Starlight didn’t miss her chance.
In the split-second that Fruit Crunch was distracted, looking upward in horror at the mass of debris that was beginning to fall toward them, she wrapped her telekinesis around one of his forelegs, yanking on it as hard as she could. Although the effort made her horn ache, it was enough to unbalance the colt, causing him to yelp with surprise as he went stumbling away from her. As soon as he was clear, she focused on a different spell, biting back a groan of pain as she forced more power through her overtaxed horn. For the briefest instant, she felt the magic struggle to take shape, and the knowledge that she’d be crushed if this failed fueled her concentration.
Her shield sprung into place in the nick of time, a chunk of masonry striking the glowing dome with six inches to spare and bouncing off in a way she knew it wouldn’t have if it had made contact with her head.
A second later the rest of the pulverized remains of the train station came down, and despite knowing that her shield would likely hold, Starlight couldn’t help but squeeze her eyes shut, grimacing as she turned her head away from the cacophony of impacts that rang out then. It was only when the noise stopped that she opened them, scanning the sky through the protective barrier to be sure that nothing else was falling. It wasn’t until she’d confirmed that it was all clear that Starlight let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, releasing the shield and somehow managing to sit upright.
Even that took a great deal of effort, especially since she still couldn’t feel two of her legs. But she needed to make sure that miserable brat wasn’t about to ambush her again. Despite knowing that he couldn’t possibly have avoided the rain of wreckage, the little punk had surprised her too many times for her to take his defeat for granted now. That was why Starlight forced herself to resist the urge to lie back down, barely managing to stand as she looked around, readying herself to bear whatever pain she’d have to in order to blast him with magic as soon as she saw him…
The kid was gone.
For a moment Starlight couldn’t believe it, scanning the junk-strewn area around her a second time and once again not locating him. Had he somehow gotten clear? No, no way, she decided after a second’s hesitation. The colt had been fast on his hooves, but not that fast. But then where…?
Her question was answered a second later as she heard a groan, directing her attention toward the broken remains of what looked like a wardrobe lying a few feet away from her. Belatedly recognizing it as the same piece of furniture that the kid had hit her in the face with right before everything had fallen, Starlight watched as Fruit Crunch – who had apparently taken shelter under it – slowly stood up.
Unlike herself, the earth colt hadn’t escaped the shower of wreckage unscathed. Bruises covered his back where the wood from the wardrobe hadn’t been sufficient to protect him from the falling debris, numerous scratches were oozing blood, and his side had several large splinters jutting from it. But he was still standing up, grunting with exertion as he heaved the remains of his makeshift shelter away, looking around as though prepared to continue fighting.
Starlight didn’t intend to let him.
Before Fruit Crunch even had a chance to look around, Starlight hit him with a blast of magic from her horn. It wasn’t as powerful as she’d intended, but it was enough to send the kid sprawling. Her next shot knocked him off his hooves entirely, leaving him draped across a broken collection of stones, hooves waving feebly as he struggled to rise. But her third strike put an end to that, delivered with a roar of frustration as she finally gave the little brat a taste of his own medicine, leaving him lying limply on the ground.
For a long moment Starlight just stood there, waiting for the worst headache of her life to subside as she sucked in air, barely able to move. Fruit Crunch, however, didn’t seem able to move at all, just twitching and groaning slightly, his eyes somehow fluttering open. The sight of that, of seeing him still trying to resist her, made Starlight want to scream. In that moment, it wasn’t enough to know that she had won; the kid needed to know that he’d lost.
Slowly, aching all over, Starlight dragged herself over to Fruit Crunch, kneeling down next to him. He seemed only semi-conscious, but that was good enough. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, kid,” she whispered, her voice twisted by spite. “That staff of mine that you ruined? It never had any magic. It was just a piece of wood that I found in the desert. The magic always came from me. You accomplished nothing!”
The colt must have been closer to consciousness than she thought, because she saw his eyes open slightly wider at that. But rather than the despair she’d wanted to see, they changed into a look of determination a second later. “Stop…you…” he rasped. “Gonna…stop…you…!”
The words made Starlight see red. “You can’t stop me!” she screamed, her voice rising into a shriek. “You’re a nothing! A no one! Some stupid little brat who’s read too many comic books!” The bile that rose in her throat then had nothing to do with the injuries she’d taken. “All the ponies in this town are crazy! You’ve all had your heads filled with cutie marks and heroes and goddesses, making you think that you can actually become things! No wonder Lex Legis’s goddess is called the Night Mare! Because that’s what everypony will be living in if they keep trying to improve themselves!” Her eyes bloodshot, her breath ragged, Starlight bared her teeth at Fruit Crunch. “Well I’m here to wake everypony up! Starting with YOU!”
Ignoring the pain, she forced more magic through her horn. “I’m going to take it all away! Everything that you think makes you exceptional! And the first to go is this!”
A moment later she discharged her spell, and Fruit Crunch’s cutie mark tore itself from his flank, floating over to Starlight as an equals sign appeared where it had been. Panting, she regarded it for a moment, taking in the sight of a hoof stomping on several pieces of fruit. Although she knew it was likely denoting something to do with food, the impact lines around the hoof didn’t escape her notice. No wonder the kid could hit so hard.
But as much as she wanted to savor her victory then, Starlight knew she needed to put the accursed mark in a container or it would just reattach itself to the fallen colt. Scowling, she glanced around, ignoring the sea of horrified faces watching her from afar until she found the ponies she’d brought her with her. “Get over here, all of you!” she commanded. “Hurry up!”
For a moment they hesitated, and Starlight was enough to repeat herself when they began to shuffle forward, navigating the rough terrain slowly as they pulled their bottle-filled wagons behind them. “S-Starlight? Are you alright?” asked Sugar Belle hesitantly.
“Do I look alright?” snapped Starlight curtly. “Now take this!” Flinging Fruit Crunch’s cutie mark forward, she didn’t bother to watch as the other unicorn mare quickly bottled it, instead turning to another member of her group. “Sonata, you told me before that you have spells that can boost the pony you use them on, right?”
The question made Sonata blink. “Yeah, a few. But you said not to use them anymore, because that would-”
“Never mind that now,” interrupted Starlight. “Cast them on me.”
The order made Sonata’s eyes widen, and she wasn’t the only one. “But Starlight,” protested Night Glider. “If Sonata does that, it’ll show everypony watching that she’s still not equal to the rest of us, even without her cutie mark!”
“And what about the Staff of Sameness?” added Double Diamond. “What are we going to do once that residual power you said it gave you fades away?” He nodded toward where Sugar Belle was putting the jar with Fruit Crunch’s cutie mark back in her wagon. “We won’t be able to make anypony else our friend!”
“Especially that Lex guy!” Party Favor looked around nervously, as though the crowd of the surrounding houses were going to reveal Lex at any second. “Starlight, we should go back to our village now. We can-”
“We are NOT retreating!” The look Starlight gave Party Favor then made him quail. “I’m putting a stop to the insanity infecting this place, and that means confronting the pony responsible for it all!” She swept her eyes over the other five, silently daring them to defy her. “We are not leaving,” she said again, her voice dangerous, “without Lex Legis’s cutie mark.”
Sonata winced at that, looking like she’d just been told that Hearth’s Warming had just been cancelled. “But Starlight, Lex won’t-”
“Shut up and cast those spells!” Starlight stared daggers at Sonata, ignoring the frightened looks that the other four were trading, until at last the mare nodded meekly, starting to mumble an off-key incantation and reaching out to brush a hoof over Starlight’s chest a moment later, causing her to feel tingly all over as renewed liveliness spread through her. Nor did Sonata stop there, starting to cast a second spell.
But rather than feeling grateful, Starlight’s only response was to huff at how obstinate everypony was being, turning to glance over at the other pony she’d enchanted. “Cleansweep!” she called. “Come over here, quickly!” It took the filly only a few seconds to comply, flying over the rubble-strewn field. “Heal me,” demanded Starlight as soon as she’d arrived.
But the filly didn’t move. “I cannot.”
It was all Starlight could do not to scream at that. “Why not?!”
“Without Venin, I am unable to use my magic powers,” replied the filly in a monotone.
“Venin?” Idly, Starlight noted that Sonata had finished her second spell, causing her to feel a rush of vigor.
“The snake. My spirit animal.”
“Then what good are you?” spat Starlight, disgusted. At least Sonata had already started on another spell. But a moment later Starlight put the dots together. “Wait, so you all got your powers from those animals?”
“Yes.”
“Then…then by destroying them, I’ve taken those away from you!” Starlight couldn’t help but laugh then, suddenly feeling vindicated. “First those animals, then your cutie marks, and soon your hero! I can do it!” Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, suddenly feeling much better for reasons other than Sonata’s magic bucking her up. “I can take away everything that makes you all spec-”
But she couldn’t finish as a chorus of gasps rang out from the ponies around her. “Starlight!” cried Double Diamond. “Look out!”
Swinging her head around to see where he was looking, she turned to follow his gaze…
-only for her world to jar violently to the left as a hoof impacted with her face.
“I’m still the leader of the Night Mare’s Knights!” panted Fruit Crunch, winding his hoof back for another blow.
Reeling, Starlight tried to fall back, to telekinetically fly into the air, to teleport away, but Fruit Crunch didn’t give her a chance, pressing her quicker than she could react. “I’m still Lex’s student!” he roared, hitting her with an uppercut that almost lifted her off her hooves, and probably would have if he’d still had his cutie mark.
In a panic, Starlight looked around for something she could use as a shield. Some rubble or debris that she could put between herself and the colt who just wouldn’t stay down! Something to buy her even a second-
“I’m still Fruit Crunch!” His left hoof coming down on her muzzle was enough to send Starlight into the dirt. “Those are things that you can NEVER TAKE AWAY FROM ME!”
Several thoughts floated through Starlight’s mind then. One was that she probably would have been unconscious already if it hadn’t been for Sonata’s magic. Another was how none of her so-called friends were moving to help her, even after all she’d done for them. But the one realization that she held onto was that there was one way to get the implacable colt off of her, and strike back at him, all at once.
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Starlight turned her head in a particular direction and fired a blast of magic…
Directly at Cleansweep.
Her gamble paid off a moment later as Fruit Crunch, who had seen where she was aiming, threw himself in the path of the beam, taking the hit full in the face. The strike spun him around in midair, his limbs pinwheeling as he crashed into Cleansweep, the filly blinking as the impact broke the enchantment she’d been under. The two of them fell-
Only to be caught just before they hit the ground, held aloft in a roiling purple aura. The owner of it appeared a moment later, a large shadow whose only features were green-and-purple eyes, the crowd of ponies parted in front of him as he advanced. Although she’d had the sight described to her several times by Sonata, Starlight still found her breath catching as she beheld the real thing.
This was the pony she’d come here looking for.
Lex Legis had arrived at last.