//------------------------------//
// Chapter 113: The Return of Starlight Glimmer 
// Story: My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition 
// by SuperPinkBrony12 
//------------------------------//

Shining Armor opted not to say anything to any of the royal guards after the ceremony. No need to raise an alarm over something he couldn't even be sure had been there.

But when he came back to Ponyville later that day (and found Spike waiting for him), he found that he couldn't take his mind off of Starlight Glimmer. In fact, he ended up confessing to Spike about what he'd thought he'd seen.

Spike was, needless to say, greatly concerned about this. And he made that perfectly clear. "Starlight Glimmer?! You're absolutely sure it was her?!"

"That's just it, Spike, I couldn't be sure one way or the other," Shining Armor acknowledged, feeling deeply troubled. "I thought for sure it was her, but when I turned to look again she was gone. And no one as far as I know ever said a word about her being there."

"But why would she be in Canterlot?" Spike wondered aloud. "It doesn't make any sense. What could she possibly hope to gain? Why not go back to her old village?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say that because she's so cunning, she probably anticipated tighter security there," Shining concluded. "I hate to give credit to such an underhoofed mare, but there's no denying Starlight knew how to think her way out of a problem. She just never had a plan for if she were to be caught," With a sigh, the alicorn added. "I know my friends and I did the right thing back there, forcing everyone to live under her cutie markless rule was wrong. But was there more we could've done to understand her? More we could've done to stop her from slipping away?"

"Beats me, I just hope she's not actually coming back for revenge," Spike replied. "She'd have to be crazy. If she tries anything, you or Twilight could easily put a stop to it and turn her in."

Shining got a good laugh out of that, as he and Spike entered the castle and made their way to the throne room. "You have a point there, Spike. Starlight would indeed have to be crazy if she thinks she can just get 'revenge' on an alicorn. I just have to hope that whenever she inevitably makes her move, I'll be ready for her. She got the best of me last time, largely through the help of her followers, I can't let that happen again!"





But as Shining and Spike entered the throne room, they were shocked to discover that they had an unexpected (and uninvited at that) guest! And who it should be but Starlight Glimmer herself?!

Starlight held a scroll in her magic, and seemed to be eyeing the table map as she said to herself. "It all starts with it. A spell from the great sorcerer himself, Starswirl the Bearded. And with the magical powers of this map, I'll finally be ready to put my daring plan into action! And all of Equestria will bow to me!"

Shining gasped loudly, inadvertently tipping Starlight off to his presence! "You again?!" Shining remarked with eyes narrowed! "Just what do you think you're doing, Starlight Glimmer?! You broke into my castle, my house, and now you're messing with my table map?! Are you trying to get yourself arrested?!"

Starlight only laughed in that sickeningly condescending tone of voice. "Oh gee, I'm ever so sorry, prince," She delivered that last line with a noticeable hint of malice. "But don't worry, I shan't be here long. Trust me, you have no idea how hard it was to find my way around this place! Do yourself a favor, if this castle still exists in the near future, get an actual map!"

Shining mostly ignored Starlight's comments, his attention was focused on the scroll she was holding out. He recognized the seal on it at once! "Wait a minute! That's one of Starswirl the Bearded's master spells! Those are kept under lock and key in the Canterlot Archives! Ooh, now you're really gonna get it, Miss. Glimmer!" He lit up his horn and tried to snatch the scroll away, as he warned. "I'm only gonna say this once, drop the scroll and surrender! Otherwise I'll have to subdue you by force, and drag you to Princess Celestia kicking and screaming! I'm in no mood for games!"

"I can assure you, this is no 'game, prince," Starlight snickered, as she only tightened her magical grip on the scroll and then focused her attention back to the table map. With a flick of her horn, a beam of magic struck the table map, and a time bubble opened up. "You're too late to stop me! And in a matter of minutes, no, seconds, my revenge will be complete! Then I will see you bow before your master!"

"And where do you think you're going?! And just what are you talking about?! There's only one way out of here, and that's through me!" Shining warned, as he rushed towards Starlight! "Whatever you just did, you'd better undo it! Didn't anypony tell you not to mess with things that don't belong to you?!"

"Sorry, no can do. But I have a feeling we'll meet again, in time," Starlight taunted, as she began to be sucked up into the time bubble. Blowing a raspberry, she added with a sneer. "See you soon, suckers!" And then, in a blinding flash of light, she disappeared into the time bubble which then vanished!





"Curses! She's slipped through my hooves again!" Shining grumbled. "How does she do that? Even Chrysalis isn't as slippery as Starlight is."

"I don't know," Spike pondered, before his eyes fell upon the discarded scroll. Bending a claw down to retrieve it, he added. "But maybe this scroll will give us some answers. If I had to guess, I'd say it's got something to do with time travel, like that one time Twilight traveled back a week to warn her past self about something."

All of a sudden, something akin to a light bulb went off in Shining's head! "Wait a minute!" He exclaimed in horror! "Spike, whatever you do, don't touch that scroll!"

But it was too late! Spike grabbed it, and immediately another time bubble appeared above the table map. It quickly began to suck up both him and Shining Armor! "W-what's happening?! Where are we going?!" He cried out above the deafening noise!

"Oh, I don't like this! Hang on, Spike, we're in the ride of our lives!" Shining exclaimed, as he pulled Spike close and enveloped them both in a shield, before they were pulled into the time bubble and vanished alongside the scroll! In the process, no evidence was left behind of their existence.

In fact, one might say it was as if they'd never existed to begin with.