//------------------------------// // Chapter 16: Tipping Point // Story: A Tale of Two Ponies // by Silicas //------------------------------// Chapter 16: Tipping Point Starshade ducked into alley, heart pounding and sides heaving. The beard dangling from his chin was stained with dirt, and the tip was in frayed and in tatters. He didn’t know where the big bell-covered hat had gone, either. But he did not care; the dark queen was close, too close. Starshade flipped open his saddlebags and nosed through them, looking for any scraps of candy. A few empty wrappers crinkled against his muzzle. I just hope she doesn’t find me. A cold laugh cut through the night air. Starshade froze, his face still buried in the folds of his left saddlebag. “Doth we perceive a little foal who hath forgotten his offering to Nightmare Moon?” Starshade’s eyes flicked to the junction between the alleyway and the street. There, the dark queen stood. A purple mist swirled about her hooves with a mind of its own, coalescing briefly into thick patches and forking off into slender whips. It looked alive. His breathing stopped. It’s over. It’s all over. His heartbeat resounded in his head. An orange blur whizzed past Nightmare Moon’s horn. The queen looked up, the mist thinning ever so slightly. Starshade heard Scootaloo’s voice. “Don’t just sit there, run!” The mist. It was still blocking his way. He had nowhere to run. “Run, Starshade!” He did not think. One leg forward, then another, and another. The pulses of his heart were the only thing faster than the beat of his hooves against the ground. Head lowered, Starshade plowed through the mist, his small wings slapping against his sides. The frigid purple energy washed over him. It was unlike anything that he had felt before. And, with a gasp, he was through it and into the street. As he galloped down the dark path, an orange pegasus soared above him. Scootaloo dipped downwards and leveled out beside Starshade. “You saved me,” the colt managed in between rushed breaths. “Just keep running,” Scootaloo said. “This is... fun. I– I don’t know why.” “Don’t stop. Don’t talk. Just run.” Starshade did. Spike set down the large mirror he had been carrying and flopped onto his back. A tired baby dragon stared back at him under the moonlit sky, blinking slowly. “Twilight, why did you have to get all fancy this year?” he said from his position on the ground. The mare walked past him, two of the large mirrors floating easily alongside her under the pull of her magic. “Come on, Spike. They’re not that heavy. We need to get at least eleven more into position to ensure that Trémane’s algorithm can be used to solve it.” “Say what?” Spike shook his head. “Never mind. I don’t see why we had to do this outside, though. Isn’t the library big enough?” Tantalus trotted up to Spike, carrying a large box of candies in his magic. “Nope,” he answered, “It wouldn’t be much of a maze then. Besides, it’s scarier out here.” Setting the box on the ground and pointing a hoof, he said, “Now, why don’t you take this box and I’ll get the mirror?” Spike pushed himself upright and grumbled. “Alright.” Starshade glanced back over his shoulder. Slowing his pace and gasping for air, he said, “I think she’s gone, Scootaloo.” Beside him, Scootaloo was slowing down as well. She looked back. “Yah. I think we lost her.” The pegasus touched down beside Starshade, folding her wings and panting, but sporting a massive smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever flown so hard. Felt good.” Starshade nodded. The two foals stood in the road for a moment. Starshade twisted around and looked back down it. Scootaloo eyed a building, ruffling her wings against her side. Scootaloo looked at Starshade. “So, uh, do you want to…?” “Yah,” he said, lowering his head and tensing his muscles. “Race you to the mist.” “Right!” Scootaloo yelled as she banked sharply to her side. “She got in front of us somehow!” Starshade dug his hooves into the ground. Slowing to a momentary halt, the colt turned and tailed Scootaloo as she flew down a side street. He looked back. Behind him, two blobs of purple mist from either direction collided with one another, mixing together and continuing forward after him as one mass. “She’s boxing us in!” Starshade yelled. “I know!” Scootaloo called back over the rush of air around her. As she neared the end of the road, her wings spread wide. “Left!” she shouted again, leaning to the side. Moments later, Starshade followed the orange pegasus onto another side street. In the corner of his eye, he saw the cold purple mist darting along behind them as he turned, even larger than it had been before. “We’ve got to find a way to hide, Scootaloo! I– I can’t keep running like this and you’re starting to slow down!” Scootaloo spun her head around. “I know! But where can we go? We’ve got to keep running!” Starshade, redoubling his efforts, pulled alongside the flying pegasus filly. “Twilight and Cobalt are setting up a mirror maze outside of the library,” he said, barely looking to his side. “We’re really close. We can hide and catch our breath in there.” Scootaloo looked back down the road, then to her wings, and back to Starshade. Dropping smoothly to her hooves and continuing in a gallop, she said, “Lead the way.” From a distance, Trixie watched as Starshade and Scootaloo wove their way through the streets of Ponyville. Peeling her eyes from the fleeing foals for a moment, she checked her costume. Nopony would be able to recognize her. Trixie jumped backwards. Three small foals shot past her, all screaming and fleeing almost blindly. Moments later a mass of purple mist floated leisurely past her, almost nodding to the mare as it passed. Trixie sighed as the magic continued around a corner and out of view. All she could do now was wait for an opportunity. “Incoming!” Scootaloo yelled as she darted around the legs of the ponies outside of the Books and Branches library. She wedged her way past a blue stallion and stopped in her tracks. The mirror maze was massive. From the outside, it looked like a wide circle. The tall mirrors forming the perimeter were double-sided, and Scootaloo could make out a swirl of purple mist coalescing behind her the reflections. The was a small entrance just ahead of her, a tiny gap where a mirror had not been placed. There was a hoofdrawn map posted beside it. Scootaloo galloped up to it, alongside Starshade. The maze was built from of five concentric rings that were interconnected by small passageways. There was an open space in the center, with a picture of a small chest inside of it. Scootaloo also spotted an exit on the opposite side of the maze. “We’ve got to move, Scootaloo,” Starshade said, pointing a hoof at a reflection in the mirror. The orange pegasus nodded. “Yah, okay. I just hope you’ve got that map memorized.” Starshade pulled her through the entrance and into the maze and turned left. “Uh, I don’t.” “Great,” Scootaloo deadpanned. We’re going to be in here for a while. Trixie took a step forwards. This was her chance; this would work. She watched as the purple mist surrounded and enveloped the mirror maze. The princess could materialize at the slightest notice; she would be there to save him. The unicorn took another step. All the work, it would come down to this. Trixie closed her eyes. Sanguine mouthed the words in the eye of the mare’s mind. “You do realize that this is more than just temporary filler, I hope. You can’t be planning on returning to your traveling show.” I know. Eyes shifting beneath their closed lids, Trixie’s mind flicked back to the purple mare standing beside the maze’s entrance. This time Twilight Sparkle was going to be the pony that failed. This time, I’m going to succeed. Lids still closed, Trixie reached out with a thin tendril of blue magic. She knew what she needed to do. “I am not going to hurt a foal.” “Trixie, listen to me. I don’t want him hurt either, but we need to know.” The unicorn extended her head, straightening her back. This time, I’m going to be useful. Trixie pushed the tendril against a mirror. For a moment, it teetered on its edge. Trixie forced the magic forwards. A resounding crash filled the Nightmare Night air. Seconds later, another sounded. And another. Trixie opened her eyes. From all corners of the town, streams of purple energy shot into the air and streaked in the direction of the library tree. In a flash, they were gone. Hovering above the collapsing maze, a dark figure scanned the reflective rings. It gasped and dove for the ground. “Starshade!” From the outskirts of Fluttershy’s cottage, Tantalus watched intently. He had been sitting there for over an hour; Princess Luna was still inside with Starshade and Fluttershy. The last the stallion had heard, the little pegasus was still in a pretty rough condition; Tantalus suspected that he was still unconscious. Now, Tantalus was just waiting for Luna to leave. Somewhere off in the direction of the cottage, the stallion heard a stick snap. Suppressing the initial flinch, Tantalus sunk deeper into the shadows of the bushes concealing him. It had just been one of Fluttershy’s animals; there was no need to get worried. Tantalus settled down onto his belly and watched the night sky. He did not know what he wanted to think; only that Fluttershy was going to be answering some questions soon. He had waited too long to figure out what Starshade really was to Luna. He dug a hoof idly into the ground, dragging it in small circles, still staring into the dark sky. And to me. Starshade shifted under the covers of the bed. It was so comfortable, so warm. He stretched out a leg, feeling around idly in search of a nice cold spot. A sharp pain shot up his side. The colt gasped and bolted upright, eyes flying open. The room was spinning and his ears pounded with each heartbeat. He raised a foreleg and touched his head. It was cold, moist, and rough. Bandages? Wha- What happened? Starshade’s gaze darted around the room, looking for somepony. It was empty. Puzzled and woozy, Starshade lay back down on the bed, one of his hooves still pressed up against the bandages around his head. Ugh… What was I even doing? Something about candy, and running. Did I get sick or something? No. That wouldn’t explain… The foal shot upright again and threw the covers off his body. “Scootaloo!” Starshade rushed to the door, ignoring the pain in his side and fighting the wobbling of the room. He pressed up against it, feeling for the handle. In seconds, it was open and the foal was in the hallway, moving as quickly as he could manage. At the top of the stairs down, however, he halted. There were voices talking below. “Now that everypony else is gone, I think you owe me some answers.” The colt recognized the voice. It was Cobalt’s. Fluttershy spoke next, her voice weak and hesitant. “What do you mean?” “You know very well what I mean. What happened after Luna saved him, that wasn’t normal.” Starshade inched down the stairs, taking each step slowly. As soon as he could, he poked his head out of the stairwell and scanned the entry level. It was empty; the voices were coming from the kitchen. “It’s, uh, really nice that you came over,” Fluttershy said suddenly. “Can I make you something to eat? If you don’t mind, that is…” Starshade peaked around the corner and into the kitchen, barely letting his head show at all. Inside it, he could see Fluttershy standing at the cooking counter, beside the sink. She had a small knife in her hoof and a pile of whole carrots sat on a cutting board just in front of her. Tantalus stood on the other side of the room, one leg slightly forward, as if he was preparing to take a step. He was looking directly at the mare as she turned back around and started chopping. “What?” Tantalus shook his head. “No. I– I just want you to answer my question.” “I, uh, I don’t know what to say. Princess Luna loves him very much.” Tantalus took a step forwards, ears perked on end. “Why?” Fluttershy stared intently at the carrots, her chopping picking up pace slightly. “She found him. In the streets.” “That doesn’t explain anything. There has to be scores of orphans in Canterlot. Why him?” “She found–” Tantalus stomped a hoof. “Why did she name him Starshade? Why?” “I– I– She just–” Fluttershy squeaked. Dropping the knife, she turned around. Starshade squinted. Was she blushing? Taking a step backwards, she said, “Are you sure you don’t want some food?” “No! Yes, I mean. Argh! No. Food.” Tantalus shook his head, his brown mane swaying back and forth violently. “Just tell me.” Fluttershy slinked to the ground as Tantalus took another step closer to her. Her eyes were glued on the floor. “Tell you what?” “About Starshade! Where he really came from; why Luna acted so weird; why he’s named that; whatever! I just want an answer!” The stallion paused for a moment. He had taken a step with each thing he had listed, his horn now hovering a few centimeters from Fluttershy’s head. He looked over the cowering and blushing mare. Puling his head back and glancing away, in a much quieter voice he said, “I– I just need to know.” Fluttershy squeaked, opening a single eye slightly. “Please tell me,” Tantalus said, sinking onto his belly. After a moment in which Fluttershy only managed another small squeak, he slammed a hoof up against the side of his head. “I don’t want to think about making you. Please. I’m not that kind of pony anymore.” Fluttershy reopened an eye. “Uh, what?” Tantalus looked up at her. “Just tell me.” “I– I can’t. I promised.” The mare’s face was flushed with blood. “Please. I need to know.” “I…” Her head sunk and she sighed. Looking directly at Tantalus she said, “Starshade is Princess Luna’s foal. She became pregnant with him as Nightmare Moon. She named him after the father, Tantalus Starshade.” Starshade staggered out of the cottage, his world swirling in a blur and his side throbbing. He did not know what had happened next, only that he had run. He just needed somewhere to think, somewhere to rest his head, somewhere to figure out what had just happened. He sunk down into the grass beside some bushes. Spinning his head around, he looked back at the door. There was nopony there. I’m… I’m Miss Luna’s. She’s my mother. I… I have a mother! But... why? Why didn’t she tell–? Starshade stopped mid-thought. Somewhere nearby he heard a stick snap. “Is somepony there?” he whispered. The next thing the colt knew was that a gray-blue glow had surrounded him. Confused, he raised a hoof and stared at the magical field surrounding him for a moment, cocking his head. In a flash, the world went black. On the edge of his consciousness, he heard a voice. “Trixie promises that she won’t hurt you.”