By now traveling through here was pretty familiar to them both. Starlight held onto Spike as the two of them were put through the washing machine of time travel and dimension hopping, she felt her whole soul and body stretch and twist as they were transported somewhere new. Why couldn’t this be as quick and easy as simple teleportation? If she never had to do this again in her life she wouldn’t mind one bit. Spike probably felt the same.
If Starlight could speak right now she’d be asking Spike where they were even going? After their last stop it could be anywhere and they had no idea. If they turned up someplace odd did they just sit around and wait for Twilight again? And speaking of Twilight where was she back there? It’s possible she got dropped off somewhere else, maybe because she wasn’t close by when Starlight destroyed the Crystal Heart. Although it seems like physical proximity should be irrelevant for something like this. Suffice to say that Twilight still wasn’t with them but Starlight had faith that she was okay and probably already looking for a solution to their situation again. It was Twilight after all.
I’m going to be so annoyed if we get stuck in some world where Cozy Glow has erased all the magic… Starlight managed to think while they tumbled through the rift.
Before much longer—as far as time even really existed in this place—the kaleidoscope of colors and lights reappeared around Starlight and Spike and Starlight could see cracks and pieces of the rift around them falling apart. It seems they were about to reenter into a new world. The whole thing was going to shatter again like a stained glass window and Starlight could already predict that everything would end at once and the two of them would suddenly be standing in some random place again.
A whole new feeling of vertigo and weightlessness then overtook the unicorn and dragon, they didn’t know which way was up or down anymore or what their bodies were doing. Starlight started to feel like she was falling apart piece by piece too, like every inch of her was snapping off into thousands of puzzle pieces that she could only hope would be put back together the right way when this all stopped.
Keep it together, Starlight…
Suddenly it was like the situation changed completely and she and Spike both felt something pulling on them, like a vacuum or black hole sucking them down somewhere at the bottom of space.
Was it finally ending? Why was it taking so long? Why was it different? It was closer to how things went when Twilight rescued them and they were pulled into Empress Starlight’s world, was something now working to pull them somewhere else?
“Starlight!”
Starlight’s eyes widened as she could actually hear Spike’s voice. She had lost track of him in all the chaos but now it all seemed to be coming back together. Wherever they were being pulled towards there was a bright light at the end. Spike was there in front of her so she reached out a hoof to grab him.
“Spike! Gotcha!”
They weren’t sure where this tunnel would drop them off but at least they’d be together.
“I believe I’ve got them back, my apologies for the earlier mishap, I have no idea what happened.” Star Swirl the Bearded said to the other gathered ponies.
Princesses Celestia and Luna, the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony, Trixie, Ember, and Thorax all stood in the map room of Twilight’s Castle. Between the map and the large base of the Golden Oak library a blindingly white sphere of magic floated, Star Swirl squinting in exertion as his magic stabilized the space-time portal.
“All that matters is that they’re safe.” Princess Celestia said, hopeful eyes looking at the portal.
“I don’t think we have nothing to worry about there.” Applejack said. “Starlight and Twilight are probably the two most capable ponies I know, and neither of them would let anything happen to Spike either.”
Rarity gulped and nodded along, wishing the best for her friends.
“I hope you’re right.” Fluttershy worried.
When her friend spoke up Rainbow Dash frowned. “Fluttershy, what about Discord anyways? Why didn’t he help us out with any of this?” She asked her.
“I must admit I’d also like to hear his reasoning.” Celestia said although she didn’t take her eyes off the portal.
“I did ask for his help but, well, he told me that they were okay anyways… and then he said something about helping out a friend and I haven’t seen him since.” Fluttershy mused on Discord’s behavior, wondering if that meant Starlight and Spike were helping out a friend or if he was helping out a friend. He could’ve just been pulling her leg too, it was hard to tell with him sometimes.
“Trixie is fine with complaining to Discord later.” The blue unicorn stated. An annoyed frown on her face. “Right now she just wishes for her best friend to return. And Twilight. Oh and Spike too.” She added at seeing the glares from the others.
“Well as long as they’re back today all the food I made for the welcome back party will still be good.” Pinkie Pie said, looking behind her at a set of tables she had wheeled into the room that were overflowing with cakes, pies, cupcakes, and all sorts of other desserts. “Buuuut if Star Swirl is wrong about them coming back again we’ll have to eat it all and I can make new ones for tomorrow.”
Star Swirl frowned, trying not to take his attention away from the portal. “I was not wrong about them coming back when Miss Sparkle went to find them, something happened and I lost my connection with her. But like I told you all I’m certain I can feel them again. They’re almost here for sure this time.”
“That’s alright, I mean, I can’t speak for the rest of you but if I have to eat a table of cakes-” Pinkie Pie started but then suddenly quieted, her tail twitching. “Uh oh, twitchy tail, something’s about to fall!”
“Fall? What are you talking about?” Star Swirl asked her.
Meanwhile the other ponies from Ponyville had carefully all backed up.
A high-pitched scream came from the portal and a purple Alicorn careened out of it and smacked right into Star Swirl, knocking the both of them to the ground.
“Twilight!” Princess Celestia yelled.
“Huh, that’s weird.” Pinkie said, her tail still twitching. “My pinkie sense is saying there should’ve been a lot more coming...”
More screaming came from the portal and just as Twilight and Star Swirl were getting up Starlight (a thoroughly unicorn Starlight) and Spike shot out of it and collided right into them, the four tumbled across the floor before stopping in a great heap of tangled limbs with Star Swirl smushed beneath them all.
“Ohhh...” Starlight groaned as she sat up, rubbing her head. She briefly looked around before a small smile broke out on her face. “Looks like we’re home, Spike.”
“I hope so.” Spike tried standing up but his knees buckled. “Ow. My whole body hurts, I think the soreness from everything is catching up to me. Have my wings fallen off? Cause I can’t even feel them.”
“If you would be so kind could you please get off of me before you continue your conversation.” Star Swirl grumbled.
“Oh, sorry!” Starlight said and quickly hopped off, only then noticing that Twilight was beneath her as well.
The purple Alicorn also rolled off of Star Swirl and picked herself up. Groggily shaking her head she attempted to look around but was quickly glomped by all of her friends. “Gah!” She yelped.
“Whew! Glad to have you back, Sugarcube!” Applejack said.
“Do we get hugs too?” Spike whispered to Starlight, slightly indignant.
Just then Trixie ran between them and hugged Starlight. “The Great and Powerful Trixie would like to have you know that you worried her immensely while you were gone! Do not ever do such a thing again! At least not without me, then it might be fun.”
“What am I, chopped liver?” Spike said in exasperation, his arms held out in disbelief.
“I wouldn’t go that far. We’re both glad to see you’re okay.”
Spike looked behind him to see Ember smirking at him, Thorax also waving hello.
“Welcome back, Spike.” The changeling said.
Spike was about to proudly state to them how he had just overcome a fierce adventure when he was yanked by Rarity’s magic into the big group hug of his friends, Starlight being pulled along with him by Twilight’s magic.
“We were worried for quite a while you know?” Rarity smiled down at the young dragon.
“We were all worried.” Princess Celestia said as she walked up to them all, temporarily putting the various reunions on hold. “But it’s good to see the three of you are back safely, this has been… quite the event. I wasn’t sure what to do when Star Swirl said the tether with Twilight was broken.”
“Indeed.” Princess Luna said, standing by her sister’s side. “What pray tell happened?” She asked Twilight, her eyes then briefly shifted to Starlight. “And you, Starlight Glimmer, what exactly occurred in the first place that caused you and Spike to travel through time?”
“Uhhh...” Starlight nervously started to rub the back of her head.
“You know if you really want to start from the beginning you can just ask Starlight about how hard she likes to party.” Spike muttered under his breath.
Seeing that Starlight was a bit uncomfortable and remembering what she had been told earlier about messing around in the past Twilight unlatched herself from her friends and stepped forward, coughing into her hoof. She knew Starlight probably wouldn’t want to talk about what she did in front of the Princesses. “Mhm. Well I’m not sure of what happened with Starlight and Spike at first but as for me it’s actually a long story, and to be honest I’m not even sure how or why my connection with Star Swirl was broken when I went back to rescue them in the first place. But it was quite the adventure the three of us ended up on and I already plan to write an extensively detailed report on it. I’ll bring it by Canterlot tomorrow morning.” She smiled. The focus taken off of her student for now.
“It’s good to see you’re the same as ever.” Princess Celestia giggled at her student.
Twilight also giggled. “Well-”
She was cut off by a party canon exploding behind her and showering her in confetti.
“Less talking more partying!” Pinkie Pie said as she zoomed up right next to Twilight and shoved a cupcake in her mouth. She turned to Starlight and Spike and pulled two more cupcakes out of her mane, an absurdly wide grin on her face.
Starlight smiled and looked at Spike. “Well, can’t argue with that can you?”
Hours later the party had ended and all but the ponies (and dragon) who called the castle their home had left. Starlight sat down on a fluffy pillow, thoroughly exhausted after having to cap off this very hectic day with a Pinkie Pie party. Twilight was cleaning up any stray confetti and streamers even though the party pony had promised to come back in the morning to clean up. Spike was passed out on a couch in the library.
A pleasant smile broke out on Starlight’s face as she thought about him. He absolutely deserved the rest.
It was good that Twilight saved her back there from embarrassing herself too. Hopefully she could avoid the Princesses until they forgot to ask about what happened. During the party Twilight had promised to answer any questions they and Star Swirl had about the time-traveling so maybe Starlight was in the clear there. And if she ever felt the need to get some of that guilt off her chest she could just confide in Trixie.
With a yawn, Starlight relaxed into the pillow. “At least everything being safe and sound here proves I was right that I wasn’t really changing our timeline. Hope I made a difference for at least some alternate timelines out there.” She shrugged.
“Speaking of your adventures.”
Starlight yelped, jumping up in shock from her pillow and wheeling around to face Twilight.
“Ehehe, didn’t hear you there Twilight.” She nervously chuckled.
“Right.” Her teacher smiled but narrowed her eyes. “You know there are still quite a few questions I have for you and I expect you to answer them in excruciating detail later. But before that, Spike happened to tell me during the party of how and why this all started in the first place. Namely what occurred after the last party we had.”
Spike you traitor! Starlight silently yelled, sweat starting to fall like bullets down her face.
“Oh, he did, did he?” She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.
“Yes. He did.” Twilight frowned. “And I think it’s only fair to tell you now that there is a lifetime ban now in effect on alcohol on these premises. And furthermore you are going to write a 100 page essay on what you did wrong and why you’re sorry. I think you know me well enough by now to know that I will read every last page of it so don’t think you can cut corners either.”
“O-One hundred pages?!” Starlight sputtered. Her pupils turned to pinpricks. “Lifetime ban?!”
Her many, many, poor decisions catching up to her, so it was that Starlight retired to her room to collapse onto the bed, not looking forward to tomorrow in the slightest. Spike on the other hand had an excellent night’s sleep. And just like that things returned to normal, merely one more adventure down in the long list of adventures for Starlight, Twilight, and Spike.