//------------------------------// // 41. Starlight Glimmer // Story: X Steps Through The Portal // by Tennis Match Fan //------------------------------// "I can fix this," Starlight Glimmer muttered to herself. Her hooves pounded on the rocky terrain as she raced through the dank, dark caves. Her horn glowed green to illuminate her way, but even then, Starlight couldn't see more than a few feet in front of her. "I just need a bigger source of magic," she murmured as she ran. "Something to make them all pay!" Starlight slowed her pace a bit. "I think I'm safe now," she decided, looking back. Nopony was in sight. This wasn't comforting in the dark, but she must have gone far enough, right? "Now, my favorite activity," she murmured, "plotting revenge in a dark cave." Starlight was at a full stop now. She turned her head this way and that, looking for something useful. As hopeful as it was, an abandoned lantern would be a great help right now. "I'm sure I can find a way," Starlight muttered as she began walking again, "to return to my village and reclaaaaaaaaim-" Starlight tripped. She lost concentration and her horn sputtered out. Starlight pitched forward. Suddenly the darkness was gone. She was in a spiraling vortex of color! "Buuuuuuuuuck!" she cried. Starlight was lying flat on her back. Her eyes were closed. To a bystander, she looked like she was sleeping. "Hello?" Starlight's eyes snapped open when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Don't touch me!" she snapped, instantly leaping to her hooves. "Wait, these aren't hooves!" she realized, looking down. She wasn't a pony anymore. She was a bipedal creature with stringy limbs wearing a black and purple outfit. Starlight looked up at the girl that had tapped her. This one was bipedal as well, with green skin and long lavender hair. "Where am I?" Starlight asked, looking around. "The vortex I fell into... landed me here?" "This is Canterlot High School," the girl explained, twirling her star shaped necklace as she spoke. "By any chance, you're not from a pony world, are you? There are several students here that used to be ponies, and you don't look familiar." "I, um, yes, I am!" Starlight beamed at the girl. "I am Starlight Glimmer, and I hold a lot of power where I come from!" Maybe I can take control of this world, instead, I just need to say the right thing." "You're named Starlight?" The girl's magenta eyes widened. "My name is Starlight!" "Well, isn't that a coincidence!" Starlight exclaimed. "Call me Glim, if it helps with the confusion." "Alright, Glim!" Starlight the bipedal responded. "So, what brings you to Canterlot High? Some monster threat? Can I help you in any way?" "Thank you for the offer, Starlight!" Starlight told her. "I am here to help reform your school! I'll just need to get accustomed to this body!" She waggled her right limb as an example. "We aren't bipedal like this back in my town." "Oh, I can help! These are your arms, and those are your legs! And those five things are your fingers! And our species is called human. Got all that" Starlight the Human asked when she finished pointing out body parts. "Yes, thank you dear!" Starlight responded cheerfully. "Now, as for your school, do you have cutie marks?" "Cutie marks? Is that something you ponies have?" Starlight the Human asked. "Because we don't." "Oh, right! Don't tell anypony- anybody -about my being from the pony world. Keep that confidential. Meet me back here in a day, okay? You will be very helpful in my quest for reform and refinement, Starlight! In the meantime, I will be getting accustomed to this body." Starlight took a few shaky steps forward. "Alrighty, Glim! I'd be glad to help you! Do you need any help currently?" "No! Go back to your studies!" Starlight Glimmer smiled widely. "See ya tomorrow, Glim!" Starlight the Human waved as she walked back into school. "I will, don't worry!" Starlight called back. Under her breath, she muttered, "Starlight will be wrapped around my fingers once I have a plan formulated." 24 hours later, Starlight walked back to the place she had first met Human Starlight. It had taken a little while, but she had managed to get a hold on the new fingers and arms she possessed. Starlight tapped her foot as she waited for the other Starlight to arrive. "I'm here, Glim!" Speak of the devil, Starlight thought as Human Starlight ran up. In contrast to the long red skirt Human Starlight had been wearing the previous day, she was now wearing a short pink skirt with pink lace. "Starlight! How good to see you!" Starlight Glimmer placed her hands on Human Starlight's shoulders. "Now, we need to get right down to business." "What are you doing?" Human Starlight queried curiously. "Sometimes people become too obsessed with their special talents!" Starlight began, pacing around Human Starlight. "Back where I came from, our entire philosophy was centered around the equality of everyone!" "No one is better than anyone else?" "Exactly!" Starlight replied, smiling. "And my system brought peace, order, and tranquility to the beautiful town I ran!" "Are you here to do that to Canterlot High?" Human Starlight asked, eyes widening. "Yes, my friend! And I know just how to do it!-" "Uniforms!" Starlight Glimmer announced to the whole cafeteria. A song sequence later, she, Starlight, and another girl named Sophisticata stood in front of the student body, showing off the new uniform. It was a deep purple, a color that complimented Starlight Glimmer's palette. The student body sat in silence. "Well, let's get her!" yelled a blue-skinned girl wearing a multicolored headband. "Her idea sucks!" "I concur!" added a girl with pale skin. "How else can we express our creativity unless we can create fabulous outfits?" She flipped her violet locks to emphasize her point. "You guys are missing the point!" Starlight Glimmer responded, trying to keep her calm. "With uniforms, we can live in freedom..." As Starlight went through her speech once more, she noticed something about the girl. She looked almost exactly like one of the unicorns that had led to her downfall. And the girl next to her, looks like Fluttershy! Starlight realized as she continued speaking. Same wavy pink hair and everything! And the rest of those girls! They all threw me from my town! Their pony counterparts, at least. Except for the last girl. What's she doing? The final girl had fiery red hair, a turquoise sundress, and was writing in a book. "Uh, Glim?" Starlight whispered in her ear. "You stopped speaking." Starlight blinked. "You there! Next to Fluttershy!" Starlight barked, pointing in the new girl's direction. "What are you writing?" Fluttershy, hearing her name, squeaked in alarm. Fire Hair looked up in surprise. "Me? I'm just writing a letter to my friend Twilight," she replied, looking Starlight straight in the eye. "You don't have any other motives for this uniform idea, do you?" "Motives? Whyever would you say that?" Though Starlight's tone was the same sweet tone she had used the entire time, inside she was growing uneasy. Twilight Sparkle, as in the mare that visited our village? "Uh, because whenever new students come to our school, they cause trouble!" yelled out Rainbow Dash- the human lookalike of Rainbow, at least. "And come on, barely anybody wants your dumb uniforms!" "Nonsense!" Starlight snapped. "Everyone, raise your hand if you'd like uniforms!" Sophisticata and Human Starlight raised their hands. Several hands halfheartedly raised from other students. A few of those hands were swatted down by opposing classmates. Fire Hair was still writing. Starlight's mouth contorted into a scowl. "Stop writing!" she commanded. In a few moments, she had bounded across the cafeteria and up to Fire Hair's group. In another moment, the page Fire Hair had been writing on was torn and in Starlight's hand. Dear Twilight... ...could she be an escape from Equestria?... ...Please come, if you can... Starlight's eyes widened. "I have to go!" she yelled, running back. "Human Starlight and Sophisticata, you two continue wearing those uniforms! I have to go!" "Why?" Human Starlight asked, following Starlight Glimmer through the halls to the main door. "Because I have to go for a while!" Starlight snapped, gripping Fire Hair's paper in her hand. "But I'll be back." Starlight's expression tightened into a determined frown. "I will get my revenge," she muttered as she pushed open CHS's doors and left.