I followed the rest into the large house at the end of the road. Well, large compared to the rest in the little village.
From what I could see though, it seemed a rather simple house. Stone walls, wooden floor. A painting of an equal sign on the wall above a fireplace.
This was just fucking creepy.
Too normal. Too... plain. Very little of the normal knickknacks lying around. The entire thing looked artificial, not lived in.
The door at the other end of the room next to the stairs opened slowly.
“Get ready. Let's see what horrible monster we are facing,” Rainbow Dash said quietly and looked at the rest of us.
“Hello!” a light purple unicorn said with a bright smile as she walked out.
Double Diamond stepped up. “Starlight Glimmer! We have guests.”
“So I see. Welcome to our little town!” she said happily. “I'm Starlight Glimmer, who may you be?”
“These are...” Double Diamond started and then introduced us one by one before finishing with Twilight. “And this is Twilight Sparkle!”
Starlight Glimmer looked at us before she smiled, “Forgive my bluntness, but I'm assuming it's Princess Twilight Sparkle? We don't get many alicorns around here.”
...Yeah, no kidding. I doubt anywhere but Canterlot and possibly Ponyville could say they did.
“Twilight is fine,” said alicorn answered with a smile.
“So, how did you hear of our little village?”
“It's kind of a long story,” Twilight said with a small grin.
Starlight nodded and motioned with her hoof, “Well, however you found us, we are happy to have you...”
If you say 'for dinner', I’ll start casting.
“...We're happy to have any pony that wishes to experience true friendship for the first time.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow at her, “Say what?”
Took the words right out of my mouth there, apple girl. I glanced at Sunset who was frowning at Starlight before looking around the room again as I slowly moved towards the right.
This was too strange and much too creepy for me. That sounded like something a body snatcher would say.
“Oh indeed. That's what's so unique about our village you see, around here we don't flaunt our special talents. Because we don't have any special talents to flaunt.”
Sunset put her hoof up, “Uhm... yeah. No. A cutie mark is an essential part of what makes a pony a pony. It's when we find out what we are good at, what we love doing. What you are saying is impossible.”
“Is it?” Starlight said with a smile and turned so we could see her side and her equal sign. “Perhaps it would be easier to understand if we gave you a tour of the village?”
I didn't like this. I didn't like this at all. Even so, I followed along when Twilight accepted. There must be some kind of clue about what's happening here.
XXXXXXXX
I couldn't help but frown slightly as the tour finished. Everyone seemed to enjoy their place here, even if things were...
...Off. Way too much koolaid going around if you get what I mean.
As we were directed towards what seemed to be the town’s only little restaurant, Sunset nudged my side. “Page?” she said and motioned to the side with her head.
Nodding, I walked to the side and behind the building. “So what do you think?” I asked her quietly as I turned to her once we were out of sight.
“I don't know,” Sunset said and shook her head, rubbing behind her right ear with her hoof. “It's creepy.”
I snorted, “Anything more specific? What do you think, body snatchers? Or just fucking creepy cult?”
The mare shivered, “Don't know, but I sure hope it's not the first one.”
“Like the second one is much better.” I snorted and shook my head, “Whatever it is, it's fucking with these ponies' dreams. My guess? Having their cutie marks removed breaks them somehow. If it removes their special talents, that sure as hell could likely do it.”
Sunset nodded, “Yeah. So, what do we do about it?”
I hesitated at that and sat down, poking at the dust with my hoof in thought. What did we do about it? If this Starlight Glimmer was responsible, we still had no idea how. Was it some sort of dream magic? Did she rip the fucking hide from their flanks and then regrow it?
Was she even a pony?
If it was her that was doing it, to reverse or stop her we needed to know why and more importantly, how. If it was in the dream realm tonight, I suspect she would come to the wrong Luna-damned neighbourhood if she tried to go up against me there while I kept guard over my friends' dreams. I may not have Luna's skill yet, but in the dream realm I was the strongest of the alicorns.
Unless Starlight Glimmer was the dream version of Discord, I would crush her like a grape and even then it would be a close fight only because I wasn't that experienced yet.
But we needed to find out. If nothing else, when everyone was asleep I could check all dreams in the general area to see if they were all blank, even checking out her dreams if they were the same.
“Nothing yet,” I finally said and got up again. “We'll wait until tonight and we'll see what I can find. Before we can stop it, we need to know what's happening, which means that we need more information.”
Sunset nodded, “Let's rejoin the rest, let Princess Twilight know what we came up with.”
“Yeah.”
Not that we had the chance, when we returned, Twilight was talking with Starlight Glimmer.
Sweet update and I hope Page stops Starlight from stealing the girls Cutie Marks, also is there no chance of Twilight and Page going to Human Equestria at all, I mean after all the Sirens are still there and they could have felt a burst of magic from Twilight AND Page when they went through the portal, after all one was a Alicorn and the other a Unicorn being trained in battle magic by Luna. So shouldn't some of their magic have bleed out into that world at all, not to mention the book of Sunsets is still in the Human Equestria where ever Sunset had left it hidden.
"Starlight, we are here by request of Princess Luna, guardian of dreams. She is concerned that nopony in this village has any dreams at all. From her point of view, this is a village of the walking dead."
Thanks for the update!!
Ugh, that episode was always way fucking off. Even reading about rustles my Jimmys.
Normal is fine
Absolute normalcy is terrifying
Very good chapter. Thank you the update and I look forward to the next chapter.
7949904
Here we would face the "Uncanny valley". It's like everything looks good, but there is a fickle something gnawing at nerves, you sensing that something is terribly wrong, but not quite understanding why. Really creepy.
7949818
Well, that would be a certain way to achieve nothing. Cause Starlight would not do anything that might lead them to the solution, she would just say "that somehow happened a long time ago, I have no idea why".
The moment they looked at the town the. Should have sent a message of "found cult, send guards". It's not some super monster so there is no reason to not call the guards.
7949921
I think Stepford Smiler would be an even more direct match for this scenario.
7949998
Not entirely. The villagers don't understand that they're not OK; they are not pretending to be normal, they "are" normal as far as they're concerned.
And for outside viewer it is Uncanny.
Imagine the psychological fallout from those who have been living under her for possibly YEARS, indoctrination is a nefarious tool for a patient and methodical villain. Also imagine Luna's (Skitter too) reaction to him facing a CULT and a dangerous lunatic, who is outside the mold for most criminals where Page and Sunset may have a better idea on.
A quick interview with one or two of the townsponies would in all likelihood give them enough evidence for an arrest order on Starlight. Such magic can't possibly be legal, even with consent.
But, I'd also approve of Page giving Starlight the 'Sunset treatment', where he drags her kicking and screaming back to Canterlot.
*starting countdown to Starlight Glimmer getting punched in the face*
That's is what I want the most....don't disappoint me Hiver!
I'd say that I like this series. Considering I read the first three in the same day. Very good stories those ones. And now I am ready to dive into the third and wait for each chapter with anticipation.
7949019 It means either:
Drugs.
or
Someone who is known to be invited to a party only to get intoxicated and have sex with people.
I have to admit Starlight grew on me this last season, hoping that she isn't outright imprisoned and has a chance to redeem herself.
That being said I hope Sunset knocks some of her teeth out.
I am legitimately curious. Who thinks Page should form a herd?
Personally: I say no.
But upvote if you think yes.
Downvote for no.
7952078 That's a no for me. I'm really not comfortable around that idea. I stopped reading a story on here because it was getting closer to a herd... So... yeah. Only Page & Luna please. As a ship.
7952176 Agreed. While The idea of there being something between him and Sunset is appealing, I just think that what he has with Luna is better, earned, you know?
Great work, keep it up.
7952298 I feel you bud. The relation he has with Luna, we have seen/read it from when they started. It has so much development and they are written together so good that I almost can't imagine them otherwise.
While Sunset is indeed an appealing idea, it could be for a "Page x Sunset" only universe. And as you mentioned; Page has indeed earned his place.
7953393 Out of the countless OC's, including my own, Page is the one I would love to see canon the most. He wouldn't even need to speak, just escorting Luna at a party would be enough to make me freak!
Not just for Hiver...but the fact that he would be my design
7950778 Ahhh....
That's kinda hilarious. And dark. Especially the last one.
Then again Twilight Sparkle sounds like a street term for Ecstacy soo.
7953436 Would love a reference too in the show. Page has a very likeable character, so I would totally support you with that.
PS: I cross my fingers in the hopes that there will be a little Page trotting around at the end. Page and Luna so deserve to have one of their own.
7953465 I hope so. Don't care if it's an Alicorn, but I know I will lose my flippng mind if/when it happens.
What I really want to know is will Luna make Moon Dancer her
adorkable book-horsefaithful student.I've always considered Starlight's cutie mark magic to be messing with part of a pony's soul, so yeah, getting part of your soul ripped out and replaced with a behavior limiter(what the equal mark basically does) would probably seriously screw with your dreams.
You bastard...
oh, i just remembered a silly scene in "MLP time loops", where someone from a different dimension had become a pony with a talent for BREAKING THINGS...so when Starlight stole his Cutie-Mark, the vault broke immediately!
Nah, she basically rips out a piece of their soul
Thankfully it’s just a creepy cult
With Sunset Shimmer and Blank Page lethal actions should be a problem... The are a very skilled Unicorn able to use brute force and a by Luna trained Warmage...
10967905
He's still at apprentice level though.
11314421
Him being the only War mage apprentice currently in existence and the only to know the skills that Luna is training him in, most of which are lethal and not taught anymore mind you, makes him more than formidable to those who have no idea what he's capable of.
Starlight Glimmer is aware a Equestrian princess and Lunas mate have visited her?
I would be playing the safe game if i was her...
11314421
Killing someone is easy, taking them in alive is hard...
11443773
Exactly my thoughts, time for Page to shine!