//------------------------------// // I.V - A Debt Repaid (Which is Used to Pay Another) // Story: The Broken Bond // by TheApexSovereign //------------------------------// They couldn’t have meant Starlight’s friendships. Those were definitely not the most precious things in her life. There were tons of other things, like her life, and… “When you lose all you hold dear…” Relax, Starlight, she assured herself for the umpteenth time. The trade has to be something physical, something you can actually trade. …Right? “When you lose all you hold dear…” She’d been flying for hours. Ponies age faster than the speed this thing had been going! If only she could manipulate the weather. Sadly, a spell to cause a strong breeze was never something Starlight concerned herself with learning. And so here she floated, tormented by both the elements and the witches’ parting words. It was as if they knew she would obsess over them. “You will know heartbreak, and only heartbreak, to the end of your days.” There were many things that Starlight disliked, and a particular few that she hated. One of them was cryptic nonsense, more so when it was directed at her, and especially when it left her future even more uncertain than before she left home. There was only one other time she met such a thing… “There’s no motive, Starlight. I’ve forgiven you because you’re my friend. That’s what they do!” It was so strange at the time… Maybe this was just as abstract? Just as weird? It sounded like a prophecy, after all. "'When,' and not 'if!'” So, did they mean the future was set in stone, or that Starlight would create it herself? What would that entail? "Everypony will know what you did...” That meant all Equestria. Maybe. So, would everypony know that Twilight was saved, or did it mean something more? Like they knew Starlight sacrificed something important for her? Again, what could that even be? “...except the one who matters most." Who else could that be, but one of her friends? They were the ponies she cared about the most. Deciding who “matters most” was so impossible that Starlight didn’t even bother. And if she couldn’t decide, how could the witches know? If, somehow, Starlight was exchanging her friendships for Twilight’s life—which she would be absolutely okay with given what was at stake—would they know that? What would compel loyal Rainbow Dash, the Princess of Friendship, or the pony who Starlight was the first friend of, Trixie, to lay back and accept that? She had to have been exchanging something else. Right? She hoped she was right. "And when you lose all you hold dear, then you will know heartbreak, and only heartbreak, to the end of your days." She wasn’t losing everything Twilight had given her. That was her life. The witches said they didn’t want that—they assured her they didn’t. Obviously. That was just the witches trying to scare Starlight. Obviously. Those gross, horrible-looking monsters… She was going to have nightmares for weeks about them. What would Princess Luna do to cure bad dreams of something that was factually horrifying? "'When,' and not 'if!'" Chills wracked Starlight’s body once more. They were so certain of its inevitability. Were they prophetic, too? They must have been messing with her, that’s all. I mean, what kind of monsters outright spilled their evil plan like that? It’s as if they knew this wouldn’t end with friendship saving the day, or whatever. Heck, villains always underestimated the magic of friendship, every time. If this ended on a showdown in Flutter Valley, surely it would win the day again. That much was obvious. "But it will be worth it! Because you suffered it all, to save Princess. Twilight. Sparkle." Something inside of Starlight twisted, just as it had every other time she heard those words. But then a calmness followed—thunderclouds parting after a monsoon. It would be as short lived as it was a dozen times before, but Starlight reveled in it all the same, feeling like a great burden had lifted from her back. Whatever happens, if the witches were just blatantly telling me my future or just trying to mess with me… it really will be worth it. Twilight would live. She was worth it. Starlight sighed deeply, resting her cheek upon her forehooves as she perched them upon the rim of the basket. You won’t even know if they were being honest with you until you get home. Just relax, Starlight… The world below was speckled with three clusters—huts, probably—not one of them larger than Ponyville but all three flanking a sea, shimmering like a sheet of beaten gold. Wheat? Starlight scrutinized one of the housing areas, and sure enough the other two had the same: a mill. This is Ryesdale. Starlight’s heart dropped. “N-not much longer now!” she laughed. Who was she trying to reassure with that laugh? Starlight’s chin sank onto to her hooves, her chest tightening once more. There was so much mystery surrounding the Witches of Flutter Valley—their very existence forming the great bulk of it. How did the princesses not know of their existence? How old were they really? What evil force created them? They could cure an incurable disease, manipulating the latent magic of Equestria like a sculptor worked clay. Such power implied honesty on the witches’ part: they were rooted to the physical properties of the world. Therefore, it seemed they had absolutely no control over ponies themselves. Otherwise, the world would be a much sadder, sadistic place. Maybe they could only control subtle things, like a summer breeze or rain, things the storybook implied. Expelling a virus from somepony's bloodstream was foal's play to them. They probably enhanced Twilight's next glass of water with some disease-killing magic. How unfairly simple. After every one of their books had failed, their medicines, and their magic, too… After Meadowbrook had called upon Celestia-knows-what and the Mother of Equestria herself had admitted defeat… …Hydia needed only to wave her claw. A simple gesture had saved one of the most important ponies in the world. They might well always remain a mystery to Starlight, forever a curiosity. In truth she preferred never to think about them again. The further from their abode, the better. Canterlot’s proud pedestal—a lone mountain swathed in an enormous green blanket—emerged from the bright, orange horizon, gradually darkening into a taller, darker silhouette. Starlight’s gazed flickered down, to the blocky character of Twilight's castle. It glowed faintly in the face of the rising sun. What awaited her beyond its crystalline doors? Starlight’s heart kicked into overdrive. "UGH!” she whined. “Can't this thing go any faster?!” Starlight, perched upon the basket’s edge, watched the unassuming village bask in a cool morning; deep blue stretched for miles into the unmarred horizon. Another beautiful day in Equestria. It was impossible not to see the potential tragedy ruining it. Starlight didn't trust a word of these witches for a second, no matter what they promised her. Trying to pick apart the truths from their lies had kept her up all night, and yet she she was no better off than she was before leaving Flutter Valley: no closer to understanding them. They could have been lying about everything! Or Twilight, even... What if this is one of those deals where I engineer my own destruction, in an attempt to stop it, and I ruin EVERYTHING I worked so hard to build here!? “When… and not… if…” Starlight murmured. She hummed, rubbing her chin. If I lose everything I hold dear, but it isn’t my friends, and it’s enough to break my heart... What could they possibly want in exchange for somepony’s life? Would another life be worth it? Whose, if not her own? Whose life would that be? One of her friends? Starlight Glimmer's heart jumped and leaped and writhed in simultaneous agony. Moaning, she ducked into the basket, curled in an embrace with her silky, wavy tail. "Can I eat her liver, Momma? That was always my favorite." Her chest ached, swollen to bursting with fear. "Just stop stressing, Starlight," she consoled herself. “They were only trying to…” "And when you lose all you hold dear..." A faint snapping tickled the cotton in her ears. "Stop... Stressing..." She frantically groomed her tail. "Do we horrify you?" Starlight squeezed her eyes shut, the sound of energy crackling in her ears. "JUST STOP STRESSING FOR PONY'S SAKE!" Starlight thought of home, her friends, and Princess Twilight alive and well. Energy swelled in Starlight’s forehead, and pushed out, tingling against her entire body. After a sharp pop, rattling her teeth, Starlight felt a softer breeze rustling her mane, and solid ground underneath her hooves. One eye popped open, then the other, and was met with an eyeful of pure gold. Starlight craned her head, recognizing these as the enormous doors of Friendship Castle. Relief only tapped Starlight before dread strangled her, making her choke. The balloon… Cherry Berry’s balloon… Starlight whipped around, her forelock flouncing with the motion. In the horizon, a purple speck floated amidst a cloudless blue sky. "Whups," Starlight hissed, blushing. Although, she realized, I did cast an anchoring charm on the basket before I’d left Ponyville. Cherry Berry should have her balloon back right where she left it. Sure hope she didn’t raise a fuss… It was impossible not to feel guilty for taking it, even if for just a day. Once upon a time, Starlight would argue that it was all for Twilight's sake, that she needed to fly there and time was of the essence. As if that excused her from taking responsibility? It was stealing... I didn't even think about what I was doing until I was already high up in the air! Ugh, guilt stinks... "Twilight'll probably make me write an apology letter," Starlight said with a roll of the eyes. She accepted her fate. It was Twilight who taught her to empathize with the ponies she wronged, after all. A moment later, dread plummeted to the blackest pits of Starlight’s gut. "Twilight..." Her magic punched through the castle's front doors, slamming them into the walls and sending a mighty boom throughout its maze of corridors. "TWILIGHT!?" she cried, galloping through the foyer. “TWILIGHT!” Her hooves clambered up the stairs, tripping, arcing over a step or two. Please be alright, please please please, just be okay! In a flash and a yank of her horn, the long corridor with a tall ceiling became a door, a starburst emblazoned upon it. The door opened before her hoof could strike it, swatting the air before a yellow pony. “Oh, my!” Fluttershy’s wings sprung stiff, launching a stack of folded midnight-blue bedsheets which sat upon her back. Starlight was so surprised she couldn’t even speak. She really shouldn’t have been. Although every one of Twilight’s friends tended to her, it was Fluttershy and a troupe of animal friends who had served as Twilight's twenty-four-seven bedside serviceponies. They kept up with the chores on Spike's behalf, who too had seldom left his lifelong companion's side. Before Starlight could get a word in, she found herself gently hugged by her friend before Twilight’s bedding hit the floor. "Starlight Glimmer!" cooed Fluttershy. "Fl—!" "Oh, my." She pulled away swiftly, pink in her cheeks. "I'm so sorry for attacking you like that, Starlight. I just couldn't help myself!" "Flutter—” Starlight was in another hug, the silky softness of a pink mane laid across her muzzle. She blinked twice, then blew her mouth free. "Fluttershy, you mind telling me what you're being so... forward about?" Her voice trembled. Fluttershy was suddenly in Starlight’s vision, smiling wide as she held her shoulders. “You’re not going to believe it, Starlight! It’s a miracle!” Fluttershy’s eyes shimmered, her  voice cracking as she cried, “Twilight’s okay! She isn’t sick anymore! Isn’t that amazing?!” A smile wobbled onto Starlight’s face. She had needed to hear it for herself, even thought it was the most obvious truth to have ever existed. Starlight felt the sun rising in her bosom, warm and immense after weighing heavily for two terrifying weeks. "T-Twilight’s better?" Starlight’s voice wavered still. “Can I see her? Please?” She slipped past Fluttershy, the pegasus stepping aside as their coats brushed, now whisper-yelling, “Oh, she’s more than okay, Starlight! B-but, uh…” Twilight’s massive bedroom was completely clean—even her bedding was gone, currently on the floor, leaving a big, white mattress. The sky was beautiful and blue as it’s ever been. The subtle smell of fresh air floated in from her huge window, its left and right panels cracked open. Starlight spun around. Fluttershy was picking up the sheet pile with her teeth. “Where’s Twilight?” The sheet dropped from Fluttershy’s mouth as her head whipped up, eyes bright cyan. “Oh, you haven’t heard? I’m sorry, Starlight.” She smiled sympathetically. “But... I tried telling you that Twilight isn’t here, a-as you can see. She’s in Canterlot with Spike.” “What? Why?” “To show the princesses how much better she’s gotten. Except for Spike, he just didn’t want to leave Twilight’s side, the poor little thing! He could barely say a word.” “Oh, yeah?” Starlight couldn’t imagine the emotions running through his head, especially with their argument in mind. He had to have known what cured Twilight—it definitely wasn’t a miracle of Harmony. “Did he say anything?” Fluttershy shook her head. “No, nothing really except the same things we did. He did look… stunned, I guess, but that’s to be expected. He loves Twilight, after all.” “R-right…” So, Spike hadn’t told anypony where Starlight had gone, had kept it to himself. Odd. Starlight had been expecting a screaming match with Rainbow Dash during the journey to Flutter Valley. She hadn’t cared to wonder why she’d entered the Sea of Fog alone. Starlight dreaded the inevitable talk they would have later. Kind hearted Spike would start apologizing for no reason, for his having doubted her. Given the circumstances, Starlight’s plan had been totally desperate. She couldn’t blame him. But it didn’t matter now. Twilight was alive. She’d been thought a goner but she would live to help improve the lives of hundreds, like she had for Starlight. Returning to Twilight’s room, she found Fluttershy with the sheets now folded upon her back once more, moving to clutch them with her wings this time. Starlight smiled. “Need any help?” The stack lifted off Fluttershy’s back a second later. “Oh, thank you,” Fluttershy smiled gratefully. “Do you mind coming with me to the laundry room?” “Sure thing.” The folded sheets floated above Starlight, dragging slightly behind her like a balloon as they exited Twilight’s bedroom. Fluttershy walked a hoofstep ahead of her, leading the way. “So, tell me, Fluttershy! How did this morning go?” Fluttershy giggled, for no reason other than sheer happiness. “Oh, Starlight, you would have been overjoyed to see it, all of it! Twilight wished you were here.” Her heart tickled. “Sh-she did?” “Of course!” gasped Fluttershy. “You missed the biggest group hug we’ve ever had.” “That must’ve been nice.” Starlight was never much of a hugger—not until it felt alright inside that Twilight trusted her enough to show such affection. “Now define ‘big’ for me.” At a sidelong glance, Fluttershy had her eyes to the floor, glazed with the memory of something highly personal, if her rosy cheeks were anything to go by. “Emotional. We were all crying and we couldn’t stop, not that we wanted to. Even Dashie,” she giggled, “although don’t spread that around. She didn’t say, but I know she wouldn’t want that.” “Of course,” Starlight laughed. “It was tight, too. I couldn’t even tell it was Pinkie’s foreleg around me, we were all just squeezing. To be honest… I was afraid something awful would happen if we stopped. I think we all did.” A small weight, nowhere near as egregious as anything from the last two weeks, settled within Starlight. “I’m sorry I missed that.” “Don’t worry, Starlight. You’ll definitely be making up for it: Pinkie Pie made a promise to Twilight that you would.” Starlight laughed. There was truly no escaping the inevitable now. Not that she wanted to. “I think I’ll save Pinkie the trouble and hunt Twilight down myself. I need to make sure this isn’t a dream.” “She would just love that, Starlight.” It was a joke, of course—Starlight wouldn’t dare intrude on the precious bond Twilight shared with the princesses. The pair rounded a bend, down a familiar, shorter corridor that ended with another emblazoned door, this time with a soapy little washbin. Starlight felt nothing beneath her hooves, as if she were trotting through the sky. “That reminds me,” Fluttershy giggled, voice lowering, “I actually dropped her daffodil sandwich when she came flying into the kitchen. I almost thought I was seeing things. Twilight had the biggest, happiest smile I'd ever seen on anypony. Uh, I mean," she stammered, brows furrowing, "on a pony who isn't Pinkie Pie, I suppose.” Starlight’s cheeks ached. She’d been grinning since first hearing the wonderful news! “What made you realize she was real?” “When she soared down and swept me up in her forelegs. We were hugging, flying, and crying in the kitchen until Spike came with the others.” The soft purples and blues of this corridor blurred together. “I can only imagine,” Starlight said softly, blinking the wetness from her eyes. “So, when will Twilight be back?” She just wanted to know. Twilight could take the whole week off, for all she cared. After being at negative-fifty-percent for two weeks, she definitely needed it. “Later tonight, I’d say,” Fluttershy giggled. “Twilight was listing a lot of friends as Rarity pushed her and Spike out the door. She wants to see them all before coming back home.” Starlight’s heart skipped a beat. Of course Twilight would do that—and it was sooner than she anticipated. “Is there something I can do to help before then? I assume that’s what you guys have been doing. Giving the castle a thorough cleaning.” “No, no, we’re just tidying up for her. Most of the cleanup was done after the party was over.” Fluttershy turned to Starlight, suddenly concerned, no, horrified for some reason. “I am so sorry you missed it, by the way. Oh dear, here I am gushing over Twilight, and I hadn’t even asked how you were feeling.” Her eyes shimmered with pity. “You were devastated after we’d realized that Twilight was going to...” Fluttershy swallowed, pain flashing across her face. “You barely said a word to anypony after that.” That dumb, stupid party… Starlight swallowed her annoyance. It didn’t matter anymore, after all. “Eh, the party wasn’t really my thing, anyhow. Let’s just forget about that whole thing, right?” Her friend nodded in wholehearted agreement. “Good plan!” she softly cheered. Starlight smiled. “I’m overwhelmed with the desire to be productive right now. So, what can I do to help out?” Fluttershy giggled. “No offense, Starlight, but I think you should wash up before Rarity sees you.” “What?” Fluttershy nodded to her legs with a smile. Starlight followed her gaze. Oh. Right! That. Mud smeared her forelegs, her belly caked and cracking like a chocolate eggshell. Her face was likely a mess, and she probably smelled horrible, too. She and Fluttershy looked at each other, until the soft-spoken pegasus began to laugh. Starlight couldn’t help but join her, and before she knew it, she’d leaped forward and embraced her. Either Fluttershy was used to messiness, given what she lived with, or she was too polite to say anything before. She simply held Starlight in a warm, joyous embrace. Starlight finally let go. Realizing she was spotless, the true depth of the grime etched into her coat sunk in. Starlight scratched her mane, laughing. “I see what you mean. Alright, yeah, I’ll just pop over to the bathroom after we wash these.” “You’re sweet, Starlight, but I’ve got this. You should get nice and clean before you get sick yourself.” “Ugh! Fine, Mom!” Starlight groaned, making her friend giggle into her hoof. They were almost to the seldom-used laundry room. “Starlight, if you don’t mind my asking,” Fluttershy hesitated, looking to her, “where did you go?” “Uh…” Starlight didn’t have an alibi. She’d almost counted on Spike having told everyone where she’d gone, what she’d done. “Spike didn’t even know,” Fluttershy continued, every word carried on a faint, white cloud. “After the party, he went to check on you, and said you’d gone to… to ‘think’ I guess. Was it a camping trip in the Everfree? Is that why you’re all muddy?” “Um…” Starlight was more fascinated with the way her friend’s breath was frosting in the air. Was it really that cold in here? “Yeah,” she decided, “I guess you could say that—” Starlight felt an icy horror take hold of her as she sensed a presence rising behind them. “Starlight?” Fluttershy froze a couple steps ahead, her head turned slightly. “Why’d you stop?” An enormous, boiled hand grasped Starlight’s throat, strangling her voice into a tortured squeak. Fluttershy spun around. “St-STARLIGHT GLIMMER” She fell back on her haunches. “Oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH!” she hoarsely cried, her muzzle cupped in both hooves. Starlight’s first instinct was to picture her room. Magic surged up through her until a mass clenched her horn tight, cutting off her spell. Starlight choked on a scream, feeling her horn gripped in a lion’s jaws. The thin, fuzzy layer of skin covering it rubbed against the bone and pulled taut as she was yanked in the air. Over her own haggard cry, Starlight could faintly hear Fluttershy crying out her name in horror before she was thrust before the hollowed-out stare of Hydia, Matriarch of Flutter Valley. Two sets of beady, green eyes watched her from the darkness, impaling her with terror. The claw upon Starlight's horn squeezed it in a death-grip. Her throat loosened enough to scream for someone, anyone, to save her. “TiMe To PaY uP, sTaRLigHt GliMMeR!” Hydia squealed. The pressure upon her forehead pressed to the right. The world flashed white, followed by the worst agony she’d ever known. "Starlight!" Somewhere through the pain, Starlight could faintly hear Fluttershy shouting. "You monster! Let her go! You let her go, NOW!" Hydia twisted harder, Starlight’s screams rising in tandem. And then the sound of a thousand twigs snapping at once thundered in her ears. "Starlight!” Fluttershy wailed. “No! No, Starlight! Star—!" And then, with a final, mighty twist of her claw, Hydia’s warty fist yanked back from her forehead. For a moment, Starlight felt nothing, neither pain nor fear. There was only confusion, before a cold settled into her bones, as if the entire world had been ripped away from her. The deep blue of Hydia’s gown seemed to melt with the black stains upon it, bleeding into the world until it was all just darkness. And deep within the darkness, she could hear a scream—a ragged wail that just seemed to echo on and on. Fluttershy, she realized. Something’s scared her bad. I need to... I have to… She couldn’t move, for some reason. She couldn’t seem to even think beyond a tight warmth cocooning her. Maybe she just needed rest. It had been a long day, and it was raining. The screams seemed to be more distant now. But loud. So loud. Funny, she thought, as she surrendered to nothingness, I never knew Fluttershy could ever be that loud. End of Loyalty - The Broken Student