Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

Transit

Sunburst set down the mop and the bucket. "Well, at least the desk is cleaned now." As Starlight began to reorder the papers that had been moved around in the commotion, he started to look around the room for clues of some kind. "Do you know any spells that might be useful here?"

"I think I remember one," Starlight replied. There was a thud, and Sunburst turned to see the other unicorn had bumped into a large book on the floor. She picked it up and opened it to the conveniently marked page. "Yep. It's this one." Starlight levitated the book over to Sunburst, who picked it into his own telekinesis and began to study the spell described in the page.

"Can I help with something?" Starshine asked, walking around the room and looking at the two unicorns. "Anything? I can do anything you two would like me to."

Starlight sighed. "No, and definitely not in the way you're suggesting." She looked up at Starshine, then almost jumped from the surprise. "Hey! When did you grow a horn?"

Hearing her, Sunburst turned towards Starshine as well, to notice she had indeed turned into an alicorn while neither one of them was looking. At the least, her mane and tail and coat were still the same style and colour as before. "Yeah. She does that." He returned to studying the book.

Starlight looked suspiciously at the alicorn, who just stared back at her with a smile and a hint of playful smugness. A wave of magical energy swept over the room, coming from Sunburst, and the two mares both turned towards him, waiting for answers.

"Nothing." The stallion shook his head, and set the book down. "At least now we know it's not traditional magic."

Starlight tapped her chin. "Maybe it's stage magic? Maybe someone else is here and they're secretly tricking us through a combination of misdirection, subtle hypnosis, and a complex system of mirrors and levers."

"And reading our minds?" Sunburst lifted an eyebrow for emphasis.

Starlight couldn't shake the feeling that his half-pouting expression reminded her of Rarity. "Well, maybe they've actually hypnotised us so completely that we're fully unable to notice their presence, and they can manipulate our perception of time as well."

"This isn't one of those books you read when Twilight isn't around, Starlight." Sunburst looked up at the ceiling, sighing. "I'd just like to get some answers on who's behind all of this." He turned, and found himself face to face with a tall mirror which had not been in the room ever before. It was too big to even fit through the door, he was pretty sure. His own reflection stared back at him, first surprised then unamused. "Very funny," he said, as dryly as possible.

Starlight looked at the mirror. "We'll have to find a place to put that."

Meanwhile, Starshine had placed herself at Sunburst's side, and was looking over her own reflection. "I look nice," she said, turning around to check out her other side.

"You don't know what you look like?" Sunburst asked, looking at her.

Starshine shook her head. "Only the broad strokes. It's hard when you keep changing." She ketp checking out her reflection.

Sunburst and Starlight shared a look.

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Somewhere between a tulpa and a draconequus. And I get the feeling that that mirror is more of an answer than Sunburst realizes. If he really is the source for all of this, the questions then become how (Behemoth shenanigans, probably,) how to make it stop (unclear,) and whether that qualifies as murder (especially unclear.)

[Saix]

Starlight couldn't shake the feeling that his half-pouting expression reminded her of Rarity.

He turned, and found himself face to face with a tall mirror which had not been in the room ever before. It was too big to even fit through the door, he was pretty sure. His own reflection stared back at him, first surprised then unamused. "Very funny," he said, as dryly as possible.

I understand everything now. The Behemoth is just Sunburst in a Rarity wig with little mirrors stuck on his body. Mystery solved.