Capitulo Treinta y Tres
The Ultimatum
After a small time, the element bearers, Spike, and Starrk had finally went back into town, making sure not to rouse any suspicion from anypony around them. Starrk, for his part, was lost on what to do himself. Normally, he would be happy to spend his time napping, since he didn't have much to do today other than managing the weather, but he was too bothered by the current situation to be entirely relaxed. He had half a mind to grab Lilynette from school if it meant nipping the problem in the bud.
Sadly, he couldn't take her away from Dinky, especially given their bond. He was at least happy that Lilynette had two sisters of her own now. It was at that moment that Starrk ground to a halt.
He remembered Sparkler and when she was being escorted back home. Combined with the weird thoughts he had of her for the last couple of days, he couldn't exactly leave her alone. For all he knew, the mysterious enemy could be targetting her next. Using his sonido, he made for the Hooves household and stopped at the front door.
Upon entering, Starrk noticed that the living room was empty, as was the kitchen. He looked around the house until he heard a faint noise from down the hall, near Sparkler's bedroom. The former espada inched towards the room and noticed the noise grow louder, then noticed a bright red light covering the bottom of the door.
Growing suspicious about this development, he opened the door, and widened his eyes to see Sparkler with her back turned, quietly laughing to herself as some red energy was coursing into her horn. Her scarf was on the floor and a silver necklace was seen on the amethyst unicorn's body.
"What are you doing?" He asked, snapping Sparkler out of her process as she instantly turned to see Starrk with a shocked expression. The former espada got a better look at what rested on Sparkler's neck before it was instantly covered by a hoof.
"S-Starrk? What are you doing in my room? Don't you know how to knock?" She asked innocently.
Starrk remained silent as he took in what he had witnessed: A red light, similar to what was seen on those brainwashed guards, a powerful aura coursing into Sparkler's horn, and the fact that she was wearing some kind of mysterious trinket which may or may not be what Twilight referred to as the Alicorn Amulet. She couldn't be the one, could she?
"Why are you doing this?" Starrk asked calmly "The town's going through enough chaos as it is."
"What could you be referring to, Starrk?" Sparkler chuckled "I'm just practicing my magic. Most unicorns do so to strengthen their reserves. Look at Twilight Sparkle."
"The only thing I've seen her done was run experiments. I don't know much about her. Even if that were true, I don't recall anyone practicing their magic like you." Starrk said flatly.
"Well...I'm different." Sparkler said with a fixed smile "Just because we all have horns doesn't mean we're the same." She noticed how Starrk narrowed his eyes.
"True enough. But I'm bothered by a couple of things, namely you taking all of this in stride with a smile on your face. If you were Pinkie Pie, I'd be very convinced, but this doesn't sit right at all." Starrk held out a hoof "If that amulet on your neck's the same one the others are talking about, then it's clear that you're the one behind that fight earlier, not to mention those other guards that swarmed you. How long have you been doing this?"
"Starrk, you wouldn't really think I'm the one responsible for all of this, would you?" Sparkler asked while feigning a hurt expression, eliciting a sneer from Starrk.
"Even I know Sparkler doesn't act like that, not even around me...Who are you?" Starrk asked firmly, feeling uncharacteristically tense. Sparkler stared at Starrk before she closed her eyes and began to chuckle. The chuckle turned into a laugh as the unicorn reared her head upward. She regained her composure before a malicious smile was seen on her face, her eyes narrowed back at Starrk.
"And here I thought you were as stupid as you were indolent. It appears I may have misjudged you, Coyote Starrk." She said in a cool tone.
"Who are you and why are you doing this?" Starrk asked evenly, his voice laced with faint hostility.
"My my, such questions that only a petulant foal could ask." 'Sparkler' said condescendingly as she rolled her eyes before looking back at Starrk "Neither are currently important, but you'll know in time. All I'm asking you is to be patient and wait for Equestria's true ruler to take hold."
"Fat chance. I'm putting a stop to this." Starrk said as he quickly went in front of Sparkler and grabbed her tightly as he reached for the amulet. Surprisingly, 'Sparkler' showed no resistance while she was being held. Meanwhile, Starrk got a grip on the amulet and tugged at it over and over, but with no results other than 'Sparkler's' constant grunts.
"I'd be careful if I were you." Starrk stopped and looked at 'Sparkler's' smug smirk "If you've done your homework, you'd know that the amulet can only be removed by its user, and even then, the chances are slim, due to its corruptive influence on mere mortals." She placed a hoof on her chest "Meanwhile, I've delved into enough corruption to gain a new awareness of my world and bask in the amulet's unlimited power." She looked at Starrk's hoof "Oh, but do keep trying, if your goal is to end this poor mare's life. It's not my problem, after all."
Starrk couldn't take anymore arrogance. He had a mind to inflict some pain, but he knew that it would be detrimental to Sparkler herself, since it was obvious the enemy appeared to be possessing her. He noticed Sparkler's horn glowing a malevolent red while she grinned evilly. A beam was shot into Starrk's eyes as he was temporarily blinded, but made sure to keep a grip on Sparkler. He rubbed his eyes, and when he went to glare back at Sparkler, he noticed two shocking details: One was that the Alicorn Amulet was not on Sparkler at all, and the other was that said unicorn looked lifeless while covered in several injuries, the redness of blood mixing with her amethyst coat.
"What?" Was all Starrk could say as he assessed his current sight. Was his mind playing tricks on him? All he did was stare at Sparkler's battered body in confusion.
"Starrk..."
The former espada perked up at the weak and sorrow-filled voice behind him and noticed Derpy, who looked heartbroken as tears streamed down her face.
"H-How could you? After we took you in?" Derpy whimpered pitifully as she looked at Starrk. He stood in silence before setting the body down and going over to her.
"Look, Derpy, it wasn't me. Somepony was possessing Sparkler and-"
"Stay back!!" Derpy shouted as she distanced herself, her expression a mixture of sorrow, anger, and fear "You monster!"
Starrk was once again silent as he stared at Derpy. He wanted to shrug this off as some misunderstanding, but upon looking at the broken mare in front of him, it was as if his supposed deed was all too real.
"I won't let you take the only daughter I have left! Get out of here!" Derpy shouted at Starrk, who remained stalwart.
"This is getting ridiculous. I'm telling you that I didn't do this." Starrk explained with conviction. His eyes widened when he saw the mailmare leap at him, prompting Starrk to move out of the way with his Sonido. Derpy stood in an aggressive stance in front of the corpse of her eldest daughter with her teeth bared and her eyes narrowed to slits.
"Get out of here now! I won't say it again!" She snarled, as if she lost semblance of her previously bubbly self.
Starrk stared at Derpy, knowing that convincing her about his innocence was a futile endeavor, he left the house in silence and thought it would be wise to find other ponies that would believe him. For the first time, Starrk carried a nostalgic feeling of dread upon exiting the Hooves household.
There were several bodies that littered the streets of Ponyville, all lifeless as the scent of death filled the air. Starrk was certain that this was impossible; that some other being was responsible for this sudden genocide. He looked at his forehooves to see that they were all stained in red.
'How is this possible?' The former espada thought to himself as he felt the foreign feeling of fear welling up inside of him. Looking down, he beheld the last thing he wanted to see: Both Lilynette and Dinky laying down before him. Starrk never thought his composure would be gradually chipping away while he was consumed by the grim spectacle.
"You did this..."
The new voice behind Starrk coaxed him out of his pause as he noticed Derpy now standing with the element bearers, all of whom glared daggers at him.
"To think you were actually on our side..." Twilight uttered with contempt.
"What ya did is just unforgivable!" Applejack growled as she leered at Starrk.
"It was only obvious that the pony that had beguiled all of Ponyville would be the same monster that sat under our noses this whole time." Rarity sneered.
"I never should've trusted you!" Rainbow Dash barked angrily.
"You're....awful..." was all Fluttershy could muster as tears welled up in her eyes.
"You're going to Tartarus in a box!!" Pinkie yelled as the element bearers got into position.
Starrk never witnessed the Elements of Harmony in action, but somehow he felt threatened when their light grew more brighter. He could actually feel the power coming from them growing to the point where it actually surpassed his own. Starrk had a mind to move out of the way, but it was as if his hooves were planted firmly to the ground. He looked down to see what appeared to be blackened crystals keeping him in place. He struggled, but for some reason, the crystals wouldn't break. Starrk looked up at the element bearers as the fear inside of him began to grow. Why was he feeling this fear? Why were Sparkler and Lilynette dead? Why did nearly all of Ponyville suffer the same fate?
He had no more time to contemplate as a large beam of bright light was shot towards him. Starrk, unable to do anything but struggle, was then engulfed as everything went white...
______
Starrk stood firm, although his eyes now consisted of red pupils with glowing green schlera. Sparkler watched his expression in amusement as she tested more of her power on the unfortunate pony. When she felt that she had her fun, she decided to utilize another spell, forcing more energy into Starrk's head before allowing him a small moment of mercy. Starrk grunted loudly and shook his head before he caught his breath.
'What the hell was that?' Starrk said as he stared at the wooden floor. Sparkler's taunting laughter prompted him to raise his head up at the offender.
"Surprised?" She asked rhetorically "That was merely only a taste of my power. You had the opportunity of witnessing it before anypony else. I'd gladly show you more, but I must prepare for the right time so that we may actually meet face-to-face." 'Sparkler' smirked at Starrk "I've yet to regain the entirety of my power and more, and I already have you on the ropes."
"Whoever you are, you won't get away with this. I'll see to that." Starrk said.
"Ever the daring hero, aren't you, Coyote Starrk? I will admit, I'm impressed with your feats, but even with all of your speed and strength, you would be disappointed to know that your efforts will be for naught..." 'Sparkler' winced before her face began to contort, her body being coated in red static as the items in her room were being blown by the force of power being exuded. Starrk remained stalwart and observed 'Sparkler' before he noticed a look of distress on her face directed at Starrk.
"Starrk! Get out of here! Warn everypony they're in danger!" 'Sparkler' shouted in panic. Starrk widened his eyes before recognizing the severity in her voice.
"Sparkler? What's going on? Who did this to you?" He said, feeling tension rise in his chest.
"There's no time! Just hurry up and go before..." 'Sparkler' trailed off before her face contorted again, then she hung her head as she breathed deeply.
"I underestimated her. Looks like the little dust mite had more spirit than I realized." 'Sparkler' said through her teeth vehemently while she regained her composure.
Starrk glared at 'Sparkler' and got behind her using his Sonido. While she was caught off-guard, he used a hoof to knock her out, sending her to the floor. While he was satisfied with incapacitating her, Starrk felt a warmth on his hoof and inspected it to see blood. He stared at his bloodied limb in bemusement.
"What? I don't recall her being so-..." Starrk then looked down to see Sparkler on the floor, with blood pooling from her head. He was certain that he laid a non-lethal blow to Sparkler's skull. While he tried to comprehend the strength of his strike and the condition of the pony beneath him, the amulet undid itself off of Sparkler's neck and a black smog escaped from her mouth, shrouding the amulet and scooping it up before floating up to Starrk's face as a malevolent fit of laughter was heard.
"Fool..." A deep male voice taunted. The collective of billowing smoke spawned a pair of red eyes with purple fumes escaping from the corners of each one "Your efforts were in vain the moment you came into contact with me. You've only delayed the inevitable, and you've costed your precious family a member for your blunder!" Starrk grunted as the smog laughed again "But don't worry...I'm sure there are more suitable hosts for me to choose from in this forsaken hamlet..."
Starrk instinctively leapt at the smog, only for it to vanish along with the Alicorn Amulet as more laughter echoed throughout the room. Starrk darted his head around, trying to locate the source before looking down and gritting his teeth. The laughter then shifted to Sparkler's as he looked up to see that she had not moved from her spot. Starrk noticed that he never left his own spot as well.
"Another illusion..." Starrk muttered bitterly.
"One that's bound to become a harsh reality for you..." Sparkler said as she sauntered up to Starrk "That is, unless you decide to cooperate."
"Why would I do that?" Starrk asked while glaring at his new enemy.
"Because as you've already noticed, I have you in my power. My illusions were peerless in my time, and right now, I have it to where if you were to confront me, or even think about me..." 'Sparkler' got into Starrk's face with a grim expression "You'll find yourself all alone, lost in a world of nightmares." She hissed threateningly. Starrk stared back at the amethyst unicorn, but considered holding back, knowing the curse that was now placed on him. All he could do was try and focus on Sparkler and not the one possessing her.
"So there you have it. Would you be so callous enough to risk your sanity or the lives of those you hold dear? Or will you be obedient and wait for the opportune moment to bask in my presence when the time is right? The choice is yours and yours alone, Coyote Starrk."
Starrk never thought he would be in the presence of someone who could possibly match wits with Sosuke Aizen. As he stared into that arrogant gaze, he felt his spirit depleting when he considered the scenario placed before him. He couldn't risk getting Sparkler killed, let alone the rest of Ponyville. Or even Equestria. The former espada had never felt this conflicted in his new life. Starrk steeled his body in an effort to keep himself from trembling over how pressured he was over this whole thing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ignoring the expectant glance on 'Sparkler's' face.
"Fine..." He muttered "I'll keep silent if it means protecting my pack..."
"Good boy." 'Sparkler' said teasingly "Doesn't it feel wonderful to let sleeping dogs lie? Surely, you're familiar with the experience yourself." Sparkler grinned evilly as she relished the look of defeat on Starrk's face before waving a dismissive hoof "Now run along. You shouldn't be in a mare's room when she's undergoing 'private matters'." Starrk wordlessly complied as he turned and went to leave. "Oh! And before you leave..." 'Sparkler' stopped Starrk with a smile "I wouldn't recommend sharing this information with your friends. It would only heighten the chances of the worst possible outcome..." Starrk stood without facing his discovered enemy before he took leave of both Sparkler's room and the house, allowing 'Sparkler' to close the door and continue her siphoning.
_____
Lilynette perked her head up as she sat in class with her classmates. While they were busy reading their books, she couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. She looked down at her open book, deep in thought.
'Starrk, what's happening? Why do I feel...hopeless?' Lilynette thought to herself 'I don't like this. We never felt that way even in our previous life.'
Lilynette couldn't even read her book, now that she couldn't shake this sudden feeling.
"Lilynette." A whisper came from her right as she noticed a concerned Pipsqueak "Are you alright?"
"I-..." Lilynette looked down, a dispirited expression on her face "I don't really know." She whispered back. She ignored not only his concern, but Dinky's as well, when she took notice of her sister's apparent sadness.
Both ponies didn't know what caused Lilynette to act so down, but they hoped they would cheer her up once school was over.
_____
Starrk trotted out into town, feeling as empty as Ulquiorra Cifer as he just trekked further along the guard-ridden streets. He couldn't believe that his target was hiding in plain sight the whole time, or the fact that their plan was so effective that it left him completely powerless. He didn't know where to go right now. All he could do was wait for the mysterious villain to reveal themself to the public, whenever that would be.
He didn't want to end up sinking into despair, but he was out of options at this point. The former espada merely continued his walk, waiting for the day to end so he could at least enjoy a comfortable sleep before he was met with an inevitable showdown.
"Hey, Starrk!"
Starrk rarely paid attention to the raspy voice above him, nor the cyan pony in his vision looking at him in confusion as he continued walking.
"Huh? Are you feeling okay? What's wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked, only met with Starrk moving past her. Feeling irritated from being ignored, she flew into his vision again "Hey! What's the matter with you? Why are you acting like some kind of zombie pony?" Starrk stopped and looked up at Rainbow Dash before resuming his pace. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes before stopping him with a hoof in his chest "Hey! I'm talking to you!"
"I can't talk right now. I just need some time to myself." Starrk said to Rainbow Dash in a near monotonous drone.
"To do what? Wander aimlessly around town? That definitely isn't like you at all, Starrk." The cyan pegasus' expression softened "Seriously though, what's eating you? You weren't like this a moment ago. What happened?" Starrk stared before he looked down at the ground.
"Like I said, I really can't talk." Starrk replied.
"Why? What could you possibly be keeping from me or anypony else?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"It's nothing." Starrk replied instantly. While it was for the best, he really hated this kind of situation where he's sworn to silence. This is both humiliating and taxing on himself. He shook his head before moving past Rainbow Dash "You just need to leave me be. It doesn't matter now."
"The hay it doesn't!" Rainbow Dash barked before flying in front of Starrk once more, crossing her forelegs "I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me what's up. You can't just act this way and expect to keep quiet about it the whole time!" Rainbow Dash snapped at the former espada. Starrk grunted as he looked up at the angry pegasus.
'It's like dealing with Lilynette...' Starrk thought to himself. He sighed before trotting past Rainbow Dash "Fine. Might as well deal with the company." Starrk was now accompanied by a curious pegasus gliding after him, which would be slightly annoying if he wasn't too consumed in his current predicament.
"Is that coolness you got going on finally cracking after this whole thing got to you?" Rainbow Dash asked "Does it have something to do with Derpy and her kids?" She continued naming different questions, much to Starrk's chagrin.
Starrk had to put up with such an irritable display if it meant making sure that word of the enemy's presence doesn't get out. He couldn't risk any lives lost from this whole situation, no matter how bad the odds were against him. But no matter his patience and willpower, the questions just continued.
"Are you having second thoughts on your job? Because you already know how good you have it. Or is it because you haven't figured out who we're dealing with yet? Or maybe-"
"I just don't want to be alone again!" Starrk raised his voice for the first time in a while, startling Rainbow Dash out of her slew of questions. He noticed how irritated Starrk had looked - she wouldn't put it past him - but also the concern that belied said irritation. She cocked her head to the side as she examined his expression.
"Is that it?" Rainbow Dash asked before descending and placing a hoof on Starrk's left shoulder "You dork. You're not gonna be alone anytime soon. You have us, remember?" She said with a warm smile "Yeah, I know it's super lame right now, but there's no need to get so bent up about it. We got this, and don't you forget it." She said proudly. All Starrk could do was stare.
"I envy your optimism." He said before looking forward "If only I can borrow that tomorrow."
"You can borrow it now." Rainbow Dash said as she draped a hoof over his back "You're gonna need plenty of it to get by, that's for sure." She paused before she instantly withdrew her hoof and blushed lightly "U-Um, so what are you gonna do now, huh? Not much else to do today." Starrk looked down pensively before he looked up.
"I think I might go see if Lilynette and Dinky are out of school."
"Eh, that won't be for another few minutes, but we can hang there, I guess." Dash said as she and Starrk began trotting towards Ponyville Elementary.
Despite how dark his situation was, Starrk was mildly comforted with Rainbow Dash at his side and reminding him to remain positive no matter what.
To be continued...