ll hold off the hydra for as long as I can!” Starlight cried before getting back to all four hooves.
“And leave my friend behind?” Trixie shouted in defiance. “Never!”
Starlight smiled at Trixie’s loyalty, and they both charged their horns in preparation for what was to come. The hydra roared again and Trixie yelled a battle cry before throwing several smoke pellets at the hydra’s face. With the hydra stunned, Starlight blasted the hydra with her magic and the hydra staggered backwards. As the smoke around it’s heads cleared, it could be seen that it was agitated and enraged. Their attack had done little to affect the hydra’s health.
“Trixie, throw a few more smoke bombs at it’s heads!” Starlight said and Trixie nodded, pulling a hoof-ful of smoke balls once more and launching them at the hydra. They made impact and Starlight charged her horn once more with mana for a powerful teleportation spell. If she could just generate enough mana, she could teleport the hydra away from them so they could run away-
The hydra swiped it’s claws out in a blitz, hitting Starlight broadside and the purple mare yelped in surprise and pain. With a quick thought, Starlight shot the hydra with her unfinished spell just as she hit a tree and the hydra disappeared in flash of magic. But just then, Starlight’s head exploded in indescribable pain as her horn fissured from mana build up.
When she had been caught off guard, she pushed more mana than required into her horn and had released her incomplete spell. Although it worked, the mana had reacted violently with Starlight’s rough impact and thus, her magic violently exploded outwards… through her horn. The underbrush and trees in her unstable magic’s path disintegrated and mana crackled and arched from Starlight’s now cracked horn.
“Starlight!” Trixie cried out as she rushed to her friend’s aid, but Starlight didn’t notice. All she could do was scream in agony, blood trickling out of wounds in her sides and hooves.
Trixie had little time to react. Though she was only a showmare, she had studied minor healing spells for sole purpose of avoiding the need to ever go to the hospital… but this was way out of her league. Her horn flourished with her own magic and she administered the simplest sedative she knew, before hastily wrapping some bandages over her friend’s wounds and gently placing her in her trailer. She could hear Starlight’s ragged breathing and screaming, and Trixie raced through the Everfree before breaking the canopy and tumbling into the town of Ponyville. She quickly spotted Applejack and Rarity and made her way to them.
“Applejack, Rarity! We were attacked by a hydra and Starlight’s injured real bad! You need to help!” Trixie gasped for air, eyes wide.
“Us? Help you? As if!” Applejack snorted. “You’d do better helping us!”
“What is that get-up?” Rarity remarked before laughing. “What kind of fashion-sense do you have?”
Trixie stared at the two mares in shock and disbelief as they trotted away, laughing to themselves. “What the buck?!” Trixie whispered, enraged at how they brushed off her urgency and she shook her head before rushing to the hospital. Her friend needed help, and if she was the only one willing than so be it.
Unlatching herself from the trailer, she burst through the doors of Ponyville General, her hat blowing off her head as she did so. “Trixie?!” Nurse Redheart shouted in alarm at the sight of the showmare.
“Nurse Redheart, Starlight needs help! A hydra attacked us and she’s injured!” Trixie demanded with tears in her eyes. “Please, you have to help my friend!”
“Y-yes of course,” Nurse Redheart quickly nodded as she processed the words of Trixie. “First Aid, get the emergency staff! We have a mare in need of desperate attention!”
“Yes, Nurse Redheart!” First Aid said before he shouted and the Emergency medical staff rushed out to Trixie’s trailer.
“By Celestia’s sweet grace,” one of the doctor’s whispered wide-eyed as they saw Starlight’s unconscious and broken form. Light leaked from Starlight’s horn and some blood stained the wood of Trixie’s trailer.
“Quick, get her on the stretcher, she hasn’t got much time!” First Aid yelled and the unicorn team lit their horns, carefully generating a magic cushion under Starlight before laying her on the gurney. With no time to waste, they rushed into the emergency room. Trixie attempted to follow, but one of the nurses reluctantly pushed Trixie away, telling her that she couldn’t be in there as they were working.
With nothing else to do, Trixie sat down in the lobby, head in her hooves. She began to cry, worried for Starlight’s well-being and blaming herself for being an idiot. Nurse Redheart saw this, and she left the counter to sit beside Trixie, rubbing a hoof up and down Trixie’s back to comfort her.
After a few hours of operation, one of the doctors exited the room and approached the two mares. “Starlight has reached a stable condition, though she is in a very fragile state right now and will at least take the day to be back to full strength…” he addressed Trixie and Trixie nodded.
Trixie looked at the doctor for a bit and before he could leave, she said to him, “But?”
“I’m sorry?” the doctor asked, and Trixie sighed.
“I’m sensing a ‘but’ there, so what is it?” Trixie asked tiredly.
“I don’t think it would be appropriate to share this information with ponies who are not related to Starlight directly-”
“Just answer her question,” Nurse Redheart scolded and the doctor flinched, “Can’t you see she’s close friends with the mare? She’s the one who brought her in, for Luna’s sake!”
“S-sorry, miss. Although Starlight will recover, some of her wounds will never heal. Her horn has fractured, and there is nothing this side of Equestria that we know of that would be able to heal it. As far as we know, she may never be able to conjure magic properly ever again.”
Trixie could feel her stomach drop for Starlight at those words and she stared off into blank space. “Can… can I see her?”
“Yes, she is mostly conscious but she is still very much so in pain. The pain should pass as long as she doesn’t move at all in the next several hours, but if she uses her horn it may cause more damage than good. Perhaps you can relate this information to her, as we have yet to break it.”
Trixie nodded mutely before following the doctor into one of the hospital rooms. In the hospital bed lay Starlight, who was gently breathing with bandages surrounding her horn and part of her head. Wrappings also cover her sides, barrel, and her forelegs, and it all seemed freshly applied.
“Starlight?” Trixie whispered as she walked to Starlight’s side.
“...Trixie…?” Starlight slowly opened her eyes to see her best friend standing at her bedside.
“Thank Luna you’re okay,” Trixie whispered with tears at the corner of her eyes and she gently hugged Starlight. Starlight winced a little as her hooves still hurt and her head throbbed but she appreciated the notion.
“...Of course I am… why wouldn’t I be?” Starlight smiled as Trixie pulled away.
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because we were attacked by a hydra and now you’re in the flipping hospital?” Trixie breathed out in a huff before sighing. Starlight chuckled, some of the spells the doctors administered still having an effect on her mind and body.
“Oh yes, that,” Starlight nodded as she waved her hoof in a circle. The two mares stayed silent for a few moments after that, just enjoying the fact that Starlight was still alive.
“Starlight…” Trixie whispered quietly. Starlight’s ears swiveled to try and catch what she was saying.
“Yes, Trixie?” Starlight said after a moment, trying to think faster than the medical spells would allow.
“I don’t know how to properly say this, but you might never be able to use magic ever again…”
“Hm?” Starlight hummed, not really getting it.
“Because your horn is… is broken, you can’t use magic anymore.” Trixie muttered and Starlight took a few moments to process those words.
“I…” Starlight whispered at last, “I can’t use magic?”
“Not without hurting yourself more than you already are,” Trixie confessed and Starlight closed her eyes in thought.
“Where are Twilight and the others?” Starlight breathed after another long silence.
“At the moment, I’d rather they burned in Tartarus than visit you,” Trixie hissed and Starlight frowned.
“Why?”
“Because of how-!” Trixie began with a shout before closing her eyes and breathing. “Because of how Rarity and Applejack so casually shrugged me off when you needed help. I asked them to help us… and they laughed.”
Starlight, with her eyes still closed, frowned further. “That doesn’t sound right,” Starlight muttered.
“No, it really doesn’t,” Trixie growled before sighing. Rubbing her temples with her hooves before finally noticing her hat was missing, she sulked. “I’m sorry, Starlight. I’ll come back later when I’ve gotten some sleep and calmed down. At least I know you’re okay.”
As Trixie turned to leave and reached the doorway, Starlight called out her name. Turning around, Trixie returned her attention to the light purple mare. “Trixie?” Starlight began, “You’re the best friend I could have ever asked for.”
Trixie smiled tiredly at the comment and laughed a little. “The Great and Friendly Trixie thanks you for being her friend as well,” Trixie whispered before finally leaving. Now alone, Starlight winced ever so often, feeling the healing magic of the hospital working on her as her head throbbed every few seconds. Soon enough, she found herself being pulled down into the clutches of sleep, falling into oblivion…
“Starlight Glimmer!”
Starlight looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. It sounded a lot like… “Princess Luna!” Starlight cried, twisting around in the dense fog, trying to find where the Lunar Princess might be. “This is just a dream…” she whispered to herself, realizing this after hearing the Princess’ voice echo in her dream.
“Starlight Glimmer!” the voice whispers once more.
“Princess Luna, where are you?” Starlight asks worriedly, wondering why there was such a sense of urgency in her voice.
“Starlight Glimmer, there is no time! You must get help!” Princess Luna mutters, her voice now breaking louder than before. Starlight frantically began to run around Our Town, looking for the Princess.
“What are you talking about, Princess Luna? This is all just a dream!” Starlight says, rushing around the houses, looking into windows, now fearing the worst. If it really was just a dream, then Princess Luna wouldn’t be talking to her. Starlight bit her lip before she found a large shadow suddenly cast onto the ground. Without hesitation, Starlight looked up to see Princess Luna’s shape in the moon, clinging on inside the moon for what seemed to be dear life.
“Not here! In the waking world! They've taken my sister and I! It's worse than the last time! Your dream called to me, and I was able to break through! You must find help!” Princess Luna gasped, chitin hooves clutching at her form.
“What are you saying?! Who's taken you?!” Starlight shouted, seeing Princess Luna getting dragged down. With one last burst of strength, Princess Luna shot out of the hooves’ grasp once more. “I can’t even use magic if I could to help!”
“It does not matter if you cannot use magic. All you need is to be yourself, Starlight Glimmer! But know this, be careful who you trust! You need all the help you can find! The changelings have returned and-!” Before Luna could finish, a swarm of black hooves grabbed her and pulled her down. Starlight could hear the shout of alarm from the Princess before the dream began to collapse.
“Princess Luna!” Starlight cried before running away from the enroaching black. With a swirling sensation, Starlight awoke in her hospital bed.
“Gah! They’re back!” Starlight shouted with a cry of pain. In an attempt to activate her magic, the bandages that wrapped her horn glowed blue where the cracks were present and she doubled over, clutching her horn.
“AHHHH!” she screamed before stumbling off the bed. She shakily hoofed her hospital gown off before stumbling out of the room, through the hospital and into the streets of Ponyville. “Have…” she began to pant, “To… get… to… Tri... xie!”
Luckily, she didn’t have to look far as Trixie’s trailer was only a few hooves away from the hospital. Still pale from blood loss and a little woozy from the healing spells the doctor’s had performed on her, she found herself falling at the door of Trixie’s caravan. She began to knock and with each smack of the wood her hooves cried in pain but she ignored it. Equestria was in trouble, and her own woes were nothing compared to what had returned.
After banging on Trixie's trailer, Trixie woke up in an explosive manner. Upon seeing Starlight and registering that she was standing in front of her, Trixie began to scold Starlight for being an idiot, but Starlight shushed her. She then explained herself to shut her friend up, before making sure Trixie was really Trixie and not a changeling in disguise. Soon enough, Trixie grumbled her response and Starlight sighed before telling her of the very real threat of changelings and what she expected. Watching as Trixie suggested getting Twilight's help, Starlight shook her head before expressing her worries.
With a quick conversation on what they should do, they both agreed they needed to make sure and they made their way to the Castle of Friendship. Opening the main doors, they made their way to the Cutie Map room and began to hear the voices of their beloved friends. As they peeked through the open doors, Trixie narrowed her eyes at the sight of Applejack and Rarity but Starlight shook her head. They watched in scrutination as Spike was mistreated and Rarity laughed at his misfortune.
“Is it ready?” ‘Twilight’ grinned evilly.
“Just one more,” ‘Applejack’ smiled before pushing a chitin covered rock into a circle and it activated, pulsing green. Above the Cutie Map was conjured a swirling green expanse, which in no time portrayed the image of the Queen of the Changelings.
“Queen Chrysalis!” Starlight gasped silently as she and Trixie watched events unfold.
“Ugh. I can't take any of you seriously when you look like that,” Chrysalis groaned and ‘Twilight’ chuckled.
“Oh, right,” ‘Twilight’ said before all seven of the beings in the room transformed into changelings/
Both Trixie and Starlight gasped as they watched green fire engulf everypony, revealing their true selves. They then held their breaths as the master plan of the Changelings was relayed to them, how all the Princesses, the Mane 6, and even Spike were all replaced.
To their utter horror, the door to the room creaked, alerting all the changelings to their presence. As they all hissed and transformed, Starlight pulled Trixie away from the door and breathed a few times in preparation for what she was about to do. “Starlight, what are you-?!” Trixie whispered before Starlight cast an invisibility spell on them.
White hot torture lanced through Starlight’s brain but the spell held. Trixie widened her eyes in horror at what Starlight was doing, but held her mouth as the changelings burst from the room in search for them. The seven changelings then dispersed, leaving only ‘Twilight’ behind. Trixie held her breath and held Starlight dearly as they shivered in fear and pain respectively. ‘Twilight’ sniffed for a few seconds, before finally leaving them.
With a gut-wrenching and ear-shattering scream, Starlight teleported them out of the castle.
“STARLIGHT!” Trixie yelled in anger and concern as they found themselves just outside of the Castle of Friendship.
Starlight didn’t respond, rolling in her torment and wallowing in her suffering. Through Starlight’s bandages could be seen the cracks, and magic was glowing through and pouring out of those cracks. Just by looking at it, Trixie felt sick. As a unicorn, seeing magic coming out like that was unnatural, and meant something was very wrong. Starlight gripped at her horn as the glow slowly ebbed away, some of the healing spells still having an effect on her, and Trixie decided it wouldn’t hurt to add another painkilling spell.
Finally, they were left panting and breathing hard, still processing what they had just learned.
“Don’t ever do that again!” Trixie scolded Starlight after she knew Starlight was intelligible and Starlight groaned in response.
“If... I... have... to... I will...” Starlight panted but smiled all the same. After finally recuperating to the point where Starlight could talk normally without too much pain, Starlight slowly got to four hooves, with a little help from Trixie.
With the situation dawning on Trixie once more, she began to hyperventilate. “Okay, a hydra I can begin to handle, you being injured, sure, but this? I can't deal with this! I'm just a performer! This is... This is princess-level stuff! But the changelings have all the princesses... We're doomed!”
Starlight grabbed Trixie by the hooves and shook her. “Get a hold of yourself!” Starlight struck Trixie across the face and Trixie immediately silenced. “Okay, so... uh, Queen Chrysalis only said they took Luna and Celestia and obviously Twilight and the others... but maybe Cadance is still safe! Our best bet is to get to the Crystal Empire before the changelings do. That way we can…”
A rustling in the bushes interrupted them and a changeling with shimmery wings appeared before them. “There’s no help coming from the Crystal Empire.” At the sight of Thorax, Trixie began to freak out again only for Starlight to smack her once more.
“I would use my magic to hold you in a bubble of silence, but you know I can’t, so keep! It! Together!” Starlight whispered sharply and Trixie held her cheek with a hoof, nodding wide-eyed as she watched Thorax. She gulped, and Starlight faced the changeling. “Thorax?” Starlight eyed suspiciously. “Were you waiting in the bushes the entire time we were lying on the ground here?”
Thorax rubbed his head with a hoof. “Uh, yeah.”
“Okay…” Starlight muttered. As Thorax raised a hoof to step forward, Starlight held a hoof up to stop him. “Wait! How do we know you’re really Thorax and not a changeling in disguise?”
“You were there when Spike defended me to the ponies of the Crystal Empire. Princess Twilight said-” Thorax transformed into a doppelganger of Twilight “-As the Princess of Friendship, I should set an example for all of Equestria. But today it was Spike who taught me-”
“Okay, okay- ouch!... We don’t need the whole speech.” Starlight stopped Thorax as her head crackled with pain again. Thorax then noticed the bandages present all over Starlight and he rushed over worriedly. Trixie yelped at the sudden movement and Thorax froze.
“You heard it yourself, Trixie. This is Thorax, and he’s a reformed changeling, which means he’s on our side. Understand?” Starlight explained, and Trixie gulped, bracing herself against her trailer.
“Hi, it’s a pleasure to…” Thorax begun but Trixie squeaked.
“Look, If Starlight says you're on our side, I believe her. But maybe just stay over there for now, okay?” Trixie eeped and Thorax nodded slowly.
“What happened?” Thorax said worriedly, looking over Starlight’s form, and Starlight grimaced before waving a hoof.
“It doesn’t matter right now,” Starlight shrugged off, but Thorax eyed her carefully. “So you said there's no help... did the changelings get Cadance too?”
Thorax assessed Starlight for a moment before responding. “They… they took Cadance, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart! Sunburst, he sent me here to get Princess Twilight's help, but... but it sounds like it's too late for that, too! What do we do, Starlight?”
“Yeah, Starlight. What are we gonna do?”
Starlight gulped as two ponies now looked to her for leadership. “I... I don't know! There has to be somepony else who can handle this! Isn’t there?”
“There is nopony else! Everypony with powerful magic is already gone! We still have you, I guess, but you can’t use your magic without severely injuring yourself more than you already are!” Trixie exclaimed with desperation. “We’re all going to die!”
“You know whenever ponies talk about powerful magic, they always leave me out. If I weren't so evolved, I might decide to take it personally,” a voice purred as they all turned to see who it was. Trixie, Thorax and Starlight’s mouths parted slightly at the sight of the Chaos God. “Well, isn't this quite the combination of secondary characters? Where are Twilight and the girls?” Discord asked, his body coiling around Trixie’s trailer.
“First of all, how do we know that you're really you?” Starlight questioned suspiciously, and Discord gave an offended snort. With a snap of his fingers, Discord began to unleash some chaotic magic on the area, causing the land to become soap and chocolate rain to fall.
“Do I need to continue?” Discord inquired with a cocked eyebrow, filing his nails as if he wasn’t truly paying attention. He then noticed all the bandages on Starlight and sucked his teeth in sympathy. “Ooh, ouch. What an injury! If I didn’t know better, I’d say you only got that injury to help the author start a story,” Discord announced much to the confusion of the group.
“Look, Discord, we don’t have much time! Chrysalis and the changelings are back, and they've ponynapped all of the most powerful ponies in Equestria! Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, even Twilight and her friends. We need to-” Starlight explained but before she could finish Discord snapped his fingers and everything reverted back to normal. With one quick motion, Discord put his face up against Starlight.
“They took Fluttershy?” Discord whispered menacingly, and Starlight nodded her head quickly, the motion causing her head to throb.
“Y-yes, they would’ve taken Fluttershy as well,” Starlight stammered.
“Where?” Discord growled, his voice reverberating with intensity.
“The Changeling Kingdom, more than likely,” Thorax provided. Discord narrowed his eyes, straightened his back, and snapped his claws.
They appeared on the edge of a relatively small cliff, and Discord frowned. “Odd. I was trying to take us right to Fluttershy, but there is no Fluttershy.”
“I think I have a pretty good idea where she might be…” Trixie whimpered as she looked at what lay past the cliff and in the distance.
“I'd hoped never to see that place again. Now what?” Thorax stammered, and they all looked at the ever depressing Changeling Kingdom Castle.
Thus, the trio embarked on a quest to save Equestria, and we find ourselves back in the present…[1]
“Starlight?”
Starlight groaned as she turned in bed. “Just one more minute, Ma…”
“Starlight,” the voice persisted, and Starlight opened her eyes to see a frazzled purple pony princess talking to her. “Starlight! Thank Celestia you’re finally awake!”
“Hm?” Starlight murmured before shooting up in her hospital bed once more. With a disorienting case of déjà vu, Starlight shook her head and faced Twilight with an alert mind. “Twilight? What- where am I?”
Twilight laughed nervously before clearing her throat. “You’re in, uh, the hospital again.”
Starlight began to emit a high pitched whine, putting her face in her hooves. She winced as her hooves brushed her horn and then proceeded to drag her hooves down her face. Twilight sighed before continuing. “Okay, so you’re not in the actual hospital, you’re in the Castle’s hospital.”
Starlight froze and cocked an eyebrow with her hooves still on her face. “The Castle has a hospital.”
“Sure does,” Twilight confirmed and Starlight dropped her hooves.
“Does that mean I can leave now?” Starlight said, attempting to get out of the hospital bed. Twilight’s horn lit up and suddenly, Starlight was frozen in place. “Uh, can you maybe not use your magic to freeze me?”
“Sorry, Starlight, but I wanted to address the elephant in the room,” Twilight explained before releasing Starlight. Starlight stayed at the edge of the bed, waiting for whatever Twilight wanted to talk about. “Your horn.”
Starlight locked up before glancing up at her still bandaged mana conductor. “W-what about it?” Starlight asked, and Twilight lowered her gaze.
“I’m sorry we weren’t there to prevent that hydra from attacking you. It must’ve sensed that the magic that we have been imbued with was absent from Ponyville and thought that it would be safe to attack. If only-”
“Twilight, stop.” Starlight dropped off her bed and approached Twilight. “It wasn’t your fault that the changelings chose then to kidnap you. It isn’t your fault that I may never properly use magic ever again. None of it is, okay?” Starlight lay a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and Twilight nodded.
“Thanks, Starlight,” Twilight whispered before stepping away from Starlight. “Starlight, if you will say yes, can I take a look at your horn without the bandages? I… I only caught a glance just before you passed out, and I want to make sure it’s... stable.”
Starlight gulped nervously before nodding, and Twilight brought a mirror in front of Starlight. She then slowly began to unravel Starlight’s bandages on her head. “When I take these off, you can see for yourself just how bad they might be. I don’t think you know yourself the severity of it’s damage, but here we go.”
Starlight nodded once more, acknowledging what Twilight said. Just the motion of Twilight taking the bandages off burned her nerves and she resisted the urge to bite her cheek, just before her horn was fully unraveled, and soon so was her head. Starlight breathed quickly, looking at her pale face before casting her eyes up to assess the damage.
“I’m really sorry, Starlight,” Twilight murmured as they both looked at Starlight’s horn.
Starlight could feel something die inside her at the sight of her shattered horn. Cracks weaved her horn and one large crack spiralled from the top to the base of her head. With every throb of pain in Starlight’s head, she could see the faintest glow of mana emanating from the main crack in her horn. It was like a spider web, with faint fractures lining the entire magical appendage. Starlight could feel tears reaching her eyes just at the sight of it, as well the oddest feeling of sickness at seeing magic leaking from her head.
Starlight closed her eyes, blinking the tears away. She breathed slowly in and out, trying to calm her beating heart. “Trixie told me the doctors said there is nothing they could do to heal my horn like this,” Starlight began before facing Twilight. “Is that true?”
Twilight looked crestfallen and turned away before teleporting a book from one of her shelves. She could see Twilight’s own reaction at seeing her friend’s state and Starlight felt sorry for making Twilight go through this, as much as she had had to face that hydra. “While you were recovering after we went to Our Town, I scoured the library for anything. I asked the doctors at the hospital, and I even wrote to the Princesses. They sent me a few tomes, but it was only ever mentioned a couple times in the few hundred books they sent me.”
Starlight widened her eyes at how Twilight seemed to shrug off a hundred books (probably with 400 pages each) as a few but said nothing on that matter. “How long was I asleep that you could find the time to read more than a hundred books?” Starlight asked.
“Two, maybe three hours,” Twilight replied. Starlight blinked.
“...What did you find, then? Even if it’s just a word.”
“There’s a few mentions, but the strongest is a small section that mentions healing in here: ‘The Way Of The Spirit’, and I… I hate to admit it but I read this book last out of all of the books for the only reason that it is so far out there. It talks about chi and spiritual energy… Which, I’m hard-pressed to say is not what I call ‘real magic’.”
“What does it say,” Starlight implored quietly after a moment, demanding more than asking.
“Starlight, I don’t exactly think this is the best book to trust. I think it’d be better if we just figured it out ourselves or just let it be and-”
“Something is better than nothing, Twilight,” Starlight muttered, “So tell me what it says.”
Twilight stood still for moment before she nodded and flipped the book open to a marker. “Any wound, whether it be spiritual or of physical nature, can be healed with a journey of self discovery and intense trial. Many secrets are held in the makings of the universe, and one only needs to look to find them. There are few who have mastered this art and it’s magic is all but forgotten, but if you are truly penitent and willing, you will find yourself feeling jubilant in what you have seeked, and what you have found.”
Twilight shut the book and sighed. “I told you, it’s a bunch of gibberish spouting nonsense about things like ‘spirit’ and ‘secrets the universe has hidden’. It certainly is interesting, and I’m sure there’s sound theory behind it but I just don’t find it… it doesn’t sound right, Starlight. Starlight?”
Twilight watched as Starlight muttered things under her breath, talking to herself. “Starlight, are you still with me?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah, yeah,” Starlight whispered before pointing her hoof at the book. “Can I see that page real quick?”
“You’re not seriously considering going on a ‘journey of self discovery’, are you?” Twilight asked Starlight with worry as she hesitantly floated the book over. “It just doesn’t sound right.”
“It doesn’t matter what sounds ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ right now, Twilight.This might be the only chance of helping me recover, and if it means that I get to learn more about myself, than all the better.” Starlight flipped to the page before frowning after skimming it over a few times. “Twilight, some of the letters are printed differently than others.”
Twilight cocked an eyebrow as she walked over to Starlight’s side. Looking the page over once more, Twilight shook her head. “Starlight, there’s nothing wrong with any of the letters. It’s all the same. What are you talking about?”
Starlight began to point to several letters on the page. “Kay, Ay, Em, Ar, Ee,Tee, Ay, Jay. Those specific letters are bolded or something. Can’t you see it?” Starlight questioned, and Twilight looked at the letters once more, comparing them to other letters on the same page.
“There’s… there’s nothing wrong with those letters, Starlight. Are you sure you’re okay right now? Maybe your headaches are making you see things, and I fear that if that’s the case, then your condition is much worse than either of us thought-”
“No, Twilight,” Starlight said firmly. She gently closed the book shut once more. “I haven’t thought more clearly in years. If it means helping me discover who I really am…” Starlight looked at the book in her hooves before looking back up at Twilight. “I need this, Twilight. Even if it means I can’t use magic, even if I don’t heal. I… I’ve been torn about my role as a pony ever since you helped me see there’s a better way of doing things… I don’t know if I’m a leader, or a skilled mage, or a broken mare! Look at me, Twilight, really look at me. What do you see?”
Twilight studied Starlight for a time. “I… I don’t know. But I know one thing. I see a friend I can trust to do what’s right.” Twilight sighed, feeling the cover of the book Starlight held. She then hugged her friend with sincerity and trust. “If there’s anypony I know who’s capable of taking care of themselves, it’s you. And if you really think this is what you need…” Twilight pulled away from the hug and smiled at Starlight. “Nothing’s stopping you.”
Starlight pulled Twilight in for another hug, surprising the Friendship Princess. After a while, they let go, and Starlight had tears streaking her face. “Thank you, Twilight. You always seem to understand in the end.”
Twilight nodded as Starlight collected herself and slowly walked out of the hospital wing. “Anytime, Starlight…” Twilight whispered. “Even if that means following a book that doesn’t make sense…”
Standing in the hospital for a few more minutes after Starlight had left, Twilight tried to make sense of what she felt. Something felt off. She could’ve sworn that there was magic in those pages, so subtle and different that she hadn’t really noticed it. If only for a few moments, Twilight pondered the credibility of anything in the book. “Kamaretaj…” Twilight muttered to herself as she remembered the letters Starlight pointed to and connected them in her head. Turning the word over in her head, she walked out of the hospital in a cloud of thought.
Things are about to get strange! Buckle up, everypony, for we have only just begun...
I had some fun with the title of the story 
[1] At this point, the order of events would be nearly identical to the episode(s) and everything before was necessary in showing how Starlight's new injury would have affected her actions and how some things would have gone differently.
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This is going to be fuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!
What is this a crossover of?
7836142 Marvel/Doctor Strange! Basically, similar characters and themes will appear. You know, magic and stuff! I'm pretty sure you can see where I'm going with this.
So are you a 'Luna is best princess' kinda person?
7836428 How do you mean? As in she's Best Pony or my favorite character
7836529 like you think Luna is the best princess of them all. I assume so because you use Luna instead of celestia mostly.
Three things:
1. Please label your crossovers. If people knew this was crossed with Doctor Strange you would have a much larger audience. Before I read this I thought Starlight was going to learn how to break the fourth wall, which is not what the story is about at all.
2. Repeating anything in the episode with only slight changes is a bad idea. I skipped about half the chapter because I already saw it. Cut that stuff out and replace it with a few paragraphs of summary.
3. That said, I'm interested in following this. Please do keep going.
7836536 I just think it's more appropriate for some of these cases
7836559 How do you think I should go about it, in the title or in the descriptions?
7836615 Author's Note at the bottom of the long description. That's what I do anyway.
Hm, this looks interesting.... I'll be tracking this.
See if you can fit "I've come to bargain!" in the plot!
7836559 Well, I also that some bits of how the broken horn is dealt with in that part of the episode is important. If you skim it, you might not see how badly it actually affects Starlight physically, and maybe emotionally.
If you still think I should condense it, sure, but can I get your opinion?
7836720 Fair enough. I would still recommend condensing it if you can, or making other changes so it's not like reading a novel adaption of the episode in question.
Also if you get the next chapter out within a few days, I think this'll hit the featured box.
7837663 Alright, thanks.
Anything with S. Glimmer as main gets a thumbs up from me.
Discord's forth wall breaking~ness stuff. Need I say more?
Twilight whispered in disdain carefully unwrapping Starlight’s horn and gasping at the sight of the cracks in it.
Redundant Phrasing is Redundant.
Now alone, Starlight winced every so often, feeling the healing magic of the hospital working on her as her head throbbed every few seconds.
Starlight bit her lip before she found a large shadow suddenly cast onto the ground. Without hesitation, Starlight looked up to see Princess Luna’s shape in the moon, clinging to the inside the moon for what seemed to be dear life.
“It doesn’t matter what sounds ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ right now, Twilight. This might be the only chance of helping me recover, and if it means that I get to learn more about myself, then all the better.”
Starlight is the perfect pony for Doctor Strange.
However, if I could criticize this setup a bit, there's a few problems, in my opinion. Of course, as a start, this isn't bad, and it certainly has good writing, but I think you have a bit of a problem with these origin stories with not letting the characters have unlikable qualities. (I noticed this in your Iron Man fic too.)
While Starlight doesn't need Doctor Strange levels of jerkiness, she needed a bit more time with her broken horn. To show just how much of her life was dependent on her magic. She needed to look through all the options, travel to Canterlot, get in touch with researchers, everything. Then have her find the book.
Really, it wasn't a bad start, but the emotional impact was rushed.
I actually noticed the intended bolding in the letters before the characters even brought it up in the story, thought is was going to be something related to another of your works. But the fact that Starlight noticed it brings up questions. I shall bring myself up to speed since as of writing this i have 21 more chapters to read.
I don't know that much about Comics version of Dr Strange, is it that different from MCU Strange?