When a mysterious force attacks the Ponyville Carnival, Silverstream and Luster Dawn join forces—and hearts—to save everyone. Written for Nailah's shipping contest.
A strange green cloud blankets the Ponyville Carnival, spiriting everycreature it touches away to an unknown location. Silverstream and Luster Dawn, the only two creatures who escaped the cloud, team up to find out who's behind it and save everyone. Along the way, they discover some surprising things—not least of which is a mutual admiration and attraction for each other.
(Note: This story is set some years after The Last Problem. Luster Dawn is an adult.)
"Come on, Luster, hurry up!" Li'l Cheese called as he pranced through the carnival funhouse. He seemed to have a sixth sense for where the path was—he never made a wrong turn, while Luster's nose was sore from bumping into glass walls.
Actually, considering whose foal he was, he probably did have a sixth sense.
"Alright, alright, I'm hurrying," Luster Dawn groused as she tried to pick her way through the maze of mirrors and artificial fog. All the unicorn magic in the world wouldn't help her keep up with that colt.
Why do I keep agreeing to foalsit for Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich? Li'l Cheese was hardly even a foal anymore. Luster had been left home alone all the time when she was younger than he was now. Still, when Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich had to rush off to the latter's factory to handle some minor emergency, they'd asked if she could take Li'l Cheese to the carnival in their place. For whatever reason, she'd agreed.
She supposed it was the years of friendship lessons from Princess Twilight rubbing off on her. After all, friends helped out friends, right?
Yeah, but friends are honest with each other, too, she thought—and if Luster were being honest, she really didn't like foals. But how do you tell two of your friends that you don't want to spend time with their kid anymore? That wasn't something that her lessons with Princess Twilight had ever covered.
Luster Dawn was so preoccupied with those thoughts that it took her a moment to notice the glowing green cloud creeping into the funhouse, mingling with the artificial fog around her hooves.
No, not creeping—rushing! Luster Dawn gasped and cast a magical barrier around herself. A moment later, a wall of sickly green vapor crashed over her like a wave. The golden shield crackled and sparked—the fog had to be some kind of magic spell—but, thankfully, it held.
Luster Dawn groaned with the strain of holding back... whatever this stuff was. She breathed a sigh of relief a few seconds later as the magical pressure against her shield receded, and the fog slowly settled to the ground.
Hesitantly, Luster made a small opening in her shield. She cautiously touched the vapor, using only the very tip of one hoof. Nothing happened; the cloud's strange magic was apparently spent.
Her relief turned to horror as she remembered where she was, and why.
"Cheese?" Luster called out, as loudly as she dared.
There was no response.
"Li'l Cheese?" A bit louder this time. Her voice echoed unsettlingly through the empty funhouse.
Wait, empty? There had definitely been other customers in here just a minute ago. Where had everycreature gone?
"Cheese?!" Her voice cracked, edging toward panic.
She could see the open door at the far end of the funhouse, on the other side of an invisible maze. What she couldn't see was Li'l Cheese, or indeed anycreature at all besides her own distorted reflections.
Oh, to Tartarus with it. Luster Dawn charged her horn and teleported straight to the exit of the maze. She ran out into the sunlight—or what should have been sunlight.
Her headlong sprint became an uncertain amble as she looked around. As far as she could tell, the entire carnival was smothered in the same green vapor that had filled the funhouse. However, instead of settling to the ground, out here it remained all around her. The fog was so thick overhead that, instead of the pure sunlight she'd expected, she was bathed in a pale green glow. Most unsettling of all, there wasn't a single other creature in sight.
"Cheese?" This time her voice was a shaky whisper. Only silence answered her.
Luster Dawn's mind raced, trying to think of some kind of magic that would explain what had happened here. How could hundreds of creatures have disappeared in an instant? She couldn't come up with an answer.
"Hello?"
Luster Dawn nearly jumped out of her skin. The sudden, shrill voice was like someone dragging broken glass over her jangled nerves.
"Hellooooooo?!" It came again, louder this time.
Luster squinted into the sky. Whoever was calling was definitely above her, but she couldn't see anyone through the green haze.
"Is anycreature out there?!" It was a feminine voice; high and strained, with a bit of vocal fry, as if its owner tended to scream a lot.
Actually, Luster Dawn recognized it.
"Silverstream!" she called up into the sky.
"Huh?!" the hippogriff yelled. "Who said that? I can't see you!"
"Down here!" Luster called out again.
"Where? Everywhere is down from here!"
"Oh, for—" Luster Dawn muttered. She gathered magic into her horn, lighting it up as a beacon for the featherbrained hippogriff. "Here!"
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, oh! Okay, I see you! I'll be right there!"
The clouds above Luster's head parted slightly as Silverstream dropped through them in a gentle dive. The pale pink hippogriff pulled up and flared her wings, landing softly on the grass beside Luster Dawn.
"Luster Dawn!" Silverstream exclaimed. "I didn't know you liked carnivals!"
"I don't," she grumbled. She was already regretting catching the excitable hen's attention.
"Well, then what are you doing here? Waaaiiiit..." Silverstream leaned in suspiciously, "did you do this?" She gestured vaguely at the green mist and the empty carnival.
"Did I—? Of course I didn't do this!" Luster spluttered. "First of all, why would I? Second... I'm not this powerful," she admitted. "Nopony is."
"Oh." Silverstream shrugged. "Well, that's all right then!"
Luster Dawn's eye twitched. "How is that all right?"
"Wait, is this your first big adventure?" Silverstream gasped. "AAAAAHHHHHH that's so exciting!" She grabbed Luster's shoulders in her front talons and shook her vigorously.
Once the hippogriff finally stopped shaking her—and her eyes stopped spinning—Luster Dawn stepped forward and craned her neck slightly to stare Silverstream in the eye.
"A magical mist of unknown origin swept through this entire carnival," Luster hissed. "Anycreature that came into contact with it vanished. It took all of my magic just to protect myself, let alone anyone else." Her breath was coming quickly and heavily again. "I was here foalsitting Li'l Cheese who has also disappeared! Now tell me, what bucking part of this is all right?!"
"Okay, okay!" Silverstream flew a few inches back and held up her forelegs defensively. "Look, this is obviously the start of an adventure. I mean, something bad and scary happened, creatures we care about are in trouble, and it's up to us to save them." The hippogriff threw her forelegs into the air in exasperation. "Haven't you ever listened to Twilight's stories? These things always work out fine! I was just relieved that you weren't the bad guy."
"I don't think that logic holds up—" Luster started to say.
"Look," Silverstream interrupted in a calmer tone, "I know it's scary; hay, I was younger than you are now when my friends and I had our first adventures." She gave Luster Dawn a gentle headpat. "But it's gonna be okay. I promise."
Silverstream's confidence and soft touch were oddly soothing. Luster Dawn took a deep, steadying breath as her panic subsided.
"Okay," Luster said. "Well, since you're the 'adventure' expert here, what do you think we should do?"
"Well," the hippogriff answered, "the first thing is always to find friends who can help. One friend is good—" she gestured to the two of them, "—but more is better. So, I say our next step is heading into town to get the others. Well, except Gallus, since we probably don't have time to go to Canterlot right now." Silverstream finally paused to take a breath. "Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed before she'd even finished inhaling, "and we should let Pinkie and Cheese know what happened. Though, knowing those two, I bet they Sensed it already."
Luster Dawn's pupils shrank to pinpricks. Tell Pinkie and Cheese that I lost their foal?!
"Wait, wait, hold on," Luster stammered as her heart hammered in her chest. "Transporting so many creatures would take a ridiculous amount of magic; they can't have gone far. Let me try a locator spell."
Without waiting for a response, Luster Dawn channeled as much magic as she could handle—which was quite a lot—into the strongest locator spell she could muster. A golden sphere pulsed out from her horn, stretching nearly half a mile in diameter before it faded. Luster Dawn would immediately know the locations of any sentient creatures inside that sphere. So, if she was right and the kidnapped creatures were still somewhere nearby, she was bound to find someone.
The spell encountered exactly two creatures: herself and Silverstream. Luster's head and ears drooped.
"Uh, well, that doesn't look good," Silverstream noted. "Nothing?"
"Nothing," Luster murmured.
"I'm sorry," the hippogriff responded gently. "So, into town?"
"Into town," Luster reluctantly agreed.
Silverstream flapped easily through the air, while Luster Dawn trotted along beside her. Silverstream admired her companion from the corner of one eye—the awkward little unicorn had grown into a lovely young mare. On top of that, Luster's years in Ponyville had done wonders for her attitude; she actively sought out friends, tried to help them, regularly reviewed her lessons from the School of Friendship and tried to apply them...
Okay, so Luster Dawn was a nerd. She was an attractive nerd!
What am I thinking about?! Silverstream thought with sudden horror. She's half my age! The hippogriff closed her eyes and took some deep breaths, trying to will down the blush rising in her face. She thanked her lucky stars that she was already pink.
"Silverstream?"
"Huh?! Uh—" she cleared her throat, "yes?"
Luster Dawn arched an eyebrow. "Well, first of all, are you okay?"
"Oh, uh, yeah! Yeah, totally fine, I was just thinking about... something. What's up?"
"Ooookay. Well, I was wondering how you avoided getting captured by the mist."
"Oh, that's easy!" Silverstream wished Luster would put her eyebrow back down; it somehow made her even more dorkily adorable. Adorkable? "When I saw the cloud coming, I turned into a seapony and hid underwater. I thought I would stay there until it went away, but—" She gestured to the still-present green fog around them.
Luster nodded. "So it doesn't pass through water, that's good to know. Thankfully, it seems like the transport spell is spent. But something must still be keeping the cloud here, or it would have dissipated by now."
"Why, though?" Silverstream asked. "If it's not doing anything anymore, why keep it around?"
Luster Dawn shrugged. "Who knows? I have no idea what kind of magic we're dealing with here."
After that, they traveled in silence for a few minutes. Eventually, the carnival's front gate came into sight through the fog.
"Oh," Silverstream said.
A crackling wall of green energy stood just beyond the entrance. It stretched left, right, and up as far as the hippogriff could see.
"Well, I guess we know what's keeping the fog here," she added.
"But why?" Luster Dawn echoed Silverstream's earlier question. "If the fog had done its work, there wouldn't be anycreature left in the carnival. Why have this barrier?"
"Do you think it's here for us?" Silverstream asked. "Like, just in case somecreature got away from the fog like we did?" She slowly stretched out a talon.
"Wait!" Luster Dawn shouted. "Don't touch—"
"EEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Silverstream gave a bloodcurdling shriek as sickly green magic coursed through her.
Her muscles convulsed, her feathers burned, and she would have sworn her blood was boiling. Worst of all, there was a horrific tearing feeling deep inside her chest, as if some burning claw had reached deep inside and ripped away some crucial part of her.
The pain seemed to last for ages, though it really couldn't have been more than a few seconds. Finally, mercifully, the magic retreated back into the barrier, leaving Silverstream to collapse to the ground.
Silverstream's vision was fading quickly. The last thing she saw was a very concerned, very pretty young unicorn leaning down to look at her.
"Silverstream?" The pink unicorn's voice was weirdly distant.
"Silverstream!" The word sounded familiar, but the hippogriff couldn't quite make it out through the rushing in her ears. Then her eyes fluttered shut, and everything went dark.
Silverstream awoke to pain. Every inch of her burned like she'd flown through a fire. And eaten fire. And shoved fire so far up her beak that it was cooking her brain. She didn't dare to look around yet; just the thought of light entering her eyes made her head pound in protest. She tuned in to her other senses instead to try to take stock of her situation.
Wherever she was, it smelled dry and dusty. The scent tickled her beak slightly, and she fought off a sneeze—she didn't even want to think about how much sneezing would hurt. She could hear something nearby: A sort of rhythmic tapping with a high, indistinct sound behind it. The sound was moving, traveling back and forth across a short distance over and over again.
Luster Dawn, she finally realized. The unicorn was pacing and muttering to herself, just like her teacher tended to do when faced with a difficult problem.
"Luster?" Silverstream said—or tried to say. What came out was an unintelligible groan.
The muttering cut off with a sudden gasp. The hoofsteps stopped pacing back and forth and raced to Silverstream's side.
"Oh, thank Twilight, you're awake." Luster Dawn's voice came from somewhere over her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm... urgh." Silverstream tried to move and immediately regretted it. She settled for opening her eyes a slit, just barely enough to see. "I'll live." I think. "Where are we?"
"Some kind of storage shed," Luster answered. "It was the only decent shelter I could find."
Silverstream looked around as best she could without moving her head. It was indeed a small wooden shed. Boxes and totes lined the walls, labeled with the names of various games and attractions; supplies for the booths, she supposed. Even that little effort made her headache spike.
"Is there any water here?" Silverstream croaked.
"To drink, or to swim in?" Luster asked uncertainly.
Faust, she's cute, Silverstream thought.
"To drink," she giggled.
"Right. Of course." Luster Dawn flushed with embarrassment. "Yeah, there's plenty. I got food and water from one of the stands." Her horn glowed golden, and a bottle of water floated over to Silverstream.
Silverstream stretched out a foreleg, then winced and clutched it back to herself as her muscles screamed in protest.
"Um," Silverstream mumbled quietly, embarrassed, "sorry, could you...?"
"Could I... oh! Of course." The bottle floated to Silverstream's mouth and the cap unscrewed itself. "Here."
Silverstream opened her beak, and the bottle tilted a small mouthful of water into it. It was cold and refreshing—she felt a tiny fraction of her strength return.
"Thank you." She reached out again, slowly this time, and managed to take hold of the bottle. She took another cautious sip. "You found all this while I was out? How long?"
"You were unconscious for about half an hour," Luster Dawn answered. She bit her lower lip. "I tried to wake you, but nothing worked. For a while, I... I was afraid you might not wake up at all."
"Don't be silly," Silverstream said with an encouraging smile, "that's not how these adventures work!" She stretched out a talon and brushed it across her worried friend's cheek. "I told you, everything's gonna be fine."
"I told you, everything's gonna be fine."
Luster Dawn reflexively nuzzled into Silverstream's gentle touch, taking what comfort she could from it. Then Silverstream lowered her foreleg and closed her eyes again—whether sleeping or just resting, Luster couldn't tell.
How can she be so calm? Luster Dawn wondered as she looked down at the hippogriff. Is it really just experience? It was true that Silverstream and her friends had gone on a lot of adventures—at least one of which was immortalized in stained glass at Canterlot Castle—but it seemed like she was hardly taking this seriously at all.
In a lot of ways, Silverstream actually reminded her of Li'l Cheese. They were both so carefree and happy, no matter what was happening around them. At the same time, they were both intensely curious, and wildly excited about new experiences.
Luster Dawn knew that Silverstream was a fair bit older than her, but she sure didn't act like it. In fact, as Luster looked down at the hippogriff's weak, nearly helpless form, she felt a strong protective instinct rise up. She wanted nothing more than to take care of her friend; to help her get better, to guide her and teach her, and then...
And then what? As she realized the direction her thoughts were going, Luster Dawn was intensely grateful that she was already pink. What was she even thinking about? She needed Silverstream's help, and of course she wanted her friend to get better, but that was it. There was no "and then."
Right?
Silverstream mumbled quietly, and Luster nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Wh—what did you say?" Luster Dawn stammered.
"Nothing. Just—rrgh—giving myself a pep talk," Silverstream answered as she slowly pushed herself upright.
"Whoa, whoa!" Luster darted to her side and leaned, supporting Silverstream as she stood up. "Are you sure you're ready?"
"I'd—ngh—I'd better be," Silverstream answered. "There's... a lot of creatures... counting on us." Just the effort of standing upright had her panting.
"Silverstream, you can't help anyone in your condition," Luster Dawn protested. "You need to rest."
"Nah, I'm fine." She waved a claw dismissively. "Just a bit stiff."
Luster cocked her head to the side. "You were out cold less than five minutes ago," she pointed out.
"Well, that was then, this is now!" Silverstream answered. Evidently seeing that Luster wasn't convinced, she walked a few steps around the inside of the shed. "See? I'm feeling a lot better."
"Well," Luster said hesitantly, "if you're sure." It was true that she could really use Silverstream's help.
"I'm sure." The hippogriff turned her head, and her shining blue eyes caught Luster's golden ones. "Thank you, by the way. For taking care of me."
"N—no problem."
Once again, Luster Dawn was glad that her face was already pink.
This is not a good idea.
Silverstream was all too aware that she was in no shape to be walking, let alone adventuring. Aside from the pain still searing her inside and out, she felt horribly weak—just standing up had been a struggle, and she probably couldn't fly if her life depended on it. Still, there was no way that she could let Luster Dawn face... whatever this was... alone.
"So." Silverstream sat down on the floor. She was pretty sure she'd made it look casual, and not like her legs had given out under her. "Any ideas?"
Luster Dawn rubbed her temples. "Not really," she admitted. "I've been racking my brain to figure out what kind of spell this is, but I've got almost nothing to go on. The green fog reminds me of Twilight's story about facing the Sirens, but we haven't heard any music. I thought maybe Discord was pranking us, but he'd have gotten bored by now. I just need some kind of clue."
"Well, then, let's find one!" Silverstream suggested. "You've got the fog, and that wall thingy that zapped me. Any clues there?"
"Maybe." Luster nodded slowly as she thought. "The barrier shocked you before you even touched it, so we know it's aggressive. I think we can rule out regular pony magic here. That just leaves... oh, any kind of evil magic!" she shouted in frustration.
"Does it, though?" Silverstream asked. She ticked the points off on her talons. "We know that it can capture creatures and move them somewhere far away. We know that it leaves fog behind even after the magic's gone. We know that it can make a magic wall that shocks anyone who gets too close. That's gotta narrow it down, right?"
Luster Dawn took a steadying breath. "Okay, yeah, you're right. Actually..." She cut off whatever she was about to say and looked away. "Never mind. Sorry."
"What is it?" Silverstream asked.
"Well—" Luster Dawn scuffed a hoof against the wooden floor "—if you could tell me what it... felt like... that might help me figure out what kind of magic it was."
"Uh, well, it hurt!" Silverstream responded.
"I know!" Luster Dawn held up her hooves apologetically. "I know it hurt, and I'm sorry to ask you to relive it. But if you could tell me specifically what you felt, it could give me a clue."
Now it was Silverstream's turn to take a deep breath. Describing the pain would be easy enough; she just had to make sure not to let on that she was still feeling it.
"It burned," she answered quietly. "Like I was on fire, or I got hit by lightning—real lightning, not like what a pegasus could make. And there was something... inside." She held a claw to her chest. "I dunno, it's hard to explain. Like something inside of me broke."
"Do you think it did something more than just shock you?" Luster asked concernedly.
"I dunno," she repeated. "Maybe. I feel—uh, felt—really weak. It was like," she cast around for a good comparison, "like I was sick. Yeah, that's it, kinda like the feather flu."
"Feather flu." Luster Dawn tapped her chin thoughtfully. "So, muscle weakness, head and body aches, fatigue?"
"Yeah, exactly," Silverstream confirmed.
"So the magic field drained something from you, maybe?" Luster mused. "We're dealing with somecreature who captures others and drains their energy?"
"That makes sense," Silverstream agreed. "Any ideas yet?"
Luster grimaced. "No," she said. "Or, rather, too many ideas. We've definitely narrowed it down, but this could still be any of a half-dozen monsters that I know of, or an evil mage." She stood in thoughtful silence for a few seconds, then nodded decisively. "I need to take a closer look at that barrier."
"Okay, but I'm not getting zapped again so you can study it," Silverstream warned her.
"No, of course not!" a horrified Luster Dawn answered. "I would never ask you to do that!"
Silverstream snorted. "It was a joke, you dork." She affectionately ruffled the unicorn's mane.
"Oh. Heheh." Luster giggled uncomfortably. "Right. Anyway, we're not far from the barrier. Are you sure you're up for it?"
"Of course," Silverstream lied. She kept her face smooth as she forced herself back to her hooves. "Lead the way."
Luster Dawn kept her pace to an easy trot, and frequently glanced back at Silverstream. However, despite Luster's concerns, the hippogriff seemed totally fine.
"You know," Luster Dawn mused as they walked, "I don't know much about hippogriff anatomy, but it's impressive."
Both of them stopped dead in their tracks. They were standing in the light of a bright crystal lamp, and Luster's pink fur wasn't enough to hide her blush in that unforgiving glare.
"Um—" Silverstream began.
"No, I-I-I just meant how quickly you recovered!" Luster waved her hooves frantically in front of her. "You've got an impressive body! I mean, you've got impressive stamina! I mean—eep!"
Luster Dawn found herself wrapped gently in a wing. Silverstream's feathers were wonderfully soft; she might have enjoyed it more if she hadn't been looking for a rock to teleport under and die.
The wing also felt strangely warm, as if Silverstream were running a fever. She'd mentioned feather flu—was she actually sick? Or was this a normal temperature for hippogriffs?
She finally lowered her hooves enough to look at Silverstream. Then she froze.
"Luster Dawn?" Silverstream asked.
Luster tried to answer, to explain what she was seeing—or, rather, wasn't seeing—but nothing came out of her mouth.
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad," Silverstream cajoled her.
"Silverstream," she finally managed to whisper, "look behind you."
"Huh?" The hippogriff let go and twisted her head around. "I don't see anything."
I know. That's the problem.
Just to make sure, Luster Dawn mentally traced a line from the glowing crystal overhead down to Silverstream, and then to the ground behind her. The ground that was lit by the same glare as everywhere else around them.
"I don't have a shadow?" Silverstream looked behind herself again. There was a long, exaggerated unicorn shadow, but nothing else. Silverstream moved a foreleg up and down, and flared her wings in and out. Nothing changed.
"I don't have a shadow." Her pupils shrank to pinpricks. "I don't have a shadow! Why don't I have a shadow?!" Silverstream's panic briefly overcame her weakness as she grabbed Luster Dawn by the shoulders and shook her urgently. "What does that mean?!"
"Iiiiiiiit meeeeaaaaaans—" Luster Dawn put a steadying hoof on Silverstream—whether to steady the hippogriff or herself was hard to say. "It means that I finally know what this fog is." She looked up with a confident flash in her golden eyes. "Shadow magic."
"Shadow magic?" Silverstream repeated. "Like what King What's-His-Name Crystalface used?"
Luster raised an eyebrow. "If you're talking about King Sombra of the Crystal Empire, then no. He used umbrum magic."
"What's the difference?"
Luster Dawn sighed. "Look, ask me when we're not trying to rescue hundreds of creatures from a shadow mage, and I'll be happy to discuss the different types of magic with you."
"Okay, it's a date!" Silverstream chirped.
"A d—" Luster choked on the word, then cleared her throat. "Right, well, anyway." She coughed again. "The important thing is that shadow magic, as the name implies, affects creatures' shadows. It can change their shapes, turn them solid, and even use them as doorways. That must be what this fog did: forced everycreature through their own shadows to wherever our mage is hiding out."
"Right. Got it. I think. Sorta. And... stealing shadows?"
Luster grimaced. "That's one way to power shadow magic. You take other creatures' shadows, then you can use their strength to fuel your spells."
"Oh." Silverstream's adrenaline rush was fading, and a sick dread was growing in her stomach. "That doesn't sound good."
"It isn't," Luster Dawn replied grimly. "Overusing someone's shadow can seriously hurt them, or even kill them."
"Kill—?" Silverstream squeaked. "Luster, I don't think I like this adventure anymore."
A deep tremble started in her legs and wings, and she was powerless to stop it. She tried to tell herself it was just the fatigue catching up with her—she knew that she was lying.
"Hey." Luster Dawn placed a hoof under Silverstream's beak and tilted her head up. "Listen to me." She met Silverstream's gaze without flinching, her usual awkwardness momentarily forgotten. "I am not going to let that happen, okay?"
Silverstream looked back at her for a long moment, drinking in the sight of this beautiful, brilliant, fiercely determined unicorn.
"Okay?" Luster Dawn repeated.
Silverstream gave a shaky nod. "Okay."
Luster Dawn smiled, and in that moment she lived up to her name. Warmth spread through Silverstream like she was catching the first rays of the sun on a warm summer day. Her trembling stopped as suddenly as it had started.
"So," Luster said, "I studied the theories behind shadow magic at the Royal Academy in Canterlot, but I've only used it once. For the test."
Silverstream swallowed hard. "All right. Did you pass?"
The unicorn snorted. "Who do you think you're talking to? I aced it."
"Right, I should have known."
Wow. Silverstream thought privately. Luster's usual dorky awkwardness was charming, but there was definitely something to be said for this confident, focused side of her personality. And that side only came out once I was in danger. There was something to be said for that, too.
"This shadow mage, whoever he is, made one big mistake," Luster continued, oblivious to Silverstream's adoring gaze. "You can't completely sever a shadow from its body; and if you could, the shadow would be useless, since it wouldn't be connected to any life force anymore. By taking your shadow but leaving the rest of you here, he's given me a string to follow."
"You mean you can find him?" Silverstream asked hopefully.
Luster Dawn nodded. "I'll make a passage using shadow magic. We'll go in through my shadow and come out through yours. But I'll need to examine your body first. Closely."
A blush crept up Silverstream's cheeks again. "Um—"
Luster winked. "I know what I said."
Friendship really is amazing, Luster Dawn thought as she used shadow magic to sweep Silverstream. It was hardly a new thought for Princess Twilight's personal student, but one that she still had on occasion.
Over the years, she'd come to realize that the magic of friendship wasn't just rainbow lasers and explosions. Sometimes, it was a sudden burst of strength and confidence to help a friend in need. And, sometimes, it was the willpower to ignore the fact that she was running a deep magical scan of that friend's slender, muscular, very-nicely-proportioned body.
Was Silverstream really almost twice Luster's age? She'd never have guessed—the hippogriff's physical form showed the same youthfulness as her personality.
Magic of friendship, Luster Dawn reminded herself as her magic went over Silverstream's hindquarters. I need to find her shadow, not her haunches. Her toned, taut haunches... wait, was Silverstream flexing for her?
"Luster?" The hippogriff asked.
"Almost done!" Luster Dawn answered a bit too quickly. "Sorry, it's a little trickier than I expected."
"Hmm. I'll bet," Silverstream purred.
Not helping! "No, what I mean is, have you ever tried to look for what's not there?" Luster Dawn cut off her magic a little reluctantly. "I basically need to find the space where your shadow was. Then I need to find the thing that fits into that space."
"Oh." The playful expression dropped from the hippogriff's face. "But you can do it, right?"
"Of course I can," Luster answered determinedly. She had to—if she failed, then she'd lose Li'l Cheese, Silverstream, and hundreds of other creatures to this mysterious shadow mage. "Although it might take me a little time."
"I see," Silverstream answered quietly. She quickly perked up. "No problem! Take as long as you need."
Luster Dawn looked at the hippogriff with a dreamy sigh.
"You're amazing, you know that?"
"Huh? Me?" Silverstream answered. "You're doing all the work! What did I do, besides get blasted with shadow magic?"
"You've been the one keeping my head on straight since all this started," Luster answered. As she spoke, she positioned herself under the light so that her shadow stretched out in front of her, then carefully directed a thin beam of magic into that dark shape. "No matter what's happening, you stay calm and rational."
Silverstream chuckled. "I'm not sure anyone's ever called me 'calm' or 'rational' before," she replied with a grin.
"And that's the other thing," Luster continued, "you never lose your smile." The unicorn looked up with a smile of her own. "You must be one of the bravest creatures I've ever met."
"Brave? Me?" Silverstream squeaked. She pawed the ground uncomfortably and looked anywhere except at Luster Dawn. "I'm not brave, I'm... I'm silly. I can't take anything seriously. That's why I don't get freaked out by stuff."
Luster made a thoughtful noise.
"Well," the unicorn answered, "I take everything too seriously. Just ask Li'l Cheese."
As she spoke, she became aware of an unthinkably vast network of connections and doorways. Her magic was connected to the world of shadows. Now she had to find the right one—a needle in an infinitely large haystack.
"It's good to have someone who can reel me in like you can," Luster continued. "We make a good team."
Silverstream pressed affectionately into her side, then glanced down at what Luster Dawn was doing.
"Whoa."
"Yeah," Luster replied.
Instead of a darker patch of grass, her shadow now looked like a jet-black pool of liquid. It should have been too dark to see through, but nonetheless, Luster Dawn could vaguely make out countless shapes in its depths. They appeared and disappeared, changed shape and size, and overall gave the impression of an impossibly huge, all-black kaleidoscope.
"What is all that?" Silverstream asked in an awed tone.
"Shadows," Luster Dawn answered her. "Every shadow everywhere."
"Wow!" The hippogriff leaned over until her beak was nearly touching the blackness. "And mine's in there somewhere?"
"Say," Silverstream cocked her head thoughtfully, "doesn't that mean we could come out through any shadow we want? We could go into Ponyville for help!"
Luster Dawn grimaced. "In theory, yes, but—" she shook her head hopelessly "—I can't tell whose shadow is whose. Without a more experienced shadow mage to guide us, we'd be just as likely to come out in Saddle Arabia. Or the middle of the ocean." She looked at Silverstream to make sure she understood what Luster was saying. "That was why I had to examine you so closely; I needed to know exactly what to look for in here."
"Oh. I just thought you were enjoying yourself," Silverstream said with a wink.
"I didn't say I wasn't," Luster answered, and wondered when she'd gotten so brazen. The more time she spent around Silverstream, the more her filters seemed to shut off.
Silverstream peered back into the pool of shadows.
"Weird," she said. "I can't explain it, but I feel like I almost know where my shadow is in there."
"You can sense your shadow?" Luster Dawn asked eagerly. "I know there must still be a connection, but I didn't think you'd be able to follow it without magic."
Silverstream snorted. "Well, you loaded me up with shadow magic just now. Maybe that's why?"
Luster gasped. "The scan! There must be enough residual magic that you can feel the link between your shadow and your body!"
"That's it!" Silverstream cried. "Come on, before I lose it!" She grabbed one of Luster's forelegs.
"No, wait, don't—"
But it was too late; Silverstream dove into the unicorn's shadow.
Silverstream was reaching the end of her considerable stamina. She'd had to tense every muscle in her legs just to stand upright for Luster's scan, and the talon she was holding her friend's leg with had no strength in it. She couldn't wait any longer; she fell forward into the shadow, dragging Luster Dawn behind her.
Passing through Luster Dawn's shadow felt almost like diving into the ocean, but warmer and more viscous. Silverstream flicked her tail to reorient herself, and realized that she'd instinctively turned into a seapony as she entered the shadow world. However, it didn't seem to matter—Luster Dawn was standing on the shadow-stuff just as easily as she was floating in it. Furthermore, though Luster needed air to breathe and Silverstream now needed water, neither one was having any trouble here.
"Wow, this is so cool!" Silverstream exclaimed. Her voice sounded strangely muffled, and yet she winced as the shadows seemed to carry it outward endlessly. "You okay, Lusty?"
Luster Dawn choked on nothing. "Lusty? I'm not—I don't think that means what you think it does. But, yes, I'm fine. Can you still feel your shadow?"
"Mhm!" Silverstream answered eagerly. "It's like something's tugging me that way." She pointed in... a direction. She couldn't tell which way was which in this endless blackness, or even if there were "ways." Still, there was definitely something pulling her. It was almost like that time when she'd tried to grab something shiny and found herself snagged on a pony's fishing hook.
Come on, Luster, come on! she thought impatiently. She couldn't quite hide her labored breathing anymore, or the sheen of sweat on her now-featherless body.
"Are you okay?" Luster asked with concern.
"Yeah. Yup! I'm fine. Just..." Silverstream winced as pain flared in her stomach. "The sooner we get my shadow back, the better." She started to swim in the direction she felt the pull from, and quickly realized that she wasn't going anywhere. Luster Dawn, who hadn't moved at all, was still right next to her.
"This is a magical passage," Luster reminded her, "we need to use magic to get around. Let me try."
The unicorn channeled magic into her horn. Her usual golden glow was shot through with threads of deep blue and purple, so dark that they were nearly black. It made a striking contrast with Luster's pink fur—washed in that magical light, she was just about the most beautiful thing that Silverstream had ever seen.
"Okay," Luster Dawn said with a hint of strain in her voice, "I think I've got it. Point the way."
Silverstream pointed. Luster Dawn's magic enveloped them both and... Silverstream wasn't actually sure what was happening. She had a definite sense of motion, but there were no landmarks—or land—for her to gauge their progress. She'd hoped that the pulling feeling would get stronger as they got closer to it, but that didn't seem to be happening. The two just kept moving in their non-direction for an impossible-to-determine length of time, and nothing at all changed around them.
Until something did.
"Wait, stop!" Silverstream cried out. The magic field around the two of them immediately winked out.
"What is it?"
"I think we passed it. The feeling's coming from that way now." Silverstream pointed back at a slight angle to the path they'd been on before—at least, she thought so. She was pointing behind them, anyway.
"Okay. I'm going to go more slowly this time. Let me know when the direction changes again."
With a bit of back-and-forth traveling, the two were able to narrow down the location of whatever was tugging on Silverstream. However, they eventually ran into a problem.
"All right," Silverstream said, "it's... I have no idea. It's like it's pulling me into myself now, and no matter which way we move, I feel like it's back the way we came from."
"Well, then we must be really close," Luster reasoned. "We just have to pinpoint it."
"Yeah, but I don't know how!" Silverstream cried out in frustration. The constant pain was wearing on her cheerful attitude. "It's right here and I can't find it!"
"Hey, hey, take it easy," Luster Dawn murmured. She gently rubbed Silverstream's back for a moment. "I promise I'll get us there, okay?"
Silverstream sucked in a ragged breath and quickly rubbed tears away from her eyes.
"Okay," she whispered. "I trust you."
Luster swept around the two of them with a beam that looked much like the scan she'd used on Silverstream before. Under that light, the two could see that what had looked like an infinite pool of solid black was actually made of countless dark forms pressed together. Some were vast, others so small that Silverstream could barely see them, and they came in every conceivable shape. The seapony found the sight dizzying, and quickly shut her eyes.
"Hmm."
Silverstream opened one eye to see Luster wearing a slight frown.
"What is it?" Silverstream asked.
"I can't find anything that looks like—oh, of course!" She slapped herself in the face with a hoof. "Can you turn back into your hippogriff form? Your shadow must have transformed when you did."
"Oh, right, that makes sense. I think."
Silverstream focused her will on the small shard of pearl she wore around her neck, and a moment later she was back in the hippogriff form that she used on land. Like Luster Dawn, she found her hooves resting on nothingness. She instinctively flapped her wings to keep from falling, but there was no air for them to catch. She would have wondered what they were breathing, but the rules of the outside world seemed more like loose suggestions in this place.
"All right, hold still," Luster told her. "Stand just like you were while I was scanning you."
Silverstream nodded, then realized she'd already disobeyed Luster's instructions not to move. She held as still as she could manage. At least there didn't seem to be any gravity here, so there was no weight pressing down on her rubbery legs. Silverstream shut her eyes again and tried not to think about how awful she felt—she was unable to think about anything else.
"Let's see here..." Luster Dawn muttered to herself as she worked, "no, no... too big... too small... too many heads... no, no, no... aha!"
"Did you find it?" Silverstream gasped.
"I think so," Luster answered excitedly. Her magic was outlining a particular shadow that did, indeed, look like a black outline of a hippogriff. "Can you try moving a bit?"
"Uh, sure." Silverstream raised one foreleg uncertainly. The dark shape moved as well; now a small part of it was pointing out in another direction.
"This is it, it has to be!" Luster Dawn exclaimed.
Oh, thank Celestia. Silverstream could have sobbed with relief, but she didn't want to disturb Luster's focus.
"Ready?" The unicorn asked.
"Yes, do it. Please," Silverstream begged.
"Hang in there," Luster Dawn encouraged her as the beam from her horn intensified. "We'll have you fixed up in no time."
The dark silhouette, outlined in Luster's magic, seemed to become even darker. It developed a strange sheen, like light reflecting off of water at night.
"The passage is open," Luster said. "Just remember, we have no idea what's waiting for us on the other side."
It can't possibly be worse than this, Silverstream thought privately as another wave of pain burned through her.
"Thank you," she said aloud. "I'm ready."
Luster Dawn nodded grimly, and her magic guided the two of them into Silverstream's shadow.
Silverstream felt cold, wet air on her beak as she started to emerge from the shadow passage. It felt like a cloud, or an unusually thick fog, but there was also a bitter taste that she couldn't place. She was about halfway out of the shadow now, and she began feeling around for the ground. Her wings emerged, and she spread them instinctively.
"Wha' in the world?" a deep, masculine voice suddenly boomed. It seemed to come from all around her.
Silverstream squawked in surprise and fell the rest of the way out of the magical passage. To her dismay, she found that she was a good five feet in the air, and neither her wings nor her legs were strong enough to catch her. She hit the ground in an undignified heap, and found herself laying on sand and rocks. The gentle sounds of water, the smell of salt, and the sun warming her feathers told her that she'd fallen onto a beach or a shoreline somewhere.
"Wha's this, then?" that same voice thundered from above her.
Silverstream turned her head just enough to see what was going on, and gasped.
A massive form loomed over her. It had to be ten times her height at least, and looked like nothing she'd ever seen before. Two powerful arms hung down from its hulking shoulders. A relatively small head sat perched atop a thick, barrel-chested body. Two beady yellow eyes, rimmed with bright red and topped by long, upswept eyebrows, glared down at her. Instead of hooves, its body tapered to a sort of tail, which floated a few inches above the ground. The being looked almost like a genie, except that it seemed to be made entirely of clouds.
As Silverstream stared upward in shock, a golden glow appeared in what she supposed would be the creature's stomach. The cloud monster frowned, and Silverstream gasped again as it plunged a hand into its own body. The hand emerged, and she could faintly see the struggling outline of Luster Dawn inside. Suddenly, there was a bright flash from inside the creature's hand, and Luster appeared next to her in a burst of golden magic. The unicorn lowered her head protectively, putting her horn squarely between Silverstream and this new threat.
The creature growled in annoyance. It folded its arms across its huge chest and gazed down at the two of them.
"Right," it rumbled, "who are you two, then?"
Luster Dawn tossed her head and stomped a forehoof.
"My name is Luster Dawn," she announced proudly, and Silverstream felt a swell of admiration at how quickly she'd recovered from her surprise. "I am the personal protegé of Princess Twilight Sparkle."
"Izzat right?" the creature answered, supremely unimpressed.
"And this—"
"Oh, I know all about that one," the creature chuckled. It held up one finger, and a dark form the size and shape of Silverstream appeared in the very tip of it. "Surprised she can even move, what with losin' her shadow an' all."
My shadow!
"Give it back," Silverstream croaked. "Please give it back." She hated to beg this awful monster for anything, but she couldn't help herself.
"Lemme think about that." The creature swooped down so it was practically nose-to-beak with Silverstream. "No."
It reared back again as Luster Dawn's horn flared with furious magic, but it didn't seem to have been harmed by the blast.
"Well," the cloud monster said as though nothing had happened, "I'd introduce meself, but judgin' by the look on the pointy one's face there, I'm guessin' at least one o' you already knows who I am."
Luster Dawn snorted angrily.
"Erebus," she answered. "You're supposed to be imprisoned in a never-ending storm at the exact center of the ocean."
"Right, so I was," Erebus replied. "Only, it turns out it wasn't quite as never-ending as you lot thought."
Silverstream feebly tugged at Luster Dawn's leg.
"What's an Erebus?" she asked.
"Erebus is a cloud demon," Luster answered. "a primeval being from before Equestria was Equestria. Thousands of years ago, ponies and hippogriffs worked together to defeat Erebus and seal him inside of a typhoon. Somehow, he broke free."
"Gotcha." Silverstream struggled to a standing position. "Then we'll just have to work together and defeat him again!"
Erebus roared with laughter. "What, with one unicorn and 'alf a hippogriff? Yeah, that's not goin' to 'appen."
Without warning, Luster Dawn fired a beam of black-laced magic at the finger where Silverstream's shadow had been. Erebus yelped in surprise and pulled his hand away.
"Tryin' ta steal your friend's shadow back?" the cloud demon rumbled. "Clever. And naughty." He inhaled deeply, and blew out an all-too-familiar cloud of sickly green vapor.
Silverstream used what little strength she had to shove Luster Dawn backward. Taking the hint, the unicorn quickly teleported away from the green cloud. It washed harmlessly over Silverstream before fading into the air.
The hippogriff snorted with laughter.
"Oh, please," she taunted him. "What are you gonna do, steal my shadow twice?"
Erebus scratched his chin with one log-sized finger.
"Nah," he replied, "I'm just gonna do this." He reached out with a hand bigger than Silverstream and swatted her aside.
That casual hit broke her last reserve of endurance. Silverstream's body went tumbling through the air and crashed hard into the sand; she was too weak to even try to control her landing. She wanted to stand again—she truly did—but she couldn't muster the strength or the willpower.
Her legs twitched feebly. The darkness that she'd been holding back through sheer stubbornness crept into the edges of her vision. She tried to cry out in pain, but she didn't even have the energy for that; all that emerged was a raspy croak no louder than a whisper.
"Luster..."
"Silverstream!" Luster Dawn shrieked as her dear friend was struck down by the monstrous creature. She raced back to Silverstream's side, cursing herself for an idiot—Silverstream must have been dreadfully sick and weak for Erebus's lazy swipe to have that kind of effect on her. No doubt she'd been suffering since she lost her shadow, and had just been putting on a brave face for Luster's benefit.
Because I told her that she was keeping my head on straight, Luster berated herself as she skidded to a stop on the loose sand. I told her that I needed her, so she thought she had to be there for me. And now...
Silverstream lay crumpled on the ground, motionless except for weak twitches in her legs and wings. Her eyes stared at nothing, and her tongue lolled out of a half-open beak. For one heart-stopping moment, Luster Dawn thought that her dear new friend was dead.
Then the hippogriff coughed weakly.
"Help..." she whispered. Her voice could barely escape from her throat. "Please help me..."
I will. Seeing her brave friend in such a state made Luster want to cry. Then it made her angry. This guy's going down.
"Still with us, luv?" Erebus asked the fallen hippogriff. "Good. Your shadow's got a lot o' energy; it'd be a shame to lose it."
With a sudden, furious scream, Luster Dawn fired a blast of shadow magic. Her beam tore into Erebus's shoulder, taking a hoof-sized chunk out of it. Cloudstuff and something darker flew into the air and dissipated.
Erebus roared in pain and floated backward, clutching the injury.
"Bloody Tartarus, that actually hurt!" he exclaimed.
"Oh, you haven't even started to hurt," Luster Dawn promised. Her eyes burned white as she charged another blast.
"My, my, you're a strong one, aren't you?" Erebus sounded eager, rather than afraid. He spread his arms wide. "All right then, little filly, gimme all ya got!"
"Luster..." Silverstream whispered, so softly that Luster thought she might be hearing things, "it's a trap..."
A second layer of light wreathed Luster Dawn's horn as she drew in more and more power. Then a third. She was holding more magic than she'd ever dared; the slightest misstep now could cause her to lose control and destroy her own horn, or worse.
But she was one of the finest pupils the Royal Academy of Magic had ever known. She was Twilight Sparkle's personal student. She wouldn't make a mistake.
Luster roared a wordless battle cry and unleashed her power. This was no mere beam, it was a torrent; a raging river of golden energy, shot through with dark purples and blues. It hit Erebus squarely in the torso and lit him up like a Hearth's Warming tree. For just a moment, Luster Dawn could see hundreds of dark shapes flitting around inside his translucent body—all the shadows he'd stolen.
Then she felt something coming the other way, using her shadow magic to reach back out to her. It flowed into her horn like molten iron, then spread to her chest. However, that burning pain was nothing compared to the awful tearing that she felt a moment later.
"Gotcha," Erebus said with a smirk.
Luster Dawn's stream of magic winked out, and she collapsed to the ground next to Silverstream.
"My, oh my." Erebus brushed a bit of soot off the spot where Luster's magic had hit him. "You're quite somethin'. But—" he inhaled deeply and swelled up even larger than before, "—I invented shadow magic. You never 'ad a chance."
The cloud demon once again held up a finger, and this time the shadow of a unicorn danced on the end of it.
"Thanks for the power, luv. I'm gonna enjoy this."
"I really don't think you are," Luster Dawn answered weakly.
She twisted her head around so that her horn was resting gently on Silverstream's forehead. The magic that emerged was a paltry fraction of the incredible blast she'd summoned before, but it was enough.
"Your turn," she murmured to Silverstream.
Silverstream's half-lidded eyes snapped open in shock. The pain that had been with her for the past several hours was fading. She felt stronger by the second.
She tentatively raised her head a few inches. The movement didn't hurt at all. She glanced down and saw that she was darkening the sand beneath her; her shadow was back.
"How?" she whispered to Luster Dawn.
"Long story," Luster grunted in response. "Listen. I can't beat Erebus. But you can." She locked eyes with Silverstream.
"Tear him apart."
"Well, ladies, it's been fun," Erebus gloated, looming over them, "but it's about time I put ya with the rest o' the foodstuffs." The cloud demon reached downward, about to pick up one of them in each massive hand.
In a single motion, Silverstream leapt to her hooves and shot into the sky. With a raptor's screech, she ripped straight through Erebus's stomach and out the other side. Vapor and shadows poured from the opening—the clouds disappeared into the air, while the shadows streaked inland to seek their owners.
"Wot?" Erebus gasped, clutching the wound. "But 'ow?"
"Long story," Silverstream replied. Then she put a talon to her chin. "Also, I don't know."
The demon's bright yellow eyes narrowed angrily as he looked down at Luster Dawn.
"You," he growled. "You weren't tryin' to destroy me. You were stealin' yer friend's shadow back!"
"Yup," she answered, her voice weak but proud. "The first shot was so you'd think I was trying to hurt you. Then, while you were busy dealing with my light show, I found her shadow. When you stole mine—which I let you do, by the way—I attached Silverstream's shadow to myself in its place. And now it's back where it belongs."
"Hmph. Well, it was a nice trick." Erebus straightened up and moved his hands to reveal that the hole in his stomach had already closed. "But it'll take a lot more'n that ta put me down. Now, then—" He inhaled, and blew another cloud of noxious green fog toward Silverstream.
"Not this time," Silverstream said. She flapped her wings rapidly, creating a gust of wind to disperse the magical cloud.
As the last wisps faded, she realized that this time she was the one who'd been tricked. Erebus was now exhaling toward Luster Dawn's helpless form—not the green shadow-stealing cloud, but a massive, jet-black storm cloud, sizzling with lightning. It blanketed the beach and crept toward her friend.
"Luster Dawn!"
Silverstream swooped toward the unicorn in a desperate race against Erebus's attack. Even if she got there first, though, where could she go? Where would Luster Dawn be safe?
Inspiration struck as she remembered how she'd evaded the green mist back at the carnival.
She reached Luster Dawn mere inches ahead of the black cloud. Without slowing her flight, she scooped up the unicorn's body and sped out toward the ocean. Once she was over deep enough water, she took a breath and focused on her shard of the Pearl of Transformation.
Silverstream turned into a seapony in midair. She angled herself and Luster Dawn downward. They hit the water and slipped beneath the surface at a shallow angle, barely making a splash as they entered.
Erebus's clouds can't go through water, Silverstream thought desperately. She'll be safe here.
She looked at the pony she was holding, and sick dread surged through her stomach. Luster Dawn's eyes were rolling in their sockets, and her muscles were going limp. She was too weak to hold her breath for long, and she was already losing consciousness. Her body would soon force her to breathe; and then she would drown.
Silverstream looked upward and saw that the black cloud was hovering overhead. It wouldn't take much time to disperse, but it would take longer than Luster had. She turned her attention back to her quickly-fading friend.
Don't worry, Luster, she thought tenderly. I'll breathe for both of us.
Silverstream cradled Luster Dawn's head with one foreleg. She placed the other hoof over the unicorn's nostrils, so that she wouldn't try to inhale through them.
Then, Silverstream lowered her head. Her lips firmly met Luster Dawn's, and she breathed out.
The unicorn's eyes opened wide in surprise, then half-closed again as sweet air filled her lungs. She reached out with her own forelegs and wrapped them weakly around Silverstream. She nuzzled the seapony in wordless thanks.
"Are you okay?" Silverstream asked.
Luster Dawn, unable to make herself understood through the water, simply nodded.
"Erebus's magic can't reach you under the water," Silverstream explained. "Will you be able to swim?"
Luster nodded again.
"Okay." Silverstream reluctantly let go of Luster Dawn, and the two broke back through the surface. Erebus was still hovering angrily on the shore, preparing another cloud. "I have to go."
"Silverstream—" the unicorn reached out with a hoof.
"What is it?"
"I..." She shook her head and swallowed whatever she'd been about to say. "Be careful."
Silverstream gave a knowing smile.
"I love you, too."
With a flash of transformation magic, she shot back into the sky.
Silverstream tore another chunk out of Erebus's shoulder, then darted away from his retaliatory swat. She hovered for a moment and caught her breath before diving for another strike.
This isn't working!
No matter how many holes she punched through the cloud demon, or how many wads of cloudstuff she ripped out of his body, Erebus filled in the gaps almost instantly. Even hitting his eyes only blinded him for a moment before they reformed.
On the other claw, Erebus couldn't manage to hit her, either. His swings were wide and clumsy, so Silverstream could dodge them easily. His clouds were equally useless—she either blew them away or hid underwater until they dispersed. They were effectively locked in a stalemate.
Unfortunately, Silverstream was getting tired, while Erebus only seemed to be getting angrier. She would lose the war of attrition at this rate; she had to try something else.
The next time Erebus swatted at her, she darted around behind his head. While he recovered from the swing, Silverstream flapped her wings to create a powerful wind, trying to break apart the demon's vaporous body. A few chunks flew off of his head and he roared—in pain or anger, she couldn't tell.
Aha! Didn't like that, did you?
Unfortunately, he was simply too big and strong for her to blow apart so easily. Erebus whirled around with a huge haymaker, and Silverstream had to stop flapping so that she could dip under the punch. How could she weaken him?
Wait a sec.
She rolled to the side as Erebus tried to smash her into the ground, and inspiration struck. She'd been trying to target vital spots—eyes, organs, whatever—but this cloud monster didn't have vital spots. What she really needed to do, then, was find places where she could break off bigger chunks of him.
She belatedly realized that Luster Dawn's instructions to "tear him apart" had been literal.
Before Erebus could raise his arm again, Silverstream dove for the spot where it met his hulking shoulder. Rather than punching straight through, she slowed down just enough that she landed in his cloudy body with a soft thump. Then she set to work.
Silverstream tore into Erebus's arm, using her natural cloud-shaping magic to move as much of him as possible. When he tried to smack her like an annoying mosquito, she began flying in quick, small circles, using both her talons and the wind of her passage to carve through more of it. His arm was as thick as a tree trunk, but soon enough, she managed to break the last wisps connecting it to his main body.
Erebus shouted in pain as his right arm fell away from the rest of him. He desperately reached out for it, but Silverstream quickly dispersed the limb with another gust of wind. Dozens of shadows flew away as the cloud lost cohesion. For the first time, Erebus was afraid.
"Now-now-now, wait a second," the cloud demon stammered, clutching his damaged shoulder, "maybe we can talk this out."
"Talk?" Silverstream echoed skeptically.
"Tha's right. You 'ippogriffs an' ponies like that kind o' thing, don'tcha?"
Silverstream arched an eyebrow, but nodded.
"Okay, sure. Let's talk." She landed gently on the sand, secretly grateful for the chance to rest. Erebus cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Right," he began, "so, erm, thing is, I was trapped in that storm for thousands o' years. Back then, everything was might makes right, y'know? But I look around, an' I see folks like you an' that unicorn; comin' here, savin' each other's lives and so on, an' it just don't make sense." He cocked his head to the side. "I mean, why stick yer necks out fer each other? What do you get out of it?"
"Wow," Silverstream muttered, "uh, that's sort of a big question."
Luster Dawn would be much better suited for this, but Silverstream didn't dare bring her so close to Erebus in her weakened state. Well, shoot, Silverstream had gone to the School of Friendship, too. What would her teachers have said at a time like this?
"So," Silverstream began, "we have a saying: Friendship is Magic. It means that, when creatures work together, they can do things that they could never dream of doing alone." She gave Erebus a sly look. "Things like, oh, beating an ancient, super-powerful cloud demon shadow mage guy."
"You ain't beaten me," Erebus sulked under his breath.
"So that's why Luster Dawn and I go so far to help each other," Silverstream concluded, pretending not to hear. "It's because we're so much better together than apart."
"Because you've got this... friendship thing."
More than that, I hope. She was starting to blush again, and she quickly turned her attention back to the matter at claw.
"Right. And so could you."
"Me?" Erebus looked genuinely taken aback at that notion. "How?"
"Well, first," Silverstream held up a talon, "you need to give back everycreature's shadows and send them all back home."
"Ya want me ta give up me shadow magic?" Erebus asked incredulously.
"Then, go to Canterlot—that's the capital of Equestria—and talk to Princess Twilight Sparkle. She's got some experience with beings like you. Oh!" she exclaimed as a happy thought occurred to her, "I'll bet she could introduce you to Discord! You two would have a lot to talk about."
"Discord?" Erebus guffawed. "Izzat two-bit chaos mage still kickin'?"
"Two-bit?" echoed a very confused Silverstream.
"He took me on once; tried ta turn me into cotton candy or some rubbish. I tied him into knots—lit'rally—with me bare hands!" Erebus roared with laughter. "Didn't even need me shadow magic."
Silverstream snorted. "Well, he's gotten a little bit stronger since then. As in, he was the worst threat Equestria ever faced. Three times."
"Well, bloody Tartarus," Erebus rumbled. "An' Princess Twilight's got 'im wrapped 'round her hoof with this friendship magic stuff?"
"Yup!" It was oversimplified, but true enough. "And he's never been happier. I'm sure she could help you, too."
Erebus rubbed his chin with his one remaining hand.
"Right," he said, "but that still leaves the problem of you wantin' me ta give back all these shadows, and me not wantin' to."
Silverstream shrugged. "I could just tear the rest of them out of you," she suggested brightly.
"Don' get cocky, little 'ippogriff," Erebus growled. "One good hit's all it'd take ta put you down."
"I mean, I guess," Silverstream said, "but I'd bet that some of those shadows I set free are attached to some really angry pegasi or hippogriffs right about now. Plus, Luster and I know some of the most powerful beings in Equestria. You're having trouble with just the two of us; do you really wanna try fighting all of our friends?"
"Hrm. Point taken."
"So, are you gonna let them go, or are we gonna have round two?" Silverstream asked.
"All right, all right, take it easy." Erebus sighed heavily. "I'll let 'em go."
The cloud demon closed his eyes in concentration, and an arm grew out from the stump of his shoulder. He was noticeably smaller now; he'd had to borrow cloudstuff from his own body to make the new limb.
Then, he stuck both hands into his chest and pulled them apart to create a small opening in his body. Silverstream squawked in surprise, but he didn't seem to feel any pain from making a hole in his own chest. A moment later, a torrent of black shapes flew out of that hole and shot inland—all except one, which streaked out to sea instead.
Silverstream heaved a sigh of relief. A few seconds later, a golden flash announced Luster Dawn's arrival on the beach.
"How do you feel?" Silverstream asked Luster.
"A bit soggy, but otherwise fine," Luster answered. She shook some seawater off of one hoof and wiped her face with it.
"And how do you feel?" she asked Erebus.
"Er, well. It's 'ard to say," the cloud demon replied. "I just gave up most o' me power, which don't feel great. Plus, it seems like you're plannin' to let me go, an' that's just plain confusin'."
"Let him go?!" Luster hissed to Silverstream.
"I told him to go to Canterlot and talk to Princess Twilight," she explained in a hasty whisper.
Luster Dawn nodded slowly. "Okay, that's a good idea," she murmured back, "but we're going to need some insurance."
"Insurance? Wot's that?" Erebus interjected.
The two turned to glare at him.
"Oh, yeah, I 'eard all o' that," he said. "What with me controllin' the air an' all."
"All right," Luster Dawn replied, "friendship lesson number one, don't listen in on private conversations. Now, here's what we're going to do: I'm going to put a tracking spell on you. I'll know where you are, and I'll know if you try to use shadow magic. Princess Twilight can remove the spell, so you'll have to convince her that you've turned over a new leaf. What happens after that is between you and her. Sound fair?"
"Not really."
"Too bad." Luster Dawn fired a spell into Erebus's body, which left behind a small ball of golden light.
"Really, you're getting off easy," Silverstream said. "Creatures that attack Equestria tend to end up as statues."
"Or in Tartarus," Luster added.
"Or on the moon."
"Or sent to Limbo."
"Or blown up by love magic."
"That was the Crystal Empire," Luster Dawn corrected her.
Silverstream shrugged. "Close enough."
The two of them were quiet for a long moment. Then they locked eyes and broke out giggling. Their giggles soon turned to full-blown laughter as joy and relief washed over them. Soon, both Silverstream and Luster Dawn were doubled over, fighting to breathe as they laughed.
"Erm," Erebus said uncertainly.
"Oh, right," Silverstream managed in between chuckles, "we also need you to set everyone you captured free."
"Already done," Erebus answered with a shrug. "Couldn't keep 'em in the shadow world once I gave up me magic. They all shoulda snapped back to where they were when I took 'em."
"Good," Luster Dawn said with a satisfied nod. "And the magical barrier around the carnival?"
"Almost." Luster Dawn heaved a heavy sigh. Her horn began to shine with magic. It pulsed sporadically for a few seconds, then settled to a steady golden glow.
"What are you doing?" Silverstream wondered.
"Sending a message to Counselor Trixie," she explained. "I need somecreature to make sure that everyone's okay. And to get Li'l Cheese home. Oh, hold on, she's answering."
Luster Dawn's eyes glazed over. She stood utterly still for a while, her softly-glowing horn the only sign that she was even conscious. About a minute later, she blinked and her eyes refocused.
"Well?" Silverstream wondered.
"She was already at the carnival," Luster Dawn replied with a snicker. "She's one of the ponies we just set free."
Silverstream snorted. "Of course she was."
"She said that everyone's back, and she's going to the funhouse now to meet up with Li'l Cheese."
"Thank goodness," Silverstream sighed.
With that done, Luster Dawn gave an exaggerated stretch and yawn, and fell over backward into the sand.
"Sweet Sparkle, I'm tired," she groaned.
Silverstream laid down beside her friend with a thump. Now that she wasn't fighting for her life, she could finally appreciate the soft sand, the hot sun, and the delightful warmth of Luster Dawn beside her.
Erebus awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Er, so, should I—?"
"Go. Go to Canterlot." Luster Dawn, still sprawled out on her back, lazily waved a hoof. "Hurry up, or I'll sic Silverstream on you again."
Silverstream locked eyes with the cloud demon. She very pointedly laced her talons together and stretched, causing her knuckles to produce a series of noisy pops.
"Right," Erebus muttered. "Right. I'll, uh... I'll jus' be on me way then. Go to Canterlot. Talk to Princess Twilight. Canterlot. Princess Twilight."
He floated into the air and flew inland, repeating the instructions to himself until he was out of earshot. A short while later, his silhouette faded from sight.
Luster Dawn gave a tired but happy sigh and snuggled into Silverstream's side. Silverstream wrapped a wing around the unicorn and held her close.
They laid there for a long time, even as the sun started creeping toward the horizon. The air between them was heavy with unspoken questions and emotions, but just for now, both of them were content to let things be.
"You know," Luster Dawn eventually said, "sooner or later we'll have to find our way back to Ponyville. I don't have a clue where we are."
"Eh," Silverstream replied without concern, "that's future-Silverstream's problem." She shifted her wing slightly to better protect Luster Dawn from the cooling evening air. "Now-Silverstream just wants to relax and watch the sunset with you."
Luster sighed happily and nuzzled into Silverstream's warm feathers.
Luster Dawn yawned, stretched, and groggily rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She froze as she realized that she wasn't in her bedroom; in fact, she wasn't in a room at all. There was cool sand beneath her, and the smell of salt water in the air. Her face was chilly, but the rest of her was wrapped in something wonderfully warm and soft. It was like a down comforter, if a comforter could somehow warm up her heart along with her body.
Her sleepy haze began to clear, and the events of the previous day came rushing back. She remembered that, after everything they'd been through, she and Silverstream had settled in to watch the sunset together. Clearly, at some point they'd fallen asleep.
"Silverstream?" Luster whispered. She nudged the hippogriff, who murmured an indistinct protest and held her even tighter in her wing.
"Silverstream," she repeated, slightly louder.
"Mm? Where's the silver stream?" the hippogriff mumbled, then started to snore.
Sweet Sparkle, she's even adorable when she's asleep.
"Silverstream, wake up!" Luster gave her a firm shake.
Luster Dawn sighed happily and snuggled back into her side.
"Nothing's wrong, I hope," she answered. "But we've got a lot to talk about."
"Oh. Yeah." Silverstream stretched her legs out and arched her back like a cat. Several of her joints, stiff from the cold, cracked loudly as she did so. "Yeah, I guess we do." She took a deep breath. "Actually, can I go first?"
"Huh?" a surprised Luster Dawn replied. "Uh, sure. Go ahead."
"Well, I..." In spite of her age, Silverstream felt like a hatchling confessing her first crush. "I, uh. I like you!" she finally said in a rush. "Like, really like you." She was blushing again, and not totally sure that her pink feathers could hide it.
Luster Dawn squealed with joy; it was a sound that the studious, serious pony was very unused to making.
"But," Silverstream stammered, "we're so... I mean, would you really be okay with—with somecreature who's so... like me?"
Luster furrowed her brow.
"Sure," she answered, slightly puzzled. "No one's going to look twice at a mixed-species relationship these days."
Warmth blossomed in Silverstream's chest—Luster Dawn was so cute when she was missing the point.
"I didn't mean my species," she said uncomfortably. She dug aimlessly at the sand with a talon and looked anywhere except at the unicorn snuggled up against her. "I meant my... y'know." She gestured at her body; at the stiff joints that popped when she moved. "My age."
Luster Dawn gave a dismissive snort.
"I'm serious!" Silverstream said.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to... okay, look," Luster replied softly, "I spent my life around alicorns, Discord, and the Pillars of Equestria—half the creatures I know are over a thousand years old." She gave Silverstream an affectionate peck on the cheek. "You're not too old for me."
Silverstream cooed happily.
"Who knows?" the unicorn added with a sly smirk, "there might be some advantages to dating someone who's... mature."
"Mature?" Silverstream gave a laugh that turned into a loud snort. "Let's not get carried away here."
"Heh. All right, shall we say... experienced?" Luster suggested. Silverstream nodded in agreement.
"For real though, I'm so glad to hear you say that," the hippogriff said. "I was worried that I was just being a cougar."
"Cougar?" Luster repeated, confused. "You're part bird, not part cat."
Silverstream hastily covered her beak to stifle a giggle.
"And you—" she tapped the end of Luster's muzzle, "—are adorable."
Luster Dawn, who still didn't get it, shrugged helplessly.
"So what about you?" Silverstream hastily changed the subject. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Oh. Right." Now it was Luster Dawn's turn to fidget uncomfortably. What she had to say hardly seemed appropriate now, right after dismissing Silverstream's concern about their relationship, but it was something that they both needed to consider.
"So, I've read that when two creatures share intense experiences—especially traumatic ones—that it can create the illusion of an emotional connection."
"Illusion," Silverstream repeated flatly.
"I'm not saying that what we have here isn't real!" she hastily added. "But, what if it turns out that it isn't? What if we go forward with this and realize that it's not working? What if we're not as happy together as we think we'll be?!" Luster realized that she was beginning to spiral, and shut her mouth forcefully.
"What do you think?" she asked more calmly.
"I think—" Silverstream ruffled Luster's mane, "—that you read too many books."
Luster frowned. "Okay, this time I'm serious," she said sternly.
"Right. I'm sorry." Silverstream took a breath. "Here's what I think: Whenever you start a new relationship—any new relationship—there's a chance that it won't work out. But it's worth the risk."
"But failed relationships are really hurtful, aren't they?" Luster asked.
"They can be," Silverstream admitted, "but what else can you do? Stay alone forever so you don't get hurt? That would be worse than any breakup; at least, I think so."
Luster Dawn mulled that over for a minute.
"I think you're right," she concluded. She gave Silverstream a sunny smile. "You're really wise, you know that?"
Silverstream laugh-snorted again. "Mature and wise? Jeez, you're gonna be disappointed."
Luster's smile turned back into a concerned frown. She reached out and turned Silverstream's head to face her.
"You are!" she insisted. "You're not silly, or stupid, or any of that stuff. You helped me through one of the scariest days of my life yesterday; for all my magic and studying, I'd have been lost without you."
For once, Silverstream was at a loss for words. Hearing that kind of praise from someone as brilliant as Luster Dawn was overwhelming. She hid her face in Luster Dawn's soft coat.
"Oh, Luster," she sniffled. "You're one of the smartest creatures I've ever met. You'd have been fine without this foalish old hippogriff."
Luster Dawn held her close, and gently stroked the soft feathers on the back of her neck.
"Hey," she said earnestly, "please don't say those kinds of things about yourself. Not even as a joke." She leaned forward and kissed the top of the hippogriff's head. "I just want you to see the same brilliant, beautiful, amazing Silverstream that I see."
Silverstream made a sound—Luster couldn't tell if it was a laugh or a sob.
"Amazing? Really?" She gazed adoringly into Luster Dawn's eyes. "I amaze you?"
"Oh, gosh, yes," Luster answered. "The way you never lose your cool. The way you kept fighting, even when you were suffering so much. The way you reacted so quickly when I was in danger. You saved my life, you know that?"
"Oh. Wow," Silverstream murmured. "No one's ever said that kind of stuff about me before."
"Well, get used to it," Luster Dawn advised.
"Hah. Okay." Silverstream's laugh was a little choked. "I think I can do that."
They sat in silence for a while after that, savoring the sparkling night sky, the cool breeze, and each others' warmth.
Eventually, however, Silverstream felt that the moment was right. She met Luster's eyes for a long moment, then started to slowly tilt her head forward. Her beak parted slightly.
"What is it?" she asked worriedly. "Is something wrong?"
Luster Dawn shook her head.
"No, nothing's wrong. It's just, you got to kiss me yesterday."
"That was a rescue breath!" Silverstream protested.
"Well, you sure looked like you were enjoying that 'rescue breath,'" Luster teased, and Silverstream couldn't deny it. She took a shaky breath. "Anyway... this time, I'd like to try it."
Try it, huh? Silverstream felt a secret thrill—she hadn't been someone's first kiss in ages.
"All right, then," she said aloud. "Whenever you're ready."
"O...okay." Luster Dawn looked deeply into her eyes, then blushed and looked down at the ground. Silverstream waited patiently—at least, she hoped it looked patient—as Luster collected herself. Finally, she looked back toward Silverstream, and this time she didn't flinch away.
Luster Dawn tilted her head back and inched closer until Silverstream could feel her warm, sweet breath across her beak. Silverstream closed her eyes and opened her beak slightly, invitingly. Luster drew in one last, shuddering breath, then accepted the invitation.
She gently pressed her lips against Silverstream's beak, and it was like Erebus's lightning shot through her, if lightning were made of fireworks and butterflies. She instinctively reached up and held Silverstream's head, pressing it a little harder into hers. The beak opened slightly, and Luster felt the very tip of a tongue against her lips. She opened them slightly, just to see what would happen, and almost gasped at the taste—a little minty, a little salty, and unfairly fresh for someone who hadn't brushed her teeth since waking up.
After a long time, Luster Dawn remembered that she needed to breathe, and she reluctantly broke contact. She sat back in the sand, her head swimming and her heart pounding, and looked up at Silverstream hopefully.
"So? How was it?"
She looked so much like a schoolfilly hoping for a good grade that Silverstream had to laugh.
"Hmm," Silverstream tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I'd say... B+."
"B+?!" an outraged Luster Dawn shouted. Silverstream adopted her best "teacher" voice.
"Good effort, quick response to feedback, but—" she winked, "—your technique could use some work."
"Oh," Luster mumbled, embarrassed. "Sorry. It... it wasn't quite what I expected. With the beak and all."
Silverstream tilted Luster's head up with a gentle claw.
"Don't worry," she purred. "We'll get lots of practice."
