//------------------------------// // I.IV - The Ladies of Flutter Valley // Story: The Broken Bond // by TheApexSovereign //------------------------------// The whole world was spinning. The Sea of Fog and Flutter Valley were one in the same, and the "Ladies" who called it home had a veritable front door ready for Starlight: unfathomable, muddy, abyssal. This wasn't the time to get cold hooves. Starlight had been ready to sail this milky ocean forever, or at least until she’d raked every square mile from one end to the other for any sign of the coven. Such a task seemed likely upon her first landing, where skinny, claw-like trees had reached from the misty sea, toward the stony-grey heavens above. As she rose into the fog a second time, Starlight was beginning to find it difficult to muster up any hope. This could take forever, she realized, and Twilight didn’t have forever. Her stop and the one before it had yielded nothing but woods of skeletal birches, so densely clustered that a foal would have trouble squeezing through their trunks. Let alone Starlight’s own generous flanks, which she certainly hadn’t tried and failed to squeeze through. Nope, they were clearly impassable. Not to mention eerie as heck. Stiff as iron, dryer than sand, it was obvious that they’d been sapped of their magic by… By something. Starlight had reached for them with her own, as curious as she was disturbed. Her gut only felt the familiar tingling of her own magic. Nothing beyond that, nothing within the trees or the ground itself. It was a truly dead land. The second woodland was almost a copy. Clearly, there was nopony living in either. Yet Starlight couldn’t shake the feeling of another's gaze pressing through the treeline. How long, she wondered, as she rose through the fog once more, was she going to wander this depressing place? How long until she happened to stumble upon these totally real storybook characters? Starlight peered across the misty sea, making out what looked like a sparse treeline in the distance. She drifted on, pushing through the Sea of Fog, and then all at once, Starlight gasped. The sparse treeline was but a small part of another woodland, rising up into the sky. Enormous, spreading out before her, obscuring everything else from sight. The arms of mighty redwoods, she realized, reaching up through the fog. Thick as tree trunks themselves, coiling, curving, and tapering to form a wooden crown topped by dozens of jagged prongs. Starlight trembled as she beheld the sight. She sank into the milky sea, not knowing what to think upon seeing the threshold they formed—an opening into what would otherwise be another impenetrable woodland. She'd have to be a fool not to assume this was the Ladies’ abode. It just had to be them. This wasn’t at all natural. None of it was. Just the thought of it chilled her. If the Ladies had created this dead world, what was the limit to their power? So Starlight wondered as she gazed into the abyss ahead. She pricked her ears for something, anything. A sign of some kind. But there was nothing. Not a bird’s warble, or the sigh of a slight breeze. But was it dead, like before? Starlight opened herself to magic, illuminating her horn and the fog swirling around with a brilliant teal glow. In that instant, the entire woodland thrummed with magic. Starlight staggered, almost losing her balance. She felt drained of her mana, despite it still tingling away in her breast. She’d never felt anything like this. They’re here. Starlight’s heart pounded. The Ladies, they’re here. They’re real. She thrashed her head, hardened her heart. “Get a grip,” Starlight muttered. “Get a grip, have a little faith. These are just ponies. Alright? Ponies like me with a bit more magic to them. Even if you can't t-take them, you still need to save her. Save Twilight, come on.” That’s all she was dealing with: some old ponies reading tea leaves and stirring pots of soup. They had a lot of power, sure, but they were real, and nothing else mattered. Powers no earth ponies should be capable of wielding, by all the laws of Harmony. Yet here Starlight was, and here they were. Real. Absolutely, without-a-doubt, a hundred percent real. Destiny had brought their paths together in order to save Twilight. What could be more worthy of repaying a life debt? Starlight made her face an emotionless mask. Hopefully, the witches would fall for it if they were truly watching her now. This is it. Go on. Her hooves stayed rooted in place. Stop being afraid. Twilight wouldn’t hesitate to go in there for you! The muck ahead writhed, ever so slightly. Starlight’s eyes widened. She blinked, and rubbed them, but the mud didn’t twitch again. It was flat as a pane of glass. Whether it was Starlight’s nerves or something far worse, one thing was obvious: That’s no mud. Dipping a hoof in it, finding out what it was? Yeah, no. Not a good idea. That’s how ponies got nabbed in horror stories. This was probably some defense the witches put down, to protect themselves. But from what? Starlight gazed into the abyss ahead. How long could she support a levitation field on herself? I held it just fine years ago, during a fight with Twilight, no less. This is foal’s play. A mental glance as automatic as breathing snapped Starlight's horn to life, and the universe thrummed to the beat of one heart. Whatever this place was, its land was saturated with magic. Its trees, however mangled, the grass, even the musty air became heavy, like a waterlogged rag upon Starlight's person. At least it was real. Tangible, no longer akin to the truly dead woodlands from before. That explains why I couldn’t teleport here, Starlight guessed. Yet another trick of the Flutter Valley coven, no doubt. The magic enveloping Starlight’s horn expanded, swallowing her entire body in a warm, tingly glow. With but a thought, her hooves left the ground; another mental flick carried her into the tunnel. Effortless. Good thing, too; as the darkness swallowed her, only a dim, teal-tinted flush washed across her surroundings. Ahead was like flying headfirst into a big, black wall. Starlight's mind surged with all the times her father checked in the closet for monsters. The levitation hummed monotonously in Starlight’s ear. It was all there was to her. Not her nerves, not what lurked ahead, nothing. Nothing else existed. These... could be my last moments alive, Starlight realized. She thanked and feared her internal neutrality toward the idea. Part of Starlight felt sick, however, wishing that she hadn’t been in such a hurry, or that she had the good sense to at least say goodbye to her friends. No, they would’ve stopped me, Starlight told herself, swallowing her sickness as it crept up her throat. Or worse, they’d insist on coming with me. And that was unacceptable. Starlight wouldn’t allow that, not on her life. Besides, they would not have understood. Especially Trixie. It was cold. She was a jerk for thinking this. But there was no other way of looking at it. Starlight loved her friends, more than anything in the world. But they were also, well… Trixie, Maud, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Spike… They were more doers than thinkers. They’d be so busy being caught up in saving Starlight’s life that they’d forget who the important pony was in all this. As she floated deeper into the bog, Starlight’s eyes raked the darkness for something to distract her. Or, at least, to calm her racing heart. The faint teal glow of the spell revealed trees of every variety possible: thick, thin, bent like an “L” or twisting upwards like a wooden corkscrew; some were thin as a foreleg, others little more than mounds of black willow-bark. Whatever power ruled this land did so with a magical, iron hoof. It was a painful sight, even to Starlight, who’d never considered herself a lover of nature. What happened here? The witches happened, apparently. Or maybe not. From that mare’s journal, assuming it was actually real, ponies had inhabited these lands before migrating north into three headbutting tribes. After the Reunification, nopony on record had ever left civilized Equestria. At least, until Twilight and her friends came along. Yet another reason I have to save her. Starlight left that thought, ignoring the tightening in her belly as a light at the end of the tunnel grew rapidly before her. It was white, churning, and for a moment she believed it was alive. Maybe that was the soul of this accursed place, where all that missing life had gathered? The wind whistled as Starlight raced through the last stretch of the tunnel, a burning desperation blazing within her that shattered into pieces upon breaking through. Seven hammers struck the inside of her brain at once, tearing a haggard cry from her throat. Starlight lost control, and crash-landed hard, carving a muddy trench through the earth. Her forehead burned, a pain smoldering underneath her horn. Pulsing. It was an agony so intense, Starlight couldn’t even voice a groan. But she soon managed to crack an eye open, the other buried in the chill of mud. White rolled all around, heavy with magic. Starlight heard it in her ears, felt it in her bones, even without her horn activated. Everything pulsed about her, pressing against her mind and soul, like the whole of Flutter Valley was a heart in of itself. Starlight was right, in a way: all the magic in the Sea of Fog, in Flutter Valley, was seemingly gathered at this one spot. She couldn’t even be sure that was true. Part of Starlight didn’t want it to be; the mere idea was disturbing. What the hay is this place? Starlight wondered, too pained to speak aloud. There’s nowhere—nowhere in Equestria—like this. Saturated with magic. It shouldn’t be like this. This isn’t possible. Starlight’s eye lifted, hoping the answer would be there. More fog was cloaking the forest canopy. Although the pain in her forehead had receded into a dull tingle, a faint thump beat inside. Her eardrums, her heartbeat. One of them or both, or something else entirely. She couldn’t be sure. Starlight groaned, rising to her hooves. Gross, dark mud matted her belly. A weighty stickiness clung to her all over. Starlight exhaled shakily, utter silence embracing her. No witches yet. It was a cold comfort—her mission wasn’t over yet. Starlight scanned the soundless world she’d crashed into. To her left: a veritable wall of trees, as dense as the tunnel behind her. She slowly traced them, seeing how far they went until a curtain of rolling white abruptly swallowed them across the clearing. Nothing else. There was absolutely nothing. No sounds, no sights, no sounds, nothing but her own thunderous panting, the squelch of gulping. It was all just mud and grass and trees and fog. What is with this place!? There was no hut. No bubbling cauldron. No idols or charms or dreamcatchers. It was as lifeless, empty, and silent as the rest of this “Sea of Fog.” Something grabbed her by the heart, squeezed it into jelly. No. This couldn’t be it. Starlight’s hooves slurped from the mucky trench she’d carved. The fog across the clearing didn’t thin, though beyond it surely were more trees. Turning toward where she’d come from, Starlight leaped back a foot like a startled kitten. Something stood directly to her right flank. She must have skidded past it during her crash landing. A gemstone sat upon a flat-topped rock, holding it like pedestal. Never in Starlight’s life had she seen anything like this. It was huge, twice the size of her head. A brilliant cut, its point thrust to the sky. It had edges so fine, a glow so beautiful, it’d surely make Rarity squeal with delight. The thing felt out of place in this grim setting, to say the least. What are you? No gemstone in Equestria could glow like that, not without some kind of power inside it. Even in such a state, she’d never known gemstones to exude such a warm, self-contained light unless it was active. But it wasn’t doing anything, just softly glowing like a sunset. And yet the grey stone it sat upon seemed untouched by its light. Unnatural, just like this whole accursed wildland. It was certainly beautiful, though. Starlight’s lips opened in a soundless coo. What was this relic’s story? Where’s Maud when you need her? She’d probably know the entire history of this thing with just a glance. She could just do that. Starlight’s forehead gently tugged toward it. It crept upwards, a gentle pulse inside her horn. It didn't hurt, though. She actually felt quite warm, as if the gemstone’s very soul touched hers with little more than eye contact. It was completely crazy, but Starlight felt as though it had an actual, beating heart, drumming away within her breast, beside her own. This feeling filled her, hugging her core warmly. It was nice. It was the best she’d felt in weeks, since before Twilight… What feeling was this, so familiar yet mysterious at once? She’d heard stories from ponies, old friends who believed they recognized a face they’d never met before. What kind of sense did that make here? She would definitely remember seeing such a gemstone before. No one would forget a sight like this. Shivers crept up Starlight’s hindquarters. She tore away from the sunshine stone, facing the depressing nothing surrounding her. This was a dead end! Where were the Witches of Flutter Valley?! "Hello?" she called into the emptiness, as commanding as she could sound.  The fog’s density was smothering. It was like shouting into a pillow. If this is all there is… Starlight took a deep breath, fog slipping past her lips. "I know that you dwell here,” she yelled in a strong, fearless tone, “and I demand that you show yourself!" A heartbeat passed. Then another one. Two, three. Four-five-six. Starlight breathed, in-out-in-out-in-out. Her eyes darted right, up, left. There wasn’t any movement, yet at the same time she didn’t want there to be. Silence enclosed her, embracing her. Suffocating her. The fog churned and rolled, prickling her skin. Starlight felt the hairs on her neck stand up. Her stomach dropped to Tartarus. She scanned the perimeter again, lips parted. A full rotation nearly ended in further dread, until Starlight’s eye caught sudden movement between the trees, and fear lanced her bosom. Starlight choked—there was a fragment of... something... A face, un-ponylike, with eyes like little red stars piercing the fog, black as the shadow it dwelt within. A face looking back upon her with perverse interest. “Wha—?” It melted into darkness. ‘We see you we hear you we're coming for you Starlight...’ Starlight thrashed her head back and forth. She didn’t hear that. "Just tricks of the fog! Same as my new friend, Ms. Lurking-Face!” She laughed with nervous false cheer. “Nothing to worry about, j-just some silly sp-spatial distortion, brought about by th-the... the, uh,” Starlight squeaked, “…thoo..." Her eyes raked through the fog, as if the witches would just appear if she looked hard enough. Starlight’s gut twisted with fear. She was afraid, and she hated it, but with every second that passed, the feeling intensified until it hurt to breathe. What if they truly did show because of destiny, like in the story? And that Starlight's did not entwine with theirs? What if... She could scarcely breathe. What if Spike was right? What if this was all just folly, a heartbreak waiting to happen? What if Twilight’s truly destined to… to—? Starlight gulped. She whimpered. She whipped back around, flinging her gaze from branch to branch. "No," she whispered, spinning once more. "No! No," Starlight trailed off into a pitiful sob. "This can't be it! I came all this way! Th-there has to be a way to save Twilight, there has to!" "dRy YoUr TeArS," spoke two voices, directly in her ear. Starlight gulped. She couldn’t even scream. It was the most horrible thing she’d ever heard. One voice was as kindly and sweet as Twilight’s. Like a mother’s. The other was utterly monstrous. Something’s seriously wrong here, Starlight thought. “oVeR hErE,” whispered another pair, the second voice half as chipper as Pinkie’s. “DoN’t Be AfRaId...” Starlight spun around, and she screamed. The Ladies of Flutter Valley emerged from the fog with creeping, deliberate footsteps. The terrible squick-squishing through the muck from across the clearing made her stomach curl. All around, the air seemed to warp and shimmer, like plastic bent and folded in an instant, hotter than the dog days of summer, completely odorless. It was like they weren’t even there. “dIsPeL aNy NoTiOnS oF uSiNg YoUr MaGiC, pReTtY oNe!” the one with a motherly voice echoed upon the fog. “yOu HoLd No PoWeR oVeR tHiS pLaNe!” This one had a bit of a twang, like Applejack’s—from which one, Starlight didn’t know. It was impossible to tell. Her eyes danced to each, again and again, every second more horrifying than the last. They weren’t normal, they weren’t even ponies. Ponies didn’t have claws. They didn’t have dry, grey skin like wet cement, scarred, rashy and plump with boils. These weren’t ponies. They were monsters. The race called humans that her friend, Sunset Shimmer, was living among sprung to mind. But they weren't slim and kind-looking. They were huge, with heads actually smaller than their torsos. The middle witch, though the shortest, was easily as big as Princess Celestia. Her horned head was as big and fat as the rest of her, draped with but a dozen long, orange hairs, floating lazily in the stagnant air. The sagging, pale flesh of her stomach concealed whatever she had for feet, with black roots carving jagged paths up underneath her tattered, royal-blue dress. A scrap of fabric from it was cinched about her face, it was hard to get a read on this thing with only a pair of black pits for eyes. She might as well have been wearing a mask. The girl at her left had an entire foot on her, easily. Even from across the clearing, the yellow and red of her burlap dress stung Starlight’s eyes, and thankfully drew her attention. She looked elsewhere, and found juicy red boils coating the witch’s cankles, inflating them to the size of fillies. Starlight threw her head aside and heaved. Nothing came because she hadn’t eaten, but her stomach felt afire. Starlight couldn’t recall a worse sight than a bloody nose of Sunburst’s back when they were foals. That was a lifetime ago, and now Starlight was wondering how a “Human” wound up with her head stuck in a dented, dirt-stained pot. The rest of her face was just a maw—lipless, toothless. A grey ruin of gums, save for one, big snaggletooth lancing through her jaw and corrupting the flesh around it, looking like a soul patch. It would seem that pain did not exist for her, or her associates—she was just thrilled for Starlight to be here. Too thrilled. It was the sort of vacant, gaping-black-pit smile that would swallow up all the joy in a party. It never moved, even after three distinct voices had spoken. Their voices were a force of magic altogether. What are these things?! Starlight blanched, her gaze snapping to the last witch. Or rather, to how her stilts, err... her knees, bent inwards. The witch had a pigeon-toed appearance like the human Twilight Sparkle. Big, hulking hands suspended limply above the ground, hanging completely still from a pair of twigs. That’s all this lady was: just bones with red, blistering skin stretched over, and coveralls that were heavily patchwork-preserved. With what little of her rashy skin was left bare, Starlight saw racks of shadows. Her ribs. By the time she met her gaze, Starlight’s horn was pointed at the fog-laden heavens. An almost angelic glow clasped the third witch’s frame, thankfully concealing the details of her face. Starlight could tell it was like her body—long and gaunt. Malnourished. And within her lion’s mane of orange hair, deep in shadow, the witch gazed unflinchingly at the pony a dozen feet below her with eyes like tiny red stars. With a chill clawing through her, Starlight’s gaze trembled over to the middle witch. She must have been the leader. That was a rational assumption, right? Did Starlight even have a say in what was logical and what wasn’t here? "WeLL?!" snapped the peppy-voiced one. Starlight flinched. “Um, I, I—” “YoU’Ve FlOwN aLL nIgHt To FiNd Us! So,” she purred, the smiling witch raising her arms, presenting their foggy abode,  “HeRe We ArE!” “EnLiGhTeN uS. wHaT gIvEs YoU tHe RiGhT, tHe ShEeR aUdAcItY, tO cOmE iNtO oUr HoMe!?" added the one with an Applejack-twang. Starlight’s jaw rose and fell but no words came forth. "nOw, NoW, gIrLs. SeTtLe DoWn,” said a motherly-demonic warble. “YoU’rE fRiGhTeNiNg ThE hErO…” The middle one waddled two paces forward, despite her lack of eyes. "jUsT lOoK aT hEr..." Starlight backed away, intent on maintaining a dozen feet distance. "aFtEr All, iT’s NoT bEeN tOo LoNg SiNcE oUr LaSt OnE. sO dOn’T yOu DaRe ShAmE mE iN fRoNt Of OuR nEw FrIeNd, YoU iNgRaTeS! NoT wHeN i’Ve TaUgHt YoU hOw We TrEaT oUr gUeStS…” Her body turned slightly towards the pot-headed, rightmost witch. “yOu'Ve NoT FoRgOtTeN, hAvE yOu ReEkA?" She let loose a cackle like a squealing hog. "cErTaInLy NoT! hMm... I cAn TaStE hEr aLL-rEaDy!" Defying all logic and reason, “Reeka” slurped her glee-frozen lips without actually doing so as she rubbed her bloodied hands together. "cAn I eAt HeR LIvEr, mOmMa? ThAt WaS aLwAyS mY fAvOrItE." Clasped hands rubbed against her cheek; with a bloated foot twisting into the muck, she was like a foal asking her parents what she wanted for Hearth’s Warming. …Did… Did she say she wanted to eat my liver?! Out of everything that suddenly wasn’t true about the story, the fact that they actually ate ponies was just the rotten cherry on top. These were the all-powerful witches she wanted so desperately to be real. “nO! wE cAn’T eAt HeR!” whined the accented witch—the tall one. "mOmMa, TeLL hEr! tEll hEr WhAt tHe OmEnS sAiD! TeLL hEr ThAt tHiS pOnY’S tHe OnE wHo’LL sAvE—” A sickening crack snapped across the clearing, and a bloodcurdling howl rang in Starlight’s ears, making her cry out.  Clapping her ears, Starlight collapsed, belly slapping against the soaked grass. The scream ended before she hit the ground, but she remained where she lay, gasping raggedly.  What was that? It was like all the magic in the world cried out at once. A dull ringing and silence hung in the fog. Starlight mustered the strength to peek her eye open: the tall witch was on one knee, clutching a new joint midway down her shin, bent at a ninety-degree angle. "Momma" must have lashed out in an unbelievable burst of speed. That must be it—it’s the only thing that made sense. “i ThInK yOu BrOkE iT!" she whined. Starlight felt no pity, even towards her otherworldly blubbering. The desire to scream ‘No kidding!’ was fierce, but saying anything at all could be the end of her. They could do whatever they please, so why not? "fIrStLy,” a voice began, kindly, then suddenly scathing, “tHaT's 'HyDiA' To YoU, yOu DeGeNeRaTeS!" Momma pointed a single finger in the air. Her big, boil-blasted, eyeless face turned to her downed daughter, "aNd SeCoNdLy, DoN’t YoU dArE SpOiL oUr FuN wItH tHe PaInFuLLy ObViOuS, dRaGgLe. If ThE dEsIrE tO bE sTuPiD bUrNs FiErCe, YoU cAn EiThEr BiTe YoUr ToNgUe oR mY FiSt. YoUr ChOiCe.” Starlight’s blood ran cold. "Dear sweet Equestria..." It was like firing off an air horn in a quiet room. “HeReSy,” hissed Hydia. Three faces slid in her direction. "SoMeThInG tHe MaTtEr, StArLiGhT?" drawled Draggle, rising smoothly to her feet. “wE aReN’T mAkInG yOu,” she crooned, her claws suspending in limp, loose curls above the dirt, “UnCoMfOrTaBlE, aRe We?” Starlight choked. She wanted to laugh and cry. She couldn’t even remember why she was here. "Do We HoRrIfY yOu?" Reeka stepped forth, hands splayed out, presenting their home and all the milky smoke enshrouding it. Hydia laughed sharply, once, adding with amusement, "wE’rE aLl DrEsSeD uP, jUsT fOr YoU! oH, iF oNlY yOu KnEw JuSt HoW mUcH tImE wE sPeNt In FrOnT oF tHe GlAsS. wE’vE bEeN aNtIcIpAtInG yOu, YoU kNoW!” Starlight blinked, her eyes snapping open wide. "Y-you guys saw that I was coming? Or..." She wracked her brain for a way to finish, a logical way. But there was only one other alternative that was possible. "Or did you somehow know already?” She already knew the answer. It made sense, although she wished it didn't. “How?" Reeka clapped her hands. "oOh-H’oH-h’Oh! ShE’s QuIcK aS a WhIp, ThIs HeRe PoNy!” She rubbed them together excitedly. "SeE? sEe?” cooed Draggle, still as a statue. “SeE hOw ShE wOnDeRs AbOuT dEsTiNy?” Spiders skittered down Starlight’s back. "YeS, bUt NoT aS mUcH aS sHe ShOuLd!” Hydia put her hands to her hips. “NoT eNoUgH tO rUiN oUr FuN…” “I ToLd YoU sHe WoUlD bE mY fAvOrITe,” said Draggle. “YoU’vE yEt To MeEt ThE oThErs, SiStEr.” Starlight's breath caught in her throat, and forced those sudden implications out of mind. No one had ever spoken of destiny so casually before, as if the concept were as simple as cutie marks. Ponies just didn’t think much of the supposed superstition. Even without being explicit, the witches' knowledge of such things was unparalleled by probably any pony alive, save for Celestia. They clearly know me... Which means they know why I'm here, right? And... And their magic, whatever it is... It's gotta be powerful enough to save Twilight! "Who are you, exactly?" Starlight asked, doing her best to sound aloof despite the frantic bouncing of her heart. "Or should I say: what are you?" "OLd," Draggle answered. “Gee. Thanks.” “OlDeR tHaN yOu CaN cOmPrEhEnD,” Reeka clarified. “wE’vE bEeN aRoUnD lOnG bEfOrE tHe CoNcEpTiOn Of EqUeStRiA… bEfOrE eVeN tHe FoRmAtIoN Of ThE tHrEe pOnY tRiBeS!” They’re only gonna be vague about it. At least there was some truth to Lickety’s diary. But the prospect disturbed Starlight all the same. Just what were these things? She thought she knew everything about these creatures flying in. This introduction just sent it all into a tailspin. O-kay, Starlight summarized, so I got myself into a deal with beings who really are older than Equestria itself, definitely more powerful than anypony who ever lived. And oh, to top it all off, they’re carnivores, too. Super! Fantastic job, Starlight. You really outdid yourself this time! Ponyfeathers, if I get out of this intact, Twilight'll never trust me to make my own decisions again. Draggle breathed heavily—a gale wailing through a long, dark tunnel. “iT’s BeEn A lOnG, lOnG tImE sInCe ThEn… H’aH, tHe MeMoRiEs! ThE jOy! tHe PoNy BuFfEtS sMoOzIe WoUlD bRiNg Us FoR mOnThS aFtEr,” she sighed once more, cupping a huge hand to her narrow chest. Hydia spat, staring her prey down without breaking her eyeless gaze. “aLL oF iT sPoiLeD aNd WoRtHlEsS!” “yOuR sMeLl, StArLiGhT, iT’s ToRtUrE!” moaned Draggle. “yOu PoSiTiVeLy ReEk oF sHaMpOo. It’S LiKe YoU bAtHe In ThE sTuFf!” “EuGh,” Hydia groaned, batting the smell away, “fLoWeRs AnD sTrAwBeRrY cOnDiTiOnEr, PtOo!” She was as still as a statue. “i HaD fOrGoTtEn HoW pOnIeS sMeLL, sO sIcKeNiNgLy SwEeT. It Is JuSt sToMaCh-TuRnInG!” Heat flashed within Starlight’s face. “How the hay you know what I shower with?!” “wE kNoW eVeRyThInG,” Draggle said in a sing-song voice,  “tHaT eVeR wAs, AnD eVeR WiLL bE.” Reeka stomped forth, shaking Equestria and frightening Starlight back a step. “i CaN’t TaKe It AnYmOrE!” Her claws reached out, like they could grow ten feet and instantly skewer Starlight. “hYdIA, pLeAsE, sHe DoEsN’t NeEd AlL fOuR lEgS fOr LaTeR—” Starlight shrieked as the matriarch snapped, “nO!” with finality. Reeka instantly shrank back into the group, hunched and washing her claws in some imaginary sink. Hydia breathed in deeply. “wHo We ArE dOeS nOt MaTtEr, NoR iS iT aNy Of YoUr CoNcErN. yOu NeEd OnLy To KnOw ThAt We HaVe PoWeR. fOrRbIdDeN pOwEr, ThE kInD tHaT rUnS dEeP iN tHe HeArT oF tHiS lAnD’s FoUnDaTiOn.” A bold claim, Starlight mused. Such boasts would make even Trixie cackle at their absurdity. She wouldn't put it past these creatures to warp the narrative like the braggart, twisting the logic she so heavily relied upon, manipulating her fear to get her to dance to their tune. "Very interesting,” she said, trying to sound bored. “And is Princess Celestia aware of this?" “uS...?" said Draggle. "No, I mean—" “OuR mAgIc?” Reeka purred, going pinky-up. Starlight couldn’t muster an answer—that was exactly it. Hydia’s hands clapped noiselessly together. “wE aRe OnE aNd tHe SaMe—RoOtEd In ThE lAnD, TiEd To sHaCkLeS oF fAtE.” “wE’vE sEeN iT aLL, wItHoUt eVeR bEiNg ThErE oUrSeLvEs,” said Draggle, her hand sweeping. Starlight laughed, barking out a hoarse squeal. “Yeah! I bet you see all kinds of stuff in your bubbling cauldron!” She made a circular motion. "iN a WaY..." A chuckle rumbled in the air like distant thunder. “dEsTiNy Is BuT a BoOk, StArLiGhT,” said Hydia. “WrItTeN aNd PrInTeD. wE’Re All JuSt ChArAcTeRs, SpInNiNg In PlAcE TiLL wE’Ve DeTeRiOrAtEd InTo sTaRdUsT.” Starlight fought to keep her tone light and disinterested. “How bleak.” Reeka shook her head, as if seeing through her as well as her pot. “YoU’ll CoMe To UnDeRsTaNd,” she chirped. “It DoEsN’t mAtTeR wHeRe YoUr FanTaSiEs LiE. dEsTiNy iS lAw. We MaY nOt Be ThE aUtHoRs…” “BuT wE aRe ThE rEaDeRs,” Reeka finished. “AnD wE kNoW tHe EnDiNg Of EvErY sToRy ThAt WiLl EvEr Be.” She held the last syllable in a long, smoky hiss. The fact that they were one with the land itself carried a slew of disturbing implications. That’s how they do it. That’s how they know everything… A pulse throbbed in Starlight's ears. No matter what happens here, they won't be surprised, because… their magic is tied to Equestria’s, like earth ponies’ and unicorns’ so… "Then tell me how Princess Twilight's story ends, now!" she snapped. Starlight hated the shakiness of her demand. It screamed of the facade she wore. Draggle cooed with delight. “OoH, sHe’S sNiPpIeR tHaN yOuR aVeRaGe PoNy!" "I am not your average pony," Starlight threatened. “HmM… nO, yOu ArE cErTaInLy NoT,” Hydia agreed. Her skeletal hand stroked whatever hid beneath her face-cloth. Starlight focused her eyes there instead of on her rotten eye sockets. A moment later, Starlight wondered what could she do, anyway? Cast a spell? She couldn’t. She was completely at their mercy. What is that, anyway? It was probably a hex cast by the Witches in anticipation of her arrival. A helpless pony was far easier to deal with than an angry, powerful one. After all, if they knew she was coming, they likely knew how badly she wanted to erase their evil blemish from the face of Equestria. “dEsTiNy HaS bRoUgHt YoU tO oUr AbOdE tHiS dAy, StArLiGhT gLiMmEr,” continued Hydia. “All tHaT yOu HaVe EvEr SuFfErEd WeRe BuT sToNeS fOrMiNg ThE pAtH wHiCh LeD yOu hErE.” She huffed in amusement. “aNd YoU’vE gOt QuItE tHe StOrY tO TeLl, HaVeN’t YoU? A fOaLhOoD sUmMaRiZeD iN a BrOkEn HeArT, ThE cReAtIoN oF a CuTe LiTtLe CuLt! AnD tHaT iNeViTaBlY rEsUlTeD iN yOuR tUtElAgE bEnEaTh tHe PrInCeSs oF EqUeStRiA.” Starlight opted to ignore that ‘beneath’ jab. "You mean of Friendship?” She snorted, then smiled thinly. “That's Twilight, you know. Who you described was Princess Celestia." “oF cOuRsE, oF cOuRsE.” Starlight didn't like what they were implying but preferred not to pursue this rabbit down its hole. They’re just trying to mess with you, Starlight. To have 'fun.' They said it themselves. But then, what was a lie? What was fact? They were throwing so much at her, it was a challenge to even fully process it all. She wasn’t eager to ask them to slow down. “FuNnY hOw It AlL fElL iNtO pLaCe, Is iT nOt? YoU wErE a VeRy NaUgHtY pOnY, aFtEr AlL.” Hydia’s finger waved in a scolding manner. “GoOd InTeNtIoNs Be CuRsEd, I sAy! YoU oUgHtA hAvE bEeN pUt To DeAtH fOr AlMoSt DeStRoYiNg EqUeStRiA.” Starlight blinked, eyes at half-mast. Once upon a time, those words would have sent her into a tailspin of guilt. Now I know, they’re just trying to unnerve you, Starlight. "Uh-huh, and your point?" she asked, beckoning them with a hoof. "I know I was horrible. I know I hurt a lot of ponies. Ponies that, yes, I did care about, despite all the lies and deceptions I threw in their faces! I will never forget that. But I forgave myself a long time ago. So, you’re gonna have to try harder than that, Hydia." A silence hung between them. Then Reeka applauded in joy. “sO iNsPiRiNg!” She wept an invisible tear from the rim of her pot. Draggle took a deep, echoing breath. “YoU’vE CoOoMe, SuCh A lOnG, lOnG wAy!” Frost and fire skittered up Starlight’s neck on little spider legs. “Stop singing!” Reeka cackled, her hands waving in a little jig. “ShE lOoKs ReAdY tO bItE yOuR hEaD oFf, DrAgGlE. hOw CuTe!” “tHiS sOnG's All AbOuT tHe EnDiNg, ThOuGh. aRe YoU sUrE yOu WaNt Me To StOp, StArLy?” Shivers shredded through Starlight, hearing the falsetto nickname. Draggle upturned a hand, beckoning her. “i ThInK yOu OuGhTa LiStEn. ThE eNdInG mAkEs ThIs SoNg.” She smiled thinly. “Oh, I’m sure. And guess what? I don't care! I don’t want to be here longer than I need to, and I’m quite positive you all feel the same.” “MoRe ThAn YoU kNoW,” growled Hydia. “ShAmE,” said Draggle, flicking her hand. “i QuItE LiKe ThAt SoNg. dO yOu ReMeMbEr ThAt SoNg, GiRlS?” “ViViDlY,” said Reeka. “iT’s KiNdA nOt FaIr.” Starlight blinked. She shook her head. Whatever they were referencing was before her time. Draggle’s hands went up, probably to wipe away fake tears from those beady red eyes. “DoEs It NoT fIt ThIs OnE LikE a GlOvE?” iT mOsT cErTaInLy dOeS, mY dEaR dRaGgLe,” said Hydia. “iN mOrE wAyS tHaN oNe… YoU’vE pLaYeD yOuR pArT qUiTe WeLl iN sHaPiNg ThE fUtUrE oF eQuEsTrIa, StArLiGhT gLiMmEr. AnD sO hAs ThE pRiNcEsS. A cRyInG sHaMe ShE wOn’T kEeP yOu On A lEaSh FoR mUcH lOnGeR.” Um, leash? “wHo KnOwS wHaT yOu’Ll Do AfTeR tHiS iS aLL sAiD aNd DoNe?” "Twilight isn’t keeping me on a—!" Starlight stood petrified in place. What the hay am I doing? Calm down, Starlight. Relax. They’re just trying to goad you. She felt her heart slow a pace or two. Obviously, that’s all they’d been doing this entire time. Fear constricted her belly still, but the prick of anxiety no longer prodded her with every heartbeat. If there was one thing she could be certain of, it’s the witches would have taken her or done something by now if they weren’t looking to make a deal. Right? Hydia’s huge head cocked slightly. “sOmEtHiNg WrOnG, sTaRLiGhT?” "Oh, a lot of things!” Starlight breezily laughed. “But finally, this isn’t one of them: Twilight Sparkle isn’t gonna die… and you know it. I know you know it." For a long, long moment, the three witches just stared. “nO,” Reeka mumbled after the pause, for once in conflict with her petrified glee. “sHe IsN’t. YeT. yOu’Re HeRe To MaKe SuRe ThAt DoEsN’t HaPpEn.” For whatever reason, relief filled Starlight and made her feel lighter than air. This was the closest anypony had ever gotten to healing Twilight. "Yes," she sighed, head drooping. “aNd WhY dO yOu WiSh FoR tHaT, pOnY?” Hydia asked. Starlight’s eyes narrowed. “Even without eyeballs, you can see how dumb a question that is, right?” Fear suddenly kicked her in the gut. Had she been too bold? Hydia simply cackled. “I MeAn, WhY iS tHiS pOnY wOrTh SaViNg? WhY iS sHe WoRtH oUr PriCe—yOuR pRiCe?” Starlight scoffed. "As if you don't know already!" Her only answer was silence. Of course they knew why; the witches wanted to know if Starlight did as well. Obviously, she knew. Starlight was well-aware of her feelings, or at least, she thought she did. Enough to come all this way for the pony who changed her life. That made it pretty self-explanatory, didn’t it? "Okay, well, why the hoof not?” Starlight swiped at the living gargoyles across the clearing. “If there's one pony in Equestria who’s worth saving, it's Twilight—a thousand times over!” All of a sudden, Starlight was no longer battling her nerves in a lifeless swamp hundreds of miles from home. She was in Cloudsdale, lightheaded from the altitude and the extended hoof of a pony whose life she’d tried to ruin. “Give them a chance,” she had said, her eyes begging Starlight, “Give me a chance.” Starlight pressed a gentle swelling within her chest. “I deserved punishment, but Twilight Sparkle chose instead to give me forgiveness, friendship, a home and love when—!” Her eyes fell shut. “When she had absolutely no reason to. "And since then, Twilight’s become one of my closest friends. Honestly, she’s probably…” Starlight hesitated; opening her eyes, these very real terrors before her suddenly seemed so powerless. “I’m starting to think she's my best friend.” “pOoR tRiXiE,” one of them simpered. Starlight shook her head, ignoring what they said as a smile grew slowly on her face. “Twilight’s given me more than I can ever hope to repay. And so I’m here for her, doing this for her, willing to risk it all, for her!” Hydia shifted in place.  “Because she’d do the same for me without hesitation!” The fog smothered her words against her ears, making them ring. Starlight stomped forward. “I would never, ever forgive myself if I didn’t return the favor! If I let fear stop me from being the friend Twilight deserves!" Courage swelled within, driving Starlight another stomp forward. "I'll do anything to save her! I don’t care about what you want. Because whatever your price is, whatever you want from me, I promise you, I will meet it without a shred of fear!” Starlight’s chest hammered like it was home to a stampede of ponies. Panting, she leveled her gaze at the monstrous trio. The bow-legged, knuckle dragging witch, Draggle, merely raised a fist, then erected her stubbiest claw in a strange gesture. “ePiC sPeEcH.” Starlight inhaled… and what could she say to that? She’d just poured her guts out in ways she never had before. Part of Starlight wondered if she’d really said all of that. “Just save Twilight,” she demanded, brows knitted. “Restore her to how she was, before getting sick!” Draggle’s torso turned slightly to the rest of her family. “WeLL, tHeRe’S tHe OfFeR. dOeS iT cOuNt?” “iT dOeS.” Hydia pointed a Spike-sized finger across the clearing. “YoU sUrE aRe BrAvE, sTarLigHt. I hOpE, fOr BoTh YoUr SaKeS, tHaT tHe WeIgHt Of ThEsE BoAsTs ArEn’T mOrE tHaN yOu CaN bEaR. WhAdDa Ya ThInK, ReEkA?” The fog rolled silently between them as mother and daughters looked to one another. No one spoke. From the twin holes in Hydia’s head, two huge, black rats scurried past one another, out one eye socket and into the other. Starlight threw her head forward, dry-heaving. “sO,” Hydia purred with a deliberate turn of the head, “YoU’lL fOrFeIt AnYtHiNg?” "Yeah," Starlight gasped. Reeka's perpetual grin broadened half an inch, stretching the ruddy folds of her cheeks. “EvEn ThAt WhIcH iS mOsT pReCiOuS tO yOu?” Starlight battled her entire being not to tremble in place, to show any fear. "Y-you m-m-mean my l-life.” Reeka’s gaping-grinning lips slurped, her claws rubbing quickly with excitement. “yOuR tErRoR iS DeLiCiOuS, sTaRLiGhT! mM! cHiCkEn, RoAsTiNg On An OpEn FlAmE.” Hydia scratched her disgusting, overflowing belly, as she moaned demonically. “i ReMeMbEr ThAt TaStE.” Starlight was only half-listening. Of course, this would be the ultimate offer. Starlight didn’t dwell on it for more than a second, but confronted now she was prepared to give it up. For Twilight, no price was too steep. The thought of dying here, alone, terrified her to no end, but no more than the idea of what would come after: Would Twilight be okay? What would she do to Spike, after he revealed the secret behind her miraculous recovery? Would she blame him for not keeping an eye on her? She should have told Twilight where she was going at least. Give one last goodbye. Why didn’t she ever plan these things through? Starlight swallowed hard, staring hard at the trio across the clearing. “My life for Twilight’s. There’s my offer,” she said, her voice loud and clear in the misty air. Reeka’s grime-crusted finger uncurled toward Starlight. Show no fear. Show them you’re not afraid. This is for Twilight. It’s all worth it. It’s the least you can do, Starlight Glimmer. Come on! She took a risk taking you in! “YoU dO nOt GeT tO dEcIdE wHaT wE wAnT, yOu sNiPpY LiTtLe SoCiOpAtH!” Reeka howled. “yOu DiD rEaD tHe BoOk, DiDn’T yOu? DoN’t YoU kNoW hOw ThIs WoRkS?” Starlight merely swallowed. Her throat tightened. “bEsIdEs,” said Hydia, “YoU dIdN’t ThInK iT’d Be ThAt EaSy, DiD yOu?” Starlight scoffed. “That’s easy?!” she cried in disbelief. “oF cOuRsE iT iS.” Hydia sighed, disappointed. “YoU dOn’T kNoW rEaL hArDsHiP, sTaRLiGhT. nOr Is YoUr LiFe ThAt PrEcIoUs.” “To YoU,” Draggle added. “YeS, tO yOu. BeSiDeS, wE DoN’t WaNt yOuR mIsErAbLe LiFe.” Starlight sighed internally with relief. “oF tHiS yOu CaN bE aSsUrEd: YoU’lL lIvE, aNd PrInCeSs tWiLiGhT ShAlL rEtUrN tO FuLL hEaLtH. sHe’LL ThAnK yOu FoR tHe NoBlE sAcRiFiCe YoU mAdE. aLL sHaLL rEtUrN tO nOrMaL!” Hydia sneered, on the verge of laughter. Unease gnawed at Starlight’s insides. "So, what is it you want, exactly?” “oH, iT’s NoT wHaT wE wAnT, lItTlE pOnY! tHiS Is aLL aBoUt YoU, aNd WhAt YoU aRe WiLlInG tO sUfFeR aNd SaCrIfIcE fOr ThE pOnY wHo ChAnGeD yOuR LIfE.” Draggle lifted a hand, questioningly. “YoU dId SaY tHeRe’S nOtHiNg YoU wOuLd’Nt Do FoR tHe PrInCeSs, DiDn’T yOu?” Starlight’s mouth stammered wordlessly. “I-I guess I did—” “WeLL!” Reeka’s claws smacked together, rubbing hungrily. “nOw It’S tImE tO pRoVe It!” Her nerves writhed all over. “Then tell me what you want!” Starlight cried. Bellowing laughter echoed across the clearing. “iN tRuTh, ThErE’s No ReAsOn YoU sHoUlD wAnT tO kNoW!” said Hydia. Starlight’s chest tightened as she began to stammer an objection. “yOu’Ve AlReAdY tOlD uS wHaT yOu’Re WiLlInG tO dO fOr HeR,” the matriarch squealed, shrugging, “wHy ShOuLd ThE ‘wHaT’ eVeN mAtTeR?” Starlight gulped, forcing a response out of her stupid squeezing chest. “W-well, I’d like to know what exactly I’m giving up, for one!” “nO. tHeSe ArE tHe PaRaMeTeRs YoU’vE eStAbLiShEd,” said Draggle. Reeka tittered. “bIg WoRdS, sIsTeR oF mInE.” “SI-LENCE,” Hydia boomed, an explosion of thunder that tore through both the foggy realm and Starlight’s soul. For a moment, she and the two hideous daughters shared a kinship of mutual terror as they cowered at once. A moment of silence passed. Starlight hesitated to lift her gaze from her protective foreleg, and dropped it several times before meeting Hydia’s eye-holes again. “mY mIsErAbLe DaUgHtEr SpEaKs TrUe,” she said. “YoU DiD nOt SpEcIfY, tHuS wE aReN’t ObLiGeD tO fUlFilL a ReQuEsT oUtSiDe Of OuR aRrAnGeMeNt.” The enormity of this nonsense made Starlight gasp. “I didn’t even know I was making it!” Hydia tutted disapprovingly. “yOu ShOuLd LeArN tO tHiNk BeFoRe AcTiNg, FoR oNcE.” Starlight cursed herself. She had said “anything,” and the witches were abusing that loophole in a way that'd make Iron Will shed liquid pride. "Fine,” she sighed, “I guess I’ve got no choice.” “nO, yOu DoN’t. AnD NeItHeR dO wE.” Starlight’s eyes fell, lingering aside to the sunshine stone on the rock. She met Hydia's eye sockets with steely determination, hoping the rats didn't make a reappearance. "Okay..." she breathed, "Alright, I'll do it! I'll give whatever you ask of me. Just so long as you save Twilight." With a wave of the hand, Hydia informed her, “iT iS dOnE.” "Wait, that's it?" The Ladies of Flutter Valley were still as statues. “YeS.” Starlight expected more of a light show. Given how today went, this really should have been her last concern. “Huh. O-okay…” “yOuR eNd Of ThE bArGaIn WiLl bE fUlFilLeD oNcE tHe EnD rEsuLt Is SeEn,” Hydia explained. “EvEn ThOuGh YoU dIdN’t SpEcIfY tHaT, WeLL, wE’rE jUsT fEeLiNg GeNeRoUs ToDaY…” Starlight doubted that was the reason. But it was best not to gaze into the abyss for too long, lest it stare right back. "And you'll keep your word?" she asked, trying to sound threatening. "I'm not gonna wake up and find Twilight turned into a teacup or something, am I? Or watch her crumble like sand as I see she’s better?" “My, My, YoU aRe MiStRuStFuL,” Draggle teased. “wE’rE wIsH gRaNtErS! iS tHaT nOt WhAT yOu SaId?” “Um…” She thought she did. Now, Starlight had no idea what these creatures were. She didn’t even know if the bargain struck was anything like a contract, or part of some sadistic mind game. “‘a WoRd OnCe GiVeN, wE nEvEr BrEaK,’” said Hydia. “tHaT hAs AlWaYs BeEn OuR pHiLoSoPhy.” "I just want Twilight to be alright!” Starlight roared, her belly writhing fiercer than ever. Was this all a huge mistake? What did they do? “fEaR nOt, StArLiGhT gLiMmEr, ShE wIlL bE.” Her entire being sagged with relief. “bUt NoT fOr LoNg,” said Reeka, making her go rigid. The hungriest witch stepped back, as did her mother. They’re just leaving. Starlight gaped. "Hey, w-wait! Whadda you—?!" “EvErYpOnY wIlL kNoW wHaT yOu DiD,” Hydia said, her voice a song of sinister intonations, as if casting a curse. “aNd EvErYpOnY wIlL lOvE yOu FoR iT. eVeRyPoNy, ExCePt ThE oNe WhO mAtTeRs MoSt.” The two witches crept back, melting into the foggy treeline as a screen of white obscured them. Draggle caught up in a single pace, adding, “AnD wHeN yOu LoSe aLL yOu HoLd DeAr…” ‘WhEn,’ AnD nOt ‘If!’” Reeka chirped. “...tHeN yOu WiLL KnOw HeArTbReAk, AnD hEaRtAcHe, tO tHe EnD oF yOuR dAyS.” “bUt It WiLL aLL Be WoRtH iT!” Hydia lifted a finger in Starlight’s direction. “BeCaUsE yOu SuFfErEd It aLL, tO sAvE pRiNceSs. tWiLiGhT. sPaRkLe.” Run, Starlight. Her hooves were stuck, rooted in place. Their silhouettes melted into the fog. Reeka waved one hand, blowing a kiss with the other with a juicy "M'WHA!" “SwEeT dReAmS, cUtE LiTtLe pOnY!” “KeEp YoUr FrIeNdS cLoSe, StArLiGhT!” tittered Draggle. Hydia shouted out in a sing-song voice, “iF yOu CaN! sEe YoU vErY sOoN!” Starlight turned and ran, leaving the clearing behind, with its glowing stone and hideous mistresses. She could hear the witches, lost to sight in the fog, cackling madly. Their voices now a hope-slaughtering cacophony. Their laughter echoed behind Starlight while she left the clearing. It trailed after her as she soared through the tunnel of "Flutter Valley," ringing in her ears over and over. Gotta see Twilight, she thought, erupting into the hardest gallop of her life the moment her hooves touched solid ground. Please be okay, please, please, please, she pleaded as she tore through the soggy grass, throwing up clods of sticky, putrid earth. Diving inside the basket, the thing wouldn't move, leave. Starlight growled pitifully. “Why won’t you go!?” she cried. She cast a furious gaze at the anchor rope she’d looped around a rock, and her horn flared to life. Starlight did not stop to revel in the feeling of her magic returning; she loosed a bolt of mana that sliced the rope in two. Now free, the balloon began to ascend, sending her careening back toward the civilized world.