Kick about! Los Lobos!

by Dirty Bit


Capitulo Treinta y Cuatro

Capitulo Treinta y Cuatro

Preparing For The Worst

In Ponyville Elementary, Cheerilee watched over her students reading their books to themselves with a content smile. She personally was happy that her students were doing well with their studies in the midst of the terror plaguing Ponyville. But despite the notable progress they're making, she couldn't help but notice how sad Lilynette had appeared while she was reading. Cheerilee knew that the red filly had just now acted this way, but was surprised at how suddenly her mood shifted at the time.

She took solace in the fact that she was well-behaved throughout the school day, but Cheerilee couldn't let one of her students leave school on a somber note. It was when the school bell rang that she saw her chance.

"Okay, class. We'll cover more of the book on Monday. Have a nice weekend!" Cheerilee said to her students as they rushed out of the classroom, with Lilynette and Dinky lagging behind. Easily spotting the latter two, she spoke up "Excuse me, Lilynette. May I have a word with you, please?" She called out to the red filly, who looked back at her in confusion. Dinky looked over to Cheerilee as well before shifting her gaze to Lilynette.

"I'll wait for you outside the school, sis." Dinky said calmly with a brief nuzzle to Lilynette's cheek before she made her way out. Meanwhile, the red filly approached Cheerilee with a slightly impatient look in her eyes.

"Yeah? What is it?" Lilynette asked, trying to sound like her usual self. Cheerilee noticed this easily, inwardly downcast at her attempt to mask her apparent pain.

"I was wondering why you felt so sad all of the sudden near the end of class and hoped to help you out. Can you tell me what's bothering you?"

"I don't know." Lilynette murmured while looking away somberly. Cheerilee frowned at the brief and distant response.

"Are you sure you don't need any help? Are you bothered by the subjects that we've covered today?" Lilynette's eyes narrowed at the questions.

"I said I don't know, okay?" She snapped irritably "If I did figure out why I felt this way, I'd take care of it sooner...Or have Starrk do it, at least." She murmured the last sentence to herself. Cheerilee looked down at Lilynette before offering a sympathetic smile.

"Lilynette, you know you can always come to me if you're having trouble with something within school grounds. I may not know what's making you sad, unless it involves our current predicament, but know that as a teacher, I can try to make it better for you."

"I doubt it...I think this is something I gotta deal with for now." The red filly looked away, trying not to look depressed. Cheerilee noticed this and sighed at the answer.

"Well, whatever is bothering you, I'm sure it's bound to pass by tomorrow. In the meantime, I'd suggest confiding in Coyote Starrk about your mood when you get the time. Maybe it will work out." Cheerilee offered. Lilynette looked up at the magenta pony.

"I guess that could work, even if he's not much for talking." Lilynette responded before trotting away "Thanks, Ms. Cheerilee." She said halfheartedly as she went to find Dinky.

"You're welcome, Lilynette." She called back warmly. After the red filly exited the classroom, Cheerilee's spirit wavered before looking out one of the school windows 'Maybe this whole situation really is getting to the poor filly. Not that I can blame her. I hope things can work out in our favor in the future.'
_____

Starrk and Rainbow Dash flew to Ponyville Elementary and landed near the entrance, where they saw Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom trotting away. Both recognized them and the latter spoke up.

"Hey, Coyote Starrk an' Rainbow Dash. Here t' pick up Dinky an' Lilynette?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Basically." Starrk answered before looking over to Big Macintosh. They stared at each other before Big Macintosh frowned while Starrk's expression remained unchanged. After a period of silence, the large stallion trotted up to Starrk and patted him on the shoulder, nodding to him with a comforting smile, to which the former espada nodded back to him. Rainbow Dash and Apple Bloom stared at the exchange in confusion.

"You know what that's all about?" Rainbow Dash whispered to Apple Bloom.

"No idea. Ah can never tell with my brother sometimes." The yellow filly whispered back.

Drawing back his hoof from Starrk, Big Macintosh turned to Apple Bloom and jerked his head to a certain direction before trotting off, signalling his little sister to follow him. She understood the gesture and went to catch up to him before looking back at Starrk and Rainbow Dash.

"See ya both later!" Apple Bloom waved before taking off after Big Macintosh. Rainbow Dash returned the wave while Starrk merely watched them leave. They then made for the school, where Dinky and Scootaloo were seen sitting at the entrance. The two fillies noticed them approaching and stood up.

"Hello, Mr. Starrk and Rainbow Dash." Dinky said happily. Scootaloo grinned as Rainbow Dash drew near. Starrk looked around before looking down at Dinky.

"Why isn't Lilynette with you?" He asked inquisitively, to which Dinky perked up.

"Oh, Cheerilee wanted to speak with Lily after class, so I'm just waiting out here for her with Scootaloo." Dinky pointed at the mentioned filly.

"Where's Sweetie Belle? Did she go home, too?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Rarity wasn't here for her, so one of the guards around Ponyville escorted her home." Scootaloo explained briefly.

The sound of a door opening brought the group of ponies to see a certain red filly trotting out of the school with a neutral expression on her face before she noticed Starrk and Dinky.

"Oh hey, sis! How did it go with-" Dinky spoke, but stopped when Lilynette passed her and stopped in front of Starrk, looking up at him with narrowed eyes. Starrk already knew that he was going to be bothered for the rest of the day.

"I came to see if both of you are out of school." Starrk said to Dinky and Lilynette, ignoring the latter's glare. Meanwhile, Dinky smiled at the former espada.

"Oh, are you gonna take us home? That's usually Mommy's job." Dinky giggled. She then gasped before looking up at Starrk with sparkling eyes and a wide grin "Can we go super fast like when you took us to Sweet Apple Acres?" She asked in a giddy tone. Lilynette looked over at Dinky before turning back to Starrk.

"Well?" She asked impatiently. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash chuckled.

"I guess I'll talk with you later, Starrk. I'm gonna go take the little squirt home." Scootaloo gasped before grinning.

"Yes!" She squealed while Rainbow Dash merely smirked at the orange filly's enthusiasm. Rainbow Dash picked up Scootaloo with her forehooves before ascending into the air, looking down at the three ponies below. Scootaloo waved to them.

"Lilynette! Dinky! See you both tomorrow!" She said before cheering as Rainbow Dash flew off in a burst of speed.

"I guess we should get going, too." Starrk said before looking down at Dinky and Lilynette "Are you both ready?"

"Mhm!" Dinky responded before holding onto Starrk's left foreleg tightly, waiting to move at incredible speed. Lilynette gripped onto the former espada's other leg. It was then that the three blurred out of existence, leaving Ponyville Elementary behind.

The three found themselves in front of the Hooves household, with Dinky getting dizzy after another high speed trip. Thankfully, she recovered easier than the last time she traveled with Starrk and beamed up at him.

"Thank you, Mr. Starrk!" She chirped brightly. Meanwhile, Lilynette looked up at Starrk with the same glance from earlier.

"I'm gonna play with my sister, and then I wanna talk to you later." Lilynette said in a serious tone that caught Dinky's attention.

"What's wrong, sis?" Dinky asked in concern. Lilynette hesitated at Dinky's question, casting a small glance her way before before glaring back up at Starrk.

"I dunno, Dinky, but it definitely involves Starrk!" Lilynette snapped. Starrk looked down at Lilynette in silence before trotting to the door.

"Let's just go inside. This day's been hectic enough." Starrk said in a nearly apathetic tone. Dinky and Lilynette traded looks before following the former espada inside.
_____

'Sparkler' continued siphoning the Alicorn Amulet's magic with a triumphant grin on her face. Now she was capable of putting Starrk in his place, and with the amulet's endless supply of magic, she can go even further effortlessly soon enough. It is only a matter of time before the promised day...

She decided to take a break, confident that she would have more than enough energy tomorrow if she were to indulge in a final power meal before sleeping contently tonight. The amethyst unicorn levitated her scarf from the floor and wrapped it around her neck, covering the Alicorn Amulet before she decided to leave her room. She happened upon the entry of three ponies as she reached the kitchen.

"Well well, I see mom's gonna waste a trip upon seeing her children picked up from school. How was your day today?" Sparkler asked Lilynette and Dinky.

"It was great! We didn't have homework to do today." Dinky smiled before looking over at Lilynette staring neutrally at Sparkler, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"I see. Why don't you girls go play while I see what I can make us all for dinner later tonight?" Sparkler asked with a seemingly gentle smile. Starrk stared passively at the amethyst unicorn before looking away, trying to be careful and not set off any unwanted illusions.

"Okay. C'mon, sis." Dinky said encouragingly before galloping for her room. Lilynette looked at Sparkler and Starrk one last time before following Dinky herself. Starrk's eyes narrowed as he looked away from Sparkler. Realizing that all he would be doing is sitting in the same home as the enemy and biding his time for getting chewed out by Lilynette later on, he decided to step outside again, wanting to explore for a moment.

"I'm impressed. Normal ponies wouldn't have lasted this long under my power." Sparkler taunted quietly. Starrk froze in his position before he exited the house again, leaving a chuckling Sparkler to sift through the kitchen cupboards and cabinets. She frowned at what she found behind certain doors.

"What kind of mare favors these muffins to the point of obsession?"
_____

Starrk trotted out into Ponyville once more, taking a deep breath as he mulled over the decision of seeking out company or simply taking another nap to ease his worries. He decidedly wandered into Ponyville in silence while deep in thought.

Looking around, he took notice of the severe lack of ponies in the streets, wondering if they were aware of the guards' earlier display of fighting and were shaken up at their ferocity and conflict. He, himself, felt powerless due to his careless action and falling under his new enemy's power. Shaking off any potential thought that would incite another horrid illusion, he continued his pace until he remembered something comforting.

'The timberwolves. I haven't really seen them since I left this town a few days ago.' With his destination in mind, Starrk decided to make for Everfree Forest. He blurred out with his Sonido and found himself standing near the forest's entrance, nearby Fluttershy's cottage.

Looking over, he noticed that the yellow pegasus was seen feeding a large bear with some vegetables. He stared at the display blankly before he decided to trot into the Everfree forest. He effortlessly crossed each obstacle before he came across three of them approaching him dangerously before recognizing Starrk's appearance and scent.

"Oh, hey." He greeted calmly as the three wolves approached him amicably, wagging their tails. He petted the one that stood in front of him on its head "Where are the others?" He asked, to which the timberwolf he was petting leaned away from Starrk's hoof and turned away before looking back at the former espada, signalling him to follow.

Starrk was led to find more timberwolves sitting outside a nearby cave, and they all turned to the four newcomers before approaching them. Starrk regarded the gathered wolves with his stoic expression that belied a small feeling of warmth from seeing more of his wooden friends.

"At least I have you guys while dealing with this..." He said dryly as he petted another timberwolf as it leaned into his caress. One of the wolves perked their ears up and darted their head towards a nearby bush and bared its fangs with a growl. The other wolves caught on and followed suit, with Starrk raising an eyebrow at the bush himself. He trotted towards it while commanding the wolves to cease their aggression and peered inside to see a very peculiar sight staring back at him with a grin on her face.

"...Pinkie, what are you doing here? And how did you know where I was?" He asked the pink mare that looked up at him.

"Well, I didn't have much to do at Sugarcube Corner, what with business being slow, so I felt like keeping an eye on you, since I noticed you were heading for the Everfree Forest by yourself." Pinkie said with a blithe smile before it faded "You seemed kinda down, too. I know everypony's dealing with a lot right now, but I don't like that you of all ponies can feel so sad." She rested her forehooves under her chin as her smile returned "Why doncha tell your pal Pinkie Pie what's on your mind?" Pinkie asked encouragingly.

Starrk stared at Pinkie Pie and slightly narrowed his eyes before light grunt escaped his lips. He hung his head down, much to Pinkie Pie's curiosity "I can't..."

"Awwwww, why not? Is it a secret?" Pinkie pried inquisitively. She noticed how Starrk took two steps away from her while he didn't meet her gaze.

"Yes." Starrk responded. He felt that in a sense, he was telling the truth, knowing the consequences that would entail if he were to trigger the spell that bound him.

"You sure? Because, you won't have to worry about me telling everypony. I'd say I'm one of the best ponies when it comes to keeping secrets. I'll even Pinkie Promise not to tell!" Pinkie reassured with a bubbly grin.

"This secret's mine to keep, Pinkie. I'm fine..." Starrk shot back. He looked back at the timberwolves behind him, who stared awkwardly at their leader before trading glances amongst themselves. Starrk sighed to himself, realizing that this visit didn't exactly go his way.

"Oh come on, Starrky. You know it's my job to make ponies smile, even if you barely do at times. Won't you tell me what's bothering you?" She hopped out of the bushes and got in his face with shimmering eyes "Pretty pretty please with sugary lumps on top?"

"Look. This isn't a big deal." Starrk said as he gently pushed Pinkie out of his personal space "Trust me...I'll be fine, and to prove it, you-..." Starrk paused, thinking of a way to actually stave off Pinkie's advances. He had an idea, but grimaced before facing Pinkie "...you can...throw a party once we take down whoever's responsible for all of this."

"Oh, you silly!" Pinkie giggled as she hugged Starrk, much to his chagrin "That was already gonna be my plan. But now I'm looking forward to it even more." She faced Starrk with her bright demeanor "I believe in you, Starrky. I know you'll take down that meanie making everypony so sad, and my friends and I will help you!"

"Thanks. That does actually make me feel a little better." Starrk said genuinely. He personally hoped that these Elements of Harmony were as powerful as Twilight and the others claimed.

"Good!" Pinkie chirped "Since we're together here right now, maybe you'd like to talk to me about some stuff?" She looked up pensively as she poked her chin with a hoof "Maybe like when your birthday is? We never covered that. Your hobbies? Favorite foods? Or which pony you like? Don't worry about that last part; it's just a harmless-" The sound of booming static made Pinkie look over to where Starrk once stood, leaving a bunch of shocked timberwolves in his wake as they looked around with widened eyes. Pinkie pouted at this "Phooey!" She then proceeded to go back into Ponyville, not wanting to be near the timberwolves without Starrk around.
_____

Derpy flew above Ponyville, wanting to go home after another job well done. She needed some more food in her belly since she forgot to pack herself breakfast. Sometimes, she wished that she didn't overlook the little things so much, even if she fancied herself the most dutiful mare in her field of work.

She lowered her altitude when her home came into view, but her eyes straightened upon seeing Starrk appear in front of her door. Derpy's shock gave way to a smile before she landed behind the former espada.

"Hiya, Starrky. I noticed Dinky and Lily weren't at school. Did you pick them up for me?" Derpy asked. Starrk turned his head to look back at her.

"Oh, hey, Derpy. Yeah, I did. That's not a problem, is it?" Starrk asked.

"Nope! It's nice you went out of your way for me." Derpy said cheerfully, giving Starrk a small hug before opening the door and entering the house "Everypony! I'm home!"

"You don't have to shout, you know." Sparkler said as she was seen preparing food. She was adding vegetables to a salad before tossing it while some oats were baking in the oven "Dinner will be ready in about a half hour."

"Awwww, how sweet of you, Sparkler." Derpy grinned at her daughter "You went out of your way to make dinner for your family." Starrk eyed the food cautiously, wondering if Sparkler had possibly done anything shady with it while he was away."

"Mommy!" Dinky shouted as she galloped from out of the hall and stopped in front of Derpy, the two sharing an embrace. Lilynette casually trotted after her before looking up at Starrk with an irritated glance, the former espada staring back at her.

"It's good to see everypony's accounted for. We gotta stay together if it means getting through this mess." Derpy said as she glanced at everypony present before looking over at Starrk and Lilynette "And we have you two to thank for keeping Ponyvile in one piece. It's only been a few days and you're almost like family to us." Derpy said happily.

"Family? Us?" Lilynette asked before looking at a smiling Dinky. Derpy's words began to sink in the more she stared at her adoptive sister's expression, and a thin smile was seen on her lips as well.

"The sentiment's appreciated." Starrk said curtly before trotting to sit at the table "I suppose I'll wait for the food."

"Actually, Starrk," Lilynette piped up after looking away from Dinky "I think I wanna talk to you. In private." Lilynette said, emphasizing her last words as she glared at Starrk. The Hooves family blinked at this sudden request. Meanwhile, the former espada stared at his counterpart with a tired expression.

"Fine. Where at?" Starrk asked, wanting to get this ordeal out of the way.

"We'll talk in mine and Dinky's room. Now come on!" Lilynette trotted away, with Starrk reluctantly following, leaving a confused trio of ponies behind.

"Do you think they might talk about their relationship as two parts of the same pony?" Dinky asked her family.

"Now, Muffin, it's impolite to pry on private matters. We'll just let them have their chat while we set up the table.
_____

Starrk followed Lilynette into Dinky's room, where the two decidedly sat down on the floor and stared at each other. The red filly narrowed her eyes before she broke the silence.

"Okay, Starrk, you got some explaining to do." She said pointedly "I felt like dirt while I was at school, and somehow, I think it involves you. This never happened to me before, and you're the only one I know that can tell me why." Lilynette scowled at Starrk, waiting for an answer "So what happened, huh?"

Starrk stared at Lilynette, but was at a loss for words. He couldn't figure out how to explain his situation properly, or if he could be able to explain at all. 'Sparkler' told him about the spell and its effect, and he couldn't bring himself to bring the subject to light, even if it was to a part of himself.

"Lilynette, I'm sorry..." Starrk said, throwing off Lilynette as she craned her head back "You're possibly right that this is my fault, but chances are, you may know who to blame for it." Lilynette stared before she gasped.

"It was that shady coward, wasn't it!? Do you know where they are?" The red filly asked eagerly while staring intently at Starrk.

"I can't tell you..." Starrk responded instantly.

"What? Why not?" Lilynette asked, growing agitated by the unexpected answer. She couldn't believe that Starrk would go out of his way to keep information away from her "What's your game, Starrk?"

"There is no game." Starrk replied with his eyes closed, but opened them with a hardened gaze on Lilynette "But there is a risk involved. Lilynette...I want you to trust me that tomorrow we'll settle all of this. For us, and for our new pack. Even if it would cost us our life."

Lilynette stared at Starrk in silence, dumbfounded by his sudden change in demeanor. He rarely ever acted this determined unless she were the one to force him to grow a spine. She scoffed at this and glared back at Starrk.

"Where did this come from? In case you've forgotten, we were lucky to even live like this, even if these new forms kinda sucked at first. We may not be hollows no more, but that doesn't mean we can just give up everything we've gained and die again so easily. You picked the wrong time to act all cool when this place is so much better than Hueco Mundo!"

Starrk's gaze softened as Lilynette ranted at his words, but it wasn't long until she, too, looked back at him with a soft glance of her own.

"If this enemy's got you talking like this, then it's obvious we have to take action soon, right? Well, I'm not gonna let the jerk take our new life away so easily." She narrowed her eyes with a proud smirk "We'll take 'em down together, because you're the Primera Espada, and I'm a part of you." Starrk stared down at Lilynette before closing his eyes as a sigh escaped his lips.

"I did pick the wrong time to act like this..." He felt a strong jab at his chest and looked down at Lilynette grinning widely.

"There's the lazy bum I remember. You better get some sleep after dinner, because when you wake up tomorrow, we're doing this!" She proclaimed proudly.

To be continued...