Light and Dark: Road to Redemption

by MXCDarkHorse2020

Chapter 10: A New Plan

Chapter 10:

A New Plan

Starlight makes her way to Ponyville by catching the next train to Ponyville as she made her way towards the dead end of the tracks leading up to the nearby village. Once the train makes it to the dead end stop she immediately boards it as the train backs up to head towards Ponyville’s direction. Inside the train she is now pondering how she is going to get revenge on Twilight Sparkle for outsmarting her and taking away her village.

Ever since losing her village to Twilight and her friends, Starlight has been living on the road. She has been renting herself an apartment in Ponyville which is similar to her house back in her hometown and with a good close view of Princess Twilight’s castle from the back patio on the second floor so she can be able to live in Ponyville so she can be able to get herself closer to Twilight so she can secretly observe her from the shadows and figure out how to get back at her when they meet again.

Every day she has lived at her apartment she has witnessed Twilight and her friends come in and out of the castle just happily gossiping and talking among one another yet nothing using or vital to use to her advantage.

One night when she was looking at Twilight’s castle from afar she sees Twilight flying off towards Canterlot’s direction at top speed like she is in a hurry.

“Well, well, well.” Starlight commented as she smirks seeing Twilight fly off ahead. “Where are you headed off to at this hour?”

Seeing this as an opportunity to try to find any weaknesses on her new arch-enemy she trots out of her apartment and catches the next train from Ponyville to Canterlot seeing that she is going in that direction.

She takes a nap on the train ride during the nighttime ride and by the time she woke up her train had just arrived in Canterlot with the sun just rising.

“Wow!” Starlight said in amazement of how it’s morning already as she gets off the train. “Time really flies by fast. I really needed that sleep after two sleepless nights of watching Twilight from the windows. If I had gone another night without sleep I would’ve been really delirious.” She said to herself as she made her in the streets of Canterlot. “Last time I went that long with sleep I nearly exposed my secret in front of a few ponies that just happened to be walking by the windows.”

She then thinks back to when she had just gotten back in her home at her old village walking inside looking like she is about to sleep as she wobbles inside.

“Oh… what a night. Now I just a quick…” She stopped mid-sentence to yawn as she loses balance as she crashes into a nearby table with a pitcher of water on it as she falls to the ground with the water just barely avoiding her and exposing her cutie mark.

Sugar Belle who had witnessed that along with Party Favor and Double Diamond quickly rush inside to see Starlight recovering from the impact of the hit while looking very dizzy and dazed nearby the knocked over table and spilled pitcher of water.

“Starlight, are you okay?!” Sugar Belle worryingly asked her.

“Yeah I‘m fine.” Starlight spoke up with her eyes spinning around. “Just need a quick nappkyins.” She spoke as she tried to make her way to her bedroom upstairs. “Just tell the townsponies I’ll…” She spoke as she fell asleep as she lost her balance again and fell asleep on the floor.

“It’s okay, Starlight?” Sugar Belle reassured her as Double Diamond and Party Favor helped her up and escorted her to her bedroom. “We’ll help you up so you can get some rest.”

In just a quick trip up the stairs, Starlight was tucked in her bed no problem at all and Starlight was comfortably getting well-deserved after she had been awake three straight days of welcoming ponies into her village, stripping ponies of their cutie marks so they can come to accept her philosophies and ways of equality, locking them in her equality house until they learn to accept her ways.

To her, even though she was able to pull it off, going through sleepless nights to get the job done had not been easy.

“There, there Starlight you get some rest.” Party Favor told her as he tidied her mane a little.

“We’ll make sure no pony disturbs you till further notice.” Double Diamond also told her as he turned to Party Favor. “Let’s watch the front door and tell other ponies that Starlight is unavailable to talk to right now.”

“No need for that.” Party Favor reassured him with a smile as he held up a sign that says “Do Not Disturb.” and placed on the front door. “I think others will get the message when they see this sign.” He added as he trotted off ahead.

Double Diamond while silently agreeing with him decides to stick around himself just to make sure Starlight gets her well-deserved rest as she now smiles as her eyes fell more relaxed and healthier deep down. Even though they don’t know the truth about Starlight she had some ponies looking out for her well-being back then.

But now that the past is past now that everypony now knows the truth about her, Starlight focuses on trying to find Twilight so she can continue to spy on her to see if there is anything to go on about her new revenge scheme deciding it’s time to start observing Twilight more closely.

She searched around the streets of Canterlot looking for a familiar purple alicorn as she made her way to the Canterlot Castle thinking she’d be around there where she found Twilight making her way to the observatory room with Moon Dancer walking alongside of her. She quickly ducked for cover in the near bush and then tip toed her way to the observatory building hiding behind the bow to avoid being spotted by Twilight in case she looks out the window.

Once she sees Twilight and Moon Dancer she uses her magic so she hear what they are talking about from outside.

"What is this place?" Moon Dancer asked as she looked around.

"This is where I used to live. “ Twilight answered to Moon Dancer ass he spotted a familiar book on a shelf. “You mean I never had you over?” She asked with regret on the last part.

“Really explains a lot about her. This girl really likes to keep busy with her research.” Starlight commented as she watched and listened. “So do I.”

As the two make their to the various bookshelves around the room Starlight quickly levitates to another nearby window she could continue observing them while carefully moving around and avoiding making noise and contact with the window to avoid being caught.

"Wow! A first edition of Principles of Magic!” Moon Dancer positively commented on the book she pulled with her magic. “Hey, didn't I give this to you?" She turned to Twilight suspiciously as if that book was very familiar.

"Maybe?" Twilight replied while looking aside nervously.

Moon Dancer then opened the pages of the book with her magic as she inspected it.

"I did! Look, I even wrote something! "To my friend, Twilight Sparkle. Thanks for introducing me to the classics."” Moon Dancer confirmed as she read it. “I can see by the fact that you left it here that it meant a lot to you." She sarcastically commented as she put the book back onto the shelf.

“Interesting.” Starlight commented as she sees the rift between the two ponies.

"Look, I didn't bring you over here for even more poignant reminders of what a bad friend I was.” Twilight walked up to her to keep things back on track. “I brought you here to give you this." She added as she levitated golden key with an hourglass shaped handle for Moon Dancer. "You can come here whenever you want and study to your heart's content."

"Really?" Moon Dancer asked speechless at this generous gift as she graciously accepted the key while levitating it with her own magic and adjusting her glasses.

"But first, you've gotta do something for me." Twilight added that there is a catch to the deal.

"What?" Moon Dancer wondered suspiciously.

"Have dinner with our old friends tonight. I made reservations at the best restaurant in Canterlot. What do you say?" Twilight spoke of her terms and offered.

"I can't. I'm reorganizing my biology scrolls." Moon Dancer refused as she drops the key onto the floor and turns away.

"I've been spending a lot of time with Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Lemon Hearts since I've been back. They really miss you." Twilight continued to reach out to her as she placed a hoof onto her shoulder as Moon Dancer shrugs it off.

"Look! I already told you! The last thing I need is a bunch of ridiculous friend-making keeping me from studying!" Moon Dancer again refused as she walked away and towards the door so she could leave.

"Moon Dancer, wait!” Twilight again tried to reason with her as she made her way down the stairs to the exit. “A wise pony once taught me that there's more to life than dusty old books!"

"I tried friendship and it's just not for me. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Moon Dancer still refused as she continued walking away.

“Believe me, I’ve been there too.” Starlight said to herself with a mixture of sympathy and sarcasm as she quickly ducks to her hiding bush just barely avoiding being spotted by Twilight.

"What if I taught you Hayscartes' method?" Twilight offered with a smile.

And just as she predicted Moon Dancer stopped in her tracks just before she could step one hoof outside with the offer getting her attention as she turned back.

“Oh, I’m in for dinner as well.” Starlight commented with another evil smile as she pops her head out from her hiding bush as she watches Twilight and Moon Dancer make their way to the restaurant. “If that means figuring out a way to destroy you.”

Later than night, Twilight, Moon Dancer, Twinkleshine, Minuette, Lemon Hearts and Spike all sat together in a single large table finally all getting together for the first time in years while Starlight sits by a nearby table and sticks her head in the menu keeping it up to make it look like she is pondering her dinner choices while avoiding being spotted by Twilight.

"So, uh, what are you studying these days?" Minuette spoke first as she asked her.

"Science, magic, history, economics, pottery, human world history, engineering. Things like that." Moon Dancer stoically answered as she placed her hoof on the table for each subject mentioned.

"Yowza! You planning on being a professor or something?" Minuette positively replied and asked her what her career is going to be.

“No.” Moon Dancer replied not interested in sharing her interests.

"So you're just... studying. "Really? That's cool!" Minuette asked her awkwardly now seeing this is not going the direction they had hoped it would go.

“Awkward.” Starlight sarcastically commented as she watched and eavesdropped on their conversation.

“Can I go now?” Moon Dancer as sounding like she is ready to leave.

"Moon Dancer, please." Twilight insisted she stay as she raised a hoof up to stop her.

"It's all right, Twilight." Minuette assured Twilight that everything is fine. "We're having a good time. Right, everypony?"

Twinkleshine simply shrugged not knowing what to say to make things better and Lemon Hearts chuckled nervously unable to come up with a response as well. Minuette then tried to start another topic of conversation.

"So, uh... Spike, tell Moon Dancer that story 'bout how Twilight had to read a book about doing a sleepover!" Minuette asked Spike in an attempt to keep the positive flow of the conversation going.

Spike raised his finger to let her know he’ll answer once he swallows his food but was stopped by Moon Dancer as she immediately answered.

"Slumber 101? I've read that." Moon Dancer answered completely unimpressed.

"There's really a Slumber 101 book?" Starlight wondered to herself sounding impressed that there actually is a book for first-time slumber party hosts. "Makes me wonder if Twilight has a book for everything?"

Twilight chuckled nervously seeing that approach isn’t going anywhere "Oh! Really? Well, uh, did you know Lemon Hearts here works at the Canterlot palace?" She brought for another attempt to spark her interest.

"Uh, yeah. It's true. I do the big events mostly. State dinners, that sort of thing." Lemon Hearts awkwardly agreed as an awkward silence loomed over them as they chuckled nervously.

Moon Dancer having had enough, irritably groaned having completely lost interest in this dinner conversation, and stood up from her chair, heading towards the exit. Twilight seeing this quickly teleported herself outside, calling out to her trying to stop her from leaving.

“And just like that this conversation is now going south for the winter.” Starlight commented as she watched Moon Dancer leave with Twilight and Spike following behind her in an effort to stop her from leaving to no avail.

Seeing that Twilight and Spike have chased after Moon Dancer, Starlight places the menu down once she sees that the coast is clear as she smirks seeing she has found something to go on.

“Interesting!” Starlight commented as she sees Twilight walking off in tears following Moon Dancer rejecting Twilight’s attempts to reach out to her and become friends with her again. “Twilight wasn’t kidding when she said friendship is magic and what leads to her winning every time in the end.” She said to herself referring to one of her friendship speeches from the last time they met. “Maybe if I could work around breaking apart her friendship with her friends I can take away her greatest strength and ensure that this all never happened.”

She then turned to face the waiter who approached her ready to take her order.

“Have you decided what you like to order?” The waiter kindly asked her having not noticed her sneaky and subtly devious smirk.

“Yes, yes I have.” Starlight kindly answered as she looks aside with another devious smirk as she successfully figured out a way of how go on exacting revenge on Twilight with a new plan on her mind.

Author's Note:

In another Starlight episode, we have a brief glimpse of what Starlight has been doing since losing her village to the Mane Six as she has been living on the road until she founds somewhere nearby the castle to live so she can secretly spy on Twilight. It wasn't until learning the potential havoc that a broken friendship can have does she get an idea of what kind to plot of vengeance to execute on Twilight until she sees Twilight's friendship with Moon Dancer at the time strained.

Also I added in a flashback of a sleep-deprived Starlight after going through sleepless nights of running a equality-promoted town of stripping cutie marks and forcing them to accept her ways of life with Double Diamond, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle helping make sure she is well rested while almost coming across Starlight's secret as a reference to Twilight in "Princess Spike."

Comments

[Edguy0009]

On Starlight's plan gooooood luck with that.