This story is a sequel to The Runaway Bodyguard
Now includes AU sequel starting with Ch 31: Starlight and the Persistent Princess. Starlight Glimmer's magic is self-taught. To fix the holes in her education, she won entrance to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. She has secrets, however, a past she wants to forget, and she knows how to fight very well. Despite her assumed name, certain facts are discovered—fortunately not by Celestia. She really wants to attend the school, and must compromise with ponies who want her as their tool. Sometimes it sucks being popular!
[Ratings are weird. I suspect instant downvoting. PM to discuss.]
The Enforcer and Her Blackmailers is the original story in the Enforcerverse. It was originally a standalone one-shot, and I’ve tried to preserve that feel. (The characters demanded I write more after the fact, including the prequel.) Remastering it added and corrected it with details from the prequel, carrying forward threads written four years subsequently. It is still standalone and can be read that way.
Carrying forward the threads from The Runaway Bodyguard implied a possible fulfillment of Celestia’s plans and Starlight’s education, experience, and uniquely fungible ethics—if I were to allow the one action by Celestia that prevents Starlight from becoming the canon “Our Town” Starlight in the show. I’ve added those chapters and they are clearly marked as an AU ending.
I've added the [Sex] and [Violence] tags. Nothing particularly graphic, but Starlight does talk from her experience, and some fighting has to be described. Starlight tells her story with brutal disregard for what ponies think about her. She is not shy.
Image (c)2016 by Riakoh-Illust, commissioned for this story. (Click source to see final artwork.) Titling by me.
Thank you to Javarod, the pre-reader for this story.
Why is this remastered? What happened with the original?
11149917
In 2021, I wrote a prequel to the original 2016 story and wanted to give new readers a consistent experience in the “sequel.”
The prequel defined precise events for which the original gave vague details,
By “remastering” the story, I have rewritten scenes for detail and added content. For example, the first chapter now gives really good reasons for Starlight’s PTSD, while foreshadowing events better. Sunset’s and her relationship is now a little more “palpable.” It also allowed me to improve the in-writing (and to destroy typos).
It allowed me to do one other thing: Extend the original story 30K words with a new, alternate ending. There’s more in the long description.
I left the original story unchanged here, in case you want to compare.
Why so many downvotes?
11171690
Some are earned, definitely; Enforcer is not your little sister’s MLP. I got some flash downvotes, immediately after chapter posts. I speculate that some dislike sequels, or remasters (I was upfront about it), or Starlight stories, or that I posted every day for a while.
If you are upvote 17, thank you. You made my day.
Stick with me for the next 10 chapters. Starlight’s life is always a rollercoaster.
I remember reading the original and enjoyed it. The one image of 'Starlight Glimmer as Grimoire' that was fanart is still my phone's background.
Holding off on reading this though until it gets further on, but looking forward to it.
11185967
I'm honored that you remember it. From the debut in 2016, or more recently? I'd certainly like a link to any fan art.
Well, this is a different Starlight than the one we met in the canon of the show, lol. This was a good AU story and thanks for posting it. And if you want to write any sort of sequel then I vote for "Will Starlight end the scourge of Cutie Marks?"
11215731
Thank you for the complement. Much appreciated!
Yep. What if Starlight were to use all her piss and vinegar, her obsessive interest in magic, her complete misunderstanding of friendship, and her controlling tendencies, not to mention her cutie mark talent—and go good, not evil? Healing magic is definitely non-canon, as is her handling of the opposite sex*, but the rest? I think I pegged her personality, and ability to justify herself out of any ticklish situation, but that's for the reader to decide.
You picked the hardest one. She does obsess about things! I suspect it is more of a internal journey for her that plays out over a number of stories, likely with Sunset's assistance, until something goes badly wrong. You may have noticed that 603-verse Starlight actually has lots of friends, and learned many friendship lessons along the way through the two main stories. She even slipped and admitted it in chapter 40. Self-delusion is a wonderful thing. Applicable to cutie marks.
As for another take on her feelings about cutie marks and what to do about them, with a somewhat different but similar Starlight, may I recommend my first story? Yes, I think Starlight is best pony, especially from an author standpoint.
- MLP: FiM
- Adventure
- Mystery
Starlight Glimmer's reputation proceeds her. Having made mistakes before doesn't mean she wants to make them now. Choice is important in equalization therapy, as in life.*Save Sunburst, who ties her in knots, and her first horrifying experience (Ch 13 of The Runaway Bodyguard) , which she found the positive in and used to make herself stronger.
Huh. I never noticed that!
I always wished they did that in the pony shows. It looked so cool in Clash of the Titans!
I've been wondering, when Starlight puts on her stilted horseshoes, does she need to put in/remove nails to keep it attached?
Could you be the first fanfic author who thought of this? I seriously don't think I've read about adhesives for horn rings before!
Well that's honestly a quite surprising twist!
Now that I think about it,
It was pretty suspicious that the media ran the story that Starlight was kidnapped, since she had knocked out Rock Scissors. Surely Proper Step must have known that she ran away. This all makes sense now!
Agh, it's over already!? Seriously though, I loved this and The Runaway Bodyguard. I just wish I knew how Sunset is doing after she was set up like that. She was pretty mad that Celestia hadn't been giving her enough attention, I wonder how Starlight being her newest pupil complicates Starlight and Sunset's relationship even further. The clothing, the fighting, and the magic all give these stories a very unique flavor. I love ponies with clothes, and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of Prince Blueblood and Princess Cadance! I'll have to go back and read the stories set before this one, now.
With all the running she does I’m surprised she’s not a timelord
Starlight has a really bad habit of assuming what others will think.
Eventually, Shimmy is gonna realize Boss is using mind magic on her.
I like the AU direction you took this. I'm sure I'll enjoy the next story currently in writing.
11815851
Thank you!