"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Starlight Glimmer," Celestia said.
"Of course, princess. But what's going on?" Starlight asked kinda worried.
"Well, I'm not sure of any other way to say this, but…" Celestia began.
"What's going on?" Starlight asked as she started getting more nervous and worried.
"It's Rainius." Celestia said, though there was a sense of uneasiness in her voice that Starlight could sense from probably a mile away. "He's heading to Hollow Shades to the Bat Syndicate. He had a vision of you drowning yourself in the pond, but he never saw you get pulled out. He thinks you're dead… and he wants to die too."
Starlight felt her heart sink in her chest. "What?!" She exclaimed. "We've got to get there before he does!"
"He left as soon as he had the vision, which was last night. He's flying in all the way from Last Pegasus to Hollow Shades." Celestia told her.
"Do you think we could get there in time?" Starlight asked.
"Hollow Shades isn't very far from here, so I believe so," Celestia said. "But we must go now." Starlight nodded before she galloped out of the castle.
Meanwhile, as they were on their way to Hollow Shades, Rainius was already there. He walked down the long castle hallway, into the main throne room, where sat Crimson Moon in the left throne. Duke Tail sat on the right throne. And in the center throne sat Shadow Mark. "So, have you made up your minds' yet?" He asked them. They each had black coats that were as dark as coal, their manes and tails each matched the color of their coats, and their demonic eyes all shone a hue of a bright burning red. They were all bat ponies, bloodsuckers instead of fruit eaters. And they all wore black capes.
Shadow Mark sighed. "I'm afraid that your particular gifts… are too valuable to destroy." He said. "But if you're unhappy with your lot, join us… we would be delighted to utilize your skills? Won't you consider coming back to us… Rainius?"
"You know what will happen anyway." Rainius scoffed, declining their offer.
"Not without cause." Said Crimson Moon as Rainius began to walk away.
Shadow Mark watched as Rainius walked away. "Such a waste." He said.
"Where is it?!" Starlight asked Celestia as they both flew as fast as they could, well, Starlight was using her magic to fly as Celestia used her wings.
"It's not that far," Celestia reassured her. "There's Hollow Shades!" She pointed down in a dark forest with tall trees that shunned sunlight. "They refused him."
"So…?" Starlight said, wondering what was going to happen now.
"He's gonna make a scene… show himself to all the ponies at the annual Bat Festival." Celestia said.
"What's the Bat Festival?" Starlight inquired.
"It's a festival held once a year in Hollow Shades to commemorate the killings of bat ponies in the village. It used to commemorate the expulsion of them from around Equestria." Celestia explained. "It's the perfect setting. The Bat Syndicate will never let him get far enough to reveal himself. He's gonna do it at noon. When the sun's at its highest in the sky."
"We've gotta get down there and save him, now!" Starlight said. "We only have five minutes!"
"Breathe, Starlight," Celestia instructed her. "You'll have to run to him. You're the only one he won't see coming. If I do he'll read my thoughts, he'll think I'm lying and rush into it."
"Where do I go?!" Starlight asked once they both landed.
"He'll be under the clock tower…" Celestia said. "Go!"
Starlight galloped off towards the clock tower at a daring speed. Celestia soon began to follow. Ponies from all over Equestria seemed to be there, wearing red cloaks and waving small red flags. Even fillies and foals were doing it too. She found herself pushing past all these ponies, trying to get to the clock tower as fast as she could to save Rainius. She stopped at the fountain in front of the clock tower. The clock struck 12. Watching carefully as Rainius began to take his jacket and cape off. "No…!" Starlight whispered to herself before she cut through the fountain to get to him.
"Elysium." He said once Starlight grabbed ahold of him.
"You have to move! Open your eyes, look at me! I'm alive! You have to move!" She exclaimed.
"Starlight?" He began.
"I'm here. I'm alive." She replied.
The two had went on inside with Starlight pressing her lips against his roughly. He put her down. "You're alive." He said with a smile.
"Yes." Starlight said, relieved that she saved him just in time. "I needed you to see me once. You had to know I was alive. You didn't have to feel guilty or anything… I just can't let you go."
"I never acted out of guilt. I just couldn't live in a world where you didn't exist." Rainius began.
"But you said-!" Starlight started but was interrupted by Rainius.
"I lied," Rainius said, cutting her off mid-sentence. "I had to, and you believed me so easily."
"Because it doesn't make sense for you to love me… I'm nothing. I'm mortal… I'm nothing." She said.
"Starlight… you're everything to me." He told her. "Everything." As the two were enjoying their little romantic reunion, two of the guards came down the hallway. Rainius turned to face them. "I won't be needing your services after all, gentlecolts."
"Shadow wants to speak with you again." The guard on the right said.
"No rules were broken," Rainius replied.
"Nonetheless, we should take this conversation to a more appropriate venue." The guard on the left said.
"Fine," Rainius said. Then he turned to Starlight. "Star, why don't you go and enjoy the rest of the festival?"
"The girl comes with us." The guard on the right commanded.
"No, you can go to Tartarus," Rainius responded.
Suddenly Celestia appeared. "Come on guys, it's a festival. You wouldn't want to make a scene." She joined in.
"No, we wouldn't." The right guard said.
"Enough." A feminine voice said.
"Amber…" Rainius whispered. Amber Night was a bat pony like the rest of them, she had the same demonic bright red eyes and black hair, except her coat was a slightly bit brighter than the others, but not by much. Her coat was a dark purple color, whereas the others were black as night.
"Shadow sent me to see what was taking so long." Amber Night said. Then the three ponies, along with the two guards began following her. They gave Rainius a red cloak to wear. He put it on. "Go ahead." The ponies walked down the stairs.
"Don't be scared," Rainius told Starlight.
"Are you?" She asked.
Rainius shook his head. "No." He answered. Amber scoffed.
"Ah, sister. Sent you back to get one and you bring back two… and a half. Such a clever girl." Said her brother Dark Meadow who had the same black coat and hair as the others, along with the same bright glowing red demonic eyes and the cape.
They soon made it to the throne room where they were greeted by Shadow Mark himself. "What a happy surprise. Starlight is alive after all. Isn't that wonderful? I love a happy ending. Ah, they are so rare." He grabbed Rainius's hoof.
"Shadow can read every thought I've ever had with just one touch," Rainius said to Starlight. He faced Shadow. "And now you know everything… so get on with it."
Shadow chuckled. "You are quite a soul reader yourself, Rainius." He said before looking at Starlight. "However. You can't read Starlight's thoughts, nor see her future. Fascinating." He let go of Rainius's hoof. "I would love to see if you are an exception to my gifts, as well." He held out his hoof. "Would you do me the honor?" She grabbed his hoof. "Interesting… I see nothing." He let go of her hoof and turned away. "I wonder if… Let us see if she's immune to all our powers." He turned to Amber Night. "Shall we, Amber?"
"No!" Rainius screamed before he launched himself in front of Starlight.
"Pain," Amber said, her eyes now focused on Rainius.
Rainius fell to the floor in excruciating pain, screaming in agony. "Stop! Stop, please! Just stop, stop, stop hurting him, please, please!!" Starlight screamed at them. Dark Meadow, Amber's brother grabbed ahold of Starlight, preventing her from moving. Celestia ran over to her nephew. Shadow gestured for Amber to stop. She did.
"Master?" Amber said.
"Go ahead, my dear," Shadow said.
"This may hurt just a little," Amber said as she turned her focus over to Starlight. But Starlight didn't seem to be in any pain, no matter how hard Amber tried, making Shadow laugh hysterically, which broke Amber's concentration.
"Remarkable… she confounds us all… the question is what do we do with you now?" Shadow asked himself.
"You already know what you're going to do, Shadow." Crimson Moon said.
"She knows too much." Said Duke Tail. "She's a liability."
"That's true… Dark." Shadow commanded. Dark Meadow then dashed over to Starlight, but Rainius ran in front of Starlight and pushed Dark Meadow away from her. Dark Meadow then grabbed ahold of him. Celestia was about to attack Dark but was stopped by Amber. "Now kill him." Dark began to pull Rainius's head back.
"Please! No, no! Please! Kill me... kill me… Not him!" Starlight pleaded.
Shadow stopped Dark. "How extraordinary. You would give your life for someone like us… a bat pony… a soulless monster." He said.
"You don't know a thing about his soul." Starlight said.
"Maybe it's one or the other…" Crimson Moon said.
Shadow sighed. "Such a sadness… if only it were your intention to give her immortality… we now have no choice but to kill her."
"Kill me instead!" Rainius proposed.
"Either way, she still dies," Shadow said.
"Stay away from her!" Rainius shouted at Shadow, but he ignored him.
As Shadow was about to kill Starlight, Celestia stopped him. "I'll do it! I'll change her myself!" She said. "I promise."
"Your gifts will make for an intriguing immortal… Starlight Glimmer." Shadow said. "You may go now. Make your preparations."
"I would advise you to be sure you follow through on your promise." Duke Tail said. " We do not offer second chances."
"Let us be done with this." Said Crimson Moon before he stood up from his throne. "Goodbye, and thank you for your visit."
"Goodbye, my young friends!" Shadow Mark sent them on their way. On the way back there was a group of tourists taking ponies into the throne room. Fillies, colts, stallions, and mares all awaiting their impending doom. Starlight's mind couldn't get off the sounds of their bone-chilling screams. Of the ponies getting eaten by the bat ponies that were sucking their blood. Rainius just prevented Starlight from looking back towards the room.
Starlight shot up from her bed, breathing rapidly. "Shh… it's okay, I'm here." Rainius said, calming her down. "You can sleep now. I'll still be here when you wake up. Starlight, the only reason that I left was because I thought I was protecting you. I needed you to have a chance at a normal, happy life."
"It was so easy for you to leave." Starlight said.
"Leaving you was the hardest thing I've done in over 1100 years," Rainius said. "I swear, I will never fail you again. I'm so sorry."
"Twilight's not gonna forgive you easily." Starlight said.
"Eh, I doubt that." Rainius chuckled. "I hope you can forgive me though? Because I honestly don't know how to live without you."
"Come here." Starlight said before she grabbed him and kissed him. "Once Celestia changes me… you can't get rid of me."
"She won't have to change you. There are always ways to keep the Bat Syndicate in the dark." Rainius said.
"No… no!" Starlight said before hopping out of bed. "We're heading to Canterlot… now!"