> A World Without Justice > by efug25g > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue - Starlight's Reasons > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A female Unicorn with pink fur and a purple-teal mane and tail arrived at a small village. She came inside a tall house which is stationed all the way to the edge of town in the middle of the 2 rows of houses. She remembers that this used be the very same house that she lived in before she met Twilight and her friends; it's also the very same village that she has enslaved, robbing every pony there of their cutie marks. When she went inside, she closed the door behind her, unloaded all of her belongings, and setup everything in order to recreate the time travel spell. The Unicorn mare heard knock coming from her front door. "Who is it?" The Unicorn asked. After a few minutes, she heard a reply from the outside. "It's me, Party Favor!" The unicorn responded. As the mare opened the door, she sees a light blue furred male unicorn, with a dark blue mane named Party Favor, a female pink unicorn with a purple mane named Sugar Belle, a female dark blue pegasus with a white and gray mane named Night Glider, a male white earth pony name Double Diamond are all standing outside in a nonchalant pose. "Starlight, it's you!" Party Favor said. "What brings you back to our village? Are you okay?" "We saw you enter our village without saying a word." Night Glider added. "We even tried saying hi to you but you didn't respond to any of us. Are you feeling okay?" "I don't think I am, Glider." Starlight answer in a depressing tone. Diamond walked up to her. "What's wrong, Starlight?" Double Diamond noticed that there are tears coming out of Starlight's eyes. "Something terrible has happened to Princess Twilight." Starlight responded in sad tone of voice. "What is it?" Diamond asked, not being able to understand Starlight Glimmer. "It's okay, Starlight. You don't have to tell us, if you don't want too. We'll go over it later." "Okay, I'll tell you guys." All four ponies hurdled together to listen to Starlight Glimmer's story. Starlight took a deep breath as she wiped away the tears from her eyes before explaining her story from start to finish. "Well, the thing is....." Hello, my name is Starlight Glimmer, I'm sure you're wondering why I came back to this village in such a forlorn expression, unable to speak to any of my friends there, and more importantly, why am I trying to use the time travel spell again. Well, before you can say anything about it, there some things you should know first. I may have done this by using Star Swirl the Bearded's spell to prevent Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom from occurring, which gave the Mane 6 their cutie marks but this isn't what you guys think anymore. I have changed a lot since I became Princess Twilight's student. She gave me a second chance to learn about friendship, as well as treating other ponies equal, but in a more better way without taking away their cutie marks. However, my friendship with Twilight Sparkle ended in a tragic way. Though, it wasn't the monsters from Tartarus or within Equestria that caused her downfall, nor it was the friendship problems that she had to deal with, including the problems that I caused before I met her, but it was the betrayal of her own people that made her fall apart. This was tragically done due to reasons that I don't quite understand or that I refused to believe in. For the reasons behind my intention of using the time travel spell again, it all started like a couple of years ago after she reformed me. > Chapter 1 - Canterlot Tour > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It all started a few days later after Twilight brought me to her library castle to study under her wing. I've been taught the history of how Equestria was formed by the nations of Unicornia, Pegasi, and the Earth Pony Tribe. I also learned about how Twilight became the 4th Princess of Equestria, who is destined to spread friendship throughout the land as the Princess of Friendship. During my studies, I also learned that each of the four Equestrian Princesses represent a powerful virtue based on the powers they possessed. Princess Celestia's sun magic represents joy and faith. Princess Luna's power represents serenity and order. Princess Cadence's love magic represents compassion. As for Princess Twilight's power, not only does it represents harmony and friendship, it also represents unity and justice. I also learned that Discord's power of chaos represents entertainment and comedic mischief. Sure, many ponies feared him because he was a monstrous draconeques by nature but he's still a nice guy. He just gets too carried away with his powers. Enough of all that, let's move forward. After 6 weeks of studying in Twilight's castle, Twilight invited me go on a tour around Canterlot. I responded by saying yes without giving it another thought. I should've thought about this earlier before I went with Twilight because what I didn't know is that there were still other ponies in Canterlot who didn't approve of me being Twilight's apprentice. We took the train to Canterlot. As soon as we got out, we were greeted by a couple of jeering ponies. Some were even giving us stern and hostile looks. Twilight told to me to just ignore them. However, those extremist ponies refused to let Twilight pass through until a orange pegasus colt with a blue mane named Flash Sentry, one of Twilight's personal guards, came down from his flight and tells the crowd to back off. He was wearing yellow royal guard armor and is bearing the cutie mark of a blue shield with a lighting bolt in the middle. I did noticed that Twilight was blushing when she saw him. I kind of giggled after seeing him give Twilight a kiss on her cheek because it didn't took me that long to figure it out. For some reason, I think Twilight might be in love with Flash. Our first stop was at the town square. Twilight let me introduce myself to her unicorn friends that she met in the School of Gifted Unicorns. We had fun eating donuts together at Donut Joe's place, while Flash Sentry stayed outside. Some of us were talking about how will they support Twilight's Democracy in Equestria. I had no reason to go against Twilight's changes because I believe that her democracy can be used to help fight against sin and racial segregation. Most of Twilight's friends believed in her because they wanted to see Equestria get stronger, as well as supporting the land of its citizenry. Moon Dancer also pointed out that if we don't change Equestria to better heights, our land will become an eternal boredom. After we finished eating at Donut Joe's, Twilight's friends went on ahead to do other stuff, while Twilight, Flash, and I went to the School of Gifted Unicorns, which is a huge mansion with purple walls, dark-bluish and grayish roofs embroidered with golden stars and other colorful designs, 3 white towers, in which 2 of them were decorated with lightly-colored purple swirls, and windows with golden sills, except for the middle entrance which has white walls, 2 orange pillars with both of them bearing a purple diamond in the middle and floating sun lanterns facing the sky above them, and a huge golden circle that has a cross in the middle. "So this must be the School of Gifted Unicorns." I said in awe. "I know right?" Twilight acknowledged. "Do you want to go look around before we meet up with Princess Celestia?" I was so excited to tour around the school since I never been to the school before. "I don't see why not?" I said in a cheerful voice. Twilight, Flash, and I made their way into the school before heading to the school's library. I was so excited to see Twilight's favorite school, that I didn't notice that we were being watched by Prince Blueblood who is lurking in the shadows. > Chapter 2 - Blueblood's Threat > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After we finished our tour around the School for Gifted Unicorns, Twilight, Flash, and I decided to take a break at a nearby restaurant. We all ate there for lunch. Before we decided to walk to the Canterlot Palace, Twilight needed to use the restroom while Flash Sentry stayed on guard outside. I was just finishing washing my hoofs when all of a sudden, some white unicorn stallion with the blond mane appeared out of nowhere. Judging by the look on his face, he doesn't seem very happy. I did tried to ignore him when I was on my way out of the restaurant but he wouldn't stop getting in my way. The next I know, he was standing in front of me at the exit of the restaurant. "What do you want?!" I asked the stallion in a startled tone. The stallion gave me a sneer before answering my question. "I saw you hanging around with that spoiled brat, Twilight Sparkle." "Yeah, what about it?!" I asked defensively. "Do you really think you can support Twilight when her changes are going to destroy Equestria and all of its traditions? DO YOU?!" The stallion snarled as he leaned his head towards me in a hostile glare. "What do even know about Twilight anyway?!" I asked in a offended tone. "I don't see anything wrong with Twilight's democracy or her changes. In fact, she promised to show me how all ponies should be treated equally and fairly regardless of class, family background, and race." "You have no idea on how high the risks are and how big the threats are when making such royal decisions as this." The stallion protested. "If you think you can help save Equestria through Twilight's reign, you should be ashamed for your overconfidence." "Why should I??" I snapped at the stallion. I'm starting to think that the stallion I'm talking to is not making any sense. I mean, did he even tried to see Twilight that she's not a threat to him or is he just making stuff up just to make her look bad in front of the public? Before either of us could say another word, all the other ponies started to notice our dispute and stared at us with horror on their faces. "BLUEBLOOD, THAT'S ENOUGH!!!!" Flash Sentry roared as he appeared behind me. He must've heard the commotion and decided to intercept the stallion that was speaking to me in a very offensive tone. "Get out of here Blueblood or you're going to get a hoof up your flank!!!" Startled by what Flash Sentry said, Prince Blueblood reluctantly backed away from me but not before he left me behind a threatening speech. "You better not get in our way, young lady." Prince Blueblood hissed. "Or you're going to regret being here in Canterlot!!!" That was the last thing Prince Blueblood said before he marched out of the restaurant fuming. "Who does he think he is trying to badmouth Twilight in front of me?!" I asked Flash. "That was Prince Blueblood. Though, I wish hadn't called him "Prince" anymore. Ever since Princess Twilight came into power as Princess Celestia's co-ruler, he's been harassing her more than once." Flash Sentry answered followed by a little growl. "Oh buck it, he's been doing this even before Twilight's coronation." "Are you okay, not wanting to pulverize him?" I asked Flash. I might end up encouraging Flash to pick a fight with Blueblood but I can't tell if it's worth punishing Blueblood right now. However, I'm thinking that Prince Blueblood needs to be taught a lesson very soon if he doesn't stop talking down on Twilight like that. "Starlight, I maybe a pegasus royal guard, but I don't have the right to use any deadly force on ponies that are just being loudmouths. Otherwise, my superiors would either have me disciplined through court-martialing, suspension from the Equestrian military, or by being dishonorably discharged from the service. However, I'm still expected to protect Twilight Sparkle and the other Equestrian Princesses from anything that possess an immediate threat to their very existence. So, if anything happens to Princess Twilight Sparkle because of Blueblood, I'm going to beat the living Tartarus out of him so bad, that he's going to wish that he's never been born." Flash Sentry snarled as clamped on both of his hooves together. "Alright, I'm done." Twilight appeared behind Flash Sentry. She did noticed that Flash was angry for some reason. "Flash Sentry, is everything okay? I heard a bit of shouting coming from outside the restroom." Flash turned to look at Twilight before he answered her question. "Everything is fine, your majesty. Though, I had to stop Blueblood from harassing Starlight Glimmer." I noticed that Twilight did tried to pretend like she doesn't want to worry about Blueblood but I can tell that deep in her eyes, I saw a mask horror and anger on her face. I don't really believe that Twilight is a threat to me. Of course, she was a threat when she tried to ruin my happiness that I once had when I took over the town of former equals. However, everything that I did back there was a 100% wrong and I had no excuse for all the sins that I caused in front of Twilight, her friends, or the rest of the town's inhabitants. In fact, Twilight did told me that Sunset Shimmer's story and Discord's story, before their reformation, was pretty similar to my story. We all make mistakes, yet it's never too late to start all over again. In fact, the real reason why Sunset, Discord, and I were evil back then was because we completely lost our way and deliberately went down a path that was consequently regrettable, at least Twilight did the right thing for us. That's all in the past. So, in return, we all still wanted to support Princess Twilight because she helped us find a different path that provides good faith to our well-being. "Is every pony ready to head to Canterlot Castle?" Twilight asked as I snapped out of my past history. "Ready when you are, your highness." Flash acknowledge as he bowed down to Twilight. "I'm ready to go Twilight." I responded in a nervous tone. I'm still shaken by what Prince Blueblood said to me before Flash intervened. I hope he doesn't show up again. If he does, I'll knock some sense into him. I don't know why, but for some reason, I've got a very bad feeling about this. Though, I just hope Blueblood's threat is just an empty lie. Who knows? > Chapter 3 - Meeting Princess Celestia > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Despite the harassment that occurred in that restaurant back at the town square recently, I did my best not to think about Blueblood. Well, whatever problems he had with Princess Twilight, I hope he gets over it because he sounded like an over-sensitive and a very rude dimwit, all bark and no bite. We managed to make our way towards the Canterlot Palace, but not before we ran into a few other extremist nobles who are just as sensitive as Blueblood is. Then again, I ignored them all thinking that their words don't mean anything, while Flash Sentry dispersed them. As soon as we reached the throne room, I finally get to meet Twilight's former teacher, Princess Celestia. She was a tall white alicorn with a flowing cyan, green, blue, and pink mane and tail. She wore a golden crown on her head and wore golden necklace on her chest. I did not hesitate in bowing down before her; Flash Sentry bowed down as well. For Twilight however, she was greeted by Princess Celestia with a big, friendly hug, followed by a nudge on her cheek. "Hello Princess Twilight, how are you doing today?" "I'm doing just fine, Princess Celestia." Twilight responded with a happy squeal. Celestia looked at me after she let go of Twilight. "Is she the one that you brought in as your newest student?" Celestia asked Twilight. "Yes, she is." Twilight responded to Princess Celestia. Celestia walked towards me with a smile. I was a bit nervous because she might have known about the sins that I have caused before I met Twilight. However, she didn't looked like that she cared about my past. "Welcome to Canterlot, Starlight Glimmer. Please make yourself at home." "It's been a pleasure to meet you, your highness." I said as I greet Princess Celestia up front. "So Starlight Glimmer, what kind of path do you wish to take as Twilight's pupil?" Celestia asked. I haven't thought about the path I wanted to take. This is just the beginning of the lessons that Twilight wished to teach me. "I don't know yet. I'm sure I'll be able to find my own path with Twilight's guidance someday." I said. "It's alright Starlight, I understand. You still have a long way to go and you don't have to answer my question right now if you don't want to." Celestia said. Realizing what Celestia said, I finally stop being nervous. I gave a bit of thought to discuss what happened to the nobles in Canterlot. So, I bluntly came up with a question of my own. "I did notice that some of the nobles in Canterlot are not being friendly with your former student, Twilight Sparkle. I mean, did she really do anything to them that made them hate her?" I asked to Princess Celestia. This may not be any of my business since Twilight Sparkle is a royal alicorn princess, just like Celestia is, and I'm just a regular unicorn commoner. I mean, Twilight told me that the members of the Equestrian royal family always possess more power, responsibility, and regal authority than any other pony in Equestria. Generally, the Equestrian royal family is considered to possess the highest rank in all of Equestrian leadership. I may not possess any nobility like Twilight and Celestia do, but I only asked because I was still concerned for the safety of Twilight. "I was just asking because some pony named Prince Blueblood came up to me and told me that Twilight should not make any changes in Equestria for she may risk destroying the very land that she was trying to protect." Celestia remained speechless for a little while before answering my question. "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you, Starlight. They're just disagreeable folks by nature. Of course, it's never easy to rule over a country where one side supports the residing leader's decisions and the other side rejects them out of fear and jealously, not even to me." I'm a little lost right there because I can't tell if Twilight's changes are right or wrong. It's just as if there is a conflict occurring between two forces that are opposing against each other, such as light versus dark, order versus chaos, and progress versus tradition. I hope Twilight will still survive being part of the Equestrian royal family, despite all the hardships and the political disagreements that she has to put up with. "Ultimately, you just learn from your mistakes through trial and error. I'll always be there to help and guide Twilight in the future; just like when Twilight will be there to help and guide you toward your future." Celestia continued. "Similarly, since Princess Luna came back from her exile, I'll still seek some guidance from her when I'm having trouble trying deal with the ponies that are opposing against our rule in our future." "I understand." I said to Princess Celestia. "So, don't worry about Prince Blueblood. Since he's my nephew, I'll take care of him later." Celestia told me. "Though, there is something else that is worrying me, other than just my nephew, yet I'm finding it very hard to understand." "Understand what?" I asked politely out of curiosity. I don't know what I was thinking when I said that. If I get too curious about Blueblood's groundings, I'll be forced to pay the ultimate price for putting my nose into where it doesn't belong. During my study with Twilight, she did lectured me that some political questions about the Equestrian government, its officials, and everything that is happening outside of our country are better off left unanswered. She also warned me that if I pushed things like that too far, I might, therefore, accidentally risk putting myself in danger. Celestia looked toward a nearby window before continuing her conversation with me. "I'm starting to have a hunch that Prince Blueblood was being used like a pawn by another pony noble. I don't want to admit it but Princess Luna told me that she was starting to suspect that the Blueblood noble family is forming a dark conspiracy that's plotting to destroy everything that Princess Twilight worked very hard to achieve." Celestia said as she whispered into my ear. "You and I probably don't know about this either but Luna warned me that there is darkness surrounding not just Prince Blueblood but also his father Amadeus Blueblood." "Amadeus Blueblood??" I asked. Of course I've never heard of him before. Though, I heard rumors that he is a manipulator and a deceiver of all sorts who cares less about anything else, other than achieving the Blueblood Family status in such cruel ways. I did remember asking Twilight if there is any pony or creature out there that she has failed to reform while spreading friendship. After hearing my question, I started to notice that Twilight's face turned completely pale with horror in her eyes. The next I knew, she gave me a very terrifying, angry look from her face. Before I could say anything, she did told me that some pony named Amadeus Blueblood was making Twilight look bad in front of the public, even before she met me, the Mane 5, Trixie Lulamoon, Sunset Shimmer, and Discord. Her problems with Amadeus all started since Twilight was brought into the palace of Canterlot as Celestial prized pupil when she was just a filly. I didn't understand how Amadeus do it, but the other nobles who were on Twilight's side, such as Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis, claim that Amadeus sold his dark heart to the devil and haunted Canterlot like a demon lurking in the shadows. Rumor has it that any pony that crossed paths with him has been either killed or worse. I could tell that deep down in her heart, Twilight was angry thinking about Amadeus because she believed that he was the one of the few ponies that can never be reasoned with, like I was, and that he poisoned some of her fellow ponies against her. What's worse, in her own point of view, is that Twilight's life as a pony princess didn't make her feel any better in front of Amadeus or his son. Furthermore, Twilight told me that she doesn't want to hear another word about Amadeus Blueblood. Despite the rumors revolving around Amadeus, I hope none of this happens to Twilight because she is my only hope in discovering friendship in Equestria. If anything happens to her, there will be no justice or friendship anymore. "As far as I know, I've been having serious doubts about Amadeus' groundings." Celestia continued, snapping me out of my subconsciousness. "However, I could not find any hard evidence to prove that Amadeus wanted to overthrow me and Twilight." Before I can say any more, Twilight came up to me telling me that it's almost night time. Without hesitation, Twilight and I said goodbye to Princess Celestia for now, as Flash Sentry escorted both of us back to train station. "Twilight, I'm still thinking..." I said to her as we continued our trek toward the train station. "Yes, Starlight?" Twilight asked me. "Do you think Amadeus, really is a threat?" I blurted out. It may not be the best time to ask questions like that since it'll just create more political pressure on Twilight. "I don't really want to think that he is a threat!" Twilight huffed in disbelief. "That's the last thing I would ever want to have in my mind. Then again, I don't want you to ever mention that ungrateful fiend!!" Well, whoever this Amadeus guy is, I just hope he doesn't try anything to ruin our friendship between me and Twilight Sparkle. > Chapter 4 - "All Went Well Until...." > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After Twilight and I made it back to Ponyville by train, leaving Flash Sentry behind at Canterlot, we immediately went back to Twilight's Castle Library to rest up for the next day. As I studied further and help solved various friendship problems all over Ponyville, I was able to get along quite well with the rest of Twilight's friends. We also went hiking, sailing, swimming, and did other various recreational activities. I can't get enough fun when I was hanging out with most of the Mane 6 and Spike. In a few weeks later, Twilight was able to help me make amends with an old childhood friend of mine at the Crystal Empire. I remember that I used to have fun with a male unicorn, who had an orange body and mane, named Sunburst. When he got his cutie mark, he was immediately transferred to the School of Gifted Unicorns. I didn't get to see him again, until just recently. It took me a while to make it up to Sunburst. He told me that as long as you have what it takes to learn about friendship and harmony, thanks to Princess Twilight's guidance, things will get good from here on out. Before I knew it, I started to fall in love with Sunburst. Eventually, we both went on various dates around the Crystal Empire during my breaks from studying. So, every time I see him, I started blushing, followed by a small smile on my face. Similarly, when Twilight decides to go out on a break from her royal duties, she usually goes out on a date with Flash Sentry in Canterlot and sometimes, at the Crystal Empire. I always find it pretty funny when they both keep bumping into each other. However, I did my best not to laugh at them, because it'll just attract a lot of unwanted attention. In a couple of weeks later, I had trouble trying to make a friend that I can relate to. However, when I was at the spa in Ponyville, I ran into another unicorn that I can relate to of my past. That's when I met Trixie Lulamoon. She was a light blue female unicorn with a white mane and tail. She was also wearing a purple magician's outfit, embroidered with stars, and is bearing the cutie mark of a magician's wand. Twilight was having doubts about me being friends with Trixie because of how rude she was before then. Twilight didn't forget about how Trixie displayed her boastful behavior around Ponyville, especially when she thought that she can take on a Ursa Minor, when she kicked Twilight out of Ponyville after loosing to her in a magic duel, and when she enslaved all of Ponyville at her will, much to the dismay of Twilight and the Mane 5. Ultimately, Twilight finally came to her senses after an argument between her and Trixie. After Trixie's performance during her "Equestrian Apology Tour," Twilight finally apologizes to her for getting too carried away with her past. So, that's when my friendship with Trixie truly began. After studying about friendship for almost 4 months later, I was on my way back from a taking a tour with the Apple Family at Everfree Forest when all of a sudden, Twilight came out of the Castle Library. She told me that she has received a letter from Princess Celestia. The letter said that Twilight was being summoned to Canterlot for an important delegation that requests her and the royal sisters' attendance. I was thinking about coming with her but she turned me down because she told me that this is a matter that concerns only the nobles and the royals of Equestria, as well as its representatives. Before I can say anymore, a royal caravan appeared before us, with Flash Sentry and Gallant Heart as Twilight's personal escorts. Since there is nothing I can do for Twilight, I bid her farewell and wished her good luck, for now. Twilight smiled at me before she went inside the royal caravan and took off, along with Flash and Gallant. For most of the day until the afternoon, I took a trek around Ponyville to see how the others are doing. Fluttershy and Discord are having tea together as usual. Rarity was busy preparing Sweetie Belle for a sleepover with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Applejack was busy helping Big Mac sell some apples near the Gazebo. Pinkie Pie was planning a party for one of fillies in Dodge Junction. As for Rainbow Dash, she was turning into a mean, angry drunk for some reasons revolving around not being able to join the Wonderbolts. To make matters worse, she took it out on Twilight before leaving the pub that she was drinking at. I hope Rainbow Dash will apologize to Twilight for her drunk behavior. After my trek, I went back to the library to meet up with Spike and Twilight's pet owl named Owlicious. I helped Spike and the owl clean up most of the castle until nightfall. We all went to our rooms to sleep. Before I went to sleep in my guest room, however, I was still thinking about Twilight. I mean, ever since I ran into Blueblood, I'm still wondering: Will Twilight have what it takes to survive the hardships in Equestria as Celestia's co-ruler? Is it really worth being a princess to her? Is Twilight really proud of herself after making changes for every pony in Equestria? All those questions that I have in my head right now will be what keeps me going. I hope all of those doubts will come to pass. I decided to go to sleep in order to clear my head of everything that happened during our tour in Canterlot. When I woke up first thing in the morning, I saw a blinding flash outside of a nearby window which came from Canterlot. I thought this wasn't anything that I should be concerned with. I went out of my room and went down to the kitchen to make some breakfast. Suddenly, after I finished my breakfast, when I looked outside the window again, there were swarms of Equestrian Royal guard being deployed all over Ponyville. I didn't understand what's going on until the guards rounded up the Mane 5 into the castle that I was in. The next thing I knew, Princess Luna appeared before them. She dropped by the main entrance, bearing very bad news to the Mane 5. I was not prepared to hear what Princess Luna had to say and neither did they. Princess Luna announced to the Mane 5 that Princess Twilight Sparkle has been murdered in her sleep!!! Shocked by what Luna said, the entire Mane 5 started crying and wailing, believing that they would never see Twilight again. Spike was crying too, after realizing that his adopted mother, Twilight Sparkle, met her untimely demise. Not wanting to have any part of this, I immediately teleported outside behind the castle walls. Unable to keep my emotions in check any longer, I started crying, with tears filling up my eyes, as I looked up to the sky. "WHY, TWILIGHT?? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE????" I wailed very loud to myself before I started burying my face in my hooves. The next thing I knew, I was laying on the ground, sobbing. I didn't even get very far in Twilight's study. After what I've been through with my teacher, just when all went well until today, I know now that I'll never be seeing Twilight Sparkle again. > Chapter 5 - Aftermath of the Fallen Star > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Immediately after, hearing the murder of Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia ordered her guards to hunt down the traitors behind Twilight's death. As soon as they rounded up all the culprits from their hideouts in three days later, that's when my deepest horrors have finally been realized. It was Prince Blueblood all along. I should've known, back in Canterlot, when he threatened me at the restaurant that I ate lunch with Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry, that he was behind this horrible incident. I never thought that he would make us regret standing in their way by killing an alicorn princess before my very eyes. To make matters worse, I heard that Gallant Heart was the second suspect behind Twilight's death. That was very unbelievable, isn't it? He was the very same royal guard that helped Flash Sentry escort Twilight back to Canterlot. Many ponies, including Twilight's family and Gallant Heart's family were completely outraged after learning of Gallant Heart's betrayal. Before Gallant Heart and Blueblood went to their prison awaiting their trial, an angry mob of Twilight's supporters came storming through the castle grounds, attempting to personally get revenge on both of them. Of course, I was part of the angry mob too because I wanted to strangle the bucking life out of Prince Blueblood for his impudence, in which was directly aimed towards my dead teacher. Unfortunately, Prince Shining Armour, who was Princess Twilight's brother, ordered his men to disperse the crowd immediately. It took like 30 minutes before the angry mob finally stand down and eventually, I too have given up. On the next day, Princess Celestia had put ten suspects on trial to face their criminal charges. The suspects happened to be five corrupted guards and five corrupted nobles. They were all being convicted for murdering Twilight Sparkle. Before their trial, the crooks were all beaten, battered, and bloodied by the other royal guards. The damage they done on those traitors was so devastating, that they barely look like ponies anymore. As a matter of fact, they were all nothing but demons hiding behind sheep's clothing. You already know that Gallant Heart and Prince Blueblood are part of the group that were conspired to kill Twilight but I never knew the names of the other guards and nobles that turned their back on her. Every pony that was supporting Twilight's decisions, including her friends and her family, were glaring at the suspects during the trial, with an intent to kill. I was sitting right next to the Mane 5. In fact, I'm really shaking up because I wanted to kill those traitors too but I felt a hoof belonging to Sunburst touch my shoulder. When I turned my face to look at him, Sunburst whispered in my ear, ordering me not to come up with any crazy ideas in this trial. I guess there is nothing I can do at this point, since I'll just be making an idiotic scene. After Celestia made her announcement to testify the traitors, Prince Blueblood stepped in. After he made his speech, about being an alicorn and not Twilight, about Twilight being Princess Celestia's mess cleaner, and about Twilight's intent of overthrowing Princess Celestia, it makes me even more angrier hearing all of this blasphemy of his. I just want to blast him into a million pieces with my magic; in fact, most of the other ponies wanted to do the same thing too. Despite Prince Blueblood's defense at the trial, Celestia started crying from the inside, claiming that Twilight was no tyrant or usurper and that she was just trying to protect you all. Unable to take it anymore with Blueblood's venomous lies, Princess Celestia had sentenced him and all of the traitors to be executed by being burned on a stake. After every pony left Princess Celestia's throne room, I noticed that Flash Sentry stormed out and immediately headed down to the dungeons. Shinning Armour was following Flash from behind. I excused myself from Sunburst's embrace before heading down to the dungeons as well. As soon as I got there, I heard a lot of Flash's screaming echoing throughout the hallways; his ranting was so intense and so loud that every guard pony and prisoner in the dungeon was hearing that racket from a mile away. Just when I was about see what was going on in the dungeons, my eyes widen with horror as I witness Flash Sentry constantly beating down on Blueblood inside the jail cell that he was thrown into, without any hesitation or any remorse. Prince Shinning Armour and 4 of his royal guards stood outside of the cell watching, unaffected by Flash's rage. I saw blood and teeth coming out of Blueblood's mouth, which splattered all over the floor, while a small portion of the traitor's blood sprayed on Flash's face. Flash's brutal beat downs were so intense and so bloody, that he acted like he was some sort of raging chimpanzee mutilating a helpless monkey that trespassed into its turf. Of course, I can't blame him for his aggressive behavior. He always cared about Twilight Sparkle, not because he was just her personal guard, but also because of how much he loved her. In my own theory, Flash Sentry wanted to deliver his own personal vendetta and justice by giving Blueblood his just desserts. I watched Flash continue to beat up Blueblood for like 15 minutes before he left the dungeons to take a break. Sunburst came up behind me and told me that I shouldn't see this anymore. As I left the dungeons, along with Sunburst, my blood started to boil because I was thinking about pulverizing Blueblood too. Well, I would give those dirt bags a taste of my own justice if anything happens to my colt friend Sunburst. As me, Sunburst, Flash Sentry, and the rest of Twilight's friends went to the execution, we all watched as Blueblood started screaming like a banshee before the fire consumed him completely. The last thing I saw from him is nothing more than a burnt, shriveled up carcass, lying on the ground unattended and unrecognizable. I left the execution grounds before any of the Mane 5, Sunburst, and Flash Sentry did but not before muttering to myself, "I hope you burn in Tartarus for all eternity, Blueblood!!!" In the Memorial Gardens, Princess Celestia did her part to bid farewell to her beloved student and daughter figure, Princess Twilight Sparkle. I was sitting next to my friends from Ponyville as Shinning Armour gave the order to perform a ceremonial salute. As I hear the magic firing into the sky, I was thinking that if I hadn't abandoned Twilight when she was on her way to Canterlot maybe things would've been different. Maybe she would've survived the assassination attempt if I was there before it happened. After the ceremonial salute, every single pony that supported Twilight during her reign left various types of flowers by her glass coffin before paying her respects. When it was my turn to pay her respects, I cannot help but sob silently as I saw Twilight inside her coffin. When I stared at her, she had the most peaceful smile on her face with her eyes closed. Twilight was wearing her princess crown and coronation gown. She was so beautiful, that I can't stop staring at her in tears. Sunburst was there with me at the Memorial Gardens. Before I can say anything to him, he embraced me in his hooves telling me that it's alright and that Twilight is in a better place now. My friend, Trixie Lulamoon, was there too paying her respects for Princess Twilight. She vowed to let every pony know story of the Great and Legendary Princess Twilight; it was the last thing she said to me before she took off, leaving behind a smoke bomb. After the rest of the Twilight's friends paid their respects to her, her parents came up next. Before I saw what was going on, my eyes widen in shock after seeing Twilight Velvet, who was Twilight's mother, smack Princess Celestia across the face knocking her to the ground. It turns out that she was mad at the Princess for not being able to protect her daughter from those rotten, low-life monsters and blames her for making Twilight a princess. In my opinion, Velvet assumed that this was one of the most biggest mistakes Celestia has ever made in her life. Unable to bear the blame any longer, Celestia screamed as she used her magic to teleport herself away from the Memorial Gardens. As for Flash Sentry, after he paid his respects to his lost love, he immediately resigned from the Equestrian Royal Guard. The last thing I ever heard from him was this: Since he could no longer bear living the rest of his life without Twilight's love for him, he committed suicide. Then again, I can't blame him for his actions since he was one of the few guards that never betrayed Twilight Sparkle. I never saw Flash Sentry again after hearing all of this. After the funeral, it took like about 4 months for Celestia to be ready to pay her respects to Princess Twilight, as well as resuming her reign in Equestria. If it hadn't been for her sister Princess Luna, Celestia would never live it down. As for Twilight Velvet, she finally forgave Princess Celestia for all the misfortune that she has caused for Twilight Sparkle. However, before Velvet was about to give birth to her second daughter, she tells Princess Celestia not to raise their 3rd child like what she did to Twilight. Not a moment too soon, Princess Celestia accepts this before Velvet left the gardens. After Princess Celestia went back on the throne, I decided to help her by carrying out her wish in enforcing all of Twilight's reforms. Hopefully by doing so, I'm sure Equestria will heal in due time, as well as restoring justice in Equestria. What I didn't know is that most of Twilight's reforms did not come without a price. Five years after Blueblood's trial and execution, and after Twilight's funeral, things did not get any better at all. In fact, without Princess Twilight by my side, I have lost all sense of justice in Equestria. There were still some rotten nobles out there who had deliberately opposed against Princess Celestia's wish to carry out Twilight's reforms for her. As days turned to weeks, and when weeks turned to months, I heard on the latest news headlines that more innocent ponies have been killed by those dirtbag nobles by instigating various tragic events, such as the terrorist bombing of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Similar tragic incidents have also occurred in the cities of Manehattan, Appleloosa, Dodge Junction, Cloudsdale, Baltimare, and even in the Crystal Empire. I could not stand facing all the injustice that Equestria is suffering from. I know what I had to do but before that, I decided to visit Twilight Sparkle's grave one last time. When I got there, it was already nightfall. Before I can make my vow to Twilight at her grave, I'm starting sense something sinister coming from behind me. I could feel the wind blowing ominously across my face, the cold chill crawling up in my skin, the creepy sound of leaves crunching, and a dark figure coming out from the shadows behind the trees. I could hear him cackling in a dark, sinister tone. "Who's there?! Show yourself." I glared as I saw the dark figure come closer to where I was standing. "Hello, Starlight Glimmer. Ever since you came to Canterlot with Twilight Sparkle, I've been watching you for a very long time." The sinister voice of the dark figure answered. Before I could say anything, the dark figure revealed himself to be an elderly male unicorn . He was staring at me with those creepy-looking eyes of his. He was a few feet taller than Twilight and he was displaying a small smirk on his face. He approached me with an evil glare before I could say anything. "My name is Amadeus Blueblood." The elderly unicorn said to me. "And I've come to make an offer for you." > Chapter 6 - Rejecting the Devil > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was completely shocked at what I just heard. Twilight had already warned me that Amadeus cannot be reasoned with because of how cruel he was in her past life. How did he even find me here in the Memorial Gardens? More importantly, what does he really want from me? I wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible. I may have the magic to kick some butt but I don't know too much about Amadeus' true motives in Equestria or what is he really capable of. Well, whatever he is planning to do, it can't be good. "Amadeus Blueblood?!" I shrieked as my heart started fill up with horror. "How in the name of Celestia did you get in here? And how did you know my name??!!" "I heard about how you enslaved a group of ponies at this one village." Amadeus responded. "My associates told me that you were hanging out with Princess Twilight in Canterlot, as her new pupil." "What about it?" I asked bluntly to Amadeus. "Why are you even here?" "I may have a lot of explaining to do, but first, I need to make sure no pony sees us or hear us from anywhere." Amadeus said coldly as he fired up a spell from his horn. His horn started emitting a dark, green glow that summoned a huge fainted black dome that covered up the entire memorial garden. When he is done, he also conjured up another spell that flashed throughout the entire area. I thought that nothing really happened after Amadeus cast his spells but when I saw Sunburst in a distance, I tried to wave at him. Unfortunately, he doesn't really see me or hear me even though I could. It turns out the Amadeus used some silent, invisibility, and illusion spells on both of us so that there will be no witnesses for him to deal with. "So, like I was saying, Starlight Glimmer." Amadeus continued. "I came through a black portal that was created by an ally of mine, Queen Cicada of the Changelings. "Queen Cicada of the Changelings?" I said in shock. "I thought Twilight was able to unify the changelings under her banner of friendship by forming the Changeling Republic." I remembered Twilight telling me during my studies, that after the Changeling Invasion that took place in Canterlot during the wedding of her brother and Princess Cadence, she and Princess Cadence tried to form the Changeling Republic as a sign to reform the changelings after that incident. Ever since Queen Chrysalis was reigning over them, there was tyranny occurring within the hive that they were in. After Queen Chrysalis was gone, about 70% of the changeling population accepted being part of the republic. Back in Ponyville, I saw some changelings getting along with most of the fillies at school there. I even saw one working at the Spa with Aloe and Vera and a couple of them working with Applejack at the Apple Farm. After what Amadeus said to me about Queen Cicada, it turns out that the remaining 30% of the changeling population is still trying to carry out Queen Chrysalis' evil legacy by serving directly under Queen Cicada. "Well, not every Changeling wanted this." Amadeus answered. "Why not?" I asked. Before I could say any more, I heard a high-pitched voice of laughter came from behind Amadeus. A huge dark mare appeared from the darkness. She had a similar appearance to that of Queen Chrysalis. "Because any changeling that sides with the Equestrians is deemed a traitor to the hive." She answered with a hiss. "My apologizes for not introducing myself first. My name is Queen Cicada and I am the last living heir of Queen Chrysalis. Amadeus promised me that he will help me restore the Changeling Kingdom's former glory by retaking the lands that Equestrians stole from my subjects if I submit to him, in which that's what I did." "There's going to be a war that me and Queen Cicada are about to take advantage of in the future." Amadeus said. "But first things first." I still have yet to understand what do they want from me. If they're going to take me down a path of cruelty, I would lose the friendship that I made to the rest of the Mane 5. "I sense that you took up your role as Twilight's student to seek justice upon Equestria, right? Amadeus said. "Back in our nation, we have a way to bring forth a better future for you so that you can spread justice not just to Equestria but also to Yakyakistan, Saddle Arabia, and to the Griffon Kingdom as well." "How so?" I asked in a exaggerated tone. "I mean, why should I submit to you?!" "You may need to another teacher to guide you, Starlight Glimmer. I can help you with that." Amadeus said as he reached out his hoof towards me. "I was pretty impressed on how you used your cunning, manipulation, and fineness to get away from your enemies and how you were able to manipulate alteration by turning back time. We could teach you how to do it in a even more effective way. I'll even make you as one of the top assassins in my field. You don't need Twilight to teach you how to satisfy your life in Equestria and you don't need to study friendship to make yourself a better pony. There are lots of ways where you can become better than any pony out there if you submit to me. I'll even make you famous, rich, powerful, dominating, feared, and unchallenged by any pony that is considered a threat to your presence. That's not all. We'll also teach you how to harness and wield even more powerful magic beyond your wildest dreams. Imagine with you on the field, as our Commander, Emissary, Supreme Chancellor, or whichever best suits you the most. If you submit to us, we'll show you how all of this is really done; one little word, that's all it takes. So what do you say, Starlight?" Something tells me that, despite everything that Amadeus said to me, if I join him, I might regret being a total nuisance again. It's just like when my own ambition became my downfall after I lied to every pony that all cutie marks are evil and that every pony must be forcefully equal. "Come on, kiddo. Make your choice." Queen Cicada ordered impatiently. "We don't have all day." After all the good things I did for Twilight and her friends when I became Twilight's student, I responded to Amadeus by only with these three words: "No deal Amadeus." "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!!" Amadeus snapped at me as he immediately lowered his hoof to the ground. He might get angry if I deny his offer but I don't really care about that. It's a risk that I'm willing to take in order to display my loyalty towards the rest of Twilight's friends and allies. "Do you really think I would spread justice over Equestria by hurting, deceiving, and killing innocent ponies? Because that's one of the biggest mistakes I've made so far. Twilight already helped me find friendship because when I tried to do things like that on my own, without any pony's help, I almost lost everything. There's no way I could repay her or her friends with everything they've done for me up to this point, if I listened to ponies like you." I added. "Twilight Sparkle already showed how to spread justice without resorting to violence or sin." "You can't expect me to believe that, Starlight Glimmer. That pony who calls herself Twilight Sparkle is nothing more than a threatening, vile, and tyrannical little whore who is just trying to use you for her own ambitions." Amadeus hissed at me. "Well, you can't expect me to believe that either. Twilight Sparkle already saved me from myself after realizing that everything I did was wrong because I did not realized it until the last minute, and that I had no good excuse for all the sins that I just caused. However, by accepting my forgiveness, Twilight gave me a second chance to start all over again. So, don't you dare speak ill of her, you idiotic-GYAH!!!" I said in a angry defensive tone which was interrupted. Before I knew what was happening, Amadeus grabbed me by the neck with his hoof and pinned me down to the ground. "GRRRARGH!!! WHY YOU LITTLE....!!! You better watch what you say, young lady!! Or you're going to meet the same fate as that HARLOT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU!!!" Amadeus roared as he startled me with sheer maliciousness in his eyes, while pointing his hoof at the coffin that Twilight was in. I was thinking about using my magic against him but it won't be easy for me to do it since he's holding me down. I was about to suffocate from getting strangled by Amadeus, until Queen Cicada intervened. "Now, now my dear. Let's not get ahead of ourselves yet. We were just trying to make a deal with her. Yet, if she refuses to yield to us and accept our offer, it will be her choice, her problem, whether you like it or not." Queen Cicada said to Amadeus. "If I can't get anything I want from her, then I'll crush this defiant, little brat with my bare hooves. I'll make sure to let every pony know what will happen if they defy me or my family, leaving Starlight Glimmer as fine example of." Amadeus said to Cicada as he clenched his teeth. "Well, let's not waste our time in crushing ponies for any small reasons, Amadeus. We have more important things that need to be taken care of right now, you know." Queen Cicada suggested. "You know what?! You're right. This is just a waste of time." Amadeus replied to Cicada with a huff. He turned around to face me again before he released me from his hooves and stepped back from where I was. "If you got any good reason not to accept my offer, then let's hear it." I got up on my hooves and took a breather before I answered Amadeus' question. "I actually felt pretty bad being a total jerk to the ponies that I have manipulated and enslaved back at the small village that I was in. So, if I betrayed Twilight's friends by doing what you ask, they probably will never forgive me like they did last time. I still don't understand why you cannot get along with Twilight after everything that she has done for me and for Equestria. I don't see Twilight Sparkle as much of a threat no more; anymore than you do. I mean, just what in the name of Celestia did she ever do to you, anyway??" I asked Amadeus in a desperate tone. After a few minutes of silence, Amadeus took a deep breath before he could respond to me. "Ever since Sir Blueblood, who was my ancestor, passed away, we members of the Blueblood family believed to be afflicted with a terrible curse that threatens to tear our reputation, our wealth, and our status apart. We all feared that Sir Blueblood left behind this curse. In fact, I was starting to suspect that Princess Celestia's friendship and love for Sir Blueblood is what started this curse. I did tried to show friendship at one point, but it ended horribly for me. My father told me, what his father told him, that the magic of friendship is anything but perfect. It doesn't display any strength, it only displays foolish acts of kindness. I interpret friendship and harmony as crumbling sand that gets blown away by the softness of the wind. Specifically, friendship and harmony doesn't always last forever; it always keep disappearing and reappearing, breaks up in different directions, and is completely disorganized. However, the only thing I believe right now is the unity of my family because it won't disappear that easily like friendship does. Instead, unity represents strength in my point of view. It also points out a very straight line that won't break apart that easily. Since I'm the only sole heir to the Blueblood family, I have to do whatever it takes, in my power, to keep my family and all of Equestria alive, as well as keeping every pony in line. When I met Princess Celestia for the first time, I thought it was okay to study under her wing and learn about the joy and happiness that she has spread throughout Equestria. However, when I got closer to her, this is what I learned from Princess Celestia: She maybe wise, powerful, tactful, and benevolent but her overconfidence and her naive behavior has led to a couple of mishaps and downfalls. In fact, most of the royal decisions that Celestia makes were anything but right. She may have brought Twilight Sparkle as her prize pupil after Sunset Shimmer left Equestria, but she didn't teach Twilight on how to make the right decisions for the country. She thinks she can let Twilight take over as the new ruler of Equestria after teaching her everything that Princess Celestia knows and after how much lessons Twilight has been taught in Ponyville. However, just like her mentor before her, Twilight doesn't always make the right decisions for me or any of us. When she let Discord loose again after his 1000 years of imprisonment before starting his reformation and accepted Princess Luna's apology after her 1000 years of exile, despite of her betrayal when she unleashed her dark power as Nightmare Moon, I know now that Princess Celestia can't be trusted anymore. I did my best to stop any pony or any creature from getting in her way, yet she repays me by throwing in her lot with them. In fact, I can't let her have Twilight inherit the Equestrian throne either. Her intent of helping Twilight Sparkle in establishing racial community with other species apart from our pony brethren is just going to make things uneasy for me to settle in Canterlot, for instance. When Princess Celestia picked Twilight as her successor to rule over Equestria as their newest princess and when Twilight vowed to create a Golden Age of Democracy in Equestria, I cannot put any faith in Princess Celestia anymore. After all, every ruler always have its dead ends, whether they're good or bad. Twilight could've stepped down from her royal position when she had the chance but oh no!! Since I underestimated her reforms with citizenry, she refused to give it up because of how most of her friends were supporting her decisions. I always thought that Princess Celestia had abandoned me and my family by choosing Princess Twilight over us. Well, because of how Princess Celestia raised Twilight Sparkle, rather than being raised by her birth parents, I always had serious doubts about Twilight's future, about how much power is she gaining as an alicorn princess, and how it would affect my family pride. I mean, she can't expect me to accept and bow down to low-life ponies like Twilight Sparkle. She doesn't even have any royal family bloodline; Only me and my family do!!!" I'm still unconvinced that Twilight is a threat towards Equestria, despite what Amadeus said to me. "So what if Twilight doesn't have any royal family bloodline. Do I look like I care if she doesn't? She wasn't the only member in her family that had what it takes to become a royal despite the lack of such lineage. She told me that her brother Shinning Armour became a Prince after he married Princess Cadence. Without further a due, he already made a good life ruling over the Crystal Empire by helping Princess Cadence spread love towards its inhabitants. As for Twilight, she already had ponies that supported her reign without giving it another thought. She even had the authority to form her own kingdom of friends back at Ponyville, as their one and only Princess of Friendship. I don't have any good reasons not to support her decisions anymore. Besides, she's not just my teacher, she was like a sister to me. I'm really grateful that I'm able to get to know her more better than like last time when she first entered my village. If I hadn't met Twilight Sparkle, I would never be able to fully understand the magic of friendship like she did. So, whatever false images you're painting Twilight as, my response will only be this: NO!! I WON'T BELIEVE THAT!!!" I shouted to Amadeus while defending Twilight's legacy. "Then you are more like Twilight Sparkle than I thought, a fool." Amadeus responded to me in a deep, sharp tone. I can't stand it with Amadeus throwing all those venomous lies at me and Twilight anymore. So, I angrily started to charge up my horn and made an aggressive battling posture. I was ready to aim my magic at Amadeus. "What are you going do now, try to kill me?" Amadeus taunted me. "I would certainly like to!!!" I snarled at him, not even thinking about what would Queen Cicada would do if she sees me use my magic on Amadeus. This maybe a reckless decision to make, but if she were to attack me next, then I would take her down with me. "Even if you think you can, it will not bring Twilight Sparkle back from the dead; neither will it halt the big game that I have already planned years prior." Amadeus anticipated. "What big game? What are you talking about?" I asked bluntly as I canceled out my magic. I felt pretty hesitant of taking him down after what Amadeus just said to me. "I wouldn't push it if I were you, girl!!" Amadeus grunted at me with a smirk on his face. "Questions like that is just going to get a pony killed!!!" I was left speechless by what Amadeus said. I still have yet to understand where he is getting at. I'm thinking that before I can stop him, I do need to know what I'll be up against first, rather than just him or Queen Cicada. As soon as I figure that out, I may need to find a way on how to stop their evil scheme before it even starts. "I'll let you go for now, but know this: I have no intention of letting my son Prince Blueblood, Twilight Sparkle, or Princess Celestia rule over Equestria. So by eliminating Twilight Sparkle, this is just the first step that I made in order to carry out the big game. My son has already served his purpose of assassinating Princess Twilight. So as of right now, I have no use for him anymore. I already made preparations in selecting a much more better, suitable candidate to take over Equestria as their new ruler. I won't tell you who, it's a secret that I have up in my hoofs and you probably will not live to tell the tale if you keep denying us." Amadeus told me before he and Queen Cicada walked towards that portal that they both came out from. "Eliminating Twilight Sparkle?!" I thought to myself. I bet Amadeus is also the one who order Prince Blueblood and Gallant Heart carry out the death of Twilight Sparkle but how can I prove to all of that to Princess Celestia? I mean, how is it that Amadeus was able to get away with murdering Twilight in Canterlot, without getting caught? How is it that he did not face Princess Celestia at the trial like his son and Gallant Heart did?? And who, in Equestria, is Amadeus doing all of this for?? For some reason, this fiend is actually even more cunning and more manipulative than I was in my past life. "You haven't seen the last of us, Starlight Glimmer. If we ever meet again, you better brace yourself because we won't show you any mercy next time." Queen Cicada warned me in a jeering voice before she disappeared through the portal. Before Amadeus disappeared into the portal, something snapped inside of me. I have one last thing to say to him before I let him leave. "Amadeus Blueblood!!" I shouted at him with the top of my lungs. "This isn't over. Even if I can't bring Twilight Sparkle back from dead, like what you said, I'll still find a way to avenge her someday, even if it kills me." After a few minutes of silence, Amadeus stopped and took a deep breath before leaving behind a few parting words, though he didn't bother looking back at me before responding. "Good luck, Starlight Glimmer." That was the last thing he said to me before he disappeared through the portal, along with the rest of the spells that he had cast in the Memorial Gardens. As I sat down on the ground, I was trembling in fear by everything that Amadeus said to me recently. It took me a couple of minutes before I came back to my senses. As I got back on my hooves again, Sunburst appeared out of nowhere. "Starlight, there you are. Where have you been?" Sunburst asked me. "I've been looking all over for you." "Um, I just wanted to pay my last respects for Princess Twilight, that's all." I answered to Sunburst while sweating nervously. I did not want to let Sunburst get involved with the conversation I had with Amadeus, so I responded by making a statement that doesn't arouse any suspicion. I was afraid that if I dragged Sunburst into what I went through with Amadeus, I'm sure he'll never live it down either. Consequently, they might end up hurting him too, the way they hurt Twilight, her family, her friends, and her coltfriend Flash Sentry. So, I did my best not to tell Sunburst anything about Amadeus Blueblood. "Okay, I understand." Sunburst acknowledged. "I know you probably wanted to seek forgiveness from Twilight for not being there for her before she was assassinated. Though, there won't be anything we can do for her anymore. I'm sure she wants all of us to move on with the rest of our lives, than rather suffer after her loss." "I know, Sunburst." I replied. "I just wish that I had an assistant mentor that will help guide me toward friendship." "Don't worry, Starlight. You still got me as a friend." Sunburst spoke in a sympathetic tone. "If you need my help with anything, I'll be at the Crystal Empire." "Thank you, Sunburst." I said as I hugged him. "I hope we can both carry out Twilight Sparkle's Democratic Reformation for her someday." "I''m sure we will, my dear." Sunburst replied as he hugged me back. Before I knew it, I started kissing him on the cheek during our embrace but he didn't mind. Instead, he smiled at me because he actually cared about me even more than anything else. After all, we've known each other for a very long time, even before we met Twilight. After I released him from my embrace, he galloped out of the Memorial Gardens and waved goodbye at me before he disappeared. After I smiled and waved back at Sunburst before he left, I turned around to face Twilight who is still in her coffin. Before I could say anything, I took a deep breath as I pressed my hoof on the glass coffin lid that Twilight was sealed in. "I'm so sorry, Twilight. You were right about Amadeus. He cannot be reasoned with. In fact, he didn't just threatened you, he almost threatened me with my life as well. I wish I was there for you when they brought you back to Canterlot. If only Princess Celestia was there to stop him. Don't fret Twilight. After all that you did for me until to this very day, I promise you that I will find a way to make it up to you, someday. Good bye, Twilight Sparkle. I'll never forget everything that you have done for me when I became your student." That was the last thing I said to my teacher before I turned away, with tears coming out of my eyes. I made my way out of the Memorial Gardens. Before I went back to my village, I stopped by at the palace library in Canterlot, and then to Twilight's Castle Library in Ponyville, to gather some supplies, magic spell books, and scrolls. I'm doing this because I wanted to go back in time again. Hopefully, I'll succeed like last time and as soon as I enter the past, I will find Twilight Sparkle and save her from being assassinated again. After I'm done gathering the things I need to perform the time travel spell, I took a long trek all the way back home to the former village of equals. I don't know when will Amadeus be back to finish up where he had left off in Equestria, but I hope I can achieve my goal of changing back time before this would happen. > Epilogue - Without Justice comes Epiphany > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "And that was what happened in Canterlot. I couldn't forgive myself after not being able to save Twilight Sparkle from her death." I said to all my friends in the former village of equals. "Oh Starlight, were so sorry to hear all of that." Diamond responded to me with sympathy. "That's terrible. I mean, does this Amadeus guy really have no heart at all?" Party Favor asked me. "We'll judging from his attitude and how he got away with all the sins that he caused recently, I guess you can say that." I replied to Party Favor. "I couldn't stand hearing all those hurtful words about my mentor and friend coming out of his mouth. If I only had the strength to beat the living daylights out of him, then he'll be sorry." "I wished we could've all been there for Twilight too before all of this happened." Night Glider said. "Thanks for listening to my story guys." I said to my friends. "I need some time alone, if you please?" I turned my back away from my friends and walked straight into my house. "What are you going to do now, since Princess Twilight is gone?" Sugar Belle asked. "Sorry guys, but its not my place to say." I responded, unable to face Sugar Belle or any of my other friends. "Just leave me be." The other ponies that were speaking to me outside went back to their homes, in silence. I went back inside my house too and closed the door behind me before I could start recreating the time travel spell. I don't know how much I remembered when I first used that spell to change the past revolving around the sonic rainboom that Rainbow Dash created, but it's just worth a shot. Well, I'll try to do my best. As days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months, I've been studying on the time travel spell constantly hoping that I will become successful again. Sadly, every time I put my effort into this spell, my efforts were useless but I refused to give up. If I give up on recreating the time travel spell, I'll end up giving up on Twilight, Sunburst, and, consequently, all of Equestria. Even though I keep getting tired, I refuse to stop. I know that being sleep deprived is very unhealthy but I certainly do not want to give up hope or justice either. I was thinking of going on a break by having another date with Sunburst or hang out with Trixie Lulamoon, but I fear that I'll end up forgetting to continue recreating the time travel spell. So, I did not spoke to Sunburst or Trixie for a long time after I left the Memorial Gardens. Who knows when the time travel spell will be created. I hope I'll be able to finish the spell before this so-called war that Amadeus is planning to hatch will come into play. Two years later, I still remained vigilant in trying to recreate the time travel spell. Just when I was so close in finishing up the spell, I was trying to use my magic to cast it. Unfortunately, because of how sleep deprived I was and how my appearance was messed up, I was not able to use my magic to conjure the time travel spell. Instead, I collapsed on the floor, realizing that I'm nothing more than a complete failure being Twilight's student. Before I knew it, I started crying again. "Oh Twilight, I'm so sorry." I muttered to myself in tears. "I have failed you. I have failed Sunburst. I failed all of Equestria." I started sobbing for almost an hour when all of a sudden, I heard knocking coming from outside my house. Unable to think properly about how to recreate the time travel spell anymore, I blurted out my response by saying, "Go away! I'm busy!" "Starlight? Is that you darling?" Asked in a female voice. "I said go...." Before I could finish my sentence, I snapped out of my self pity. After realizing that the voice I heard sounded familiar, my senses are finally coming back to me. There was only one pony I know who speaks with the accent of a fashionista, so I immediately changed the subject of my speech. "Rarity??" As soon as I opened the door, I see Rarity and her little sister Sweetie Belle standing in front of me at my doorstep. Just when I asked what were they both doing here, they said that they were trying to find Spike, Twilight's adoptive son. After having a little conversation with about what I went through and how those rotten nobles were wreaking havoc all over Equestria, Rarity was able to convince me that I don't really need to use the time travel spell for anything anymore. I didn't understand why I shouldn't until Rarity's sentence was immediately followed by an epiphany. I was in complete shock because, according to Rarity's epiphany, it turns out that Princess Twilight Sparkle actually survived the assassination thanks to one of Princess Celestia most powerful healing spells. However, Twilight did not wake up for a very long time, after Celestia revived her because of the Oricalcium that was embedded in her flesh. After Rarity and Sweetie Belle left the village and went back to Ponyville, I abandoned my all of my work in my house and took off to the east, hopefully I'll be able to find some clues on Spike's whereabouts before seeing Twilight again. After my search for Spike, I went to Ponyville to meet up with Twilight's friends only to find it completely abandoned. The next thing I knew, I saw smoke and distant explosions coming from Canterlot on the horizon. I ran into Trixie again at Ponyville. She too saw what I saw and we both decided to head up north to seek refuge. Before we got there, we were traveling through the snowy wasteland that leads to the Crystal Empire. I told a nearby Crystal Pony guard that we wanted to be let in the Empire. The guard disappeared for a moment. When he came back, that's when I was finally able to see Twilight Sparkle again. After seven long years of not being able to be with her, I'm finally free; free from all the sorrow and pain that I had suffered when I thought that I had lost Twilight. Even Trixie was really impressed to see Twilight again too, claiming that she had cheated death. Though, the problems that I have with Amadeus and his associates are still far from over. Cicada was right at one point, they'll be showing me no mercy if I ever see them again. After Twilight told me about how Amadeus is leading the armies of Unicornia against us, this might be the only chance to make it up for lost time, as well as restoring justice for all of Equestria. Very soon, me, Twilight, Trixie, and the rest of all our friends will put aside all of our rival differences and unite under the banner of friendship once again before taking on Amadeus Blueblood and his Unicornian war machine. After believing that the star had fallen, The very same student that was under her wing fell under total depression However, even as time went on, Just when all hope seems lost, The fallen star's student found a new hope to not give up Henceforth, the light will still shine upon her through the darkness For she will find a way to restore harmony and justice for all.