Survival of the Wolves

by JNKing

Chapter 4: Tests and Chances

As Star was escorted back to her cell, she reflected on how this wasn’t the first time Celestia had her tossed in the dungeons before.

She recalled a time that the nobles loved to laugh about when they saw her. It was fuzzy for Star, but according to their stories, they had managed to get Celestia to throw a month-old Star into the dungeons for crying too loudly.

An easier memory to recall was when Star was two, and had just tried to enter preschool. Two other unicorn fillies took one look at her leathery wings, and ran screaming to their parents. Their parents got Celestia, and the next thing Star knew, she was in the dungeons. The other children quickly learned how they could get Star in trouble just for screaming about her wings or colors, and Star quickly learned to only associate with her story-book heroes from then on.

But even then, that wasn’t enough. After all, how could she forget the indignity she had suffered when she just tried ‘smiling’ at one of the nobles? Off they went to Celestia, screaming about how Star had ‘bared her teeth’ at them like some sort of dog, and back into the cells Star went.

It’ll all be worth it, though! Star tried to think. I’ll do something great, and then they’ll regret ever messing with me.

Almost like fate was testing her, a BOOM suddenly shook the corridor. Darkness fell over the windows. The guards turned.

“What was that?” one of them demanded. “W-What’s happening!”

“HELP!” another voice cried. Several nobles ran down the corridor. “A monster is attacking Celestia! It already destroyed the throne room.”

A monster! Star shuddered in glee. This is my moment!

She looked down at the cuffs she had on. The guards may have had the keys, but Wing remembered her stories. She remembered a master thief who had managed to pick a lock with his teeth. And when Star had brought the idea up to Flash Magnus, he had assured her such a thing was possible.

Jamming her sharpest tooth into the lock, Star twisted, feeling a sharp jolt of pain that was immediately rectified by the cuffs bursting loose.

The guards screamed, trying to catch her with a spell, but Star lashed the cuffs like she had read an ancient Neighponese warrior do with a weapon called ‘nunchaku.’

Though young, her alicorn strength gave her an advantage, and the nobles raced away screaming as the guards hit the ground, groaning as the felt at their dented helmets.

Star tossed the cuffs aside. “You’ll thank me later,” she assured him, before beating her wings like a hummingbird and taking flight.

Back towards the throne room she went, as the sound of combat drew closer. Nobles ran screaming from the battle. Several fainted when they saw Star Wing coming for them.

But Star flew over their crying, fainting bodies, and pressed on towards her ultimate goal: This is it! This is finally it! They’re gonna feel so horrible for how they treated me and Mom. Why I’ll bet Mom’s already helping out. Kicking names and taking flank! Or however it goes!

Unfortunately, it was not to be, as Star soon found out. At first, Fate denied her; as she burst into the throne room, a one-liner already on her lips, she found only a broken room. Lord Ego lay bloodied and broken in a pile of rubble, a moan the only sign of life from him. At first, Star looked around, ready for an ambush. Then a scream of agony drew her eyes up.

Celestia tumbled out of the sky, her white fur ashen and her regalia broken. She hit the ground with a brutal CRUNCH, and lay where she had fallen. Up above her, a dark figure was silhouetted against the black moon, laughing just like the villains in Star’s stories.

Star grinned confidently, and launched into the air.

“Oh-ho, don’t you start laughing now, honey,” Star Wing taunted. “It’s not over till the fat mare… sings?”

As she drew level with the villain, she couldn’t help but notice how… familiar the villain looked. Yeah, the black fur and the regalia were new, but she knew that mane. And the eyes – even changed – had a familiar light to them. A light that brightened as the two alicorns circled each other.

“Star?” Luna’s voice emanated from the villain. “M-My Beloved Star?”

Star’s fight left her. “Mom?” she whispered. She drifted closer. “What happened to you?”

Luna looked down at her hooves, horror crossing her face. “I… they took you from me,” she whispered. “They…”

“I-It’s okay,” Star insisted, looking down. Celestia was still breathing. So was Lord Ego – as bad as that was. “W-We can fix this!” Star insisted. “Mom, we… I’m sure we can fix this! All we have to do is…”

But before she could think of something, a spear shot between them. Royal Guard pegasi were racing towards them, spears at the ready. Flash in the lead.

“Don’t give up, Star Wing,” Flash called. “We’re coming to help.”

“No, stop!” Star insisted, trying to block them. Flash paused, staring at her in confusion, while the guards behind him laughed.

“What happened to ‘I’m gonna be a hero?’” one of them mocked. He indicated Luna. “There’s your chance, ‘hero!’ Go on, fight her!”

Star spun, despair and horror in her eyes. Luna stared at her, shaking her head pleadingly.

Star couldn’t do it. This was her mother! There had to be another way!

Then, they all saw a light shining from below. Celestia had gotten back up. And she had some sort of gem set with her.

Star Wing’s heart dropped. The Elements of Harmony.

“Celestia, no!” Star pleaded, dropping out of the sky. “Don’t…!”

“Star, stop!” Flash cried.

But the other guards launched past him.

“I knew it,” one of them growled, aiming his spear at Star’s body. “Like mother, like devil cursed daughter!”

“KEEP AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!” Luna bellowed, as a powerful ray of light shot towards the guards.

As the guards screamed in terror, Celestia shot up between them and the beam. The Elements of Harmony flashed with light of their own, and Star Wing was blinded by an explosion of color.

When Star could see clearly again… she saw that her mother was gone. Celestia drifted slowly to the ground, her eyes – wide and horrified - locked on the moon as it slowly lowered. A mare had been imprinted across the moon’s silver surface.

My mother, Star thought.

Star sunk to the ground, unable to notice Celestia beginning to cry. Unable to care about the guards, who glared at how close Star was and descended, pointing their spears at her.

Star’s chance was gone. She had the opportunity to be a hero, and she had lost it. And not only that… she had lost her mother. The one pony who actually loved her; who had tried to protect her from the hate. Unknown to Luna, her presence had been what allowed Star to keep smiling in the face of adversity.

But now she was gone. And though she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the moon, her thestral enhanced hearing could pick up the guards and nobles.

“I knew it. I knew it! That Moon Spawn talked all that nonsense about being a hero, but where was she during all this?”

“Now that Luna isn’t around to protect her, let’s send her the same way as the wolves.”

Star couldn’t take it anymore. She didn’t know how to fix this, and she didn’t have the strength to care. Turning from the guards, the nobles, Celestia, and everyone else who had hated her, Star finally indulged their one desire.

And she ran.

Unfortunately, Flash was faster than her. He skidded to a halt in front of her as she left the castle behind.

“Star,” he protested. “Star, what are you doing?!”

"I failed, Uncle Flash,” she stammered, struggling not to panic. “I couldn’t fight her! I couldn’t prove I was a hero, and they’re gonna kill me! The nobles, they’re…”

Flash hushed her, holding her close. “Star Wing, I assure you: no pony could fight their own loving mother, and I know how much Princess Luna meant to you.” His ears flattened. “But you’re right about the nobles. I fear they’ve been planning your death for some time. They’ve just been waiting for the right moment.”

Star hunched over, struggling to breath. “Oh, Faust, what do I do?” she mumbled, before Flash picked her back up.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not going to let it happen.”

He moved her to a small grove at the edge of the forest. Briefly, he raced back to the castle. But he returned just as quickly, with Star’s saddlebags in his teeth.

"Listen to me, Star Wing,” he said as he landed. “I can't stay long, but you must flee. Run, hide, and never come back. If the nobles find you, they will kill you, and I can't let that happen. In your saddlebags are everything you'll need to start, including some of your belongings."

He then pulled out a familiar medal in the shape of a gold alicorn head, facing to the right with silver edging, two wings fully spread open, and a ribbon with a white center stripe and midnight blue side stripes. The eye was an emerald, the horn was decorated with tiny sapphires, the two spread wings with tiny rubies along the length of the feathers, and the ribbon clip was in the shape of the Castle of the Two Sisters and decorated with diamonds.

“Is that… Daddy’s High Royal Order?” she asked as Flash draped it around her neck. “B-But that’s one of the highest awards in Equestria! What did I do to…”

“He asked me to give it to you when you were old enough, but now I know I wouldn't have another chance,” Flash replied. He gave her one more tight hug before taking a few steps back. "Now run Star, run away. Hide. In the forest. Anywhere. Never come back."

He pointed to the forest, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. Star nodded, and raced into the forest, struggling not to look back.

And as Flash watched the filly of his best friend vanish into the dark, he looked to the sky and took his helmet off.

"Dear Faust, if you're watching, please watch over her. Please.”

Flash put his helmet back on and stood there for a minute, making sure Star had escaped before turning and flying back towards the Castle.

What he hadn’t told the young alicorn was that even if she had fought her own mother - even if she had won - the nobles still would have had her killed. They’d been planning it since Star had been born. The only thing that stopped them was Princess Luna, as the nobles greatly feared her wrath, despite how much they hated her.

"But now they'll never get the chance," Flash thought firmly as he returned to the castle. He did his best to hide his look of disgust as he flew by the trembling nobles peering out of the castle windows. "If only you could hear me, you slimy snakes. I'll never let you have that filly for your foul schemes."

Yet, despite his defiant thoughts, he couldn't help but glance back.

And feel his heart drop into his chest as he recognized the gnarled trunks and pitch black leaves of the forest Star had just disappeared into.

"By Faust... Did I send her into the Ever-Free?!"

Comments

[The_Chill_Author]

It's official, Flash Magnus is my favorite character. Now for my prediction for the next chapter.

My theory is that Star Wing would go into the Everfree Forest and meet up with Shiva and her pack, Shiva being a dog can somewhat read emotions. Shiva takes Star Wing under her wing, Flash Magnus tracks Star Wing down. He gets attacked by Shiva and her packmates, during the scuffle Star uses her Royal Canterlot Voice to tell them to stop fighting. Causing the Royal Guard to find out where Star Wing and the dogs have been hiding.

But hey that's just a theory.

A FANFIC THEORY!

AND CUT!

[Loganic]

No “redemption” you don’t need redemption when your in the right. Burn down Canterlot. I don’t care if take centuries. A city like that deserves to burn.