//------------------------------// // The First Day // Story: Starlight // by BeingFrank //------------------------------// The five mares looked down at the two ponies asleep in Twilight's bed, unsure of what to do. They had come to check on their friend after the disaster last night, and instead found a strange filly asleep next to her. "What do you think should we do?" whispered Fluttershy. "I simple have no idea, darling," Rarity replied. "Any pony else?" "I vote we take it. Show of hooves." Rainbow Dash raised her hoof. She was the only one who did. "Um, why, may I ask?" Rarity questioned. "I don't know, but wouldn't it be better to have it and then decide what we could use it for later than to not have it in the first place?" "I think we should throw a party for it," Pinkie Pie weighed in. Rainbow sighed. "Pinkie, that's your answer to everything." "If I could use it for everything, then wouldn't that make it a good idea?" The confused mares turned to Applejack, her eyes locked on Twilight instead of the filly. "Ah think we should just wake 'em up, see what she has to say." The mares looked at each other. "Why didn't any of us think of that?" Applejack moved to wake Twilight up, but Rainbow intercepted her. "Wait a minute. This is the perfect time for the bet." She moved to the other side of the room and whispered, "A book is on fire." The mares flew to the floor as Twilight flailed out of her bed and onto the nearest pile of books. Rainbow laughed. "What did I tell you?" Applejack tossed her a bag of bits. "Why in Celestia's name did Ah ever agree to bet on that?" Twilight stopped flailing and turned to face her friends. "Oh, hey girls! What's going on?" As one, the five mares pointed at the filly on the bed. "Oh yeah. Starlight. You're not going to believe this, but-" "She's your long-lost twin sister!" Pinkie cut in. "Um, no?" "Your long-lost daughter!" "NO!" Pinkie, rubbed her chin. "Ooh, I know. It's you from the future, come to warn us of a disaster. Does a giant cake fall on Ponyville? What flavor is it? Does it have sprinkles? Or is it two ca-" "PINKIE!" Twilight shouted. "Pinkie stopped her tangent. "What?" she asked calmly as ever. Twilight sighed. "Just, could you please not do that? Now, before I was interrupted, I found her last night in front of my door. I was going to keep her just for the night, but then, we just made this connection, you know?" "Mommy?" Starlight stirred in her bed, looking around for Twilight. She saw her and jumped out of the bed towards her. "Who are they?" Rainbow stepped forward. "Well, I'm -" "Rainbow Dash?" The six mares gaped at Starlight. Rainbow faltered. "How did you know that?" Undaunted, Starlight continued. "And you're Applejack, you're Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity." She looked pleased with herself. "Did I get them right, mommy?" "Um..." Twilight couldn't think of anything else to say. "Now I'm pretty sure there's a logical explanation for this," Rarity reasoned. "Twilight, didn't you say you talk in your sleep sometimes? Maybe she picked our names up from that." "I think you're right." Twilight faked a smile. That may make sense, but she was unsure. This just added to the strange things Starlight was doing. Rarity felt things were getting a little too awkward. "Well then, every pony knows each other. So, time for the big question. I don't know how to put this, darling, but, with her here, does this, um, change anything with us." Twilight didn't think of that. "No, I don't think so. Everything's going to go on like normal, just with Starlight." The others sighed with relief. "That sure is a load off," Applejack said, a relieved look on her face. "So, any pony got any plans?" The mares all looked at each other. Starlight had focused her attention on sleeping under an open book. "I've got nothing," Twilight said. "How about you, Starlight? Is there anything you want to do?" Starlight stuck her head out from underneath the book. "I'm hungry." "All right, I'll find something for Starlight, you girls think of something to do." Twilight walked to the kitchen. "Why don't we take Starlight around town? If she's going to stay here, we might as well show her around." "Not a bad idea," replied Applejack. The mares could hear the sounds of Twilight rummaging through the kitchen, and took the opportunity to gather in a circle. "Any pony else a little weirded out by that filly she's got?" Applejack asked. "I think she's a spy," Rainbow suggested. "Seriously, she knew our names and who we were. What If she's supposed to spy on us disguised as a filly?" "That's a little too overboard, Dash." "I still want to know what kind of cake it is!" Pinkie shouted. "Every pony, please!" Rarity commanded. The other mares turned to her. "Now, don't you think you're being a little jealous?" "Jealous? Why would we be jealous?" Rainbow responded. "Twilight said nothing was going to change. We just think there's something odd going on with Starlight." "But maybe you think there is. To me, she's just a filly. Whatever the two of them have, it's not going to distract from us. Besides, nothing that adorable could possibly be evil." Applejack conceded. "Yeah, Ah guess you're right. How 'bout you, Rainbow?" Rainbow wasn't so sure. "I see what you're getting at, but, It's just, I don't know. It's hard to explain." "Girls!" Twilight exclaimed from the kitchen. "We've got a problem here!" The five mares raced to Twilight, unsure of what they would find. They found Twilight, an angry look in her eyes, and a large amount of empty boxes. Starlight had been looking for food in an empty box and now had it stuck on her head. "Would you care to explain where all the food went?" Twilight removed the box from Starlight's head. Rainbow pointed at Starlight. Starlight pointed back. "Rainbow, really? Do you know who you're pointing at?" "So. Maybe she's just framing me and she actually did this." "She's been with me since she's shown up. When could she have done this?" "That's a good question. The kind of question I hope to answer as soon as you let me leave." "Give it up. Did you eat my food?" "Well, there's a chance, a good chance, that I may have." "All of it?" "I had a small dinner, give me a break!" "Well this is just great! Change of plans. We're going shopping. And by 'we', I mean me, Starlight, and Rainbow Dash." "What did I do?" Twilight shot her a look. "Oh, that. But what if I have plans?" "Do you have plans?" "Now that you mention it, yeah." "What, exactly?" "Well, there's, um, Wonderbolts, and, um, this pony, and no, I don't have plans." Rainbow gave up. "Alright then." She walked to the door. Starlight followed. "Sorry girls, we'll have to show her around later. Coming, Dash?" "I guess," Rainbow sighed as she followed. "Ah guess Ah was wrong," Applejack said after they had left. "We shouldn't worry 'bout Starlight at all. It's Rainbow we've got to worry 'bout." "Why?" Rarity asked. "Didn't you notice that she went to the kitchen as soon as she saw Starlight? It was like she was stress-eating because of her. Like she's worried 'bout something that has to do with Starlight." "What if it's not really about Starlight?" Rarity pondered. "What if it has something to do with Twilight?" ************************************************************************** Rainbow wore a look of surprise when she looked at Twilight. She had managed to create a complete, in-depth shopping list while they were walking, and her time was probably a personal best. "I still don't know how you can do that." Twilight put Starlight into the shopping cart. "Years of practice. Push the cart?" "Sure. Are you sure she's young enough you need to put her there?" Twilight was confused. "Honestly, I don't know. I mean, when I found her, she can do nothing but make noises, then a few minutes later, she's saying complete words." She took Starlight out and the three walked into the store. "So you know nothing about her?" "Basically, yes." They walked towards an aisle with cereal. Starlight ran into it and the mares followed. "Maybe you should go to the hospital. They seem like they'd be able to help. They could probably figure out her age and all that medical stuff. That would be a start." Starlight picked up a box of cereal. "Mommy let's get this. I know it has a lot of chocolate and stuff in it, but it has a prize inside! Prizes are healthy, right?" "I don't know why I didn't think of that. It's not a bad idea." When Twilight didn't answer her, Starlight threw the cereal into the cart and went to find something else. Rainbow put it back. "So she goes from making noises, to talking, to trying to convince you to do something in less than a day. I think that's how lawyers are born." The two of them followed Starlight into the next isle, where she was jumping up and down trying to reach a box on Twilight's list. "No!" she whined when Rainbow tried to get it. "Let me get it!" Twilight sighed. "She can't reach it. Why would she think she can?" "Let me handle this." Rainbow stuck her head down and nudged Starlight onto it, then raised it enough so Starlight could reach the box. "Thanks Auntie Dash!" Pride overcame Rainbow as she lowered Starlight to the ground. "I'm an aunt! That's all I've ever wanted." "What about the Wonderbolts?" "Don't ruin this for me, Twilight!" Twilight laughed. "I thought you and the others were all worried because of her. I mean, what with the secret conversation and all." Rainbow was surprised. "You heard all that? Eh, but it doesn't matter. By the end, we were all fine with her. Well, they were." "What about you?" "Well, it's just, you said everything would be the same, but I don't know for sure if that included us. I mean, we've been getting closer than with the others, I just didn't know if that would change, what with her and all." Twilight sighed. "Rainbow, what I said back there, I meant everything. Nothing's changing. At all." Rainbow was relieved. "It's good to hear that. Really lets me enjoy having her more." The two turned to see Starlight struggle to reach another shelf. Watching her struggle, Twilight realized something. "That's another thing. Can she use magic? Does she still have random outbursts of magic, not know any, or can she control her magic? It just makes more questions!" "I'm pretty sure we'll find out sometime. It's nothing to worry about now." "It feels like you're tempting fate by saying that." "Relax, Twilight. She's fine. She's not going to do anything, right Starlight? Starlight?" Rainbow couldn't see her. "Ok, Twilight, you're right," Rainbow sighed. "One of these days, I don't know when, I'm going to learn to keep my mouth shut." "Don't apologize, where is she?" The two mares looked around. When Rainbow looked up, something caught her eye. "Twilight, you know those ceiling fans?" "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Shouted Starlight, sitting on one of the spinning fan-blades. "Did she levitate? How did she get up there?" Twilight shouted with a mix of anger, confusion, and worry. "I don't know. Why would I know?" "Can you get her down?" "I'm on it!" Rainbow flew up to the fan. "Come on Starlight! Come to Auntie Dash!" Starlight jumped off the fan onto Rainbow's head and slid down her back. As she was about to fall off of her, countless boxes were gripped in a purple aura and flew towards her, forming a slide-like figure. Starlight slid down it and into an empty shopping cart, which rolled out the door from her momentum. "After her!" Twilight commanded, and the two mares ran out the door, followed by the shocked and worried stares of the ponies in the store, worried because of the boxes over their heads that were just then rediscovering gravity. The mares caught up to the rolling shopping cart across the street. "We've got to get out of here," barked Twilight as she pulled Starlight out. "I'll deal with you later." The three ran until they reached a park far enough away from the store that they wouldn't be disturbed and sat to catch their breath. Starlight immediately ran off, leaving Twilight with her head in her hooves. Rainbow walked to her friend, and put a comforting wing around her. "I just don't know what to do, Rainbow." Twilight was on the verge of tears. "I feel something with her, I don't know exactly what but I do, yet I feel like I can't keep her. I can't handle her when she does things like that, and I don't know how to. I yelled at you for doing something I normally wouldn't care about. I'm just so confused. For once in my life, I don't know, and there's no way to know. There's no book that can really help me. I don't know any pony that's experienced what I'm experiencing and who I can turn to. I can't let her go, but I can't keep her." Twilight let all her tears out, leaning on Rainbow for comfort. "It's all right, Twilight. If you can't find any pony, then that's what we're going to do. All six of us. I mean, there's got to be at least one somewhere, right?" Twilight looked up through tear-soaked eyes. "You mean it?" "You really care about her, and I'm not about to let you lose something you care about. What kind of a best friend would I be if I let that happen?" Twilight stood up, smiling. "Thanks Rainbow. It means a lot to hear that. Now where is she? Starlight?" she called. Her response was a loud, solid BONK!. Twilight and Rainbow ran towards the noise. They stumbled onto a small clearing which contained only an old shed, a blue unicorn, and, above him, Starlight holding a stick. When she saw them, she yelled, "I think I broke him, mommy!" "Starlight, what did you do? Sir, are you alright? Sir?" "I taste blue!" was the unicorn's response. "Rainbow, what are you doing? Put that down!" Rainbow had, somehow, found an old shovel near the shed. "I'm just taking precautions. What if he sends goons to attack us or something? If we just bury him out here, no pony needs to know." "We're not killing any pony!" "I hear moist!" "Can't you hear him?" Twilight pleaded. "He could have a concussion or something. If you're so worried, then we just bring him to the hospital, say we found him like this, and leave." "You won't do that. You're going to bring him there, leave all of your information, and wait there for him." "Please, Rainbow. He did nothing wrong. Your overreacting would kill him." Looking at Twilight, Rainbow came to her senses. "Fine, I guess I'm overreacting. You carry one end, I'll carry the other. Come on, Starlight!" The two lifted him onto their backs and headed to the hospital. Starlight followed behind them. As they walked, the unicorn continued his ramblings. "Listen, bud," he said to Rainbow. "You know what we should do? We should just go, and start a business. With Blackjack. You know what, forget the business." He threw his head back laughing. "This guy has some really great ideas, Twilight. I think we should listen." "Rainbow, he has a concussion. You can't take him seriously." "My bank PIN number, " he continued, "Is 42. Don't ask how I got it, just don't tell any pony. It's such a great number." "You know what, I'm really glad we didn't bury him. What was the PIN again?" "He said 42, Auntie Dash." "Starlight, don't encourage her." "It's too late, Twilight, she's my accomplice now. We just need to find his bank and then Bam!, we take it." "Are we robbing banks now? I want in!" The four laughed. "You know what?" Rainbow asked Twilight. "I think I'm getting used to him." "Can we keep him mommy?" Twilight rolled her eyes. "We'll see."