11. Equilibrium
Sunset straddled the thin line between wanting to scream at Twilight, and wanting to hold her and never let go.
She split the difference and said in the most measured tone she could, “You know what you did was bullheaded at best, right?”
Twilight gave a weak nod.
Sunset didn’t dig further. She was scared, angry, and tired. But above all, she was just relieved Twilight was still alive.
She had called Sunset at three in the morning, crying and gasping across a choppy signal. Sunset had woken Artemis up, and they teleported to the Everfree Forest to find Twilight curled on the ground and shaking like a leaf.
After multiple dabs of Artemis’ spring water and a long, tight hug from Sunset, Twilight told them everything. She spoke in a defeated whisper, breaking down halfway through her tale. Selena brought her a cup of tea, which she accepted but never drank.
When she had finished, Sunset pulled her in for another hug. Twilight clung onto her, burying her head into Sunset’s chest. Spot, being the good dog that he was, hopped onto the couch and snuggled next to Twilight, resting his chin in her lap.
“I’m not going to berate you any more than that,” Sunset said, stroking Twilight’s hair. “I’m just glad you’re alive after what you went through.”
Twilight tightened her hold, shaking again. “I-I’m sorry. I thought… I needed to… I-I…”
Sunset rocked her back and forth. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”
“No!” Twilight sobbed. “It’s not okay! You’re right—I was so stupid! I was so mad at you, at her, at myself! I could have died! I just… I just wanted…” She let out another long sob.
Sunset just held her, leaning back into the couch to make them both as comfortable as possible. She didn’t know what to say. Twilight was right: she had acted recklessly. But Sunset knew she would have acted the same way if she had been in Twilight’s position.
“I’m sorry,” Sunset whispered. “Maybe you wouldn’t have done this if we had healed Shining from the start.”
“But you’re right! That would have raised questions! I was scared of losing him! I didn’t want to listen to anything else!”
“If it puts you at ease,” Artemis said softly, “I was able to get into the hospital and perform a little magic on him. He’ll live at the very least.”
“Th-thank you.” Twilight’s sobs slowed. “Thank you.”
Not long after, she fell asleep. Artemis and Selena left the two girls alone. Sunset got as comfortable as she could without disturbing Twilight. She thought of Adagio as she began to nod off, her own hatred for the Siren spiking. Aria had said the worst the Spectacular Seven would do was put Adagio in the hospital. Sunset wasn’t so certain now. The urge to incinerate Adagio on the spot the next time they met was strong.
Why hadn’t Twilight called for backup when she deduced Adagio’s location? Sunset found a quick answer for that: Twilight was still trying to prove something. Coupled with her anger at her friends, there was no way she was going to waste time calling Sunset in the heat of the moment.
Sparky, you’re strong—I know you are. But we’re stronger together.
Sunset fell into an uneasy sleep, dreaming of a giant Adagio trying to eat Twilight. Sunset set the entire forest on fire to try and save her. When the smoke cleared, both girls were gone. Sunset ran through the smoke to find them but woke when her physical body felt a pressure shift off her.
Twilight had woken up, gently scooting Spot away before standing and grabbing her sword—the only thing they had scavenged from the forest. The sun had just barely begun to shine through the windows.
“Where are you going?” Sunset asked, groggy.
“I should probably go home. I don’t want to worry my parents, especially right now.” Her voice was weak and monotoned. “And… I need to go see Shining.”
Sunset got up and put a hand on her back. “Do you want me to come with you?”
Twilight shook her head. She didn’t look at Sunset. “No, you should get some rest. I… um… I’ll talk to you later. I promise.” She made to leave, but Sunset moved her hand down and grabbed Twilight’s.
“Please, Twi, I’m not mad, I swear. I just want to help.”
Twilight paused for a second, letting Sunset hold onto her. She slowly turned around, revealing her puffy eyes and dark shadows beneath them. She leaned in and gave Sunset a kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you. I’ll be okay.” She gently slipped her hand from Sunset’s and headed for the door, closing it softly behind her.
Sunset stared after Twilight. The soft click of the lock sounded like a crack of thunder in her ears. Spot made a soft whine from the couch.
With a heavy sigh, Sunset reached over and scratched him behind the ears. “Yeah. I’m worried too.”
*******
Twilight had returned home to find both of her parents still asleep. She climbed into bed to get a few more hours as well. She snatched at sleep, resting and dreaming in short intervals. Her dreams were always the same: she was back in the forest or the manor, facing down Adagio. Adagio would scream and Twilight would wake up, or Sunset would swoop in and Twilight would wake up. Either way, she woke up irritated and exhausted.
Her father knocked on the door as she lay awake, staring at the ceiling. “Twilight, are you up yet? We’re going to the hospital soon if you want to come along.”
Twilight rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up. “Yeah. Just give me a few minutes, please.”
She took a quick shower, though it could only wash away the dirt. Humiliation and defeat still coated her like a layer of sweat. She got dressed, grabbed her laptop, and joined her family downstairs.
The mood in the house and in the car remained subdued. Night Light and Velvet didn’t say much, and Twilight tuned out the rest of the time. What had she done wrong in her fight against Adagio? She thought she had come in fully prepared. Her taser alone should have kept her down far longer than it did. But, once again, magic threw a wrench into what should have been a logical conclusion.
You should have just gone for the kill when you had the chance.
Twilight shuddered and held herself at the dark thought. No, as much as she hated Adagio, Twilight could never do that. She wouldn’t stoop to the Siren’s level. No, she just needed more inventions. She needed more firepower. She needed—
“Twilight, are you coming?”
She looked up. They were already parked and her parents were out of the car.
“Oh, sorry!” Twilight scrambled to get out and followed after her mom.
The hospital lobby was fuller than the last time Twilight had been here. Most were other families waiting to see loved ones, but Twilight saw one or two people with cuts and bruises waiting to be called.
Velvet talked to one of the administrators at the front desk. The lady pointed at the elevator and Velvet nodded in thanks. “They moved him out of the ICU last night. He’s on the fifth floor now.”
“Last night?” Twilight asked. Artemis really had snuck in and helped. They took the elevator up and spoke to another office aide before being directed down the hall. When they opened the door to Shining’s room, Cadence was already seated by his bedside.
She gave them all a tired smile and a wave. “Morning.”
Velvet reached down and gave her a hug. “Morning, sweetie. How are you doing?”
“I’m… alright.” Cadence looked back at Shining. The sheets were pulled down to reveal his heavily bandaged chest. There was only one tube snaking out of his wound now. His eyes were still shut and his breathing was slow. “Dr. Stables said his vitals made a sudden jump last night. He still needs another round of surgery, but if it goes well… they think he’ll make it.”
A weight lifted off Twilight’s chest and she breathed for what felt like the first time in days. Artemis had really done it. Her brother was going to live. She wiped away a fresh stream of tears and collapsed into another chair.
Cadence walked over and stroked Twilight’s hair. “How are you doing, ladybug?”
“He’s going to be okay,” Twilight said, slightly dazed. “He’s going to be okay. So, I’m going to be okay.”
Cadence hugged her. “Yeah. We’re all going to be okay.”
The atmosphere in the room shifted. It wasn’t joyful, but everyone spoke with more vigor than they had in days. Twilight remained relatively quiet while she worked on her laptop. She looked over the schematics of her selfie drone, now lost and broken somewhere in the Everfree. If there was a silver lining, it was that she could build it again easily enough, perhaps with a few more gadgets to counter Adagio.
She looked up to catch glimpses of Shining, still unmoving. She stared at his heart monitor and breathing tube, and a pang of bitterness poisoned her sweet relief.
Twilight knew why, but the fact that her friends could have fully healed Shining but didn’t ate at her. She wouldn’t have to even be in this horrid hospital if they had.
But then, there was her failure as well. She couldn’t bring down Adagio and avenge him; she nearly died in the attempt and broke her promise to Shining.
Twilight tore her eyes away and looked down at her computer again. Magic, science; both had failed her, though one still seemed more reliable. She wondered how her fight would have gone if she had even the smallest amount of magic.
She mentally stuck her tongue out. Half of her friends’ powers were only useful in a fight. Rarity and Pinkie’s powers had little practical application. And while Sunset’s fire powers were beautiful, her empathy ability had better everyday use. Had she the choice, Twilight would prefer some sort of power she could use in her daily routine. Like electricity or the internet, magic ought to be a resource one could tap into to enrich their life.
Twilight waved thoughts of magic away and tabbed out of her schematics. She opened her email, finding a new letter about housing options at MIT, and…
Equilibrium Labs? They were the ones who ran the scholarship she had submitted her auto-arm to! She clicked the email open, heart pounding.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
On behalf of Equilibrium Labs, I would like to extend my congratulations on winning our Best Young Minds Scholarship! Your blueprints and demonstration video of your electronic-mechanical, voice-activated auto-arm showed ingenuity, creativity, and practical functionality. Your project will be showcased on our website along with past scholarship winners.
We are proud to award you with the scholarship prize money of five-thousand dollars. In addition, we would like to extend our offer of internship at Equilibrium Labs for the duration of the summer. Here, we offer an enriching environment where you can work with like-minded scientists and engineers who are on the cutting edge of technology! You’ll gain hands-on experience and get to be a part of Equilibrium Labs’ developments for a brighter future!
We once again offer our sincere congratulations and look forward to hearing from you soon!
Best regards,
Equilibrium Labs Lead Scientist,
Starlight Glimmer
*******
“Another pin please, Coco.”
Coco withheld a sigh and tugged a pin from the pincushion and handed it to Rarity. Her boss hemmed it into the back of the silk dress and hummed in satisfaction.
She should have been ecstatic. She should have been over the moon. Standing on the dressing stage being fitted for a gown was the Countess Coloratura! And when she first walked in, Coco had most definitely swooned.
But the novelty had worn off fast. Not because of the Countess; she was cordial and sweet. No, for Coco, it was being relegated to fetching whatever Rarity needed. She hadn’t asked for Coco’s eye, hadn’t let her have a hand in making the dress, she hadn’t even consulted Coco in the dress’ design.
Coco knew she was just the assistant, but she felt like… well, an afterthought. She stood off to the side, pincushion in hand as she watched Rarity dance around Coloratura to make final adjustments.
“I daresay, this is some of my finest work,” Rarity said. The smile on her face hadn’t waned since Coloratura walked in.
“It’s beautiful, Rarity,” Coloratura said, beaming at herself in the mirror. “No one will believe I got this from a local store.”
Rarity made a squeal. “I still can’t believe you’re going to wear my dress to the Grand Gallant Gala this weekend!”
“Ah woulda thought it’d stuck by now. You said it five times so far,” a bored voice said from an adjacent corner. Rarity’s friend Applejack had come in with Coloratura to get her dress fitted as well. Perhaps it was Coco’s imagination, but the girl seemed tense.
“And I will continue to say it until I see it happen on my television!” Rarity said, her voice cracking from excitement.
“Sorry again I can’t take you with us,” Coloratura said, her smile dropping.
“No, no, I understand,” Rarity said with an earnest nod. “I hope you and Applejack have a marvelous time. Besides, after everyone sees my dresses, it’ll only be a matter of time until I get an invitation of my own.”
Coco had no doubts. Rarity was a master designer. So much so that… Coco wasn’t sure why she had been hired. Or rather, why Rarity’s advertisement had said she was looking for an apprentice designer. So far, Coco had mostly taken measurements and managed the register. They had yet to work on any of her designs for the Midsummer Revival, and it was almost midsummer! It had been custom orders inter-sprinkled with Rarity’s designs for her college competition before getting a commission from Coloratura herself.
“Coco, could you fetch the lace ribbon from my desk?”
“Yes, Miss Rarity,” Coco said, barely hiding her disenchantment. She fetched the lace, and Rarity took it without a word or a glance.
“All done!” Rarity proclaimed, taking a step back.
Coloratura appraised herself in the mirror, spinning around in awe. “Rarity, this is simply stunning!”
Indeed, Rarity had outdone herself. Coloratura’s Gala gown was set in two pieces; the sleeveless bodice was midnight blue and lined with diamonds down the front and feathered ruffles that pressed back across her shoulders. The dress itself was a tiered, floor-length ruffled gown, parted to the left side. Each tier was a different shade of dark blue, and the bottom had another dusting of diamond sequins.
Applejack gave a short, impressed whistle. “Good job, Rares.”
“Thank you, thank you!” Rarity’s eyes honed in on Applejack. “Your turn.”
Applejack groaned.
Coloratura stepped off the stage and toward the changing booth. “I might step out and get a drink real fast.”
“You’re thirsty? Coco, why don’t you go and get us some coffee?” Rarity’s smile was pleasant, but she was still looking at Coloratura, eyes filled with star-swept grandeur.
“Are you sure?” Coloratura asked tentatively.
“Oh, Coco doesn’t mind, do you, dear?”
“I—”
“And besides, we don’t want the paparazzi to swarm you again, right?”
Coloratura looked at Coco. Rarity’s eyes finally found her as well. Applejack watched from her corner, eyebrow raised.
Something flooded Coco. Was it panic? Desperation? Whatever it was, with all eyes on her, it compelled her to blurt out, “Yes, of course, Miss Rarity!”
Rarity clapped her hands. “Such a dear.”
After taking drink orders (Applejack politely declined) Coco stepped out of the shop and into the evening air. Checking her phone, it was 5:30. The boutique closed at six, and it would take at least until then to finish Applejack’s fitting.
Coco gave a resigned sigh. Another day without even touching her dress designs. Maybe working for Rarity had been a mistake. It had started out so well; Rarity had been so welcoming and personalable, and had given her excellent tutelage on the few outfits she had gotten to touch. But all the early absences and delegations to do menial tasks…
Coco rubbed her eyes. She wasn’t a designer, she was a glorified secretary. If something didn’t change, she would never get to revive the Revival.
*******
Equilibrium Labs sat on the outskirts of northern Canterlot, encircled by pine trees at the peak of their growth. The lab itself wasn’t anything extraordinary. A two-story, rectangular white building with a few smaller off-shoots around the campus. The only real notable feature was the massive satellite looming over the lab from behind. Its bright silver dish seemed to absorb the sunlight rather than reflect it, and instead of a single antenna at its center, it had three reaching out like claws.
Her mom brought the car around to the front of the building, where Twilight could see the reception area through the large glass window. “It’s a little out of the way. Are you sure you’ll be able to get home safely?”
“I’ll be fine, Mom. I promise,” Twilight said, pulling her backpack over her shoulder.
“I know, I’m just…” Velvet pressed her lips together. Twilight saw the faint tremble in her hands and leaned over to kiss her mom on the cheek.
“I promise. And I’ll call you if anything happens.”
Velvet smiled, a little reassurance in her eyes. “Okay. I’m proud of you, honey. Now go on, go show them how smart you are.”
“Thanks, Mom!” Twilight bounded out of the car and power walked to the front entrance.
She had immediately replied to Starlight Glimmer’s email, and to her surprise, Starlight responded back within the hour. Twilight had barely been able to contain her excitement. It had sparked another uptick of joy inside the hospital room.
Twenty-four hours later, Twilight walked through the sliding glass doors into the lab’s reception room. It was a standard area that could have been swapped with any hospital or dentist's office, though it was pretty spacious. A table surrounded by comfy chairs sat to Twilight’s right, and an electronic bulletin board flanked by two potted palm trees took up the wall to the left.
Twilight walked across the blue-tiled floor to the reception desk. The lady at the front had beige skin and rose-colored hair complimented with lavender highlights. Her teal cat-eye glasses matched her wristband that jostled as she rapidly typed on her computer.
She looked up and flashed a beautiful smile at Twilight as she approached, fingers still dancing across her keyboard.
“Twilight Sparkle, you’re right on time.,” she said sweetly. “Welcome to Equilibrium Labs, where our motto is—”
“‘For the good of humanity!’” a new voice said proudly. A woman, who Twilight presumed was Starlight Glimmer, strolled down the hall, her ankle-length labcoat floating behind her. She wore a blue blazer and gray slacks underneath it, paired with a set of closed black heels. Her purple and teal hair was tied into a ponytail with a row of bangs covering her forehead. She smiled sweetly at Twilight then looked at the receptionist.
“Sorry to steal your thunder, Amber, but you know how much I love our motto.”
Amber playfully stuck her tongue out, then resumed typing.
“Twilight!” Starlight said jovially. “It’s so great to meet you! Welcome, and congratulations!”
She stuck her hand out and Twilight eagerly shook it. “Thank you very much, Dr. Glimmer. It’s an honor to have won the scholarship.”
“You earned it. Your project, demonstration, and essay were all top-notch. You’re exactly the kind of curious, innovative young mind we’re looking for.”
Twilight blushed. “Thank you Dr. Glimmer. I looked up your lab and saw some of the research you’ve done. A lot of theoretical explorations of quantum mechanics. It’s really fascinating.”
Starlight chuckled and waved her hand. “That’s just one of our departments. Fascinating sure, but not a lot of headway. But who knows—maybe you’ll be able to help us with that. Before all of that, why don’t we get the paperwork out of the way and take a tour?”
“Yes, please!” Twilight said, bouncing on her toes. With a single gesture from Starlight, she followed down the hall and into a comfy office. Starlight took a seat behind the desk and gave the houseplant sitting next to the laptop a gentle pet.
“So, let’s go over some of the basic rigamarole,” Starlight said with a casual air. “This is an unpaid internship role, however, if you choose, we can integrate this into your transcripts at the college of your choosing at the conclusion of this position. Be a good girl, don’t do anything bad, blah, blah, blah. You’re a girl of science, Twilight, I’m sure I don’t have to iterate proper lab etiquette to you.”
Twilight bobbed her head.
“Excellent!” Starlight bent down under her desk and returned with a short stack of papers. “On a more serious note: Equilibrium Labs is a secured facility conducting both mundane and… shall we say, volatile science. You won’t be forced to work on any project you feel is unsafe, but, here are our disclosures and waivers saying you understand the risks involved, as well as our non-compete clause and NDA. No gossiping, even to your friends and family.”
She pushed the papers toward Twilight whose excitement fell a notch. Of course there were risks involved with science—Twilight would be lying if she said she had never been shocked or burned. There was a surreal feeling signing her acknowledgment that she could be injured at any point during her stay. But the real disappointment was the NDA clause. She wouldn’t get to talk about any of her work with her friends? With Sunset?
It’s not forever, right? When it’s all over, I’ll have tons of stories to tell her.
Twilight leafed through the stack, speed-reading and signing her name on every dotted line.
“Welcome to Equilibrium Labs!” Starlight cheered when Twilight pushed the papers back toward her. She tucked the forms away and leaped up from her chair. “Let’s get started for real!”
She led Twilight out of her office and further down the hall. Each room had a window looking into it, showing off classrooms, labs, and libraries. “Our front building holds most of our research stations and libraries. Oh, and our cafeteria is down that hall. All meals are free of charge for you.”
Starlight stopped at one of the lab rooms and opened the door. Twilight inhaled the wonderful scent of dry-erase markers as she watched her new fellow scientists scribble on the whiteboard. “Double Diamond?”
One of the scientists broke away from the group and walked over to Starlight. He had wavy white hair and snow-white skin that practically blended into his lab coat. “Hey, Starlight.”
Starlight gestured between Twilight and him. “Diamond, meet Twilight Sparkle, our scholarship winner and new young mind. Twilight, this is Double Diamond, one of my top assistants.”
Diamond stuck his hand out and shook Twilight’s. “Hey, congrats on winning, and welcome to our lab. Starlight’s been very excited about you coming aboard.” In spite of his ghostly appearance, he sounded lively. Twilight thought he’d honestly be more at place snowboarding down a mountain.
“Thank you. I’m excited to be here as well. I can’t wait to see what you’re working on.”
“All in good time,” Starlight said with a smile. “Still lots to show and introductions to make. Come along, Twilight.”
Twilight tagged along like an excited puppy as Starlight led her to one of the adjacent buildings and showed her the mechanical engineering lab. Here was the acrid smell of burnt wires and hot metal as machines hummed and drills whirred.
“Oooh, what are you working on in here?”
Starlight opened her mouth, then paused. “That’s a great question. “Hey, Night Glider!”
A young woman with floofy white hair and dark blue skin looked up from her workbench and raised her goggles. “Hey, Boss!”
“What are we working on in here?”
“Linear particle accelerator,” Night Glider said casually.
Starlight snapped her fingers. “Right, I remember now!” She smiled at Twilight who was patting her rapidly beating chest. They shared a few more pleasantries with Night Glider before moving on.
Starlight showed Twilight around to a few more of the engineering labs, research stations, and the cafeteria before leading her back to the main office. As they crossed the grounds, Twilight pointed up to the satellite looming overhead.
“What’s that for?”
Starlight followed her pointing finger and chuckled. “Oh, that was for an old experiment. It’s just for decoration now. Adds a bit more gravitas, don’t you think?”
Twilight nodded. She was curious to know what project it had been used for, but Starlight appeared to think it wasn’t even worth discussion.
They took a picture in Starlight’s office, and five minutes later, Twilight had her ID badge hanging around her neck. She rubbed the glossy plastic between her fingers; one more sign this was all real. Starlight then handed her a white lab coat, and Twilight threw it on with haste. It hung just above her ankles but was snug around the waist and shoulders. She spun herself around once and looked up at the easygoing smile on Starlight’s face.
“Thank you, Dr. Glimmer! I can’t wait to get started!”
“Then let’s get you all settled in! I’ve got a perfect workstation for you in lab three.” She led Twilight out into the halls once again, taking a different corridor this time. They passed by a smaller lobby that contained two elevators, both of them marked with only the down arrow.
Starlight must have caught Twilight’s lingering eye, for she said, “There are a few areas that are reserved for our more… sensitive projects. But, if you’re a good girl, I might invite you down for your assistance.”
Twilight squared her shoulders. She wanted to see the full extent of this lab. Science and technology? This was her element. “More incentive to do my best, right?”
“That’s the spirit!” Starlight made a throaty chuckle. “I think you’ll fit in perfectly with us.”
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Excited!
Surprise new chapter, WOO!!!
Uh-oh. Twi is totally gonna be down in those labs at some point and it's not going to be a good thing. But until then, have fun Twilight!!
BEST. BIRTHDAY. PRESENT. EVER!
On a side note, I’m worried how Twilight will react when she finds out exactly who she’s working for.
Twilight's in the middle of the hornet's nest now. Recall that Glim Glam et al. are working with Tempest.
A surprise chapter and it's not even my birthday! It's my sister's actually.
Poor Sci-Twi is really reeling after her defeat. She understands what she did wrong and knows she should have asked for help, but her pride and her low self-worth keep hampering her as she tries to carve her place among her magical friends. And now that she's working with Starlight, that's worrying. Is it all just a coincidence, or are they aware of who Sci-Twi is and are trying to use her to get at her friends? Sci-Twi may be facing crises of faith and a destruction of her self-worth even more depending on how this goes.
And poor Coco. She's getting lost in the shuffle while Rarity gets consumed by both the magical attacks and seeing greater chances for herself in designing a dress for Rara. She doesn't even have the confidence to speak up about it when it would help her and Rarity so much. Hopefully Rarity will be able to notice soon so she and Coco can make up and save the Revival.
Spectacular chapter setting things up well for whatever's coming and I eagerly await it!
Oh man, Applejack, Rarity, and now Sci-Twi are going through some tough element tests! Starlight's presence near Twily is alarming enough, but the name of her company is waving all of the red flags!
Also, Adagio needs a humbling, particularly one that is extra crispy.
Another thing: Don't think I didn't notice the parallels between canon Starlight and SS Starlight showing off their town/company.
One MOAR thing: Poor Sci-Twi has learned the hard way what dear ol SunShim has learned in so many realities: Revenge is a waste of time.
Yeah, yeah, that's honestly fair.
Good.
Better than nothing?
... You need so much therapy.
... Don't tell me,
She is.
Gotta love how a secret identity wreaks havoc on your social life.
I bet.
I mean, that's fair.
GSV Grey Matter takes notice?
AAAAAAAHHHHH NO, NO, NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO
11557948
...wow ok I actually didn't remember that at all so I appreciate the reminder. I just had bad vibes purely based of Starlight's introduction in the show.
Bad day! Bad day! Bad day! Bad day! Baaad daaaay!
Thank goodness.
Oh boy!
Why does my gut feel like we might find out sooner than later.
Let's hope not too much.
And here's where we keep all the stolen souls. Careful not to touch or you'll get sucked right in!
Oh, oh crap, not good!
And I fear that Coco's growing resentment may attract magical consequences
“We once again offer our sincere congratulations and look forward to hearing from you soon!
Best regards,
Equilibrium Labs Lead Scientist,
Starlight Glimmer”
In the words of A Clone Apart: “Well…Sh**”
Another thing, Starlight is…SCARY with how NORMAL she seems. If I didn’t know her from Canon, I wouldn’t suspect a thing. It’s more mundane horror than the supernatural that has appeared so far, and in a way, that’s WORSE.
I wonder how much Starlight really knows about Twilight, I remember she was around Tempest and Moondancer a lot but I wonder how much she focused on Twilight. And I wonder how much the fact that Twilight is connected to Sunset effected her decision and how much of it was genuine since some of it was likely Starlight being impressed.
Sci-Twi’s insecurities and Glimmer’s manipulation won’t be a good combo.
Better watch your back Twi now that Starlight is in the game.
Just started reading this. That said, Long Road to Friendship and this are both amazing! The alternate timeline story mode also works well.
All that said (and I'm still in the Rainbow Rocks retelling, so no spoilers!) I'm wondering if Sunset will ever reconnect with Equestria. I mean, her attitude toward Princess Twilight might have been understandable at first, but eventually she's got to realize her knee-jerk antipathy isn't actually based in rationality. There comes a point where she should be more embarrassed she still reacts like that than angry. And while "the book" may or may not exist in this story, it's not like the story hasn't established multiple avenues a connection could still be established.
Okay, this is definitely one of the best serial stories I've read in a long time. I really hope it keeps going.
Considering how Twilight keeps getting handed setbacks in her attempt to achieve parity with the other girls, I wonder how long it'll take for her to go Midnight Sparkle on them. Especially if she gets her hands on a shard of the Sarcanas stone. it would make a lovely enabler for the brooch in Friendship Games after all. :P
I just realized something sunset and Moondancer are both holding grudges against people who they believe store their life sunset against princess Twilight sparkle and Moondancer against sunny
While reading the reply to the email, I got more and more suspicious that it would be related to Starlight. Now we kinda got an inkling of how Twilight's gonna get her hands on some experimental magical "enhancements" so to say.
The moment starlight came on scene I was like
ITS A TRAP!!!!!!!!!
11599306
I want to deck her already
Right, so,
I've a Railgun for Moondancer,
A Spartan Laser for Tempest,
A Binary Rifle for Adagio,
A Shiva Nuke for Tirek,
(looks through Halo armory) uh... guess when you pull out a nuke, everything else seems underwhelming... ooo! I know! (Presses a button on a nearby wall, lifting a panel to expose a containment room full of Flood) I'll dump her in here! That of just glass her entire compound!
Also, I call Chekhov's Satellite Dish
Chances of a Midnight sparkle just rose
Uh oh, Tempest has gotten her grubby hands into the Speculator Seven... this will not be good.
And the satellite dish is definitely the crux of the magic shenanigans they're doing. Maybe it's collector of some kind.
Between her general feelings of inadequacy, Shiningʼs injury, her defeat to Adagio, her friendsʼ refusal to expose magic and now Starlightʼs interference, this could very well be the start of Twilightʼs villain origin story.
Dunno, but I feel like sheʼs headed down a dark path.