The next day, Star Wing trotted down the hallway, a book for the library dancing in her magic aura. Ponies took a wide berth around her, but she ignored them.
One day, Star reminded herself. One day, they will love you. It may not be this day, but there is always tomorrow.
As she approached the library, she noticed two royal guards stationed outside. An odd choice, but one Star could get behind; books, after all, were the greatest treasures in the world. And one of them was the greatest guard of all: Flash Magnus.
“Good morning, Guardian of Good,” Star greeted, only for one to cross his spears over the door, blocking her way.
“Keep walking, Moon Spawn,” the bad guard growled.
“Hey, take it easy, soldier,” Flash noted. “That’s a Princess you’re speaking to, and the daughter of Star Hunter, easily the greatest thestral guard I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.” He grinned. “My apologies, Princess Star Wing.”
The guard glowered at his superior. “She’s not Star Hunter!” he warned. “And Star Hunter wasn’t a pony. You’re too soft on non-ponies for your own good.”
“And if they take over,” Flash replied teasingly. “I’ll be the one they spare, allowing me to turn the tables from the inside.”
Star laughed. “You guys are just delightful,” she replied, before hovering her book over to them. “But let’s cut the comedy. I need to return this before it’s late.”
Flash’s partner scoffed. “Why should we care?” he replied.
“Because Princess Luna can have you scrubbing latrines for a month if you don’t learn some respect,” Flash replied darkly. “Actually, why does she need to get involved? I can have you scrubbing latrines for a month if you don’t show her some respect.”
Star grinned as the guard bristled under his armor. Ultimately, though, it was two against one, and the guard lowered his head in reluctant submission.
“Sorry… Princess Star Wing,” he muttered.
Flash shook his head. “Despicable, isn’t it, Princess?” he mused.
“You got it wrong,” Star noted. “You have to put more emphasis on it. Like this.” She turned to the book. “Bookie, I love you like a son. But… YOU’RRRRRRRE DESSSSSSSSPICABLE!” She and Flash chuckled, while the guard just rolled his eyes.
“Alright, Princess,” Flash said, opening the door for her. “In you go.”
Still chuckling, Star crossed into the library and walked over to the librarian. The librarian snatched the novel away from Star, checking it over like her aura had mud all over it instead of magic. Barely noticing, Star proceeded into the fiction and adventure setting, looking for another book to read.
However, as she browsed the various fantasies and legends, she picked up hushed voices.
“It’s a sign, Starswirl,” someone was hissing. “You know it as well as I do! Princess Luna asking for more praise? Like the demon deserves the right?”
“Have care how you speak about my student,” an older, familiar voice said.
Her ears perking, Star scurried to the edge of the shelves, and resisting tap-dancing in glee. Starswirl the Bearded – her mother and aunt’s teacher, and the greatest magic user in the history of Equestria – was standing not six feet away from her, conversing with – Star’s guts twisted despite herself – Lord Ego; easily one of her mother’s worst opponents. Who was currently rolling his eyes as Starswirl lectured him.
“Luna’s always had a fondness for the darkness,” he admitted. “But her heart has always remained pure.”
“With all due respect, your greatness,” Lord Ego said, lathering up the ‘greatness’ part, “Are you sure your fondness for your former student isn’t clouding your judgement? We’ve heard her excuse the wolves’ murderous rampages and the thestrals thirst for blood.”
“Murderous rampages?” Starswirl demanded. “Who has suffered under them?”
“All of us will,” Lord Ego insisted. “Soon! Have you not seen the way they feast on animals? How they trespass on our lands and attack our ponies?”
“The lands they trespass on were taken from them,” Starswirl pointed out. “The ponies they attacked were the first to strike.”
“And yet, they are always so eager for fights!” Ego refuted. “It’s in their nature, after all. You can see it if you watch run them down and devour their prey like wild beasts? And they cavort regularly with the thestrals, who answer directly to Princess Luna. And to make matters worse, Princess Luna has started demanding more to her name. More praise, more admiration!” he scoffed. “As if she deserves more than her sister?”
Star grimaced. Luna’s sister was getting more than her fair share of praise and admiration. Why was this guy trying to make her look so bad? What did they ever do to him.
Thankfully, Starswirl just shook his head. “The wolves may be a matter of concern,” he said. “But I refuse to believe that my student would turn on her own family.”
“Can you be certain?” Ego whispered. “Isn’t it better to be careful? Even if she’s not planning anything, the wolves could manipulate her. They are vicious and cruel beasts; surely they would have ways of manipulating our Princess of the Night.”
Starswirl hummed, considering the idea. Star couldn’t blame him for giving the noble that one; the wolves weren’t exactly like the ponies. From their hunting habits to the eerie way they could do everything ponies could… yeah, Star could buy that they’d be up to something.
That’s when it hit her! This was her chance! She could prove herself; in front of Starswirl the Bearded, no less!
“The wolves need to be taken care of,” Lord Ego was continuing. “We must ensure that they can never harm a single pony in our fair kingdom.”
Starswirl’s eyes narrowed, contemplating the task, before Star strode out from her hiding spot.
“Sounds like what you gentle-stallions need… is a hero!”
The wizard and the noble turned, regarding Star with wide eyes. She struck a heroic pose.
“Fear not, my friends,” Star declared. “Your suspicions regarding the wolves are shared. If they pose a threat to our fine kingdom, you can rely on Star Wing to protect you!” She flared her wings, letting the star-like spots that she was named for glitter and shine. “I shall face these monsters head on, and I will show them the might of the night!”
Star Wing smiled, proud of herself for her speech. But her grin faded as Lord Ego laughed. Hesitantly, she tried to laugh along. Until...
“You?!” he demanded. “The Moon Spawn? Don’t make me laugh!”
“Too late,” Star mused as he laughed again.
Starswirl grimaced at Lord Ego’s cruel laughter. “Lord Ego, if the wolves truly are the threat you think they are…”
“Starswirl! Your Greatness! Your Excellence! Your Clarity!” Lord Ego insisted, before pointing at Star. “That’s the Moon Spawn; the daughter of the one who risks manipulation. How do we know SHE doesn’t have plans to help the wolves overthrow our kingdom?”
Star Wing blinked, struck dumb by such a brutal accusation. “W-Never!” she insisted. “I would never turn my back on this kingdom!”
“A likely story,” Lord Ego scoffed. “Do you not think that every spy has had to say those words!”
“I’m not a spy!” Star insisted.
But even when she looked to Starswirl, silently pleading for him to understand, suspicion was the only thing that shined in his blue eyes.
“Master Starswirl, please…” Star insisted.
“No,” Starswirl decided. “He is right.” He glared at Star. “If you are somehow involved in this, then we cannot trust you alone.”
Lord Ego grinned in triumph. “My thoughts exactly,” he said, turning to the door. “GUARDS!”
Flash and his partner from earlier stormed back in, the latter grinning triumphantly as Lord Ego pointed at Star.
“Take this spy to the dungeons!”
“Princess Star Wing?” Flash stammered. “A spy? But…”
“At once,” his partner declared.
“But… Flash, please…” Star tried to insist, only for the crueler guard to smack her across the side with his spear.
Star hit the ground, frozen in shock. She had endured plenty of cruel words and barbs before, but actually being struck was new for her.
“HEY!” Flash barked. “Spy or not, she’s royalty.”
“She’s still a spy,” the guard insisted. "Lord Ego said so.”
“That’s right,” Lord Ego noted. “I gave you an order, Flash Magnus. And a good soldier follows orders.”
Flash gave Star a saddened look. But, with a sigh of defeat, he reluctantly cuffed her.
“I’m sorry, kid,” he whispered, before glancing up at Starswirl. “This isn’t right, Starswirl.”
“I will admit it seems rather…” Starswirl started to say.
“Master Starswirl, your Greatness, please,” Lord Ego’s voice oozed like oil. “Don’t tell me you’re too soft to do what must be done.”
Flash winced. “Oh, no…” he muttered.
“What?” Star asked.
“He pushed his pride button,” Flash muttered.
Indeed, Star noticed Starswirl straighten. The old wizard’s eyes were alight with injured pride. And he turned back to Lord Ego with his head high.
“No,” he declared. “In fact, tonight, we will find these wolves. And we will show them the might of Equestrian justice!”
Flash sighed. “You’ll have to do it without me,” he said. “Like you said… I got orders to follow.”
With that, he escorted Star out. And as the doors swung shut behind them, Star’s last sight of Starswirl was him glaring out a window towards the wolves’ forest, while Lord Ego grinned after her in smug triumph.
#
As Starswirl and his sortie gathered at the edge of the forest, they saw the wolves grouped around a campfire. Starswirl glowered at their smiles; how they could afford to be telling stories and having fun after all the evil they had committed.
A villain is a villain, through and through, he thought.
Yet, despite his own assurances, several of the soldiers next to him looked hesitant.
“I still don’t like this,” a pegasus admitted. “Every single one? C-Can’t we spare the pups, at least?”
“You spare the pups, you give them the chance to grow up and take revenge,” another earth pony refuted. “Besides, these things killed a bunch of my family’s cows and chickens. They can’t go nearly quickly enough.”
“Be silent,” Starswirl hushed. “You’ll give away our position.” He crept further back and drew the other soldiers to him. “Now; earth ponies and pegasi will begin with a barrage of arrows. Before they can realize what’s happening, the unicorns will lay down a barrage of spells. While they are disoriented from the brighter magic, the pegasi and earth ponies will hit them with another barrage.” He glared at the biggest of the wolves. “The Alpha is mine. No one else interfere with her; there’s no point in risking your lives.”
The reluctant pegasi swallowed nervously, but readied his crossbow all the same.
“Now, take positions,” Starswirl commanded.
The ponies moved into a semi-circle around the camp, aiming at the dens and tents the wolves were ducking into. Starswirl narrowed his eyes as Shiva halted, her and one of her wolves talking right out in the open.
It was almost too easy. Maybe she was expecting an attack. Maybe she was talking with that other wolf about attacking the ponies.
‘Well, my apologies, ‘Alpha,’’ he thought with a glare. ‘But you’ll never get the chance.’
“Fire!” he said aloud.
And despite his reluctance, the pegasus lined up his crossbow with the head of Shiva’s companion.
‘I’m sorry,’ his thoughts whispered.
He fired.