Starlight Glimmer comes face to face with her own past
Starlight Glimmer is doing her best to integrate herself in Ponyville. She had left the town she ruled behind and is now finding a new place where her past might just be a distant memory. But she, like most ponies, doesn't get that chance. An unknown threat looms over Ponyville and it is a power beyond their time and space. In order to defeat it, they have to understand it.
At the outskirts of Ponyville, Fluttershy and her animal friends were getting things together for a tea party. Everything was lovely as always and nothing seemed out of the ordinary for the yellow mare. Her cottage was just teeming with life.
“Settle down, everybody. The tea is just about done,” she said. She picked up a blue teapot and set it down on a large saucer in the middle of her table. Her many animals who could sit were all around on little benches or chairs while large ones, bears and goats and such, sat on the ground. The table was low enough for the little ones that crowded around.
Fluttershy hummed to no one in particular, a happy little tune that easily drowned out the now quieting squawks, squeals and chatter of the animals. As she reached for a tray of cakes out of a pantry, she then realized that it was all too quiet. Not even her Angel Bunny, who would normally be tapping his foot impatiently by now, made as much as a whimper. She whipped her head in alarm, wondering what could be wrong. When she looked at her animals, she let out shortened sigh, halfway between confusion and alarm, and her eyes grew larger than the saucers on the table. Each and every one of them were asleep. Even the birds quietly nestled in their birdhouses and the snakes curled up like pieces of coiled rope. It was as if they were all given sleeping pills.
She walked around them cautiously, reaching closer only to nudge them as she sometimes did while they were sick. But they didn’t seem ill by any standard and Fluttershy was utterly flummoxed as to what could be the reason for the occurrence of such mass slumber. Fluttershy felt ants crawling up her legs and she had to go outside. She had to tell somepony what happened. She opened her front door and stepped outside into the bright air of morning. A sharp wind was being blown through the low valleys towards the heart of town and Fluttershy shivered. The crystal spike of the Friendship Castle cast rainbows in every direction. She thought to go towards the castle and talk to her friend, Princess Twilight, to get her advice. Twilight knows every kind of magic in existence. She would know what to do in a heartbeat.
Walking down her stone path towards the main road, she heard water running. She looked down towards the garden where the noise was coming from and saw Mr. Greenhooves lying in the middle of a patch of carrot plants, one of his newest gardens he planted last month. The hose kept running and had already made a puddle that looked like a tiny pond in the middle of the garden, drowning the plants. Fluttershy gasped and ran towards her friend. She quickly shut off the water and made sure that the large brown pony was safe and not in danger of drowning from all the water. He was okay even if his mane was wet and his little wisp of a beard soaked in mud. Not being able to pick him up, she had to leave him be. She didn’t have the muscles.
More than ever, she had to go to town and get help. She went to the road and hurried, as fast as a pony like her could go which was not that fast by most pony standards, towards town. Fluttershy hated to run for long as it caused her heart to flutter and she sometimes forgot if she was chasing something or if she was being chased. But her fear could easily overrode the burning sensation in her lungs and the awfulness of sweat entering her eyes. She soon came across a pony walking on the bridge where she had kicked carts of garbage on Sweetie Drops and her friend that one time years ago. The pony was going even slower than Fluttershy normally did when meandering to town, sniffing wild flowers or to converse with the bees. Even she had to skid to a stop.
This pony, she didn’t recognize. Her coat was a vivid pink color. There was a crystal, the color possibly between salmon or light red, surrounded by an aura on her flank. The wind blew the pony’s mane and tail, strands of the choppy blonde hair hanging in the breeze. On her head, she wore a polka dotted bonnet, which covered the back of her head.
“Excuse me? Have you seen anything unusual around here?” Fluttershy asked her. The pony stopped walking but stared forward as if she didn’t understand. Fluttershy cleared her throat. “Excuse me,” she repeated, slightly louder as she normally did when somepony didn’t catch what she said.
The pony definitely heard it and turned her head in kind. Her eyes were colored the blue of the deep sea, which reminded Fluttershy of the depths of the Manehattan waters. “What do you mean?” Her voice was as light and clear as a bell but strained as if it wasn’t meant to speak the language of ponies.
Fluttershy hunched her shoulders uncomfortably. “Huh?”
“This world is nothing but strange. It is why I seek the one named Twilight Sparkle.” Fluttershy then saw the same crystal hanging from a string around the pony’s neck. As soon as she did, she fell into a sudden daze which distorted her balance and senses worse than the first time she fell out of the clouds as a foal. She dropped to her knees, her hair falling over her face and she let a low moan escape.
“What….is going on...” she struggled to say. Her mind pulsed. She hadn’t felt anything like this since Discord took control of her mind. She couldn’t hang on for long. The pony stepped forward nonchalantly, the crystal radiating with pink energy. She bent forward as if studying Fluttershy’s eyes.
“You are not the one I seek.” She turned around and left her without a care in her voice. Fluttershy succumbed to the strange magic and collapsed in a heap on the bridge. She was soon fast sleep like her animals and Mr. Greenhooves.
At the castle where Fluttershy had been off in a hurry towards, Princess Twilight was sorting out books, her sole companion a recent addition to town, the mare by the name of Starlight Glimmer.
Starlight was settling into town, the same as Twilight was years ago. Like Twilight, she had a hard time learning ponies’ names and how things were done in town. Ponyville mannerisms was a far cry from the orderly place she had kept in the distant wilderness. Twilight promised that things would improve over time and as far as she could see, her words rang true. Starlight met the others right away as they came and went more than anypony else, just as Twilight had met them so fast; and many more ponies she bumped into around town from meeting the mayor, the Cutie Mark Crusaders social club, and most of the professionals in town like Mr. and Mrs. Cake. After everything that happened, it was such a smooth transition from former foe to fierce friend.
She knew that Twilight saw her smiling more often, especially when she had found a book she long forgot that Twilight had in her vast collection. The town of equals forbade books with material that had anything to do with the world beyond them lest they corrupt themselves by inequality. Because of this, she hung out mostly at the library, another literary friend like so many of Twilight’s unicorn pals like Sunset Shimmer and Moondancer.
Starlight was acquainting herself with the – now newly reorganized – library catalogue that fit in several tall file cabinets. She loved to find books on magic of course and in that pursuit, continued to learn a lot more about the art. She wanted to find one particular text but with Twilight’s constant reorganizing, often just for fun which exasperated some ponies, she often had to consult Twilight herself on the matter. She lately had been interested in learning about the history of Equestria, especially about King Sombra and the Crystal Empire, just one out of many bad futures she had nearly imposed on the whole world not too long ago. She remembered also banning history books too. Just recalling her foolish belief that the only thing that mattered was the future often made her flush with embarrassment. She looked around but didn’t see Twilight nearby. The library was silent as it always was. She wished to know where the book about the evil king was so she needed to go ask.
It turned out that Twilight was fetching a book for her friend, Rarity, who is a born and raised Ponyville celebrity and well-known fashion designer across all of Equestria. Like most unicorns, she read too but she almost always stuck to non-fiction, particularly about the fashion industry. Twilight never did much personal delivery of books but with her closest friends, she would make exceptions. After all, with a deadline came little time to try to “consort with a giant mess of indexes” as Rarity might have said. Twilight was sliding a book from its place at a high shelf in the non-fiction section. It was well used and Twilight knew the cover by heart despite only once giving it a cursory glance. It didn’t interest her in the slightest. Spike the Dragon was nearby, wheeling a cart of books down the hall.
“Spike, if you may, please take this book to Rarity,” Twilight said.
Spike stopped wheeling the thing and arched his left eyebrow. “She should really consider just buying it from you. She rents it like once a week or something. I think she’s the only pony who reads it,” he replied.
“But that would defeat the purpose of this being a library,” Twilight said impatiently, obviously wanting him to just do as she asked. The book hovered towards him.
“Fine…I guess it’s been a while since I’ve visited her anyway.” Spike took the book out of the air, his sharp claws nearly indenting the cover.
They heard clopping on the polished stone floor as Starlight entered that part of the library. A new cold air greeted Starlight as the entered the non-fiction wing. The desert where she lived was cold too but this was different. She could embrace this cool air of knowledge that drifted among the shiny crystal pillars and the old parchment. She could embrace her new self who loves books for their own sake and not as a method of crushing the spirit of ponies under her hoof. She wished to become completely new, to abandon the magic she used to possess, and become entangled in the simple life of a small kingdom. That was all she looked forward to having in the world.
“Twilight, where would the books about King Sombra be located?” she asked from afar, her voice echoing slightly off of the rows of bookshelves.
“Who knows, this place changes like once a week,” Spike said. He obviously referred to the total maze of this library compared to the old and relatively cozy library Twilight used to have where books could be found with a quick push of a ladder.
Twilight grumbled. “That’s not true. I just do it once, er, maybe twice a month.” Spike shrugged his shoulders at her attempt to downplay her excessive desire to organize and started to walk out, throwing a quick “good luck” to Starlight.
Twilight regained her focus. “So, that book…it would be over in the History of the Crystal Empire section.”
“So not in Notable Rulers?”
“I…sort of got rid of that section. Not enough books to justify it and all.”
They walked together to one of the bookshelves and found the area concerning the Crystal Empire. Some of them are from the empire itself, their covers adorned with crystals. Starlight felt excited just being around books she had never read. The light shown through the crystals high up on the top shelf, making them look like stars. A student of learning, she thought it looked beautiful.
“You knew where to organize the book best?” Starlight asked.
Twilight chuckled shyly as she her magic brought a large book down. “I did write it after all. With a forward from Princess Celestia, if I may add.”
“That’s amazing!”
They gazed at the cover, a pretty painting of the tops of crystal towers highlighted by bright mountain peaks behind, a view of the far north. Suddenly, there was a distant sound that reminded Starlight of a frog or somepony burping badly.
“What was that? I thought the library was supposed to be quiet?” Starlight said, lifting her head up. The annoying sound had broken her concentration.
They heard the pitter patter of feet as Spike rushed towards them. Starlight wondered if he had forgotten something.
“What is it, Spike? We’re busy,” Twilight said. She looked at the dragon impatiently.
“Sorry, Twilight but I got a letter from Canterlot.” As he said, he was holding a white scroll with the gold of the royal seal firmly keeping it in place.
“Huh? Where did that come from?” Starlight said.
“Spike can receive letters from the princess but that happens rarely when she needs to send me something important,” Twilight answered. The two of them waited as Twilight pulled the scroll open. “This is peculiar. It’s from Princess Luna instead of Celestia.”
Starlight sighed. “I keep forgetting that Princess Luna is around. I sure missed a lot.”
“Don’t worry. You’re getting back on track every day,” Spike assured her with a smile and a friendly thumbs up. Starlight liked Spike. As a friend of course but she did think of him as the cutest in the castle with his carefree attitude and his tendency to faint when overly excited.
Twilight quickly skimmed the letter out of necessity, not disrespect. After, she practically thrust it into Spike’s arms. She put a hoof to her brow and closed her eyes as if the gears of her mind were churning at top speed.
“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Spike said, his tone worrying.
She turned towards him. “I have no idea, Spike. It just said two things: ‘Get out of the castle. Find a safe place’. I mean, why would she do that?”
Starlight was becoming antsy, her eyes darting to her sides. “Are we in danger? Should we leave?” She was breathing faster.
“I doubt it. Ponyville is totally safe and is rarely put into danger,” Twilight said confidently. “But, on the safe side, perhaps we should head to Sweet Apple Acres.”
As she was speaking, the scroll fell to the ground, the sudden sound of the metal seal as striking as a judge’s gavel. Starlight nearly leapt out of her skin but Twilight turned sharply to see Spike wobbling side to side, his eyelids drooping with barely any white visible.
“Spike!” Twilight shouted. She used her magic to lift him and put him on her back. The two unicorns locked eyes and nodded. In a pair of flashes, they were gone.
Mere minutes later, another pony entered the library. All was silent in every room except for her. Every member of the castle staff had fallen into a deep sleep. The pony took in the majesty of Twilight’s library and knew that this was the realm of the one she had sought. And yet, she was nowhere to be seen.
The land of Sweet Apple Acres came into focus. It was hot out and the sun baked the nearby stacks of hay beside the road. Several cows wandered near Twilight and Spike, munching slowly on grass and staring at the pony who appeared in a sudden flash of light. They weren’t interested for long and returned to eating as Twilight regained her balance and her sense of direction.
“I guess Starlight overshot her teleportation,” she said, seeing that her friend wasn’t around. She looked over her shoulder at Spike. He was coming to, rubbing his eyes with his scaly fists.
“Ugh…what happened? Did I faint or something?” he said. He then yawned.
“It looked like you were being overcome by a spell or at least that’s what it seemed to me,” Twilight said. “Starlight isn’t here. Let’s go to the farm.”
She galloped over to the red barn where the Apple Family lived. The scent of apples permeated the air and activated Twilight’s weakness for the tart fruit. As the house came into sight, she could see her friend, Applejack, the pony with her distinct brown hat. To her surprise, Starlight was also there and the two were talking. They fell silent as she reached them.
Twilight could easily see that things have turned out okay for now. She hurried and gave Starlight a hug while Spike jumped to the ground.
“Twilight, is everything alright? I heard from Starlight that you two fled the castle,” Applejack said, relaying the terrible news.
Twilight broke her hug and her face turned somber. “Yes, that is true. We received a dire letter from Princess Luna urging us to find a safe place and this was the first area that came to mind. I just hope that I haven’t put your family in danger too.” Truth be told, Twilight at times wanted to just cry at that thought of putting her friends in harm’s way. Every time that she had done something like that, she felt herself pushed towards the brink, her head filling with shame and regret that few ponies could get her to stop. But now was not the time for that.
“Things will be fine. I trust that you’ll do the right thing. But for now, let’s go inside. I’ll get you all some cider. You all look so very shaky,” Applejack said. The others followed her inside the house. It was quiet inside save for the chiming of a clock which pointed to fifteen after ten and Granny’s squeaky chair that moved back and forth as she slept. Spike stretched, cracking his joints as he climbed on the couch.
“Are you okay, Spike? I forgot to ask with everything that’s happened,” Starlight said. She was sitting in a chair, her head resting on her hooves like a young foal.
“I’m totally fine. I just kind of felt like it was a midnight after a ten hour marathon of dusting books,” he said.
“Like that ever happened,” Twilight muttered.
Applejack came from the kitchen, carrying a tray of mugs. “I got us all something to warm us up,” she said excitedly. “Starlight, you haven’t had my cider yet?” The mare shook her head. “Well, that ought to change right now. Here you go.”
Starlight accepted it graciously. “Thank you, Applejack.” She sipped hers while Spike chugged the piping hot drink down, the heat not affecting him much at all.
“The spices really puts me in the mood to take a nap,” he mentioned.
“It would be best to avoid that for now,” Twilight suggested as she looked at him warily.
They didn’t talk much, letting themselves relax. There wasn’t much to say anyway. Apple Bloom went to camp recently with her friends and Big Mac was taking a load of pies somewhere. After a brief quiet, there was a commotion outside like a storm suddenly started brewing. Twilight saw the wind pick up, whipping the trees near the house. Something made a heavy thud and the ponies got to their hooves.
“I think I know what that is,” Twilight declared. They all went out save for Spike, and saw a royal chariot made of black metal and royal purple velvet. Two of Luna’s royal guards, their bodies clad in their sharp armor, stood at the ready as Luna herself descended down. The wind calmed seconds later.
Twilight stood while the others bowed graciously to the princess. “Thank you for your swift arrival,” Twilight said. “Where is Celestia?”
Luna wore a deep frown that looked rather comfortable on her regal face. “The situation was of such a time sensitive nature that I could only tell my sister that there was an emergency only I could deal with. She remains at the castle.”
“Is there a new threat to Equestria, princess?” Applejack inquired nervously.
“I cannot truly say what it is but I could see it happen in my dreams. The one responsible was creating a path as obvious to me as the fields of devastation left after an uncontrolled tornado…and it was headed straight for your castle, Twilight.”
“Straight for me?” Twilight said. She was appalled at the very thought like she had received a devastating insult. “What was this pony or creature doing? Using some kind of magic against us?”
“I can only assume such things about the intent but I know it is a mare who wields the magic that is putting ponies to sleep. It is the way they look…they are not under a spell or a trance. I recognize pure sleep when I see it. In the dream world, ponies have come in greater numbers than I’ve ever seen during the day.”
Twilight was in full scientific mode now. She had to know exactly what kind of spell this mare was using and where she got it from as well as how it worked. It wasn’t any different than her fascination with cutie mark magic or Starlight’s ability to strip them from ponies. But she still had things to ask the princess and she needed the answers now.
“Princess, they told you who did it to them?” she said.
Luna shook her head. “Nopony at first knew who did this. In fact, none even remembered much about the incident. They didn’t see anypony cast a spell. But I did find two exceptions.” She turned around and went back to her chariot. Twilight noticed two large lumps covered by some kind of black fabric behind Luna’s seat. Luna levitated one of the sheets to reveal Fluttershy, fast sleep.
“I can’t believe it. She put Fluttershy to sleep too?” Starlight said. To her, this mare sounded unbelievably powerful, even by her standards. She had never heard of a magic that could put ponies to sleep without them at least being confronted by a spell. She silently took a deep breath.
“Not just her, I’m afraid,” Luna said sadly. She lifted the second to reveal Rarity, the white unicorn looking more peaceful than ever compared to her normal hectic self. A trail of drool ran down her cheek.
“What about the others?” Twilight said. She was inflamed at this point, assuming a near charging posture, her eyes narrowed and her muzzle scrunched tightly.
“I managed to contact Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie in time as I had with you. They have fled Ponyville and I assume have reached places of safety.”
“Shouldn’t they rejoin us?” Applejack said. “Maybe at Canterlot?”
“I’m not sure,” Twilight replied. She turned to Luna. “Princess, you saw this from the dream world?”
Luna nodded. “At least a hundred ponies have fallen asleep. I spoke to Rarity and Fluttershy and they had the same account of this pony, pink with short blonde hair. She had a crystal hanging around her neck which I believe is the source of her power. By merely looking at it, they slipped into the dream world.”
This wouldn’t be the first time that Twilight had encountered a being that had the power to control others with a magical crystal but something about it gave her the feeling that this pony had a different agenda than the many others she faced before.
“Spike started to fall asleep moments after you sent us that letter,” Twilight recalled. “He didn’t see her nor did I. Why were my friends not affected until they came into contact with this mare? And why was Spike?”
“Considering few ponies saw anything out of the ordinary, this magic must radiate far enough to end a pony’s consciousness before they realize it. Our friends must be protected by their innate powers. What other explanation do we have?” Starlight said. She was trying to focus like Twilight was but this was something that was obviously straining her mind, capable as it was in sorting the magic artes. It reminded her of her own magic, the forbidden spell that tantalized her for so long, as much as she would rather sweep it from her memory. It was still ever present.
“But even that didn’t stop Fluttershy and Rarity from being put to sleep,” Twilight said in frustration. “It means that we could be affected too if we try and stop her. And yet, she knew where I lived and when I would be there. She must be able to sense my magic and must be using it to try and find me.”
Nopony knew what to say. The weight of the situation was very apparent to all of them. And as always, Twilight must balance her responsibilities, her royal duties and the element of magic inside her, against her fear of the unknown. She was afraid in the past. She was terrified of the Everfree forest the first time she saw it. Apprehensive to face Lord Tirek and his rampant devastation. Now, another foe was within her borders and she was near clueless on how to stop it.
Princess Luna returned to her chariot after the two mares were laid on beds in the house. She ordered the two guards to prepare to fly. She was going to return to Canterlot. The task of defeating this magic user would be up to Twilight, according to her.
“Are you sure you must leave? We could use another princess by our side,” Twilight said, her pleaded. She looked up at the tall Alicorn whose nightly face was cut by another frown.
“I’m afraid I can’t stay. I don’t know how I would fare against that magic. For now, I’ll take a hooves off approach. Both of us sisters agree that you can handle this on your own. This is your kingdom after all. The last thing a princess will allow herself to suffer is an occupier,” Luna said. With that, she departed into the sky, her chariot entering thick clouds and disappearing.
“I guess that’s that,” Applejack said. Her left forearm crossed over her right as she stood.
Starlight went over to Twilight and put a hoof on her shoulder. Twilight turned and looked in her new friend’s eyes, two drops of pure blue. Her touch was relaxing and the dense thoughts already began to fade from Twilight when they were running through at top speed as it always had before during a crisis. Her ability to deal with them often varied at times from knowing exactly what to do and how to implement it from almost suffering a complete breakdown. But when she looked in the calm eyes that she often envied in others, she is again reminded of why she always had friends by her side.
Things were going to happen as they needed to. The two powerful magic users could sense that if they were going to have a showdown with this mare, it would be in Ponyville. She wasn’t coming to Sweet Apple Acres nor would she chase Twilight across Equestria. Yet, Twilight couldn’t hide forever and the mare surely knew that she would return sooner or later. They only now had to prepare themselves for what was coming. If there was any plan to be made, they were confident that they would find it as they pondered in the living room. Applejack was making dinner in the kitchen, hurrying to get it done so the two of them would have “something in your stomach to fuel your magics” as she said. Amongst the sounds of clattering dishes, Granny was awake and asking questions. Who was Starlight? Where did she come from? Was she one of Applejack’s friends? After her questions were sufficiently answered, she decided to get up and offer them some cookies. As her elderly knees took her to the kitchen at the speed of a rusted wheelbarrow, the two of them could only wonder what kind of dreams the old mare had and if she could talk to Fluttershy and Rarity too.
Applejack put a couple bowls of hot grits on the table and called them to come eat. The ponies filed in and sat down. Each spoonful took its time, but not because it was hot.
“I am still willing to go if you don’t mind,” Applejack reminded Twilight as they ate. Twilight thanked her but said no again. She wanted Applejack and Spike, who couldn’t withstand the power of this mare, to stay behind and watch over the others in the guest bedroom.
Applejack was right. Eating did help to make Twilight feel less like the stress would make her throw up. Starlight was ready, headstrong as always, to see this mare with her own eyes. She went outside. Twilight teleported next to Spike, who was sitting near Granny Smith by the couch, and pulled him closer with one hoof.
“I’ll be back soon. Be sure to be helpful around the house while I’m gone, alright?” Her voice was loving but with a stern edge too. Spike always had to be reminded to be on his best behavior as he was still very young.
“Don’t worry. I know how things are done around here,” he said. She gave him a kiss on his wide forehead. His scales were still warm.
Outside, she went over to Starlight. They gazed over the horizon at the afternoon sun, blending the green and red of the orchards with its golden light. Gnats surrounded them but all was beautiful.
The mare who entered Ponyville hours ago paced back and forth on the grass outside of Twilight’s castle. She had gazed at it earlier, not in awe but sadness. The splendor of its crystal had faded with the light dimming behind a curtain of thick clouds. She was blind to the goodness of this town. Like many times before, the town went into a state of shock: windows boarded, doors locked tight and those fortunate enough to avoid her relatively safe in their homes. She didn’t care. Being avoided was her never ending reality. She would never guess that this town was a place that offered many open hooves to strangers; with rare exceptions in cases of strange zebra potion makers, Ponyville wasn’t like the royal capital and its citizens who turned their noses up at others or the bigger cities and theirs who pushed ponies out of the way and greeted strangers with a snarl on the best of days. All she could see was an atmosphere of dread and it made her mission so very clear.
She was using her crystal to mentally track Twilight. When it came to power, she was no match to the princess. Her greatest power was to put ponies to sleep. She lacked the ability to teleport from one place to another with a mere thought. She even lacked a horn. She was reminded all the time that the crystal around her neck was her only salvation. Suddenly, the crystal alerted her with a rush of energy through her mind, a tingling sense like electricity. She felt it so much that it had become comfortable. Twilight had teleported again. The princess couldn’t hide and she knew that the unicorn was back in her kingdom, somewhere near. She swung the crystal around her neck, the gem glowing and releasing spores which floated in the air. They collected into clouds which released glowing petals, with many fallen on the bodies of those ponies already too far gone into the realm of dreams.
Twilight and Starlight snuck through town, weaving through alleys and down narrow streets. Twilight kept a hope alive that if she was fast enough, she could take the mare by surprise.
Starlight stopped in her tracks and sniffed deeply.
“What is it?” Twilight huffed.
“There’s something off about the air. I don’t know what it is but I can smell it.” Twilight took a deep breath through her nose. Starlight was right. The smell was faint but she could distinguish what she thought was the smell from a rose. She was sure of it. She had studied many a specimen before.
“I think we’ve been found out,” Twilight said.
The two rushed towards the castle. On the way, they saw many ponies lying around, their bodies coated in flowers as if they were at the center of a potpourri accident. “This is ridiculous! What now…?” Twilight thought.
At the last house before the clearing where the castle was, Starlight broke off a piece of reflective glass and angled it so they could see around the corner. Twilight looked over her shoulder as she moved the glass slowly.
“Is that her?” Twilight said, pointing to a small pink thing. It was hard to see with what appeared to be a fog rising around her.
“It has to be. I could see the glint of her gem,” Starlight said. “Let’s go. We’re more than powerful enough to beat her if we’re smart about it. Let’s approach from two different sides. If you want, I can strike first from behind then you from here.”
“You’re right. She might not expect you,” Twilight agreed. “Go now. I’ll wait here for your signal.”
Starlight slipped away with her powerful legs carrying her swiftly. As she waited, Twilight almost wished that she had her crown on her, the symbol of the kingdom of friendship that she loved so dearly. She looked up and saw a blue light cast into the sky. That was enough. She ran around the corner, her hooves creating a trail of flowers in her wake. She could see the mare clearly now. She was just up ahead, her head turned away to where Starlight had made her move.
The light of the gem reflected in Starlight’s eyes but even as she seemed to stare at it, she didn’t fall.
Her eyes were angled, burning holes in the mare’s coat. “You’ve done enough!” she yelled. She cast a powerful wind spell which blew the spores away from the area. The mare cried out, her voice matching the wind’s howl.
“No, not my floral powder!” Her eyes were glassy and her body spun around to watch it all drift away. The scene before Twilight made her give pause. She never before met an enemy that wasn’t as firm and imposing as a cliff face. The mare then gave an icy stare to Twilight, a sure sign of a threat more real than the unknown magic she wielded. “How could you do this? The powder was meant to help those ponies!” She spoke as if all this was Twilight’s fault for interfering. Like she was the bad mare in all of this.
“If you want to help then bring them back from the dream world!” Starlight demanded, her teeth locked in anger.
“No…but what I will do is let you both join them. You will thank me someday…even if you don’t understand now. I am truly sorry,” she said, her voice falling to a meek murmur like she was Fluttershy. She squeezed her eyes shut as if the very thought was painful.
Twilight took the initative and leapt into the sky, arcing to prepare an attack. It was risky, her aiming to take the gem, but she wished to do as little harm as possible to the mare herself. Right at the apex of her jump, the gem acted like it had a mind of its own, anticipating her and sending out magical tendrils of light. It wrapped around her body like ribbons, felt her like snakes, and made her immobile. She tried to fight it but it was already draining her consciousness away. There were only seconds left.
Starlight’s body burst with adrenaline. She had two choices. Run or fight. Only one could be picked. She hadn’t learned the value of friendship for nothing. Her horn focused as much power as it could in the span of time she had. When released, it was a meteor, a spiral of fire which scorched the open air. The mare didn’t bother to move. She didn’t even blink. The impact tore through pink coat and nearly turned her tail to ash. Her broken body was cast away, fallen on a pile of flowers now turning deep red.
Twilight’s body had gone limp. It was suspended in the air, the magic of the gem keeping her afloat.
“No, Twilight!” Starlight couldn’t believe it. She had failed her. Then it was her turn, the tendrils grabbing on her hooves. She tried to shake them off in horror. It was no use to resist. Her horn was seized and her muzzle wrapped so she couldn’t even scream. She didn’t know if they were going to crush her in revenge for what she did to its master but she was only focused on Twilight for what little time she had left. She looked peaceful, she had to admit…but did it matter? The dead looked just as peaceful, didn’t they? If the sinking feeling in her mind was death then she could only let it come as it may. She had just one thought left. Goodbye, Twilight…and Equestria.
The two bodies of Twilight and Starlight were laid on the ground. They were very much alive, just fast asleep. That could not be said for the mare on the pile of flowers, her hair now half blonde and half black and her bonnet in tatters. She choked on blood.
“What a beautiful sacrifice,” she said with her last ounce of strength. “I only hope it was good enough…”
Twilight’s body was convulsing when she woke as if it was still trying to fight off a powerful magic. She began to feel her body again and something cool touching her brow. A soft hush filtered through her strained groans and the familiarity of it calmed her. When she could open her eyes, a yellow blur turned into the smiling face of Fluttershy.
Fluttershy shushed her then put a hoof on her chest. “Don’t get up. Starlight is well. You can see her later after you’ve eaten something.”
Twilight looked around at the familiar room. “This is your cottage. Did that mean we defeated that mare? You’re okay now, Fluttershy?”
“No…that’s not right. You….we’re…in the dream world,” she said sadly. She wrung out the rag and laid it against a bowl.
Twilight turned stiff. Her tongue felt numb and the world around her blinked in and out of existence. Fluttershy left her there to rest for a time even though Twilight couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t real sleep anyway. Her real self was still sleeping and she had no idea if she was okay or not in the real world. But despite her weakness, she imagined herself up and moving around again as healthy as she ever was. In an instant, she felt her strength return as swiftly as blood returning to a limb that was formerly asleep.
Fluttershy was mildly surprised to see her enter the kitchen. She put down a mixing bowl.
“Fluttershy, is Starlight around?” Twilight asked, her voice fraught with concern.
“I don’t know. She left as soon as she could to find Rarity but she said she would be back soon.”
Twilight sat down. She plopped her heavy head in her hooves. “I don’t know what to do.” She stared at her distorted image in the reflection of a spoon.
“About what, Twilight?”
“Getting out of here. Dealing with that mare.”
Fluttershy continued to mix something like a heavy dough. “What mare?”
“The one with the gem,” Twilight said flatly.
“Oh, I see,” Fluttershy said. “We see her around now in town. She calls herself Floral Powder.”
Twilight hated even a smidgen of ignorance. Being confronted with knowledge she didn’t know was like being drenched in icy water. She got up and paced around, her mental weariness taking a backseat. “That totally makes sense. She’s not a unicorn but she has this bond with her magical crystal that allows her to create this powder. She called it exactly that: Floral powder. It must be her special talent! And we’re in the dream world so I can only assume that it has properties of some kind relating to dreams.”
“Twilight, remember when we were in the dream world before and we were able to create whatever we wanted?” Fluttershy said.
“Yes, I do remember. This is the same place.”
“Well…we can’t anymore. Rarity and I tried for so long but nothing worked.”
“That’s so odd,” Twilight said.
The door of the cottage opened and Starlight came in. She hurried into the kitchen. “Twilight. I had a feeling you were awake so I teleported back here.”
Just seeing her friend made Twilight smile. “How did you know? And you teleported here from where?”
“Town.”
“You could feel that I was awake even that far? How was that possible?”
“This is the dream world, Twilight. We can make things happen if we wanted even if they don’t make sense in our world.”
Just hearing the logical contradiction nearly broke Twilight’s brain.
The two of them were the only exceptions to the rule. Twilight had no idea why it was possible for them and them alone to manipulate things in the dream world when everypony else was at the mercy of it. Then again, it could be good or so she rationalized. If this Floral Powder was in the dream world with them then confronting her may be their ticket out.
Starlight said that she saw Floral near town hall, talking to random ponies. From what was overheard, she liked to learn about each pony’s story: where they came from, their favorite things in life, the meaning of their marks. She kept prattling on to those who would listen about what lay beyond the physical, all the things they couldn’t see or feel or even describe using only the words of ponies. Even with her friendly attitude unlike most crazy ponies preaching philosophy, some ponies looked at her as if she had lost it. Many scarcely realized that they were even part of a dream at all. The transition from the waking world was so seamless like the colors of the rainbow.
The two unicorns teleported instantly to town square. It was bright out and ponies were taking advantage of the good weather to go shopping or do other things. Twilight saw many of her friends and acquaintances from town. Davenport stood outside, cleaning the windows of his shop, Quills and Sofas. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walked the mane avenue, window shopping. Lyra, Sweetie, and Twist ate at a café. The world looked identical to her own. She was even drawn to the beauty of the castle, despite it being a doppelganger of her real home.
Suddenly, a loudspeaker attached to the town hall building blared from above.
“CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE, WE ARE HAVING A SHORT DAY TODAY. PRINCESS CELESTIA AND LUNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.” Ponies, confused as they were, followed the fake royal edict, and funneled into their homes and businesses.
“What is going on?” Starlight said. “That sounded like…”
They watched as the sun fell behind the clouds like a dropped yo-yo. The air turned chilly as the moon replaced it, turning the sky into a silver haze. Then, a mare flew over the building and landed near them. It was Floral Powder, only in this world, a long horn stood straight from her head and two wings as flexible and strong as Rainbow Dash’s were folded against her sides.
“We meet again,” Floral’s soft voice uttered. She was expecting them.
“You need to end this…this insanity! What made you think that it was right to imprison us not to mention so many innocent ponies in this dream world?” Twilight said.
Floral was somehow taken aback by Twilight’s anger. “Oh, I’m sorry…you think this is an imprisonment?” she said, raising a delicate hoof to her chest. “I did all I could. I am taking you, the princess of friendship, on a great journey. You will see where a dream can take you. There is no limit. Instead of a world plagued by disaster, you can live in a place of beauty and serenity where flowers stream from the hills and music is in the hearts of everyone. All you have to do is be reborn.”
“Are you saying that I must die!?” Twilight objected. A horrific chill was felt in her heart and her face was twisted in a scowl. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The idea of a pony resigning herself to die like this clashed with her scientific understanding of life more harshly than two continents crashing together. The mare had to be absolutely crazy.
“That is not going to happen!” Starlight interjected firmly. If Twilight was cold then Starlight was fire, her eyes brimming with anger. “We belong in our world, not in your twisted view of it. I know that more than anypony. We all must be allowed to follow our own path!”
“We all must follow the path of life. But there are right and wrong paths to take,” Floral continued unabated. “Death will bring you to your new dream. Dreams are where we are reborn and the real world where we die. I died and soon, you shall too.”
Twilight had enough of her. Using her powers in the dream world, she made strips of land open up around Floral and encapsulate her like a flower. Out of sight, but not out of mind.
“Do you have a plan, Twilight?” Starlight said.
“No, I don’t but maybe this will give us some time.”
Starlight gazed upwards at the stars. “Can we possibly escape this dream world by breaking through it?”
“I doubt it. Only Princess Luna could go back and forth. We would need her but she probably won’t come near this mare as long as she has her powers.”
“Then we’ll have to find another way,” Starlight said, her mind focused and determined.
Then, the walls of that shell melted as if they were made of ice. Floral’s new horn radiated with pink energy.
She giggled in amusement like a foal. “I have the same powers in this dream world, princess. It is a silly trifle that I will enjoy for now until my next life. I hope you enjoy yours too because you’ll never be freed by your princess of the night. You’ll be going to your next life too in the coming days and when you do, there will be no more painful memories there. Doesn’t that sound beautiful?” The dreadful meaning of her words carried on such a peaceful sounding voice. It was a contradiction that could paralyze.
A vein bulged in Starlight’s neck. “I will stop you even if I have to kill you again!” Twilight was almost scared as Starlight flew seemingly out of control. Her fury threw another bolt of fire through the air at top speed. With a flick of Floral’s hoof, a shield made of glowing energy in the shape of an umbrella appeared, splitting it in two and sending them blasting through town hall behind her.
Starlight was shocked but quickly regained her composure. “Twilight, go to her side! Let’s attack from two directions at once!”
“Oh, that’s no fun!” Floral said. She floated in the air. At the tip of her horn, a point of swirling dark matter manifested, growing larger than her own body. It was propelled as fast as from a cannon towards Starlight, who couldn’t see it coming. It coated her body and with her trapped inside, bounced along the ground, skipping the roofs of houses and lakes.
Floral laughed, flicking her head back so that strands of her hair fell over her face. She was just having a ball in the dream world. “How do you like my shade comet?”
Her body was violently pummeled by Twilight’s energy beam until she was left in a smoking crater. She stepped out and looked upward at the floating Alicorn.
“Is that the best your imagination can do?” she mocked with a cute smirk on her face. Twilight only had enough time to scoff at her in return before a grand piano crashed on her head. She was spitting keys in no time on the ground.
“Floral!”
A furious Starlight returned as if by slingshot, carried by wings of her own.
“Ah, now that’s the spirit!” Floral said. Her voice was cut short as Starlight enveloped her in a block of crystal. Even as Twilight got out of the piano, she could see that it was in vain. A giant floating nail was slammed by a giant hammer, cracking the crystal in two and freeing her.
“Are you okay, Twilight?” Starlight said, glancing at the Alicorn’s matted mane.
“I’m fine. Alicorns like me are robust. You wouldn’t believe what we can sustain.”
Twilight’s method of fighting was very similar to how she liked to experiment on things. If one tactic didn’t work, just pick another and don’t ever give up. Results are sure to follow a mind assured of future success. With Starlight’s attempt to imprison her a failure, she would have to pick another way and another after that if she had to. She had to think on her hooves. Pick something Floral wouldn’t expect even though she seemed to have the ability to think ahead of them, to see their moves before they made them. If the mare wasn’t lying and she really was dead then there could be no qualms about what they had to do.
Twilight summoned the Smooze, a giant sentient blob of green goo which fell from the sky. Upon landing, the thing spread out like pancake syrup, coating the entire area in thick gel. Floral couldn’t move her hooves or body at all, a perfect target for a spear made of lightning cast by Starlight’s hooves.
Floral was even faster than they expected. She blew out subzero winds from her lungs, turning the Smooze into ice and the spear into something no stronger than peanut brittle. Twilight was freezing but she quickly dissipated the cold and brought her own heat in the form of twirling lights of the sun, moon and the colors of the Crystal Heart. As they flew in her horn, Twilight had the power of all Alicorns once again. She embraced the rush of power, the kind that utterly demolished the defenses of the pink gem.
Smoke was everywhere. They could see the casualties of her power. The town hall was obliterated and the shock wave shattered windows, walls and power lines. Twilight gazed at the destruction, her heart sinking. Her body also began to falter and she coughed. It was as if the power of this dream world was affecting her mind even though by all accounts, nothing was real. She didn’t have the power of the Alicorns. It just looked that way. An uncertainty grew in her mind. Why was her body weakening?
Floral stumbled out. There wasn’t a scratch on her body but they caught her tail rejuvenating, stretching to its normal length. There wasn’t going to be an end to it; not like that. Starlight refused to accept it. As Twilight watched, unable to intervene, Floral was hacked repeatedly until the remaining grass looked like they were meant to be red. When Starlight backed away, stumbling as if doing an interpretive dance, she could only pant and glare at Floral and her many fresh pockets of exposed flesh. Starlight dropped the axe and her gaze was strained. She had tried to kill Floral so violently as if she could reach out and destroy herself in kind because if she didn’t then that part of her that still could have joined Floral might yet be real. But it couldn’t be. She was as helpless to destroy Floral as she could break her own past. The grass themselves rose and entered the mare’s wounds, stitching them up and closing them. The blood evaporated. She rose as if from a nap. “If I were mortal, you two could have killed me a dozen times over,” she said as if quoting a mundane fact.
“Doesn’t this mean we’re immortal too if we’re in the dream world?” Twilight said.
“Not at all,” Floral said. “Your body is alive but unfortunately, not well. Because nobody can help you as long as my crystal shines. They’ll come here. Every hour that passes, you grow weaker. You’ll die soon enough or perhaps things can end for you now? After all, if you are severed from your body, you’ll be a flower adrift, finding a new world. It happened to me and I hope you embrace such a wonderful thing.”
Floral Powder made everything they had destroyed rebuild itself. In a confusing reversal of time, town hall came back to life, its splintered foundations rising and flags flying high once more. Houses all around were restored, surely with their cowering occupants hiding in the basements, wondering what had now befallen their sweet little town.
Starlight’s anger had reached its apex and had failed her. Now she only wondered what she could yet do to stop Floral Powder. She had promised herself that she would never take friendship for granted again. When she was taken in by Twilight, she knew things would change for the better. She would find a life where she wouldn’t have to be so furious all the time since even in the town of equals, it was rare that she was truly happy. In this small town, she would live side by side with another magic user, herself an equal in the magic artes but a student in what really mattered. She couldn’t care less about Floral’s philosophy, and now that the shoe was on the other hoof, she could see first hoof how backwards she was. But two things hadn’t changed. One, her cutie mark still shone strong, no matter how much she feared ever using her powers again. And second, she knew that she may one day be driven to use it again. In the face of this dead mare, she didn’t know what other choice she had left.
Floral must have thought she had the two of them defeated but even she didn’t realize what was yet to come. Starlight focused something forbidden in her mind. Her heart felt as heavy as stone as she focused. The target was the pink gem but not the one around Floral’s neck. In an instant like tearing a bandage, off came the dead mare’s cutie mark.
The forbidden magic still licking the end of Starlight’s horn, the image of a pink gem floated away from its owner, who bit the end of her hoof. Starlight transmuted a jar out of thin air and set the mark inside, trapping it like a bird.
Floral gasped for breath but no sound came out. They backed off as she took a step then another. Her color was running from her coat. Her third was her final step as her hoof collapsed into sand. Her entire body fell apart.
“Starlight, you used your special talent!” Twilight said in awe.
“I know but…I…I…didn’t think that would happen,” Starlight stammered. She stared at the jar, cutie mark spinning inside.
Twilight walked over to the mass of sand, the wind whipping some into the air. She swept some aside with her hoof until she felt the hardness of the gem itself. She pulled it out and looked at it. It was glowing.
“Any chance we can get out of here? My body’s probably pretty hungry by now,” Starlight said.
“We might have to use this, don’t you think?” Twilight showed her the gem.
“It’s possible since it’s been the thing linking the two worlds together. It’s logical to try.”
“Let’s do it.” Twilight had the two link hooves with the gem between them. Starlight still kept the jar under her arm. Twilight focused and thought of a number of spells to activate the gem. After some time passed, she figured that she had to try one at least. A difficult spell relating to magical artifacts might work so that was what it was going to be. But as soon as she sent the spell, she knew that something was off. The gem emitted sparks and flickered very fast. It surprised them by blasting apart the jar.
“Oh, no! The cutie mark!” Twilight yelled. It was already too late by then to recapture it. The gem sucked it in and the two of them found themselves encapsulated by a bubble of energy. There was no escape and they were helpless to do anything but wait as it shrunk them so small that they vanished completely from that dream world.
The two of them flew through a tunnel of light. Twilight couldn’t help but wonder if she was being thrust through time again, fully aware of what it felt like not too long ago. But when it ended and they looked around, Twilight didn’t think anything was right. They weren’t back in Ponyville it seemed; neither in the future or the present. They stood in an old looking house made of wood with homely furniture around. It looked completely plain save for bunches of flowers kept in glass jars scattered around. Twilight walked towards one and tried to pick it up, only to discover that her body was ethereal. She could touch nothing.
The two heard a voice, their heads turning to a darkened hallway. There were soft footsteps as what Twilight remembered to be a human appeared. Her jaw nearly dropped. Was she sent to the human world? Did the gem create a portal somehow?
“That’s an odd creature,” Starlight remarked. She didn’t bother to hush her voice. She figured the same as Twilight that they weren’t actually present.
“I’ve encountered them. They’re called humans and are as remarkable as we are,” Twilight said, praise dripping with each word.
Starlight rubbed her chin like a scientist. “Fascinating.”
The human they were watching didn’t seem that remarkable though. She wore a brown dress and a white shawl. Her brown hair was tied behind her head. Her aged skin was almost translucent, her veins blue in the sunlight from the near window in the kitchen where she entered. Her shoulders were constantly slumped as if there was a great weight upon them.
“My dear…will you ever come out? Will you be locked in that room of yours forever?” Her voice dropped in the middle of her sentence as if the name of the person she was addressing wasn’t there. The woman looked sadly down the hall to a shut door.
“I remember this. It was from my past life.” The ponies turned to see Floral, her cutie mark still gone, a specter just like they were. “I never recalled my name though. It must have been pretty just as I used to be.”
“You came from this human world? I don’t understand,” Twilight said.
“My spirit keeps these memories deep inside. That’s how I remember where I came from even if some things were left behind like my name. My mother could do nothing but call out and yet, I wasn’t there. I had already departed. My room is empty. I fled to a distant place where I could cast myself away from the destruction all around me. My friends were gone, my life coming to an end anyway. I was a magic user just like you, destined to die, you see.”
“Wait a second. Humans can’t use magic,” Twilight interjected.
Floral sighed. “In my world, it was possible for a select few. It was a curse. We didn’t have titles like princess. A magic user was diseased. I fled this world and everything in it and came to yours. You and so many use magic like it’s nothing. I didn’t see other ponies for a long time. My mother in the pony world dreamt me once and I came to life. That’s how I was born. From a dream. When I came, her life was spent. She died and it took me years to leave the forest.” The two of them listened to her story while the mother washed dishes in her lonely house.
“My spirit has always wandered and so I did into the pony world. But I learned that even with all your magic, you couldn’t prevent many of the same things from happening in my world. You all suffer so much destruction at times. Monstrous beasts, those who use the world for their selfish benefit. I believed it was time to go once more but this time, I would take the pony most worthy with me. You Twilight are something special. Friendship was what I needed and couldn’t find in my past life. Where we can go together, we’ll change the fate of many. I can sense that.” She spoke as if reaching out with one last special request.
“That can’t happen, Floral. I won’t abandon my world,” Twilight said. “I can look around and see a world you decided to leave behind. I can’t tell what is beyond these walls. Maybe the world was as bad as you say but I can tell you that my world is not unsalvageable. Friendship has saved us from many dangers and it will continue to do so.”
Floral must have sensed that she couldn’t convince Twilight to go with her. Starlight felt sorry for her. She looked so defeated now, with little more to say and nowhere to go. Her body was destroyed and her soul only a place where these memories of another world dwelled and for whose time had run out. There was also little that Twilight could do, her words ineffective for the most part against someone so convinced in her own way of doing things. After all of Twilight’s force had failed and after her own attempts to match them had also failed, Starlight remembered that the only way to unfurl the wool from one’s eyes was through matching their soul, piece for broken piece. She was in a unique sense of reflection towards her own self even as she remained encapsulated in the alternate creation of another mind.
“Floral…things are not too late,” Starlight said softly. Floral lifted her head, her eyes pools inside a face shadowed by her bonnet. “I thought I could force the world to be what I wanted it to be but I was wrong. It’s really the smallest of changes that can prevent a bad future.” Starlight felt like a blind mare trying to walk without a cane, yet led by a strangely sharpened sense of things. Despite not knowing the world around her, it felt as if she and this strange mare somehow belonged.
“I tried to change my ways but nothing worked,” Floral said.
“The friends you’ve yet to make are still out there. It’s never too late to try again.”
Floral stared into Starlight’s eyes. “You mean that it could be different? That I can return to the world I left behind and there will be a friend waiting on the other side? I don’t know if I want to believe it. It sounds impossible that I can change destiny.”
“I can’t say yes or no but it doesn’t mean you can’t look. There is still time,” Starlight said. “Time for us all to try anew. Our world might not be perfect either way and maybe yours isn’t either but things never are,” Starlight said.
For once, Floral’s face smoothed out as she began to be convinced by Starlight’s point of view. Her anguish in the human world turned to the smallest bit of comfort as a serene realization came to her. The two ponies in front of her were right. It was strange how in the middle of all this death, her own in two worlds, a pony sitting on the floor and her mother thinking about the daughter who died, she could only think about life blooming again. She thought of a field of pretty flowers in the spring where a young girl played. It was as close to perfection as she ever knew. She wanted to see it again more than anything. A friend waiting by the edge of the cliff and watching shooting stars.
“If you, the friend of a princess, are right, then you have my thanks,” Floral said with a weak smile.
“Let us return to our world,” Starlight pleaded. “We can’t stay in your head forever.”
Floral laughed but out of happiness this time. “All you have to do is break the gem and to speak the spell that comes out and it will all be over.” She stood and admired herself in the mirror. “I’ll miss this pony form, I think.” She looked at them. “And you two as well. You’re wiser than anybody I’ve ever known.” Her body finally began to fade away, the whisper of her spirit emptying itself. “Goodbye.”
Twilight wanted to cry, knowing that this was the end, but there was nothing she could do. Before her own reply could be uttered, they were whisked back to the dream world. The cutie mark still spun around and the gem lay on the ground.
“I guess we have no choice,” Starlight said. Her voice ached.
Twilight cracked the gem with her hoof and pulled out a tiny scroll that was inside of it the entire time. “You know, it’s not too bad. She belongs there in her world. Maybe she’ll make a new start of it. Perhaps even turn things around. You never know. At least we got to meet that one time, even if it was for a little while. I bet she’s the kind one among her friends, don’t you think?”
Starlight smiled. “You’re probably right, Twilight. As always.”
Twilight looked closely and read the word on the scroll. It was strange for a spell. It sounded like a name, one she had never seen a pony named before but it reminded her of the bonnet, flowing freely in the wind. With that, the cutie mark vanished.