Starlight, Star Bright

by BlackWater

5 - Split Goals

Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer stepped hoof in the town square. Or at least that was what they had assumed it was. The complete lack of any creatures was chilling to say the least. And yet they were surrounded by moving machinery – well-oiled and not seeming to have a problem in the world.

“Creepy,” Twilight couldn't help but comment. It was when they walked up to a large emblem in the stone roadway's design that they both stopped. “I was hoping not to see that.”

Starlight finished her marefriend's discovery. “Starswirl's cutie mark. So that would make this Starswirl's lost City of Science.”

This meant they were indeed not in the world of Equestria but an entirely different world in a magical dimension. Starlight closed her eyes and concentrated on a location spell that would help them find their target pony. Since they were close to the center of the city, the range in her spell would be adequate.

Twilight, however, was still trying to figure out the motives. “But why? The brook acted as a portal. How did she set the location to...”

Realization broke upon the alicorn's face much like a lightbulb lit above one's head.

“She didn't have to set it!” Twilight exclaimed. “It was still targeting the last location is was set to. Starswirl was the last one to use it!”

Starlight acknowledged the mare's words but was still focused on the spell in her mind. A bleep sounded off in her ears, audible only to her. The place was empty, after all. Save for one pony in a building two blocks away. She opened her eyes and looked to Twilight again, beginning to suspect this trip would be even shorter than she hoped it would be. Perhaps this was an opportunity...

“It could take us a while to find her,” Starlight told the purple pony. She cast a stealthy analysis net spell over Twilight, which the mare failed to notice. “Maybe we can learn something about this place while we look.”

“No,” Twilight decided with impressive resolve. “As much as this place is a treasure trove of magic and science, Spike's safety comes first.”

Starlight, of course, didn't reveal that Spike wasn't here or that she suspected he was back in their world or that she even knew where their runaway villain was. “You're right,” she feigned agreement. “Let's focus on finding her and getting out of here.”

Twilight then predictably attempted to cast the location spell that Starlight beat her to. Predictable, Starlight forced down a smirk. She could still read this mare like an open book. And with that hidden net spell cast on her, she would of course fail to find their target.

Twilight's face scrunched up in disappointment. “Nothing,” she sighed. “Maybe Starswirl's magic that he put into this place is interfering with our spells.”

“Like that?” Starlight pointed to a tower-like structure a block over. There was something like a dish on a pole swiveling around on top of it. Her suggestion was just convincing enough for Twilight to take the bait.

“Come on,” the princess commanded as she raced down one of the branching stone streets that led in the direction of the tower.

Considering the rusty colors of the metal and the gray tones of the rock, their own colors made them appear bold against the environment. If anypony was watching over the town, they'd have been spotted a long time ago. The red-orange sky painted their surroundings somber hues and yet never seemed to get lighter or darker. It was as if there were no night or day.

The pair of ponies finally came up to a building that seemed to lead into the base of the tower. Starlight subconsciously drifted ever closer to her marefriend while she thought of an angle to play the situation. At least the interior of the building was clean and quiet. Only a gentle thrum of sound came from the ventilation system.

“Isn’t this place...I don’t know...too clean?” Twilight wondered aloud as their hooves clacked against the smooth floor. “Well lit too.”

Indeed, lights along the top and bottom of the walls left few shadows. Then again, there wasn’t much in the room either. Only more doors via a hallway on the other side, which prompted the question.

“What was this built for?” Starlight added her curiosity to Twilight’s.

“Magic research,” the princess responded. “But Starswirl never publicized what he did here beyond that. Technically he never publicized anything. His work was only known after his journals were made available to the average citizen. Well, the more advanced work anyway.”

Starlight was just far enough out of Twilight’s peripheral vision to allow her true emotions to show on her face. She rolled her eyes. Of course her marefriend hadn’t considered that the most valuable thing in the entire city was herself. But then Starlight had her biases and no magic spell could fully reproduce that juicy flank that Starlight was staring at just then.

“-and this should be it,” Twilight concluded some kind of one-sided conversation she had been having with the sterile air. Both mares stopped in the middle of the next room.

Looking up almost made Starlight’s head spin. The ceiling in this room launched upwards to a dizzying height. They must be looking up into the tower. Cables ran up the sides and it was Starlight’s guess they connected to that dish thing at the top. What it was for she still did not know nor did she care.

If she could confirm Spike’s safety somehow then the last voice of morality in her mind would be silenced and she could take her time here with Twilight. The wheels in her mind turned.

Applejack bucked the stallion into the alley. Nopony else saw. Nopony besides a smirking Rainbow Dash, an uncomfortable Rarity, and a Pinkie Pie who had her mouth stuffed and bulging with the Saddle Arabian equivalent of fresh cinnamon rolls. They crowded around the “tail” in the shaded alleyway.

“Alright, buckaroo,” Applejack squinted at him. “Time to squeal.”

“Please have mercy,” the slender Arabian knelt onto his face before them. “I am a humble servant abiding my master’s orders.”

“Master?” Rarity rose a brow.

“King Clear Sand,” the Arabian trembled beneath his thick white sun cloak. “He instructed me to discover any ponies who might be looking for a small purple dragon.”

“Spike?!” Rarity gasped.

“King?!” Pinkie Pie cried around the rolls in her mouth, crumbs spraying out.

“Yes, kind mistresses,” the Arabian explained, still cowering. “I was to take you to him with the highest of hospitality.”

Applejack’s tough demeanor wilted and her expression turned to guilt. “Well...uh...pardon?” she replied and reached out a friendly hoof.

“And that’s how I almost became dragon lord of Equestria,” Spike concluded as he laid back into the pile of soft silk cushions that had been piled up for him. He took another emerald from the bowl next to him and chowed down. The Saddle Arabian generosity towards dragons reminded him of the buffalo near Appleloosa.

“Truly we are blessed by the Great Stars to be visited by such an Avatar,” King Clear Sand said in awe. He was sitting on his own cushions, as was the Arabian norm. They were in his bedroom, which was both very comfortable and ornate. Complete with mahogany furnishings far larger than normal for an Equestrian pony.

“Oh, I think it’s our honor to be here with you, Mr. King,” Fluttershy replied from next to Spike. She spoke in her usual whispery tone and with a kind smile. It made her feel almost embarrassed to be in such an honoring position – much like how she felt around Celestia.

“I have told you to call me Clear Sand,” the tall and strong Arabian declared. He pulled a golden rope hanging next to him and servants entered the room to replenish Spike’s empty gemstone bowl. “I must apologize again for not being able to offer faster transportation back to pony lands, my lovely Fluttershy. We do not practice the magic of unicorns here. Our fastest means is by my royal airship Pride of the Stars, which still needs a day of repairs from the last Kullah.”

“What’s a Kullah?” Fluttershy squeaked out a question after hiding her face half behind her mane due to the “lovely Fluttershy” bit.

“A big sandstorm,” Spike answered first and started chewing on a small ruby.

The king nodded and stroked his chin in thought. “I must travel with you to pony lands and visit. Good relations with the ponies brings peace to the sands and the Stars smile down at this. If you, Spike the Western Avatar, would facilitate our speaks with this new dragon lord Ember then perhaps Saddle Arabia will once more be the Blessed Brook of the world.”

“Glad to,” Spike said while munching. Not the most becoming. “I could go for more hugs anyways. I don’t think Ember’s got the hang of it yet and she really needs the practice.”

Fluttershy’s sidewise look at him passed his notice.

A sudden knocking at the chamber door aroused them from their conversation. A weary-looking servant entered while giving a thousand apologies. When he stepped aside, ponies entered from the doorway. The king smiled in patience.

“More friends looking for their lost soul,” Clear Sand concluded even while the servant babbled his explanation.

“Hey guys!” Spike got up and greeted them.

Applejack sighed in relief, Pinkie Pie hugged him until he almost burst, and Rainbow Dash just gave a “sup.” Spike was happy to see them if only for the fact that they were no longer running around trying to find him. Before he could begin his own explanation, however, Rarity tackled him.

“Spike!” the fashioista poured over him. “You're okay!”

“Yeah...” Spike blushed in the awkward moment. He always wanted attention from the white mare but, now that he was getting some, he didn’t know what to do with it. “All in one piece. Not that Ruby was ever a danger. She didn’t have one spell that could even singe my scales.”

“Ruby?” Rarity’s expression dropped in worry.

“Perhaps you would all enjoy some comfort while you are caught up,” King Clear Sand waved the mares to plush gold-trimmed cushions that were being moved into position next to Fluttershy by the servants lining the room. “We have much to discuss. Ruby Rose has already violated the Brook.”

“Okay, I’m lost,” Rainbow immediately admitted. She was reluctant to stop hovering around on her wings but gave in when the king motioned for her to sit once again.

Fluttershy shifted on her cushion when Pinkie Pie squeezed in next to her. The pink pony did so not because they were short a cushion but merely because she wanted to. That was her same reasoning for hugging the shy mare as well.

“Should we introduce ourselves?” Applejack whispered to Spike, who subtly shook his head.

The king watched the pink and yellow mares hugging in an odd way while he began to speak. “Your friend and Avatar, Spike, was taken here as a hostage by the unicorn Ruby Rose. She was intending to use him to gain access to the forbidden Brook of the Sacred Stars. It is holy water and not to be touched. This Ruby was conspicuous, however. My guards caught her and locked her up. We freed Spike from her at the same time.”

“Then how’d the Brook-” Rainbow started.

“She escaped,” the king answered via interruption. “Our means of containing unicorns is flawed. I was informed recently that she managed to make her intended rendezvous with Princess Twilight Sparkle. The Brook has been used. I failed my duty.”

Seeing the king’s face fall in shame, Rarity tried the gentle approach. “You did all you could, though.”

“I will always question if I really did. I was not there to stop her myself,” he seethed in sudden intensity. “The Western Mage Starswirl entrusted my family with protecting the Brook. I cannot undue this mistake.”

Spike turned his attention back to his friends. “The Brook is a portal and Ruby has used it. Twilight and Starlight went there too, right?”

Applejack nodded with stiff nerves. Spike had guessed right given the way they had split up. She didn’t like where this was going.

“The Brook cannot be used again without incredible magical power,” the king revealed. “If the princess has crossed worlds then she remains there until she herself returns. Or another as powerful as she is opens it.”

“Oh, that all?” Pinkie Pie waved off the concern with her hoof. She had no worries at all. “Twi-Twi does this sort of thing all the time. She’ll be fine.”

“Starswirl wanted the Brook protected because of what lay in the other world. A great danger, he said. One he could not overcome.”

“Worrying now,” Pinkie gulped with the others.

Comments

[Karakorum]

Color me intrigued! What is this great danger that our heroes will soon face?

[Mr Swanky Hat]

7217874 imgcdn.geocaching.com/cache/abf61006-9d86-479c-8f9b-de191c56e200.jpg?rnd=0.1252711

[BlackWater]

7220126
I warned you!

[OmniFox]

I'M THE GUY WHO'S GONNA KICK HIS ASS!!!!!!!!