A Generous Offer
Daybreaker snorted furiously, pawing the ground.
Through the viewing portal, she and Luna could see the starry barrier that had unexpectedly appeared around Ponyville’s town hall. They didn’t have to wonder were the barrier came from when the Mane 6 appeared one after the other with Twilight Sparkle and Moon Dancer bringing up the rear. They could clearly see the moon-shaped Cutie Mark on Moon Dancer’s flank and were able to put two and two together.
“I had no idea there was another who could use moon magic like myself,” Luna hummed with a hoof to her chin. “Perhaps I should consider taking another student – “
“Don’t try to act cute, sister,” Daybreaker sneered.
“It's not an act; I am cute,” said Luna, batting her eyes teasingly. Daybreaker huffed and started trotting back and forth. “You’ve already failed twice, dear sister. Are you going to go for a third strike or will you finally accept that you cannot win?”
“You’ve gotten awfully cocky just because those ponies have gotten lucky thus far,” said Daybreaker. “And I will admit that they are stronger than I had predicted, but their streak of luck ends here. Don’t forget, they have to cross the Everfree Forest if they want to make it to our ancestral home. You of all ponies should know what dangers lurk in those woods.”
“You said it yourself, sister: they are stronger than you predicted,” said Luna. “As long as they stick together, they will overcome anything you throw at them.”
Daybreaker turned her flank to her sister, looking thoughtful, before a devious smirk crossed her lips.
“Yes…they are quite strong when they are together,” she said with a malicious chuckle, stepping closer to the viewing portal where the Mane 6 had reached the outskirts of a dense forest. “But despite how far they’ve come, they are still strangers. Breaking such a new and uncertain bond will only require a push in the right direction….”
The Mane 6 were tired; their hooves ached and their bodies were drenched with sweat, but they finally made it to their destination: The Everfree Forest.
Even under Daybreaker’s torturous sun, the depths of the forest were cloaked in an impenetrable darkness. Even as she stared between the gaps of the gnarled trees, Twilight couldn’t see more than ten feet in front of her. There was a sharp chill not like the one made by Moon Dancer’s barrier; this was a haunting kind of cold. The only comfort was the well-worn dirt path, which she assumed was how Apple Bloom found her way to Zecora's. Otherwise, Twilight had no idea how anypony could navigate through the woods.
“Well, what’re we waiting for,” said Trixie impatiently, marching into the woods. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is too hot to be standing around doing nothing – and I don’t mean that in the good way.”
“Not so fast,” said Twilight, holding a hoof out. “Things are going to get very dangerous from here on out. The forest is uncharted territory and filled with who-knows-what. If you guys want to turn back, I understand.”
“You’re joking, right?” Tempest grumbled with a blank stare. “I've been run over by a wagon, forced to read mind-numbing books against my will, cramped inside a small space with four other ponies, fell down a mountain, and practically melted the entire time. After the nightmare I went through today, you really expect me to turn back now?”
“She got a point,” said Starlight, trotting into the forest alongside Trixie. “We’ve already come this far. We’re in this for the long haul.”
The others made affirming noises as they cantered behind the leading pair. Twilight allowed herself a small smile and chased after them.
They barely set hoof inside before they felt the effects of the Everfree Forest. The thick branches seemed to stretch above their heads with purpose, forming a leafy barrier to blot out the sun and plunging them into a dreary darkness. Twilight, Sunset, and Starlight lit up their horns to guide the way, while the star patterns on Trixie’s cape and hat (that she put on the instant they entered the forest) were apparently glow-in-the-dark. Twilight thought it was tacky, but Starlight and Sunset openly complimented Trixie’s attire, which the showmare ate up with a smug grin.
Twilight couldn’t tell how long they were in there. Five minutes? Ten minutes? Twenty? It was impossible to keep track of time when all you could see was inky blackness all around you. The Mane 6 stayed huddled together, nopony daring to stray from the path, not even Tempest. Every so often, they heard a noise that made them jump and pause for a few minutes before carrying on.
“What’s with this freaky forest,” said Trixie, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. “Wasn’t Daybreaker’s ‘Wrath of the Sun’ thing supposed to make it super-hot and sunny all the time? I can barely see my hoof in front of my muzzle.”
“Remember, the Everfree Forest’s primordial magic is more ancient and powerful than the royal sisters,” Twilight explained, staring straight ahead. “The forest must be reacting to Daybreaker’s curse to defend itself.”
“Anything else you feel like sharing with the class, Miss Sparkle?” said Sunset, looking to her left worriedly.
“Well, from what little I could learn, the Everfree Forest doesn’t work the same way as Equestria,” said Twilight.
“Meaning?” Moon Dancer asked.
“The Everfree Forest just…takes care of itself,” said Twilight uncertainly. “It doesn’t need earth ponies to tend to the soil, or Pegasi to control the weather, and it doesn’t need unicorns because the forest has its own magic. I’ve never heard of anything like it anywhere else on Equestria.”
“Nature taking care of itself?” said Trixie. “In what crazy, backwards world does that make sense?”
“I don’t like this place one bit,” Starlight grimace. “Let’s just get through – wait, did you hear that?”
The Mane 6 paused in the middle of the road, going quiet and straining their ears. A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed with nothing but the sound of their erratic breathing. Twilight cautiously looked left, then right. She put her hoof forward –
CRACK!
The Mane 6 gasped and several of them jumped, including Twilight. The unicorns with light quickly spun around to the left, flashing the trees. Through the gaps between the mangled trunks, the mares could see half a dozen glowing green eyes leering at them, accompanied by low snarling noises. Twilight stepped backwards slowly and the mares followed her example, but at the same time, one of the pairs of eyes stepped forward into the magical glow.
The beast resembled a giant wolf, but its body was composed of twigs, logs, and leaves. Its gnarly claws carved miniature trenches in the ground, its spiked wooden teeth gnashing, and its leafy brows narrowing. One by one, more of wooden wolves started to crawl out of the shadows, snarling hungrily.
“Timberwolves!” Moon Dancer screamed.
“Everypony run!” Sunset screamed.
They didn’t need to be told twice. Twilight and the other mares turned on their hooves and fled in the opposite direction, unconcerned at the moment that they were straying from the path. The Timberwolves howled and started to give chase.
None of them knew where they were going; all they cared about was getting as far away from the Timberwolves as fast as their hooves could carry them. Tempest was bringing up the rear of the pack when she looked over her shoulder. The Mane 6 were smaller and in some ways faster, but the Timberwolves had the advantage of knowing the terrain. Their neon-green eyes swooped through the trees like fireflies, steadily gaining ground on them. It would only be moments before the wolves were on top of them. Unless she did something about it.
Tempest grounded her hooves and turned to face the Timberwolves head-on. The mares came to a screeching halt when they noticed.
“Tempest, what’re you doing?!” Sunset cried.
Tempest narrowed her eyes, challenging the Timberwolves as they sprinted closer. She gritted her teeth and focused her energy into her forehead, creating a crackle of electricity in the hollow stub of her broken horn. Tempest held the electricity in place despite the jarring headache it created. She waited until the Timberwolves pounced into the light before releasing it all in a massive surge that struck everything fifteen feet in front of her. The smell of burning wood filled everypony’s nostrils, accompanied by loud whimpering. Next thing they knew, the Timberwolves had turned tail and ran away into the darkness, their whines growing softer with distance.
“Holy Luna, that was incredible,” Twilight complimented, walking up to Tempest. “I didn’t know your horn still worked. Granted, I don’t know many unicorns with broken horns in general.”
“It still works, kinda,” Tempest said, grimacing as she put a hoof to her head. “It’s no good for casting spells like the rest of you, but I can still discharge my magic into offensive attacks. Even if it gives me a major headache every time I use it.”
“Well, that takes care of our Timberwolf problem,” said Moon Dancer, frowning. “But now we’ve completely lost sight of the path.”
“We’re fine,” said Trixie, waving a hoof nonchalantly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will guide us to safety.” She puts a hoof to her chin, looking around. “The Great and Powerful Trixie just needs to get her bearings….”
“Yeeeeah, while you do that,” said Sunset drearily. “The rest of us will build a campfire. We should hunker down for a spell and think over our plan before we do anything.”
“Good idea,” Twilight agreed. “Starting a fire will give us a chance to replenish our magic. We’re going to need it if we’re going to tackle the forest.”
Despite Trixie’s protest that she could easily find the way out, the majority ruled against her. They were able to collect firewood that had broken off from the Timberwolves and Sunset used a flame spell to ignite them. Their little pocket of the forest filled with an orangish-red glow, letting Twilight, Sunset, and Starlight rest their horns. They stowed their saddlebags together in a pile next to a tree and sat in a circle around the fire. Even though they had spent most of the day being roasted by the blazing hot sun, the fire was a welcome warmth to the Everfree Forest’s enchanted chill.
“So how’re we gonna find out way to the castle now?” asked Moon Dancer, stoking the flames with her horn.
“We could try retracing our steps,” Twilight suggested.
“Even if we knew which way we came from, we’d have to deal with the Timberwolves again,” said Tempest, rubbing her forehead. “My head is pounding enough as it is.”
“Maybe we could try looking for Zecora,” Sunset offered. “Apple Bloom said she knew the forest like the back of her hoof.”
“We can’t even find a giant castle,” Starlight rejected. “How’re we going to find one little zebra in the middle of the dark and creepy forest?”
The Mane 6 lowered their heads, humming thoughtfully with their hooves crossed or tapping their muzzles…. Until they heard a low rumbling noise. Twilight, Starlight, Sunset, Tempest, and Moon Dancer turned their heads slowly toward Trixie; the stagemare was not the least bit embarrassed when her stomach gave another loud growl.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie is hungry,” she said plainly.
Starlight facehoofed, sighing in annoyance, and said, “I think there are some peanut butter crackers in my bag. Help yourself.”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie accepts your generous offering!” Trixie proclaimed happily. She loved peanut butter crackers!
The powder-blue unicorn left the circle and moved to the pile of saddlebags under the tree. She searched the pile until she found the bag branded with Starlight’s Cutie Mark and levitated it in front of her. Trixie opened the bag and began rummaging through Starlight’s personal effects, pulling them out one at a time.
“Kite…kite…kite – you have a bunch of kites in here,” Trixie commented. Figuring there was only kites in one bag for some reason, Trixie closed the flap and searched the other one. “Finally, something other than kites. Let’s see…a potted plant with a label that says ‘Phyllis’…weird equal-sign staff thingy… page for a tracker spell…’Cutie Mark Removal for Dummies Vol. 4’…”
“Wait! What did you just say?!” Twilight yelped suddenly.
“Uh…’Cutie Mark Removal for Dummies Vol. 4’?” Trixie repeated, pulling the book out of Starlight’s bag.
“No, not that,” Twilight shook her head.
“Although I’m mildly concerned a book like that exists and that they printed four volumes,” said Sunset with a raised brow.
“What did you say before that?” Twilight asked Trixie.
“Um…some potted plant named Phyllis?” said Trixie strangely, still not understanding what the lavender unicorn was asking.
“After that!” Twilight shouted impatiently.
“…weird equal-sign staff thingy?”
“Oh, for the love of Luna!” Moon Dancer yelled agitatedly. She pulled Starlight’s bag over with her horn and started rummaging the inside herself until she pulled out a single sheet of paper. “This is…a page for an advanced-level tracking spell!”
“Are you serious?” Twilight gasped. “I can’t believe it! Starlight, why didn’t you tell us you had a tracking spell?” she asked the lilac mare.
“I guess in the middle of all the craziness today, I kinda forgot about it,” Starlight admitted, rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish grin.
“I didn’t go to a fancy magic school like the rest of you,” Tempest interrupted with a raised hoof. “So could someone explain to me what the big deal is about some worn-out piece of paper?”
“This ‘worn-out piece of paper’ has instructions on how to perform an advanced tracker spell,” Moon Dancer explained. “It’s a high-level magic that can plot a course to any destination in the world, even if you’ve never been there before. Ancient Equestrian explorers often used these to chart unknown territories during the early years of the kingdom’s foundation. While local tracking spells are common, it’s almost next to impossible to find one with a global radius. Where did you get it, Starlight?”
“I sorta…kinda…possibly…ripped it out of one of the books at the library,” said Starlight, giggling nervously.
“YOU WHAT?!” Twilight screeched before she started hyperventilating. “You – how could – I can’t – I just – oh, sweet Luna, I can’t breathe – “
“She seriously needs to learn to chill,” Sunset commented.
“So we’re going to use that spell, right?” asked Trixie. She had apparently found the peanut butter crackers and had stuffed her cheeks to the brim, spitting out bits of cracks with every word, to Moon Dancer’s disgust. “To take us wherever the castle is? You said it could plot a course to anywhere it the world, even if we’ve never been there before, right?”
“Obviously we’re going to use it,” said Tempest, putting her hoof down. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but being lost in a dark and creepy forest filled with Timberwolves is not how I intend to spend the rest of my miserable existence. Especially with all of you.”
“Gee, how us how you really feel,” said Sunset sarcastically.
“Thank Luna Starlight had the foresight to bring this before we left Canterlot,” said Moon Dancer. “Sunset, can you – HEY!”
The page for the tracker spell was suddenly ripped out of Moon Dancer’s hooves, floating through the air with a light turquoise aura. Starlight Glimmer snatched and braced it against her chest, turning her body away from the others like she was trying to shield it from them.
“You can’t use it!” Starlight yelled suddenly.
“Starlight, what’s the big idea?” said Sunset bewildered.
“I can’t let you use the spell!” Starlight declared, taking a few cautious steps away from them. “Do you know why tracking spells of this caliber are so hard to find? Its' because you need to burn the paper it’s written on to activate the magic. It only has a one-time use.”
“That seems like a serious design flaw,” Tempest pointed out.
“Doesn’t it?” said Moon Dancer, agreeing.
“If we use this page now, we’ll never be able to use the spell again,” said Starlight urgently.
“Trixie thinks now would be the best time to use it,” said Trixie. “It’s not like we’ll need it again for anything later – “
“I need it!” Starlight shouted angrily. “It’s for something important!”
“Even more important than stopping a psychopathic alicorn turning Equestria into a giant sauna?” said Sunset, growing impatient. “Yeah, I don’t think so.”
“It’s important to me!” said Starlight, gritting her teeth.
“There are a whole lot of ponies counting on us to find the Elements of Harmony and stop Daybreaker,” said Twilight. “You saw what happened in Ponyville. Who knows how much worse it is for the rest of Equestria. We need that spell, Starlight.”
“I said no!” Starlight rejected furiously.
“Why are we even discussing this?” Tempest growled, rising to her full, imposing height. “Let’s just take the thing from her and be done with it. It’s five against one, after all.”
Twilight didn’t particularly like the idea of ganging up on somepony, but given the circumstances, it was the best possible solution. Tempest took the lead with the Twilight and the other mares flanking her on either side. Starlight took a few cautionary steps back; an understandable reaction since Tempest was taller than any of them and cast an intimidating shadow. The mares spread out around Starlight; Trixie and Twilight to her left, Sunset and Moon Dancer to her right. The five unicorns stepped closer, all with predatory gazes. Tempest reached a hoof for the page when Starlight’s horn flared up with magic and a heated glare in her eyes.
“Stay – away – from – me!” she howled.
Starlight’s horn exploded with a turquoise shockwave that sent Tempest flying through the air, slamming her back into a tree and plopping on the ground. Twilight and Sunset had erected magical barriers themselves, Moon Dancer, and Trixie, which were promptly smashed by Starlight’s magical pulse. Twilight was plowed across the ground into an exposed tree root while Trixie soared over her head somewhere, screaming. The lavender unicorn shook her head free of dizziness and looked up in time to see Starlight running deeper into the forest.
“Wait, Starlight, come back, it’s not safe!” Twilight called out, but her words fell on deaf ears.
Trixie crawled over the root behind Twilight, her hat hanging crooked on her mane, groaning, “Did anypony get the license plate off that wagon…?”
The remaining mares picked themselves off the ground and reconvened around the campfire with nothing more than dirty coats and a few scratches, thankfully. Tempest grimaced with a hoof to her forehead.
“Please tell me we didn’t just get our flanks handed to us by one pony,” she said.
“I had no idea Starlight had so much magical power,” said Sunset, her tone mixed with concern and intrigue. “Then again, that was the first time I ever saw her use magic. She’s probably as strong as me and Twilight.”
“Or she might be even stronger,” Twilight remarked appreciatively.
“You two can fawn over Starlight’s magic later,” said Moon Dancer, who was pouting in Twilight’s direction. “Starlight just ran off deeper into the Everfree Forest with the tracking spell.”
“She could get lost or run into some monsters,” said Sunset, worried.
“That’s the least of Trixie’s concerns!” said Trixie, stomping her hoof. “She still has that tracking spell! We’re never gonna find our way to the castle without it, let alone find our way out! We need to get that page back!”
“Thanks for stating the obvious,” said Tempest rudely as she started walking toward the darkness. “Everypony spread out and start searching. Sunset, you and Moon Dancer go - “
“Whoa, hold on, everypony!” Twilight jumped in front of Tempest, holding out a hoof. “We can’t go galloping off like that. If we split up, there’s a good chance we might not be able to find each other, and we can’t leave the camp unguarded. What if Timberwolves or bears find our supplies? We don’t know if we might need anything for when we get to the Princess Luna’s old castle.”
“So then let’s pack up and go after her as a group,” Moon Dancer suggested.
“You saw the way she reacted when we ganged up on her,” Twilight shook her head. “If she sees us all together, she might get the wrong idea – “
“Or the right one,” Tempest remarked, but Twilight ignored her.
“I think one of us should go in after her,” Twilight suggested. “I saw the general direction she went. Maybe if I just talk to her, I might be able to reason with her.”
“Even if you do find her,” said Sunset, pointing a hoof, “how do you plan on getting back to us if you end up getting lost yourself?”
Twilight put a hoof to her muzzle, thinking, then asked, “Trixie, you’re a stage magician, right? Do you have any rope I could borrow?”
“What kind of mare do you take Trixie for?” Trixie said with an affronted gasp. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is not the kind of pony…. But Trixie does have the Magical Never-ending Scarf of Mystery!”
The stagemare levitated the wizard’s hat off her head, waving her hooves over the seemingly empty brim, and made a show of sticking her whole hoof inside, right up to her shoulder. Twilight, Sunset, and Moon Dancer did seem mildly impressed she could reach so far in such a small space. Trixie retracted her hoof and pulled out a long rope made of several colorful scarves and a “Ta-Da!” Sunset and Moon Dancer clapped their hooves, but Tempest rolled her eyes. Twilight levitated the scarves to her – the length of which did not seem to end despite how much she pulled out – and tied it around her body with a tight knot.
“If I’m not back in twenty minutes, tug on the rope to make sure I’m okay,” Twilight instructed. “Hopefully nothing bad will happen, but just in case….”
“Be careful out there, Twilight,” said Moon Dancer worriedly.
Twilight nodded appreciatively then steeled herself as she turned in the direction Starlight fled. The lavender mare took a deep breath, lighting her horn, and marched slowly into the darkness.
The Everfree Forest had somehow become an even more terrifying place than it already was without the company of her friends. (Were they friends, Twilight found herself wondering. Sunset seemed to appreciate her company and she managed to make amends with Moon Dancer, but the others….) The glow from her horn only went a few feet, which was little more than a tiny spotlight in the middle of a very large stage. Every sound felt like it had been enhanced tenfold. The rustling of leaves sounded like a hurricane; the snapping of the twigs under her hooves cracked like thunder. The shadows danced on the edge of her vision, making her jump more than once. Every so often, she checked the scarves around her flank to make sure they were still there. Twilight found herself shuddering involuntarily; whether it was from the cold or fear, she couldn’t tell. But the mare kept moving forward. She had to find that pony.
“Starlight! Starlight, can you hear me?!” Twilight shouted. “If you can, please say something! Starlight!”
Then Twilight paused in her steps. She heard something; a faint grunting noise. Twilight narrowed the light from her horn to make a longer beam. She first scanned the ground near the area where she heard the noise. It took a moment for her to realize that the sound was coming from above and turned her horn up. She saw the faint outline of something flailing in the treetops, but upon further inspection, Twilight pressed her hoof against her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud.
Starlight was hanging upside-down from a tree branch, tangled in a nest of vines. The lilac mare kicked her legs, but that only seemed to make it worse. She had started biting the ropes with her teeth when Twilight’s light flashed her. Starlight pause, still gnawing at the vine, and looked up (or down?) to see Twilight standing under her with an amused grin.
“Oh…hey, Twilight…,” said Starlight, giggling embarrassingly. “I uh…guess you found me….”
“Hey, Starlight,” Twilight greeted casually. “I think it goes without asking, but…how did you get up there?”
“Well, to be honest, I had no idea where I was going,” Starlight admitted. “So I thought I could climb up to the top of the trees and look for the exit. But when I started climbing, I bumped into a raven’s nest – or was it a crow? Anyway, the evil thing pecked me in the face and I lost my balance. And then, well, you can figure it out from there.”
“You know, this never would’ve happened if you hadn’t run off like that,” said Twilight pointedly.
“Yeah, yeah, can you just get me down already?” Starlight asked. “The blood is starting to rush to my head.”
“Not until you promise not to run away again,” Twilight demanded.
“I promise I won’t run away again,” Starlight agreed with a groan. Twilight gave her a disbelieving look; Starlight sighed exasperatedly and continued, “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Happy now?”
“Very,” said Twilight with a smug grin.
Twilight turned her horn and shot a single beam of magic from the tip. The beam sliced one of the vines, which appeared to be enough as Starlight suddenly fell out of the tree. Starlight stopped herself from hitting the ground by levitating her whole body, turning herself around so that she landed on her hooves. Under normal circumstances, Twilight would ask how she did it – she had never heard of a unicorn who could levitate themselves before! But the lavender mare shook the thought away and pointed a hoof at Starlight.
“Mind explaining what the hay happened back there?” questioned Twilight. “You could’ve hurt everypony. Tempest could’ve gotten a concussion.”
“She’s fine; she tough,” Starlight grumbled, plopping down on her flank.
“That’s not the point,” Twilight shook her head. “Why were you being so difficult? That spell is our best chance at finding the castle of the regal ponies.”
“But if we use it to find the castle, it’ll be gone for good,” said Starlight, turning her head away, frowning. “I can’t let that happen. I need it. We can just find some other way to get to the castle – “
“And who knows how long that will take, if we even make it at all!” Twilight snapped. “Every minute we waste, the rest of Equestria suffers under Daybreaker’s curse! That spell is the fastest way to solve everything!” Starlight huffed and turned her back completely to Twilight. “Do you realize how many ponies are counting on us to find the Elements? We can’t keep wasting time like this! How can you be so selfish?!”
“I deserve to be selfish!” Starlight roared, finally spinning around to Twilight. “I’ve already lost everything that’s ever mattered to me! This is all I have left!”
Twilight went silent, momentarily stunned, then asked, “What do you mean? Starlight…what’s the real reason you won’t give up the tracker spell?”
Starlight visibly deflated at the question, staring at the ground despondently as she sat down again. Twilight took a seat across from her, not saying anything. She wanted to give Starlight a chance to explain herself at her own pace; forcing her to answer would only cause her to respond negatively. And after a few seconds of silence, Starlight sighed and raised her eyes.
“When I was a filly, I had a best friend named Sunburst,” she said in a hollow voice. “He and I did everything together. In fact, I don't remember us ever being apart. Until one day, when we were playing, I accidentally knocked over a bookshelf and nearly got crushed underneath. Sunburst used his magic to save me, and that’s when his…his Cutie Mark appeared.”
“That’s wonderful,” said Twilight cheerfully. “You know, I got my cutie mark for using magic, too – “
“Well, la-dee-doodle-dah!” Starlight said harshly. “I am sooo happy for you. Everypony was happy when Sunburst got his Cutie Mark! Everypony except me! You know why? Because I lost my best friend that day! His family recognized his magical talent and sent him off to Canterlot! And I never saw him again!”
“Well, why not?” asked Twilight.
“Because of his cutie mark!” Starlight howled furiously. “He got his, and I didn't! He moved on, and I didn't! I stayed in Sire’s Hollow and never made another friend because I was too afraid another Cutie Mark would take them away, too!”
“…So that’s the reason why you were in Canterlot during the festival,” Twilight as realization dawned on her. “That’s why you won’t give up the tracker spell. It’s because you want to find Sunburst, isn’t it?”
“I came to Canterlot hoping to find him at Princess Luna’s School for Gifted Unicorns,” Starlight admitted. “But when I didn’t, I tried the festival, and ended up getting caught up in all this mess. That’s why I need the tracker spell. So I can find him and drag him back home where he belongs. With me.”
“But what if he doesn’t want to go back - ?” Twilight started.
“Then I’ll make him come back!” Starlight hissed. “I’ll drag him back home and I’ll get rid of that dumb Cutie Mark! I know a spell that will do the trick! Without his Cutie Mark, nopony will ever take him away from me and we will be happy again!”
“Starlight, you’re being ridiculous,” twilight said disapprovingly. “A cutie mark can't take your friends away.”
“What would you know what it's like to lose a friend?!” Starlight snarled. “Moon Dancer made it very clear that you never even had friends before! You don’t know anything about what it’s like to have something so important taken away from you that you struggle to breath! What it feels like to have your heart shattered into a million pieces!” Tears were now openly running down Starlight’s face. “You don’t have friends, Twilight Sparkle! So you don’t have any right to tell me about friendship!”
Twilight opened her mouth to rebuttal, but closed it soon after, She was right, after all. Twilight never had friends before; at least she never thought she had friends before today. Her recent talk with Moon Dancer showed her just how poorly she understood friendship, so she couldn’t refute Starlight’s claims.
But still…seeing Starlight sitting across from her, sniffling with ugly tears flowing down her muzzle…. Twilight couldn’t just leave her like this; not when she was already in so much pain….
“You’re right,” Twilight admitted softly. “I don’t know anything about friendship. Until today, I never cared about anything other than books and magic. I always thought friends as something that got in my way….”
“See!” said Starlight, pointing an accusing hoof.
“But – “ Twilight interjected sharply, “I’m learning to be a better pony now. I’ve made up with Moon Dancer and promised to be more attentive to her thoughts and feelings. I promised that I would stay by Sunset’s side no matter what happens in the end. And I think, maybe, I could learn to be a better friend to you, Starlight glimmer. And not just me – all of us could be your friends, even Tempest and Trixie.” She offered her hoof to Starlight. “What do you say, Starlight?”
“…It would never work,” Starlight muttered bitterly. “We’re all so different. It would never work out.”
“Yeah, Tempest can be moody, Sunset is kinda arrogant, and Trixie has a gigantic ego,” said Twilight, giggling. “But I think those differences could make our friendship stronger.”
“I thought Sunburst and I were the same,” Starlight sniffled. “But we turned out different, and it tore our friendship apart….”
“So try again; make new friends,” Twilight suggested optimistically. “And if something that you can't control happens that changes things, work through it together. I may not know much about friendship, but I do know that everypony’s is important, including yours. Just imagine all the ponies out there waiting for you if you just give them a chance.”
“How do I know they won't all end the same way?” Starlight mumbled uncertainly.
“I guess it's up to you to make sure they don't,” said Twilight, resting a gentle hoof on her shoulder.
“But…it’s been so long since I’ve had any friends,” Starlight said softly, hanging her head drearily. “I don’t even know how to be a good friend anymore….”
“Personally, I think you’re off to a decent start.”
Twilight and Starlight jumped up with startled gasps. Twilight turned her beam in the direction of the voice and flashed it over Sunset, Moon Dancer, Trixie, and Tempest who were lurking in the shadow of the trees.
“What’re you ponies doing here?” asked Twilight, blinking. “I thought I told you to wait back at the camp.”
“Trixie…kinda ran out of scarves,” said Trixie, rubbing the back of her head with a sheepish grin while hold the end of the colorful strand.
“So much for the Magical Never-Ending Scarves of Mystery,” Tempest mumbled.
“Like I was saying,” said Sunset, approaching Starlight with a kind smile, “I think you’re doing all right so far, all things considered. I mean, I was incredibly conceited and lied to everypony – “
“And I was rude and offensive,” Moon Dancer added.
“But we’re learning to be better ponies,” Sunset continued, patting Twilight on the back kindly. “All of us. And it might be just me personally, but I think we could learn to be friends, too.”
“Even if you are incredibly selfish,” Trixie said aloud.
“Trixie!” Moon Dancer scolded her.
“So are we using the tracking spell or not?” Tempest interjected impatiently, getting straight to the point. “That is the reason we came looking for her, isn’t it?”
Starlight looked away sadly as Tempest approached the lilac unicorn with an intimidating glare when Twilight suddenly stepped in between them, plopping her flank down and stretching out her arms protectively.
“No, we’re not using the spell?” said Twilight defiantly.
“Wh – are you kidding me?!” Tempest groaned exasperatedly.
“If Starlight doesn’t want to use the tracking spell, then we have no right to pressure her,” said Twilight firmly. “That page is very important to her. It’s Starlight’s best chance of seeing her friend again. If we’re going to be her friends, too, then we should respect her wishes.”
“Are you ponies hearing this?” Tempest groaned to the other mares.
“If it’s that important to Starlight, I say we let her keep it,” Sunset offered her opinion.
“I second that motion,” Moon Dancer added with a raised hoof.
“Have no fear,” Trixie announced dramatically with a swoosh of her cape, “for the Great and Powerful Trixie will surely find a way to our destination without the need for that dusty old magic paper!”
“…You are all so – urgh! Unbelievable!” Tempest groaned, but nonetheless admitted her defeat and stomped to the back of the group. “I knew I should’ve stayed in Klugetown….”
“Are…are you sure about this?” Starlight stammered, surprised. “The spell is the best chance we have at finding the castle of the two sisters.”
“It may be our best chance,” said Twilight, helping Starlight to her hooves. “But it’s not the only one. If it’s that important to you, then we won’t force you to give it up. Besides, with five smart mares like us – and Trixie – “
“Hey!” Trixie shouted indignantly.
“I’m sure we can think of something.” Twilight turned to the others, pointing her hoof like a drill sergeant. “All right, ponies, it’s crunch time! We need some ideas and we need them now!”
“We could try climbing to the top of the trees and figure out where to go from there,” Sunset suggested.
“Starlight already tried that!”
“We could try walking around marking the places we’ve been to before,” said Moon Dancer.
“Too time consuming! Anything else?!”
“Trixie could fly us over the trees using her amazing and impressive firework collection,” Trixie offered proudly.
“Trixie, stop making suggestion!”
Starlight couldn't resist the subtle smile that crossed her lips while watching her…friends pitch ideas back and forth. And none of them brought up Starlight’s tracker spell again, not even Tempest, who was leaning in the background with an annoyed look. Starlight looked down at the page in her hoof, thinking long and hard, before heaving an exhausted sigh and stepped forward.
“We should use the spell,” Starlight spoke up, holding up the page. “It’ll take us to the castle in no time.”
“But Starlight, that spell is your best chance at finding Sunburst,” said Twilight, looking uncertain.
“It may be my best chance, but it’s not the only one,” Starlight smiled, parroting Twilight’s words. “I still want to find Sunburst someday. And when I do…I want to introduce him my new friends…and Trixie, too, I guess.”
“Okay, seriously, what did Trixie ever do to you?!” Trixie yelled.
“Thank you, Starlight,” said Twilight appreciatively. “I know you’re giving up a lot for this.”
“Well, it’d be useless anyway if everypony in Equestia was roasted alive,” Tempest pointed out.
“It’s the thought that counts!” Twilight snapped, frowning. With the mood effectively killed by the emotionally stunted unicorn, Twilight levitated the page from Starlight’s hoof to Sunset. “You need to burn the page to activate the magic, right? Mind doing the honors, Sunset?”
“With pleasure,” Sunset grinned.
The sunny mare tapped her horn to the middle of the paper and ignited it. Crackling flames quickly spread from the point of contact and engulfed the page. Even though she knew it was the right thing to do, Starlight still let out a small whimper as she watched the spell be consumed in the blaze. Thankfully, Twilight offered a gentle hoof to the mare, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Twilight is a better friend than she believes, Starlight thought.
The page puffed up briefly before curling up into a little fireball no bigger than a hoof, the flames shifting color to whitish-blue. It looked like a will-o’-the-wisp. The ghostly orb hovered in place for a few seconds, then it shot over Sunset’s head into the shadow of the trees, leaving an ethereal trail of glittering-blue mist in its wake.
“It’s headed for the castle!” Moon Dancer cried. “After it!”
The Mane 6 took off galloping, knowing they were one step closer to the Elements of Harmony.
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A lot of things to like about this chapter— got quite a few laughs out of me, despite the (necessary) drama.
I see what you did there.
Also— how does Starlight know the Pinkie Promise?
10481993
*Looks to the left*
Pinkie: *giggles insanely while typing*
10482001
...
...
Fair enough.
Loved the update!
Ah... I have a feeling them ignoring the staff and 'remove all cutie marks' book might be a mistake that will come back to bite them, probably after Daybreaker is defeated though...
Oh Well, at least we have our element of
equalityI mean Generosity.I’m loving it! I just wanted to mention I saw several minor grammar issues, you have a few spots where tense is incorrect, like when you mention Starlight *GrimaceED*, you wrote grimace instead. There’s also a disconnect between “we don’t use the spell?” And the words *defiantly* so it would probably be best to remove the question mark in that line.
Ah, it’s coming along nicely. Great chapter.
It's reminded me, will Starlight restore the filly's cutie mark? It's so cruel if she didn't, especially when she become the official elements holder.
Interesting way of displaying Generosity for Starlight, adn the book scene made me laugh more than it probably should
It makes me interested in seeing how you would write her eventual meeting with Sunburst.
PS: will this story go beyond the premier of the show?
10482462
I do plan to continue this after, but in a separate story.
10482472
That's perfect. I wonder how season five would be with the reformed Starlgiht
10482383
It was a colt. And yeah, she'd damn well better fix that.
how long until the next chapter? it's just so good!
Okay, I’ll just go along with this then...
Twilight: So you have chosen...death!
Hey, I got Starlight's Element right!
How does Starlight know about the Pinkie Promise, just curious.
And what's up with the Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V again with that dialogue...
Also, loving the banter towards Trixie, all that is really funny.
10482472
Oh so this is just going to cover the premiere?
10484336
Yes
Why didn't they just copy the spell onto another piece of paper?
10516745
It isn't as simple as writing the words down. The paper itself is infused with magic and not everyone is capable of making a complex spell of that caliber. Otherwise, it wouldn't be that rare.
Shouldn't it be: "Gee, tell us how you really feel,"?
Damn I was enjoying this but Starlight's backstory did a number on me. I can enjoy Starlight stories but ones where her backstory is mentioned and no one says "why didn't you write? Hey plenty of people have had friends move away, it sucks but it happens, etc." Are hard to swallow. No insult to your writing I enjoyed it alot, and I am defintaly being to much of a purist, but that's me.
I love how they keep roasting Trixie
My prediction was:
Starlight Glimmer - Generosity
Check on this one. And after this chapter I am thinking that Twilight will still be Magic... Aww, I wanted to see her as Loyalty. Oh well.