Chapter 14 - Same as it Never Was
Spike’s gaze remained on the hard, prickly grass as the stinging rain continued to shower over the crowd. A green pegasus with a messy golden bun on top of his head was choking out his words as he slumped over the podium, tears streaming out of his bloodshot eyes. The Wonderbolts stood at attention at his right, their faces stoic, but heartbreak was clear in their eyes.
Spike was barely listening. He glanced beside him and saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders in the arms of their families. They had only recently began their teenage years. Sweetie Belle was staring silently ahead, her face slightly swollen. Scootaloo had her face buried in her father’s chest, her body quivering and shaking.
Big Macintosh sat with his head bowed low, his drenched mane covering his eyes. Granny Smith was smiling and knitting, humming an absent tune to herself. Apple Bloom sat in between them, clutching Applejack’s hat in her hooves, holding it tight to her chest.
Fluttershy’s animal friends were scattered throughout the crowd; Birds were perched up in the trees and small critters were standing between evrerypony's hooves. One bunny in particular was sitting in the damp grass with his ears almost touching the ground.
After he finished, Fluttershy’s brother was finally led away from the podium by his tearful parents, speaking in quiet, comforting voices. Seeing that the last of the family members have spoken, Luna stepped up to the podium. Princess Celestia stood to her left, her mane falling over one eye. Still, distant, and numb.
Luna turned to face the hundreds and thousands of funeral goers of all species that had gathered here on the outskirts of Ponyville.
She sighed.
********
At the reception, Spike reached out and pulled the steaming cup of hot coco toward himself with a sad stare. SugarCube Corner was completely packed, with several citizens of Ponyville taking the orders of those who attended the funeral, giving the heartbroken Cakes a much needed rest.
The crowd was so large, the other customers had to sit outside the bakery, spreading out over the cobblestone road. The skies were dark, and the air was cold, but nopony seemed to mind it.
Spike's green eyes flicked to the ponies sitting around him. Cadence was speaking softly to Twilight’s mother, who looked utterly grief stricken.
“My baby,” she said simply, shaking her head. “My baby’s gone.”
Somewhere in the bakery, Pumpkin and Pound Cake were both involved in a loud game of tag with Princess Flurry Heart. “Tag, you’re it!” Pumpkin grinned, scrambling behind the counter.
Flurry followed, sticking her tongue out and teleported over to Pound, poked his side, and teleported away, declaring, “You’re it!”
“Aww, no fair,” Pound groaned, flying up into the air, searching for the girls. “I’m always it!”
Across the table, Marble Pie stared down at her untouched food while Coco Pommel was absently moving a fork around on the table.
Suddenly, Spike felt somepony touch his shoulder. The young Dragon looked up to see Princess Luna behind him.“Do you mind if we talk for a bit?” she whispered.
Spike nodded slowly and pushed back his chair before following the Princess to the back room, where they found Zecora and a sniffling Babs Seed in a conversation. “Beg pardon your majesty. We were just about to leave,” Zecora said, bowing her head.
“Oh, no, It’s quite alright,” Luna said kindly. “We will find another place to--”
“No,” Babs sniffled, brushing a lock of hair away. “No need, Y’majesty. We’re about done here.” She looked up at Zecora with a tearful smile. “Thank for everythin’ Miss Zecora.”
“Anytime you need comfort dear,” Zecora replied warmly as they began to exit the room. “Come and visit me, I will be here.”
As soon as they left, Princess Luna turned to Spike. “I suppose I do not have to ask how you’re doing,” she said with a sad smile.
Spike briefly returned the smile before it faded away. “I miss her.” He glanced down at the floor, feeling his eyes gloss over. “I spent my whole life with her...one minute she’s here, and the next...she’s just...gone.” Drops of water hit the wooden floor.
“So many things I never got to say to her. I...never told her how much I lo--” His voice broke. “--love her. N-Now I won’t ever get a chance.” He hiccuped. “She’s gone. All my friends are g--gone.”
A hoof cradled his chin and gently guided it up, causing him to look into Luna’s soft eyes. “Not all of your friends.” She wiped his tears away and materialized a tissue out of thin air with her horn.
“I’ve been thinking about how you’ve been getting on with the Sparkle family since Twilight’s disappearance,” she said as Spike accepted the tissue and blew his nose. “After they moved to Ponyville, they seemed better off confiding in other friends and family during the past few years. But how have you been handling things, Spike?”
The Dragon coughed. “It’s alright. Although the town ponies are always nice to me, I’ve been spending all my time with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They know what it really feels like, you know? But…” He trailed off with a broken sigh.
Luna nodded. “I’ve..been discussing with Twilight’s parents. Sooner or later, you will grow up to be a full grown Dragon.”
Spike glanced up.
“And you’ve already grown so much already.” She gestured to his newly grown wings. “Forgive me for being blunt, Spike. But as much as you adore the town...and the town adores you...I think we both know that Ponyville is no place for a Dragon to grow up.
“That’s why,” Luna continued. “I’m offering you a place...with me.”
Spike lifted his eyebrows. “H-Huh?”
The Princess smiled. “If you’ll have me, Spike, I wish to take care of you, and help you spread your wings. We might not know each other much...but I wish to change that. I would do my very best to make sure that you are happy. You could even visit your friends anytime you would like.
"You deserve so much more, young Spike. If...and only if you accept...I will personally take you under my wing for as long as we both shall live.”
Spike broke out into a series of gasps and sobs as he threw his arms around Luna’s neck and buried his face into her chest plate. He couldn’t find the words to speak, but he managed an enthusiastic nod. Luna held him close and closed her eyes. “You live your life to the fullest, Spike,” she whispered fiercely. “Do not lose yourself to grief. Always fill your heart with love and joy. It's what Twilight would have wanted.”
“Spike,” Twilight gasped out, trembling all over. Her breaths were ragged and quick, her heart thumping uncontrollably. “Spike...oh, Spike!” She rolled over on her back, staring up into the roof of the cave, her eyes wide. “Shining...Cadence…” She lay there panting, all of the names and faces she once knew flashing before her eyes.
Small beads of sweat and tears rolled down her face. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and firmly pressed a hoof against her mouth, tremors of grief coursing through her body.
She remembered. She remembered everything.
The night of the storm, her friends turned into foals, Starlight Glimmer’s spell…Her breath hitched.
Starlight.
Moaning out, she flipped over and pounded the floor of the cave with a hoof. “Why!” she screamed as she began to sob. “W-Why...h-how could you…”
The crushing feeling of sorrow stole her breath away as she broke down completely, burying her face into the ground. Images of her old life began appearing in her mind one by one, each one sending a horrible stab of pain through Twilight’s heart.
Moments that she treasured, the friends she had made, the family she loved with all her being...it all seemed like a distant memory. Twilight let out a few voice-cracked shouts as she continued to weep. Crickets chirped and an Owl hooted in the distance. Twilight tried to think back to Starlight’s motherly smile, but the only emotion she felt was pain.
The moon in the dark night sky gradually passed overhead as time seemed to stretch. Twilight’s wailing had eventually faded into quiet sobs with the occasional sniffle. Her breathing gradually slowed, becoming almost feather-light. It took a long while before the unicorn fell silent with the sole exception of a few hiccups here and there.
She remained on the ground, utterly exhausted...both mentally and physically. She sniffled and closed her bloodshot eyes, only for them to pop back open again. “My sis--” A painful shudder went through her. “My friends…”
She struggled to get up, awkwardly slipping and stumbling on her hooves. She turned to the Tree of Harmony with a look of slight desperation. She had to get to her friends. She had to warn them.
Quickly as she could, she ran over the saddlebag she had dropped and rushed over to the tree. With a shaky hoof, she removed her element from the tree’s center. It felt light and almost cool, but glowed brilliantly at the touch of her hoof.
Twilight stared at it numbly as its warm pink glow reflected off her tear-strained features. She carefully placed it in her saddlebag and promptly moved on to the others, her brow furrowed. Using her levitation, Twilight collected the rest of the elements of harmony and placed them safely inside her saddlebag. The tree’s majestic glow dimmed considerably after the last element was removed, but it didn’t look as sick as it was before.
But this was the least of her concerns. Not bothering to look back, Twilight turned and galloped through the Everfree with one purpose in mind. She had to get her friends back. She may be lost to most, but there were still five other ponies who depended upon her.
Twilight suddenly stopped in her tracks and let out a loud whimper when the image of her niece presented itself in her mind. So grown up, so beautiful…”Oh, Flurry,” she choked, gritting her teeth.
And the little white colt. A nephew… she had a nephew...
Twilight shook her head, mentally pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind. Not now, she thought as she resumed her galloping.
My sis...my friends need me.
Sunshine tapped her hoof on the floor impatiently. She glanced toward the door, which she left cracked open. “Where is she?” she whispered to herself irritably. She glanced at her sisters with a wary eye. Buttercup was tossing and turning in her sleep while Sapphire slept with a unnerving frown on her face. Sunshine couldn’t tell if Prism was sleeping or not with her back turned, but she was still.
It wasn’t too awful late at night, but thanks to recent events, Sunshine felt like she had just pulled an all-nighter.
She sighed and paced around the room again. Their mother had been away for hours, which was both a positive and a negative. On one hoof, their mother had no knowledge of Moonlight’s absence. But on the other hoof, the long hours in the royal infirmary only indicated Pearl’s illness was much worse than she had feared. That was a huge negative. Sunshine almost wanted to curse at Moonlight for leaving them when the needed her most. Especially her. She needed her big time.
After a few more moments of pacing, Sunshine decided to go back out into the hall and return to the window. Unbeknownst to her, Prism started coughing roughly.
When Sunshine peered outside, It only disheartened her further when she saw that there were no signs of her sister coming back.
She leaned her upper body on the windowsill, her heart clenching with unease. If anything happened to Moonlight out there, she’d never forgive herself.
I never should have agreed to that stupid plan of hers in the first place.
“E-Excuse me?”
Sunshine jumped and whirled around with wide eyes.
“Oh, I’m sorry, honey! I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Sunshine brought a hoof to her chest and exhaled with a smile. “Oh...no, no it’s alright. I didn’t see you there.”
A unicorn stepped further into the moonlight that crept in through the open window. The silk violet scarf wrapped around her neck shimmered with every movement. Sunshine’s ears flicked in recognition. It was the nice mare she had seen during the trial. She looked to be around her mother's age.
She smiled kindly, the moon above reflecting off her glasses. “What brings you out here so late at night?”
Sunshine tilted her head, cocking an eyebrow. “What brings you out here?” After a moment, her ears folded back. “M-Ma’am,” she added quickly.
The mare chuckled good-naturedly. “Fair question. I only came back to collect a few of Princess Flurry and Prince White Charger’s belongings,” she replied. Sunshine glanced at the mare’s saddlebags, filled with books and toys. “They used to visit here regularly on weekends. Their family is...going through a rough time right now,” she sighed. “So I decided to save them some trouble. I’m afraid I will not be returning.”
Sunshine felt a twinge of sadness upon the mare’s somber expression. She wondered how such a nice mare got stuck watching over somepony as rude as Flurry Heart. “My name is Sunset,” the mare said warmly.
“I’m Sunshine,” the filly replied, almost sounding shy. “I was just...uh...stargazing.”
Sunset glanced up briefly and nodded. “It is a beautiful night tonight, isn’t it? But it’s...rather odd. It’s so quiet in the Castle.” She frowned in slight puzzlement. “It’s usually not this quiet until at least two in the morning. I suppose your mother’s a bit less flexible when it comes to curfew.”
“Well...most times she is. But there’s a reason why it’s so quiet tonight." Sunshine lowered her head. “My sister, she’s sick. Her nose was bleeding this afternoon and...and then she started shivering…” Her eyes started to gloss. “A-And then she just..passed out. M-My mother’s been in the infirmary room with her for hours.”
Sunset’s eyes grew alert. “Sunshine, did they move the infirmary at all during the past few weeks?”
“I...I don’t think so. Why?”
Starlight sat by Pearl’s bedside, clutching her small pink hoof in hers. Pearl’s breathing went rigid each time she inhaled. Eyes shut, she trembled and shivered relentlessly. Starlight wiped away the small beads of sweat that collected at her daughter’s forehead with a handkerchief encased in her blue aura.
A small grunt came from inside Pearl’s throat.
The infirmary was large by size, the walls painted a sophisticated shade of blue with golden embroidery. There were also two rows of comfortable looking beds with blue-grey sheets and pillows lined up on both sides.
Starlight hadn’t even touched this room yet. And she was glad that she hadn’t.
Pearl let out a deep, raspy gasp before coughing, sending a wave of dread over Starlight.
She glanced up at the handful of Royal Doctors and Nurses conversing with each other, their lips moving fervently. Some scratched their heads while others looked downright frustrated. Starlight felt her eyes blur, feeling her heartbeat speed up.
A shadow passed over her. “Miss Starlight?” a soft voice asked.
The unicorn blinked her eyes rapidly and exhaled, turning her head. “Yes, Nu…” she stopped short when she saw another mare with sharp cerulean eyes standing beside one of the Nurses. “Who are you? And who let you in?”
Nurse Lily, a small earth pony with a bright blue mane and green eyes fidgeted. “M-Miss Starlight, this is the Royal Governess of the little Prince and Princess from the New Crystal Empire.”
Starlight’s forehead creased.
“S-She’s also very good at magic,” Lily added quickly.
“I think I may be able to see what’s wrong with your daughter,” Sunset said with earnest. “I know we aren’t familiar with each other at all, but please, at least let me have a look at her.”
Starlight stared into her eyes for a short moment. Without a word, she stood up from her chair and gave a slight nod toward her daughter.
A smile spread across Sunset’s face and Nurse Lily touched her shoulder with a relieved grin. “Let me know if you need anything,” she whispered before trotting off. Sunset circled around Pearl’s bed, approaching her from the left side. She hummed in a low voice upon looking at the child’s current state.
Her blonde mane was matted with sweat and her pale white coat looked flushed under the dimmed lights in the ceiling. It disheartened the Governess to see the filly in such a condition. The last time she saw her, she was brimming with energy, so cheerful and bubbly, even during the grim times of the Trial.
Sunset touched a hoof on Pearl’s forehead, causing the filly’s violet colored eyes to crack halfway open. “....cold…” she croaked, her eyes darting around. “So cold...so cold…”
“Shhh,” Sunset whispered, stroking the filly’s mane. “It’s going to be alright.” Pearl’s bleary eyes trailed up to Sunset.
“I love the rain,” she breathed softly, turning her head. “...all the pretty puddles...” Her eyes flickered shut, muttering nonsensical sentences.
“She’s been talking nonsense for hours,” Starlight murmured.
Sunset’s horn lit up, her eyes closing in concentration. She felt for Pearl’s forehead and pressed down gently. The doctors and nurses in the room suddenly took notice of the unicorn and uttered shouts of alarm and warning, but Starlight quickly stopped them with a hoof and a commanding tone. “Let her work.”
The group of ponies were silenced immediately and exchanged worried glances as Sunset’s bright aura increased. A low humming sound filled the room. Starlight glanced at her daughter, engulfed in light. “What is this?”
Sunset’s eyes remained closed. “Something I picked up from my old teacher." After a few moments, Sunset let out a long exhale as her magic died down. She opened her fatigue filled eyes and turned towards Starlight with a frown.
Feeling her heart skip a beat, Starlight spoke loud enough so that the medical staff could hear.
“Please excuse us.”
Reluctantly, the group of ponies began to trail out of the room with worried and confused expressions. As soon as the door creaked shut, Sunset spoke. “It’s sort of what I thought it would be,” she said, her gaze shifting to Pearl. “She has some type of magical build up. I-It’s a combination of...foreign magic that’s in her system that her body isn’t...used to.”
Starlight frowned. “But her body is perfectly used to her talents! She’s been practicing since she was fifteen!”
Sunset bit the corner of her lip, choosing her next words carefully. “She may have been at it for a long time now,” she said gently. “But...in the long run, she’s still...an earth pony. She can’t have the magic of a unicorn, or the flight of a pegasus, because she isn’t meant to. Her body can't take much more. I know you want everypony to have equal abilities...stars, I’d like that too. But the fact is--”
“But this could just be some sort of side effect,” Starlight reasoned, shaking her head. “She’s done so well, and she’s able to control what she does and...she’s so happy when she and her sisters get to enjoy the same activities.” Her voice rose with every word. “I want them to feel like they belong!”
“It’s killing her,” Sunset said with an edge of sharpness. “And if we don’t find out how to reverse this magic, it’s going to end up killing all of your daughters.”
Starlight took an involuntary step back. After a long pause, her gaze shifted from Sunset to Pearl. “W-Well, I...I have some books,” she finally said. “I never thought of withdrawing this magic from my girls, but...I’m always prepared.”
Sunset nodded. “Good. Once you find the cure, we’ll need to do this as quickly as possible.”
Starlight glanced down at Pearl and nuzzled her warm cheek against her own. “There’s nothing I won’t give for her,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “I’ll do what needs to be done.” After a moment, she stood upright. “Would you mind staying with her while I retrieve some of my books?”
“Not at all,” Sunset replied, stroking Pearl’s foreleg. “I’ll keep her safe.”
With a thankful nod, Starlight left the room and trotted through the castle, her mind buzzing. She didn’t know what was happening or why, but she knew she had to get control of it, and fast.
As she rounded the corner leading up to her room, she stopped short at a small figure climbing in through the window at the end of the hall. Starlight opened her mouth to scream, but it quickly died in her throat when she saw who it was.
“Moonlight!?” she said incredulously, marching forward. The young filly dropped to the floor and stood upright at the sound of Starlight’s voice. Her mane was a complete mess and her hooves were covered with dirt and scratches, with several tears at the end of her grey cloak.
“Young lady--”
The purple unicorn turned to look at her.
Starlight stumbled to a halt.
She had seen Moonlight give her tons of looks.
Many had ranged from looks of excitement and relief to confusion and sadness. Most were looks of affection, and ones of love.
But this look...this look was a frightening mix of grief, anger, and despair.
It was a look that Starlight had only seen in one of her darkest nightmares.
Before Starlight could even begin to think, Moonlight spoke in a low, raspy voice. “Don’t young lady me.”
A cold sensation stabbed its way through Starlight’s heart, and her knees almost buckled. She swallowed weakly, now knowing that this was not Moonlight Glimmer she was looking at. Not anymore.
She knows.
*Collapses on the floor.*
DONE. 
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O.O
Are you ok?!
7431499 Haha, I'm just worn out by this chapter, emotionally and physically
7431501
One thing I forgot to note, guys, the next chapter will be called "Confrontation".
Oh no! Twilight is gonna lay the smack down! Poor Starlight is gonna.... I don't know the suspense is killing me! What will Twilight do.... Oh, Starlight, you are so gonna have your heart broken I just know it.
Oh man, Twi is pissed.
This also begs the question, are they going to go back to their true names, or Starlight's?
I still imagine Glimmer not having the heart to fight against Twilight now. And realizing what happened to Pinkie Pie, Starlight uses the time travel scroll herself and stops herself from enacting this scheme to save her... like any mother would.
“Beg pardon your majesty. We were just about to leave,” Zecora said, bowing her head.
That didn't rhyme.
“But...in the long run, she’s still...an earth pony. She can’t have the magic of a unicorn, or the flight of a pegasus, because she isn’t meant to.
No offense but that feels white man's burden somehow. I know it's stupid to say, but that's what popped into my head. And meant to? It conjures a mental image of Changelings being told they're MEANT to be enemies of ponies... I know it's crazy, but that's just what came to me whether I like it or not.
Starlight does have a bloody point, why should this be happening NOW? And why to Pearl first? And after practicing for so long? Not to mention Pinkie Pie is already a chaotic creature to begin with.
And again, I imagine Starlight won't fight back, at all.
[youtube=LpT1wHKUZXI]
7431590 All I can say is, Twilight won't exactly be calling herself 'Moonlight' anymore
7431599 I can't see that. Starlight has gone so far now, she's overthrown royalty! It just wouldn't make sense for her to not go all the way and not fight back.
What a way to end the chapter...the next chapter is gonna be so epic! Twilight vs Starlight! Twilight better be ready to kick some serious tail!
7431618
Love is a powerful force.
... even if Starlight doesn't fight back she should still get her ass kicked. She has had enough excuses and coincidences and last moment chances saving her ass.
IT IS TEN O'CLOCK AT NIGHT AND I AM A SOBBING MESS.
This was so gooooood.
Tears... literal tears oh goodness.
7431623 I'm not gonna argue that. Starlight is that end of her rope and she's capable of doing anything right now. I can't possibly imagine her just giving up after all the damage she's done.
7431647
BECAUSE of the DAMGE she's done.
7431651 While that is true...you have to ask yourself, what was the point of all of this? Why go this far if you're gonna give up? She has to keep going. Otherwise...this story will end very anticlimactically. She'll either will do a whole lot of more damage or...some other twist will happen.
I hope Twilight and Starlight go full on fight, no holding back or anything. After all, Starlight did steal almost 2 decades of Twilight's life. Twilight has every reason to knock her down a peg.
7431676
Because that makes those two decades meaningless to Starlight, which they clearly aren't. And it's not the pony way. And I'd say Starlight already just got taken down a peg.
7431690 Well...nevermind. It's obvious we aren't gonna agree. I think Starlight deserves so much worse than just this. I just can't wait for the author to show us an awesome confrontation between these two unicorns!
7431707 I have to agree here. You have to think about this rationally, Starlight kidnapped six mares, turned them into children and brainwashed them completely and kept them away from their actual loved ones for years. There's nothing heartwarming about this, it's despicable and I won't feel bad for Starlight at all when she gets inevitably assblasted.
7431744 Thank you! I can't wait to see the punishment Starlight gets for all of this!
Nnnnnooooooooo the cliffhangers!
Seriously though, AMAZING chapter, just like with all your stories!
I also really liked seeing Sunset and Luna being so sweet.
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fa *dies*
Okay I admit I don't like it, no big reason why, I just don'T exactly like that to be the reason, but I won't complain.
a few minutes later I still had to think about something :
Didn't Celestia still had a good reason for herself to not give the magic to everyone? I don't exactly like the fact that they even got a far better reason for that, which she probably could have already said in the courtroom, and maybe even won with it since Sunset seems to know about it.
Now the fact that she hadn't is a bit weird to me, maybe I don't understand it the right way.
I liked it that Celestia and Luna got a....little problem, since they aren't perfect either if you take some stuff more serious in the show I guess and other stuff, but now that reason makes them look far better again I believe.
I hope they have a very emotional talk, and that Stilight is still ending up being important to them, even if it should be about them showing her how to be the right kind of Pony, them changing her.
In a way you could maybe say that they can't change the fact, that she was there mother, no matter how they feel about it.
7431690 Not sure if I understand your point here right, but I'm rooting for Starlight here too.
I have nothing against the part mentioned above itself, but I'm kind of sad for everything that is going against Starlight here, I admit that much. I probably don't act
I think the story can still go foward, even if Starlight would admit her wrongdoing right now. It would just be a story about Starlight and her former children then, and not about them still missing, and the others not knowing.
I think the author can still do a bit with emotional problems and stuff like that.
Why do I feel things are going to blow up in the next chapter?
I can't wait!
Very good fanfic here.
CLIFFHANGERSSSSSSS WHYYYYYYYYYYYY
7432001
This may sound crazy, but here's my theory for that. It's possible that Celestia and Luna figured that even if they told them that, everyone would think they were just making up an excuse. After all, would they believe the ponies that hid the magic away over the pony who showed such an amazing ability with her daughters with no negative effects? I think Celestia withheld the information because she knew it would end badly, and as a way to teach Starlight a lesson. Starlight watching her "daughters" almost die because of what she taught them will make her see that her plan was doomed to start and make her regret and reform from her actions.
7431599
Well remember, her illness is from a build up of magic. Build ups happen over time and, at first, build up won't cause as much problems. It's like how a bathtub drain gets clogged with hair. As for why Pinkie is affected first? Maybe she was using her magic just a little bit more than the others, so her build up happened a little bit faster than the others.
You're alive! When's the next chapter coming?
Ahh, so this is the reason why Celestia never blessed everypony with the same gifts. Because it would kill those who aren't meant for such gifts. Starlight tried to defy nature itself just so she could feel better about herself, and it was all in vain. She brainwashed and kidnapped the mane 6 for 18 years was it? She inadvertenly destroyed countless lives because of her selfish-ness. Now Twilight has finally woken up.
I feel no sympathy nor pity for Starlight. What she did was downright heartless. I'm not saying she should be killed, because that would be letting her off too easily. Having her locked up for the remainder of her life, forced to live out her days knowing her dream has been shattered to pieces, is a much more fitting punishment.
Sweet it's Pink Time just in time for the new chapter! *Other voice whispering* What? *Other voice whispering insistently* It- It's not Wednesday? *Other voice whispering* *Eye twitch* *Throws down stack of pink pancakes* Oh come on!
7432884 Well I'm still not really happy about it, I'm just to much on starlight`s sight and barely like Celestia here (for no reason), but I think I could accept your explanation. I don't always think about those possibilitys the first moment I read it, but it makes at least enough sense to be true.
7432986
Also one of those 6 ponies that she kidnapped and brainwashed was a Princess of Equestria; meaning that she can add High Treason to her list of bad decisions
I love Daughters of Glimmer! *stops to roll around on my bed bored until chapter 15 is out*
7431526 *DRAMATIC GASP* I wonder what it'll be about?
I don't mean that I a mean way. I mean that in the ironically named chapter kinda way. 
7432965 Hopefully soon!
7433025 Y-You missed pink time
7433117 *Holds you down for hugs instead*
7433165 Well Twilight's royally pissed
7433193 Well wouldn't you be?
I mean I know Starlight had reasons, but she still took their lives away which is why I fear what will happen to her later on down the line. Especially considering if Spike finds out....
7433215
7433225 I'm afraid of where your thoughts are going.....
7433230 MWAHAHAAAAA!!!!
7433257 Please don't destroy this adorable ball of joy!
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7433278 No promises
7431744 Ditto.
DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUN
This chapter was amazing!!!
Can't wait to read more. But don't let me pressure you into rushing! I know all about that!
"Don't young lady me" o man great way to end the chapter!! Really great story please keep up the great work!
I hope that soon, Spike and Discord go all apes**t on Starlight.
Also, it seems that Starlight's plan is falling apart. She just found out that biology doesn't allow all races to use the same magic, yet she doesn't seem to want to accept that. She just thinks she can take control of the problem and fix it immediately, yet sooner or later she'll realize that control is nothing more then an illusion. She'll either be arrested and persecuted for doing one of the most unspeakable crimes in all of Equestrian history, or she'll have to accept that her equality regime just isn't politically and/or biologically feasible.
Soon, justice will be served, and it will be glorious.
7433215
Dude when Spike finds out, he's gonna torch that b*tch!
7444455 That's kinda what I'm afraid of actually. While I do thins Starlight shold get into some trouble for this, She also does show feelings for the little ones. So, it's kinda sad to think about when I think she's wasted her life getting equality only to see her daughters dying because of it.
Spike taking things too far and killing her before she has a chance to change her views after seeing her "Daughters" dying... it's just sad.
Next chapter shall be fun chapter.
Also wondering what C&L are up to given they just, you know, got disappeared out of nowhere. Starlight being Starlight I have expect she has tiny baby alicorns somewhere