Starlight

by Nickel Alloy

Day 21

Author's Note:

Note: this is set about two years in the future after the current events in Season 6.

I think yesterday we'd hoped that there would be no more deaths, like we do every time someone is found. But today the monsters massacred the spa. Diamond Tiara, her parents, Cheerilee, Blossomforth, and Lotus were all violently killed, and Thunderlane found them on a recon mission. Aloe was still alive and we brought her back, but we couldn't save her.

I'm making progress on Octavia's mind. Yesterday she told me that she saw "great black things". Whether that describes a changeling or King Sombra or something else entirely, it's worrying.

"Twilight!" Rainbow says. "I've got an idea."

I groan. "Another one?" Rainbow and I are essentially the leaders of this whole thing, but Rainbow comes up with new things to do every other day. "Let's hear it."

"We need to scan the town, and get as many ponies as possible to join us," she tells me. "So what if we got about ten ponies and visited the big locations in Ponyville? We could hit Sweet Apple Acres, the bowling alley, Sugar Cube Corner, the train station, the Hayburger, the hospital and maybe the schoolhouse in one go."

"Wouldn't most of the ponies be holed up in their houses?" I rub my temples with my hoof. "I mean, there is a monster attack going on.

"You'd be surprised at how active everyone is. We've tried convincing as many ponies as we can that they need to come with us, but most of them are under the impression that the town, especially the center, is safe."

"Fine," I say, partially just to get Rainbow off my back. "Spend a couple of hours getting everyone ready. Then take 'em out." She nods and flies off. I resume my task at hand -- digging another room. Slipping the Alicorn Amulet back on, I focus all my power into a single beam. The amulet doesn't magically make my power as strong as it would be with the amulet aboveground, but it does give me the capability I would normally have. Rumble, Caramel, and Bon Bon step back as the beam rockets into the open section that they've dug out. The magic clears out a space as large as my old bedroom in the library. They go in and get to work shoring up the walls as I step back, exhausted. I can usually only do one of those every six hours.

I wander back to the "library", which I've slept in most of the time. I collapse onto the pile of blankets that serves as my bed, but I don't get to sleep because Spike chooses this moment to run up to me.

"Ugh..what, Spike?" I mumble. I'm tired and I want to take a nap. I'm not in the mood for updates.

"Ponies have heard we're trying to investigate these attacks," he says, checking a clipboard. "So they're sending some ponies to us to help. There's a train coming in today at four with about eight ponies on it. Also, the remaining royals are holed up in the caves in Canterlot, where Chrysalis trapped you. Luna, Cadence, Shining, Flurry Heart, and Blueblood are down there. Then they started bringing in more ponies. Canterlot is essentially closed, because most of the ponies have retreated to the caves."

I sit up, interested. "Can they get into the caves by foot?"

"No. Luna teleports the ponies inside because the guards blocked up all the entrances and exits."

"Who's coming?"

"I don't know. Oh, Spitfire and Soarin are coming because they need good medical equipment to have their foal. Luna's still working on making the caves livable."

I nod. "OK. Send Rainbow and her team to grab them when they go out."

Spike makes a note on his clipboard. I lean back onto the blankets and doze off. What feels like a moment later, I'm woken up by another yell of "Twilight!"

"Can't I get some sleep around here?" I say grouchily just as Doctor Hooves bursts into the room. "What now?"

"It's..Octavia..." he pants. "The memory spell's been broken."

---

I lean over the grayish brown mare. "Are you sure?" I prod her. "How would you know? You're not a unicorn."

He scowls. "I know enough. I've had experiences. And yes, I'm sure."

Octavia's eyes are closed, but she's mumbling a little bit. She tosses her head from side to side, apparently distressed. Somepony lays their hoof on my shoulder. I turn my head, this time not surprised. Rarity stands behind me, looking sympathetic. "I know. And Octavia's anxiety is a result of it breaking. I don't know what happened. Maybe it's a temporary spell. But whatever it is, there's a chance of her losing her mind."

Sternly, I say, "Then we need to question her as soon as possible." I shake Octavia gently with my hoof, and her eyes flutter open.

"Ah! Twilight!" she gasps.

"Octavia, I need to know what attacked you, and how you escaped." I'm done with being gentle. I need answers.

She shuts her eyes. "Great...black...monsters. With huge fangs and red eyes. Their teeth were..longer than my head...and their claws....were just as long. And sharp."

I press her harder, determined to get the full truth. "And how did you get away?"

"After they attacked Vinyl and pinned me down...they were about to finish me off. But..then I heard something cry out and they just..galloped off. Then I don't remember anything...." She gulps, making a huge effort to remember it all.

Rarity furrows her eyebrows. "That must have been when the spell was cast--" Time Turner shuts her off, because Octavia is still talking.

"When they grabbed Vinyl...they gouged out her eyes with their claws. And they threw them behind them into the shadows. She..she was still alive when they ripped out her heart..." Octavia coughs. I can see that the residual effects of the spell are breaking her body and mind down. If she doesn't stop soon, she's going to deteriorate, and fast.

Rarity squeezes Octavia's hoof. "You can stop now..." she begins, but she's again cut off by Octavia.

"They ate Vinyl's heart...and then they kicked her aside and started towards me. I don't....know why I didn't..run. And one jumped on top of me. I tried to get out...but it just scraped at me until it got a good hold, then it took out one of my eyes..." As if on cue, blood begins to seep through bandaging around her empty eye socket. She coughs again, and this time red splatters her flank. "But then I heard that animalistic cry...and they just left." Octavia breaths heavily and leans her head to the side. Her breathing slows, but doesn't stop. I yell for the doctor, and then run to where Rainbow's team was prepping, to warn them. But they've already gone off. I race outside and see ten or so tails disappearing around the corner to the train station. I barrel after them, not thinking about anything else.

"Twilight!" I can hear Doctor Hooves's hoofsteps behind me, but I keep running.

When I get to the train station, Rainbow's team is loading about nine ponies off it. Rainbow Dash herself is pulling out the train conductor from the front. Fluttershy is helping an extremely pregnant Spitfire out of the caboose, and Soarin, worried, trails behind. I sigh, relieved, and turn to go back to the town hall. Doctor Hooves, who's been by my side during this little spectacle, trots beside me.

I've gotten halfway back when I hear a scream.

Turning around, I see the remaining members of Rainbow's team pushing the ponies they brought off the train towards the town hall. Rainbow is frozen about fifty feet away from the tracks. She strains against something invisible, a panicked expression on her face, but she can't move. I'm about to race back to help her, to see what I can do, when a giant...thing leaps out of an abandoned house. It leaps on top of Rainbow Dash. I know what's about to happen next, and I try to turn away, but I can't.

I watch as the beast tears off Rainbow Dash's wings.

And I can't turn away when it finishes her off.