//------------------------------// // COMBS: Cranky Ostracized Mage Blames Society // Story: Be Human: the All-American Girl Sidestories // by Shinzakura //------------------------------// October 5, 2046 Ponyville “SPINES!” a voice roared. “GET YOUR SCALY FLANK OVER HERE!” A couple of fillies looked at the baby draconess. “Looks like your Mom’s mad again, Spines,” one said. “Yeah, what did you do this tim…oh, report cards,” the other one realized. Spines sighed. “She’s not my mom. She’s my older sister. Kinda. Well, technically, legal guardian. I think. I—” “SPINES!” “I’m coming!” she shouted back. Turning back to her friends, she said, “I’m probably going to be grounded until the next century, so…. Thanks for coming though.” Both fillies hugged Spines. “We’re Cutie Mark Crusaders, right? Ms. Apple Bloom even gave us her old clubhouse! And we always stick together.” Spines hugged back and then the two fillies departed as Spines went over to face the music. As soon as the girls left, Spines went downstairs to the mage lab portion of the building to face her doom. “I guess that tomorrow’s sleepover with Sugar Sprinkle and Buttercup is out of the question?” she asked. A report card was held in front of her, stuck in place by the hundreds of miniature stars and microgalaxies that made up its owner’s unique aura. “Explain.” “But Star—!” “But nothing, Spines.” Star Swirl looked at the dragon she’d raised since she hatched her ten years ago. “You realize I have to have a meeting with your teacher and your principal, right? I mean, Mr. Shiny Apple is an easy-going teacher, and Ms. Cheerilee is getting involved as a teacher and the school principal. What did you do?” “But I didn’t mean to!” “Didn’t mean to…what?” Spines shuffled her feet. “I…kinda sneezed on a paper that Mr. Apple took from me, and it kinda caught fire and it kinda burnt his mane.” “Why did he take the pap…no, let me guess,” Star said. “You were writing love letters to Spike in school again, weren’t you?” A guilty look crossed the draconess’ features and Star sighed. “Consider yourself grounded for the next week, young lady.” “But why do I have to go to school anyway?” Spines asked. “Spike never went to school!” “And the Archmagus already explained why,” Star said, exasperated. “The Archmagus’ mother homeschooled him until he and Twilight moved here and she took care of the rest of his education. She was already qualified as a fully-accredited professor when she moved here, remember?” “Oh, so you’re saying that I have to go to school because you’re not good enough to be a teacher, is that it?” “Okay, I’ve had enough of your mouth, young lady. Go to your room and don’t come out until dinner, understood?” “I hate you! I wish you never hatched me!” Spines said, running up the stairs. “Well, that goes for both of us!” Star shot back as she went into the kitchen to grab an ice-cold cider. She usually didn’t drink and the cider was for any mage that came visiting, but after the kind of day she was having, it was appropriate. Star Swirl the 35th. What a bucking joke, she mentally groaned. Or “Beardy” – even she calls me that. Everyone expects so much of me but no one will give me room to be me. No, all they want is “Star Swirl”, not me. She plopped down on the couch and took a swig of her cider. And now one of the few ponies I thought I could call a friend just backstabbed me. Her horn lit up and she summoned the message she received earlier that day, the results of the promotion board for the position of Commanding Mage of the Manehattan Regional Facility. It was a prestigious and important position, the kind that any mage would be proud to have. And it went to Waterfire. Celestiadammit, Waifu, you don’t have the backbone for that kind of thing. Not that she had anything against Waterfire; the two went through the Academy together and were friends, but Waterfire’s spouse…was a little funny – in that “Mommy she scares me” kind of sense. In a previous promotion board that both Star and Waterfire had served on for promoting junior mages to a higher rank, Waterfire had argued that one particular mage was unsuitable because his fiancée was, to use Waterfire’s odd phrasing, “cuckoo for cocoa puffs.” And now when your integrity is on the line, Waifu? You ignore it? Plus, I wanted that job, too! It would get me out of this stupid little town, to someplace bigger and maybe a place where Spines wouldn’t be reminded of Spike all the time. That was in itself another problem: when the Archmagus hoof-picked Star for the position in Ponyville, the younger unicorn had done backflips of joy: it was a very prestigious position, the storied home of the Bearers and the office was in the former library – the Archmagus’ old home! But as reality set in, Star Swirl realized that with the Bearers having beaten most of the problems in Equestria, her duties as mage were piddling and minor and, save for the rare monster rampage coming out of the Everfree, nonexistent. One year she had so little to do that she spent most of that time formulating public policy with Mayor Mare’s successor, Mayor Wind Whistler. By now, Star was senior enough and old enough that she should have been assigned an apprentice of her own to guide. But she knew why that didn’t happen, either: motherhood, in a sense. Star Swirl was indeed the third pony in history to hatch a dragon egg – but that had happened when she was twenty years old, much older than the Archmagus had been. Twilight Sparkle, though she didn’t seem to realize it, had an advantage because she’d been so young: Princess Celestia had worked to have Twilight’s parents formally adopt the dragon into their family, and his early education had been taken care of by a handpicked staff; it was only when Twilight had reached legal adulthood and was considered old enough to care for her younger brother’s needs that she took over his education. But Star was already an adult when it happened, so…she was legally considered Spines’ mother; the adoption paperwork even said so. But Star found that a little unsettling, so she settled on having Spines think of her as an older sister instead. But as accomplished a mage as she was, she wasn’t the scholar her ancestor had been, much less that of the Archmagus. So Spines was educated in a normal pony school and that was the second reason she’d been assigned to the Ponyville station: as Spike had spent his formative years here, Ponyville was known for being a diverse city even before it was a diverse city. Even now, her next-door neighbors were a pair of humans who worked for the Everfree Forest chapter of the Worlds Wide Fund for Nature. But that didn’t matter to how Star was raising Spines. What she was meant to be was the next archmagus, the next legend in the storied history of the Star Swirl name. What she was instead was a single mother with an idol-obsessed pseudo-daughter in a dead end job in a town mostly known for the librarian that had done more in her life than any Star Swirl ever did. And no chance of ever getting laid, either. That last part was especially true. No, not that it had much to do with her dating prospects: many a single mage and many a single pony in town had tried to court her; quite a few of them found it intriguing that she was already a mother and instead of repulsing them, it interested them that she was a capable parent. But with the exceptional attempt at a relationship that never seemed to go anywhere past having sex, they all ended the same way: with the same accusation: Star, I’m not feeling it from you – you don’t love me. Hell, her recent relationship with Bella Luna almost made it to what could have been seen as a normal relationship, but then she was gone, having found a stallion, and Star was once again alone. They’re right; I never did love any of them. Because I love the one I could never have. Sweetie Belle, her mentor. But Sweetie Belle had been more than a mentor to her; she had been a big sister with advice and friendship and caring. And she’d introduced Star to Pip, Sweetie’s longtime boyfriend. And the first time they’d playfully kissed in front of Star – just an acknowledgement of their relationship – Star found herself wanting that. At first she thought she’d fallen for Pip, but as time went on, she knew who her heart had been given over to. But all the attempts to forget, the self-brainwashing spells, the passioned nights of having sex with a magical Sweetie Belle construct she’d created…none of it was a replacement for the real, live, dream of a mare that Star wanted so much. And now they’re finally engaged and Sweetie wants me to be one of her bridesmares. The older unicorn could easily have stabbed Star with a poisoned knife and it would hurt less. I’m supposed to be “Star Swirl the Magnificent” – that’s the appellation I was supposed to get when I proved myself. What do they call me? “Beardy”, if I’m lucky. Or “Star Swirl the Washed-up”, behind my back. One of my cousins even said I was “Star Swirl the Placeholder until a Real Star Swirl Shows Up”. Maybe that’s really why the Archmagus assigned me here: not because she wished to honor my heritage or give me a chance to be a good mother…but to be out of the way so I don’t become an embarrassment to my family. There was a knock on the door and Star opened it. To her surprise…. “Well, hello, cousin.” A black stallion walked through the door, the look on his face one of barely-concealed contempt. “I thought I’d stop by on my way to my current assignment.” “Well, hello, Black Star,” Star said, seeing him. She and Blackie were the same age and didn’t get along for one simple reason: if he’d had the characteristic horn flare a few seconds before she did during the family naming ceremony, he’d have been Star Swirl the XXXV and she Novastar, the name that was eventually given to her younger sister. As it was, Blackie felt he was the true heir of the name and carried himself accordingly, complete with a beard that was hardly in current fashion but was always seen on pictures of their great ancestor. “What are you doing here?” “Are you deaf? I said I was on the way to my current assignment. I don’t need to tell you anything further.” “I outrank you, learner,” she said, using the formal address for a junior mage. “Yes, learned one,” he answered, using the formal address as well, laced with contempt. “If you must know, there have been reports of a strange object of considerable power in the Everfree Forest. The Archmagus felt it was important to find out if it is true and, if so, to bind it so that it isn’t misused.” “Wonder why she didn’t tell me?” Star wondered. “Because she clearly chose the right member of the Star Swirl family to do it, not Star Swirl the Foalsitter.” “Whatever,” she answered. “So, what do you need me for?” “I’m checking in with the senior mage in the area, as per regulations. Now that I’ve accomplished that, I’m going back to my hotel and find some young and impressionable filly to spend the night with. Then tomorrow I’ll head into the Forest and be out of your mane. As per the rules, you may call on me if there’s an emergency, learned one, but otherwise than that, have fun with your dead-end life.” And with that, he stepped out. She watched him leave before saying, “Celestiadamn plothole.” But it didn’t matter what he thought: the fact of the matter was that she was the mage in charge of the region and when duty and responsibilities were called for…they gave the job to him instead of her, whose job it was. Yup, “Star Swirl the Useless”, that’s me. She went over to the kitchen to start dinner: an eggplant parmesan recipe that Sweetie had brought from human-Earth one time. I’ll add some rubies to Spines’ for flavor. She’s just a growing draconess, after all. At least she could do that much right, Star mused. That night, Star Swirl dreamed. She stood in the remains of Castle Everfree, the once-proud home of the alicorns prior to the Moonfall Civil War. She’d been there once on an academy field trip and never forgot its haunted, sad remains. Princess Luna had even been present during that field trip and she told them, with regret in her voice, of how Celestia had built the castle for them to live in while they reunited their mother’s former realm, and how she, while under possession by Nightmare Moon, had destroyed the place. She often came, as she did that day, to remind herself why she was the lesser of the sisters – because in the end, Celestia had defeated her and, even more critically, trained a mortal mare a thousand years later to finally defeat Nightmare Moon. Except that’s not how the story went, a voice said behind her. To her horror, it was Nightmare Moon, the demonic alicorn. Star Swirl did not attempt to run away, but instead charged a spell, her shaped aura encircling her horn. So, not afraid, I see. Good. Not only brave, but wise – if you had attempted to run, it would go ill for you. Others have attempted to do so and they never awaken again. “What do you want?” Star Swirl asked. It has nothing to do with what I want, but instead what you desire, Star Swirl, the Nightmare stated. Because you are a competent mage in every way except respect, something you lack. And do you know why? Because though you bear the name Star Swirl, you do not have the expansive abilities he had, and so no one takes you seriously. Think back to your grandfather, the last to be named Star Swirl. What was he? “He saved the town of Stalliongrad from a rampaging horde of manticores at the cost of his life. Even as their stingers filled him with the poison that turned him into stone he teleported dozens of manticores miles away, back to the Everfree. With his dying breath he hurled himself at the manticore alpha and turned that stone spell on the alpha as well, and now they’re both locked for eternity in stone, looking no more than two statues in the center of downtown Stalliongrad, in a place where he is honored.” She looked at the Nightmare. “I never knew him.” Because he was powerful and thus respected. But you, you only want friendship and love. And that is weakness, the Nightmare said. Just as it was with Luna so long ago. “I know the story: that she was jealous and she signed a demon’s bargain with you,” Star Swirl accused. Is that so? The Nightmare laughed, a throaty sound rich with humor. Then the stories lie. And do you know why? Because Luna will not ever bear for the truth to come out: that she wished for just one moment to be anything less than inferior to Celestia. That her sister, so considered the pinnacle of everything that ponies ever wished for, thought nothing of Luna as anything other than an annoying foal she was saddled with. Observe. The scene behind the Nightmare shifted, to one ages ago; Castle Everfree was no longer the ruined hulk it was, but the bright and shining citadel of Princess Celestia. Instead, nobleponies in clothing from a bygone age wandered the castle grounds, taking care of what was once the jewel of the Everfree Plains. And among those ponies was a small teenage mare, just barely out of fillydom, her coat a dark but not midnight-blue and her mane a cornflower-blue hue. “Sister!” the young Princess Luna called. “Where art thou?” “I am here, little one,” a voice said as Celestia landed beside her sister. The princess of the sun’s mane and tail had begun to change from their original pink hue to the prismatic one Star Swirl was familiar with. “What vexes thee, sister?” “It is my wish that I control the moon today, dearest sister,” Luna said. “I think that mine skill is ready for such a great undertaking.” Celestia shook her head gently. “Nay, little one. Thine power is not quite ready for such a task. Thou must continue thine studies under thine teacher so that thou may one day take up thy task.” “But I feel I am ready now, Tia!” Luna cried. “My decision stands, Lu-lu,” Celestia said. “As thy princess and elder sister, what I command is law, is it not?” “Yes, your majesty,” Luna said, chastened. “Good. Now off to studies with thee; I understand Master Star Swirl plans a lecture on astral orbits and such knowledge he imparts to thee will be necessary for thine future station.” And with that, Celestia walked off, leaving the frustrated younger alicorn to her anger. “Luna wasn’t originally in charge of the moon?” Star Swirl asked. How else could Celestia handle both sun and moon in Luna’s absence were she not already skilled with such a task? Nightmare replied. In any case, Luna dealt with hundreds of years of such spurning before I interceded. And I will admit: I erred. “You erred?” The Nightmare smiled. Did you know that people once knew me as a trickster, a funmaker? But then I made the error of handing my power to an angry young teen. And with it, she tore the world apart using my name and guise and was forced into exile by Celestia, who I might add, was nearly killed by her beloved sister. And sadly, I went along for the trip unwillingly, unable to plead my case. The smile disappeared as she said, Luna has learned from her mistakes, but to admit them would be to admit her failure, something Celestia would not tolerate. And that is why I have been, so to speak, “demonized”. “Something sounds very wrong about this,” Star Swirl mused. How clever of you to have figured it out! Nightmare said in a congratulatory tone. It is clear that you understand that power must be used judiciously. My congratulations. “No, I mean, why didn’t yo—” —detach myself from Luna, you ask? A fair question. The truth was, the Nightmare said, blushing, I was lonely, and the first pony that offered me her hoof in friendship I grew fond for and – I must admit – fell in love with. Surely you’ve fallen for somepony you can never have before? Star Swirl did not answer, and Nightmare continued. Then you understand my pain. Thank you, I appreciate it, which is why I offer you the same chance I offered Luna – though I won’t be fooled again, I will not. “You offer me the demon’s bargain?” Please, do not call it that – it offends me, as if I am some sort of evil monster. Call it an agreement between partners, if you will. Nightmare Moon’s eyes reflected a kind understanding in them that Star Swirl had somehow missed. My offer is that I lend you my power – temporarily, just long enough to make a display that would earn you your due respect, and in kind you will convince Princess Luna to tell the truth about me and our relationship to her sister. While I have nothing against Luna, I no longer love her and will not stand for my good name to be besmirched by her. “I’m not sure that’s wise,” Star Swirl replied. “There’s not much I would do with that power—” “—except to win my heart,” another pony said behind her; Star Swirl turned to see Sweetie standing there, her tail arched seductively and desire in her eyes. “You know I’ve always wanted you, Star, but I just can’t leave Pip unless I’m sure you want me.” Sweetie laid kisses down Star’s neck and curled her tail around one of the younger unicorn’s hindlegs. “Perhaps…a suitable display of ability would make Pip see that I’m not destined to be his special somepony?” Sweetie kissed Star full on the mouth and it was electric, nothing Star had ever felt before… …and just like that, it was gone. Star wheeled to snarl at the Nightmare for messing with her mind, but the Nightmare lay there on the ground before her, a sad look in her eyes. That wasn’t my doing, Star. Sometimes dreams reach across the Dreamlands and affect other dreamers. What you saw was the truth in Sweetie’s heart. She is only with Pip while she waits for you to prove yourself as a worthy mate. And I can help you with that – I know the pain when your love is spurned. Star was about to say something further when Nightmare placed a gentle wing on her mouth. Think about it – you needn’t say anything now. But if I were you and I had the chance to win my heart’s desire? I would. Love is the strongest magic there is, and once you have that, that is true power. With that, the Nightmare brushed her wing across Star’s face… …and Star awoke to Spines’ shouting. “Star, wake up! We just got a priority message!” The draconess bounced up and down on the bed, trying to get her attention. “I’m up, I’m up!” Star shouted. “And aren’t you supposed to be in school today?” “No, it’s a Saturday,” Spines replied. “And here – courtesy of the Vomit Express.” “Spines, that’s a disgusting thing to say!” the unicorn scolded. Though technically true, she added silently as she took the message into her TK and read: Mage Star Swirl, We have received a distress flare from Mage Black Star in the vicinity of the Everfree Forest. You are tasked with finding and rescuing Mage Black Star soonest and report back to us your findings. Sincerely, - Raspberry Blast Vicemagus Star Swirl jumped out of bed, only catching the time on the clock. Six in the morning? Don’t tell me he…. She shook her head as she rushed downstairs; if he sent a distress flare, then he must’ve headed straight into the Forest after he left instead of waiting for the morning! Some of the nastiest creatures wandered through the forest at night, enough so that nopony dared to brave even the forest edge after sunset. She raced out the door, heading for the main trail into the forest. Black Star might be a total jerk, but he was family and a mage – and didn’t deserve whatever fate a monster had in store for him. Well, not entirely. It was almost night time when she found him. She’d gone well into the Everfree Forest, deeper than anypony ever had before, when she sensed his power. She also noticed something else: cobwebs. Blackie, you fool, she thought. Walked right into an attercop’s nest, didn’t you? The giant spiders were dangerous, so much so that manticores, hydras and even the fearsome ursa major stayed clear of them. She remembered as a child about the time that a clutch of baby attercops had hatched and wandered into the town of Forest Edge, and it had taken several mages to stop them; two mages had died, including her uncle Wandering Star – Black Star’s father. The baby attercops are the size of an adult stallion, Star noted from her studies, and the adults are monsters. What kind of insanity made Twilight think a single mage of support rank would be be able to handle this? If I’d been the Archmagus, someone of Sweetie’s rank would be the very least I would have sent! But she didn’t have time to think about that right now; Black Star’s life hung by a thread – of spider silk, no less – and if the attercop got its claws on whatever he’d been sent in to get, who knows how much more exponentially dangerous the situation would become. Summoning as many pre-made balls of fire as she could, she was about to go in when a thought suddenly came to her. Within seconds, she sent a note off to the local Army garrison on the other side of Ponyville, with instructions to the base commander to fire missiles into the area should he not hear back from her by the morning. An attack by a magically-boosted adult attercop would be catastrophic. With that, she wandered into the nest, casting an additional spell to prevent her from sticking to the sticky gossamer of the thick, ropy spiderwebs that made up the nest. She moved in slowly and carefully, the fire orbs moving around her body like electrons in an atomic orbit. As she passed through she noticed countless bones of unlucky victims, from manticores to cockatrices to an unlucky pony to a…wait, is that a changeling exoskeleton? Either way, something was feeding in here and it unnerved her. Still, she moved on, deeper into the nest, well beyond the entrance and thus any chance of easy escape. As she went deeper, the bones and carcasses increased in number, until she found several newly-created traps, the webbing still glistening with wetness as it had yet to dry and fully solidify. Her horn flared with her galactic aura and several galaxies formed fire arrows, rocketing towards the moving shapes, burning away the webbing, and revealing those imprisoned. Most of them were creatures: a cockatrice, a baby hydra and an owlbear cub; the creatures seemed to be grateful for her act and instinctively raced away towards the exit. But it was the last one, a black unicorn, barely breathing, that concerned her. “Blackie,” she whispered, “It’s Star. I’m here to get you out.” He looked at her, his eyes glazed. She immediately checked for bites or puncture wounds or the like; had he been injected with venom, and if so, how in Tartarus was he still alive? “Run, Star. Leave me be. She’s going to get you if she sees you here!” he gasped. “No. You’re a stubborn son of a donkey but you’re still family. We’re getting out of here together,” she said, as her power lit up so she could teleport the both of them… …only to have it fail. “What happened?” “Anti-teleport spell,” he whispered. “Don’t you think I tried that myself? She cast an anti-teleport spell! Get out of here!” “Wait, hold on – she cast a spell? Attercops can’t do that unle—” There was a sudden ear-splitting shriek that erupted behind her; Star turned around and stared at the most terrifying thing she’d ever seen in her life. The attercop stared at her and said in a screechy voice, “You dare enter my domain and steal my food?” “This is a pony I’ve come to rescue and I shall thwart you!” Star shouted. “I am Star Swirl, Pony Mage, and I do not fear you, creature!” Her orbs of fire circled faster as she moved in front of Black Star to protect him. “Surrender and I w—” The attercop laughed, a booming screech that sounded like metal tearing. “You are Star Swirl? You?” The attercop raised a single leg and then slammed it down on the earth, jolting the ground and causing Star to almost lose her balance. “You claim to be Star Swirl? I knew Star Swirl, he of the beard and the amazing power. You are but a candlelight compared to the sun of his power. You are but a novice in comparison. I fear Star Swirl – I do not fear you.” Venom dripped down the length of its fangs, falling to the ground, scorching the earth where it hit. “I am Queen Arctosa, queen mother of all attercops. And you will be nothing more than an appetizer.” Star tried to keep her terror in check. This was the demon spider my ancestor fought to defeat before her forces destroyed Unicornia! She still lives? “Star, get out of here!” Black Star begged. “Let me die! Run away!” Star did the only thing she could do: she focused and, as one, her orbs blasted forward, hitting Arctosa’s face. The spider queen roared, more from surprise than pain, giving time for Star to charge the next round of spells. Unfortunately for Star, Arctosa reacted faster and spat two massive gobs of webbing at the unicorn. Star burned the first one away easily but was hit by the second one, slammed back into Black Star and stuck next to him. “And this is why I do not fear you, whelp,” Arctosa said as she moved forward, skittering closer with each step. “You are no Star Swirl, and you never were.” The creature raised its fangs, ready to bite her, and said, “And you never will be anything else – ever again.” Star looked on in terror. She’d failed. I’m no Star Swirl, she thought. I’m not even worthy to be a mage. “GET AWAY FROM HER!” The room exploded in amethyst power and Arctosa found herself thrown back violently by a massive column of purpure energy. Star heard the command and opened her eyes, looking at the figure standing there, eyes burning with power and determination in her heart. Sweetie Belle. “You will stand down now, Arctosa,” the senior mage commanded, “or you will learn what it is to cross the Mage Guild!” The spider queen jumped back to its feet and spat a massive glob at the mage. Sweetie never moved as it impacted – and was torn to shreds as it hit her shield. She then summoned a second blast, pinning the creature to the wall painfully. “Arctosa, would-be queen of the attercops…or should I call you by your true name, Mesothelae? Last of the great attercops, nothing more than a duchess in comparative power and certainly no match for a mage – and most certainly not the legendary queen destroyed by Star Swirl the Bearded so long ago.” Sweetie strolled over and looked at the spider as it thrashed on the wall, now very much afraid of the being it faced. “This is your only warning: keep to this range of the Everfree and this range only. Should we find any other ponies in your clutches ever again, you will see the true power of ponies – and I am nothing compared to my betters.” She walked over to the fallen ponies, burning away their bonds with a quick flame spell. Then as they were free, Sweetie nullified the anti-teleport spell and the trio safely blinked away. The moment the trio materialized in the mage office, Star was practically tackled by a sobbing Spines, worried sick about Star. She instinctively nuzzled the baby dragon, saying in maternal tones, “I’m okay, Spines, I’m okay.” Sweetie Belle placed a glowing blue horn on Black Star, removing the venom from his body before saying, “He’s all yours, Potato Chip.” Star turned to see the head of the Guild Investigations Division, slapping a disabling spell on Black Star, and reading him his rights. “Sweetie – how did you…?” Star began. The older unicorn smiled. “I am always watching out for my former apprentice and dearest friend. You nearly died in there and it would have been one more crime to your cousin’s charges.” “One more crime?” “I…lied,” he said, looking at her with shame. “I wasn’t given orders to secure any object; I went in there, hearing rumors of an amulet that would give me the powers of an alicorn so that I could become the rightful Star Swirl. But I was wrong – you proved me wrong. You didn’t run when you could have, and probably should have abandoned me. You’re a better Star Swirl than I’ll ever be.” “Get him out of here, PC,” Sweetie said. “You’re the boss,” Potato Chip replied, teleporting away with his prisoner, leaving Sweetie, Star and Spines in the treehome. “I’m sorry, Sweetie. I wasn’t strong enough,” Star moaned, but suddenly found herself nuzzled by her heart’s desire. “You’re good enough: you have the true heart of a mage, and someday you’ll be as incredible as your ancestor or Twilight,” Sweetie promised. “I know you will.” Star turned and buried herself in Sweetie’s mane, mumbling something that Sweetie could have sworn was I want you, Sweetie. “Sorry, Star, did you say something?” the older unicorn asked, not sure if she heard her friend right. “I said I want to be like you, Sweetie,” Star said, covering her tracks. “You’re brave and strong and—” “—and flighty and vapid,” Sweetie laughed. “Ask Scoots or Bloomie for the dirt sometime. But you’ve already achieved a status that even I have yet to accomplish.” “What’s that?” Sweetie floated Spines over to Star Swirl, the two embracing. “You already know, Star. You already know,” she said, embracing both younger females. But even as she held Spines in her forelegs, Star wasn’t satisfied. At this rate, she would always have Sweetie’s friendship…but never her love. That night, asleep with Sweetie staying over and both sharing the bed, Star Swirl dreamed. Well, always a bridesmare, I presume? Nightmare asked Star. So close and yet so far. You could just taste her. “Is the offer still open?” Star asked, knowing she had to make a choice. Well, then, the Nightmare mused, are you willing to use my powers to gain your truest love? Are you willing to perform your part of the bargain as well? Are you willing to foreswear me as your liegelady in order to gain access to my talents? For Star, there was no hesitation. “My answer is….”