//------------------------------// // Episode 24: Saving Starlight // Story: EoH Evolution: Season 5 // by Bahamut0 //------------------------------// Twilight smiled as she walked into the lecture hall. Ever since she'd become the Princess of Friendship, and Avatar of Magic, everyone had wanted to hear about how she'd formed such strong bonds with her fellow Elements of Harmony. It seemed like only yesterday she'd been a major shut-in, and now here she was. A goddess with friends who seemed to quickly join her into what some people were calling a growing pantheon. 'So much happened in only a few years.' Twilight thought to herself as she got to mentioning the key event that allowed her and her friends to realize their callings: Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom. However, as she concluded her presentation, Twilight noticed a familiar face in the crowd. Starlight Glimmer. At first, Twilight was worried. But Twilight smiled she remembered a very important fact as she left for her castle. 'I had a feeling this would happen. Ever since she showed up after I reconnected with my old friends in Castalot, I got the feeling she would be the vengeful type. Knowing her, she was probably listening in on my presentation for any information she could use to undo me and the girls freeing her cult. I don't know what she has in mind, but I know where she'll be going: my castle. I have tons of books on spells. And with magic, anything's possible. But if Starlight thinks she's going to catch me off-guard, she's sorely mistaken. Even more that she realizes if she thinks that she'll be able to just walk into my castle.' While Twilight was flying back home, Starlight had broken into the Castle of Friendship and made her way into the library section. As she was sifting through the various books, she finally caught sight of the spell she was looking for. A time travel spell crafted by Starswirl himself. Currently, the time period it allowed a person to travel was one day. "But with a little modification, I'll be able to go back further." Starlight said with a wicked smile. "And when I'm done, Twilight Sparkle and her friends will never come together! I'll have the perfect equality I deserve, and she'll be just as alone as I was!" But before Starlight could modify the spell, she paused. Ever since losing the mask, she'd been hearing a new voice in her head. Her own voice instead of the one that came from the mask. "Does doing this make you better than Twilight Sparkle?" Her own voice asked inside her mind. "You were so alone after Sunburst left. And before that, Mom was gone. You even started that little cult because you hated being alone so much. And now, you plan to sentence Twilight and her friends to that same loneliness." "They. . . they're different!" Starlight snapped at herself! "They tore apart everything I'd worked so hard to build! They could never know losing someone because of a Talent Crest!" "Or maybe, you didn't think Sunburst was worth trying to reconnect with." Starlight's voice said sadly. "Think about it. After spending so much of your life alone, shouldn't you know better than to wish that same loneliness on anyone else?" Starlight was completely silent as she listened to her inner voice. Now that she was actually taking some time to clearly think, she began to question everything she'd ever done. And upon reflecting, it all came to one answer: she was wrong about everything. Starlight was about to put the spell back, but fell to the ground unconscious when a beam hit her! When Starlight awakened, she found contained within a barrier. "Looks like I was right." Twilight said as she looked at the spell Starlight had torn from a book. "The footage showed you breaking into my castle. That alone would be enough grounds for me to arrest you." "But. . . you're not going to, are you?" Starlight asked. Twilight had brought up valid reasons to imprison her, but the look on her face said she would do otherwise. "I already have you detained. And as Princess of Friendship, Unityville is under my jurisdiction." Twilight answered simply. "But that footage also showed me something unusual." Twilight turned the page containing the spell so Starlight could see it clearly. "You were about to put this back when the security system fully kicked in. What were you going to do with this spell, and why did you stop? We'd all like to hear an explanation." And Twilight gestured to all of her friends who had gathered at her castle. "I was going to modify the spell you're holding so that I could travel further back in time." Starlight said with a sigh, and an ashamed look on her face. "I was going to go back to when Rainbow Dash did the Sonic Rainboom, and stop you all from ever coming together." "So what stopped you?" Twilight asked. "And what made you so angry at Talent Crests in the first place?" "What stopped me was the fact that I'd be condemning you to the same loneliness I felt." Starlight explained. "How lonely I felt when my best friend got his Talent Crest. His name was Sunburst, and we did everything together. Then, when we were playing around with our magic one day, I got too careless and stacked our tower too high. It fell apart, and Sunburst used his magic to save me. He also got his Talent Crest that same day and soon went off to Celestia's School for Gifted Magi. I never saw him since then. And from that day, I saw Talent Crests as a plague on the world." ". . . That's it?!" Twilight snapped! "Seriously?! You were acting like a bratty child just because your friend went away to school?! That's your reason for going crazy?!" "Honestly, I'm just now questioning why I didn't try to keep in touch with him." Starlight said as she looked at the ground in shame. "And, ever since losing my mask, I've been hearing my own voice in my head now. And hearing it made me realize that it's my own fault for being where I am in my life." "We'll be holding you here until we decide your consequences." Twilight said as she looked at the spell. "One of Starswirl's spells. I remember using this one, and completing another one of his. The last one led to me becoming Princess of Friendship." "How about that?" Starlight thought out loud. "To think I was holding something used by the Princess of Friendship." "And now it's dust." Twilight said as she destroyed the spell with a blast of magic! She then turned to face her friends, all of whom were shocked at her actions. "Well, the spell was too dangerous. If Starlight had modified it despite her conscience winning out, time's a force not even Discord's willing to mess with. Besides, time travel's always too confusing in media. What really counts is the time we have here. We only have it for an instant," Twilight snapped her fingers. "And then it's replaced with another instant." "Then we probably have an eternity together." Nightfall Silver said with a smirk. "Though I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend it with." "Oh, you." Twilight said with a blush. The moment was ended with a sudden knocking on the door. She immediately frowned when she saw who was knocking. "Blitz Surge. And you brought your entourage too." "Forget the pleasantries, Twilight Sparkle." Blitz Surge said firmly. "I know that you currently have Starlight Glimmer detained within your castle." "How do you know that?" Twilight demanded. "Last time I checked, Nightfall's security system caught her entering. So just how in Celestia and Luna's names did you find out I detained her?" "Lightning Dust was patrolling Castalot on my orders." Blitz Surge answered with a frown. "Additionally, I had her tail Starlight here. And now that we've arrived, I ask that you hand her over. Justice shall not be denied." "We're the ones who detained her." Twilight said as she stood her ground. "And the fact you're trying to grab her means that you're interfering with the business of the Elements of Harmony AND the Princess of Friendship." "So you're going to 'redeem' her?" Blitz Surge scoffed. "Just like you and those pathetic excuses for heroes did for other villains, correct? How pathetically soft you all are. If you stand against justice-" "And who does your 'justice' serve?" Nightfall spat as he came to Twilight's side! Standing proudly alongside his girlfriend! "Is it justice for all, or does it only work for you?" "The Element of Heart." Blitz Surge acknowledged Nightfall Silver's presence. "You may possess heart, but your body is lacking. Perhaps that's why you hide inside a suit of armor. Take away your toy, and what are you?" "A guy with a good heart, which is more than I can say for you." Nightfall shot back as he narrowed his eyes. "And I'd be more than willing to personally slug you for insulting my girlfriend! We've done real good, Blitz Surge. That's more than I can say for you. And in regards to my armor, I could say the same about you for your sword." As Nightfall and Twilight were throwing verbal blows at Blitz Surge, Shadow headed for Starlight's cell and released her. Puzzling the magi girl as Shadow led her out of the cell. "Shadow?" Starlight asked. "What are you doing?" "Getting you out of here!" Shadow answered as he led Starlight to the nearest exit. "Blitz Surge could have killed you when you showed up in town a while back. And if he's here now, he's very likely to attempt it again! You've done bad things, Starlight, but you have remorse for your actions. You proved that when you put a stop to your own plans. Now let's get you out of here!" Shadow was at Starlight's side all the way as they bolted out of the Castle of Friendship! However, their hasty departure didn't go unnoticed as Blitz Surge caught sight of the pair running! "Lightning Dust! Garble!" Blitz Surge commanded! "Don't let them escape!" And the pair closed in on Shadow and Starlight almost immediately! The two of them circling the pair, waiting for their chance to strike! "You're a magi, aren't you?" Garble asked with a smirk as he stared down Starlight Glimmer! "I can tell by that necklace you wear. Hate to break it to you, but I'm a dragon! We've got a high resistance to magic!" "The boss said we had to bring you in." Lightning Dust said with a with a wicked grin! "He didn't say you had to be in good condition when we bag you! If he thought me catching sight of you was impressive, me roughing you up ought to elevate my position!" "You're the only one getting beaten today!" Rainbow Dash cried as she flew at Lightning Dust! Delivering a powerful kick to Lightning Dust's head! "Let's see how you deal with the Avatar of Loyalty!" She then turned to face Shadow and Starlight! "You get her out of here! Fly her out if you can! I'll deal with Dusty!" "You ain't going anywh-AGH!" Garble howled in pain as a fiery, green blast of energy struck him! "Still just as stupid as last time. Eh, Garble?" Spike asked as he smoke wafted from the barrel of his arm cannon! "Unlike you, I actually grew up since last time." "Who the heck are you?!" Garble demanded as he faced down Spike! "We've got things here, Shadow!" Spike called out! "Go!" Shadow didn't need to be told twice as he scooped Starlight into his arms, and spread his wings to take flight! But before he could take off, an energy slash hit one of his wings! Making the Element of Compassion fall to his knees! From behind Shadow, Blitz Surge could be seen with his sword drawn! "You will be coming with me, Starlight Glimmer." Blitz Surge said as he advanced menacingly towards Starlight! "One way, or another." "Get away from me!" Starlight screamed as she powered up her magic, and hurled blast after blast at Blitz Surge! Unfortunately, Blitz just deflected them all! "I'm sorry for what I've done, and want to make things right! Can't you just let me do that?!" "You don't deserve to." Blitz said coldly as his blade was cloaked in a rainbow-colored aura! "NOW FACE JUSTICE!" And he slashed forward with his harmony-infused attack! Starlight was hit so fast, she couldn't even scream in pain as the attack made her tumble to the ground! Starlight was barely conscious when she saw Blitz looming over her! His katana poised to strike her, and still cloaked in a rainbow-colored aura! "Prepare for justice!" "NOOOOOO!" Shadow screamed as he shut out his pain, and rammed into Blitz Surge! Forcing the leader of the Lancers back! "I won't let you hurt her!" Shadow then struck Blitz while he was dazed! Every swing and thrust of his spear further pushing back the Lancer leader! "The only way to her is through me!" "Fool!" Blitz spat as he used his sheath to swat Shadow down to the ground! Glaring as Shadow propped himself up with his spare, and gazing defiantly back! "Still so compassionate to those who deserve none." Blitz swung his katana at Shadow, but Shadow raised his spear to block! This only served to further enrage Blitz Surge! "Still you stand against justice?! Fine then!" One hard swing, and Blitz knocked away Shadow's Duelist Arm! "If you sympathize so much with this villain, then join her in her fate!" And Blitz Surge slashed at Shadow! But when Blitz looked to see his handiwork, Shadow didn't have a single scratch on him! In fact, his swing somehow missed Shadow completely! Everyone breathed a sigh of relief while Blitz Surge furiously tried to cut up Shadow to no avail! For his troubles, Blitz was knocked out cold by a massive magic blast from Twilight! "Take your leader and leave." Twilight said firmly as she flared out her wings! "Unless you think you can take me?" "My apologies for our leader." Ronin Strider said as he bowed to Twilight. "His actions do not speak for us all." And with that, the samurai of the Lancers collected his leader. A troubled expression on his face. 'I'm starting to doubt our leader's honor. . . ' "Alone. . ." Starlight muttered to herself as she held her knees close to her chest. Rocking back and forth in shock, and on the verge of tears. "Don't want to be alone." She was snapped out of it when she felt someone tightly wrapping their arms around her. It was Shadow. "You won't be alone." Shadow promised as he held her close. "Not while I'm here. I don't know the full story on you, and I don't know why just losing one friend made you hurt so much and go crazy. But I'll listen. I'll hear it all." ". . . My mom." Starlight said as tears began falling down her face, and she held onto Shadow for dear life. "When I was little, my mom said she had to take care of something important. She told me that she'd be outside, and that I had to stay inside no matter what. I saw flashes of magic, and it sounded like there was a fight. An hour after the noise stopped, I went outside to see what happened. I didn't see any trace of my mom, and all I found was the mask you saw me wearing when I attacked you. And after picking it up. . . that's when I heard it." "Heard what?" Shadow asked. "The voice in my head that replaced my own." Starlight said as she began to tremble. "His name was Paradox Truth. And he was whispering in my head for years. When Sunburst left me behind, I was devastated. That's when he began fully talking to me. Saying he could make a world where nobody would ever know the pain of loneliness, or being different. That's when I took over that village. But I still felt alone. . . " "Not anymore." Shadow said as he got to his feet, and wrapped his good wing around the now sobbing Starlight. "I'm here. And I'm not going to leave you, even if it kills me." Meanwhile, in a strange distorted space, a figure was holding the same mask Starlight had once owned. He was looking at windows into the real world, and smiled when he saw three strange phenomena. A rainbow that seemed to move across the sky, a circuit-like trail in the sky, and a trail of stardust through the lower atmosphere of the planet. "So they finally decide to stir." The figure said with an evil smile. "Spectrum, Kiryu, and Cosmos. Once I enslave those dragons, I'll be able to cross back into the standard world! And from there, my Malefic Realm spread!"