//------------------------------// // Damage Control // Story: Twilight's BIG mistake // by N1ght_Strider //------------------------------// Dumbfounded, Starlight stands on the stage as Twilight runs away. This is bad, the performance is three days out and Starlight can't handle a twilighting episode and the students at the same time. Either way the damage has been done. She looks at the festival, still many of the tents on fire and others a smoky hole in the ground of what it used to be. She watches as the teachers try to handle the precarious situation. As they put out fires and did their best to calm down the students, most of them were dazed, confused and some still petrified with fear. Starlight sighed, this will all be handled sometime because it always is. Although in the meantime, she had to congratulate one student at least.   Ocellus cringed as the fire hit her back, she could feel the chitinous hide of her rock beetle form practically melting off the back of her back. She held her position, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth at the pain. 'Just a few more seconds' she tells herself.  for what felt like a few hours she held out her form until she felt the flames subside. With the cool air starting to flow over her, she started to float to the ground, her eyes closing and her head drooping before she fell out of consciousness.   Starlight trotted over to the most involved group of students in the school. The ones that drank up the lessons of friendship like it was their favorite soda. Though there was something that was different about them this time. She peeked into the crowd of faces, gasping when she saw Ocellus laying on top of Yona's blanket, burns scorched on her entire back. "Counselor Starlight," Yona started, adjusting herself to balance the scared changeling on her back. "Yona worried for changeling friend Ocellus. Burns bad." "Don't worry Yona," Starlight says immediately as she levitates Ocellus with her magic, she knows this group as well as her cutie mark, she has it all on file and this always needs a large amount of positivity, in fact, that might be one of the reasons why this group always succeeded. "But will she be okay?" Gallus asks pulling Starlight out of her trance, coming forward with a look of shame in his eyes.  "Of course, she will recover--" Starlight started with the most genuine smile she could muster. "That's not the point!" Gallus yells out digging his talons on the ground. "She has been so excited for this festival and her part in the Rowboat and Jewels Bit play and now she is wounded. Is it possible for her to be a part of the play anymore?" Gallus says tears streaming down his eyes. Starlight opened her mouth, but couldn't find the words. In truth, she couldn't give an answer, healing magic is something that requires a huge amount of energy and those wounds couldn't heal properly on their own in three days. She looks at the students, their eyes looking into hers as if silently pleading that she could fix their friend.  Her smile fades from face faster than a fizzled spell. The students dropped their heads in response. As Starlight grappled with the question, a saving grace came from the one mouth that wasn't supposed to open. "Hmm" Ocellus mumbled groggily as her eyes opened. "Ocellus, you okay?" Sandbar asked. "How do those burns feel? Are you able to walk?" Silver Stream piped in. "That was really cool of you." smolder says shoving herself in. "I didn't know that beetles were that strong!" Gallus swooped in from above. "Everycreature! Give her some space!" Starlight says standing in the middle of the group as they  crowded around a levitated Ocellus. "She has been through a lot, one of the best things that can happen right now is give her some space and rest."  The students smiles turn into frowns and looked at the floor. Each one scratching at the ground. Starlight bites at her lips, why is it that what the students need to hear isn't the truth? "Alright everypony, here is the deal." Starlight says, the students looking up at her expectantly. Why did I do that? She thinks to herself. "I know that she will  be okay, I know a magic doctor that will be able to help her out before the festival on Thursday." Starlight says lying through her teeth. It is true that she could ask Zecora, but she is out of town at the moment, counting that option out. Although it seemed that the students bought it, she saw their faces light up faster than Twilight's spell. Smiling weakly she took a deep breath. Can't wait to find the imaginary magic doctor that can treat serious wounds in three days. She sarcastically thinks to herself. "Now everypony, please allow me to get Ocellus to the hospital for her to recover. The group walked away with smiles on their faces, she listened in for a second and overheard talk amongst themselves about how she was going to do it. She chuckled, if only she knew herself. Looking around she found the fires put out and only a small amount of smoke still billowing up. At very least the main structure was mostly unharmed from the fire. She looked around and she saw Spike running towards her. She bit her lip, she knew what the dragon was coming to her for and now she has to fix the pony's ego that was scorched from the fires. "Joy" She whispers to herself, rolling her eyes as the dragon approaches her. "Starlight! We have a pro--" Spike yells out while still a distance away. "Is Twilight twilighting again?" Starlight asked as the dragon stopped in front of her and gasped for air. "Yes, but--" spike continues "She is feeling bad for herself because she was the pony that put everyone else in danger?" Starlight states. The dragon opened his mouth, and raised a claw, but just like a balloon, he fizzled out. "How did you know?" Spike asks curiosity. Starlight gives him a smile. "Fair point." Spike answers. "Let's go before she is beyond the point of repair." Starlight smiles as she walks back to the castle of friendship after bringing Ocellus back to the resident hospital in the area. Life in Ponyville is crazy, yet somewhat predictable. Either way it brings a smile to her face.   ★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★ Gallus growls to himself as he paces the commons area of the school of Friendship's dorms. Each time looking at the different decorations on the walls. Each one brings a sickening feeling to his gut. How could he have allowed Ocellus to fall out of his arms? The moment playing back in his mind time and time again. Each time realizing that a different flick of his wing could have brought him to her. Yet each time, she was just out of his reach. He hangs his head as he looks at the cheesy drawing done by him and the rest of his group of friends. Smolder breathing fire down on everycreature while Yona, Sandbar and Silver Stream each grin as him and Ocellus in the corner arms over each other's shoulder. The picture brings a smile to his face before it quickly turns to a frown. How could he have allowed one of his closest friends to get burned that badly in the first place? "Hey Gallus!" Sandbar says. Gallus shakes his head, seeing Sandbar in front of him with a sandwich in his hooves. "What's going on?" Gallus smiles as he watches Sandbar take another bite of his sandwich. "not much, just enjoying some dinner, speaking of which, the rest of the gang is getting some grub, would you like to come?" Sandbar says before sticking the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth. "Thanks, but no thanks I got some serious pacing to do." Gallus says, his smile growing faker by the second. "I got some… uh…" Gallus looks around the room until his eyes catch a bunch of magical relics on the wall. "Studying! Yeah, I have been trying to figure out the different magical pony artifacts for a while now, I kinda want to see what they are." Gallus says, his smile about to break. Sandbar nonchalantly walks over to the relics on the wall. "these ones?" "Yep." Gallus says through gritted teeth. "Oh," Sandbar says, examining the relics. "Aren't these the ones that we did a scavenger hunt when Starlight was in charge of the school?" "Oh fine!" Gallus says rolling his eyes. "I can't get over the fact that Silver Stream is going to be on a hospital bed through the one festival that she has been looking forward to." He says rolling his eyes. Sandbar blinks. "Oh, would you like to come to dinner with us?" "Yes!" "Cool!" Sandbar smiles as he walks to the kitchen before turning around to Gallus. "It is a code red meeting, so I was--." "Why didn't you say so when we started!" Gallus jumps flapping his wings like he does when he feels strongly about something. Sandbar shrugs, "didn't cross my mind." Gallus slaps his head with his claw. That's Sandbar for ya.   ★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★ "So… uh, what's the plan." Spike says looking over to Starlight. Starlight grabs the handle of the castle. "I thought you knew?" Starlight says looking at Spike. "well.…uh… you see…" Spike says scratching the back of his neck. Starlight sighs before looking at the door. "Actually!" Spike says as she tugs at the door. "what if we give her just a small amount of motivation, tell her that she can. I am sure that will help her out!" Spike says enthusiastically. "You're right Spike, go ahead." Starlight says levitating Spike over to the door, beads of sweat appear on Spike's face. "You have been living with Twilight since she was a filly and know more about dealing with Twilight than I do." Starlight says motioning to Spike. "You’re the one that has the best track record of helping Twilight out!" Spike blurts out running behind Starlight and pushing her to the door. Starlight turns away from the door and looks to Spike. "Alright Spike, why are you afraid of Twilight? What's different then the last eleven thousand five hundred and sixty two times?" Pulling out her list of Twilight episodes. "I have never seen Twilight like this before. I feel that if we enter there, there will be a problem too big that we can't solve?" Starlight snickers. "I'm being serious!" "Sure Twilight, make sure to get a healthy dose of cataclysmic consequences if we fail." Starlight says full out laughing. Spike raises an eyebrow, "Why do you say it like that?" "Spike, we have seen almost everything that Twilight has gone through and she gets back up each time after what? Maybe three days." She says sighing happily. "Thanks Spike, you gave me what I needed to hear to get over what I was in." Starlight says moving towards the door. "Sure… whatever you say Starlight." Spike says smiling weakly. Starlight opens the door and a pile of notes wash over the both of them. Starlight pops her head out of the crumpled papers. "Starlight…" Spike says poking his head out of the papers. Spike says looking at an obviously annoyed Starlight. Starlight takes a deep breath. "Take note Spike, we have officially unleashed the worst twilighting episode on date." Starlight says sarcastically, levitating notes out of her hair.