The unicorn let out a grunt, pushing past the rocks and slipping in between them.
“Ugh!” Starlight grunted, “That’s the last time I trek through muddy ground!” she looked at her legs, covered in mud just below the knees. She sighed and began looking around for a place to unwind and clean them off.
No... She shook her head. She had to do this, she needs to pull this off. Then again... what would Twilight and the others say about her doing something like this? She’s been battling with that question for a while but has seen it as an obstacle to her goals. Forget about the mud, it’ll dry. The mare began moving through the tall grass, she’s now in more of a forested area, but it’s dry and somewhat desolate. Her mind began racing again, much to her dismay. She recalled her fallout, what Twilight taught her, all blended into the grief of losing her mother, confusion about swirling emotions, and as if somepony were watching every move. She’s had this feeling for a while since arriving in the foreign land.
That’s not even counting the scorpions, snakes, and leopards she had to avoid in the last hour. This place is dangerous and hostile, but Starlight is not deterred or she can play with the mud on her hooves. The mare giggled, rubbing some of it on her face. It felt good in its own way.
Oh, how about a mud bath like at the spa? Where she met... Trixie... Starlight’s eyes widened, she’d completely forgotten about Trixie in her predicament. The bodacious showmare would probably demand why she was out there and blubber how worried she was about her. Maud... Maud would be emotional and concerned in her own straight way. She’s gotten to know her pretty well that there’s a lot of emotion beneath that expressionless, blunt face.
Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash; all thinkers more than doers. They’d act before knowing what they were getting into. Starlight knew! Didn’t she? Well...
Starlight giggled, rubbing more mud on her face, “Aside from stupidly getting transported here, I’d say I’m just peachy on what I’ve gotten into!”
She pulled herself up, taking in the surroundings of the dry forested area.
“Voice...” she grunted, “I know you’re somewhere here! Why won’t you direct me anymore?!”
She recalled his last words to her, “Just keep heading northeast. You will find what you are looking for. Be careful about trusting your own judgment.”
“My own judgment?!” Starlight thought, “I’ve had complete, clarity judgment ever since I began pouring myself into those spells all those months ago!”
“She’s just a big stinker!” a familiar voice rang out. Starlight gasped, and Pinkie faded into view! “How dare she just up and leave us like this!”
“How could you, Starlight?” came Twilight’s voice, “Wanting to raise your own mother from beyond the grave?”
“Do y’all know how atrocious it would be to bring somepony back down from the afterlife?!” came Applejack’s voice.
Starlight shook her head vigorously, spotting the two extra ponies by Pinkie. She recalled Applejack telling the story about her parents and how they went to the “Great Beyond” as she’d told her.
“How did you know that I was out here doing that?!” Starlight cried, standing up.
“I know you better than anypony, Starlight!” said Twilight, “I knew you’d just do something so stupid!”
“I am not stupid! I have clarity now, thanks to you!” Starlight shouted.
“Clarity?! Quit lyin’ to yerself!” Applejack cried.
“No, you’re the one who’s lying, country pony!” Starlight blurted out, not caring what she’s saying, “You don’t know if your parents are really happy or not! You just believe a tall tale!”
“Now that’s just hurtful, Starlight!” Pinkie exclaimed before her mane deflated.
“Look at what you did to her!” Applejack scolded, not phased by Starlight’s previous insult, now they’re not acting like themselves.
“Just get the hay away from me!” she shouted, prodding Applejack in the chest, causing the farmmare to stumble back. She lit up her horn, levitating them into the air, “And go back to Equestria and leave me alone!”
“Behind you, Starlight!” Pinkie shouted. Starlight raised an eyebrow and her friends faded away.
Gasping in disbelief at their fading away, Starlight whirled around to find an elephant charging her through the trees!
Starlight screamed.
She managed to teleport out of the way as the elephant destroyed the tree she was standing by. The elephant turned around, showing its large tusks as Starlight got ready. She shot some beams of magic right into its head, but the magic deflected and only made the elephant angrier.
“Oh, horseapples!” Starlight shrieked, teleporting just before the elephant ran her over. She reappeared further away and the elephant spotted her. She charged her horn, letting her magic build up inside her before letting out a large beam towards the elephant. The blast knocked it to the ground with a loud crash. Satisfied, Starlight teleported to a safer part of the forest she’d been in. She took off and began running. She weaved around trees, slid under fallen trees, and jumped across a stream. She spotted the way out to the savanna and decided to get into a more open area.
Jumping over a large rock, the tips of her hoofs hit it and caused her to trip midair. She spun in the air a bit before crashing onto her back and tumbling down a hill. Rocks pricked her torso as she tried to pull herself together before landing with an “Oomph!” on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.
Starlight grunted, her lungs filled with dust. She began coughing, sitting up, and beating her chest to clear them.
“Way to go Starlight,” she summarized, “You had to go to a hostile environment filled with dangerous animals guided by a mysterious voice!” She cleared her throat and let out a loud groan, “Ponyfeathers, if I ever get out of this, Twilight’s never going to trust me ever again!”
She began gazing around, taking in her surroundings. Surrounded by waving, golden grass of the savanna, and a few scrubs and scarce small trees. Great. This is getting ridiculous. Where has Voice gone? She reached out to him multiple times and yet he refuses to respond.
She sulked, is she going crazy? Her mind is constantly swirling and seemingly has no end. What would everypony think of her now? Would they hate her? Would they judge her? The thought scares her. She cringes when she recalls the words about Applejack’s parents she’d said to the apparent hallucination. What’s going on with her?
“Have I foolishly, impulsively gone out with my emotions again?” she thought, “I seemed so sure about doing something good. Why is my confidence wavering now?”
Is it because of the situation she’s in? Because of Voice’s lack of communication? Her argument with Sunburst? She cringed, thinking of that horrendous outburst after starting a romantic relationship with him? Who starts a romantic relationship only to throw...
No! She shook her head. This is right! Ponies just don’t understand, and when they see what the great Starlight can do-
Then again, if there are ponies truly happy somewhere in some afterlife, would they not forgive her for-
But then again, they could just be in a permanent state of unconsciousness, never waking up again. That’d be a great reason to bring ponies back! It’d be a breakthrough!
What about the bad ponies? They could find her spell and-
“Why is this so difficult?!” she shrieked, growing tired of these conflicting thoughts, not caring if she attracted something else to her.
She thought of her friends, if they are looking for her, how would they take everything? Something as big and unknown as resurrecting ponies? If they did find her, unsuccessful in her search, they’d probably never want to talk to her again after such a feat for a seemingly unachievable stunt. It’s ridiculous to them. Maybe this is a waste of time, but...
“Oh, Mommy...” she whispered, eyes welling up.
She hung her head low, mourning for the umpteenth time today. She hated crying so much. She hated being out in this awful environment. She hated being lost and unable to find what she’s looking for. If only she could remember it! Is she at least close?! She doesn’t know!
“Starlight...” said a soft, soothing voice.
Starlight perked up, eyes widening and ears pointed straight up, had she heard that right? Her heart hammered in her chest, looking around and seeing nothing but the environment.
“Starlight...” said the voice.
The mare gulped, she stood up as she gazed around the grass.
“H-Hello?” she spoke with much trepidation.
Her heart began hammering in her chest, sweat out of trepidation began trickling down her forehead.
“Starlight.”
“Hello?!” Starlight called again, whirling around 360 degrees to find the source of the voice.
“Come on, sweetums! Up and at ‘em, it’s time to celebrate!”
That voice. It couldn’t be! Could it? Her heart got caught in her throat and found it difficult to breathe.
“I’m over here!” Starlight choked out, her eyes welling up again. She needs to find the source of this voice as if her life depended on it!
“Hurry hurry my little Glim!!” she heard it to her right.
She bolted off in the direction it’d come from, gazing around vigorously.
“Please! Answer me again! I’m over here!” Starlight cried, not wanting to lose the voice.
She didn’t hear it again, which caused a tear to follow.
“Please please please please,” she whimpered before raising her voice, “Don’t leave me!”
She stopped running when she spotted something.
A dark blue hindleg stepped around behind a large shrub.
“Oh, there you are!” she cried. She stepped around the brush. She gasped loudly.
In front of her, is a middle-aged, dark blue unicorn with pink hair with white strands in it. She had Starlight’s purple eyes and a Moon for a cutie mark. There’s no mistaking it. That bright smile. That brightness in her eyes. Starlight’s eyes welled up with tears again, rolling down her cheeks as she took in the sight of the unicorn in front of her.
“Mommy...” she whispered, aghast at seeing her.
Her mommy, Moonlight Star.
Suddenly, there’s a chocolate cake in her hooves with five alit, pink candles. She sat down in front of Starlight, holding out the cake.
This image here felt very familiar to Starlight. The image comforted her as if saying that everything’s going to be okay. Her surroundings faded as she took in the wonderful sight. How could this be? Has she been alive this whole time?
“Mommy,” she whimpered, unable to say anything else. She sat down, only a few feet from the older mare.
She had so many questions running through her mind. How did she get all the way out here? Did somepony resurrect her? Why is she holding a cake?
“I’m coming, Mommy!” a new voice came from behind her, only more childlike.
“Hurry hurry!”
Starlight blinked. What is this? She heard somepony running down what seemed to be wood. Wood? Suddenly, a pink filly with a purple mane in pigtails came to a stop right beside Starlight, in front of her mother with a huge gasp and lit up eyes.
“Happy birthday, my little sweet Glim!” Moonlight cried.
“Oh, my gosh, Mommy! This looks amazing!” young Starlight cried happily.
Moonlight lowered the cake, “Make a wish!”
Starlight took in the scene before her. Her fifth birthday. Possibly the best birthday of her life.
Young Starlight skipped over to the cake, closing her eyes and blew out the candles.
“What did you wish for?” Moonlight asked as her child smiled brightly at her mother.
“I wished for...”
“Up-up-up!” Moonlight held up a hoof, beaming, “No telling anypony what your wishes are, remember?”
“I did until you made me forget!” Young Starlight teased.
“How did I do that?”
“Because you just did!”
The filly and mother laughed together as Moonlight placed the cake onto a tabletop that wasn’t there before.
Was this a hallucination? No... this is a memory. Starlight’s heart dropped to her stomach a bit, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the now embracing mother and daughter.
“I wished that I could help ponies and make the best mommy proud of me,” she whispered, tears beginning to well up again.
What would her mother think of starting a following of Cutie Marks with equal signs? Traveling through time to get revenge and other stupid plans with Pharynx, and brainwashing Twilight’s friends? She couldn’t disappoint her mother like that. Then again...this image brought Starlight such joy and warmth as if nothing else mattered. A small part of her groaned at yet another conflicting thought but pushed it aside.
“I love you so much, Mommy,” Young Starlight said.
“I love you too, my little Glim,” Moonlight stated in a warm tone.
“And we’ll always be happy together won’t we?”
“Yes, we will.”
Only we didn’t, Starlight thought solemnly.
She recalled a cookout with her dad soon after this embrace, going to the park, movie, and a night-time carnival soon after a large supper. It was a phenomenal day. She remembered the laughs, the hugs, and accidental ice cream getting stuck in her nose after pigging on it. It was great...why couldn’t it have been forever, she even wondered that back then.
The image of her young self and Moonlight began to fade away.
“No!” Starlight whimpered, wanting to scream, “Don’t go!” The image faded out back onto the savanna. Starlight buried her face into her hooves and began weeping.
Why? Why? Why? Why couldn’t she have been happy with her mommy instead of arguing with her and sending her on a path of darkness? Only to find the light and now this here? What is her life?
Wouldn’t she want to do something to change this? Suddenly, Starlight began feeling determination once again.
Wouldn’t she want to experience that kind of happiness again? Wouldn’t she want to love her mother even more if she were still here? Her mother last heard her saying that she hated her before she’d passed away. So unexpectedly. So quickly. In the prime of her life.
It wasn’t fair! Life just isn’t fair! But, she, Starlight Glimmer, knows all kinds of magic. She’s so close now, and won’t back down from her goal.
She stood up, deciding to go with her gut to direct her through this hostile environment, considering blasting anycreature that gets in her way. With newfound determination, she began stepping forward, not caring what stands in her way anymore.
Any doubts? Any reason why she should back down?
No.
No. This is worth it.
For her beloved Mother.