Capitulo Uno

A New Pack

It was morning in Ponyville, with Celestia's sun slowly rising over the horizon. Some of the ponies in town were waking up to begin their daily routines, including the house of the Hooves family. Inside, Derpy Hooves, one of Ponyville's resident mailponies, was busy brewing coffee while enjoying a nice muffin before going to work. She tiredly chewed her meal with a smile on her face as her eyes slowly moved in two different directions, enjoying the peace and quiet in her home. Soon, she would go and wake up her two lovely daughters so they, too, can start their day.

"Mom!"

Speak of the devil. Derpy turned to see the startled voice belonged to none other than the oldest of her family, Sparkler, who was surprisingly a unicorn while her mother was a pegasus. She stared at the mailmare with a look of bewilderment "Mom, I have to talk to you!" The amethyst unicorn spoke in a startled tone.

Derpy gulped her bite and smiled at Sparkler "Sure thing, sweety. What's on your mind? Are you having trouble babysitting?"

Sparkler craned her head back and frantically shook it "No! It's something else!!"

Derpy frowned "Are you and Dinky fighting again?"

Sparkler sighed "No, mom, me and Dinky are fine. But this is different!"

Derpy leaned her head on a hoof while it rested on the table and kept her smile on Sparkler "Is it about that cute stallion you see in the park?" She spoke in a teasing tone.

Sparkler narrowed her eyes with a light blush, mildly annoyed with the question "No, mom! This is very different!!"

Derpy brought her head up from her hoof "How different?"

Sparkler stared at Derpy in deadpan and disbelief for a moment, and motioned for her mother to follow her down the hall as she trotted away. Derpy, being the compassionate mother, complied to her daughter's request and followed Sparkler.

She lead Derpy back into her own room and pointed at the bed. Derpy only blinked as if confused at what she was trying to see. It appeared that something was covered up under the bedsheets. Derpy turned to Sparkler "I don't see the fuss, Sparkler. What's wrong?"

Sparkler grunted as her horn glowed purple. The bedsheets were then wrapped in an aura the same color as Sparkler's magic and were jerked away to the right to reveal a sleeping pegasus stallion. He had an amber coat and a wavy dark brown mane that went down to his neck, and a light stubble resting on his chin. His cutie mark was a thin black '1' that looked all too scary in feature. He slept soundly, despite Sparkler's volume while she pointed at him "That's what's wrong! How long has this stallion been in your room? Where did he even come from?"

Derpy smiled "Oh him? I found him!" She answered brightly and innocently. Sparkler was dumbfounded, and Derpy giggled "I forgot to tell you since you were asleep. You see, it all started last night when I was arriving home late from delivering that box of wine glasses to a rich family in Hoofington!"
_____

(Last night, Over Whitetail Woods)

Derpy yawned while she soared through the air, smacking her lips after stretching her mouth "Geez...They don't pay me enough for this at the post office...Couldn't they just give me a raise for all my hard work?" She said, oblivious to her past history of causing accidental damage around Ponyville. While she flew, she murmured tiredly and slowly started to descend into the forest, the faint image of Ponyville in her sights "Well, I'm close to town, and I'm tired from flying so much...I suppose it'll be nice to walk home for a change, since it's just Whitetail Woods..." She carefully descended into the forest, through the brush of the trees until she finally touched the ground.

The mailmare then began trotting tiredly through the woods while trying to keep her eyes open. She tried humming Winter Wrap-up to invoke more energy into her increasingly sluggish body, lucky to remember the notes. Suddenly, Derpy tripped over something and her face fell into the ground. She picked herself up and shook off her pain, her contact with the dirt waking her up more, then turned to see what she tripped over. The mailmare gasped quietly when she noticed a sleeping pegasus with a little red unicorn filly sleeping in his forelegs. The filly had lime green hair that covered her left eye and a cutie mark containing a pistol.

Derpy could not believe she found two unfortunate ponies in the middle of Whitetail Woods, who seemed completely unfamiliar to her in every way. She couldn't just leave them out here where it was cold. Derpy smiled "Well...Looks like I'm making one last delivery for the night..."
_____

Derpy smiled "And so I dragged them both here in their sleep. They looked so content..." She turned to the stallion with a warm and charmed smile "Especially that stallion, how he held her little girl while they slept. So heartwarming...."

Sparkler just stared at her mother as if she grew another head "You DRAGGED them both here? Wouldn't that have woken them up and made them uncomfortable!?"

Derpy shook her head "Nope. Actually, they stayed asleep the whole time, and the stallion just held his filly while I did so! Boy, was he heavy, too..." She giggled "But at least they're safe and cozy..." She then looked over to the door in front of Dinky's room "His filly's sleeping with Dinky right now." Derpy then looked back at Sparkler "I'm gonna go wake them up. Can you go wake up the stallion while I tend to the kids?"

Sparkler sighed, but nodded in reply "Sure, mom. Perhaps we'll get an explanation once they're up..." The amethyst unicorn trotted into Derpy's room while the mailmare went over to Dinky's. She went up and looked at his sleeping face and hummed 'He seems pretty scruffy...I'll bet the poor guy's homeless...' She then nudged him while he snored lightly, receiving no response. Sparkler tried again, only with more force, then noticed that he wasn't waking up. She tapped at his forehead "Hey, mister. Can you wake up, please? It's seven in the morning!" No response. Sparkler grunted and activated her horn as she lifted him up and shook him in the air. She was more than surprised to see that he did not show any reaction, and proceeded to shake him harder. When she stopped, her jaw nearly hit the floor to see that it did not work. She set him back on the bed and galloped out of the room, then came back with a levitated bucket of water "If this won't get him up, I don't know what will!" She hesitated slightly 'I hope Mom won't get angry that her sheets will get wet...' Sparkler then moved the bucket over the stallion's head and flipped it downward as the torrent of water splashed along his face.

Sparkler dropped the bucket at her feet as she speechlessly stared with an indescribable amount of shock and confusion at the sight of the soaking wet stallion that refused to wake up 'How hard can this guy sleep!?'
_____

Derpy quietly trotted into her younger daughter's room and noticed the two unicorn fillies sharing the bed with a smile. She nuzzled them both lightly and whispered "Wake up, children. Time to start a new day."

Dinky yawned and rubbed her eyes and looked up at Derpy with a smile "Good morning, Mommy." She murmured before she looked over and noticed the new addition to her bed "Huh? Mommy, who's she?"

Derpy smiled "A guest, muffin. Let her wake up..."

The filly mumbled as she came to and noticed she was covered up "Huh? Where am I?" She looked over and she jumped with a yelp to see two mares "Who are you!? Where am I!?" She examined herself and gasped "What happened to me!?"

Derpy held a hoof to the filly's head "Simmer down, little one. You're in Dinky's room." She smiled "You're safe now..."

The filly darted her head around "Where...Where is he!? Where is he!?" She repeated, sounding nervous.

Derpy lifted the filly and set her on the ground while Dinky got out of bed "If you're referring to that stallion we found with you, he's in the next room. You wanna go see him?"

The filly stared at Derpy for a moment before nodding and following the two ponies out of the room.

When they reached Derpy's room, the trio noticed Sparkler when she dumped water over the stallion and dropped the bucket next to her while standing baffled "Oh, Sparkler~!" Derpy spoke in a disappointed tone with a frown to match "You didn't have to mess him up like that! He's probably worn out!"

Dinky looked ahead with a blink "Did you just pour water on him? I'm surprised that didn't wake him up!"

The red filly, who remained silent, only trotted up nonchalanty towards the sleeping pegasus with a neutral look in her right pink eye, her left one covered by her mane. When she was next to him, she stared up at his body, and her expression became annoyed as she muttered while bending her legs as if ready to pounce "Wake..." She then proceeded to jump up onto the bed and land directly upon his stallionhood as she yelled "UP!"

The stallion instantly woke up with a coarse howl of pain as his blue-grey eyes widened and flooded with comical tears. The filly continued jumping up and down on him, eliciting more pained grunts from the stallion as she yelled "Up! Up! Up! Up! Up!"

Sparkler couldn't believe her eyes as she stared at the two ponies squabble 'I tried everything I could think of, and yet SHE woke him up!?'

Dinky tilted her head as she watched "Mommy, do you think that maybe those two appear to be a dysfunctional family?" She asked curiously.

Derpy blinked "I can't tell, muffin! We can't really judge them or contempt them if that's how they wake up in the morning!"

The filly finally relented in causing pain to the stallion as he caught his breath and coughed "Oh, geez..." He then noticed the red filly grinning at him with his tired expression and narrowed his eyes "Lilynette..." He muttered bitterly in a throated tone. He then widened his eyes as he noticed the pony "Wait a minute, Lilynette!?"

Lilynette giggled and bonked the stallions forehead with a hoof "Glad to see you're finally awake, Starrk!!" She drew it back and looked up with a confused expression "But why are you a pony?"

Starrk rubbed his head with his eyes closed "I could ask the same thing...But the better question is why am I so wet?"

Derpy and Dinky pointed at Sparkler and spoke simultaneously "She did it."

Sparkler reeled back at the sudden response "H-Hey! It wasn't my fault he didn't choose to wake up!!"

Lilynette hopped off of the bed and pointed at the Hooves family "Okay, now that we're awake, we want answers! Who are you and why aren't you dead?" She asked in a commanding tone.

Sparkler stared incredulously at Lilynette "What kind of messed-up question is that!?"

Derpy smiled "Because we're alive, silly filly! That's how it works around here!" She answered innocently.

Dinky frowned "Mommy, I think we're housing crooks..." She spoke cautiously.

Lilynette blinked at their response and turned to Starrk "Starrk...You think that our spiritual energy's been taken away when we became ponies?"

Sparkler was confused at Lilynette's question. Became ponies? Are those two suffering mental problems?

Starrk rubbed his head as he hopped out of bed and shook himself "Can't say...But all that matters is figuring out where we are and why we're like this..." He stared at his hoof 'But wait...Didn't I just die by that shinigami?? How did I even get here? And in this form?'

Derpy giggled "That's an easy one! You're in our house in Ponyville, the greatest town in Equestria!"

Starrk hummed "So that's what this place is called...Thanks for the tip." He trotted past the three mares "Come on, Lilynette..."

Lilynette blinked at Starrk "Where are we gonna go?"

Starrk continued out of the room without looking back "Anywhere..."

Sparkler stared, then galloped after Starrk in the hallway, cutting him off as she looked up at him "Wait a minute! You can't just up and leave us like this! Not after that grown mare back there took you in!"

Starrk stared apathetically at Sparkler "Tell her I said thanks..." He then trotted past the amethyst unicorn and continued near the front door.

Sparkler huffed and cut him off again as she galloped in front of him with a glare "Hold it! She gave you a bed for you and your child to sleep in! It's very rude just to turn your back on the one that gave you shelter!" She snapped authoritavely.

Starrk rolled his eyes 'The shit I have to put up with...I just woke up in this place...' He then looked at Sparkler "If I go back there, will you calm down and let me go?"

Derpy trotted into the living room with Dinky and Lilynette "Well, actually, we were sort of wondering about you two! Who are you exactly?"

Starrk turned at Derpy and sweatdropped when he looked into her eyes 'Is she...?' He shook his head and spoke "My name is Coyote Starrk...I used to be an arrancar."

Derpy tilted her head "What's an arrancar?"

Starrk paused and grunted in embarrassment "Nevermind..."

Lilynette huffed "I'm Lilynette Gingerback! I was an arrancar, too, but it doesn't matter now since we're ponies!" She then examined herself, her uncovered eye trailing off to her cutie mark "Huh? Starrk, what's this?"

Starrk hummed in question and followed Lilynette's gaze "Not sure..." He then looked at his own flank, observing his familiar '1' "They seem to bear meaning at least..." The former arrancar was at least happy to see he still shared his sign that he was the Primera Espada.

Sparkler arched an eyebrow "You mean you two don't know what cutie marks are? Are you not from around here?"

Starrk deadpanned at Sparkler "Is that supposed to be some kind of joke??" He replied sarcastically.

Lilynette turned to Derpy and observed her flank "Cutie mark..." She muttered as she stared at the bubbles that made up Derpy's cutie mark. The filly then looked to see that Sparkler's mark was that of a set of diamonds. When she finally laid eyes on Dinky, she blinked "Huh? Where's yours?"

Dinky looked at Lilynette "Me? I don't have my cutie mark yet!" She smiled "But I will someday, once I figure out my special talent!"

Derpy nodded "Mhm! A cutie mark shows a pony's special talent in their lives!" She looked at Starrk and Lilynette's and rubbed her chin with a hoof "Say, what are your special talents, anyways?"

Starrk looked at Derpy "It's as you see...I'm number one."

Derpy beamed "Are you a racing pegasus perhaps? How fast are you?" She asked eagerly.

Lilynette smirked "Starrk's super fast! He can blow your mind with his speed! I'm still surprised that any of you are still standing since he's also pretty strong!!"

Starrk shook his head "Don't get cocky, Lilynette..." He stated calmly. He then looked at Derpy "But thanks for letting us stay here. We probably shouldn't stick around here for so long..." Thinking back on his words, the former arrancar looked down 'Then again...What purpose do I have left since I've somehow died back then? What good am I, and how are me and Lilynette still alive? And would I still want to be lonely?' He pondered over these questions thoroughly, seeming more enthusiastic and motivated than his other half.

Derpy frowned "Awww, do you have to? Where do you live?"

Lilynette instantly replied "Hueco Mundo! Do you know where that is from here?"

Derpy's eyes spun as she frowned "While it sounds like some kind of spicy taco, I don't think I know where that is! And I've delivered mail for the longest time!"

Starrk tried to piece together the information pertaining to his and Lilynette's death and his current predicament and decided to take matters into his own hooves "We're homeless...We have nowhere to go." He stated flatly. What he didn't anticipate was the Hooves family gasping at this.

Derpy galloped up to Starrk and nuzzled under his neck and chin empathetically with a frown "Oh, you poor thing!" The former arrancar stared down at her with widened eyes "We can't have a homeless pony and his child wander aimlessly in Equestria! From now on, until we can get you a place to stay, you're staying with us!"

Starrk grunted "Wh-What?" He asked in confusion to both Derpy's action and statement.

Derpy broke the embrace and smiled up at the former arrancar "That's right, mister! You and Lily here are now considered members of the Hooves family until something else happens!"

Dinky stared up at Derpy, then at Lilynette "Does that mean we're sisters?"

Lilynette looked away and spoke distantly "How should I know!?" She then shifted her eye back at Dinky "But...I never had a sister before..." She muttered shyly.

Dinky giggled and wrapped her forelegs around Lilynette in a hug "Yay! Another sister!"

Sparkler scratched her head with a hoof 'So I guess I was right earlier...But would it be right to keep these two under our roof for the time being?'

Derpy hummed "Now you're staying with us...So we should-Oh, right! School!" She turned to Dinky and Lilynette "We gotta get you two to Ponyville Elementary and fast!"

Lilynette blinked "Elementary? You mean school?"

Dinky nodded at the red filly with a smile "Mhm! Today's a school day, and you're a new student! You'll love it at Ponyville Elementary! There are other ponies like me who'd wanna meet you!"

Lilynette stared "Other...ponies..." She parroted in a whisper 'So me and Starrk are not alone...'

Derpy smiled "That and I gotta get Starrky here a job if he's gonna stay here! If he's as fast as Lily says, he'll be a shoe-in for the post office!" She turned to Sparkler "Sparkler, could you walk the fillies to school while me and Starrk head over to the post office?"

Sparkler nodded Of course, mom." She looked down at the fillies "Come on, you two. We have to get you to school!" The trio then trotted outside after Sparkler opened the door with her magic.

Derpy then trotted out the door "Let's go, Starrky! Follow me!"

Starrk was hesitant, but nodded "Sure..." He followed the mailmare out the door 'So it's true...I'm not alone after all...'

To be continued...?

Capitulo Dos

View Online

Capitulo Dos

Qualifications

Derpy trotted outside with a spring in her step while Starrk followed lazily behind as he looked around at his new 'home'. The former Espada almost felt dizzy seeing so many vibrant colors at once, and on the many residents of Ponyville to boot.

"Hey, Derpy!"

The two pegasi looked to see another pegasus mare approach them, only she had a jasmine coat and a blue mane and tail. Her cutie mark was three raindrops. She smiled at Derpy "Morning!" She blinked over at Starrk "Who's your friend?"

Derpy smiled "Hey, Raindrops! This is gonna be our newest mailpony! His name is Coyote Starrk! He's staying with me and my daughters for the time being!" The former Espada gave a curt nod in greeting.

Raindrops tilted her head with a puzzled expression "Coyote Starrk? That's a pretty weird name..." She then smiled "But it's good to have an extra set of hooves over at the workplace! We've been getting so many mail requests nonstop! Why don't we get going?" She unfurled her wings and began to hover. Derpy joined her friend as the two took to the air.

Derpy looked down at Starrk with a smile "C'mon, Starrky! The post office is just a few blocks north from here! We can get there faster if you fly!"

Starrk shrugged and jumped into the air, seeing if he can easily walk on it like he had before in his previous life. Sadly, he noticed he fell and quickly positioned himself to land on his legs. He grunted and looked down 'So I lost that ability...' He then perked up "Wait a minute..." Starrk remembered his wings as he looked at them unfurl and hummed to himself 'This won't be too bad, I suppose...' He then lifted himself up with his wings and managed to catch up to Derpy and Raindrops as the trio flew together.

Raindrops looked over at Starrk "So, Starrk, where are you from?"

Derpy answered for the former Espada "Some place that sounds like a tasty taco!"

Starrk held an unamused glance from Derpy's answer, but then looked ahead and noticed a two-story building on the ground with an envelop over the doorframe. He turned to Derpy "Is that the post office?"

Derpy smiled "Yup yup! That's where me and Raindrops work, and you, too! This is gonna be so great! My first day as an employer, and we get to work side-by-side as frie-" The sound of booming static reached Derpy's ears, interrupting her gushing, as she turned to see that Starrk was not next to her "Starrky? Where'd you go!?" She said to herself as she darted her head around in surprise.

Raindrops stopped and looked around as well "What in the hay happened just now!?" She blurted out in confusion.
_____

At the post office, Post Haste wore his blue mailpony outfit and hummed a tune as he trotted his way over towards the front entrance "Another day, another set of mail to be deliver-" Starrk appeared in front of the stallion in a blur and caused him to yelp and rear onto his hindlegs in surprise. He then fell back shortly after as he looked at the former Espada's lazy expression "Wha-...Who are you, sir?"

Starrk stared at the post office, then turned to the bewildered stallion on his right "Hm? Oh, I'm just here to get a job..." He replied in his laidback tone as he trotted his way inside.

Post Haste blinked as he watched him go inside "A job? Who is that stallion?" He muttered to himself.

"Starrky!"

Post Haste perked up and looked around at the voice he heard. He then noticed a concerned Derpy and Raindrops flying towards him and landing next to him. The wall-eyed mailmare spoke "Hi, Post Haste! Have you seen Starrky anywhere? He was just right next to me and Raindrops!"

Post Haste blinked "Who's Starrky?"

Derpy smiled "He's a nice looking pegasus that looks like he's ready to go sleep again! We were just flying with him here!"

Raindrops frowned at Derpy "You don't think he ditched us, did he?"

The lanky stallion noted each feature and spoke "You mean that stallion that appeared in front of me just now?" He turned to the post office's entrance "He just went inside saying he was looking for a job!"

Derpy smiled "Wow! He IS fast! Thanks for the help, Post Haste! Now I just gotta find Crafty Crate and get things settled!" She galloped inside without another word.

Raindrops blinked "Fast? Derpy, wait up!!" The jasmine pegasus galloped after her friend.

Post Haste picked himself up and stared blankly at the two mailmares going inside "What's going on right now?"
_____

Starrk trotted through the office and reached the receptionist's desk. A short-sighted earth pony wearing glasses and a mailpony's outfit was reading a book, not noticing the former Espada was even around. Starrk slightly furrowed his eyebrows as he spoke "Hey."

The stallion hummed in question and set down his book. He adjusted his glasses and peered his eyes open to see Starrk standing at the desk and smiled "Why hello there, stranger! How can I help you today?"

Starrk replied "I'm here for a job at this place. Where do I begin?"

The stallion craned his head back "Huh? Well, I dunno if you should be coming to me! You should talk to Crafty Crate and see what he says!"

"Wait!"

The two stallions looked to see Derpy and Raindrops approach them while catching their breath. Derpy then perked up "Oh, 'scuse me!" She galloped back towards the entrance and punched in her time card. Raindrop caught on to her own mistake and did the same. Afterwards, they went back to the two stallions as Derpy spoke "Anyways, Mr. Zippy, we were just on our way to see him! Starrky here's gonna be our new recruit!"

Starrk shot a bitter look at Derpy "Don't call me that..."

Mr. Zippy straightened his glasses at the former Espada "You don't say! Well, he don't really look the part with that unenthusiastic look in his eyes!"

Raindrops turned to look at Starrk and frowned "I see where Mr. Zippy's coming from. Not only does he look as scruffy as our boss, he's probably lazy, too..."

Derpy smiled "That'll change once we get him working! Let's head over to Crafty's office!" The three pegasi trotted off, Derpy taking point, as they made for another door with the words 'Crafty Crate' on a small plaque resting on the door.

They went inside, and there was a large pegasus stallion with a five o' clock shadow and a black cap jotting down words on paper. He looked up when he heard the door open "Good to see you two, girls. Ready for another day?"

Derpy nodded with a giddy smile "More than you know, boss! And the best part is, I brought another worker!"

Crafty Crate held a hoof to his chin "Really now? Let's take a look at the new pony!" Derpy and Raindrops made way for Starrk as he took a few steps forward. He looked at Crafty Crate with his usual lazy expression. The foreman was instantly uninterested as he looked back at him "Derpy...Who's this?" He asked in an unamused tone while he frowned at Starrk.

Derpy grinned "Our new mailpony! He's a super-fast pegasus named Coyote Starrk! If you give him a job here, we could get more stuff delivered in little time!"

Crafty squinted his eyes at Starrk "Really...Okay, Starrk. Ignoring Derpy's recommendation, what are your qualifications to give you work here?"

Starrk frowned "I have Sonido and a good amount of strength. Is that enough?"

Crafty scoffed "Is that it? I mean, have you had previous jobs anywhere in Ponyville, or Equestria for that matter?"

Derpy gave a sad frown at Crafty "Please, boss, give Starrk the job!" She pleaded "He was homeless before, and he has a child! He needs this job!"

Raindrops was surprised "He has a child?" She turned to Starrk "Was there some kind of falling out with your wife?"

Starrk turned to Raindrops with a frown "I'm not married. I don't want to get into it..."

Crafty Crate rubbed his chin "A stallion down on his luck with a kid, eh? Never thought I'd see one in Ponyville of all places..." He rose from his seat and examined Starrk up close "Starrk, right? How about I give you a little test to see if you're the right stallion for the job?"

Starrk instantly replied "As long as I get it over with. I want to go take a nap." He stated flatly.

Crafty chuckled "So we got ourself a male Rainbow Dash here, eh? Let's step outside and issue your test and see if you're good enough..." He trotted towards his door.

Derpy frowned "Umm, boss? I've only found Starrky just the other night in Whitetail Woods. He doesn't exactly know Ponyville very well!"

Crafty turned to Derpy "Are you taking back what you said about him being a good mailpony?"

Derpy flinched and bit her lower lip "I-I...-"

"He can use my map!"

The group of pegasi turned to Raindrops as she pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper with her mouth and placed it on the desk "Just give him a minute to look this over and he'll get the gist of who to deliver mail to!"

Derpy smiled "Or better yet, since I'm the one that recommended him, I can supervise his progress and report back to you!"

Crafty casted a skeptical glance at Derpy "It's one thing to trust you when delivering mail of all kinds, but can I trust you to be a supervisor for a new employee?"

Raindrops trotted next to him "I can be an assistant supervisor! You can count on us, boss!" She smiled at Derpy and Starrk.

Crafty sighed "You gals are persistent with this, aren't you? Fine..." He pulled out a bag of mail and draped it over Starrk's midsection "This is some of today's haul that needs to be delivered to the following residents in Ponyville. If he manages to get them all correct AND in perfect timing, he gets the job! But his performance better check out. I mean it..." He casted a warning glare that made Derpy droop her ears back.

The wall-eyed mailmare gulped "Yes sir..." She then turned to her friends "C'mon, you two! Let's get going!" Derpy and Raindrops galloped outside while Starrk merely trotted at his own pace.
_____

Derpy fished out one of the envelopes given to Starrk and read the address "Hmmmm...Oh, this must be Davenport's water bill! His place is easy to spot!"

Starrk looked around "Where does he live?"

Raindrops pointed a hoof to Starrk's right, pointing to a very distant building with a sign containing a quill and sofa "Where else? He lives in his own shop!"

Derpy placed the letter in Starrk's teeth and smiled "All you gotta do is go over there and place that letter in the mailbox and move onto the next one!"

Starrk stared at the letter in his mouth, then at the distant building and sighed as he blurred out of existence as the sound of booming static was heard. Derpy and Raindrops were instantly startled as they looked around.

Meanwhile, Starrk appeared in front of the quill and sofa shop and noticed the mailbox next to it 'Well, at least I don't have to kill people all the time...' He said as he trotted over and placed the letter in the mailbox. The former Espada then looked back where he came from 'I definitely shouldn't be moving around when I don't even know this place entirely...' He then activated his Sonido and met back with the two mailmares, causing them to jump as he stood with his lazy expression "Done..."

Raindrops was slackjawed "That only took three seconds for you to go all the way there and all the way back!? You really ARE fast!!" She beamed "If you know Ponyville like the back of your hoof, then this job will be easy picking for you!"

Derpy smiled, then perked up with a brightened grin as she hovered in the air "Lightbulb!!!"

Starrk stared up in confusion at Derpy "...What?"

Raindrops gave an embarrassed grin "That means she has an idea..."

Derpy swooped down to Starrk and gave a small hug "What if I just pull out each letter and show you where to go and you can easily report back to me? Then, when you're not busy, I can show you around Ponyville so you know where to go the next day!!"

Starrk felt uncomfortable being hugged by Derpy, even if she gave him and Lilynette a place to stay. He lightly pushed himself away from Derpy and grunted "As long as it helps us, then I won't argue..."

Raindrops smiled "Cool! Then why don't we get started on the next letter?"

Derpy smiled "Yeah! Let's go into the sky so Starrky can get a better view!" The three pegasi went into the air. While it was good he would possibly get a new job, Starrk remained unenthusiastic about how he had to do it. When they reached a good height, Derpy fished out another note and read it "This next one goes to Sweet Apple Acres! Which is~..." She points to a farmland just outside of Ponyville "Over there!" Derpy gave Starrk the letter, and he instantly winked out for a moment, then easily returned "Wow, Starrky!! Keep this up and you'll be employee of the month in no time!"

Raindrops smiled "You know, for a father who appears lazy, you sure know how to work!!"

Starrk frowned "I've worked before, just not here. Hand me another note..."
_____

Derpy presented the empty mailbag on Crafty's desk "He's done!" She chirped happily.

Crafty stared dumbfounded at the bag "Done? But it's only been an hour!" He said in disbelief as he grabbed and examined the bag with his forelegs.

Raindrops shook her head with a smug smile "She's not kidding around, boss! Feel free to check the bag!"

Crafty never thought he would see such a sight shortly after giving out a decent test as he noticed the mailbag was completely empty "Well I'll be a monkey's uncle..." He rose from his chair and held out a hoof to Starrk with an eager grin "Congratulations, Starrk! You got the job! You'll be delivering full-time starting tomorrow!" He proclaimed with joy. Finally, he will have a more productive worker in his fold.

Starrk held out his own hoof and shook it with Crafty's while Derpy and Raindrops cheered as they jumped up and down. The former Espada did not realize how big of a deal it was to get a simple job around this town 'I wonder if Lilynette's having any luck of her own...'

To be continued...

Capitulo Tres

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Capitulo Tres

School Days

Sparkler escorted the two unicorn fillies towards a red schoolhouse complete with a bell, a smile on her face "Well, here we are, girls. Ponyville Elementary. I should probably go inside and let Cheerilee know about Lilynette since Starrk's not around to do so."

Lilynette looked up at the school skeptically, then took a step back, earning the attention of Sparkler and Dinky. Sparkler offered a comforting smile "Don't worry, Lilynette. It may not seem so great at first, but I'm sure you might enjoy your time here at school."

Dinky smiled "Yeah! And besides, we get to go in as sisters!"

Lilynette remained silent, but gave a light huff as she trotted up next to Dinky, looking away. Sparkler giggled and escorted the fillies inside the schoolhouse. Down the halls, they finally reached the classroom where Cheerilee was preparing her lesson plans for today. She noticed the three unicorns and smiled "Good morning, Sparkler and Dinky!" The teacher looked down at Lilynette "And who might this little filly be?"

Lilynette gave a light glare and a quiet growl back. Sparkler noticed and smiled "Sorry about her, Ms. Cheerilee. She's obviously a new student to Ponyville Elementary, and her father's not around to introduce himself along with her properly. Her name's Lilynette Gingerback. She and his father are living with us at the moment."

Dinky smiled and chirped innocently "She's my new sister!"

Cheerilee noticed the look of dislike in Lilynette's eyes and frowned a little before smiling again "Is that right? Don't worry, Lilynette. You're in good hooves here at this school! You could probably get along well with some of the other students!" She looked at Lilynette's cutie mark and felt confused "Your cutie mark is actually very unique for a filly. I've never seen that kind of mark on anypony before..."

Lilynette puffed her cheeks as she glared at Cheerilee "Does that make me an outcast to you?" She snapped defensively.

Cheerilee gave a light gasp as she frowned "Absolutely not! I didn't mean anything hurtful about that statement at all, Lilynette. In fact, it's that what makes us all different that brings us closer together!" She smiled warmly at Lilynette "Being unique is a wonderful thing in life, especially if it makes other ponies happy." A bell rang on one of the schoolroom's walls, and the group of ponies turned to it as Cheerilee spoke "Looks like we better get ready for today! The students should be coming in any time now!"

Sparkler nodded "I'll leave it up to you then, Ms. Cheerilee! Thank you for your time." She looked down at Lilynette with a frown "Please behave yourself here. I know Starrk isn't around, but Ms. Cheerilee and Dinky will make sure you're happy."

Lilynette stared back at Sparkler with a frown "No promises." She then turned to see more colts and fillies trot in and talk to each other.

Sparkler noticed this and took it as a sign to leave "I better get going now. Bye, Dinky and Lilynette! Have a good day!" She trotted out the door as more students came in.

Lilynette looked at the children, including Dinky, taking their seats and went to join them, but was stopped by Cheerilee. She looked up at her while she smiled back "Not yet. We have to introduce you to the class first!" Lilynette stared at her teacher for a moment before looking over towards her new sister waving to her.

When the children took their seats, they all looked at Lilynette while she stood next to Cheerilee and began murmuring towards one another. An orange pegasus filly raised an eyebrow as she whispered inquisitively "Who's the new girl? She looks pretty tough for a unicorn..."

A yellow filly wearing a pink bow in her red mane tilted her head "She don' look all that happy t' see us neither..." She followed Lilynette's gaze over to Dinky in her seat and turned to her friends "Ya think she's got somethin' against Dinky?"

A white unicorn filly rested a hoof to her chin "Let's just wait and see. Maybe she's shy?"

Cheerilee cleared her throat and spoke "Good morning, class! Today we have a new student who will be joining us for the rest of the year! I hope that you all will make her feel welcome here!" She looked down at the red filly next to her "Why don't you tell the class more about yourself?" Cheerilee asked in an encouraging tone.

Lilynette looked up at Cheerilee and sighed as she turned to the class and held a serious look "My name is Lilynette Gingerback, and I live with my new sister Dinky!" The mentioned unicorn beamed at her words "I don't know anything about this place or the people inside of it other than my sister!"

There was a light fit of laughter from some of the students and Cheerilee held a stern look to those that have "Now, class! That's no way to respond to the new student!"

A portly opal unicorn colt with an orange mane and buck teeth raised his hoof and spoke "Ms. Cheerilee, since when does Dinky have a sister?"

A lanky yellow unicorn colt next to him nodded "Yeah! If she really was Dinky's sister, shouldn't she be a baby or something?"

Lilynette shot the two a glare "Do I look a baby to you!?" She snapped at the cringing colts.

Cheerilee held a hoof in front of Lilynette to calm her down "Snips and Snails, Lilynette isn't Dinky's actual sister! She's only staying with her for the time being. Now does anypony else have any questions before we begin?" An orange hoof was seen and Cheerilee smiled "Yes, Scootaloo?"

The one called Scootaloo held a curious glance "Lilynette, how did you get your cutie mark? It looks pretty cool!" She said with a respective smile.

Lilynette blinked, then turned to her cutie mark, then back at Scootaloo "I don't know...It just got there!"

While Scootaloo craned her head back in confusion, the rest of the class laughed at the response. Cheerilee frowned at this and turned to Lilynette "Um...Lilynette, why don't you take a seat next to your sister so we can begin today's lesson? I'm sure you'll be fine sitting next to her." She spoke in a comforting tone.

Lilynette looked at Cheerilee and nodded "Fine." She then trotted over and sat herself at a desk next to Dinky. She ignored the two fillies looking at her from behind as they sat in their own desks. One was a pink filly wearing a tiara while the other was a grey filly wearing glasses.

Cheerilee smiled and pulled out a book "Alright, class! Yesterday, for those of you that weren't here, we covered long division and we'll continue to practice more exercises before the math test next week! Now if everypony will take out their notes, we can go over what we've learned so far!"

Lilynette blinked at this, but felt a hoof at her shoulder as Dinky smiled and whispered "Here, sis! Read these!" She gave the red filly some sheets of paper containing numbers organized in proper division. Lilynette went over how the numbers were placed and hummed to herself before raising her hoof.

Cheerilee noticed Lilynette's action and smiled at her "Yes, Lilynette?"

The red filly looked over at Cheerilee and spoke "Is the test next week supposed to cover just division?" She asked obnoxiously.

Cheerilee answered despite Lilynette's tone "No, actually! It will cover addition, subtraction, and multiplication as well! We'll be sure to go over those as well for your sake!" Lilynetted nodded on comprehension and looked back at the paper while Cheerilee moved to the blackboard and picked up a piece of chalk with her mouth. She began jotting down three sets of division tables, then set the chalk down and turned to her students after she finished "Alright, let's start with these examples and make sure you all have a clear grasp of-" She noticed Lilynette raising her hoof and smiled "Yes, Lilynette?"

Lilynette frowned "You said we were going to cover addition, subtraction, and multiplication! All I see is division!" The two fillies behind Lilynette and Dinky snickered at the outburst.

Cheerilee frowned "I did say that, but right now we're doing division before we can review the other subjects as well. Please be patient, Lilynette!" She then turned to the rest of the class "Now let's go over your division, class!" Cheerilee pointed to the first problem she wrote down "Now, how do we solve 2568 divided by 8?" Once more, she noticed Lilynette raise her hoof and held a thin smile "Do you know the answer, Lilynette?"

Lilynette shook her head and spoke "No! I want to know when we get to move around instead of sitting all day!" There was more laughter from the two fillies behind her while Dinky frowned.

Cheerilee frowned at this "If you're referring to recess, that won't be for another couple of hours. I can see that you're eager to play with the other students, but you need to sit down and learn new things before you can!" She then turned to see a white hoof raised and smiled "Yes, Twist?"

The white filly with a curly red mane and glasses smiled "You sthtart out by dividing the firtht two digiths by 3 and subtracting twenty-five by twenty-four!" She spoke with a lisp in her voice.

Cheerilee nodded "Very good, Twist! You and Sweetie Belle can be the most enthusiastic students in the class!" She jotted down the first part of the answer with her chalk and turned to the class "Does anypony know what to do ne-" The teacher frowned and her ears drooped as she noticed the same red hoof from before lifted up "Yes, Lilynette?" She asked in a slightly strained tone.

Lilynette rose from her seat and answered innocently "I have to go to the bathroom! Where is it at?"

Cheerilee sighed as she turned to the door "Out the door to the left, and down the hall. You'll find two doors on the right. Be sure to take the hall pass with you!" She pointed a hoof to a small wooden stick.

Lilynette smiled and trotted away, grabbing the stick with her teeth as she went out the door. As Dinky watched her leave, she noticed that the red filly looked angry, causing her to frown. She then raised her hoof for her teacher to see "Ms. Cheerilee! I have to go to the bathroom, too! Can I go, please?" She looked at Cheerilee with pleading eyes that held a hidden meaning.

Cheerilee noticed the look in her eyes and smiled compassionately at Dinky "Of course you can, Dinky. Try not to be too long, okay?"

Dinky smiled and nodded "I won't!" She said as she trotted away.

Scootaloo watched her leave and turned to her friends "Hey, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle. You think Lilynette might be a bit slow upstairs?" She whispered.

Sweetie Belle frowned "I don't think so, but she is pretty obnoxious most of the time..."

Applebloom smirked at Scootaloo "Remind ya of somepony, Scoots?" She whispered in a teasing tone.

Scootaloo flinched and glared "H-Hey! That's beside the point! Maybe we can know more about her if we talk to Dinky at recess!"

Cheerilee frowned "Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo! Please don't talk during the lecture! Now can somepony tell me what needs to be done next?"
_____

Lilynette trotted down the halls and scowled as she thought to herself 'This place sucks! It's totally different from Hueco Mundo and the only one I actually find tolerable other than Starrk is my new sister! I wish Starrk were here right now...' She turned to her right and noticed two wooden doors; one that said 'Colts' and another that said 'Fillies'. Shifting her gaze between the two, she decided to go through the latter door when she remembered being called a 'silly filly' by Derpy this morning.

Inside of the bathroom, Lilynette looked at the stalls available and chose the first one, closing the door behind her. She had trouble sitting herself on the toilet as she grumbled 'This was a whole lot easier when I WASN'T a pony...I still don't know how me and Starrk even got here...' She thought to herself as she finally found a comfortable position. Afterwards, she released herself with a satisfied sigh as she sat down. When she finished, she went to get up from her sitting position.

"Lily?"

Lilynette perked up and looked around despite being surrounded by four walls "Dinky?" She replied after recognizing the voice.

Outside of the stall, Dinky smiled when she heard her new sister speak "Yep, that's me!" She then frowned at the first stall "Are you okay in there?"

From inside, Lilynette puffed her cheeks in anger "No, I'm not! I already hate everyone there! I'm beginning to think that Cheerilee is lying to me when she said I was in good hooves!"

Dinky felt saddened after Lilynette's rant "But Ms. Cheerilee never lies! And you've only been in school for ten minutes! I'm sure it'll all be different once we go outside for recess!" She said with a comforting smile.

Lilynette scoffed "And how do I know that they all won't start laughing again or insult me!? If anything, I'll kill them all, starting with those two stupid boys!"

Dinky held an embarrassed smile "You really don't have to kill them or anypony else. Snips and Snails always act like that around most ponies. They're not all that smart sometimes..." She then took a step forward "And you can forget about everypony laughing at you. I was laughed at when I was a new student at school, and they accepted me later on! I even made some friends!"

Lilynette frowned "But you've been here longer than me! I don't even know what a cutie mark is!"

Dinky frowned "That doesn't mean I won't help you with school and knowing what a cutie mark is! That's what sisters do!" She smiled "Come on out and let's go back to class!"

Lilynette huffed "What if I don't want to?" She spoke in a bitter tone with an expression to match.

Dinky opened the stall so the two unicorn fillies looked at each other "But I want to be in class with my sister." Lilynette stared at Dinky "Sparkler's not there, and you're the same age as me!"

Lilynette growled "Arrancar don't age!"

Dinky blinked "Huh?"

Lilynette stared 'Oh, right...They don't know...' She then sighed as she flushed the toiled and held a light glare at Dinky "Fine, I'll go back, but only because you're my new sister! I don't care about everyone else!"

Dinky smiled and nuzzled Lilynette lightly "Thanks, sis! Let's go now! We don't wanna keep Ms. Cheerilee waiting!" After Lilynette washed her hooves, the two unicorn fillies made their way back to the classroom. Lilynette was still reluctant, albeit comforted by her new sister while trotting back.

To be continued...

Capitulo Cuatro

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Capitulo Cuatro

Social Adaptation

When they made it back, the two unicorn fillies sat themselves down as Dinky smiled while Lilynette beared a neutral expression. Lilynette looked over her sister's notes as she kept quiet.

Cheerilee noticed them and nodded to Dinky as she went back to her exercises "Now, can anypony tell me what 1337 divided by 7 is?" She noticed Lilynette hold up a hoof and frowned deeply "Do you have to go to the bathroom again, Lilynette?"

Lilynette scowled "No, I was gonna say the answer! It's 191!" Most of the class chorused an 'ooooh' in amazement.

Cheerilee stared at Lilynette in surprise, then smiled "That's correct, Lilynette! I see you've went through your sister's notes rather well! Can you tell the class what 7983 divided by 9 is?"

Lilynette shifted her gaze between Dinky's notes and the problem on the blackboard before she answered "887?"

Cheerilee beamed at the red filly "Very good! I see you have a head for numbers!"

Lilynette shook her head "No I don't." She turned to Dinky with a small smile "I had help from my sister..." She answered softly. Dinky smiled back at her while the two fillies behind her gagged secretly.

Cheerilee smiled and turned to the class "Well, I see that you're all doing well so far, which is why you'll be doing your own exercise worksheets covering division! You can come to me or call me over for help if you're having trouble! Now will the students in the front row please come up and grab the papers so they can pass them back to the rest of the class?" The students did as they were told and the students began writing down their papers.

Dinky was doing her work well, but when she heard growling, she turned to see Lilynette having trouble with her pencil as she tried gripping it in her hooves with an annoyed look on her face. She frowned "Do you need any help, sis?" Dinky asked sympathetically.

Lilynette slammed the pencil on the desk and scowled at her hooves "Why don't I have any hands!?" She growled to herself. In her anger, she was oblivious to the taunting laughter behind her.

Dinky looked back for a moment with a frown before smiling at Lilynette "There's no need to sound like Ms. Heartstrings! Why don't you use your mouth? Or your horn?"

Lilynette stared up at her horn "I don't know how I can write with this..." She then sighed as she gripped her pencil in her teeth and tried to write. She wrote down unintelligible scribbles and dropped her pencil the moment she noticed her less-than-impressive penmanship. Angered over her failure to write, Lilynette crossed her forelegs in a pout. When she heard giggling, she looked at the two fillies behind her as they instantly stopped and innocently continued their work.

Cheerilee noticed Lilynette's fuss and tilted her head "Lilynette, are you having trouble with your work?" Lilynette only huffed and looked away with a sour expression, allowing Cheerilee to press on "You can tell me what's wrong, don't worry." She spoke in a comforting tone.

Lilynette shifted her eyes to Cheerilee for a moment before mumbling something inaudible while she pouted.

Cheerilee blinked "What was that?" Another mumble. The teacher frowned and trotted over to Lilynette and looked down at her "Come on, Lilynette, you have to be-" She looked over at the red filly's work and noticed her writing "Oh..." Cheerilee turned to Lilynette with a smile "You shouldn't be discouraged about this sort of thing. Practice makes perfect!"

Dinky smiled at Lilynette "Don't worry, sis! I can teach you how to write!"

Lilynette remained in her position for a moment before she turned to Dinky with a frown "Thanks..." She said.

Cheerilee smiled at Dinky's compassion and nodded as she went back to her teacher's desk. Lilynette was then coached by her sister with how to write using her teeth, though it took it most of the class for her to get it down with ease.

When Lilynette was able to write, she chose to erase her former attempts on her exercise sheet and revise her answers with more readable writing. The bell rang, and Lilynette looked up to it while Cheerilee spoke "Alright, everypony! Give me your exercise sheets and enjoy yourselves at recess! When you come back inside, we'll go over our history session and pick up where we left off in your books!" The students made their way outside, Dinky and Lilynette traveling casually out to the playground.
_____

Derpy casually left another envelope in the mailbox belonging to Roseluck's home "There's another one! You know, Starrky, I kinda wished I was as fast as you! Nopony could deliver mail THAT fast other than Rainbow Dash!"

The mentioned pegasus stood next to Derpy as he scratched his head with a hoof "You'd be surprised at how much I'd want the opposite...But I don't know why I have to follow you around to know my way around Ponyville when I could just read a map of it..." He spoke in a bothered tone. Starrk wanted to simply find a good spot to nap since he had nothing better to do at the moment.

Derpy smiled "Well, I need somepony to talk to! Raindrops is on a separate route, Sparkler's busy babysitting foals for other parents, and I don't want you to be home alone!" Derpy then flinched as her eyes straightened for the first time.

This intrigued Starrk as he raised an eyebrow "What's wrong?"

Derpy looked worried "Oh no! Dinky! I forgot to give her lunch when I had Sparkler send her and Lily to school!! The poor fillies must be hungry!!" She then perked up and cast a pleading look in her mismatched eyes towards Starrk "Starrky, you're the fastest pegasus I know! Can you please head to my house and pack a lunch for both our kids? You'll find what you need to bring them in the fridge, but just be sure to give it to them in a bag!"

Starrk frowned 'Well, I suppose Lilynette needs to eat...' He felt his stomach growl and looked down at it with a deepened frown 'Oh yeah, and me, too...I forgot we haven't eaten anything since we've got here...' Starrk nodded to Derpy "Sure, I got this. I need to get something myself, while I'm at it."

Derpy smiled "Oh, that's right! Don't worry, Starrky! Help yourself to the fridge, but be sure that the fillies get their lunches! Afterwards, you can come back to me!"

Starrk waved a hoof as he trotted away a few steps "I got it..." He activated his Sonido and found himself at the Hooves' household in a matter of a second. He stepped inside and looked around before he reached the kitchen. Starrk reached the fridge and looked inside to see Derpy's stock of food, mostly containing muffins. This left the former Espada confused for a moment before getting back to his task.

He looked around and managed to find some paper bags after looking through the cupboards. Most of them contained more muffins, much to the former Espada's confusion. He deduced that Derpy must have some unhealthy obssession with the baked good.

He packed a lunch for both Dinky and Lilynette and carried both bags in his teeth as he made his way outside and flew into the air. He hovered his wings and got a bird's eye view of Ponyville once more as he looked around 'Now where's the school??' He noticed a distant red schoolhouse with children playing and spotted Lilynette and Dinky 'There they are...' He blurred out of existence with his Sonido.
_____

Lilynette looked around at the playing children and frowned to herself 'This is very different from Hueco Mundo. Am I honestly supposed to enjoy this?'

Dinky grinned "Hey, sis! Let's play a game!" She then tapped Lilynette on the shoulder and jumped away from her "Tag! You're it!" The red filly only stared at Dinky in confusion as she beamed back. Dinky's grin wavered for a moment before she approached Lilynette and tapped her again, jumping away once more "Tag! You're it!" Lilynette did not move as she continued staring. Dinky frowned and tilted her head "Don't you ever play tag at all, Lily?"

Lilynette held a deapan stare at her sister "I think you have me confused with someone else..."

"Hey! Dinky!"

The two unicorns turned to see Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle approach them with friendly looks on their faces. Dinky smiled "Hi, crusaders! How's it going?"

Scootaloo waved "Doing alright! Ms. Cheerilee's math class can be so boring sometimes!" She turned to see Lilynette with an apprehensive stare and turned back to Dinky "Oh, hey! Lilynette, right? Way to go on those exercises earlier!"

Applebloom nodded "Yeah! Here we thought it was jus' Twist that was good with numbers! Me an' Sweetie Belle 're gettin' up there, but we can only do so much!"

Lilynette huffed "I told you I'm not good at that stuff! I just had help from my sister is all!"

Sweetie Belle grinned "Isn't it great to have a sister your own age, Lilynette? Me and Applebloom have older sisters, but you have Dinky!"

Lilynette huffed and turned to Dinky "Well, at least I'm not alone anymore..." She then looked at the three fillies and examined that they had no cutie marks of their own "Who are you anyways? You're just like Dinky!"

Dinky giggled "These were the friends I was telling you about, Lily!" She directed a hoof to each filly "This is Applebloom!"

The yellow filly waved "Howdy!" She greeted warmly.

"Sweetie Belle!"

The white unicorn filly bowed politely "Hello there!"

"And you already know Scootaloo!"

Scootaloo smirked "I gotta say, Lily! You talk pretty tough for somepony that doesn't know how to write!"

Lilynette growled "What was that?"

Dinky quickly got in front of Lilynette with an anxious expression "She didn't mean it like that, Lily! Please don't get mad at her!"

Lilynette glared at Scootaloo and huffed "Fine..."

Scootaloo craned her head back and frowned "Sorry if I did set you off somehow. We never seen anypony like you before is all!"

Sweetie Belle trotted near Lilynette and examined her cutie mark "Especially since you don't know how you got your cutie mark! Did you forget how?"

Lilynette turned to Sweetie Belle "I don't know, okay? Me and Starrk just got here with this!"

Sweetie Belle blinked at Lilynette "Who's Starrk?" On cue, the sound of booming static was heard, and the group of fillies looked to see the mentioned pegasus behind Lilynette and gasp at his sudden appearance.

Starrk shifted his eyes between the fillies until he saw Dinky and Lilynette, dropping the two bags out of his mouth and turning his back on the them "Eat up, you two." He spoke in a laidback tone. Starrk then looked back at Lilynette with a small glare "And you behave, okay?"

Lilynette glared back "Hmph! Don't tell me what to do!" Starrk scoffed and blurred out of existence with his Sonido, and Lilynette glared where he stood while the fillies behind her had their jaws dropped.

Scootaloo was the first to break the silence in an awed tone "Who WAS that stallion!? Did he just teleport without using a horn!?"

Applebloom blinked "Looks like Rainbow Dash got herself some competition with how fast he is!!" She finally spoke with the same tone as her orange friend.

Dinky shook off her shock and smiled at the crusaders "That's Lily's dad, Mr. Starrk!" She noticed the paper bags and perked up "Oh right! Mommy forgot to pack our lunch! Mr. Starrk must've brought it to us!" Dinky grabbed her bag and opened it up.

Lilynette blinked at the bag "Lunch?" She trotted over and peeked into the bag after opening it with her muzzle, fishing out the first of her contents with her teeth. She managed to grasp it with her hooves as she bit into it and chewed. While it tasted pleasant, she stared down at her meal after swallowing her first bite "What is this?"

Dinky turned to Lilynette while her own muffin rested in her left hoof "You mean you never had a muffin before, Lily?"

Scootaoo craned her head back with an arched eyebrow "Seriously? Where did you live before to not know what a muffin is?"

Lilynette looked away and answered harshly "A place you don't even know about." She took another bite of her muffin.

Applebloom frowned "Well that's cuz y'all haven't told us yet! Maybe we do know about it!"

Dinky turned to her friends "Lily said that she used to live in this place called..." She looked down in thought "Um..." Dinky then looked up "Oh yeah! Hueco Mundo, right?"

Sweetie Belle blinked in confusion "Hueco Mundo? That's nowhere around Equestria at all!"

Lilynette shifted a glare at the crusaders "I told you..." She took a bite of her muffin as she looked around at the other students on the playground, then noticed two smiling fillies - the same ones that sat behind Lilynette and Dinky - approach her and the group.

Dinky noticed and frowned "Oh no..."

Lilynette turned to Dinky "What's the matter, Dinky?"

Dinky looked at her sister "It's those two coming over! Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon!"

Applebloom glared "They're th' meanest fillies in th' school, always pickin' on us jus' cuz we don't have no cutie marks!"

Scootaloo shook her head "But that doesn't mean it's just US she's after..." She spoke in an exasperated tone.

Lilynette frowned "What do you mean? Are they strong?" She watched the two close the distance as both fillies held taunting smiles.

Diamond Tiara took a step forward "Hello there!" She spoke in mock sincerity "So nice to see you blank flanks today! Though, I can't help but think that one of you doesn't belong..."

Silver Spoon giggled "Or does she with how she had trouble writing in class...?" The two fillies laughed.

Lilynette soon caught on and scowled "Are you talking about me? What do you want?" She snapped defensively.

Silver Spoon smiled "No need to get testy. We just want to talk is all."

Applebloom scowled "Th' only thing y'all will do is get us riled up! We don't want no trouble!"

Scootaloo glared "Don't you have anything better to do than pick on a new student, Tiara?"

Diamond Tiara huffed "She should be lucky we're even talking to her! It'd be really horrible for her to be all alone, right?"

Lilynette stood up and glared "And what do you know about being alone, huh!?"

Diamond Tiara shot a condescending stare at Lilynette "Only that those four behind you are a good example, what with their-"

Lilynette's eyes narrowed "Blank flanks?"

Diamond Tiara giggled "Not bad, Lilynette, was it? You're not as dumb as you look!"

Lilynette bared her teeth "What was that!?"

Diamond Tiara sighed "Of course I have to repeat myself to you..." She trotted over to a tree "I said, you're not as dumb as you look! But I suppose I should take that back with that question of yours! Maybe you got lucky with how you were able to divide numbers in class!" She ignored the fact that Lilynette's glare worsened as she growled.

Dinky noticed how angry Lilynette was getting and frowned at her tormentors "Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, can you please stop picking on us? We just want to enjoy the rest of the day!" She asked politely.

Sweetie Belle glared "Yeah, leave us alone for once!"

Silver Spoon looked over at Lilynette and winced at her towering anger "Erm, Tiara, maybe we should leave them be. She looks ready to attack us!"

Diamond Tiara smirked defiantly at Lilynette "Don't worry, Spoon. Judging by what she said in class, she doesn't know anything about Ponyville, or maybe even Equestria with how she says she just got her cutie mark without even knowing! I mean, really? What kind of pony claims to have one just appear unless it's a case of 'Cutie Pox', like what Applebloom pulled a while back! I'm sure she'll realize what would happen if she ever decides to make the wrong move..." She looked back at her tree, an ulterior motive hidden in her mind.

Lilynette took a step forward "Is that a challenge, you jerk!?"

Scootaloo frowned at Lilynette "Lilynette, I don't think it's a good idea to take on Diamond Tiara on school grounds! You could get in a heap of trouble!"

Lilynette jerked her head over to Scootaloo "She doesn't look all that strong to me!"

Diamond Tiara caressed her mane with a huff "And just why would I even want to fight anyway? I'd leave the dirty work to the colts whenever they decide to mess around! Besides, I could say the same for you, little Lily~!" She spoke in a taunting tone as she stuck out her tongue.

Lilynette perked up at Diamond Tiara's action and bellowed with fury as she charged at her in a gallop.

Sweetie Belle noticed the look in Diamond Tiara's eyes and how she looked ready to move. She gasped and called out to Lilynette "Don't do it, Lilynette! It's a trick! She's provoking you!"

Lilynette did not listen as she closed the distance with Diamond Tiara, who moved out of the way to have Lilynette make a direct course with the tree she stood by. While she expected a harsh bump and a fit of crying, Diamond Tiara heard a sickening crack and looked to see the tree she moved away from get knocked away a few feet, earning the attention of the other students. The pink filly stared with an indescribable amount of shock at how Lilynette was able to knock away a tree and still stand as she hyperventilated in anger. The red filly slowly turned to Diamond Tiara with a hate-filled glare.

"Screw Snips and Snails! I'm coming for you!!"

To be continued...

Capitulo Cinco

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Capitulo Cinco

Never Piss off an Arrancar

Cheerilee hummed to herself as she sorted out her collected worksheets and went over each one with a keen eye. She finally stopped on Lilynette's paper and examined how she managed to get better with her writing skills, though her answers were still written in a sloppy fashion. Aside from that, Cheerilee was more concerned on how she would handle trying to teach Lilynette with how she chooses to behave around others.

She has met many colts and fillies that would act in such a manner on their first day of school and managed to set them straight in a month's time tops, but Lilynette may prove to be a challenge. She remembered how the red filly was attached to Dinky, and chose to relax for now, knowing she could act more civilized around her sister 'I'm sure she'll make some friends around recess...'

Her relaxation was cut short when she heard a blood-curdling scream outside "Huh!? What's going on?" Before she could look out the window, her ears picked up the sound of rapid hoofbeats approach her classroom. Cheerilee turned to see a panicked Silver Spoon catch her breath as she made it to the door "Silver Spoon, what happened outside? Is somepony hurt?"

Silver Spoon's look of panic worsened as she stared at her teacher "L-Lilynette! It's Lilynette! Please come outside, Ms. Cheerilee!!"

Cheerilee stifled a gasp 'Oh no! I hope Lilynette hasn't hurt herself somehow...' She hopped from her desk and followed after Silver Spoon.
_____

"Sis, stop!!" Dinky called out pleadingly as she watched what was going on with her friends.

Diamond Tiara screamed fearfully as she ran around the playground while being tailed by an overly-provoked Lilynette, who roared in anger as she slowly caught up towards her target. Upon seeing this, Diamond Tiara decided to use her classmates to her advantage by moving around them in a serpentine pattern while avoiding Lilynette.

The many colts and fillies quickly moved out of the way for each twist and turn the two would take in their trail, fearing for their own lives more than Diamond Tiara's after Lilynette's display with the tree. The red filly called out to her fleeing prey "Come back here so I can end you, you jerk!!!"

Diamond Tiara said nothing and only tried to go as fast as her pampered hooves could take her. It did not help knowing that she was running out of energy since she was not for running around. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the school's jungle gym to her left and how it could provide her a good sanctuary from the angered filly behind her. Her destination set, Diamond Tiara made a sharp turn and scurried towards the jungle gym, diving inside of it when she got close. She lost her tiara to one of the bars as she cleared her jump, but it was a small price to pay knowing she somehow antagonized a monster in disguise.

Lilynette growled at Diamond Tiara once she reached the jungle gym, and reared back onto her hind legs and reeled back her right forehoof as she gave the jungle gym a large jab and elicited a loud clang from the bars. The school ponies, Diamond Tiara included, cringed at the loud noise it caused, but they looked to see that Lilynette only caused a large dent to the jungle gym.

Diamond Tiara noticed this as she caught her breath, and felt her bravado return upon seeing Lilynette's failed attempt, even gaining the courage to taunt the red filly "Looks like you can't get me from here, huh? Too bad~!!" She closed her eyes and giggled teasingly.

It did not help her with how Lilynette grew more infuriated with her teasing. She punched at the bars again with the same hoof, and began repeating the process with building speed and more damage to the bars. Diamond Tiara saw this with a loud gasp as she backed away from more of Lilynette's onslaught. The red filly snarled as she continuously dented the bars "Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk!" With a final 'Jerk' she shattered the jungle gym, leaving only a pale Diamond Tiara sitting on her haunches with eyes the size of saucers. She quickly got up and ran with a scream, being pursued by Lilynette again.

Diamond Tiara moved past Snips and Snails, and they looked to see Lilynette angrily raze the ground under her hooves as she galloped towards them without hesitation "Get out of my way!!!" She bulldozed past the two colts, easily knocking them into the air as they screamed.

Scootaloo watched the scene in a mixture of awe and fear "I don't think we should ever make Lilynette angry while we're at school..." She said to her friends.

For the first time ever, Applebloom actually felt concern for Diamond Tiara "That filly'll tear Diamond Tiara limb from limb unless Ms. Cheerilee comes out an' stops this!!" She looked up to see Snips and Snails scream before they landed next to her on the ground.

Sweetie Belle turned to Dinky "Lilynette's your sister, right? Can't you find some way to make her stop?"

Dinky watched Lilynette chase Diamond Tiara in fright "I-I don't know! I've never seen Lily THIS angry before!"

Diamond Tiara looked back to see that Lilynette was catching up to her again and tried to come up with a way to stop the red filly in her tracks. She noticed the sandbox up ahead in her trail and knew exactly what to do. When the pink filly reached the sandbox, she grabbed a small hoofful of sand and quickly tossed it into Lilynette's eyes when she drew close.

Lilynette reeled back with an irritated scream as she clenched her eyes and tried rubbing out the sand as Diamond Tiara scurried away. After brushing away the sand from her eyes, Lilynette gritted her teeth as she tried to focus on where her prey was running "You little coward..." She growled indignantly. Unbeknownst to Lilynette, her horn began to glow with a light green aura while she was glaring daggers at Diamond Tiara, much to the surprise of her classmates "If I was the arrancar I used to be, I'd kill you in a flash! Now I'm reduced to just running around on four legs trying to catch you!!" Her horn glew brighter as her vision focued more clearly.

Sweetie Belle gasped "Look at her horn! How's she doing that?"

Dinky and the other crusaders were equally dumbfounded at the sight of Lilynette's horn. Was Lilynette this good at magic before she came to Ponyville? Dinky heard two sets of hooves galloping from behind and looked back to see Cheerilee with Silver Spoon in tow. The teacher reached approached the group of fillies and looked over at Lilynette "What is going on out here!?"

Lilynette roared as her horn shot out a green magic beam that sounded like a deep whirring sound that rose and lowered in pitch. Diamond Tiara jumped out of the way with widened eyes as the beam consumed a large trail of the playground and extended into Ponyville.
_____

Starrk continued following Derpy around unenthusiastically while she was busy delivering mail. The former espada wanted nothing more than to go back to her house and take a nap, but she still insisted for him to stay by her side.

The two pegasi reached a house that was decorated in sweets of all sorts. Starrk only blinked "Who lives in a house made of candy? Is this place that strange?"

Derpy giggled as she approached the mailbox "It's not made of candy, silly! It just looks that way! Sugarcube Corner is the place to buy some delicious sweets! They sells the best muffins!" She said as she fished out and placed an envelope inside of the mailbox next to the candy-coated establishment.

Starrk scratched his head with a bored expression "Hm...I suppose it's a good theme if they sell sweets..." He went to speak to Derpy, but found himself instantly bombarded by a pink blur after hearing the front door to Sugarcube Corner shoot open. The former espada laid on his back and shook his head with an annoyed grunt 'How could I not see that coming?' His expression shifted to that of confusion when he noticed two bright blue eyes and a large set of grinning teeth in front of him "Who are-"

He was instantly silenced when he was met with rambling that could easily compare to his own speed. The only things he could make out were the words 'Pinkie Pie', 'Pinkie Sense', 'New pony', and 'Party'. Other than that, all he could do was stare at the pink mare that had supposedly pinned him on the ground and chattered on in one breath.

Derpy noticed Starrk's predicament and smiled at the pink mare "Hi, Pinkie! I see you met my newest friend Starrk! Him and his daughter are staying with me right now!"

The one called Pinkie gasped "Really? That's just so great to hear! Maybe we can throw their 'Welcome to Ponyville' party at your house, if you like!!"

Derpy grinned "Sound's great!" She looked down at Starrk "Is that okay with you, Starrky?"

Starrk gave a small frown as he lightly shoved Pinkie off "I'm not exactly in the mood for a party right now. All I'd like to do is go take a nap..."

Pinkie got in Starrk's face, surprising the former espada "Not in the mood for a party? I'm sure that just your drowsiness talking, but not to worry!" She placed a hoof on her chest "THIS mare shall take her time off from work to throw you a party that'll wake you up in no time!!"

Starrk only stared at Pinkie's obviously random statement "...What?"

Derpy grinned "It's just Pinkie Pie! She's the only mare that understands me most of the time!" After her words, Starrk grew a faint sense of worry from being around two seemingly crazy mares as he shifted his glances between the two.

Pinkie Pie then hopped in place "So what's your full name, Starrky? Or is that just your name?" She smiled at the former espada.

Starrk only gave a small huff "My name isn't 'Starrky'...It's just a pet name Derpy decided to go with. My full name is Coyote Starrk and-"

"Coyote? You mean like the kind that love to chase road runners around? Can you talk to them at all? My friend Fluttershy LOVES talking to animals, and I'm sure you and her could get along so well! But she's usually too shy to talk-"

That interruption was both unneeded and migraine-inducing for Starrk, and he held a hoof to his temple while the hyperactive mare continued to ramble on. Normally, he wouldn't mind a small chatterbox with how he spent his time with Lilynette, but this mare managed to nearly coax him into running off and keeping away from her. What managed to stop her was a large green beam that shot past Sugarcube Corner and managed to disappear shortly after.

Derpy stared with widened and straightened eyes, and Pinkie had her jaw held out. Starrk only stared with a knowing glance and a unamused frown 'Oh no...Lilynette...'
_____

Cheerilee and her students stared in utter silence at how one small filly managed to cause so much damage on school grounds. While she noticed the scattered bars that was once a jungle gym, the giant beam caught her eyes.

Lilynette looked upon the damage she had done herself; how she scathed the ground and managed to catch the attention of several distant citizens. She stared up at her horn "My cero...I can still use it!!" Realizing she had her signature weapon as a hollow, she looked over at Diamond Tiara laying on the ground and instantly donned a dark grin as she pointed her horn at her.

Cheerilee recovered form her shock and called out with a stern glare "Lilynette Gingerback!!"

Lilynette ceased her attack to look over at Cheerilee "What!? I'm busy at the moment!" She snapped back.

Cheerilee trotted up to Lilynette and looked down at her "I can't believe you would actually do all of this! Just what were you trying to accomplish!?"

Lilynette pointed a hoof at Diamond Tiara "Trying to make this jerk pay for what she did to me!!"

Cheerilee's sternness softened as she replied "What did Diamond Tiara do to you to make you resort to such violence?"

Lilynette scowled "You mean other than making me look dumb and weak, and even challenging me to a fight only to run off like a coward!? She threw sand in my eyes!!!"

Cheerilee did not know what to make of the situation. One of her students apparently antagonized the newest student, leading her to destroy some of the playground and firing a magic beam that possibly extended deep into Ponyville. While it was Diamond Tiara's fault, she could not let so much collateral damage go unignored. It was tough to decide what action to take with the knowledge that one lone filly had caused so much chaos on her first day of school.

Her thoughts were cut short when a stallion blurred into existence behind Lilynette. Cheerilee was startled when she noticed Starrk staring back at her with a bored expression. She stared in silence for a moment before choosing to break the ice "A-And you are?"

Pinkie was found hopping into the playground and stopping next to Starrk "Just a new pony who's about to get a serious dose of party soon!!" She procliamed jubilantly, oblivious to the damage on the playground.

Starrk turned to Pinkie with a slight wince "I'm surprised you managed to come here before Derpy..."

"Dinky!"

Pinke, Cheerilee, and Starrk looked up to see Derpy fly towards the school with a look of distress on her face "Dinky, are you alright!?" She looked around for her daughter.

Dinky waved up at Derpy with a smile "I'm over here, Mommy! I'm fine!"

Derpy swooped down and scooped up Dinky in a hug "Thank Celestia you're safe! I don't know what would've happened if that huge blast hurt you somehow!"

Lilynette looked over at Dinky "I wasn't trying to hurt my sister, I was trying to hurt HER!" She pointed at a cowering Diamond Tiara. Outside of Ponyville Elementary, more ponies gathered and gossiped at the damage that had took place.

Starrk looked around at the many looks of fear and curiousity that loomed outside of school grounds. At one point, he couldn't care less on what they think, but he felt uncomfortable knowing that him and Lilynette drew unwanted attention to themselves.

He managed to spot Crafty Crate in the crowd looking at the scene himself "What the-..." He shifted his glance from the damage, to Lilynette, and to Starrk "Starrk, is THIS the kid you were talking about!?" He asked incredulously.

Starrk rolled his eyes at Crafty Crate's remark, then looked to see everypony in a state of unrest over what has happened. Derpy approached Starrk with Dinky in her hooves and frowned "Everypony isn't happy about this, Starrk! What do we do?"

Starrk shifted his eyes to Derpy "This isn't your problem. Don't worry about it..."

Dinky frowned as well "You're not mad at Lily, are you, Mr. Starrk?"

Starrk looked at Lilynette, then heaved a sigh as he closed his eyes and scratched his head "I'm not sure what to feel at this point, but if anything, I'm bothered by all of this..."

Pinkie appeared between Derpy and Starrk and grinned "Don't worry, you two! This wouldn't be the first time Ponyville had to deal with something big! I never thought it would be at Ponyville Elementary of all places!" She said in her chipper tone "We can make another jungle gym easy peasy lemon squeezy!!"

Derpy looked over at the scathed path caused by Lilynette's cero "But what about Lilynette? Something like this would get somepony in trouble!"

Pinkie stared as well and hummed in thought "Dunno about that! But like I said, you got nothing to worry about! I better get going now! See ya!" She zipped off in a pink blur. Starrk could've sworn she was headed towards Derpy's house.

In time, the crowd gradually died down as they went back to their normal routines, though they were still tensed by the small amount of destruction around a learning establishment. Starrk watched the last of the citizens leave before he decided to trot over and look down at Lilynette "Come on. We're going home..."

Lilynette snapped "What!? But I still have a score to settle!! And I wanna stay with my sister!! You can't just tell me to forget about this and come back with you!!"

Starrk furrowed his brow, and slowly raised a hoof before he gave a quick jab to Lilynette's forehead "Ow!" Cheerilee and Derpy were surprised to see the former espada harm his supposed daughter in front of them and the other students. Lilynette rubbed her head as she leered up at Starrk "That hurt, you know!!" Looking up at Starrk's narrowed eyes, she knew that he would do it again if she chose to lash out further. With a defeated groan, she looked away with a bitter expression "Fine! Let's go..."

Starrk looked over at Derpy "We'll see you back at your house..." He took Lilynette with one hoof, and the two blurred out of existence, startling everypony around them.

Cheerilee managed to maintain her composure and sighed "Every day, this town gets crazier..."

Derpy giggled "Ain't it grand?" She looked down at Dinky "Sorry, Dinky, but you'll have to spend the rest of the day without Lily." She spoke in a sad tone. Dinky only looked down with a frown.

Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all traded glances before they trotted up to their teacher "You know, none of this wouldn't have happened if Diamond Tiara hadn't picked on Lilynette..." Scootaloo pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone.

Sweetie Belle looked around "Ms. Cheerilee, does this mean that school's over for today?"

Cheerilee was silent before she placed a hoof on her forehead 'It wouldn't help to teach after all of this...' She looked at her classmates and called out "Class is dismissed for the day, children! We'll cover history tomorrow!" As if Lilynette's rampage never happened, the colts and fillies cheered as they galloped off to their homes, save for a panicked Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Derpy flew back home to drop off Dinky before going back to her mail route.

Silver Spoon looked Diamond Tiara "I told you we should've left them alone..." She muttered.

Diamond Tiara glared at her friend "Sh-Shut up!" She snapped back, still shaken from what she had went through.

To be continued...

Capitulo Seis

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Capitulo Seis

New Experiences

Starrk and Lilynette appeared in front of Derpy's house, and the former pushed open the front door. Lilynette followed behind with a bitter look in her eyes, her thoughts still on both wanting to spend time with Dinky and killing Diamond Tiara dead. Once inside, Starrk managed to reach the living room couch and lay down on it, stretching open his mouth for a quiet yawn before burying his face in the cushions. Lilynette only stared at the former espada with a glare before she snapped "Why couldn't you let me stay back there!? She was asking for it!!"

Starrk lifted his face to look at Lilynette "Be happy I didn't make you apologize..."

Lilynette puffed her cheeks "You're not even listening to me! I was busy trying to kill some ignorant jerk!! I even managed to do my cero, too!!"

Starrk gazed intently at the red filly "Are you serious?"

Lilynette nodded "Yeah! I can even show you again right now!!"

Starrk held out a hoof "None of that...This isn't our house to destroy..." He lifted himself up "But I am curious...If you're able to do cero as a pony, then so should I..." He trotted outside and looked up at the sky. He tried to focus as he stood completely still like he would any time he would fire his cero. The former espada sweatdropped when nothing happened "I-..." One of his eyebrows twitched as he looked up and felt like an idiot for standing around with no results.

Lilynette blinked before she pointed a hoof and blurted out "You can't perform a cero!? Why not?"

Starrk looked down "I don't know...I can at least perform my Sonido, but what am I without my cero?"

Lilynette approached Starrk and jabbed at one of his forelegs "Maybe you're not trying hard enough! You're the Primera Espada, remember!? Give it another go!"

Starrk looked back up and tried to focus again. An idea came up as he then looked at Lilynette "How were you able to fire your cero? Normally it would come out of your left eye..."

Lilynette looked up at Starrk "Yeah, you're right! But this time, it came out of my horn!!" She pointed at her horn "It's like all of my reiatsu's inside of it somehow!"

Starrk stared at the red filly's horn before looking at his own forehead, then his wings "Perhaps I should be happy with what I have..."

Lilynette grinned and giggled before she teased the former espada "Looks like I'm the only one of us capable of using a cero after all!! Too bad, Starrk!" A hoof to her forehead instantly stopped her "Ow!"

After Starrk gave a light glare at Lilynette, he heard flapping and looked up to see Derpy and Dinky approach 'Hm...Looks like they followed us...'

Derpy landed and placed Dinky on the ground before she smiled at the two former arrancar "Hi, Starrky! I hope you're not upset over what's happened!"

Dinky trotted up to Lilynette with a smile "Hey, sis..." She greeted softly.

"Hi, Dinky..." Lilynette replied distantly as she looked away with a frown.

Dinky approached her sister and placed a hoof on your shoulder "I never thought you knew how to use magic. Or managed to ruin some of the playground while trying to hurt Diamond Tiara..." She looked away with a frown.

Lilynette sneered at Dinky "She's lucky to be alive right now! I almost had her, too!!"

Dinky frowned "But you don't have to do something like that anytime somepony wants to pick on you! Even Ms. Cheerilee was scared!"

Lilynette gritted her teeth "Why would she even want to stop me to begin with!? If she was there, she would've agreed with me!"

Dinky shook her head "No she wouldn't! If she knew that she threw sand in your eyes while you didn't do anything, Diamond Tiara would've been in trouble. But you almost got in more trouble than her back there!"

Lilynette looked away with a huff "Didn't look like it! She was picking on us, so if anything, I almost did you and your friends a favor!"

Dinky smiled "Well, they're your friends, too, Lily..." The red filly looked at her sister in confusion "You didn't have to do all of that if it meant wanting them to stop. And don't worry, sis. I'm not mad at you like Mr. Starrk..." She hugged Lilynette, who had her eyes widened for a moment.

Derpy watched the two fillies and clasped two hooves together with a touched smile "Awww~! Isn't that precious?" She was oblivious the dark glare she received from Lilynette after her words.

Starrk only stared at the fillies for a moment before going back inside. Derpy blinked "Starrky? Where are you going? Won't you stay with me for the rest of my shift?"

The former espada looked back at Derpy "I'm working tomorrow...The least I can do is enjoy a good nap before then..." He answered apathetically.

Derpy shook her head with an amused smile "That stallion..." She looked down at Lilynette "You're lucky to have somepony like him look after you!"

Lilynette and Dinky broke the embrace and stared up at Derpy. The red filly rolled her eyes "Well, Starrk needs me as much as I need him..." She answered cooly.

Derpy nuzzled Lilynette's head "Such a good little filly!" Lilynette was taken by surprise before she tried swatting away Derpy the moment she drew her head back. The mailmare looked around "Well, I better get back to work! You two enjoy your day together!"

Dinky smiled and hugged Derpy "Bye, Mommy!" When the mailmare took off, Dinky turned to look at Lilynette "C'mon, Lily! Let's go inside and draw!"

Lilynette tilted her head "Draw? Draw what?"

Dinky held out her forelegs "Anything! Just follow me!" The two fillies made their way inside the house. On the way to Dinky's room, they passed by Starrk, who was found snoozing on the living room couch "Hi, Mr. Starrk!" Dinky called out as she trotted along with Lilynette, receiving no response from the former espada.

The two fillies were led back to Dinky's room, where the purple filly trotted over and pulled out a stack of paper from a drawer along with some different-colored crayons. She brought them over to Lilynette and placed them on the floor "Now we can start drawing! But we gotta be sure to clean up when we're done. Mommy wouldn't be happy!" Dinky took a blank sheet of paper and two crayons - one grey and one yellow - and started drawing.

Lilynette observed her sister out of boredom. When a thought of what to draw came to mind, she decided to take a sheet of paper of her own, along with three crayons. She took the red, green, and purple crayons and began drawing herself. At first she was focused once she started, then began to grin evilly as she progressed.

Dinky's drawing turned out to be a childish doodle of her mother with her selective colors, and she smiled at her progress when she stopped for a moment "I think I'm getting better! What are you drawing, sis?" She looked over to see Lilynette enraptured in her art "Sis?" Dinky inched over and noticed that her sister was busy drawing a picture of herself zapping Diamond Tiara, who was split along her midsection, had 'x's' for eyes, and was around scribbles of red. She frowned at this, and grew uneasy when she heard Lilynette chuckle to herself. Feeling as if her sister finished her picture, Dinky nudged the red filly out of her artistic euphoria "Do you hate Diamond Tiara that much?"

Lilynette stopped her drawing and looked at Dinky "Is my drawing not that good?" She asked with mild irritation.

Dinky scratched her head "Well..." She looked back at Lilynette's depiction of finally ending her new enemy with her cero while trying to come up with an exceptional answer "What if we play a game?" She smiled hopefully.

Lilynette blinked "You mean like that game of tag you tried to play earlier?" The red filly moved her drawing to the side and looked at Dinky with her uncovered eye "How exactly do you play that?"

Dinky held up a hoof "It's pretty simple and fun! You see, if I tag you, that means you're it, and you have to tag somepony else!"

Lilynette frowned "So it's just running around? Doesn't that get boring?"

Dinky shook her head "Not if you have enough friends!" A thought occured to her, and she smiled "What if we find Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo so we can all play together?"

"You mean those other ponies?" Lilynette asked inquisitively "Why would they even want to play with me?"

Dinky giggled "I said they were you're friends, too, Lily! And besides, you'll never know until you try!"

Lilynette huffed "Do we even know where they live?"

Dinky nodded "Sure I do! Maybe if we have Mr. Starrk take us to Sweet Apple Acres, we can find them at their clubhouse in no time!" She looked down with a frown "Too bad he's asleep..."

Lilynette noticed the slight sadness in Dinky's tone and got up on her hooves "Follow me..." She spoke in an empty tone as she turned and left the room.

"Wait!"

The red filly looked back to see Dinky pointing at the crayons and paper, much to Lilynette's chagrin "Oh...right..." She moved back and put the items away with her sister's help.
_____

The two unicorn fillies trotted into the living room to see Starrk enjoying his time on the couch as if they were not in front of him. Dinky turned to Lilynette with an unsure glance "You're not gonna wake him up, are you?"

Lilynette looked back at Dinky "How else are we gonna make it to Sweet Apple Acres? Besides, I'm doing this for you!" She looked back at Starrk and a mischievous smile formed on her face as she hopped up to where she nearly touched the ceiling and flew down onto Starrk's back "WAKE UP!"

Starrk instantly brought his head up and arched his back with gritted teeth and comical tears as Lilynette began stomping in place on the former espada's back, causing a plethora of displeased grunts from him. Dinky only watched and wondered about Starrk and Lilynette's relationship together. A part of her was happy to know Lilynette was willing to act for her, but she did not favor the red filly's methods.

Lilynette eventually wavered and smiled down at Starrk "Good, you're up! Now you can take me and my sister to Sweet Apple Acres! C'mon, Starrk! Up and at 'em!"

Starrk slowly looked behind his back at Lilynette with an annoyed glare "What for?"

Dinky trotted up to Starrk's vision and bowed politely "We're very sorry to wake you up like this, Mr. Starrk! Me and Lily only want to go to Sweet Apple Acres and play with our friends! Can you take us there? Please?" She asked softly with an adorable smile.

Starrk stared at Dinky and wondered how such a creature would exist in any world. He was slightly moved by how she tried to appear cute in his eyes. To his benefit, he remembered the exact location of where the fillies spoke of 'Hm...I suppose it wouldn't hurt...' He looked over at Lilynette and frowned "Get off..."

Lilynette complied, knowing that Starrk was willing to cooperate, and hopped off of his back to stand beside Dinky while he got up. After stretching himself, Starrk led the fillies outside of the house. When they were at a good distance, Starrk took Dinky and Lilynette with both of his hooves and blurred out with his Sonido.

After a short moment, a certain pink mare poked her head out the front door "Wowzers! I thought they'd never leave!!" She grinned to herself "Better get back to work!" Pinkie zipped back into the house and made sure to shut the door.
_____

At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack carried a bushel of apples on her back towards her house to bring inside for lunch. As she moved, she heard the sound of rushing wind above her and looked to see a prismatic trail headed her way. It stopped to reveal her friend Rainbow Dash as she hovered over the farmpony, who smiled "Howdy, Dash! What brings ya here today?"

Rainbow Dash waved "Hey, AJ! I was just busy napping one minute, and when I woke up later, I heard some ponies talk about some commotion that happened around Ponyville Elementary! I looked over there and saw some of their property leveled!!"

Applejack shuddered with a frown "Ah heard about that from Applebloom an' 'er friends...Ah feel pretty dern stupid not t' be there fer her, but she said that everypony was alright! Also heard that one little filly did all of it, too! An' all fer tryin' t' get back at Diamond Tiara!"

Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves with an arched eyebrow "You mean that one filly that picks on your sister and Scoots? How can one little filly do so much damage by herself? What's her name?"

Applejack tapped her chin "Applebloom said 'er name was...Lilynette?"

Rainbow Dash blinked before she tilted her head "That's an interesting name...But I still find it hard to believe that a filly came close to destroying Ponyville Elementary by herself! What's next? A pony who's faster than me?"

As if she tempted fate, three ponies blurred into existence in front of Rainbow Dash and Applejack, startling the two mares.

Starrk let go of the fillies after his Sonido, and looked to see Dinky stumble about in a daze from traveling so fast. Her mane was messed up and her eyes rolled in different directions as she moaned dizzily.

Lilynette noticed with mild worry, which gave way to agitation as she struck Starrk in his foreleg, causing the former espada to kneel "You idiot!! You could've warned Dinky before using your Sonido!!"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash just stared dumbfoundedly at the trio, and Dinky managed to recover after frantically shaking her head "Wow!!" She beamed at Starrk "You really are super fast, Mr. Starrk!! That was fun!!" The purple filly looked over at Applejack "Hello, Applejack! Is Applebloom home at all?"

The farmpony stared before she pointed out towards the orchard "Um, yes...She an' 'er friends are at their clubhouse."

Dinky grinned "Thank you!!" She looked over at Lilynette "C'mon, Lily! Let's go over and meet our friends!!"

Rainbow Dash stared before realization struck her "Wait a minute...Lily? Is that filly supposed to be Lilynette!?" She asked incredulously.

Starrk watched the two fillies before turning his back on the two mares and going to use his Sonido. Applejack noticed and called out "Hang on there, partner!" The former espada looked back and regarded Applejack with his bored stare while she continued "Mind tellin' us who ya are? Never really seen yer face 'round Ponyville!"

Rainbow Dash chimed in "Yeah! And how did you just appear in front of us?" She asked in a slightly interrogating tone.

Starrk stared before he introduced himself informally "The name's Coyote Starrk, and yes, I'm new here...As for how I got here, it was my Sonido." He faced away from the two mares, and before Rainbow Dash could call out to him, he blurred out with his Sonido, leaving behind the sound of booming static.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared with widened eyes before the cyan pegasus darted her head around "Wh-Where'd he go!?" She shouted in a flustered tone.

Dinky looked at where Starrk once stood before turning to Rainbow Dash "I'm pretty sure Mr. Starrk went back to my house! You can find him there!"

Lilynette gave Dinky a look of impatience "Are we not gonna go? The plan was to come here, wasn't it?"

Dinky nodded to Lilynette "Mhmm! Let's go meet the crusaders!!" The two fillies galloped away with Dinky taking point.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash watched them leave before the farmpony spoke up "Yer not actually gonna go after that stallion, ar-" A whoosh was heard, and Applejack looked to see a prismatic trail heading towards Ponyville as she sighed in exasperation "Of course ya are..." She shook her head before she went back to carrying the apples into her house.
_____

Starrk made it back to Derpy's house in no time at all and trotted towards the front door, inching a foreleg towards the doorknob.

"Hey!"

The former espada looked up to see a familiar pegasus speed towards him from the sky, landing in front of him as he stepped back "You kinda left me and AJ hanging back there! How does a pegasus like you go so fast that it seems like you're teleporting?" Rainbow Dash gazed intently at Starrk, expecting an answer.

Starrk stared before he spoke in a flat tone "I told you it was Sonido. Now please move so I can go inside and take a nap..."

Rainbow Dash blinked "Wait...You're super fast AND you love to nap? Seriously, who are you?" The cyan pegasus wondered if there somehow existed a male counterpart of herself, though she did not expect him to look so different.

Starrk furrowed his brow "Did you not hear me back there? My name's Coyote Starrk...And yes, I'm not afraid to admit that I like to sleep..."

Rainbow Dash tilted her head "In that case, why not sleep on a cloud, like me?"

Starrk blinked "A cloud? Is that even possible?"

Rainbow Dash looked annoyed "Of course it's possible! You're a pegasus! Duh~! Do you even have clouds where you were before?"

Starrk replied instantly "Yes, but it was impossible to sleep on them..."

The cyan pegasus stared blankly before placing a hoof to her temple "Wow, that's-...That's just so weird! Now I need to lie down!" She paused before looking at Starrk with a smile "I think it's about time I show you a good place to nap! Follow me!!" Rainbow Dash unfurled her wings and flew up into the sky, with Starrk following shortly after.

The two pegasi stopped and hovered next to a white and pleasantly puffed cloud. They stared before Rainbow Dash turned to Starrk "Well? Aren't you gonna try it?"

Starrk stared at the cloud while Rainbow Dash spoke. At one point, it was believable with how strange this world was to the former espada, but he was still skeptical to believe he can actually sleep on a cloud. He looked back at Rainbow Dash "Are you sure you're not lying?"

Rainbow Dash heaved an irritable sigh before she demonstrated sleeping on the cloud by easily landing on top of it and laying down "There! Now do you believe me?" She asked with an unamused glance.

Starrk stared before he went to land next to Rainbow Dash, who held out a hoof "Sorry, pal. You had your chance before. This one's taken!" She looked around before she pointed at a nearby cloud with the same features as the one she laid on "Try that one over there. Trust me, you'll love it."

The former espada eyed the cloud before he lazily flew over and followed Rainbow Dash's example as he carefully placed a foreleg on the cloud. He expected his hoof to phase through it, but it felt as if he were touching the fluffiest pillow in existence. He followed with his other foreleg, then both of his hindlegs before he finally laid himself onto the cloud, dropping his face onto his new resting area.

It was heaven.

All that mattered to Starrk now was that he had no further use of Derpy's couch or her bed. He instantly lost himself to slumber without hearing Rainbow Dash ask if he liked it or not.

To be continued...

Capitulo Siete

View Online

Capitulo Siete

Meet Coyote Starrk

Dinky and Lilynette made it to a clubhouse that was built upon a tree, set with a walkway to which they can reach the front door. The two fillies moved onto it and stood in front of the door, which Dinky rapped on twice "Hello?"

The door opened to reveal Scootaloo, who smiled at Dinky "Hey, Dinky!" She looked over at Lilynette and flinched "Uh, hey, Lilynette...How's it going?" She smiled awkwardly.

Lilynette rolled her eyes "It's alright, I guess..." She narrowed her eyes "Would've been loads better if I got that jerk in my grasp..." She muttered angrily.

Scootaloo chuckled "Yeah, Diamond Tiara can be the biggest jerk sometimes. So what brings you two here?"

Dinky grinned "Me and Lily were wondering if you and the others felt like playing today!"

Scootaloo blinked and shifted her eyes inside "Well, we'd love to, but we've got some crusader business inside!"

Dinky frowned "Oh, pretty please! We don't know what else to do!"

Lilynette huffed "She came all this way to see you, didn't she?" She gave Scootaloo an annoyed glance.

Scootaloo mulled over the decision of actually letting in two non-members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders into their headquarters, especially since one of them is very dangerous. She held up a hoof "Hold that thought!" She went back inside and shut the door.

Lilynette scowled "My friends, too, huh?"

Dinky turned to the red filly with an embarrassed smile "They're a little scared of what you did at school...That, and their club can be pretty top secret. I'm not a part of their club, but they told me that much!"

Lilynette tilted her head at Dinky "Why haven't you yet? With how you all are so close, I'd figured you'd be a member as well!"

Dinky scratched her head "It's complicated. I'm not exactly like them when it comes to pursuing my natural talent. I just listen to Mommy and wait for it to come naturally!" She smiled at Lilynette.

The red filly stared before looking back at her own pistol cutie mark "Natural talent..." She paused before she gasped "I get it now!"

Dinky blinked "Hm? Get what, sis?"

Lilynette turned to Dinky with a grin while pointing at her cutie mark "I know the reason for my cutie mark! It's because-"

The door opened to reveal all three of the crusaders, cutting off Lilynette as she and Dinky looked at them. Applebloom smiled at the visitors "Howdy! So ya feel like playin' today? We can stop our crusadin' fer a bit iffin' y'all are that bored!"

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes with a wry smile "Trust me, I can relate!"

Dinky smiled at the three, then turned to Lilynette, who held a neutral expression. The red filly shrugged "Alright. So what should we do first then?"

Scootaloo grinned "Say, Lilynette! Before we go play, could we see your dad, maybe? He was pretty fast!!"

Dinky spoke up "Mr. Starrk is probably back at my house sleeping on the couch. I don't know if we should wake him up..."

Lilynette tilted her head "Why do you wanna see him anyway? He's too boring!"

Sweetie Belle frowned "Boring? But how else would he go so fast with his speed? Does he go through intense training?"

Lilynette looked away with a light huff "He's just born with it, alright? It's in his blood!"

The three crusaders chorused a 'Cool' after Lilynette's statement. Scootaloo grinned "Hey! Has he met Rainbow Dash, yet!? I'll bet they'll get along sooo well!!"

Applebloom smiled "Maybe we can get t' know 'im better! Why don't we mosey over t' Dinky's place?"

Dinky turned to Lilynette with a smile "Do you mind at all, sis?"

Lilynette sighed "Fine, we'll go see him! But don't say I didn't warn you when he'll bore you to death!" She turned and trotted off, with the four fillies following after her.
_____

Rainbow Dash stared blankly as she hovered in the sky. Never had she found a pony sleep instantaneously other than Sweetie Belle; on a cloud, no less. Starrk proved to be most intriguing to the cyan pegasus with how he was supposedly as fast as her and the hardest sleeper she had ever seen. She decided to shrug it off and go back to her own cloud so she could catch some sleep herself.

As much as she wanted to, however, she somehow remained alert and awake. A part of her wondered if it had to do with Starrk and how he was new in town. She looked over at him sleeping soundly on his new bed for life, and scratched her head 'Maybe I can get some info out of him...Wonder where he's from...Or why he's living with Derpy, for that matter...'

Rainbow Dash rose from her cloud and glided over to Starrk's side, hovering next to him while he continued to sleep with his face buried in his cloud. She stared at him for a moment before giving him a light nudge with a forehoof "Hey, Starrk. You got a minute?" When she had no response, she nudged again "I know you wanna sleep and junk, but is it alright if we talked for a bit?"

She was slightly irritated to see he was not waking up and nudged harder "Hey! I'm talking to you! You better not be faking it!" Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes as she stared at him sleeping and lifted him up by his shoulders to see his sleeping face. She shook him furiously "C'mon, Starrk! Wake up! Nopony can sleep THIS much so easily!!" The cyan pegasus was surprised to see Starrk give off no response whatsoever. Sighing in defeat, she dropped the former espada back onto his cloud and crossed her forelegs "You must really love napping over other things..." She muttered to herself.

Rainbow Dash heard hoofsteps on the ground below, and looked down to see Dinky, Lilynette, and the CMC approach Derpy's house "Huh? Wonder what they're doing..." She swooped down and landed next to them with a small smile "Hey, girls! What are you up to?"

Dinky looked up and smiled "Hi, Rainbow Dash! We were just on our way to see Mr. Starrk!"

Rainbow Dash snorted "Well, you won't find him in there, I'll tell you that much!" She pointed a hoof towards the sky "He's busy enjoying the fine texture of a cloud right now! I can't even wake him up!"

Lilynette looked up and grunted before she approached under the cloud Starrk was laying on and began to jump. Rainbow Dash and the fillies were surprised to see her jump straight up a good height, though she could not reach the sky. Her second and third tries only resulted in small extensions to her jumping height. Lilynette growled indignantly "He's lucky I don't have wings!!" She perked up "Unleeeess..." She looked up and her horn began to glow.

Dinky noticed and galloped towards Lilynette "Lily, no!!" She shrieked as the red filly stopped and turned to her sister "Please don't do that again!! We don't want to scare more ponies!" She frowned pleadingly.

Lilynette stared, then sighed in exasperation "What else can I do since I don't have any wings!?" She then looked around until she noticed Rainbow Dash hovering, then pointed at her "You! Can you fly me up there?"

Rainbow Dash arched an eyebrow "You wanna see him? What for?"

Lilynette huffed "To wake him up, of course! The others wanna see him so badly!"

The cyan pegasus laughed "I'd be pretty shocked to know you can wake him up easily!"

Dinky looked up at Rainbow Dash and answered innocently "But it's true! Lily can wake Starrk up without trying!"

Lilynette nodded and pointed at Dinky "You heard her! So just fly me up there!" She barked impatiently.

Rainbow Dash furrowed her brow at Lilynette's commanding tone, but decided to oblige, knowing the other fillies wanted to see Starrk. She carefully grabbed Lilynette and ascend up next to the former espada's cloud.

Lilynette stared until she turned her head to Rainbow Dash "Higher..."

Rainbow Dash blinked "What?"

The red filly frowned "Take me higher!"

Rainbow Dash stared, then reluctantly replied to her request as she hovered a few inches up "Better?"

Lilynette shook her head "More!"

Rainbow Dash frowned as she hovered up even more "How's this?"

Lilynette looked down at Starrk from where she was with Rainbow Dash "Perfect..." She spoke in a neutral tone as she broke herself out of the cyan pegasus' grip and leaped over above Starrk, then came down onto his back and somehow rammed him through the cloud while waking him up in the process, forcing the two towards the ground. They crashed into the dirt with a small tremor and a large cloud of dust.

Rainbow Dash widened her eyes at what had happened "Has she lost her mind!?!?" She shouted to herself as she swooped down towards the subsiding dust with the other fillies.

The group grew worried at what had happened, but it gave way to dumbstruck confusion when they heard grunts of pain and noticed Lilynette yanking back on Starrk's mane with her teeth while he laid in the cracked earth with the red filly on his back. The former espada was wide awake and gnashed his teeth with comical tears in his eyes while Lilynette continued to pull his mane "Cut it out, Lilynette!" Starrk grunted through his teeth.

Rainbow Dash and the crusaders traded glances while Dinky gave a tired sigh and an embarrassed frown upon seeing Starrk and Lilynette act out in front of her friends. Scootaloo looked over at the red filly and winced "Lilynette, I think you're hurting Mr. Starrk..."

Lilynette finally relented and hopped off of Starrk, looking at him rub his head "Good, you're up! My sister's friends wanted to see you!" She said, ignoring Starrk's minor pain.

Rainbow Dash could not believe how Lilynette was able to wake Starrk up like that, or even act that way around him, but decided to go with it since he finally woke up "Me, too, actually! I kinda wanted to know where you came from! Or where your kid chose to act like that!"

Starrk groaned as he picked himself up and stretched, then looked up to see where his cloud once rested. He gave a frown of genuine despondency before looking down to leer at Lilynette, who grinned with feigned innocence.

Sweetie Belle approached Starrk with a concerned frown "Are you okay, Mr. Starrk? That looked like it hurt..."

Starrk rubbed his head with a composed frown "I'll be fine. This is actually normal for me..." He looked over at Lilynette "But how could you have reached me from the sky?" He heard an awkward chuckle and looked to see Rainbow Dash grin sheepishly as she hovered in the air.

Applebloom trotted up in front of Starrk "We're mighty sorry t' get ya up like this, Mr. Starrk! We jus' wanted t' know more 'bout ya an' how yer so fast!!"

Scootaloo came up next to Applebloom with a wide grin "Yeah! Have you and Rainbow Dash decided to race yet?"

Rainbow Dash heard the words from Scootaloo's mouth and her ego instantly kicked in as she snickered "Cute thought, squirt! I don't think he'd want me flying circles around him!" She spouted arrogantly.

Lilynette looked up at Rainbow Dash with a scowl before turning to Starrk "Are you seriously gonna take that!? Show her who's boss!!"

Starrk stared at Lilynette before he heaved an annoyed sigh "I'm not in the mood to race. I've already have a new job to deal with by tomorrow..."

Rainbow Dash looked at Starrk "New job? Where are you working at?"

Starrk looked away with a frown "I have a job as a mail pony with Derpy's recommendation...It was easy with my Sonido."

The cyan pegasus landed next to Starrk "I've been meaning to ask about that! What's your connection with Derpy? Were you two distant friends or something?"

Starrk looked at Rainbow Dash "No. Me and Lilynette are just guests under her roof." He pointed at Dinky "This one fancies Lilynette as her adoptive sister..." The purple filly smiled brightly.

Rainbow Dash tilted her head "So, where are you and your kid from exactly? I'd say Cloudsdale, but I doubt it knowing Lilynette's a unicorn..."

Starrk blinked "There's a city named Cloudsdale?"

Rainbow Dash stared until she slowly craned her head back with a suspicious glance "Yeeeeah..."

Sweetie Belle piped up "Oh, if you're wondering where they're from, Lilynette said she was from Hueco Mundo! Wherever that is..." She looked down in thought.

Starrk nodded "You heard right. Though I doubt anyone here has ever heard of it..."

Scootaloo frowned "I'll say! Where's that even at in Equestria if you actually came from there?"

Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof "The better question is how you make it seem like you're teleporting without magic! Nopony can be that fast but me! What is Sonido, anyways?"

Lilynette huffed "It's a special ability that can only be used by arrancar! Since Starrk is an espada...Or used to be anyways..." She muttered before continuing "He can use it with relative ease!"

Rainbow Dash winced "What the hay's an espada? Some kind of title where you're from?" Starrk gave a curt nod. The cyan pegasus rubbed her chin with a hoof before she spoke "Use your Sonido! I wanna see how fast you can actually go!"

Starrk stared before he sighed, then blurred out of existence. Soon after, Rainbow Dash and the fillies began seeing several appearing and fading images of Starrk overhead at the fastest pace imaginable, all of which were donning the same expression of calm boredom as usual. Rainbow Dash, for her part, was stupified. It was insane to think it was actually possible unless Starrk were some kind of alicorn in disguise. The images had faded, and the former espada reappeared where he last stood "Are you happy?" He asked sarcastically.

Everypony had their jaw hang open, save for Lilynette, who held a smug smile after Starrk's performance. Rainbow Dash shook off her shock and stared at Starrk "How do you do that!?!" She blurted out incredulously.

Lilynette smirked as she pointed at Starrk's cutie mark "In case you haven't noticed, Starrk happens to be Number One!" She ignored Starrk looking up with an unamused frown at the red filly's boasting.

The CMC noticed the mark themselves and awed at how a stallion's cutie mark happened to be the best number according to most ponies. The began bombarding Starrk vigorously with questions while hopping about.

Dinky giggled "Looks like Mr. Starrk is getting popular!"

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs, looking away as she tried to hide her jealousy "Yeah, I'll bet..." She muttered 'He might be fast, but I'll bet he isn't even strong!'

To be continued...

Capitulo Ocho

View Online

Capitulo Ocho

A Wolf and Pony Show

Starrk was growing weary of having to hear the crusaders verbally assault him while he wanted to find another cloud and enjoy some sleep. It was bad enough they wanted to see him perform Sonido, namely Rainbow Dash, as if he would do so willingly. He gave Lilynette one more annoyed glare before looking back at the eager fillies "Look, kids, I can tell you're curious about me, but I'm very tired right now..."

Applebloom grinned "Can ya at least tell us about Hueco Mundo?"

Scootaloo chimed in "Or if you can do any cool stunts?" She asked in a bright tone.

Sweetie Belle followed suit "What about how you got your cutie mark?" Applebloom and Scootaloo instantly agreed to Sweetie Belle's question and all three fillies gathered in front of Starrk with wide grins.

Starrk looked away in uninterest "It's not even that good..."

Rainbow Dash quirked an eyebrow "Seriously!? What's so bad about being Number One? If anything, you're born lucky!!" She glided over and landed next to Starrk "Now that I think about it, I'm pretty curious about your story myself! Where did a pony like you manage to get a good cutie mark?"

Starrk inched away from Rainbow Dash "It was given to me for how strong I was..."

Rainbow Dash stared at the former espada blankly "How strong are you?" She asked in a skeptical tone with an expression to match.

Starrk already had trouble dealing with questions from the children, but he heaved a sigh as he trotted past Rainbow Dash "Strong enough, if that answers your question. Now if you'll excuse m-"

Rainbow Dash sped in front of Starrk with narrowed eyes "Not so fast! You might be fast, but I doubt you'd have enough strength behind that lazy frame of yours!" She spat in a challenging tone.

Lilynette growled and pointed a hoof at Rainbow Dash "You think Starrk's weak, huh? Then why don't YOU fight him, Ms. High and Mighty!?" She spoke up.

Rainbow Dash was annoyed at Lilynette's insult, but her idea was tempting. With a smile, she looked over at Starrk "I'd say she's onto something! What do you say, Starrk? You game?" She was only met with the former espada's trademark stare before he closed his eyes and rubbed his head with a quiet yawn. Somehow, he succeeded in antagonizing the cyan pegasus as she scowled "You think you're funny, huh!?"

Starrk looked back at Rainbow Dash "No...I wasn't even laughing at all..." He deadpanned while immune to her fierce glare.

Dinky watched with unease and turned to Lilynette "Lily, are you sure about Mr. Starrk fighting Rainbow Dash? I heard she beat up a lot of changelings!!"

Lilynette smirked at Dinky "You seen me fight, right? Wait til you see Starrk once he actually feels like fighting!" She stared before donning a quizzical glance "What are changelings?" She asked innocently.

Scootaloo held a prideful smile "Sorry, Lilynette, but while Starrk IS fast, I'd say Rainbow Dash has this fight in the bag!"

Lilynette sneered at Scootaloo "You haven't even seen him fight yet!!" She turned to Starrk and pointed a hoof again "Go on, Starrk! Kick her butt and show her why you're number one!!"

Rainbow Dash flared her wings and pawed at the ground "Come on! You wanna look good in front of your kid or what!?" She provoked, hoping it would work.

Starrk frowned "Do you honestly even want to go through with this? I don't really want to fight right now..."

Rainbow Dash grinned "If it'll make you feel better, this fight will be over quicker than both of us!! Come on already!! Show me what you got!!"

Starrk heaved an irritated sigh 'She's worse than Grimmjow...' "Last chance...Do you actually want to go through with this?" Rainbow Dash's answer came in the form of a pouncing stance, followed by a quick lunge towards the former espada, who was quick enough to move out of the way. He frowned deeply at the attempted attack "Aw, man..." He said to himself.

Rainbow Dash prepared for another charge, and Starrk reluctantly did the same. The CMC watched intently while Lilynette only stared with a bored glance like her superior. This was going to be a rough battle for both pegasi...

"Wait!"

The two pegasi looked towards Dinky, who frowned at them "We can't fight in front of Mommy's house!"

Rainbow Dash got out of her stance with an embarrassed frown "Kid's got a point..." She looked at Starrk with a confident smirk "Alright then, we'll just take the fight to the skies!! We're both fast pegasi, right?"

Starrk only stared before he unfurled his wings and lazily ascended into the sky while Rainbow Dash sped upward, leaving a prismatic trail behind. The two hovered above the clouds and stared each other down; Rainbow Dash with confrontational vigor, whereas Starrk's unchanged boredom. The cyan pegasus scoffed "You must be something to just look like you're not even interested!!"

Starrk sweatdropped with an annoyed glance "That's because I'm not..." He deadpanned.

Rainbow Dash steamed from her nostrils "Alright! Game on!" She yelled a battlecry as she flew at Starrk with her incredible speed. Starrk only dodged out of her way like he had before and continued to do so with how persistent his opponent was. Rainbow Dash inwardly grinned as she continued her assault and tried to lay a hit on Starrk 'This is awesome! I already have him on the ropes! All he's doing is dodging!'

Starrk was not the least bit tired while he dodged each of Rainbow Dash's blows and thought back to how he was killed as an arrancar by Shunsui Kyoraku. He almost missed fighting him with how not only him being the strongest soul reaper he had fought, but how the two were alike in terms of fighting. The former espada was not even entertained or intimidated by Rainbow Dash's fighting. However, he had to give her points for effort and form. He distanced himself from the cyan pegasus with a small Sonido and spoke "I see this really isn't your first time fighting...I'm impressed with how you handle yourself in combat."

Rainbow Dash took a stance with a boastful grin "Can't you tell? I happen to be a blackbelt in karate!!" She gestured Starrk over towards her with a forehoof, to which he rolled his eyes.
_____

Meanwhile, on the ground, the five fillies tried to watch the fight above them. Applebloom squinted her eyes as she tried to get a good view "Does anypony know who's winnin' up there? Ah can't see much of what's happenin'!"

Scootaloo smiled "I see Rainbow Dash is in her karate stance! I think she's gonna get serious with Mr. Starrk now!!"

Sweetie Belle looked around "Maybe we can find a set of binoculars and see what's happening."

Dinky looked at her friends "I think I have a pair in my house. I can go get them if you really want to see."

Lilynette chuckled "That won't be necessary, Dinky! This fight's gonna go by quickly..." She then frowned "Unless Starrk decides to take his time with this! All that strength and all he does is sleep!"

Applebloom turned to look at Lilynette "Is Mr. Starrk always this tired whenever he talks t' anypony he meets?"

Lilynette nodded, then pointed at herself "Which is why I have to wake him up every time! He needs me if he's gonna show his true power!"

Scootaloo grinned "You haven't even seen what Rainbow Dash can do! Just watch! She might even perform the Sonic Rainboom while she fights!!"

Lilynette blinked "What's a Sonic Rainboom?" She was met with a collective of gasps and dropped jaws. She shifted her glances between the dumbfounded fillies "What?" The red filly asked in irritation.
_____

Rainbow Dash frowned at Starrk not responding to her gesture and snapped "What part of 'Come on' don't you get!?"

Starrk sighed and decided to glide towards Rainbow Dash with a forehoof ready to strike. Rainbow Dash tensed up and brought her forelegs up to block her face, only to hear the sound of booming static. She lowered her guard to see nopony in front of her, and was instantly met with a shot to her back, yelping in a mixture of surprise and pain as she was launched forward at bullet speed; She flew over most of Ponyville with the force of the blow sent to her.

The cyan pegasus finaly recovered and looked back to see a very distant Starrk hovering idly by with a forehoof stretched out. She gritted her teeth and growled before she sped back towards him with her forehooves stretched out "You're gonna pay for that!!"

Starrk watched as she closed the distance with her speed and only lowered himself under her the moment she was close and kicked Rainbow Dash upward with a hindleg before he recovered his flight pattern.

Rainbow Dash flew upward against her will for a moment before she recovered again 'Okay! This is just too weird! I'd expect this kind of strength from Princess Celestia!! Who IS he!?' Shaking off her curiousity, she bolted downward towards the former espada in hopes of actually hitting him.

Starrk anticipated this and moved out of the way, only to be met with another volley of hooves that he dodged unenthusiastically. He looked at the fire in Rainbow Dash's eyes while he fought 'She's pretty serious about this fight...But do I kill her or just wound her? Maybe if I just convince her to stop, I can finally get some sleep...' He stopped one of his oppenent's strikes with a hoof, and Rainbow Dash growled in frustration as she tried putting force into her hit while Starrk only kept her hoof firmly in place with minimal effort "Are you done yet? You know I'm not in the mood for fighting, and you've seen what I can do...Let's just be done with this pointless fight."

Rainbow Dash fumed at Starrk's words "No way am I giving up THAT easily!! It's gonna take more than a block and a couple of shots to change my mind!"

Starrk sighed before he slowly lifted up Rainbow Dash by her hoof, then tossed her down towards the ground in town like a meteorite. She crashed into the ground with a hole made from her impact, startling some of the ponyfolk. To Starrk's slight surprise, she managed to pull herself out of the hole she had made and leer up at the former espada before bolting back into the air.

It was time for Starrk to end it, seeing as how he was already beyond tired of fighting again, and with an opponent who was typically weaker than him. He thought of an idea as Rainbow Dash approached and blurred out with his Sonido when she was in the sky. The cyan pegasus stopped and looked around, trying to figure out where Starrk was about to appear next, even turning herself around just in case he would attack from behind. Sadly, her efforts were for naught when she felt two forelgs grab her as Starrk held Rainbow Dash in a full nelson "Hey!!" She snarled as she began to flail around in her opponent's grasp.

Stark tightened his grip and ceased her movement as he spoke "Listen, you've already shown your full strength and I don't want to fight you anymore, so I'll make you a deal...If you stop now, I'll let go, but if not..." His eyebrows furrowed "I'll break your wings..."

Rainbow Dash's heart stopped when she heard those last words, and fear coursed through her body before her pride kicked back in "Forget it!! You can just take that deal of yours and shov-AGH!" She yelled in pain as Starrk tightened his grip further.

Starrk found Rainbow Dash's spirit to be impressive at first, but now he was in no mood for her to continue "You're not listening to me...Do you really value flying? You can keep your wings and be done with this. All you have to do is stop..."

Rainbow Dash tried to struggle as she snapped "You're bluffing!! Like you could honestly-" She stifled a pained groan as Starrk tightened his grip more. Her eyes shot open when she heard some cracks 'He wouldn't...'

Starrk noted his opponent's expression and tried once more to convince Rainbow Dash to stop "You see what I'm capable of. If you chose to be stubborn about this, you can just say farewell to your precious wings...I don't want to do this anymore, and for your sake, you'll do the same." Granted, it sounded harsh, but the former espada only wished that his words would hit home.

Rainbow Dash grunted as sweat poured from her head. Here she was, caught in a hold by a new pegasus in town, and was now being offered to admit defeat in a match. She could keep it up with how much energy she had left, but at the cost of her beloved wings, it was too much to bear. Her pride was only bested by her joy of being a pegasus. Rainbow Dash growled in a mixture of anger and frustration before she sighed hung her head with a sullen frown "Fine...You win..." She muttered in a defeated tone.

As promised, Starrk let go of Rainbow Dash and looked around for another cloud. Now he can finally go back to sleep. He was lucky to find one just over Derpy's house and glided over to land on it once again. The former espada yawned before he went back to bed.

Rainbow Dash watched Starrk from where she hovered with the bitter weight of defeat burdened on herself. She frowned in sadness at her loss before she gradually became infuriated with Starrk's tactic. Remembering her audience, she looked down at the group of fillies who appeared to be talking amongst themselves and contemplated on telling them about her defeat or saying otherwise. The cyan pegasus was not happy with Starrk and his reluctance of fighting, and she wanted to at least go out with some dignity. A sound of humming graced her ears, and she looked behind to see Derpy flying with an empty mailbag "Huh? Hey, Derpy! What are you doing home?"

Derpy smiled "I'm off work right now! So I decided to come back to see how everything was going!" She looked over and noticed Starrk sleeping on the cloud, then chuckled to herself "Looks like Starrky's found a new place to sleep..."

Rainbow Dash scoffed "He should be so lucky. Where he came from, he would have never slept on one to begin with!" She glided towards Starrk and inched her head towards his ear "You hear me, Starrk!? You're welcome!!" She shouted angrily without hesitation, not expecting the former espada to wake up.

Derpy frowned "I don't think he likes that, Rainbow Dash..."

Rainbow Dash groaned "What does it matter anyways? All he does is sleep, and somehow he manages to stay in shape! Who is he?"

Derpy's eyes circled in different directions "Something called an arrancar, I think." She looked down and smiled at the group of fillies "I'm gonna go down and say hello to my little muffin before I actually eat some! Wanna join me for lunch?"

Rainbow Dash leered at Starrk "No thanks...I just ate..." She said without looking at Derpy.

Derpy, oblivious to the cyan pegasus' irritation, shrugged "Suit yourself!" She said as she swooped down to the group of fillies "Hey, girls!" She greeted brightly.

Dinky noticed and grinned "Mommy!" She galloped over and leaped at Derpy, the two sharing a hug.

Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow Dash hovering next to a sleeping Starrk "Wait, we were so busy explaining a Sonic Rainboom to Lilynette, we didn't even pay any attention to the fight!!" She stomped a hoof "Darn it!"

Lilynette huffed "Well, how was I supposed to know about some move I never heard of! Besides, we all knew that Starrk won!"

Scootaloo jerked her head over to Lilynette "No way! Rainbow Dash wouldn't go down so easily in a fight, even if Mr. Starrk is that fast!"

Before the two could argue, Sweetie Belle cut in "Couldn't we just ask them?"

Applebloom looked up at Starrk sleeping "Ah don't think we'll get an answer from Mr. Starrk any time soon..."

Derpy blinked "Wait...What did I miss?"

Dinky looked up at her mother "Rainbow Dash challenged Mr. Starrk to a fight. We didn't see much of it since we talked to Lilynette about the Sonic Rainboom."

Derpy looked up at Rainbow Dash glaring at Starrk before she flew off "Ah, that makes sense..." She rubbed her chin "Starrky's probably hungry after all that action..." The mailmare thought out loud before she grinned "I'll go try and wake him up!" She flew up towards the sleeping pegasus and examined him "Hmm...How would I wake a stallion up? Oh! I know! I saw this in a movie once!" She approached Starrk and carefully flipped him onto his back where she could see her face "Okay, he's in the right spot, now all I gotta do is..." She closed her eyes and took a deep gasp of breath before she brought her head down and locked lips with the former espada.

Starrk laid there, and his eyes slowly lidded open, before they shot out wide as dinner plates upon feeling Derpy's lips with his own "MMMMPH!"

He flailed all four of his legs before he pushed away Derpy in a panic. Surprisingly, the mailmare was not phased by the hit as she grinned triumphantly "Hey! It worked!! Wanna join me for some food, Starrky?"

Starrk repeatedly spat from his lips before furiously rubbing them with a forehoof. He then looked over at Derpy "Why did you do that!?" He blurted out in confusion, ignoring Derpy's offer.

Derpy chuckled "Well, I didn't wanna use Lilynette, seeing as how she can wake you up by hurting you! So, you wanna come inside?"

Starrk grunted and looked away "No...I already had to deal with Rainbow Dash. I don't think going in your house would help me out..."

Derpy frowned "Awww..." She paused, then instantly brightened with a grin "Lightbulb!!"

Starrk looked back at Derpy with an annoyed frown "...What is it?" He asked cautiously.

Derpy inched into Starrk's face, with the former espada instantly craning his head back with a wince "We could take our children and get some ice cream!! This would be the perfect time for Dinky and Lily to bond!" Her eyes circled in different directions.

Starrk looked down at the fillies below. Lilynette and Scootaloo were found arguing, with Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Dinky urging them to stop. He sighed "Anything to take my mind off of all this..."

Derpy clopped her forehooves together "Goodie! Let's go!" She swooped down eagerly towards the fillies to pick up Dinky.

Starrk followed with a disgusted groan. That kiss came out of left field, and he did not enjoy it for a second. When they both landed, He noticed Lilynette arguing and trotted over to her, striking her head with a jab "Ow! Hey!" The red fily snapped as she rubbed her head and glared at Starrk.

Scootaloo looked up at the former espada "Oh, hey, Mr. Starrk! Can you tell us who won in that fight up there?"

Starrk shifted his glance to Scootaloo "No one did. We just ended it..."

Scootaloo blinked "So it was a tie?" She looked over at Lilynette "Maybe they're both equally strong!"

Lilynette scowled "Or maybe Starrk convinced her that she didn't have a chance! OW!" She felt another hoof to her head.

Derpy picked up Dinky "I hope you're hungry, muffin! Cuz' we're going out for ice cream with Starrky and Lily!"

Dinky gasped then beamed cheerfully "Yay!"

Scootaloo groaned "Lucky! I could use some ice cream myself right now!"

Derpy looked at the crusaders "I can buy you some, too, if you want!"

Sweetie Belle grinned "Really!? Thank you, Derpy!!"

Applebloom cheered "Alright! We get some ice cream!"

Lilynette tilted her head "Is it that good?" Once again, the fillies turned to Lilynette in dumbfounded shock.

Derpy tussled Lilynette's mane "Looks like you'll see for yourself soon enough! C'mon, everypony! To Sugarcube Corner!!" The fillies, save for Lilynette, cheered and followed Derpy as they went off. As he trotted, Starrk grimaced when he still tasted the mailmare from his worst wake-up call yet.

To be continued...

Capitulo Nueve

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Capitulo Nueve

Fiesta or Siesta?

Derpy, Starrk, and the group of fillies arrived at Sugarcube Corner to indulge in an ice cream paradise. Lilynette was skeptical about the candy-themed establishment with it being her first time ever visiting. They went inside and noticed a plump blue mare with a pink mane resembling a dollup of frosting standing behind the counter. She regarded the visitors with a welcoming smile "Hello there, everypony! What can I do for you today?"

Derpy reached the stand with a grin "We're all gonna be doing ice cream today, Mrs. Cake!"

The fillies, save for Lilynette, chorused a cheer "Yay, Ice Cream!"

Mrs. Cake smiled at the children and their eagerness for a frozen treat. Her gaze trailed over towards Starrk, to which she examined the former espada in curiousity "Oh my...Derpy, who's this?" She asked.

Derpy slung a hoof over Starrk's shoulder and brought him close to her as she grinned, much to Starrk's chagrin "Just a new friend who's gonna be living with me for a while! His name is Coyote Starrk!"

Starrk stared at Derpy in annoyance "You know I can introduce myself, Derpy..."

Derpy looked back at Starrk with an innocent smile "But it's nice to show you to other ponies! You're gonna meet the whole town soon enough!"

Mrs. Cake blinked before she chuckled "I'm guessing he's the new pony around here? That explains why Pinkie cut work today...But I shouldn't stray off topic. What would you all like today?"

Applebloom grinned "Ah'd like strawberry!"

Scootaloo joined in "Chocolate!"

Sweetie Belle was next "Vanilla, please!"

Dinky smiled "I'd like mint chocolate chip, please!"

Lilynette glanced Dinky before she gave a bored stare at Mrs. Cake "I'll have what she's having."

Mrs. Cake nodded to the children and turned to Derpy "The usual for you, Derpy?"

Derpy nodded and turned to Starrk "What about you, Starrky?"

Starrk looked at Derpy "What would you-" He instantly caught himself when he realized who he spoke to. The evidence was clear as day back at Derpy's house. He turned to Mrs. Cake "What would you recommend?"

Mrs. Cake looked at how Starrk appeared to be so tired and smiled "Well, we have some coffee-flavored ice cream if you like. Not only is it sweet, it can keep you awake and alert!"

Scootaloo craned her head back "Coffee flavored ice cream? Bleh!" She stuck out her tongue in disgust.

Starrk rolled his eyes "I suppose I can give it a shot..." He responded apathetically.

Mrs. Cake smiled "Wonderful! I'll have your orders ready soon!" She said as she walked back into the kitchen. On her way inside she called into the next room "Honey! We have customers!"

Dinky looked at Lilynette with a grin "You're going to love this, sis!"

Lilynette replied "Is ice cream honestly that good around here?"

Scootaloo approached Lilynette "Of course it is! I'd say you're lucky to try it!" She placed a hoof on the red filly's shoulder with a smirk "Trust me, you'll want more once you've tasted it!"

Derpy held up a hoof "C'mon, everypony! Let's take a seat!" She said as she motioned for the rest of the group to gather at a nearby table.

They waited patiently, and Mrs. Cake was found balancing a tray containing three ice cream cups with spoons on her head. A lanky orange stallion followed after her with a tray containing four ice cream cups and spoons. They reached the table the group sat at and set the trays down, to which Derpy smiled "Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Cake!" The fillies eagerly grabbed their ice cream cups while Lilynette stared at her own before taking it as well.

Derpy's ice cream was that of vanilla decorated in muffin bits. Starrk's was a light brown as opposed to Scootaloo's dark brown chocolate. While the others enjoyed their treat, Starrk and Lilynette took their time with their own.

Lilynette decided to go first after observing her friends eating to their heart's content. She tried to pick up a spoon with her hoof and was instantly annoyed when she made no progress "You gotta be kidding me..."

Applebloom stopped and looked at Lilynette "Are ya havin' trouble with yer ice cream, Lily?"

Lilynette stared at her hoof with contempt "I don't know why it's so hard to pick up something without any fingers!"

Sweetie Belle tilted her head "What's a finger?"

Derpy giggled as she stopped eating and approached Lilynette "Here, Lily! Let me help!" She took the spoon and placed it firmly on the red filly's forehoof "Can you feel it?"

Lilynette held an annoyed frown "Of course I do!"

Derpy's smile widened "Reeeeally?" She asked inquisitively, albeit jovially.

Lilynette growled "Yes!"

The mailmare grinned "Like you're actually holding it?"

Lilynette narrowed her eyes "Yes, I'm holding it! Why are you asking me!?"

Derpy let go of her hoof to see that the spoon was sticking to Lilynette's hoof "Ta-da~!!"

Lilynette did not know what Derpy meant until she stared at her hoof with widened eyes "I-...I'm holding it!" She said in awe as she gazed upon the spoon. She carefully dug her spoon into the ice cream and brought it to her mouth. The bite she took was very cold to her, but at the same time rewarding with flavor; the mint flavored ice cream combined with the chocolate chip was delicious 'So this is what mint tastes like...' She then took another bite and began scarfing it down.

Scootaloo laughed "I knew you'd like it, Lily! Isn't it great?"

Sweetie Belle watched with a frown "You might wanna slow down, Lilynette! You'll get a-"

Before Sweetie Belle could finish, Lilynette froze in position when an unwelcoming headache bombarded her. She held a free hoof to her temple "Gah! What is this!?"

Dinky stopped eating and frowned at Lilynette "You just got a brain freeze from eating ice cream too fast."

Lilynette growled and pushed away her ice cream "I'm not gonna eat something that'll hurt my head!" She crossed her forehooves.

Applebloom smiled awkwardly "Ice cream's still good, Lily. Ya just shouldn't eat it too fast!"

Lilynette stared at her ice cream before she decided to take it back and eat it more carefully.

Starrk observed the red filly eating her ice cream and decided to try and grab his own spoon with a hoof. He brought his hoof down on his spoon and pressed against it before he lifted it up, as if he never lost his fingers 'This is interesting...' He then looked at his ice cream and took a bite. The pungent taste of coffee lingered from his bite, but it was combined with the ice cream's cooling sensation "This isn't bad..."

Derpy grinned "You like it, Starrky? Maybe we should come here more often!" She proclaimed happily. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a pink envelope slip into the front door of Sugarcube Corner. She got up from her seat and trotted over to pick up the envelope. On the front were the words 'For Derpy. Do not read out loud' Her eyes straightened for a moment and she shifted them left and right before opening it and reading the letter inside.

Dear Derpy,

The eagle has landed. Come back to your house with the others so that the eagle may welcome its children.

...Or something like that.

See you there!

Derpy knew exactly what it was, and crumpled it up the letter before tossing it in the nearest trash can. She looked over at the group "Hurry up with the ice cream, everypony! We gotta get back to my place for something!"

Dinky nodded to her mother "Okay, Mommy!" While the others were finishing their ice cream, Derpy approached the counter and paid for everypony's meal with the right amount of bits.

Starrk sighed in content after he finished his ice cream and rose from his seat to stretch "That was all I need before another nap..."

Scootaloo looked up at Starrk before turning to Lilynette "Does Mr. Starrk love to nap THAT much?"

Lilynette shrugged "Yeah, but he needs me to wake him up." She paused when she realized one thing: Starrk had woke up before they came to Sugarcube Corner and she didn't have to lift a hoof to get him up. She stared at Starrk "Wait a minute! How DID you get up?"

Starrk shuddered and grimaced "I don't want to talk about it..."

Derpy reached the table and nudged Lilynette out of her seat "Up you go, silly filly! Time to go back!" The red filly grumbled in irritation as she hopped from her seat to stand.

The group then trotted out of Sugarcube Corner after Mr. and Mrs. Cake waved them off. Lilynette looked up at the sky and how it was so bright and lively as opposed to how things were back in Hueco Mundo. Sure, there was also the time she was at the fake Karakura town, but the sky in Equestria seemed more pleasant.

Starrk couldn't care less with how much he wanted to find the nearest cloud and enjoy another nap before working tomorrow. When they finally reached Derpy's house, the mailmare went inside and looked before motioning for Dinky and the others to come, only to stop Starrk and Lilynette before they could enter "Not yet!" She went inside, leaving two confused ponies behind as she shut the door "Okay! You can come in now!"

Starrk and Lilynette looked at each other with quirked eyebrows before the former cautiously approached the door and pushed it open. They noticed it was dark inside while they came in 'What happened here?' This was new to both Starrk and Lilynette.

The red filly looked around "I can't see a thing! What's going on?"

On cue, the lights flicked on to reveal a crowd of smiling ponies who yelled "SURPRISE!" In unison.

Lilynette flinched before she took a defensive stance "It's an ambush!! Let's take 'em down, Starrk!" She snapped as she leered at the crowd.

Starrk was not phased by the welcome committee of ponies, nor did he expect their company when he and Lilynette arrived. He only looked around at the mixed expressions on everypony's faces after Lilynette's outburst "What's going on?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Starrk looked to his left and flinched when he noticed Pinkie right next to him "It's a welcome party for you and your child! Which reminds me..." She zipped away, then came back towards Lilynette with a party hat, placing it on her head "Here you go!"

Lilynette fussed with the new addition to her head before she shot an annoyed glance and Pinkie "Who are you?"

Pinkie grinned "I'm surprised Starrky hasn't told you about me yet! My name's Pinkie Pie, and lemme be the first to welcome you to Ponyville!!"

Starrk distanced himself away from Pinkie, not wanting to socialize with a manic mare. When he was certain that he was away from her while she talked with Lilynette, Starrk decided to look around at the many ponies that attended until his eyes fell upon a familiar amethyst unicorn who held a stern glance in her eyes "What happened at Ponyville Elementary?" She asked in a commanding tone.

Starrk sighed when Sparkler had to play the role of a mother scorning his child "Lilynette got caught up in a fight and nearly leveled the school. Not that it matters now..." He responded in a bored tone.

Sparkler widened her eyes "Not that it matters!? I should've known all these new rumors about a 'demon unicorn filly' must have pointed to something, including the number of ponies that actually wanted to come to Pinkie's party! Are you not worried about how destructive Lilynette can be?"

Starrk looked away "I wasn't there, so it couldn't be helped. Besides, I'd figure the one responsible for making her angry should be the one to deal with instead of me..."

Sparkler groaned before she pointed a hoof at Starrk "Listen, you! If I find out that my little sister ends up getting hurt because of your child I'l-" She stopped instantly when a hoof was gently tapped against her head.

Starrk held out his hoof with a furrowed brow "This isn't your problem. I'll probably take care of it in the future. As for your little sister..." He drew back his hoof and looked over at Lilynette talking with Dinky and the crusaders "...I'd say that she's pretty much safe with how Lilynette's attached to her..." He watched how the fillies were laughing with each other while Lilynette shifted her glance between them.

Sparkler watched as well before she hummed in intrigue "So despite what has happened, she managed to make some friends? Not bad."

Starrk nodded "I agree...She's not the best one to talk to..." He continued to watch Lilynette interact with her group of friends; how she was surrounded by others instead of being alone with him. It was a new feeling for him to be around many folks that actually do not die when he approaches them. Starrk managed a ghost of a smile while he stared.

His moment of thought was interrupted when Pinkie appeared next to him "C'mon, Starrky! I gotta introduce you to everypony!!" Starrk grunted in surprise before he was pushed away by Pinkie. He stopped in front of five mares, two of which were familiar; one of them just gave a dirty look while standing with the others "Allow me to show you my friends!" She zipped in front of Starrk's vision "Aren't they just the best?"

A magenta aura enveloped Pinkie and moved her away before showing the five mares again. There was a lavender unicorn with a glowing horn who smiled politely at Starrk "Sorry about her. She get's pretty excited, but she is definitely one of the best ponies you'll ever meet! It's nice to meet you, Coyote Starrk!"

A yellow pegasus with a flowing pink mane looked up at Starrk with a set of curious turquoise eyes "Is it true that you're able to talk to coyotes?" She asked in a quiet, but hopeful tone.

Starrk stared at the pegasus before looking at Pinkie with an annoyed stare "No..." He ignored the yellow pegasus moaning in displeasure as she drooped her ears.

Applejack chuckled "Sorry 'bout what ya had t' deal with, sugarcube! But it's nice t' meet ya! We didn't properly introduce back at my place. Th' name's Applejack! An' Ah'm pretty sure ya already met Rainbow Dash over here..." She waved a hoof over at the cyan pegasus not taking her narrowed eyes off of Starrk. The farmpony stared at Rainbow Dash and her sour mood "Ya mind tellin' me what's gotten ya all saddlesore right now, Dash?"

Rainbow Dash scoffed and trotted away "I'm just gonna go get some punch. I'll talk with you girls later!"

They watched them leave, and the white unicorn of the group huffed "That Rainbow can behave so poorly at times! Pinkie only wished to introduce us to this stallion!" She looked over at Starrk with a smile "Please forgive her, darling. Also, may I say that it is a pleasure to meet you as well. My name is Rarity!"

The yellow pegasus perked up "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't introduce myself yet. My name is Fluttershy..."

The lavender unicorn chimed in "I should, too. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I hope you enjoy your stay at Ponyville!"

Pinkie looked at Starrk "I think I can trust you to meet other ponies while I go see what's eating Dashie! I'll come back for you soon, though! See ya later, Starrky!" She zipped off in pursuit of her friend.

Starrk heaved a sigh "Why do her and Derpy keep calling me that? It gets kind of annoying..."

Twilight gave an awkward smile "Those two are pretty breezy mares, but are real nice once you get to know them!" She examined Starrk's bored expression and frowned "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself. Don't you like this party?"

Starrk looked away "It's not that I don't like it. I just want to find another cloud and take a nap."

Fluttershy approached Starrk with a tilted head "Oh dear, are you tired?"

Applejack arched an eyebrow "Or are ya just like Dash with wantin' t' nap most of th' time?"

Starrk stared at Applejack "I wouldn't compare myself to her, but I'll admit to the last part..."

Twilight spoke up "Coyote, Can I ask you something?" Starrk hummed in question "I've heard about some disturbance at Ponyville Elementary that involved a filly who some ponies claimed belonged to you. Was she the cause of it?"

"Yes." Starrk answered, as if they asked him about the weather. He watched as the four mares stared in shock. He waved a hoof "It's not your problem to deal with. I'll take care of it when the time comes..."

Rarity frowned "But aren't you worried about what could have happened to her, or anypony around her!?"

Starrk wondered why the mares in front of him had to act concerned all of the sudden, especially when he told them not to worry "Lilynette may not look it, but she's strong enough to handle herself unless something big happens..."

Fluttershy looked away "Umm, not to sound criticizing, Coyote, but...shouldn't you care about your filly and her health rather than claim she's okay?"

Starrk scratched his head "I know when to care for her, just not now. We share a bond together and look after each other if things go bad..."

Twilight tilted her head "You make it sound like you're both fighting for your lives. Are you sure your bond with Lilynette is stable?" She asked inquisitively. Twilight had the urge to study Lilynette and possibly Starrk ever since he brought up how strong she was.

Starrk did not feel like dealing with more questions and decided to wave a hoof "It's good enough...I'm just gonna go outside and find another cloud..." He turned and went to leave.

Applejack spoke up "Ah wouldn't do that if Ah were you, sugarcube..." She asked in a warning tone.

Starrk looked back at the farmpony "Why not?"

Applejack shifted her eyes cautiously "Let's just say Pinkie will be on ya like flies on manure if y'all chose to ditch this party. It's best t' enjoy it fer now."

Starrk paid no heed to Applejack's warning and trotted away "I'm sure she wouldn't mind it. It was nice talking with you all, I guess..." He said as he distanced himself from the mares.
_____

Rainbow Dash drank some punch and groaned afterwards, thinking about her bitter defeat earlier 'Darn that Coyote Starrk...Making a fool out of me back there like that! I can't believe he threatened to just break my wings to win! That was just playing dirty! I'll get him back for this somehow!'

"Hi, Dashie!"

Rainbow Dash snapped out of her thought to see Pinkie grinning at her, and sighed "Hey, Pinkie. Shouldn't you be introducing Starrk to other ponies or something?"

Pinkie shrugged "Well, yeah, but I wanna know why you're so mopey! It's not a party if nopony's happy!"

Rainbow Dash scoffed "It's just Starrk! I just don't-" She stopped for a moment, not wanting to reveal how she had lost to the newest stallion in town "I just don't like him is all."

Pinkie tilted her head "Why? Is it because of his mane?"

Rainbow Dash looked at Pinkie "What!? No! His mane's fine, I just don't like him!"

Pinkie poked her chin with a hoof "How can you not like Starrk, yet like his mane?" She stared at Rainbow Dash "Unless you got a-"

"Don't say it!" Rainbow Dash snapped as she pointed a hoof "I know where you're going with that and the answer is no! I don't like Starrk! End of story!"

Pinkie held a teasing smile "Whatever you say, Dashie~!" She looked around "I wonder how he's enjoying the party, anyways!" Pinkie caught Starrk making for the door "Huh? Why's he leaving? I threw this party for him!"

Rainbow Dash scoffed "Probably to go take a nap or something..." She paused, and then after a moment of thought, the cyan pegasus got an idea. Rainbow Dash held an evil smile and looked at Pinkie "I think you should go after him, Pinkie! Maybe if you follow him around long enough, he'll be sure to come back and enjoy this party!"

Pinkie nodded with a determined smile "Okie Dokie Loki! Imma comin', Starrky!" She zipped away while Rainbow Dash sipped her punch in a more content fashion.
______

Starrk managed to reach the door and step outside to breathe the fresh outdoor air 'Okay...Where to look...' Before he went to take his next step, he felt a massive force coming his way. He shifted his glance to see a pink blur, then widened his eyes before he blurred out with his Sonido.

The blur revealed itself to be Pinkie as she looked around where Starrk once stood "Huh? Where'd he go?"

Starrk was found hovering in the air after avoiding being tackled again by Pinkie. He looked around in the sky to find another cloud, but noticed the sky was rather clear in his surroundings. Starrk figured it would be best to fly around and look for a suitable cloud.

"Hey, Starrky!"

Starrk froze in the air after hearing the familiar bubbly voice, and looked behind him to see Pinkie floating with some balloons tied to her midsection "There you are! Why aren't you enjoying your party, mister?"

The former espada grunted "It's good. I just wanted to take a nap..."

Pinkie hovered near Starrk "You sure that it's good enough? I mean, I can understand how many ponies showed up because they were scared of some kind of 'demon unicorn filly', but that's just a silly rumor, am I right? Or maybe I don't have enough food there? I'd figure you'd be pretty hungry with how much you've slept! Or do you not sleep enough? I know! We could turn this party into a slumber party!"

Starrk could not take any more of Pinkie's rambling. He used his Sonido and blurred out of existence once more, cutting off the manic mare's words "Huh? Hey!"

In a few seconds, Starrk appeared by the post office. He looked around to make sure he wasn't being followed. To him, it would be comforting to know Pinkie couldn't reach him since he was so far from Derpy's house.

"Are you trying to play hide-and-seek? Cuz we could've played it back at your party, silly!"

Starrk grunted and looked behind him to see Pinkie standing there like he hadn't evaded her to begin with. All she did was smile at him; no anger; no malice; no ill feelings whatsoever. He took a few steps back before using his Sonido again.

This time, Starrk appeared out at Sweet Apple Acres, seeing as how it was so far away from Ponyville. He gave a sigh of relief and looked up to see there was a good choice of clouds above him. He then heard shaking and turned to a nearby barrel next to him. It popped open to reveal Pinkie "Did you want more apples in your party? I should've asked Applejack for more!"

Starrk grunted in surprise and wasted no time in moving away from Pinkie again. He decided to move out of Ponyville and up towards a mountain outside of town. Starrk finally reached the top and looked down at the wondrous view of Ponyville below him. He had to admit, it looked pretty nice from this distance.

"Lovely view, isn't it?"

Starrk answered absentmindedly "Yeah...It's gre-" He froze with widened eyes, then slowly turned to his right to see Pinkie standing next to him with a toothy grin. For the first time since he arrived, Starrk felt threatened by Pinkie's presence and sped away from her once more with his Sonido.

He sped away until he reached another town he had no knowledge of. The occupants all stared at him as if he were some kind of alien. Starrk honestly could not care less, so long as he was finally away from Pinkie. He couldn't deal with being stalked by a simple mare who could talk as fast as she could run. Starrk looked up to see that the particular town had a better selection of clouds 'Finally...Now I can sleep...'

A green mare approached Starrk with curious eyes, and he looked back in silence. After a moment of staring, the green mare placed a hoof on her head, and somehow unzipped herself to reveal Pinkie "If you're wondering about where you are right now, I'm just as confused as you are!" She ignored Starrk's slackjawed face as she looked around "I think you went east of Ponyville, so I'd say Baltimare!" She spotted some docks and smiled "Yep! Definitely Baltimare! What do you think of it, Starrky? Do you like it?" Her answer came in the form of the sound of booming static. She looked to see where Starrk once stood "Huh. Guess not..."

Starrk appeared in front of Sugarcube Corner back in Ponyville and sighed 'I'm sure that this would be the last place she would think to look...But how does she do it? How can she keep up with me so easily?'

"I dunno!"

He did not need to look behind him, nor did he wish to Sonido with how overwhelmed he had felt. With Pinkie's demonstration of skill, there was only one thing left for Starrk to do...
_____

Starrk trotted back inside of Derpy's house with Pinkie following behind him as she smiled triumphantly. He ran into Derpy and Sparkler and they noticed how worn out Starrk appeared. Pinkie patted the former espada on the back "Don't worry, Starrky! There's plenty of party left for you with how fast you are! Have fun~!" She hopped away.

Derpy tilted her head at Starrk and her eyes rotated "You look pretty beat, Starrk. Did something happen?" She asked with mild concern.

Ignoring Derpy's oblivious question, Sparkler shook her head at Starrk "You tried leaving the party, didn't you? Pinkie's pretty serious about making sure everypony's accounted for; especially the guest of honor."

Starrk lifted his head at Sparkler, with a slightly spooked look on his face "Everywhere I go...she's just a step ahead..."

To be continued...

Capitulo Diez

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Capitulo Diez

Girl meets Boy

Lilynette looked around the house at the crowd of ponies with her friends. She was bothered by how they seemed so cheerful around her after her display of power at school "Why would they want to welcome me and Starrk here? It shouldn't be a big deal if we're here or not."

Dinky smiled "They're always happy to meet new ponies in Ponyville, sis. Especially Pinkie Pie! She throws the best parties around!"

Applebloom chimed in "Yeah! Besides, it's always nice t' make a new friend once in a while. Sure, yer very different an' all, but a friend o' Dinky's is a friend o' ours!"

Lilynette stared at Dinky and her friends before looking away in a huff "I still don't see the point in it..."

Scootaloo tilted her head "You really are different, Lilynette. Can't you at least enjoy this party?"

Lilynette turned to Scootaloo "I don't know what to do here since I barely know anyone in this house!"

Sweetie Belle piped up "Anypony!" Lilynette blinked at the unicorn filly "You gotta say anypony."

Lilynette stared before rolling her eyes with a sigh "Anypony in this house..." She muttered irritably.

Applebloom scouted the area to see no filly or colt in sight, much to her surprise "Wow, ya think that everypony in school would wanna come t' this party...None o' them showed up!"

Scootaloo held up a hoof "I think they're afraid of Lilynette after her little skiff with Diamond Tiara..." She answered nonchalantly.

Lilynette scoffed "There! You see? Like any of them would even show up to this party and talk to m-"

" 'Ello there!"

The red filly stopped at her interruption and looked behind her to see a colt smiling at her. He was a white earth pony with brown calico spots all over his coat; Both his mane and tail were brown as well. The little colt tilted his head "Are you th' new pony in town? If so, it's really nice t' meet you!"

Something about the colt's accent was getting to Lilynette, and she just turned to face the token child in the party aside from Dinky and her friends "Who are you?"

The colt beamed "My name's Pipsqueak! What's yours?" He asked curiously.

Lilynette was pixelated to see a pony other than Dinky that would talk to her without feeling scared or awkward upon their first impression. She decided to go along with it as she held a skeptical glance "Lilynette Gingerback..." The red filly introduced herself in a suspicious tone. Upon further inspection of the colt in front of her, she realized one thing: She hasn't seen him at Ponyville Elementary. Unless it was because she was entirely focused on wanting to punish (or kill) Diamond Tiara, or that she wasn't familiar with the whole town, all she could do was ask "I've never seen you around here before! Were you at school?"

Pipsqueak shook his head "Actually I wasn't. Me and my sister just came back from visiting our parents in Canterlot. Pinkie came to us with an invitation to a party welcoming two new ponies, and I thought today wouldn't be better!" She looked behind Lilynette to see the other fillies, but waved to one in particular " 'Ello, Dinky!"

Dinky waved back with a smile "Hi, Pipsqueak!"

Lilynette spoke up "Your parents don't live here? Do they not care about you or something?"

Pipsqueak answered instantly "Of course they do! My sister just offered to take me in is all! We usually visit our parents from time to time and enjoy a day together as a family!" He smiled warmly.

Lilynette stared in confusion before he asked "Well, where's your sister anyways?"

Pipsqueak looked around and pointed at a distant corner "Oh, she's over there setting up her equipment!" Lilynette looked over to see a white unicorn mare with purple goggles setting up a turntable and going through her records. Her wild blue mane was very distinguishable in the crowd of ponies.

Lilynette watched, then turned back to Pipsqueak "Why aren't you a unicorn then? Your sister's a unicorn, too!"

Pipsqueak shrugged "I don't know, really. But that doesn't bother me at all." He smiled "But I see you're one! Do you know any spells?"

Lilynette blinked "Spells? What are you talking about?"

Pipsqueak pointed a hoof "Spells! You know, because you're a unicorn! Don't you know any tricks?"

Scootaloo galloped up to Lilynette's side "Yeah she does! She can shoot a huge magic beam from her horn!"

Lilynette turned to Scootaloo with a frown "That wasn't magic! That was my cero!"

Sweetie Belle and Applebloom gathered with the other foals "Cero? What's a cero?" Sweetie Belle asked inquisitively.

Lilynette held up a hoof "It's the name of my attack! It's not exactly magic!"

Applebloom scratched her head "What kinda unicorn uses somethin' from their horn that isn't magic? That's just strange!"

Lilynette frowned "Well, I'm different! Get used to it!" The red filly looked back at Pipsqueak to see him staring at her face. After a small moment, she grew annoyed "What are you looking at?"

Pipsqueak flinched and spoke "Oh! I'm sorry! It's just that I like the way your mane covers your left eye!" He smiled "It reminds me of how much I love pirates!"

Lilynette paused before she felt the part of her mane over her left eye with a hoof. She then gave a light huff "Thanks, I guess...But if anything, why would you even want to talk to me? I doubt you and your friends would even come near me without being afraid!"

Pipsqueak tilted his head "Afraid? Of what? Is it your magic beam?" He realized his words and retracted his question "I mean, your cero?"

Scootaloo shifted her eyes at Lilynette "You might think it's crazy coming from us, but Lilynette's pretty strong! She totally destroyed the school's jungle gym with just a few punches!"

Pipsqueak gasped "Really? Wow!" He grinned at Scootaloo's words.

Lilynette was surprised by Pipsqueak's reaction "Wait...So you're not mad? Or even scared of me?" This whole world was beginning to confuse the red filly more and more with how they choose to take certain words.

Pipsqueak scratched his head with an embarrassed smile as he looked away "Well, I liked the jungle gym and stuff...I even pretend it's my pirate ship!" He then looked at Lilynette with a smile "But I never thought I'd meet a filly so strong!" He then frowned "Wait...Did you get in trouble for it? The other classmates liked the jungle gym, too!"

Applebloom held up a hoof "Believe it or not, Lily here actually got off scot free! Not only that, but Cheerilee even dismissed class before recess even ended!"

Pipsqueak was astonished at the news and looked at Lilynette "Blimey...You're really something t' do all that, Lily! I'll bet you have an awesome family!"

Lilynette went to speak, but Sweetie Belle cut in "All she has is her dad Mr. Starrk! He's the only pegasus faster than Rainbow Dash!" The red filly glared at Sweetie Belle for her interruption.

Pipsqueak could hardly believe what was said. He looked at Lilynette with an arched eyebrow "Issat really true? We've seen how fast Rainbow Dash can go!"

Lilynette frowned "Of course it's true! I can gladly bring him over and show you!"

Dinky looked at Lilynette's irritated expression and chose to step in "It's really true, Pipsqueak. Mr. Starrk is very very fast! Even Rainbow Dash saw it!" It was best for Dinky to make sure that her sister wouldn't act out at the wrong time.

The little colt was surprised to hear this information coming from one of his only friends and even felt that it was amazing to hear all of Lilynette's accomplishments. He decided to press on with another question "Is everypony afraid of you because of your cero and how strong you are?"

Lilynette looked away with an annoyed frown "Yeah, but they can just get over it! The reason I'm even going through school right now is for my sister!"

Pipsqueak blinked "Sister?" He parroted in confusion.

Dinky giggled "Lily's my new sister since she's living with me and Mommy!"

Applebloom gave a respectful smirk to Dinky "Ah'd say Dinky here's got it made with havin' a sister her own age!"

Sweetie Belle chimed in "I'll say." The unicorn filly always wondered what would happen if Rarity were the same age as her; or vice versa, at least.

Pipsqueak was already intrigued with Lilynette after hearing so much about her "You really have it good, Lilynette! You're strong, you got a sister, and a very fast pegasus for a dad!" He smiled at her "I kinda like you!"

Lilynette's eyes went blank for a moment before she stared back at Pipsqueak "What?" She asked.

Pipsqueak's smile did not leave "I like you, Lilynette. If you'd like, we could be friends! I could even let you be my first mate if you like to play pirates!"

Lilynette did not respond. All she could do was process the information that apparently another colt liked him rather than just fleeing in fear or ticking her off to a large extent. Dinky was one thing, but Pipsqueak is a different story altogether. She wondered why he would even like him since they only met for a moment; that and the strange feeling building up in her chest. She shook it off briefly to respond "Sure, maybe we can be friends or something..." Lilynette answered calmly.

Pipsqueak nodded "Well, it really was nice to see you, Lilynette. I'm gonna go get some food before I help my sister out. Maybe we can talk more tomorrow at school! Goodbye!" He galloped off towards the snack table while the five fillies watched him leave.

Lilynette stared at the energetic colt who apparently liked her disappear into the crowd of ponies. Her blank stare filled the crusaders with both discomfort and curiousity. Dinky approached Lilynette with mild concern "Are you alright, sis?"

"That boy..." The red filly uttered blankly.

Dinky tilted her head at Lilynette "What about Pipsqueak, Lily?"

The crusaders were easily catching onto what was happening and whispered amongst themselves. Applebloom looked between her friends "Y'all don't think..." She stole a glance at Lilynette's trance-like stare.

Sweetie Belle grinned "I think it is!" She hissed with excitement.

Lilynette stared "Something about him..." It wasn't long before her blank stared instantly contorted into a scowl "Makes me wanna punch his face in!"

The crusaders had their spirits easily dampened by Lilynette's remark "Or not..." Scootaloo whispered to her friends with a disappointed frown.

Dinky frowned "But Pipsqueak's a good pony! He's nothing like Diamond Tiara at all! And he even liked you and wanted to be friends!"

Lilynette snapped "I know that! It's just..." She looked down with a low growl "I can't believe he even said that to me...that idiot..." Lilynette muttered under her breath as she felt the strange feeling inside of her grow worse.

Dinky couldn't exactly understand why her sister would act like that towards one of the nicest colts she knew. She heard music play, and noticed some of the ponies beginning to dance "Hey! Why don't we go and dance? Would that help you take your mind off of Pipsqueak for a while?" She smiled at her sister.

Lilynette looked at Dinky and nodded "Sure..." The red filly followed her sister and the crusaders towards a more clear spot in the house so that they could dance.
_____

Cheerilee, arriving late for the party, stepped into the house and looked at everypony enjoying themselves. A part of her was reluctant to attend after witnessing Lilynette's destructive capability, but she figured there could be a way to change the red filly's train of thought to where she wouldn't do anymore unneeded damage to the school or anypony in range. A good start would be talking with Starrk before talking with Lilynette.

She managed to spot the former espada looking around apprehensively, entirely different from when he appeared bored in her eyes. Derpy stood beside him with a cheerful smile while her eyes slowly circled in different directions. Cheerilee quirked an eyebrow for a moment before approaching him "Erm...Excuse me, sir. Can we talk?"

Derpy noticed Cheerilee and grinned as she waved "Hi there, Ms. Cheerilee! How's it going?"

Starrk felt at ease when he didn't hear Pinkie's voice, and turned to Cheerilee with his former bored expression "Oh, hey...You're Lilynette's teacher?"

Cheerilee paused before smiling politely "Yes, my name is Cheerilee. I wished to talk to you about Lilynette, if you don't mind." She asked in a soft, but serious tone.

Derpy tilted her head "You wanna talk with Starrk?" She turned to the former espada "Look at that! You made a friend! Wanna talk to her?"

Starrk shrugged "Sure...I've got nothing else to do."

Cheerilee nodded "Good. I want to know why Lilynette acts out so violently towards her classmates. I don't mean to pry, but is there something going on between you and her that lead to her destructive behavior?"

Starrk shook his head "Nothing at all. Lilynette's just full of energy. As for how she acted today, I'd expect her to behave better around Dinky...I don't know who this Diamond Tiara is, but I'm guessing she's the cause of it." He answered plainly.

Cheerilee frowned "I've heard that as well..." She took a deep breath and planted her hoof on the ground "Now, Mr. Starrk, I hope you realize that what your filly had just caused could have taken a serious toll for both you and her. I don't want to sound intimidating, but destruction of school property can be a serious offense."

Starrk lightly stretched his limbs while Cheerilee talked. He then stifled a yawn before he responded "Don't worry about it...I've already said it to Derpy and her daughter: it's not their problem to deal with." He noticed how Cheerilee seemed confused at his statement "If it's that bad like you and everyone else keeps saying it is, I can handle it before I can take another nap..."

It was a towering conundrum for Cheerilee to figure out why or how Starrk can seem so calm - if not bored and lazy - after something big had happened in Ponyville. She was happy to know he was willing to make up for Lilynette's mistake, but she wondered if there was more to Starrk than just his laidback personality. With a sigh, she found her voice "Is it alright if I speak with Lilynette for a short moment about her behavior as well? Or can I trust you to take matters into your own hooves?"

Starrk stared before closing his eyes and scratching his head lazily "Do as you please. It's not like she would even listen to what I have to say to her sometimes..."

Cheerilee frowned "What about when you arrived to take Lilynette home? You seemed to have demonstrated a small degree of strictness towards her..." She looked away with embarrassed eyes 'And everypony else that saw it...'

Starrk opened his eyes at Cheerilee "About that...I just wasn't in the mood for her to continue. I can only tolerate her actions to a certain extent, and I make sure she knows if she doesn't."

Cheerilee craned her head back after Starrk's statement "That seems rather harsh."

Starrk gave a light snort "She should be lucky I limit myself to small hits. But that doesn't mean I don't like her..." Cheerilee stood still as he continued while looking away; his face held a distant expression tinted with genuine care "Back then, she was all I had before I met other folks in my time...We look after each other despite our differences." He answered truthfully.

Cheerilee was touched at Starrk's explanation. Here she thought that the relationship between him and Lilynette was near-abusive and unstable, but she already took his words to heart after studying his expression. She gave a warm smile "That's good to hear, Mr. Starrk. I think I would like to speak with Lilynette now, if you don't mind." Starrk replied with a curt nod and watched Cheerilee trot into the crowd of ponies in search of Lilynette.

Derpy, who remained silent throughout the conversation, was equally touched at Starrk's explanation and threw her forehooves around the former espada in a hug "Oh, Starrky, that's the most sweetest thing I've heard out of you!"

Starrk grunted while Derpy held him tightly "It's nothing big..." He answered flatly. As he was being held, he thought to himself 'They seem to care an awful lot about me and Lilynette to act this way...Are these ponies so willing as to accepting us into their group?'

Derpy finally relented in her hug and grinned as she heard music "Hey, Starrky! Wanna dance?"

Starrk looked away apathetically "I'll pass..." His eyes widened slightly when he caught the distant image of Pinkie staring at him with a grin in the crowd "...On second thought, why not?" He added instantly.

Derpy grinned "Yay! Follow me, Starrky! I can find us the perfect spot!" She tugged at Starrk's forehoof and signalled for him to follow her.

To be continued...

Capitulo Once

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Capitulo Once

On a Good Note

Cheerilee swam through the crowd of ponies in search of Lilynette to have a heart-to-heart talk. When she spotted the filly dancing with Dinky and the crusaders at a nearby spot, she smiled and made her way towards the group of children "Hello, girls! Are you enjoying yourselves?"

Applebloom stopped dancing and noticed Cheerilee "Ms. Cheerilee? Ah didn't think y'all would show up like this! Nice t' see ya!" She smiled back.

Lilynette next to notice Cheerilee and glared "You again? Are you here to lecture us or something?" She snapped in an unwelcoming tone. Dinky frowned at this.

Cheerilee tried to avoid the venom in Lilynette's voice and maintained her friendly atmosphere "Not exactly. I only want to talk with you for a moment, Lilynette."

Lilynette looked away "I'll bet you're still on about how I used my cero at school." She remarked indifferently.

Sweetie Belle frowned "C'mon, Lilynette. Ms. Cheerilee isn't bad at all! Don't you want to talk to her?"

Lilynette scoffed "What if I don't want to? I doubt there's much to talk about between us!" She said, her face still turned away from Cheerilee.

Cheerilee frowned briefly before smiling again "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about behaving in school."

Lilynette turned back to Cheerilee with a deadpan stare "So a lecture?"

Cheerilee realized the irony in her statement and shook her head "No, not at all. I just wish to try and help you enjoy your time at school with some words of encouragement!"

Lilynette huffed "If it involves that jerk Diamond Tiara getting what she deserves, then I'll definitely enjoy school much better!"

Cheerilee sighed 'Oh dear...She's probably still bitter about getting picked on...' She spoke in a comforting tone "Now, Lilynette, I know that there are times when you'll face problems, but brute force isn't the right way."

Lilynette narrowed her eyes "Says you! That solved my problem plenty of times!" She faltered when a memory crossed her mind.
_____

Lilynette continuously slammed her shamshir against Jushiro's zanpakuto with righteous fury "Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Jerk!" She ignored the look of embarrassment on the captain's face while he effortlessly blocked Lilynette's strikes.
_____

Lilynette paused before looking away with hidden shame "Yeah...plenty of times..." She muttered.

Cheerilee held a look of pity upon seeing Lilynette's face. She then had an idea after a moment of thought "What if I told you that you could easily ignore your problems without resorting to violence?"

Lilynette shifted her eyes towards Cheerilee with a furrowed brow "And what would that be?" She said with minor disinterest.

Cheerilee smiled "You could always let me know if you're having trouble and I'll be there to take care of it!"

Scootaloo nodded "Yeah! That was how she was able to stop you from murdering Diamond Tia-oof!" A light elbow to her gut courtesy of Sweetie Belle cut her off.

Dinky trotted over to Lilynette and piped up "It's true! All you have to do is talk to Ms. Cheerilee about your problems and she could make it to where we won't be picked on again!"

Lilynette quirked an eyebrow at Dinky "It's that easy?" Dinky nodded instantly with a smile. She turned to Cheerilee "I can actually TRUST you to help me?"

"Of course you can!" Cheerilee replied warmly "What kind of teacher would I be to ignore my students?" Scootaloo went to speak, but didn't want to chance getting elbowed in the gut again.

Lilynette contemplated Cheerilee's offer and wondered how it would benefit her with having to put up with Diamond Tiara. She looked at the smile on Dinky's face and figured it would be the best option. After glancing at the crusaders bearing the same expression, she figured it was worth a shot. Lilynette looked up at Cheerilee with a neutral frown "Fine. I suppose I should trust you since they all like you so much!"

Dinky held an expectant look in her eyes "So you won't get all violent and in trouble again?"

Lilynette felt a bitter taste in her mouth after she muttered "Yeah...I'll try..." Cheerilee and the fillies beamed at the response. Lilynette flinched when she was hugged by Dinky and gingerly returned the embrace while looking away.

Cheerilee sighed in relief "That's all I needed to hear from you, Lilynette. I'm glad that you're willing to behave properly!"

Lilynette looked away "Just make sure you help me if I actually need you..." She replied distantly.

Cheerilee was at ease knowing that Lilynette was able to cooperate despite her violent upbringing "Well, I hope you girls enjoy the party! I'll see you all tomorrow at school!" She said as she went off to enjoy the party herself.

Scootaloo watched Cheerilee leave and perked up as she whispered to her fellow crusaders "I just realized something..."

Sweetie Belle cocked her head to the side "What is it?"

Scootaloo frowned "We don't have to worry about Diamond Tiara crossing Lilynette's path...but what about Pipsqueak?"

The other crusaders widened their eyes at this "Oh, horseapples! Yer right, Scoots!" Applebloom hissed anxiously "We gotta think o' somethin' in case Lilynette actually DOES end up hurtin' Pipsqueak!"

Sweetie Belle rubbed her chin "Say, girls...Don't you think she doesn't actually want to hurt Pipsqueak?"

Scootaloo craned her head back at Sweetie Belle's question "What are you talking about? Of course she wants to knock him out! You've seen the look in her eyes!"

Sweetie Belle nodded "Well yeah, but that was after Pipsqueak said he liked Lilynette. You can't expect anypony to just respond negatively to being liked!"

Applebloom cocked her head at Sweetie Belle "Ah don't exactly follow ya. Mind goin' over what yer sayin, Sweetie Belle?"

Sweetie Belle held up a hoof "What I'm saying is, what if she actually likes him back but doesn't really want to show it? Rarity usually tells me that colts and fillies tend to act differently when they like somepony else!"

Scootaloo held a deadpan stare "So you think Lilynette actually likes Pipsqueak back when she wanted to punch his face in?"

Sweetie Belle replied "Maybe. Why don't we do some field research tomorrow at school and see how they'll react?"

Applebloom thought over the idea "Well, it's a longshot, but maybe yer ont' somethin'...Don't really know if ya could be right about this, though."

"What are you three talking about?"

All three crusaders jumped up at the sound of Lilynette's voice and turned to see her giving an annoyed glare while Dinky blinked at them. They simply gathered with grins on their faces "Nothing!" They replied simultaneously.

Lilynette squinted her eyes until she felt her stomach rumble "Huh...I guess the ice cream wasn't enough." She turned to her friends "Where can we find some food around here?"

"Allow me!"

Before Lilynette could look around, she yelped as she was swept off her feet by Pinkie Pie, who galloped towards the snack table with an ecstatic grin "All aboard the Snack Express!"

Lilynette held on tight while Pinkie made her way past the crowd of ponies until she finally reached a table containing a vast selection of food including pastries, junk food, and a bowl of punch. Pinkie gently set Lilynette on the floor "We have reached our destination!" She looked over to see Rainbow Dash still sipping punch "Hey, Dashie! You wanna say hello to one of our guests of honor?"

Rainbow Dash turned to Pinkie with a frown "Pinkie Pie, I already met Lilynette. Besides, I'm not in the mood to talk right now..." She took a sip from her cup.

Lilynette picked up a cupcake "Why? Are you mad because Starrk kicked your butt back there in the sky?"

Rainbow Dash halted herself from spitting her punch and gulped it down as Pinkie blinked "Huh? What happened?" She answered obliviously.

Before Lilynette took a bite out of her cupcake, she was pulled by a cyan hoof and was turned to face Rainbow Dash, who narrowed her eyes "Listen, kid. I know you look up to Starrk and everything, but for both of our sakes, you just have to keep your mouth shut. Okay?" She hissed, waiting for a reply.

Lilynette scowled "You're not the boss of me!" She shouted.

Rainbow Dash shushed Lilynette "It's not a command, I'm just asking nicely for you to keep it on the down low! Can you do that for me?"

"What are we talking about?"

Rainbow Dash and Lilynette turned to see Pinkie smiling innocently while standing next to them. They both simply replied with "Nothing." in a simultaneous fashion.

Dinky and the crusaders managed to find the snack table and locate Lilynette "Lily! There you are!" Dinky smiled as she approached her adoptive sister.

Scootaloo noticed Rainbow Dash and grinned "Hi there, Rainbow Dash! Cool party, huh?" She asked in an enthusiastic tone.

Rainbow Dash shifted her eyes before donning a fake grin "Uh, yeah! It's pretty much great since I'm around and all..." She answered.

Pinkie grinned "Not to mention Starrky and Lily!" She looked down at the red filly, getting in her face "You like the party?" Pinkie asked with a wide grin.

Lilynette craned her head back with a disturbed look on her face as Pinkie invaded her personal space "It's good..." She answered in a flat tone. Lilynette remembered the cupcake and looked down to see that it dropped out of her grip; probably from when Rainbow Dash yanked her away from eating it. She shot the cyan pegasus a small glare before reaching for another cupcake. When she took a bite, she relished in the sweetened texture and gulped it down "Huh...This is pretty good!"

Pinkie grinned "More where that came from! Try not to make a little piggy of yourself, though, okay?"

Lilynette glared at Pinkie "Are you calling me fat!?"

Pinkie giggled innocently "No, silly! I mean if you eat too many cupcakes, you'll become fat! I remember this one time I ate too many cupcakes myself that I was about as big as a blimp! I usually rolled myself over from place to place until I finally got back into shape! It was really fun doing it, too! I was all like 'Naaaaa nanana-nananana na Katamari Damacy~' as I rolled around! And there was this one time I was a real chubby pony after eating this cake I entered in the Canterlot Bake-Off! It was made from other sweet stuff, too! I-"

Lilynette twitched an eye the more she listened to Pinkie ramble on. She wondered if she should scream to make it all stop, but from the look on the party pony's face, she would've kept on going no matter what Lilynette would do.

Dinky noticed the look of displeasure on Lilynette's face and came to her rescue "Um, excuse me, Pinkie Pie, but maybe Mr. Starrk would like to hear your stories!"

Rainbow Dash thought of how Pinkie would be unbearable around Starrk and smirked evilly "Yeah, I'll bet he'd love to talk to you! You've already managed to convince him to stay at the party!"

Sweetie Belle blinked "Mr. Starrk tried to leave the party? But this is a fun party!"

Scootaloo shrugged "Maybe he just wants to take another nap?"

Pinkie grinned "Hey! That IS a good idea! I think I saw him dancing with Derpy! I'll see you girls later!" She pronked away in search of Starrk.

Rainbow Dash snickered to herself, and the other fillies took notice to it. Lilynette frowned "What are you laughing at?"

The cyan pegasus noticed the looks she was receiving and looked away "Uh...I just remembered a funny joke..."
_____

Starrk and Derpy were dancing to the music; or more rather, Derpy danced erratically, whereas Starrk moved up and down and passed it off as dancing. Derpy giggled as she danced "Isn't this fun, Starrky? This music's totally groovy!"

The former espada grunted "Yeah, whatever...At least you're enjoying yourself..." He replied apathetically.

Derpy watched Starrk with her rotating eyes and smirked "C'mon, Starrk! Try to move those legs! You know you wanna!"

Starrk rolled his eyes away from Derpy, and to his misfortune, they landed on an approaching Pinkie Pie who had her eyes on him. He widened his eyes and quickly galloped away as Derpy watched "Hey, that's not what I meant! You're supposed to dance!" She called out to the running stallion. As Pinkie passed by, she smiled politely "Hi, Pinkie!"

"Hi, Derpy!" Pinkie replied as she pronked after Starrk at a leisurely pace. She watched how the former espada pushed past each pony in his way as he ran around the house, sometimes glancing back at her with widened eyes. Pinkie giggled to herself as she watched him run away 'He's so silly sometimes! He kinda reminds me of Dashie!'
_____

Sparkler and Cheerilee were talking with each other "So you actually convinced Lilynette to behave herself? How'd you do it?" Sparkler asked with intrigue.

Cheerilee smiled "Well, it was hard at first, given her attitude, but somehow all it took was letting her know that she could talk to me about her problems. I suppose all she needed was some help from getting bullied."

Sparkler frowned "Even when she's strong enough to level the entire school?"

Cheerilee flinched and sweatdropped "Well, y-yes...But at least now she won't do that anymore after I talked with her..." She smiled awkwardly.

Sparkler chuckled "Yeah, I suppose we should count our blessings. Here I thought I could just rely on my little sister keeping her attitude on check, but maybe she just needs more attention."

Cheerilee frowned "If only Mr. Starrk could show that much attention towards his daughter..."

On cue, Starrk breezed past both mares, carrying their manes and tails in a small breeze. They then noticed Pinkie hopping after him like a bunny "Hi, Cheerilee! Hi, Sparkler!" She piped up as she passed by.

Sparkler winced as she watched both ponies leave "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel bad for Starrk now..."

Cheerilee turned to Sparkler "Perhaps he needs some time to get used to Pinkie. I mean, haven't we gotten used to her shenanigans?"

Sparkler shrugged "I suppose you have a point there. But something tells me he's gonna be the odd pony out in dealing with Pinkie."
_____

Starrk looked around as he frantically swam through the crowd of ponies 'I have to find a place to hide! Where can I go to avoid this girl!?' The former espada looked around and noticed the bathroom up ahead. He quickly used his Sonido and sped inside, slamming the door shut.

Pinkie passed by the door while she looked around "Starrky~! Where are you~?" She called out in a singsong tone as she pronked away further into the house.

Inside of the bathroom, the lights were off as Starrk held an ear to the door while controlling his breathing. Perhaps she was able to easily detect his presence based on breathing patterns. When he felt that she was far away, he heaved a sigh in relief "Finally...I've managed to outwit her..."

Realizing he was in the bathroom, he felt like he could use some release after putting up with Pinkie. He searched for the light switched and flicked it on, giving light to the bathroom. What he didn't expect was a certain pink mare standing next to him with a smile the moment the lights came on "Hi, Starrky!"
_____

Outside of the bathroom, a deep scream was heard by two stallions; one was a yellow earth pony bearing a cutie mark of a set of horseshoes, and the other was a blank flank zebracorn wearing a top hat. They both winced when they heard the sound "Eesh! Somepony must've had too much to scream that loud." The yellow stallion quipped.

The zebracorn frowned in disgust "The least he could do is be subtle about it..." He muttered.
_____

Starrk had his back to the door with his forehooves spread out against the walls while Pinkie stood in front of him with a simple grin "H-How did you get in here!?" He spoke with genuine fear.

Pinkie Pie shrugged "I dunno! How did YOU get in here?" She asked with genuine curiousity.

Starrk felt his heart thumping, and he couldn't take any more of Pinkie "What do you want from me? I was already dancing with Derpy!"

Pinkie snorted "Well, duh! I was wondering if you'd wanna talk for a bit! You know, we barely get to talk now and then! Then again, I've only just met you today, and you seem like you love to nap a lot! Not to mention you're super duper fast! You're just like my friend Dashie!"

Starrk's fear lessened "You mean Rainbow Dash?"

Pinkie nodded "Yeppers! You know, she really was the fastest flier in Equestria until you came along! Say, where are you from, anyways! Are there any fast ponies like you where you're from? Because that would be SO cool! I'll bet-"

"Please..." Starrk strained while coping with his fresh migraine "Let me just dance..." He pleaded, feeling like dancing was his only hope not to deal with Pinkie.

Pinkie poked her chin with a hoof until she smiled "Why don't we both dance?" His eyes widened "Not in here, silly! I mean out there on the dance floor!"

Starrk grunted "I'd rather not..."

Pinkie tilted her head "No? So you wanna talk more? Or do you wanna dance AND talk?" She smiled as she got in Starrk's troubled face. The former espada had only on option at this point, and he didn't like it.
_____

Starrk, Pinkie, and Derpy were dancing in the living room to a new song; the latter two danced jovially and out of sync to the song's rhythm. Starrk lightly stepped with a look of sheer disdain on his face.

Sparkler observed the scene from a small distance and sighed to herself out of pity for Starrk's position. She approached his on his right side while he danced horribly "You have only a couple more hours of this party left. Just hang in there." She whispered in his ear, receiving a grumble as a response.

Pinkie giggled and turned to Starrk as she danced "Isn't this fun, Starrky?"

Derpy chimed in "Dancing is the best!"

Starrk only grumbled in response, his answer somehow soaring past both breezy mares. This party turned out to be quite the experience for him; He wondered if he should say the same for Lilynette. Soon enough, Pinkie's friends joined in and danced as well. Fluttershy looked concerned for Starrk after glimpsing at his expression of displeasure, whereas Rainbow Dash took it in with hidden satisfaction.

Lilynette reached the dance floor with Dinky and the crusaders and noticed the group dancing. Dinky smiled "I'm gonna go dance with Mommy!" She turned to the other fillies "Why don't we all dance some more?"

Scootaloo grinned "Sure thing! Everypony's having a good time here!" Without another word, Dinky and the crusaders joined in the large group of dancers.

Lilynette simply trotted up to Starrk and examined his overwhelmed features. She was both confused and surprised upon seeing the former espada this way "What happened to you?" She asked.

Instead of grumbling in response, Starrk simply replied with "Pinkie Pie..."
_____

Later in the evening, the party had ended and those that attended made themselves scarce, but not without saying their goodbyes. Pinkie grinned and hugged a tired Starrk "See ya later, Starrky! I hope you enjoyed your party!" She hopped away back to Sugarcube Corner.

Rainbow Dash simply looked at Starrk and smiled "Pinkie really kept you on your toes, huh?"

Starrk sighed "That girl really bugs me...I don't know how you're able to put up with her so easily."

Rainbow Dash chuckled "Well, she IS one of my friends! And I've put up with her antics myself for some time now! I'd hate to be you if you don't last against her!"

Starrk huffed "In that case, I envy your spirit..."

Rainbow Dash snorted "Yeah, it'll be tough having to deal with Pinkie and when she chooses to prank-wait a minute. What?" She stopped her rambling to thorw a dumbfounded stare in Starrk's direction.

Starrk stared at Rainbow Dash "You're something else if you're able to hold your own against her...I think maybe you could even be better than me..." He stated in a straight tone. He then looked away "Oh yeah, and I should thank you for letting me enjoy the experience of sleeping on a cloud...I really liked that."

Rainbow Dash nearly felt slackjawed at what was said to her. She expected other things, perhaps a snarky comment or two, but instead Starrk just envied, complimented, and thanked her in that order. She stared in silence before looking away "Yeah, you're welcome. I'm just gonna go since you have a big day tomorrow and junk!"

Starrk nodded passively "See you then, I guess..."

Rainbow Dash nodded back "Yeah..." She responded as she took off into the sky. While she distanced herself, she mentally slapped herself in the face 'What the hay was I thinking!? I almost let him get to me back there! I'll bet he planned those words from the get-go!' She narrowed her eyes as she flew home 'It's gonna take more than that to bring me down!'

Lilynette and Dinky waved goodbye to the crusaders as they went back to their homes. Before Lilynette went back inside, she noticed Pipsqueak trotting outside with his older sister. The little colt spotted Lilynette and smiled "Hey, Lilynette!"

Lilynette stared at Pipsqueak before she scowled and looked away with puffed cheeks "Hi, Pipsqueak..." She muttered in a sour tone.

Pipsqueak's sister noticed Starrk and grinned "Hey, what's up? Coyote Starrk, right? The name's Vinyl Scratch!" She held out a hoof in greeting despite her about to leave with her brother.

Starrk noticed Vinyl Scratch with his bored expression "Oh, hey..." He lazily took the hoof "You're the one who provided the music?"

Vinyl Scratch grinned widely "Sure did! You like my jams?"

Starrk scratched his head "They were alright."

Vinyl Scratch chuckled "You seem pretty mellow for a stallion!" She examined his cutie mark and gasped in awe "Holy sweet Celestia, that cutie mark rules!"

Starrk looked away "It's not all that..."

Vinyl Scratch stared at Starrk blankly, then lifted her glasses to reveal her magenta eyes as she quirked an eyebrow "Seriously? I'd say you're born lucky with that mark, dude!" She smirked "I'd say almost anypony would wanna have the talent of being number one!"

Starrk sighed 'You don't know how much I didn't want that back then...' "Well, thanks for the kind words. And the music, too..."

Vinyl put her shades back on and laid a friendly jab on Starrk's shoulder "No problem. Later days!" She turned to her brother "C'mon, Pipsqueak! Let's get you home!"

Pipsqueak complied to Vinyl Scratch with a nod "Okay, sis!" He turned to Lilynette and waved with a smile "I'll see you tomorrow at school, Lilynette!" He chirped as he trotted home with Vinyl Scratch.

Lilynette growled while her cheeks were puffed, and Dinky smiled awkwardly "I'm sure you'll be able to talk with Pipsqueak much better by tomorrow. He really his a nice colt!"

"I already know that!" Lilynette snapped as she developed a light blush "He's also an idiot for talking to me..." She muttered.

Dinky sighed "Oh, Lily..." She said as she shook her head.

Sparkler observed the two fillies and knew exactly what was going on. She smiled to herself and wondered how Lilynette would act towards Pipsqueak by tomorrow.

Derpy yawned "Well, looks like we should go back inside and enjoy a good night's rest! C'mon, everypony, it's bed time!" Everypony but Starrk went inside.

Sparkler looked back "Hey, Starrk. Are you coming inside or what?" Her answer came in the form of Starrk flying up to the nearest cloud and resting on it. She stared before she shook her head 'That guy really loves to sleep...' Sparkler thought to herself as she went back inside with the other mares.
_____

Darkness. Utter darkness. There were foreign sounds that waxed and waned in volume, but that was the only provided company; No lights; no ponies; no pause in the cacophony of sounds. These sounds could be considered sounds of despair, sorrow, pain, and suffering. All of which were very welcoming and longing for revival in Equestria. Only one last thing was needed to make the set complete.

Revenge...

Revenge on the ponies that betrayed, condemned, and robbed him of what he desired most. Now he was here, where all he could do is bask in the darkness. He felt he had been here for too long, and that something must be done about this. A set of glowing red eyes and a deep growl was heard in the darkness over the many sounds of negativity.

To be continued...

Capitulo Doce

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Capitulo Doce

So Crazy

The next morning, Derpy rose from her bed and rubbed her eyes. She gave a quiet yawn before she hopped off of her bed and trotted towards Dinky's bedroom. She watched how both fillies were nestled together in their sleep and smiled warmly 'Those two are so precious...' She approached them and nuzzled them "Wake up, sleepyheads~."

Lilynette groaned and lightly shooed away Derpy as she shifted her sleeping position "Five more minutes..." She muttered.

Dinky was up and giggled "Come on, Lily. We have to go to school today." She turned to her mother "Doesn't Mr. Starrk have to work with you today, Mommy?"

Derpy grinned "That's right, my little muffin. I'm gonna go wake him up, so why don't you two get ready for school?" She said as she trotted out of Dinky's room. As she went through the hall, Derpy noticed Sparkler trotting to the kitchen with a tired look on her face "Morning, Sparkler."

Sparkler shifted her head for a sideways glance and gave her mother a thin smile "Morning, Mom. Are the fillies awake?"

Derpy nodded "Mhm. Now I have to go outside and wake up Starrky."

Sparkler frowned "Wouldn't that mean using Lilynette?"

Derpy shook her head "Nope, I found another way!" She grinned triumphantly.

Sparkler stopped and blinked as Derpy passed her "Another way?" She said to herself while watching her mother go outside.

Derpy went out the door and looked up at the cloud next to her house that Starrk was sleeping on 'There you are, Starrky!' She flew up and landed next to him, watching how he laid on his back and snored quietly. Derpy chuckled "Okay, Starrk! Time to wake up!" She said as she pressed her lips against his.

Starrk stirred from his slumber, and his eyes shot open upon seeing Derpy perform the same wake-up call twice "MMMPH!"

This time, Derpy parted lips and grinned at Starrk "Wakey wakey! You got work to do, mister!" She chirped.

Starrk grimaced "Why do you do that?"

Derpy tapped Starrk's forehead with a hoof "Well I gotta wake you up somehow! Either you get up on your own or I get you up!" She giggled.

Starrk deadpanned "I CAN get up on my own, you know..."

Derpy nodded "Mhm, and I also know that you nap too much! Come on down so you can have some breakfast before work!" She said as she swooped down back to her house.

Starrk rubbed his lips and groaned at how he was kissed by the same mare twice. He then followed Derpy into the house as he flew down with her.
_____

Derpy prepared some toast, jam, and orange juice for the group "It's nice to have more folks around the house, isn't it?" She asked happily.

Dinky piped up "It sure is!" She said as she sat by Lilynette.

Sparkler shrugged "Well, the more the merrier, right?"

Lilynette chimed in "It's no fun being alone!"

Starrk simply nodded as he ate his toast.

Derpy grinned at the group "Well, everypony, it's time to start a brand new day!" She held up her glass of juice "Let's make today a good day!"

Dinky held up her glass "To a good day!"

Lilynette observed Dinky and did the same with her's "To a good day."

Sparkler and Starrk stared at each other before holding up their glasses "To a good day." They said at the same time as the whole group lightly clanged their glasses together.

After everypony downed their glasses of juice, they finished their breakfast and got ready to start their days. Derpy fixed a bagged lunch for both Dinky and Lilynette, then flew off with Starrk to the post office after saying goodbye to fillies while Sparkler led them to school.

Derpy and Starrk flew towards the post office, and the mailmare held an ecstatic grin "Isn't this great, Starrky? Your first day on the job! I'll bet you'll do swell with how fast you are!"

Starrk stared ahead with his usual expression "As long as my workload goes quickly, I can enjoy another nap..."

"Hey, you two! Wait up!"

The two pegasi looked back to see Raindrops catching up to them. When she flew up next to them she turned to Derpy with a smile "Morning! Great party last night, huh?"

Derpy giggled "I'll say! Starrky really knows how to liven things up with his dancing!" Starrk quietly grumbled to himself while he flew.

The pegasi reach the post office and make their way inside; Derpy and Raindrops punched in her timecard before catching up with Starrk. When they went inside Crafty Crate's office, Derpy waved enthusiastically "Morning, boss!"

Crafty Crate looked up from his paperwork and nodded to his workers "Morning, Derpy." He turned to Starrk and felt a pang of anxiety "Hey there, Starrk. Look, about your kid..."

Starrk closed his eyes "I've already said I'll take care of it when the time comes. I just want to get started on this job..."

Crafty Crate nodded "Yeah, gotcha." He rose from his seat and lifted two saddlebags filled to the brim with letters "Here's your starting haul until you come back for more. I know this isn't much, but I wanna make sure that you can do well on your first day."

Starrk stared at Crafty Crate in silence. Two saddlebags full of letters isn't too much? Perhaps Derpy has had more experience in the working field. He hoisted the saddlebags onto himself and lifted them both with relative ease.

Crafty then gave two saddlebags to Derpy and Raindrops "Okay, you three! Go out there and make me proud!" He quipped in an encouraging tone with a smile to match. He turned to Starrk "I'll have your timecard ready after your first run!"

Derpy snapped a mock salute "Aye aye, sir!" Starrk, Derpy, and Raindrops then trotted outside to begin their work day.

Starrk fished out the first letter and read the address. His eyes widened when he noticed the words 'Sugarcube Corner'. He turned to Derpy before she took off "Hey, Derpy." When he grabbed her attention, he held out the envelope "Can you mail this for me?"

Derpy approached Starrk and took the envelope, reading the address for herself. She smiled "Awww, you don't wanna see Pinkie Pie? She threw you a party and stuff!"

Raindrops tilted her head "Starrk avoiding Pinkie Pie?" She turned to the former espada with a teasing smirk "Somepony's a little shy~..."

Starrk held a deadpan stare "You'll be doing me a favor..."

Derpy chuckled "Alrighty then, lazy boy! I'll mail this for you!"

Starrk gave a curt nod in gratitude and fished out another envelope, reading the address before blurring out with his Sonido. Derpy and Raindrops giggled to themselves as they took off on their own routes.
_____

Sparkler, Dinky, and Lilynette reached Ponyville Elementary and stopped at the front gate. Sparkler looked down at the two fillies "I'll come back to pick you two up soon. Have a good day!" She trotted off, but then stopped in her tracks as she looked back "Oh, and Lilynette?" The red filly shot an inquisitive glance at Sparkler, who simply winked with a smile "Good luck today." She said in a casual tone before leaving.

Lilynette stared before turning to Dinky "What is she talking about?"

Dinky shrugged "I don't know. Sparkler never really does that with me." She smiled "Let's go inside!" The two unicorn fillies made their way inside the school. When they reached the classroom, they saw the classmates chatting amongst themselves in a friendly manner.

Cheerilee sorted her papers until she noticed Dinky and Lilynette with a smile "Good morning, Dinky and Lilynette!"

At the mention of Lilynette's name, the entire class turned to the red filly with widened eyes before they jumped out of their seats and backed up towards each of the walls. Cheerilee and Dinky gave an uneasy frown at this, whereas Lilynette watched apathetically.

The only students who didn't move from their seats were Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Pipsqueak, who waved with a friendly smile " 'Ello, girls!"

Lilynette flinched when Pipsqueak spoke to her and scoffed as she looked away with puffed cheeks while Dinky returned the wave and greeting "Hi, Pipsqueak!" The two unicorn fillies took their seats and waited for the rest of the class to do the same; It didn't help Lilynette that Pipsqueak sat right next to her, causing the strange feeling inside of her to grow.

Cheerilee sighed "Please, class, take your seats. There's nothing to worry about!" The classmates slowly returned to their seats while keeping fearful gazes upon Lilynette. When the red filly looked back at some of the students, they quickly turned away and shivered. Cheerilee tried to reassure her students "Everypony, Lilynette might have acted out the other day, but she's a student and a child just like you. Please try to make her feel welcome."

Pipsqueak turned to Lilynette with a smile "I hope you'll enjoy yourself here, Lilynette!"

Lilynette looked back at Pipsqueak and felt her heart quiver while she attempted to glare, then turned away "I-I don't need you to tell me what to do!" Pipsqueak blinked at Lilynette's reaction.

Cheerilee sighed before she readied her papers "Okay, class! Today we'll cover history after we..." She trailed off in her explanation awkwardly "...had some issues." She smiled "Now if everypony will turn their history books to page 86, we'll cover the history of the Crystal Empire!" Cheerilee noticed a hoof raised by Lilynette, who held an annoyed look on her face. She grinned awkwardly "O-Oh, my mistake, Lilynette. Let me get a history book for you!" Cheerilee reached into her schoolbag and pulled out an extra book, smiling to herself 'I should remember to thank Twilight for this.' She trotted over and gave Lilynette the book, then went back to her desk "Now, who wants to begin reading?" She noticed Pipsqueak raising his hoof and smiled "Okay, Pipsqueak! Just start at the top."

Pipsqueak nodded and began reading the first passage "The Crystal Empire was one of the most iconic landmarks in Equestria one thousand years ago..."

As Pipsqueak read on, some of the classmates paid attention to the passage while others slowly dozed off out of boredom. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Dinky were the ones that read on, whereas Scootaloo silently slept. The only pony to do neither was Lilynette as she stared at Pipsqueak reading, her eyes slightly narrowed 'Damn it...Why can't I stop looking at him!? Why does his stupid voice sound so great!?'

While Cheerilee watched over her class reading their books, there was a pattern of small tremors that shook the classroom and everything inside of it. Everypony ceased their activity and looked around, then gathered at the window to look outside; Their eyes widened at what was seen in Ponyville. Lilynette had trouble trying to look out with the crowd obscuring her vision "Hey! I wanna see, too!"
_____

Derpy reached Sugarcube Corner just to get Starrk's envelope out of the way. When she arrived, she stuffed the envelope into the mailbox. Before she could take off, the door swung open to reveal a grinning Pinkie "Hi, Derpy!"

The mailmare smiled back at Pinkie "Hi, Pinkie! Nice day, huh?"

Pinkie hopped up to Derpy "You bet! Is Starrky working with you?"

Derpy nodded "Of course! Can I let you in on a little secret?" Pinkie perked up and leaned in towards Derpy as she whispered with a teasing smile "Starrk was supposed to deliver this letter to you, but he had me do it instead."

Pinkie blinked "Really? I'd figure he'd come flocking to me after I threw him his welcome party! I wonder where he is now..." She asked as she rubbed her chin.

Derpy's eyes rotated "Wherever he is, I'm sure he'll come around eventually! Raindrops thinks he's shy!" She said with an amused chuckle.

Pinkie tilted her head with a smile "Is that all? No wonder he ran from me the other day!" She giggled "I guess I'll give him some time to warm up to me then. He's such a silly stallion!"

Derpy chimed in "You said it, sister!" The two shared a fit of laughter. Their laughter ceased when they heard a loud roar. They looked around to spot the source, and noticed the large mass coming in from the horizon. The two mares gasped and quickly fled; Derpy went towards the school while Pinkie dashed back inside Sugarcube Corner.
_____

Starrk flew up in the sky and glided towards a house made entirely of clouds; there were ponds that flowed with liquified rainbows. When he saw no mailbox, he decided to go up and knock on the front door while holding a few envelopes.

After a moment of wait, the door opened to reveal Rainbow Dash, who arched an eyebrow at Starrk "Well, well, if it isn't the new mailpony! You here to deliver?" She received the envelopes that Starrk presented to her and noticed he went to leave "Hey, hang on! Wanna talk for a minute?"

Starrk stopped and looked back "I'm busy at the moment. Maybe some other time..."

Rainbow Dash furrowed her brow "C'mon, you're the only pegasus faster than me! I'm sure you wouldn't mind sweating a couple of minutes!"

Starrk frowned "I planned to go to sleep afterwards..."

Rainbow Dash snorted "Is that all you think about? I mean, you have a kid, don't you? Shouldn't you be looking after her or something?"

Starrk sighed "Lilynette is strong for her age, and I know when to take care of her...Why do you even want to talk, though?"

Rainbow Dash huffed "It'll only be for a few minutes! I wanna ask you something!" Starrk rolled his eyes and faced the cyan pegasus after complying in silence. She took a deep breath "Were you serious the other night?" Rainbow Dash asked in a curious tone.

Starrk blinked "About what?"

Rainbow Dash looked away "You know, when you said you...envied me..." She muttered.

Starrk stared at Rainbow Dash after she trailed off and nodded "Yeah, I did. Clearly, you know how to handle Pinkie on your own..."

Rainbow Dash turned to Starrk "Is it just because I can tolerate Pinkie more easily than you?"

Starrk looked up in contemplation "Well, if I just based it on that, then I wouldn't be in good judgement..." He grimaced "Even if she does grate my nerves no end..." He looked back at Rainbow Dash "Besides, I've already met you and you've shown me how to enjoy a good nap."

Rainbow Dash leaned on her doorframe with a smirk "Oh yeah, you're welcome. You know, Starrk, maybe I was wrong about you the day before, but I have to say you're pretty lazy for a stallion!"

Starrk scoffed "You weren't the first to say that. And it doesn't really matter to me...I just wanna enjoy this new life with Lilynette."

Rainbow Dash blinked "New life? Don't you and Lilynette live in that one place? Hay-co-what's-it-called?"

Starrk took a deep breath "It's hard to explain, but-" A distant crashing sound was heard below Starrk and Rainbow Dash. They both looked down from the edge of the clouds to see a large beast in Ponyville; It appeared to be a black three-headed dog roaring indignantly. Starrk examined the creature "What is that thing?"

Rainbow Dash widened her eyes "It's Cerberus! But what's he doing back here?" She watched how he destroyed a nearby building with a swipe of a paw "We gotta get down there!! C'mon!" Rainbow Dash took off from the edge, leaving behind a prismatic blur.

Starrk grunted when he noticed how dangerous the creature was 'Dammit...' He took off his mailbags and left it on Rainbow Dash's doorstep before he blurred out with his Sonido towards Ponyville.
_____

Everypony in Ponyville ran around in a panic, screaming at the top of their lungs as they avoided the rampaging beast known as Cerberus. The beast's eyes were bright red with glowing green sclera; purple mist trailed from the corners of each eye. Cerberus continued to ravage Ponyville in blind fury while more citizens tried to avoid its destructive path.

Starrk and Rainbow Dash hovered over Ponyville close to the large beast, and Rainbow Dash looked around "We gotta find some clouds!"

The former espada raised an eyebrow "How will clouds help?" He asked in a skeptical tone.

Rainbow Dash glared "Are you serious? What kind of pegasus are you!? We need clouds so we can try and lay a big shock on Cerberus! Just follow me!" The two pegasi sped off in search of some capable clouds.

Down below, more ponies continued to run in panic over Cerberus as the beast roared. Twilight and Fluttershy stood in front of Ponyville Library, a few feet away from the beast "What's going on? Why did Cerberus come back here and why is he angry?" Twilight asked in confusion.

Fluttershy was frightened by Cerberus' display of destruction "I don't know! I-I'll try to calm him down!"

Twilight turned to Fluttershy "I don't think the same trick will work twice, Fluttershy. He's more unruly than before!" She gasped when she remembered something important and turned to face Cerberus "Oh no...If Cerberus is here, then that means that the Gates of Tartarus are left unprotected again!" Fluttershy went pale at Twilight's statement "I'll send a message to Princess Celestia to assess the situation, but we'll have to do our best to keep Cerberus at bay before she can arrive with assistance!" She turned to Fluttershy "Fluttershy! Go find Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash and see if we can't round up Ponyville and keep them away from Cerberus!" Fluttershy nodded and galloped off while Twilight galloped back inside. Ponyville, or possibly all of Equestria could be in danger over this happening.

To be continued...

Capitulo Trece

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Capitulo Trece

Old Habits Die Hard

Derpy burst towards Ponyville Elementary in search of Dinky and Lilynette. She couldn't bear to have her daughter all alone amidst the impromptu havoc brought upon by Cerberus. When she made it to the school, she burst through the doors and sped towards the classroom "Dinky! Lilynette! Are you there!?"

Much to Derpy's expectance, the children in the classroom were either panicking or curling up in a corner, crying to themselves. Cheerilee had trouble trying to keep everypony calm "Please, children! I'm sure the princesses will save us from this disaster!"

Dinky was frightened, but then noticed her mother, galloping to her side "Mommy! Cerberus is back!" She said, sniffling as she held Derpy tight.

Lilynette was the only pony to remain calm while she looked outside. She noticed the three-headed dog roaring and demolishing more buildings. Lilynette grinned to herself 'No way! I never thought this would happen! I'll bet Starrk's on his way to take care of this right now!' Feeling invigorated, Lilynette galloped towards the door, only to be stopped by Cheerilee "Hey! What gives!?"

Cheerilee gave a concerned frown "Lilynette, it's not safe to go outside! You'll have to stay here!"

Lilynette scowled at Cheerilee "I can handle this beast! Besides, what makes you think that dog won't come here?" She ignored some of the classmates hearing her and heightening their panic and sorrow.

"Please don't do this! What would Starrk think of you going out there?" Cheerilee urged.

Lilynette turned away with a huff "You don't know how me and Coyote take care of things, do you, lady? Well, I'm gonna show you right now, and you can't stop me!!" She barked as she galloped out the door.

Cheerilee gasped "Lilynette, no!" She called out as she chased her. The teacher was astonished with Lilynette outrunning her with ease.

When Lilynette reached the doors, she opened them and ran outside, only to bump into a mare when she took her first step. The red filly looked up to see Applejack staring down at her "What in tarnation do ya think yer doin'?" She asked incredulously.

Lilynette recovered and glared up at Applejack "I'm gonna go out there and grind that beast to dust!"

Cheerilee caught up to Lilynette and heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Applejack "Oh, thank heavens you've arrived! I don't know what would've happened if Lilynette were to leave..."

Applejack shook her head "It ain't just me, Ms. Cheerilee." She looked behind to see Rarity, Vinyl Scratch, and the parents of each child in the school.

Rarity stepped forward "Is Sweetie Belle safe in there? Please tell me she isn't hurt!"

Cheerilee looked at everypony outside "What's going on?"

Applejack frowned "We gotta evacuate Ponyville while th' princesses take care o' this problem! Twilight already sent a letter to them!"

Lilynette looked up "Everypony's leaving? Good! Then I won't have to worry about hurting anypony!" She said as she dashed past Applejack, only to be stopped by her "Hey!" The red filly flailed in Applejack's grasp "Let go!"

Applejack struggled to keep Lilynette still "C'mon, partner! Ah know yer peeved about this, but we gotta stick together! Yer dad won't be happy about this!"

Lilynette stopped and glared at the farmpony "You don't know me OR Starrk! So let...GO!" She snapped as she finally broke out of Applejack's grip and galloped away.

Applejack grunted "Consarn it..." She turned to her friends "Ah'll go after her! Th' rest o' ya get t' safety!" She said as she pursued Lilynette.
_____

Pinkie gathered the Cakes and their children as they galloped in search of the rest of Ponyville "Stay close, everypony! This is getting crazy!" As she took point, she noticed Fluttershy up ahead and smiled "Hey, Fluttershy! Over here!"

Fluttershy saw Pinkie approach with the Cake family and frowned "Pinkie! Thank goodness you and the others are okay! We have to get everypony out of Ponyville!"

Pinkie nodded "Okie Dokie Loki! Let's stick together!" The small group went off to converge with the other citizens. As Pinkie looked back, however, she stopped when she noticed a small red dot headed towards Cerberus "Huh??" She gasped "Oh no!! It's Lilynette!"

Fluttershy looked back as well in fear "What!?"
_____

Lilynette closed the distance between her and Cerberus, who ignored her presence as it continued to destroy more of Ponyville. She leered up at the creature as she caught up to it 'Where the hell is Starrk!? I'd figure he would be all over this by now!' She heard galloping behind her, and looked back to see Applejack catching up and sneered "Don't try and stop me! I can beat this monster!"

Applejack did not let up in her pace "Like hay ya can! Get on back here before ya hurt yerself!!" She called out sternly.

Lilynette growled and stopped "I'll show you just how strong I am!" She said as she aimed her horn at Cerberus. Her horn began to glow green until it fired off a cero that struck Cerberus at its side, causing it to roar in agony while toppling over. Lilynette took a deep breath and smirked "Hah! Take that!"

The blast was seen from Ponyville Elementary; the children who witnessed it while traveling with their parents and guardians stared in complete awe. Pipsqueak was slackjawed "...Wow..." he whispered in astonishment.

Applejack stopped in her tracks and stared at Lilynette's feat in disbelief "Ah...Ah don't believe it..."

Lilynette turned to Applejack in a mixture of smugness and irritation "Are you satisfied? Now why don't you clear everypony out of here while I bring this monster down?" She heard a growl and looked over to see Cerberus getting up and shaking its head, then having all three glare at Lilynette. Their eyes widened in anger as they roared at the red filly, the mist in their eyes trailing rapidly.

Lilynette wasn't phased as she took a stance "You don't scare me, you stupid beast! Come on!"

Applejack snapped out of her awe and galloped up beside Lilynette "Oh no ya don't! We gotta get outta here!"

Lilynette shot an annoyed glare at Applejack "Are you serious!? You saw what I can do! If anypony's getting out of here, it's you! So butt out already!!"

Applejack matched Lilynette's glare with one of her own "Ya maybe strong, but yer not THAT strong! Cerberus is an old beast that can take a huge beatin'!" She looked over to see the aforementioned beast charging and widened her eyes before she took Lilynette onto her back and galloped away "C'mon!"

While Applejack was fast, she was not as big as Cerberus. The monster easily caught up to her, causing Applejack to try and steer Cerberus off-course. She made a sharp turn to the right, making sure to avoid the ponyfolk while making a beeline towards Whitetail Woods.

Lilynette, feeling as if she rode on for too long, hopped off and landed on her hooves as she activated and aimed her horn again "Eat this!!" Firing another cero, it landed a direct hit on the middle head, obscuring its vision and scathing its face as it reeled back and roared in pain.

Applejack skidded to a stop and grunted "Lilynette, yer takin' this too far!"

Lilynette scoffed at Applejack, not turning to face her "I haven't even begun! This fight would've already been over if Starrk would just move his lazy butt!"

Applejack went to go back and retrieve Lilynette, but looked up when two pegasi flew over her. She looked up to see Rainbow Dash and Starrk with clouds "What in the hay?"

Lilynette looked up and huffed "It's about time!!"
_____

Rainbow Dash pushed her cloud as she flew over Cerberus with Starrk following behind "Okay, Starrk! Clearly you don't know how clouds work, so I'm gonna show you!" She said as she readied her cloud at a fixed position "Now just set it up and..." As Rainbow Dash trailed off, she readied her hindlegs to buck the cloud. When she did so, it sounded off with thunder and shot a bolt of lightning that struck the back of Cerberus' right head, causing it to yelp. The three heads then looked up and growled at Rainbow Dash.

Starrk gave a light sneer at the beast "I don't think it worked..."

Rainbow Dash barely avoided a swipe from Cerberus' paw and glared at the beast "We just need to add more oomph in our attacks! Let's just nip this fight in the bud!" She turned to Starrk and pointed a hoof "Now, like I showed you! Just prepare your cloud and give it a good kick!"

Starrk nodded and prepared his cloud while Rainbow Dash kept an eye on Cerberus. She grew nervous when Cerberus went to jump and swipe "Hurry up, he's gonna attack!"

When Starrk's cloud was ready, he bucked his cloud. The weirdest thing had happened when he did so. Instead of a bolt of lighting, the cloud bulged before spewing out an enormous glowing blue beam that shot across Whitetail Woods, destroying the treetops and missing Cerberus easily; It made the same exact sound of Lilynette's cero. Starrk looked back with widened eyes '...My cero...'

Lilynette stared up in awe, then hopped up and down cheerfully "Yes! Starrk can still use his cero! The Primera Espada is back!!"

Applejack was dumbfounded at the sheer size and power of Starrk's cero 'Just how strong ARE these ponies!?'

Rainbow Dash was both slackjawed and speechless by what had just happened, her pupils trembling from the amazing spectacle.

Starrk himself was amazed that he can still use his cero, although was thrown off by how he has to execute it from now on. Remembering the current matter, he looked down to see Cerberus jump up and swipe a paw at him. He flew back, but his cloud had vanished from the monster's paw. Rainbow Dash went to move, but ended up getting swatted by Cerberus, yelping as she was sent back from the hit. Starrk noticed this and grunted as he blurred out with his Sonido.

Rainbow Dash soared until she instantly stopped, thinking she collided with the ground. A part of her was iffy on account of two things: Her landing wasn't exactly painful, and she remembered the ground not feeling like two hooves under her body. She opened her eyes, and her vision cleared to see Starrk staring at her with his usual expression while hovering in the air. Rainbow Dash flinched and her eyes widened as she stared back with a light blush. After a moment of staring, she jumped out of Starrk's hold and looked away "Th-Thanks..." She muttered.

Starrk only nodded back and noticed Cerberus coming their way "I'm gonna grab your cloud. Can you keep this monster busy for me?"

Rainbow Dash turned to Starrk "Sure I can! It might've been a lucky shot, but there's no way Cerberus can hit me twice!" She said with a puffed out chest.

Starrk rolled his eyes at the cyan pegasus' cockiness and blurred out with his Sonido, leaving Rainbow Dash to deal with the approaching beast. She huffed "C'mon, you mangy mutt! See if you can't hit me again!" Rainbow Dash flew away from each of Cerberus' attempts at attacking with ease while waiting for Starrk to come back.

The former espada reached Rainbow Dash's cloud and flew back with it, making sure to keep a keen eye on Cerberus 'How do I know if I can aim the cloud correctly?' Trying to shake his doubts, he set the cloud in his possession at a fixed position, trusting his instincts as a marksman. When he felt he had targeted Cerberus despite him moving around in an attempt to catch Rainbow Dash, he squinted his eyes and turned around to buck the cloud 'Hope this hits...'

He gave a mighty buck, and Starrk's hit landed on the cloud, causing it to spew out another radiant cero headed towards Cerberus. The monster turned when he heard it, and all three heads had their expressions changed from angry to surprised. The blast had engulfed Cerberus entirely; Rainbow Dash was lucky to avoid it as she flew upward and stared at the trailing beam of energy 'How does he DO that!?'

The ponies in town watched with a gasp at the massive cero that was launched. Derpy, Dinky, and Sparkler stared at it in amazement despite it's destructive power.

When the cero subsided, Cerberus stood with his entire body burnt. Each head looked groggy and spent of energy as the monster swayed left and right before finally toppling over unconscious, dropping to the ground in a loud thud. A faint black mist trailed from their closed eyes and mouths before vanishing into thin air.

Lilynette and Applejack watched from a short distance, and the former held an ecstatic grin on her face "Alright! Starrk took down the monster!!"

Applejack stared blankly until she shut her eyes and shook her head before giving a thin smile "Don't that beat all..."

Starrk watched his handiwork from above and heaved a sigh "Finally..."

"No way!"

Starrk looked up to see Rainbow Dash zip towards her with a wide grin "That was AWESOME!! You fired that huge blast and that was all you needed to take Cerberus down!" She looked over and noticed how the blast's length had reached Ponyville, reducing some of the already-destroyed buildings into smoldering piles. Rainbow Dash winced "Wow...You really did a number on him and Ponyville..."

Starrk watched apathetically "At least no one was hurt, right?"

Rainbow Dash watched before she gave a thin smile "Yeah...Yeah, you're right." She turned to Starrk with a grin "You know, Starrk, you really earned that cutie mark of yours! I'm gonna go tell Twilight that everything's okay! Wanna come?"

Starrk looked away "I'll catch up later. I need to check on Lilynette, wherever she is..."

"Hey!!"

The former espada and Rainbow Dash perked up and looked down to see a red filly below waving her forehooves up at them with Applejack next to her. Starrk blinked before descending towards them with Rainbow Dash in tow. When he landed, Lilynette approached Starrk and gave him a friendly jab with a smug grin "I knew you could take care of this problem! Nopony's better than you!"

Starrk stared down at Lilynette and placed a hoof on her head, lightly stroking her mane "I'm glad you're safe..."

Lilynette huffed "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? We're strong, remember? This is nothing!" She said as she shot a light glare up at the former espada.

Applejack sighed in relief "Well, th' problem with Cerberus is solved. Let's get a move on back int' town!" They all trotted back to Ponyville to spread the news.

When they arrived, they saw how most of Ponyville's citizens surrounded them. This made Starrk and Lilynette feel uncomfortable as they stood close together and lightly took a stance as they stared back at everypony else. Their guard was instantly lowered when the crowd burst into a raucous cheer, stomping their hooves in applause at Starrk and Lilynette's feat. Lilynette looked around in confusion "What the...?"

Starrk looked around himself and took in the applause from the ponies in front of him with confusion and intrigue. This never happened to him before, being applauded for his efforts. What he didn't expect was being glomped by Pinkie Pie, who he did not distinguish in the crowd. She trapped him in a crushing hug "You did it, Starrky! You saved Ponyville!! You're a hero!!"

The former espada groaned, but then his eyes widened when he noticed the Hooves family approach; Derpy flew in with Dinky in her grasp, tackling Starrk in a hug "Starrk, that was amazing!!" Dinky jumped out of her mother's grasp to hug Lilynette; Sparkler galloped towards the group and smiled, though was unnerved by Starrk and Lilynette's demonstration of power.

Applejack chuckled "Looks like y'all 're popular right now!"

Lilynette looked around while she was hugged by Dinky "Popular?" She never was considered to be popular back in Hueco Mundo.

"Lilynette!"

The sound of the red filly's name being chorused by three feminine voices surprised Lilynette as she noticed the Cutie Mark Crusaders eagerly gallop up to her with grins on their faces. Scootaloo pointed a hoof "You and your dad were both awesome!" She proclaimed joyfully.

Sweetie Belle hopped up and down "I can't believe your cero could hurt Cerberus! Can you teach me how to use it?" She asked with her eyes shimmering with glee.

Before Lilynette could answer, she noticed one more foal come up to her; One she did not expect most. Pipsqueak galloped up to Lilynette and stopped in front of her with a bright smile "Lilynette, you were great!"

Vinyl Scratch caught up to her little brother with a cheerful grin "Kid, you and your dad were righteous!"

Lilynette stared at Pipsqueak smiling at him and felt her heart quiver against her will, her cheeks flushing 'Why am I feeling like this!?' She looked away and grunted "Wh-Whatever! That beast was too weak anyways!" Lilynette answered instantly

Starrk managed to get up after being tackled and hugged by Pinkie and Derpy and looked back at the many faces of happiness in the crowd 'I can't believe this...They like us that much now? Are we actually heroes?'

Rainbow Dash hovered next to Starrk and smiled "I'm kinda jealous of you now! Look at all the attention you got!"

Starrk looked up at Rainbow Dash "You helped, didn't you? Shouldn't they be showering you with praise?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged "They won't believe me if I told them that you didn't know how to use a cloud! Besides, you earned it, what with that large beam of yours!"

Starrk stared up at Rainbow Dash, then spotted something flying towards Ponyville out of the corner of his eye. He looked above the crowd to see a large white pony with wings and a horn, wearing golden shoes, a breastplate, and a tiara; Her mane and tail flowed with different colors. Behind her was a group of white pegasi wearing golden gorgets and holding spears in their hooves "Who's that over there?" Starrk asked inquisitively.

Rainbow Dash looked over and perked up when she spotted the group of flying ponies "It's Princess Celestia! And she brought some of her guards!"

Soon, the rest of the crowd noticed the princess and ceased their cheering as they awaited her arrival. When she landed, the crowd cleared themselves to make a route leading to Starrk and Lilynette, bowing in genuflect as she passed each pony in a casual trot; Her guards remained in the air and soared towards Cerberus when they spotted the unconscious black mass at Whitetail Woods.

When she reached them, Princess Celestia looked down at Starrk as he looked back up at her, him and Lilynette being the only ponies who didn't bow upon her presence. The red filly stood by Starrk and stared up at Celestia with a light glare, seeing if it wouldn't intimidate her.

Sadly for Lilynette, Celestia's gaze remained neutral until she smiled at the two former arrancar "Greetings. Can you tell me who you two are?" She asked in a polite tone.

Starrk stared up at the princess and answered curtly "I'm Coyote Starrk." He pointed a hoof at Lilynette "This is Lilynette Gingerback..." The red filly gave a quiet growl at Celestia.

Pinkie rose from her bowing and hugged Starrk again while grinning at the princess "Princess, Starrky here stopped Cerberus from destroying Ponyville!!" She looked over at the collateral damage "...Well, half of it anyways, but he still saved us all!! Lilynette helped, too!" She ignored Starrk giving her an annoyed stare while she clung to him.

Celestia held a surprised expression upon the news and turned to Starrk and Lilynette "Is this true?"

Lilynette growled "What of it? Got a problem?" She snapped defensively.

Dinky hissed pleadingly "Sis, this is the princess! Please don't talk mean to her!"

From the crowd, Twilight lightly pushed past some ponies and galloped up to Celestia "Princess!" Fluttershy and Rarity were found close behind her. She frowned "I'm sorry you came after the problem was resolved!"

Celestia gave an amused chuckle "It's nothing to worry about, Twilight." She turned to Starrk and Lilynette "Though I must say I'm curious with Ponyville's newest heroes." She said in an intrigued tone.

Fluttershy piped up "B-But what about the issue with Tartarus?"

Celestia nodded "I've sent for Luna to handle the problem since she's more capable of monitoring Tartarus aside from Cerberus. She and her night guard should be able to fend off any escaping monsters easily." Celestia looked up to see an approaching guard.

The guard flew down and landed in front of Celestia, bowing to her "Your Majesty. We've managed to awaken Cerberus. He seems to be more tame as opposed to our given report."

Celestia gave a curt nod "Then there isn't much to worry about then. All that matters now is getting Cerberus back to Tartarus." She waved a hoof "Have the guards carefully guide him." The guard bowed and took off back towards the forest. Celestia smiled down at Starrk "You and Lilynette have done a great service in protecting Ponyville from danger. For that, you have mine and everypony else's gratitude."

Starrk stared before scratching his head tiredly "This was unexpected. But if you're happy, then who am I to complain?"

Lilynette cocked her head to the side at Celestia "What are you going to do with us?"

Celestia shook her head as she kept her smile "Nothing of the sort, my little pony. But If anything, you deserve something for your efforts."

Pinkie stood next to Starrk with a twinkle in her eye "I can think of something~..." Starrk felt his ears droop upon hearing Pinkie's idea.
_____

At the Gates of Tartarus, Princess Luna looked over the vast landscape and noticed that nothing was amiss "The area is secure! We shall wait for Cerberus to arrive before departing back to Canterlot!"

The group of armored thestrals that accompanied Luna on her mission snapped a salute and chorused a "Yes, Princess!" With diligent looks in their yellow eyes.

One of the thestrals that saluted had a yellow eye, but also a red eye that slowly faded back to the common color of the soldier's eye.

To be continued...

Capitulo Catorce

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Capitulo Catorce

Explanations are in Order

Starrk drooped his ears with a sour expression while he sat at a large table alongside many ponies, including Derpy, Sparkler, Princess Celestia, Pinkie, and her friends; While he was okay with Ponyville was safe from disaster, he didn't expect a party, nor did he wish to partake in one. Lilynette was more perplexed by how the foals that feared her earlier were now showering her with praise. He could feel a migraine coming on as Pinkie and Derpy rambled on about him saving the town endlessly.

Rainbow Dash saw the displeasure on Starrk's face and piped up "Okay, girls, I think Starrk needs a break from being thanked, don't you?" She asked Pinkie and Derpy.

Twilight nodded "I agree. Although, I'm curious as to how Starrk was somehow able to fire a beam from a cloud." She said as she examined the former espada; His facial features softened after Pinkie and Derpy ceased their rambling.

Celestia stared at Starrk "As am I. In fact, I wish to speak with Coyote, if it is alright with him."

Pinkie grinned "Sure thing, princess. Starrky's probably got plenty of interesting stories to tell."

Starrk turned to Celestia "What do you want to talk about? Anything involving what has happened earlier?"

Celestia looked serious "Is it alright if I may inquire about how you managed to fend off Cerberus with the help of your foal?" She asked the former espada.

Starrk looked up at Celestia "Oh, you mean that three-headed dog? I only used my cero on it. I'm glad that it was all it took to finish it off..."

Celestia stared with intrigue "A cero? I've never heard of such a spell." She said with a curious tone.

Starrk raised an eyebrow "That's because it isn't...It's a special skill only me and Lilynette know."

Celestia nodded "I see. Where exactly do you and Lilynette hail from, if you don't mind me asking."

Starrk looked up with a wistful glance "It's pretty complicated...Even I'm stumped about ending up here in this world with Lilynette. Not that it isn't bad or anything..." He said, remembering the glorious gift of a cloud as his bed.

Celestia blinked "You mean to tell me that you and Lilynette aren't from around here??" She said, catching the attention of the other partygoers as they grew curious about Starrk's backstory.

Starrk looked around to see that nearly everypony wanted to hear about his past life and sighed to himself 'What a drag...' He decided to get it off his chest since he had nothing better to do, and it wasn't like they would leave him alone about his old life "Before we came here, Lilynette and I weren't exactly ponies..." This earned a collective of gasps from his listeners "Back then, we were known as hollows, living in a world known as Hueco Mundo. I was one of the strongest of my kind; an arrancar..."

Derpy's eyes rotated "Hollows? But you and Lily are whole right now. What's so hollow about you?" She asked, confused at Starrk's term.

Starrk turned to Derpy "What makes us distinctive as hollows is that we have a hole on our bodies, namely around the chest region." He noticed Pinkie was examining at his chest, sweatdropping at the gesture "I don't have one now, Pinkie." Starrk deadpanned at Pinkie's shenanigans.

Pinkie nodded to Starrk with a smile "Just making sure." She chirped, winking afterwards.

Starrk heaved a sigh and continued "Anyways, we didn't exactly lead a good life back then, and I'm not entirely up to looking back on it again..."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow "But you were the strongest of your kind back then. Didn't you like it?"

Starrk turned to Rainbow Dash "As a matter of fact, I didn't. I was lonely back then, and I longed to be a part of my own pack of hollows. But every time I approach a group that was weaker than me, they died..." The former espada looked around to see that his many listeners grew uneasy over his explanation; Some parents were seen covering the ears of their foals.

Celestia was surprised "Was this because your power was that great?"

Starrk nodded with a wistful frown "Yeah...It's best to say that my own power made my life a living hell. The souls of everyone in my group of friends wasted away and disappeared just from being around me. But I had a solution to my problems..." He looked over at Lilynette, who was standing with her friends; The red filly looked back at him with a nostalgic gaze, signalling that she heard the story as well "From loneliness we divided our soul in two. We don't know which was the original, or maybe it was neither of us. It's just that there was no other way to escape from the loneliness." He looked down as he recapped giving birth to Lilynette "I envied the weak ones...I didn't like my power at all..." Derpy and Pinkie frowned at how sad Starrk appeared to them.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash were astonished by Starrk's backstory 'Wait a minute...so...Lilynette's just a part of Starrk!? How did he even do that?' Rainbow Dash thought to herself. She wondered if she should spend more time and get to know Starrk in order to find out more about him.

Dinky stared wide-eyed at Starrk's story and turned to Lilynette "Wait...So Mr. Starrk isn't your dad?"

Lilynette huffed "Of course not! Like I'd want to have him order me around all the time." She said abrasively, though was inwardly troubled by how many ponies were reacting to her birth.

Sparkler raised an eyebrow 'They could kill somepony just by standing next to them? That explains Lilynette's crazy question the other day...' "Wait a minute. You said that you could easily kill somepony just by standing next to them, yet here you are surrounded by so many ponies while nothing's happening. Could you answer that question?" She asked in an inquisitive tone.

Starrk looked at Sparkler after she asked her question. Looking back on it, she was touching on a vital issue that pertained to his existence as an arrancar. Oddly enough, he couldn't fathom how this was possible, let alone explain it. He then up at the ceiling "The way I see it, since I went from being an arrancar to a pony, I don't think there's much to worry about."

Celestia examined Starrk "I see...And you cannot explain how you both came into Equestria?"

Starrk shook his head at Celestia "Your guess is as good as mine, but I will say this..." He looked around at the many ponies "I'm happy to be surrounded by my own pack after so long...I'm happy that I'm not alone." Starrk stated sincerely.

Pinkie giggled and trapped Starrk in a hug, eliciting a grunt from him "Oh, Starrky, we're happy, too. We don't care if you and Lily are two of the same ponies, we still care about you!" She nuzzled the former espada while he twitched an eyebrow in irritation.

Derpy smiled "We're not a pack, silly. But we're glad to meet you, too!" She proclaimed brightly.

Sparkler frowned at Starrk's story, but managed to smile at his longing for company "We'll make sure you won't remain by yourselves. Just try not to go overboard while you live here." She said, trying to hide her worry over Starrk and Lilynette's demonstration of power behind her statement.

Celestia hummed to herself 'So Coyote and Lilynette are two halves of one soul. I wonder what would happen if they were to join together once more...' She smiled "It is nice to know that you're no longer alone, Coyote. Perhaps you can learn from the ponies around you if you ever feel lost."

Starrk gave Pinkie an annoyed stare while she clung to him "I'm sure I'll manage..." He said in a dry tone.

Celestia chuckled at Starrk's slight misfortune "Then maybe you'll go far in Equestria with Lilynette at your side." She then frowned "But I wish for you to comply with my request that you and Lilynette maintain your power as you live here. If it is as strong as you claim, then I would hope you would use it for when danger would arise."

Rainbow Dash grinned "That's gonna be a piece of cake and then some! If Starrk can take Cerberus, who else could possibly stand up to him?"
_____

Meanwhile in Canterlot, Luna was busy awaiting Cerberus' arrival alongside her squadron of night guards. When the image of some royal guards guiding the three-headed guardian came into view, Luna smiled in satisfaction "Ah, Cerberus hath been found at last." She said to herself as she turned to her guards "Our job here is finished! Let us make haste to our castle at once!"

The guards saluted and replied in unison "Yes, your majesty!" Altogether, Luna and her guards unfurled their wings and took flight towards Canterlot. As they flew, one of the thestrals donned a quick red gleam in their eyes.

After flying for so long, they finally reached the Royal castle and landed in the gardens. Luna nodded to her guards "All you may go back to patrolling the castle at thy leisure. Your efforts of monitoring the Gates of Tartarus shall be rewarded later tonight." After she received a collective of bows as a response, Luna flew back into the castle as she left behind her group of night guards, who dispersed to their desired locations around the castle.

All but one...

The lone thestral looked around to make sure that the coast was clear before looking up at Luna's figure disappearing into the castle with a disdainful sneer 'Soon...' He thought to himself. The best revenge was planned with patience, and needed to be done so properly; He could remain and wait for his power to return, but it would render him susceptible to discovery if he were to ignore the habitual routine of the night guards. Not to mention, there was the knowledge of a certain artifact he could use to make his plan complete.

He couldn't remain here; The thestral looked around once more to make sure he was all alone before he chose to fly away from the castle and sneak into the streets of Canterlot. From roof to roof, he silently flew over each building in search of another fitting host in order to remain incognito. He spotted a unicorn stallion that stood out from all of the many higher-class ponies; His coat was navy blue and his cutie mark was a pair of musical notes; on his back was a set of saddlebags.

A perfect candidate indeed. The night guard flew down towards a nearby alley as the stallion trotted near his location, unaware of his stalker's presence. When his target was close, the thestral gave a whistle and caught his attention, lingering in the shadows and watching the stallion come closer with a look of curiousity "Hello? Who's there?" He asked in the darkness.

As he stared into the shadowed alley, there was a sound of air escaping from somepony's lungs as a black wisp shot out of the darkness and jumped inside of the stallion's eyes, causing him to yelp in reaction. When the wisp was inside, the stallion stood still for a moment until his eyes narrowed while he donned a successful smirk; a quick glint of red flashed in his yellow eyes "Excellent..." He said to himself in a devious tone.

From the shadowed alley, the night guard trotted into plain sight while caressing his temple "Wha-...Where am I? The last thing I remembered was surveying the area around the Gates of Tartarus..." He murmured to himself.

"I found you passed out on the job." The stallion answered in a straight tone "You're part of the night guard, correct? Shouldn't you be back at the castle with Princess Luna?" He asked with an arched eyebrow.

The night guard, remembering his duty, looked up with light distress as he unfurled his wings and took flight into the sky. When he was at a far distance, the stallion chuckled in amusement as he trotted away, admiring the horn on his head as he felt the magic inside of his host. Perhaps he could practice a spell or two on an unsuspecting victim in secrecy if he felt up to it. But now wasn't the time; He needed to find a good source of information to further his progress.

Looking around, all the stallion saw were high-class ponies with their noses in the air. No doubt they wouldn't give him the time of day since he would easily be considered riff-raff to him. He decided to go with the secondary option of searching his saddlebags for anything useful. Looking inside the first one after opening it with his magic, he noticed a set of words embroidered on the inside of the bag saying 'Property of Noteworthy'. So this stallion's name was Noteworthy...

Noteworthy searched through the rest of his first saddlebag to find some supplies including a set of records and a map of Canterlot. He fished out the map and studied its contents, seeing that he was obviously in Canterlot. A neighboring town was seen south of it, known as Ponyville. If he were lucky, he would have more help there than his current location. Noteworthy stashed the map inside of his first saddlebag and checked his second one, noticing a satchel of bits and folded pair of glasses.

It would be good to have a satisfactory amount of currency if he were to travel afar in his new body. He trotted down the streets of Canterlot to see if he could find a way to reach Ponyville. After a period of travel, he noticed a train station up ahead "Hm? What's this?" He said as he approached the station, studying the enormous contraption on the rails "Such a remarkable structure..." He muttered to himself as he locked his gaze on the train.

"Excuse me, sir."

Noteworthy turned to see a pony in a conductor's outfit "If you're looking to go on the next train ride to Ponyville, might I suggest buying a ticket first?" He said in a helpful tone.

What luck did he have: A ride to Ponyville laid right at his feet "Of course. Can you direct me to the stand that sells them?" The blue stallion questioned.

The conductor arched a skeptical eyebrow before pointing to the right of Noteworthy, leading him towards a kiosk with a pony wearing a visor monitoring his workplace. The blue stallion trotted over and caught the clerk's attention "Excuse me. I would like to purchase a ticket for the train?" He asked in a polite tone.

The clerk smiled "To Ponyville, right? That'll be 5 bits, please."

'Noteworthy' smiled as he fished out his satchet of bits and pulled out the exact amount needed for his fare. After paying in full, the clerk offered him a ticket "Here you go, sir. Have a nice day!" He said cheerfully as he tipped his visor, to which the blue stallion merely waved before trotting towards one of the train's open carts. It was good for him that nopony noticed the evil smile on his face 'Excellent...Let's see how far I can go from here...Soon, my revenge will be complete...Soon...' A quick gleam of red flashed in Noteworthy's eyes.

To be continued...

Capitulo Quince

View Online

Capitulo Quince

Adjusting to Status Quo

Later that day, as the party drew to a close, Celestia smiled down at Starrk and Lilynette "Well, it was nice to meet the two of you, and I hope you enjoy your stay here in Equestria."

Lilynette tilted her head "You're leaving? Where do you even live?"

Celestia turned to Lilynette "I live in Canterlot with my sister Luna. Hopefully you and Coyote can drop by if you like."

Derpy smiled "Thanks for stopping by, your majesty!" She said brightly.

Starrk looked up at Celestia "See you soon, I suppose. But I have to ask...Is danger common around here?"

Celestia stared at Starrk "I wouldn't go so far as to considering any danger befalling Ponyville to be a daily routine. Although there have been a few strange cases once in a while, you and Lilynette included." She explained.

Lilynette frowned "So we're not gonna be defending this town as much? That sucks! I'd figure we could at least take down some more monsters or something." She said, looking away with a pout.

Celestia chuckled at Lilynette's response "At least I know you're ready for anything. I have faith that you'll keep everypony safe from harm."

Lilynette huffed "Well, I have to protect my sister somehow." She said as she turned to see Dinky smiling at her, to which she returned with a small smile.

Twilight approached Celestia and shared a small embrace with her "Thanks once again for coming, Princess Celestia. I'll be sure to write to you soon."

Celestia nodded to Twiight with a smile "I look forward to your next report." She turned to the crowd of ponies "Well, my little ponies, it is time for me to leave for Canterlot, but it was nice to see you all again." The crowd cheered and said their goodbyes in response. She trotted out of Sugarcube Corner and flew up in the air before she lit up her horn and winked out of existence.

Lilynette galloped outside and looked up "She can use Sonido, too? How strong is she?"

Twilight smiled at Lilynette's curiousity "Not exactly, but she is very strong. Princess Celestia moves the sun while her sister moves the moon. She's lived in Equestria longer than anypony in history!"

Lilynette looked up at Twilight "So she doesn't age, huh?" She looked up at the sky where Celestia teleported from before she looked bored "Starrk could take her..."

Twilight twitched before forcing a smile "Well, it's good to know that you look up to Starrk..."

Lilynette frowned at Twilight "Who said anything about looking up? Starrk said he was strong, didn't he?"

Rainbow Dash trotted up to Starrk's side and donned an embarrassed smile "Twilight, I think I'm willing to agree with Lilynette on this one. You saw what Starrk did to Cerberus back there, right?"

Twilight perked up "That's right!" She turned to Starrk "How were you able to make such a large beam emerge from a cloud?" Twilight asked with her tone bristling with curiousity.

Starrk stared at Twilight before he scratched his mane "I honestly didn't expect my cero to be fired from a cloud. Normally, I would be able to just blast it without any trouble or movement..." He answered nonchalantly.

Twilight rubbed her chin with a calculating stare "Interesting..." She muttered with intrigue.

Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight before nudging Starrk "Hey, I'd grab your crew and run. Twilight's got that look in her eyes..." She whispered to the former espada.

Starrk turned to Rainbow Dash "What do you mean?"

Rainbow Dash winced "Let's just say that if you stay here for too long, you won't be able to go back to sleep..."

An excellent reason to Rainbow Dash's warning. Starrk looked down at Lilynette "You should go play with your sister while I get going."

Lilynette nodded and galloped back into Sugarcube Corner in search of Dinky. Twilight flinched "W-Wait, I only want to-"

"It was nice talking to you, but I still have to deliver mail..." After stating his reason to Twilight, Starrk perked up when he realized that he left his mailbags at Rainbow Dash's house. He turned to the cyan pegasus "I'm gonna need to head to your house."

Rainbow Dash cocked her head to the side "Why? Did you leave your mail there or something?" When she received a nod in reply, she chuckled "Bit of a smart move to leave your stuff behind when Ponyville was in danger! I'll come with you since this party's ready to stop."

"Can I come?" Pinkie said as she stood between the two pegasi, startling them "I kinda want to hang out with Starrky for a bit before he goes back to work!"

Starrk twitched an eyebrow "I'm just going to be at Rainbow Dash's house before I actually DO get back to work...You know that, right?" Pinkie simply nodded in comprehension, troubling the former espada's mind 'What kind of pony is she?'

Rainbow Dash chuckled at Starrk's unease "Let's just get moving, huh? We all got stuff to do, after all." She unfurled her wings and took off in the air. Starrk watched Rainbow Dash leave before he followed her with his Sonido.

Pinkie looked around "Those two are so super-duper fast!" She turned to Twilight, who looked ready to pout "What's wrong, Twilight? Did you wanna hang out with Starrky, too?"

Twilight frowned "I actually wanted to get to know him more and study his properties as a pegasus." She sighed "I guess I'll have to find him at a later time."

Pinkie giggled "I hear you, Twilight! Starrk kinda reminds me so much of Dashie, only he loves to sleep so much! He's such a nice stallion!" She looked up in the sky with a distant smile "I wonder if I should get him a nice bed for his birthday..."

Twilight turned to Pinkie "Do you even know when his birthday is?"

"Nope." Pinkie did not face Twilight as she answered "But that's nothing a little stalking can't fix!" She exclaimed confidently.

Twilight stared blankly at Pinkie "...You're joking..."

Pinkie grinned at Twilight "What's wrong? It's not like you did the same with me. The only difference is that I'll actually get data!" She then pronked away "I should probably hurry up and find Dashie and Starrky since I wasted too much time. See ya later, Twilight!"

Twilight stared before she sighed to herself and went back inside Sugarcube Corner, thinking of a better time to study on either Starrk or Lilynette.
_____

Starrk managed to follow Rainbow Dash all the way back to her floating house and noticed that his mailbags were exactly where he left them. He trotted over and wore them over his midsection, making sure they were on properly.

Rainbow Dash watched Starrk prepare for his delayed mail run; how he seem nearly dedicated despite his disinterested and lazy background. She mentally questioned herself on how such a stallion could be gifted with incredible prowess, and her mind drifted back to when she was saved by that same stallion. She perked up before shaking off when the memory pooled in, coming to the conclusion that it was a simple save and that she could have recovered without Starrk's help.

However, no matter how hard she tried not to, she sighed to herself when she thought about being in Starrk's grasp. After thinking to herself for so long, the cyan pegasus spoke up "Hey, Starrk." The former espada turned to Rainbow Dash when she grabbed his attention "You ever wanted a job other than being a mailpony?" She asked curiously.

Starrk stared before answering "I never really wanted any job to begin wtih. I'm just doing this since Derpy offered it to me; I'm already staying at her house, after all..."

Rainbow Dash nodded "Yeah, I know that. But if you're looking for another job, I can always get you a spot on weather duty." She smiled "I'll bet with that Sonido of yours, you'll be able to work two jobs without a hitch AND get yourself some sleeping time! What do you say?"

Starrk hummed in thought. Two jobs meant twice the payload for himself while he and Lilynette stayed with Derpy, and if what Rainbow Dash said was true, then maybe he could actually take advantage of his speed if he ever worked two jobs, so long as said jobs were done precisely. But he didn't feel entirely motivated to take Rainbow Dash's offer so soon. He waved a hoof to the cyan pegasus "I'll think about it. I just need to take care of this mail first."

Rainbow Dash felt mildly disappointed before she smiled at Starrk's consideration "Cool. Just remember that I can only keep a clear opening for so long. Try not to think too hard over this, okay?"

Starrk nodded "Got it." He looked down at Ponyville, and how some of the damages were being tended to. The former espada somehow felt sympathy for the ponies below him. He took comfort in knowing that none of them were hurt "I better get going now. I have work to do, and I'm not in the mood to waste anymore time on the job..."

Rainbow Dash smirked "And here I thought you were just a lazy stallion. Well, I'll talk to you later then, Starrk." She watched Starrk trotted over to the edge and unfurled his wings, about to take flight, then frowned "Hey, Starrk..." The former espada looked back at Rainbow Dash "I know I said it before back there, but..." She looked away "Thanks for the help with Cerberus. You were really awesome out there."

Starrk stared at how Rainbow Dash was looking away. He wondered why she was acting so distant like this rather than her formerly arrogant nature "You're the one who taught me how to use a cloud, so basically you're awesome." He watched Rainbow Dash freeze in her position and passed it off as her accepting his reply "I'll see you around." He said as he looked away and blurred out with his Sonido.

Rainbow Dash froze, and a light blush was seen on her face. She sighed in relief 'Thank Celestia he didn't see that...Wait, what am I thinking? He probably didn't mean that last part!' She narrowed her eyes, then her expression softened as she shifted her eyes to where Starrk once stood 'Then again, he was pretty sincere the whole time, even if he isn't that good at talking.' She smiled to herself 'Yeah...Maybe it'll be nice to have Starrk on weather duty once he decides to join.'
_____

At Ponyville train station, the Friendship Express was slowing to a stop as it reached its destination. The cart doors opened to reveal many pony passengers departing, one of which was Noteworthy, who effortlessly remained inconspicuous to those around him while he took in his new surroundings 'Hmph...So this is Ponyville? This town seems to be more droll than Canterlot back then.' He made himself scarce from the station and decided to look around and gather some intel, and possibly find another host if his current one did not prove to be anymore sufficient to his goals.

Noteworthy trotted further into town to see that a good portion of it had been leveled despite the many looks of calm on the faces of the crowd, save for those that just exited the train with him. He smirked to himself 'I see now...This must where that filthy mongrel chose to stay for the moment.' Noteworthy took in the large amounts of collateral damage that were being cleaned up by some foreponies with hardhats, then decided to venture further into Ponyville after he felt himself entertained by watching acts of labor.

As he trotted, however, he realized something: It would have taken copious amounts of magic to subdue a hypnotized creature, especially one as old and strong as Cerberus. What pony had the strength to accomplish such a feat? He stopped in his tracks and thought to himself 'Somepony within this town must possess an immeasurable amount of magic to have countered my ploy...But who?'

"Yo, Noteworthy!"

Noteworthy perked up and noticed two ponies to his left; one was a white unicorn mare with purple shades while the other was a small earth pony colt with a calico coat "Didn't expect to see you back here this early. I thought you were enjoying your vacation days at Canterlot. What made you wanna come back here?" The mare said with a bemused tone.

So that was the reason for Noteworthy's appearance in Canterlot. After coming this far, he could not risk to make himself suspicious "I...forgot something." He said while making himself appear gentle, if not embarrassed.

The mare arched an eyebrow seen behind her shades "Seriously? I figured somepony like you would've had everything packed; You're always the orderly stallion sometimes."

Noteworthy managed to stop himself from flinching after the mare's statement. He looked away "Yeah, well, this is the first time that this has happened to me, so I should probably get back home and sort through my belongings..." He said in a forced calm tone.

The mare stared for a moment before she shrugged "Whatever floats your boat, dude." She looked down at the colt next to him "Let's go home, Pipsqueak."

Pipsqueak nodded "Right, sis!" The two ponies then left Noteworthy behind as he resumed his trek into town.

Noteworthy quietly sighed in relief when he distanced himself 'A close call. Now to assess the points of interest in my current location without anymore disruptions...' Up ahead, he saw what appeared to be a house made of candy and gawked at the sight of it; Who in their right mind would make an establishment entirely out of candy?

He noticed the front door to the building open to reveal a lavender unicorn mare and a purple dragon walking outside. The very sight had triggered enough ire within Noteworthy to make him grit his teeth and have his eyes glow an eerie green as purple mist trailed from the corners of them. He shook off his rage when he realized he was out in the open and darted his head about to see that nopony had paid any attention. Looking back at the two targets, he had a mind to follow them and study their lifestyle before finding a way to end them both.

Another group of ponies were found trotting out of the door, all of which were females. There was a wall-eyed pegasus traveling with three unicorns, two of them being young fillies. He hummed to himself while he listened in on the wall-eyed pegasus talking "Well, the party was good and all, but we should probably see if anypony needs help around here. Ponyville needs our help to rebuild, after all!" Her eyes rotated before she looked down "Oh, and I should deliver the mail, too. Who knows how long anypony's waiting for their mail right now?"

Shaking her head, the amethyst unicorn next to the pegasus spoke up "Of course. Even though we have to repair the damages in Ponyville, there are some pieces of mail that are addressed out of town, right? I can't believe all of this had to happen while everypony was busy." She said with a disappointed frown.

The small purple filly smiled "Wouldn't Mr. Starrk wanna help us, too? He's so strong and fast, I think he's like some kind of superhero!"

Next to her, the red filly scoffed "We'd be lucky if he chose to buckle down and clean up his own mess after taking down that stupid dog. I think he's probably gonna follow Derpy and deliver his mail, too."

Noteworthy stared with complete interest. This 'Starrk' pony was responsible for subduing Cerberus, was he? His power could prove to either be the greatest asset or the worst obstacle to his goals. It seems that the blue stallion had a change of plans if he were to go through his secret agenda swimmingly. He chose between the group of mares to see who would be a worthy candidate since his current host proved to be of no further use.

The children were exempt from his choices; why would he want to masquerade as a filly? He needed to feel strong, even if the many hosts to choose from were beneath him. That only left the wall-eyed pegasus and the amethyst unicorn mare. Looking at the latter, she seemed to be a worthy candidate for the obvious reason of her horn; Not to mention her cutie mark made him grin ear-to-ear.

She was perfect.

Noteworthy secretly trotted towards the group of mares, making sure to stay out of their sight as they chatted amongst themselves. He kept his eye on the unsuspecting unicorn and before he could inch closer, a pegasus stallion blurred into existence next to the group of mares, startling him as he distanced himself away from them.

From the look in Noteworthy's eyes, the pegasus stallion seemed disinterested, presenting an envelope to the wall-eyed mare as she checked it out, then smiled as she talked with him about it. Afterwards, the stallion nodded and blurred out of existence once again. How was this possible? From what Noteworthy was aware of, pegasi were only capable of weather magic, not teleportation. Could this stallion could possibly be the one known as Starrk?

Glancing at his desired target, he narrowed his eyes and decided it was best for him to wait when she is both vulnerable and alone. He saw the wall-eyed mare talk with the others, kissing the purple filly and tussling the red filly's mane, with the child responding by irritably flailing a hoof. She then took off into the sky with her bags of mail, leaving the unicorns by themselves.

Noteworthy decided to inch closely towards them and listen in on what they were saying; it would be best to gather some basic data if it meant trying to blend in with the group after successfully possessing his target.

"So where should we go first?" Said the purple filly shifting her gaze towards the others "Should we go help pick up the mess?"

The amethyst unicorn chuckled "You can leave that part to me. I think it's about time you two should go home and wait for Mom and Starrk to finish up their routes."

Frowning, the purple filly replied "But Sparkler, why can't me and Lilynette help? We can do a good job if we follow you around."

Sparkler shook her head "Dinky, you have to understand that Mom would rather have you two safe than working. Besides, nearly everypony in town's pitching in to help out with the damages once the party's over. You won't have to do much once that happens."

Lilynette huffed "So while you get to do stuff, me and Dinky have to stay at home and wait? That's boring! We should at least have jobs of our own, you know!"

Sparkler heaved a sigh "Look, I know you're both eager to lend a helping hoof, but could you at least try to listen to me for once?"

Lilynette pointed a hoof "Like we should! Derpy even said that we should help out as well, so why listen to you?" She asked in a harsh tone.

Sparkler scowled "Well for starters, I'm older than you." She stated sternly "Secondly, I doubt that Starrk would even abide letting you run around trying to fix everything while he's busy himself."

Dinky blinked "Really? Mr. Starrk seems pretty relaxed most of the time. The only time I ever seen him bothered was when Lily acted out at school." She smiled "What makes her more of a help is that she's strong enough to lift heavy things, right, sis?" She asked as she turned to Lilynette.

Lilynette crossed her forelegs and had her nose in the air "Well, I wouldn't be an arrancar if I couldn't." She proclaimed proudly. Lilynette paused before looking away awkwardly with a sweatdrop 'Wait a minute...I'm not an arrancar anymore...'

Dinky looked back up at Sparkler with trembling pupils "Pretty please let us help, Sparkler? We'll to listen to everything you say to us; We promise!"

Sparkler stared back at her younger sister, and slowly caved into her stare while she tried to steel herself 'I can't believe that still works with her...' With a defeated sigh, she looked down at the fillies "Alright, fine. But you'll have to be extra careful when working, and you better make sure to listen to me. Understand?"

Dinky nodded vigorously with a smile "Mhm! You can count on us!"

Lilynette looked away "I'm only doing this because Dinky wants to. If it were my choice, I would've helped out without you talking down on us." She stated distantly.

Sparkler rolled his eyes at Lilynette's rebellious remark and pointed a hoof "Well, at least you're willing to cooperate this time. I expect you two to follow along without any mishaps."

Dinky grinned "We'll do out best." She turned to Lilynette "C'mon, Lily! Let's go home and get some tools!" Lilynette nodded and went to gallop with her sister.

"Hold it!" Sparkler barked, causing the two fillies to look back "Before you go running off, just remember to meet up with me at the park once you get the tools. We'll get to working from there."

Lilynette frowned "We get it. So let us go, already!" She said as she galloped away "Let's move, Dinky."

Dinky watched the red filly leave and tried catching up to her "Right behind you, sis!" She called out brightly.

Sparkler shook her head at the fillies galloping away "Kids these days. To think I acted like them once..."

"Hey, Sparkler."

Sparkler perked up and looked behind to see Noteworthy approaching her with a polite smile "Oh, hey, Noteworthy. What's up?" She asked curiously.

Noteworthy pointed towards a nearby and wrecked house with rubble "Could you give me a hoof with some of the rubble over there, please? It'll only be a minute."

Sparkler frowned "I'd love to, but I gotta meet up with Dinky and Lilynette at the park soon. I should get going."

Noteworthy had an urging look in his eyes "The job will get done quicker if I had some help. Everypony else is all tied up with their own work. All I need is an extra set of hooves. Please, Sparkler?"

Sparkler looked over at the house and hummed "Well, I'd be lucky if the kids didn't already grab all the tools yet. I guess I could help out."

Noteworthy smiled "Thanks. Follow me, please." He said as he trotted away, having Sparkler follow after him.

Sparkler noticed how fast he was pacing in his trot 'He seems pretty energetic today. I guess he's trying to make it an effort to have Ponyville rebuilt in little time.' When she reached the house, Noteworthy opened the front door "We're gonna start inside for this one?"

Noteworthy nodded "It's pretty bad in there, so I figured we'll do the inside together, and I can handle the outside by myself. I don't wanna take too much of your time."

Sparkler smiled "It's no trouble. Anything to help out, at least. Let's go inside." When she followed him inside, she looked around at the wreckage "Wow...This house has seen better days. Looks like we'll have to make this as quick as possib-" She yelped in surprise when she was pushed into a wall, her shoulders pinned by a devious looking Noteworthy "Hey! Noteworthy, what are you doing!?" She grunted as she struggled in his grasp "Let go of me!"

Noteworthy only stared at the struggling mare in his grasp with an evil smile before it widened into a toothy grin that had black mist trailing from behind his teeth. His eyes faded from yellow to red as they narrowed "Time to become a useful stepping stone, my dear..." He uttered in a tone alien to benevolence. Sparkler's eyes widened at the sight of it.

To be continued...

Capitulo Dieciseis

View Online

Capitulo Deiciseis

Blending In

The outside of the wrecked house was quiet, until the door opened to reveal Sparkler, who looked around with suspicious eyes before she trotted outside and brushed off her chest nonchalantly "Okay then. Off to the park..." She said to herself in a calm tone. A groaning was heard, and Sparkler looked back to see Noteworthy rubbing his head "You there. Do you know where I can find 'the park'?"

Noteworthy looked up and noticed Sparkler "Huh?" He looked around with a perplexed expression on his face "What am I doing back in Ponyville? Am I dreaming?"

Sparkler frowned "No. I've answered your question, now can you answer mine?"

Noteworthy stared at Sparkler before pointing his right hoof away. Sparkler nodded with a satisfied smile "Much obliged. You can go back to your own work now..." She said as she trotted off.

The blue stallion finally managed to stop his migraine, but grew confused at Sparkler's response "...Work? But I was on vacation!" Noteworthy noticed how half of Ponyville was demolished, astonished at the amount of collateral damage "Whoa...What happened here?" He whispered to himself

Sparkler trotted to the park at a decent pace, ignoring those around her while she made her way towards her desired area. When she arrived, she decided to stand under a tree when she found no sign of Dinky or Lilynette.

"Hey, sis!"

The amethyst unicorn looked behind her to see Dinky and Lilynette, the latter carrying a toolbox over her back. They stopped in front of Sparkler, and the purple filly smiled "We got the tools now. Where do we start?"

Lilynette frowned "You better not give us a boring job." She said in a warning tone.

Sparkler thought to herself 'Of course...This one was occupied with these two brats. Perhaps I should humor them since I'm only biding my time...' She held up a hoof "I believe we're needed around..." Sparkler looked around the park, then spotted another wrecked house west of the tree the three stood under as she pointed her hoof "That area over there. Why don't we get started?"

Dinky nodded "Okay." She turned to Lilynette "Are you ready to help Ponyville, Lily."

Lilynette shrugged "If you are, then so am I."

Sparkler arched an eyebrow at Lilynette 'This filly seems interesting...But why?' She shook off her reverie and piped up "Right then. Let's get to it." She said as the trio of unicorns made their way towards the wrecked house; The mailbox somehow remained intact.

Lilynette dropped the tool box from her back and looked up at the house "What a mess. And we have to do this with every single one?"

Dinky looked around to see smoldering areas where houses once stood and frowned "I think that we might have to rebuild everything that got ruined." She turned to the others "So what will we do with this house?"

Sparkler pointed a hoof "We'll start with the interior and work our way towards the outside. Simple as that." The two fillies agreed without complaint and went inside as Sparkler stayed behind. After sighing to herself, she went to step in, only to be met with a familiar pegasus blurring into existence next to her, startling her "What in Tartarus!?"

Starrk studied the envelope "I think I'm at the right place..." He looked up to see that the house he stood in front of was wrecked, frowning in disappointment "Great...Looks like another pony I'll have to track down in Ponyville..." He said as he stashed the envelope away in his bag. Starrk looked to his right to see Sparkler regarding him with a bewildered expression that turned into irritation "Oh...Hey, Sparkler. What are you doing here?"

Sparkler scoffed "In case you haven't noticed, Starrk..." She emphasized the former espada's name "Me, Dinky, and Lilynette were about to get started on this house. I was about to make my way in until you came along and surprised me with your presence."

Starrk hummed "Is that right? Sorry if I bothered you. I'm just busy with this mail..."

Dinky and Lilynette peered out of the front door "Hey, Sparkler! You coming or not?" The red filly called out, then noticed Starrk "Oh, hey there, Starrk. Are you gonna try and help us, too?" She asked inquisitively.

Starrk shook his head to answer Lilynette's question. Meanwhile, Dinky studied the mailbags on Starrk's body and awed at how one of them was completely empty "Wow, Mr. Starrk, you're almost done with your first shift!" Dinky stated as she beamed at the former espada.

Lilynette smirked "I see you're actually working for once. Good for you, Starrk."

Starrk nodded "I think I might help out with cleaning the wreckage when I'm done, even if it is a bit of a pain..."

Sparkler huffed "How sweet of you." She stated halfheartedly "Now if you don't mind, we're busy here."

Dinky waved at Starrk with a smile "We'll see you soon, Mr. Starrk. Good luck on your mail run!"

Lilynette pointed a hoof "Just hurry back as soon as you can. And you better not be late!"

Starrk scoffed at Lilynette's childish remark and blurred out with his Sonido, going back to his route. Sparkler scowled at where he once stood 'This makes no sense...He simply winks out of sight without even flapping his wings. Unless he were some alicorn in disguise, there could be more to this 'Starrk' pony...I must know if he's as strong as those ponies claim when I get the time...' She turned to the two fillies "Well? What are you two waiting for? Aren't we going to fix this house?"

Dinky looked up and notted at Sparkler "Right." She turned to Lilynette "Let's get to it, sis!" The two fillies vigorously went back inside and unloaded the tool box as they sorted through each instrument and wondered which one would work best for their job.

Sparkler watched and sighed inexasperation 'This is why I despise children. They're too simple-minded these days...' She said as she trotted inside and went to get started cleaning herself.
_____

Starrk was making ample progress with his mail run despite the many detours he had to make due to some of the buildings being leveled and other ponies having to work. However, while he delivered the mail in his bag, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched.

The former espada landed in front of the day spa and placed the set of envelopes in their mailbox. He looked around when he felt a gust of wind brush through his mane. At first he thought it was Rainbow Dash, but he would've been able to spot her by her prismatic trail she somehow leaves behind in her flight. It was something else, and he hoped that it wasn't what he was thinking of.

After giving his surroundings a courtesy scan, Starrk activated his Sonido and instantly found himself at Sweet Apple Acres, where he trotted up to the mailbox next to the homestead and went to insert the envelopes.

"Howdy!"

Starrk flinched, then looked behind him to see an elderly green mare smiling at him "Oh...Hey there. Are you the owner of this place?"

The mare chuckled "Dern tootin'. What can Ah do ya fer, sonny?"

Starrk shook his head "Nothing. I just thought you were someone else." He turned back to the mailbox and left the mail inside of it "That's one less problem to deal with..."

The elderly mare cocked her head to the side "Mare trouble?"

Starrk turned to face the elderly mare and stared in silence. Could this one be more knowledgeable than she looked? "Who are you?"

Smiling, the mare introduced herself "Granny Smith's th' name! Ah heard some things about ya from Applejack."

Starrk hummed "I see...Well, it was nice seeing you, but I gotta go."

Another gust of wind blew through his hair, and he darted his eyes before blurring out with his Sonido, startling Granny Smith, who scratched her head after witnessing his immense speed "Well ain't that a peach..." She muttered to herself before trotting into her home.

Meanwhile, Starrk continued to make each stop as quickly as possible, in the hopes of avoiding whatever was passing by him with deft movement. He was gradually feeling threatened with each moment; the flowing wind around him began to grow more and more unbearable until he finally stopped back at the post office, where he decided to take a short break and see if he can spot whatever was following him. He darted his head all around until he noticed there were no gusts of wind around him. After heaving a sigh, he went to leave...

"Glomp from above!"

Starrk's eyes widened and he looked up to see a pink mass quickly close in and latch onto his back. He grunted, then groaned in complaint while he was being hugged by a giggling earth pony "What do you want, Pinkie Pie?" He asked begrudingly.

Pinkie smiled "Just wanted to say hi. Oh, and thanks, too; I never thought I had the chance to throw a party with Princess Celestia as one of the guests!" She then examined Starrk while she rested on her back "What I don't get is how you're able to give birth to a filly."

Starrk did not face Pinkie while he beared an expression of impatience and reluctance "What are you getting at?"

Pinkie rolled over so that her back was touching Starrk's as she looked up "I mean you - a stallion - gave birth to Lilynette, who's a filly! How's that possible? Was there some kind of weird moment where you found a special somepony and she somehow hexed you into having kids?"

Starrk remained quiet, and nearly felt the urge to use his Sonido and let Pinkie fall to the ground while he resumed his job. Why does she have to show so much interest with him? "I already told you that I split my soul apart...Lilynette is a part of me." He explained in a tone laced with mild irritation "Why should it matter anyways?"

Pinkie frowned "Well, whoever heard of a stallion giving birth to a filly? Yeah, you said you split your soul apart, but you technically gave birth to Lilynette, so you're like a father to her!" She rolled over again and smiled at Starrk despite his rising irritation "But you're right; I shouldn't get too personal." She tilted her head "Can I ask you another question before you get back to work?"

Starrk paused before shifting his eyes back towards Pinkie "What is it?" He asked cautiously.

Pinkie grinned "When's your birthday?" She then felt herself floating in the air before she fell to the ground. Pinkie got up and looked around when she spotted no sign of Starrk "Aw, ponyfeathers. He's gone." She then shrugged "Oh well! Guess that means I'll have to try harder! And I think I know just the pony to turn to~..." The party pony quipped cheerfully as she pronked away to parts unknown.
_____

Derpy flew across Ponyville, delivering her own mail, though sighed at her pace 'I wish I was as fast as Starrk sometimes. His Sonido thingy was a shoe-in for his job! Maybe I should find a time to exercise with him later...' When she landed at Berry Punch's house, she placed the mail in her mailbox and went to leave until she noticed a certain pink party pony pronking pleasantly her way. She stopped in front of him, and they both smiled "Hi, Pinkie Pie! Whacha doin'?"

Pinkie rolled her eyes left and right "Oh, you know, this and that." She focused on Derpy "Can I ask you a few things involving Starrky?"

Derpy's eyes rotated "Sure you can! What do you wanna know?"

Pinkie grinned "You know when his birthday is?"

Derpy frowned "Oh, now that you mention it...I don't know..." She then smiled "But I do know how to wake him up if he's sleeping too much!"

Pinkie blinked with intrigue "Really? Can you tell me?" She asked vigorously.

Derpy held up a hoof "You just gotta give him some sugar!"

Pinkie tilted her head and pulled out a measuring cup full of sugar out of nowhere "Like this?"

Derpy shook her head "Nonono, the OTHER sugar!"

Pinkie stared before she was struck with realization "Ooooooooh~..." She hummed to herself as she rubbed her chin with a hoof, then looked back at Derpy "On the lips?"

Derpy nodded her head "On the lips." She said with a sincere smile.

Pinkie hummed again, then inched closer to Derpy "What's it like?" She asked curiously.

Derpy shrugged "I dunno; Not exactly special to me. It's just how I wake him up. And it works, too!" She smiled "Maybe you should try it the next time he's sleeping!"

Pinkie stared before smiling "You know...Maybe I should! Do you know anything else about Starrky?"

Derpy shook her head "Other than his story at the party and how to wake him up, I don't know diddly squat. But I hope I helped you out."

Pinkie smiled "Oh, you have. Thanks for the chat, Derpy! I better get going!" She said as she pronked away while giving off a more pleasant vibe.

Derpy looked down after Pinkie left "That is a good question, though; When IS Starrk's birthday?" She asked herself as she began to hover into the air and reach her next stop.

As she flew into the air, she heard a second set of wings behind her. At first she thought it was Raindrops; On rare occasions, they would cross paths in their mail routes and converse in a friendly manner. However, not only are the occasions rare, they're short-lived, and the two have to quickly move back onto their jobs.

Instead of looking behind to see Raindrops, Derpy noticed a certain rainbow pegasus flying after her with a look of mild determination "Oh, hey, Rainbow Dash! Did I forget to deliver mail to you?"

Rainbow Dash deadpanned "You didn't because Starrk was the one to deliver them for me. Speaking of, you got a minute?"

Derpy smiled "To talk? Sure! But can we do it while I deliver mail? I kinda want to complete this route."

Rainbow Dash nodded "Cool." She looked away while she flew "It's gonna be private, and you're the only pony I can talk to about this."

The two pegasi swooped down towards another home while Derpy replied cheerfully "Oh boy! I love private conversations!" She donned an embarrassed grin "I'm...not the best at keeping secrets, though..." Derpy added awkwardly.

Rainbow Dash heaved a sigh at Derpy's words, but mustered the patience to continue "To keep it short and simple, I wanna talk about Starrk. There's some stuff I gotta know about and I figured since he's living with you and all, you could have some info."

Derpy inserted the envelopes into the mailbox, then perked up after Rainbow Dash finished "Really? That's funny..."

Rainbow Dash furrowed her brow "What about it? Just because I wanna know about the newest pony in town?"

Derpy shook her head "Nuh-uh. Not at all." She smiled "Pinkie talked to me earlier and wanted to know about Starrky, too! I already told her how to wake him up."

Rainbow Dash widened her eyes "What!?" Her mind was reeling for two reasons; Derpy somehow knew a method to waking up Starrk without resorting to Lilynette, and Pinkie Pie had the same goal of extracting information from Derpy. She shook it off and grunted "Forget I said that. How DO you wake him up?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.

Derpy smiled "You gotta lay a wet one on him!"

Rainbow Dash stared before chuckling "Oh, is that all? That'll be easy!" She said as she held up a hoof with a mischievous grin. Nothing says 'Wakey wakey' like a good wet willy.

Derpy caught onto the gesture and shook her head "Nonono, the OTHER wet one!"

Rainbow Dash craned her head back "Wait, what?" She paused as she thought it over. The gears turned in the cyan pegasus' mind until she realized what Derpy had meant, her eyes widening once again "You're kidding..." Rainbow Dash whispered.

Derpy shook her head "Nope nope nope! And it has to be on the lips." She grinned as she clopped her hooves together "Just like in the movies!" She said as she flew upward, leaving Rainbow Dash to stay down until she finally took flight and followed the mailmare.

Rainbow Dash was at Derpy's side with a distressed look on her face "Please tell me there's another way. I'm begging you here."

Derpy's eyes rotated "Well, you could always use Lilynette, but I don't wanna hurt Starrky." She turned to Rainbow Dash "Neither do you, right?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head "No way!" She shuddered when she remembered Starrk's story "Can't believe that her and Starrk are like the same person..." The cyan pegasus muttered "It's gonna be weird to get used to that."

Derpy smiled "Not for me. I still see Lilynette as a daughter to Starrk, even if they don't get along so much. He's a lucky stallion to have such a strong little filly!"

Rainbow Dash frowned "Well, could you tell me anything else about Starrk? Anything useful?"

Derpy hummed "Well, me and Raindrops think he's shy around Pinkie Pie. Pinkie already knows about this, of course."

Rainbow Dash snorted 'Shy? What a load of horseapples! I don't think he'd want her to come within three feet of his personal space.' Upon this knowledge, she had an idea on how to achieve her own goals. Rainbow Dash smirked at Derpy "Anything else?"

Derpy shook her head "Nope. That's pretty much it. Hope it helped you out, though!" She smiled "It was nice talking with you, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash gave a small mock salute "Anytime. Thanks for the info!" She said as she flew away, leaving Derpy to fly on her own.

As she flew, Derpy's eyes rotated "Wow...Starrky's becoming more and more popular right now. I wonder if I should follow him like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie..."

To be continued...

Capitulo Diecisiete

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Capitulo Diecisiete

The Strength of an Espada

Starrk was quick in finding the particular ponies that he had missed in his mail route due to their properties being demolished or because they weren't at their homes. Afterwards, he decided to check back at the post office to see if he was supposed to make anymore mail routes.

He trotted inside to see Crafty Crates making sure everything in his office stayed intact during Cerberus' attack on Ponyville. While Starrk didn't make a sound, Crafty Crate turned to the door and jumped when he noticed the former espada in the office "Oh, uh...Hey there, Starrk. I see you've finished super fast as always." He said with a satisfied smile.

Starrk nodded "I'm ready for another route if there's any mail left..."

Crafty held up a hoof "Look, Starrk, I'm glad you're willing to work and all, but I think we both know that Ponyville's suffering big time right now thanks to Cerberus. That's why we're holding off further deliveries for now until everything's patched up. I'm sure everypony in town thinks the same way since they're moving around and cleaning up."

Starrk hummed and scratched his mane. Normally, he would question the ethics of his superiors when it comes to working, but he was happy to know that he had time off on his first day as a mailpony. He looked outside and figured he would stick to his promise "In that case, I won't argue. I better go on out there and help with the cleaning, since I'm partially responsible for all this."

Crafty Crate smiled "Hey, maybe you were, but all in all, you came through for us, Starrk. You deserved that party!" His smile vanished "But...are you serious about your kid?"

Starrk turned to walk away and cast a sideways glance at his boss "Yeah, I'm serious. We're the same person." He said nonchalantly as he made his way out of the office.

Crafty Crate stared as the former espada left, then caressed his temple with a hoof, shaken over the truth about Starrk and Lilynette. His worried doubled over thinking about the former's power "Sheesh, I dunno whether this town's lucky or doomed..." He muttered anxiously to himself.
_____

Sparkler, Dinky, and Lilynette exited the wrecked house and wiped the sweat from their brows after their hard work in clearing out the interior wreckage. Dinky beamed at her two sisters "Isn't this great? Now all we have to do is repair the house and we'll move onto the next one!"

Sparkler sighed "Of course you realize we don't have the necessary supplies. We'll leave the repairs up to those who have them." She said flatly as she distanced herself from the two fillies.

Lilynette huffed "What's wrong with you? I'd figure you wouldn't mind cleaning up Ponyville. Are you that tired or something?" She asked in an antagonizing tone.

Sparkler held back on wanting to smack the red filly for her insolent remark, but turned to her with a forced smile "Not at all. I'm just downcast that we couldn't entirely fix up that house." She said in a leveled tone.

Dinky frowned "Yeah. If only we were like those construction ponies, then we wouldn't have so much trouble rebuilding the town. We could help everypony!" She said with a vigorous grin.

Sparkler wished to roll her eyes at Dinky's childish thought but decided to chuckle "We would, wouldn't we?"

Suddenly, the sound of booming static from behind Sparkler made her jump in the air with a yelp and fall on her stomach. Dinky looked up at pony behind her with a smile "Mr. Starrk, you're here!"

Starrk nodded "Yeah, I said I'd help you with all of this. Turns out I'm getting more time to myself because of all this destruction." He looked down at Sparkler getting up while grumbling to herself "Are you alright?"

Sparkler looked back at Starrk, giving him a dirty glare "As I'll ever be." She replied angrily "Do you always do this?"

Starrk stared apathetically at Sparkler as she rose "If you're talking about my Sonido, then yes, most of the time I use it." He easily ignored the intensified glare from his response.

Lilynette pointed a hoof at Starrk with a smirk "Glad you're here, Starrk. Maybe now we can clean up a whole lot faster." She looked around for another house, then spotted one in the distance that was buried in large chunks of rubble "Let's go over there next!"

At the mentioned house, three pegasi, all of which were mares, were busy with cleaning it. Two pegasi were nearly identical, having purple coats and white manes, though they were differently styled; one had a spiked mane while the other wore her's down. The last pegasus had a white coat and a pink mane with green lines through it.

Dinky smiled at Lilynette's choice "Good idea, sis. Maybe they could use our help." She said as she joined the red filly in trotting towards the next house.

Sparkler watched with a sigh "Children can be a hindrance sometimes..."

Starrk trotted past Sparkler "That may be, but at least they have spirit. Let's get moving." He said as he joined the fillies, unaware of the shady look in Sparkler's eyes as she followed him.

Sparkler's eyes squinted as they were locked on the former espada 'Just what lies beneath Ponyville's newest savior aside from his incredible speed? Unless he maneuvered around Cerberus to the point of exhausting him, then perhaps there's a way to stop Starrk in his tracks...' She smirked to herself as she tried coming up with a plan to stymy Starrk's speed while following him.

When the group reached the house being cleaned by the pegasus mares, they were noticed by them with smiles on their faces "Hey there, everypony. You here to help us out?" The white pegasus asked.

The spike-maned pegasus noticed Starrk in the group and gasped "Hey, it's Coyote Starrk!" She swooped down and landed in front of him "You here to help us with this?"

Starrk gave a curt nod "Yeah." He looked at the house behind her and studied the large chunks, one of them being carried by the other purple pegasus and set down towards a cart holding a small pile; a large bundle of rope was resting next to it "Where are you going to take the wreckage?"

The spike-maned pegasus looked back at the cart "Well, we take it over towards Town hall, where Mayor Mare and Twilight are directing other ponies to recycle whatever's brought over." She sighed "It's a bit of a chore, especially since we have so much stuff to carry."

Starrk stared at the wrecked building, then picked through his memory on the location of Town hall. When he remembered correctly, he wordlessly trotted towards the rubble, leaving the group of mares to watch him. As he stopped within reach, Starrk glanced at his hoof before he reached out and easily grabbed one of the largest chunks, astonishing everypony around him, save for Sparkler and Lilynette.
_____

At Town hall, Mayor Mare and Twilight Sparkle were busy overseeing the recycling process outside of the building. So far, it was a steady process while more of Ponyville's refuse had came and went thanks to Twilight's directions. She smiled as she observed another set of pulled carts roll towards the pile that had been growing and receding throughout the entire process "This is going along swimmingly. I'd say we're making good progress around this time."

Mayor Mare nodded "Oh, I agree. We could possibly finish recycling by tomorrow, or even tonight!" She proclaimed brightly.

One of the ponies approached Twilight and Mayor Mare "We've just finished cleaning the junk covering the joke shop. Anywhere else you want to place us?" He asked.

Twilight looked around and went to point out another area that needed cleaning, but stopped when she noticed what appeared to be Starrk blurring into existence while holding a large piece of rubble "Starrk?" She asked in surprise as she quickly approached the former espada.

Starrk noticed Twilight after he dropped his small load in the pile "Oh, hey. I heard you were busy around here."

Twilight nodded "Yes, me and Mayor Mare." She frowned at the former espada "Doesn't that hurt?" She asked in concern.

Starrk raised an eyebrow "What are you talking about?"

Twilight pointed at the piece of rubble "When you carried that rock, it must've taken so much out of you."

Starrk followed Twilight's hoof towards the rubble "It really wasn't that much of a hassle. I just wanted to drop it off here." He then turned to leave, facing away from Twilight "I better get back and grab some more..." Starrk said as he went to use his Sonido.

"Wait!" Twilight called out, grabbing Starrk's attention as he looked back at her "I know you didn't seem too interested back then, but I was wondering if you felt like visiting my library once you get the time. I wish to know how far your power actually goes through proper study." She said with curiousity looming in her voice. Twilight stared at Starrk with an expectant and hopeful glance.

Starrk stared at her for a moment before turning away "Maybe some other time. Not now." He said as he blurred out with his Sonido, not paying attention to the unicorn behind him puffing her cheeks in irritation.
_____

He earned the slackjawed expressions of the three mares he assisted when he arrived back at his earlier location. After a small glance at the ruined building, he huffed to himself "It'd be dumb to make several trips..." He stated lazily as he turned towards the spike-maned pegasus "You...What's your name?"

The spike-maned pegasus tried to form coherent words in the midst of her awe "C-...Cloudchaser..."

Starrk held up a hoof "You have any alternative for this thing? I'm not a fan of moving back and forth constantly, even if I do have a job as a mailpony."

Cloudchaser tried to shake off her awe and think of a more productive method for Starrk to act upon. Her eyes glimmered with inspiration "I got an idea!" She turned to her twin next to her "Flitter, can you get the rope beside the cart?"

Flitter nodded "Got it." She glided towards the cart and brought the rope as requested, hovering while holding it with her hooves "What's the plan?"

Cloudchaser smiled "If we play our cards right, I think we'll get this job done lickety split." She turned to Starrk "Can you grab some of the rubble and place it in a small pile, please?"

Starrk shrugged and made his way towards the rubble, hovering into the air as he went. Instead of one hoof, he grabbed two more chunks with both of his forehooves, gliding towards the mares with relative ease and placing the gathered pieces in front of them. He repeated this process two more times until he had six large pieces sitting next to each other "Okay, now what?"

Cloudchaser pointed a hoof at Flitter "Alright, Flitter, tie up the pieces nice and tight. Don't be afraid of double-knotting if it means keeping them together."

Flitter nodded and readied the rope "Roger." With the help of Cloudchaser holding one end, Flitter guided her end around the pile a couple of times until she tied it together and tightened the hold. After she made a knot, she turned to Cloudchaser with a raised eyebrow "What are you up to, Cloudchaser?"

"I think I follow what she's planning..." Starrk said knowingly, albeit lazily as he approached the pile and easily lifted it up with his forehooves in front of the pegasus mares; He didn't pay attention to their awe before, but it had grown tenfold from his display of strength. Without another word, he blurred out with his Sonido while holding the accumulated pile.

Dinky had stars practically dancing in her eyes "Wow...Mr. Starrk is so strong..." She whispered in amazement.

Lilynette smirked boastfully "Well, what else would you expect from the Primera Espada? Coyote has plenty of strength to go around. This is just a small demonstration!" She explained to her sister with her chest puffed out.

Sparkler stared at where Starrk once stood with an indifferent glance 'Feh, it's a small amount of brute strength and nothing more. I've witnessed similar feats from Celestia's guards. What has been demonstrated is naught but a trifle to my standards...' She perked up when Starrk had returned, but with more rope than expected.

Starrk dropped the rope next to Cloudchaser and regarded her with his bored gaze "I borrowed some more rope from Town hall. Can you and your friends tie up more piles while I gather them?"

Cloudchaser nodded "Sure." She turned to the others "Flitter, Blossomforth, are you two ready?"

Blossomforth nodded "Yes. We can do this." She said with a smile as she grabbed a length of rope while she waited patiently for Starrk to bring about more piles to tie up.

So far, there had been three piles that have taken up the many lengths of rope. Much to the confusion of the others, Starrk stacked the piles on top of each other, flying into the air while holding each pile. Blossomforth winced "Erm, Coyote? Are you going to do what I think you're doing?"

Starrk didn't reply. Instead, he easily lifted up the three stacked piles onto his back using his head as if they were balloons. Cloudchaser, Flitter, and Blossomforth all felt their wingspans flare out in surprise as they beheld the spectacle with widened pupils; This feat had earned Sparkler's dumbfounded expression as well 'This isn't possible! Is he THAT strong!?'

The former espada blurred out with his Sonido once again, leaving the others behind. Lilynette looked over at the ruined building and noticed that through Starrk's efforts, the exterior was rid of over half its wreckage. She grinned 'That's Coyote for you. He can be lazy at times, but he knows how to get the job done!' She thought to herself.
_____

Mayor Mare and Twilight stared with their mouths agape at the sight in front of them. They thought their eyes were playing tricks on them, but they were bearing witness to what appeared to be an average looking pegasus stallion haul copious amounts of junk on his back as if he were packing for a camping trip. They remained froze while he tossed the junk from his back onto the pile, untying the rope that held the piles together.

"M-M-Mr. Starrk?" Mayor Mare asked hesitantly "Don't you think that's a bit too much? Clearly you must be tired after bringing all of that over here. The last pile we received was overwhelming enough."

Starrk turned to Mayor Mare, his expression unchanged "Yeah, I'm tired. But not from working. I'll be back with more junk to pile up." He said as he quickly blurred out without another word.

Mayor Mare stood before she fainted onto the ground, the thought of a herculean stallion sending her into a coma.

Twilight, however, stood with burning determination that was only outweighed by her fascination with Starrk's capabilities. It would be an ordeal, but somehow she would find a way to get a better look at Starrk, even if it meant either persuasion or extortion.

...That is, if friendly conversation wouldn't work.

To be continued...

Capitulo Dieciocho

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Capitulo Dieciocho

Faster Than Expected

After easily tackling the wreckage around the previous building through a few more trips, Starrk and company moved on to another area that needed tending to. The former espada was pleased with the progress he had made in little time. However, he ended up being followed by the three pegasus mares he had helped, all of which were grinning madly at him.

Dinky was trotting at Starrk's right alongside Lilynette, looking back at them before turning to him "Wow, Mr. Starrk, you made Cloudchaser and her friends very happy." She smiled up at him "I think you'll end up making lots of friends."

Starrk grimaced, though Dinky paid his expression no mind "It was no problem..." He replied as he trotted ahead of the group towards the joke shop 'Why did they have to follow me?' Starrk thought reluctantly to himself. His thoughts were cut short when he noticed Cloudchaser trotting to his left while smiling pleasantly at him, her earlier grin toned down "What?" He asked after the two had stared at each other.

Cloudchaser rolled her eyes innocently "Oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering if you had any plans once we're done cleaning Ponyville is all." She answered nonchalantly before looking back at Starrk "I'll bet a stallion like you has a booked schedule." She said with mild disappointment in her voice.

Starrk blinked "What's that supposed to mean? All I do is deliver mail..."

Cloudchaser went to speak, but Flitter had trotted in between them, her attention focused on Starrk "What my sister's trying to say is that she wasn't aware of what you do other than your usual job." She grinned "So, this is just a small question, but how much do you bench on a daily basis?" Flitter asked curiously.

Starrk grimaced again, not liking Flitter being so close to him "I don't..." He answered uncomfortably.

Lilynette frowned at Flitter "Starrk doesn't have to work out, you know. He's born strong!"

Flitter gave a light shudder before her smile became playful "Do tell..." She uttered while looking at Starrk with a half-lidded stare.

Cloudchaser shot Flitter an annoyed glance "Um, Flitter? Me and Starrk were in the middle of talking."

Flitter turned to Cloudchaser, oblivious to her irritation "I know that. I just wanted to ask him a question was all."

Blossomforth was found hovering above Starrk, looking down at him with an apologetic smile "I'm sorry if Cloudchaser and Flitter are bothering you, Coyote. Sometimes, they don't know the meaning of personal space."

Flitter glared up at Blossomforth "Says the mare who's right over him!"

Cloudchaser chimed in while glaring as well "And who said I was bothering Starrk?"

Starrk heaved a sigh as the mares fought between themselves. Behind the group trailed Sparkler, who eyed Starrk cautiously ever since his display of strength earlier 'His power is incredible. If he keeps this up, every single mare in this backwater village will line up to offer themselves to him...Unacceptable. His own power could make him the most devastating threat to Equestria...' Her eyes widened slightly before an evil smirk crept onto her face 'So perhaps I should let everypony know how destructive he actually is...' She looked around town 'Where should I begin??' Sparkler thought to herself while trying to distinguish the proper starting point for her scheme.

When the group reached the joke shop, they noticed that it was currently unattended. Starrk nodded to Lilynette, who dropped the lengths of rope and the tool box off of her back. Dinky looked up at Starrk "Do you want us to do anything, Mr. Starrk?"

Starrk stared at Dinky, and then looked at the joke shop before turning back to her "I don't think there's much for you to do around here unless you want to clean the interior again."

Lilynette smirked "We'll do it without you telling us." She turned to Dinky "Let's get to it, Dinky!" After receiving a nod from the other filly, the two galloped inside of the joke shop.

After Starrk watched them go inside, he focused his attention on Sparkler, who was peering around her area "Aren't you going inside with them?"

Sparker snapped out of her sighting to look at Starrk "Huh?"

Starrk continued "While they're combining their efforts, it won't be enough. Besides, your sister's in there. You should go help her."

Sparkler narrowed her eyes at Starrk before she silently made her way inside of the ruined joke shop. The former espada then turned to the trio of mares "Okay, you three get the rope ready. We've got more work to do."

Cloudchaser winked "You can count on us."

Flitter smirked confidently "This'll be a cinch!"

Blossomforth gave a curt nod "We'll take care of this as quickly as possible."

Pinkie grinned widely "Yeah! Let's do it!"

Starrk nodded back to the mares "Good, then let's-"

He caught himself for a moment, and he quickly noticed the newest addition with the other three mares "Pinkie?" They all said in unison.

Pinkie giggled "Who'd you expect? Sapphire Shores?" She asked jokingly.

Starrk twitched an eye 'I'd rather settle for Gin...At least he doesn't bother me with his smile...' He regarded Pinkie with an annoyed stare that demanded an explanation "Are you here to help us out with this job?"

Pinkie nodded vigorously "Yes indeedy. Ponyville's joke shop is one of my go-to spots for anything fun. I'm ready to lend all four of my hooves to clean it up!" She said as she took a pouncing stance with a determined gaze.

Starrk stared before pointing at the joke shop's entrance "Help the others inside while we tend to the wreckage out here."

Pinkie snapped a salute before she pronked inside of the joke shop. Starrk decided to get started with his usual job as he began collecting large piles of rubble, to which Cloudchaser, Flitter, and Blossomforth gathered up each pile with their own rope. Once finished, Starrk easily collected the three piles on his back, ignoring the enticed looks on the mares' faces as he blurred out with his Sonido.
_____

Meanwhile, at Town hall, Twilight paced back and forth while thinking to herself, an expression of light frustration on her face 'How do I convince Starrk to at least consider my request to study him? He doesn't even acknowledge me every time he comes by here. Worst-case scenario is that he's making work harder for everypony on recycling duty...' She groaned to herself "What am I gonna do?" She said as her frustration slowly grew.

"Hey, Twilight!"

Twilight snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Rainbow Dash soaring down towards Town Hall and landing in front of her. She examined Twilight's expression and craned her head back "You look all tied up right now. All this work bringing you down?"

Twilight shook her head "It's not just that." She turned over to the large pile of junk being tended to by passing ponies "We're receiving more junk than usual," She directed a hoof over towards an unconscious Mayor Mare laying on a convenient chair "Mayor Mare's out of commission, making it harder to send ponies to different places with their hauls," She gritted her teeth "And it's all because of-...of-..."

Rainbow Dash leaned in with an arched eyebrow "Because of who?"

Twilight growled before she blurted out "Coyote Starrk!" Rainbow Dash flinched and drew herself back "And that's not even the worst part! All I want to do is at least study him, but he snubs me with each pass he makes here!" She stomped a hoof "It's really starting to get to me, and I've only just met him!" Twilight finished her rant as she steamed from her nostrils.

Rainbow Dash chuckled in amusement "Chill out, Twilight, Starrk's just cool like that. You can't just expect him to listen to you the moment you get the chance." She looked away 'I'd be surprised if you were able to do that often...' The cyan pegasus thought nervously. She perked at the mention of Starrk working "Wait, you mean he isn't delivering mail right now? He's just helping out with the wreckage?"

Twilight huffed "Yeah, and I'd be lucky to get a positive answer from him once I manage to get a small conversation out of him." She said before she smiled calmly "I'm confident in convincing him once I open up with asking some of his interests and at least toss some compliments his way."

Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight "Seriously?" She asked after a moment of pause.

The sound of booming static caught the attention of both mares and they looked over at the pile to see Starrk carrying more rubble on his back with relative ease; Rainbow Dash had to keep her jaw from dropping after she noticed this "Starrk!" They both said in unison before looking at each other for a moment.

Twilight broke the staring contest and went to approach Starrk, but Rainbow Dash sped towards the former espada before she could take a few steps. She stopped next to Starrk as he unloaded his collected haul into the pile, maintaining a cool atmosphere "Hey, Starrk. How's it hanging?"

Starrk looked over at Rainbow Dash after hearing her briefly before focusing on untying the ropes binding each collected pile "If you're here about my answer to join you on weather duty, I haven't thought about it yet; I'm busy with cleaning up this mess. Could you give me another day to think it over?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged "I'll see what I can do. I'm just surprised you're doing this instead of delivering mail."

"Crafty Crate's holding off deliveries until everything in town is situated. I'm just helping out since I did most of this." Starrk replied without facing Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash frowned at Starrk "You didn't do most of this." She looked away sheepishly "I mean, yeah, you easily took down some of Whitetail Woods and erased a couple of buildings out of existence with that cero thingy of yours, but that was it." She recovered quickly "I don't think everypony's gonna hold a grudge against you since you basically saved them all."

Twilight reached the two pegasi, stopping next to Rainbow Dash as she took a deep breath "Excuse me, Starrk. I know you're lending a helping hoof in rebuilding Ponyville, but I must advise that you ease up on your trips." She stated calmly, hiding her irritation from both her past attempts at talking and Rainbow Dash feeling the need to talk to him first "Everypony tasked with recycling are starting to get overwhelmed." She looked back at Mayor Mare resting on the chair empathetically "And I mean everypony..." Twilight muttered.

Starrk finished untying the bonds to look over at Twilight "Then I'll do recycling as well. I know there's a lot to be done, but I want to be finished as soon as possible."

Rainbow Dash laughed "I hear ya, Starrk." She said as she tilted her head "Say, where are you cleaning up right now to make such good trips?"

Starrk closed his eyes, as if deep in thought "I just finished helping a group of mares with this house earlier." He opened his eyes to show a tired gaze "And now they're following me around and wanting to help." Starrk looked away with visible irritation "Pinkie's helping out, too..." He stated dryly.

"Pinkie!?" Rainbow Dash blurted out incredulously, earning confused stares from Twilight and Starrk. She shifted her glance between them before clearing her throat "Well, she DOES get around; full of energy and all that." She recovered cooly. Rainbow Dash turned to Starrk "Where are you at right now?"

"The joke shop." The former espada replied.

Rainbow Dash smiled "How about I follow you there and lend a hoof?" She heard somepony clear their throat and looked over at a cross Twilight, chuckling awkwardly "I mean, to help him keep Pinkie out of his hair for the time being."

Starrk looked at Rainbow Dash "I'd like that. Knowing you're one of her best friends, I'm sure she'll pay more attention to you." He picked up the lengths of rope and placed them on his back before he shifted his gaze to Twilight "I'll be back with more wreckage. Maybe you can guide me to where it needs to be recycled once I get back with you." He said as he blurred out with his Sonido.

Twilight glared at Rainbow Dash "What was that all about? I could've actually talked with him back there!"

Rainbow Dash held her forehooves in a placating manner "Geez, I'm sorry!" She said as she looked up at the sky "I know you wanna talk with him, too, but don't you think he's willing to get the job done before that could even happen?"

Twilight went to retort, but sighed "I suppose you're right. His mind is set on helping out with cleaning Ponyville before he can do anything else..." She gave Rainbow Dash a suspicious glance "By the way, why the outburst when Starrk mentioned Pinkie Pie?"

Rainbow Dash froze in place and shifted her eyes before she unfurled her wings with a distressed look on her face "GottagohelpStarrkbye!" She quickly said before taking off into the sky, leaving a prismatic blur in her wake.

Twilight watched her brash friend leave and then went back to thinking "Okay, so as long as we get things done in a short period of time, that would give me the opportunity to talk with Starrk..." She said to herself "Was he actually serious with wanting to recycle as well?"

"C'mon, Mayor Mare, wake up!"

Twilight perked up and looked over at Mayor Mare to see Derpy holding envelopes "Mail call!" The mailmare quipped as she waved the envelopes in front of Mayor Mare's face.

The lavender bookworm trotted over to the two mares and stopped Derpy from her antics "Derpy, Mayor Mare's not feeling too hot at the moment. Could you just give the mail to me in her place?" She asked politely.

Derpy hummed to herself in thought before presenting the envelopes to Twilight with a bright smile "Okay. Make sure she reads them all, though. I think they're bills." She said cautiously.

Twilight took the envelopes with her magic "I'll place them in her office and let her know about them." She said to Derpy. After remembering where Starrk lived, she had an idea "Say, Derpy, could you give me some tips on how to make Starrk open up?"

Derpy shook her head "I dunno how to make his body open up. I think you should see a doctor for that one." She ignored Twilight's facehoof "But I DO know he loves to nap whenever he isn't busy."

Twilight frowned "Really? Well, that doesn't help me at all! When would be a good time to talk to him?"

Derpy shrugged "I dunno." She smiled "But I know how to wake him up when he's asleep. Wanna know how?"
_____

Starrk reached the joke shop and approached Cloudchaser, Flitter, and Blossomforth with the ropes on his back, dropping each bundle in front of them "Here you are. Also, expect me to be gone longer with each trip I make; I'm doing recycling as well." He was nearly taken by surprised when the three mares moaned pitifully.

Cloudchaser approached Starrk with sympathetic eyes "You shouldn't have to put yourself through so much work."

Flitter was next, standing next to her sister as Starrk took a step back "I wanna help you out, too, you know!"

Blossomforth was the last to get near Starrk "Of course, she actually means all of us." She added quickly.

Feeling uncomfortable, Starrk went to reply, but noticed a prismatic blur across the horizon in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash landed down next to Starrk and noticed the three mares in front of him "Cloudchaser? Flitter? Blossomforth? Starrk helped you three out?"

Cloudchaser nodded to Rainbow Dash "And how. Have you seen how easy he made our job back there?" She gave a flap of her wings as she beamed at Starrk "He just came and went with that amazing strength of his. We finished our last stop in no time at all!"

Flitter closed her eyes and swooned "Starrk's so amazing. I'd say Ponyville's lucky to have somepony like him living in town."

Blossomforth smiled at Starrk "I agree. I'll bet the folks in Cloudsdale would rave over Starrk once they hear about him."

Rainbow Dash had to tap into every reserve of calm she had to keep her from getting agitated after hearing each compliment about Starrk "Well, I'm here to help out, too." She turned to Starrk "So where's Pinkie, anyways. I'd figure she'd be all over you."

Starrk pointed a hoof at the joke shop "She's inside with Dinky, Lilynette, and Sparkler."

Pinkie peered her head out of the joke shop "Did somepony call my name?" She asked curiously.

Rainbow Dash noticed Pinkie and gave a small wave "Hey, Pinkie." She greeted halfheartedly.

Pinkie grinned and sped up next to the cyan pegasus "Hi there, Dashie! You here to help us, too?"

Rainbow Dash looked away and rubbed the back of her head "Yeah, I just wanted to make sure the job would get done even faster, you know?"

Cloudchaser piped up "But Starrk's already making it fast for us. Didn't you listen?"

Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth before turning to Cloudchaser "Well, I'm just here to double the effort. One awesome pegasus is enough, but TWO awesome pegasi would blow this job away."

Starrk scratched his mane "If only you were right...No matter how fast we both are, we still have a long way to go, and I just want this all to be done fast and efficiently so I can take a nap..."

Pinkie turned to Starrk "Really? Well, why didn't you say so?" She said as she grinned widely as she held up a hoof "There's only one surefire way to make that possible."

Starrk turned to Pinkie "Is there? Will it work?"

Pinkie smirked "The better question is, how are your pipes?"

Starrk stared "...My what?"

While he waited for an answer, all he saw was Pinkie bouncing her legs to some upbeat music that played out of nowhere. Starrk's ears twitched, and he looked around to spot the source of the music. Pinkie grinned as she was found next to Starrk, draping a foreleg over his shoulder.

"We've got ourselves a great big job to do~!"

Starrk craned his head away from Pinkie while she sang to the strange music. He was relieved when Pinkie took her hoof off and stopped next to the three mares, who - to his surprise - were bouncing to the music themselves.

"It will be tough, but we'll be sure to see it through~!"

Rainbow Dash smacked her temple with a hoof before smiling respectfully at Pinkie's idea. Why didn't she think of that? She joined in with a verse of her own.

"Lots of stops to make, no need to take our time~!"

The five mares gathered next to Starrk and sang in unison, to which Starrk distanced himself while staring dumbfoundedly at them.

"We'll do our best to bring our town back to its priiiime~!"

Starrk took another step back, yearning to leave the group of singing mares behind 'What the hell are they doing? Are they crazy?' They continued to sing, not paying attention to the former espada's confusion.

"We stand together in this town we live in~!
We band together to show that we care with all our heart~!
No matter what, we'll see that Ponyville stands great and tall~!
And make sure that we will never fall apart~!"

Feeling as if he were the odd one out in what he perceived to be a mental breakdown, he went to go work on cleaning the joke shop by himself. However, he noticed that the mares that sang earlier gathered with him and pitched in with their work. Starrk watched how each one worked with more effort than he had witnessed, stacking their own share of rubble onto convenient carts nearby before they trotted away rhythmically.

Starrk could not fathom how it was possible or why the music continued to play, but all he knew was that this world was starting to bug him 'Not everyone in this place actually sings on a daily basis...Do they?'
_____

Inside of the joke shop, Dinky was working with Sparkler and Lilynette until she started to sing herself.

"We need to step it up and work real hard~!"

Lilynette arched an eyebrow at Dinky while she worked. She ignored how Sparkler felt nervous until she quickly threw in a verse of her own.

"It's how we do things here; these many tasks with no holds barred~!"

Lilynette stopped cleaning to shift her glances between Dinky and Sparkler "Why are you two singing?" She said as she tried to follow the current happening between her two sisters. Dinky stopped working to raise a hoof.

"This job is very big, so we shouldn't take our time~!"

Sparkler stopped working as well to stand next to Dinky as they sang in unison, inwardly relieved that she managed to do well so far.

"We'll do our best to bring our town back to its priiiime~!"

Lilynette grew annoyed that she was being ignored "Hey! I'm asking you both a question!"

Lilynette groaned "Forget it, I'll just get back to-" She watched at how Dinky and Sparkler went back to work, doing their jobs with more effort "...work?" She finished as she observed them performing better than before. The red filly joined in with her own effort after she felt invigorated by her sisters' newfound energy 'I wonder if I should sing, too...' She thought to herself.
_____

At Town Hall, Twilight directed more ponies on recycling duty, this time with a more motivated spirit as the music continued. Her verse was sung at a different rhythm and tone.

"We've never had to deal with such a drastic problem here,
But I know that we will mend our precious little town~."

Twilight smiled at how the junk pile was actually decreasing at a steady rate thanks to everypony's combined efforts.

"Everypony's working hard and showing that they'll carry on.
They know that Ponyville will never be brought dooooown~!"

Rather than at Town Hall, everypony in Ponyville joined together in their chorus while they continued working at their new pace.

Starrk was found flying into the sky and looking down at Ponyville, seeing how his wish was surprisingly coming true 'I can't believe it...All this over one song?' He watched how nearly every wrecked building was being cleaned out faster than expected.

Pinkie was found next to Twilight with her signature grin "No, we will never fall apart~!" She finished along with the music. When the song was done, Ponyville was seen with its damaged buildings cleaned, needing only renovations before it would seem like nothing had happened.

He was always known for his lazy and disinterested nature, but Coyote Starrk had never been blown away by such performance from a group of ponies that sing as if it were second nature to them. On one hand, they were crazy to the point where he would question why he would still remain with them, but on the other hand, they grew more interesting by the minute.

...But that doesn't mean that he would be willing to sing himself.

To be continued...

Capitulo Diecinueve

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Capitulo Diecinueve

Silence is Golden

Twilight observed the completion of everypony's tasks with a satisfied smile on her face "This is great. We've got plenty of time to spare for repairs now!"

Pinkie grinned "And let's not forget the one pony that made this possible!"

Twilight turned to Pinkie with a bewildered look on her face "I never thought you would be the type to take so much credit, Pinkie."

Pinkie giggled "Not me, silly!" She looked up at the sky "Wait for it~..." Pinkie said expectantly before a certain pegasus blurred into existence next to her and Twilight, startling the latter "Here he is!" She said with a smile.

Twilight noticed Starrk "Starrk? Singing was your idea?" She asked in mild surprise, not expecting somepony who seemed so lazy having an affinity for singing. Strangely, she inched herself away from the former espada after her question.

Starrk frowned "Far from it. Pinkie's the one who started it, not me." He stated dryly.

Pinkie inched herself towards Starrk "But it wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for you." She said as she grabbed the former espada in a hug, nuzzling his cheek with her own "You're the best, Starrky!" Pinkie proclaimed brightly, ignoring Starrk's discomfort with her breeching his personal space.

Twilight watched the two, though she inwardly quivered when her eyes were on Starrk "Well, regardless of who's idea it was, we're halfway done with rebuilding Ponyville." She smiled "We're making excellent time thanks to you."

Starrk wore an annoyed frown while Pinkie continued to nuzzle at him "It was nothing..." After a few more nuzzles, Starrk shifted his eyes at Pinkie "Can you stop now, please?" He asked in a mildly impatient tone.

"Just a minute." Pinkie replied quickly as she continued nuzzling.

Over by where the pile of junk used to reside, Rainbow Dash was seen pulling up an empty cart "That oughta do it. Now to wait for the owner to pick it up." She said as she got out of the harness and trotted towards Town Hall with her eyes closed, a smug smile on her face 'I noticed how Starrk wasn't even lifting a hoof once we started to sing. I'll bet he's wondering about my secrets right now.' She thought to herself as she slowly opened her eyes. They shot open, and Rainbow Dash stopped instantly in her tracks when she noticed Pinkie nuzzling Starrk while he stood with his annoyed expression.

Pinkie continued nuzzling Starrk, until she finally broke the embrace and stood next to him with a content grin "Okay, I'm done." She chirped.

Starrk rubbed his neck while he shot an annoyed stare at Pinkie 'She's like some kind of vice...' When he looked away from both her and Twilight, he noticed a certain cyan pegasus coming his way at top speed until she stopped in front of him "Do you need anything?" He asked Rainbow Dash passively, his annoyance fading.

Rainbow Dash shifted her glance between Pinkie and Starrk before she stopped on Twilight "I just wanted to know what I missed is all." She said in a cool, but rushed tone.

Twilight raised an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash's statement "You didn't miss anything other than Pinkie Pie giving Starrk a congratulatory hug." She deadpanned, not anticipating such a response from her friend.

Pinkie turned to Starrk with a wide smile "I could give another one for good measure if you like." She said in a persuasive tone.

Starrk and Rainbow Dash both perked up and looked at Pinkie "No!" They said simultaneously before looking at each other blankly. The cyan pegasus quickly looked away "I mean, I don't think it's a good idea." She recovered cooly.

Pinkie waved a dismissive hoof "Oh, pshaw! Starrky's only warming up to us one step at a time. We gotta show him how much we care!" She didn't pay attention to the mentioned pony's look of reluctance towards her suggestion.

Twilight rolled her eyes at Pinkie's comment until she noticed some ponies showing up at Town hall with their own supplies from tools to building material, each one feeling chipper in their own way "Looks like everypony's gonna rally up for repairing the buildings." She said as she turned to the others with a slight frown "Something tells me that this might take longer than expected, though. I'd say we lucked out on time when we were busy cleaning the damages."

Pinkie smirked "Nothing a little song wouldn't fix!"

Starrk drooped his ears and grimaced "None of that, please..."

Rainbow Dash chuckled "What's the matter, Starrk? Don't like to sing?" She teased with a small jab to his shoulder, but flinched when she noticed the look that betrayed no nonsense in the former espada's eyes "Okay, maybe you don't..." She muttered awkwardly.

"Hey, everypony!"

The four ponies saw Applejack approach them from the gathering crowd "We're ready t' get started with th' hard part o' this job, but Ah gotta head over t' my place to grab more supplies in case anypony else needs 'em. Could Ah trouble y'all t' lend me a hoof?"

Pinkie grinned "You got it, AJ!" She said as she draped a hoof over Starrk's shoulder "We can go with you, right, Starrky?" The mentioned pony merely drooped his ears after Pinkie's question.

Rainbow Dash tried not to pay attention to Pinkie's gesture as she voiced herself "Sure thing. Lead the way?" She asked nonchalantly.

Applejack turned to Rainbow Dash, her head tilted "Yer willin' t' follow our pace fer once? That ain't like ya at all, Dash." She pointed out with a calculating stare towards her friend.

Rainbow Dash grunted "Well, I WOULD just race there, but I don't feel like it right now."

Pinkie turned to Rainbow Dash with a spark of inspiration in her eyes "Why not have Starrky go get the supplies? He's faster than all of us!"

Applejack shook her head "There's gonna be plenty o' stuff t' carry back into town, so Ah'd rather have a group of extra hooves than jus' rely on Coyote alone." She smiled "Mighty appreciated, though."

Twilight looked over at Mayor Mare, who was still resting on a chair "I'd love to accompany you all as well, but I should probably take care of Mayor Mare and get her inside Town Hall. Derpy already came by with mail belonging to her."

Starrk felt as if he had no say in the matter, but he realized that everypony still needed assistance with their task of repairing collateral damages. He shrugged it off and nodded to Applejack, letting her lead the way while he was traveling with Pinkie and Rainbow Dash dangerously close to him on both sides, making him uncomfortable.

Twilight watched them leave until she felt the need to speak "Erm, Starrk?" The former espada stopped to look back at Twilight, who developed a faint blush as she looked embarrassed "I-I wouldn't recommend sleeping..." She said feebly.

Starrk raised an eyebrow at Twilight's warning, especially with the knowledge that he was currently busy at the moment. Pinkie and Rainbow Dash stopped to look back as well, the latter appearing shocked. He gave a curt nod to Twilight in response before following after the others, though he had to deal with both mares close to him at both sides once more.

When they were far off, Twilight sighed to herself in exasperation 'Why did I have to go and say that? If it weren't for Derpy telling me how to wake up Starrk, I wouldn't feel so nervous around him!' She thought before she turned to Mayor Mare with a wince "I just hope he'll be awake and alert once I go look for him..." Twilight said to herself as her horn lit up, her magic wrapping around the unconscious mare in her sights.
_____

At the joke shop, Dinky, Sparkler, and Lilynette trotted out and looked around at the town's current state. The purple filly beamed "Goody! We'll get Ponyville fixed in no time."

Lilynette cast a bored stare at the work that had been done, but looked around in confusion shortly after "Hey, where's Starrk? Or those other girls that were with him?"

Sparkler hummed "I suppose they must be at another part of town." She said as she rubbed her chin "If only there were somepony that would supervise you both, I'd gladly let you be on your way. There's something I need to take care of back home before I can continue working."

Dinky turned to Sparkler "Really, sis? But what do you have to do that's so important?"

Lilynette shot a look at Sparkler "Yeah. I don't remember you actually needing anything at all." She held up the toolbox "Also, we already raided the house for tools, so what DO you want from there?"

Sparkler stared down at the fillies, trying to come up with a believable lie that would be able to separate her from them, until she noticed a flying figure in the sky. She looked up to see what appeared to be Derpy without her mailbags and a bright smile on her face, swooping down and closing in on her and the fillies.

Dinky noticed as well and galloped towards her "Mommy!" She cheered.

Derpy landed and wrapped her hooves around her daughter in a warm embrace "Hiya, muffin. Mommy's done with deliveries right now, so she's ready to help with rebuilding Ponyville!"

Sparkler sighed in relief 'Excellent, a distraction. Now I can use this to my advantage...' She smiled at Derpy "Hello, mom..." Sparkler said in a suspiciously cheerful tone "I was just about to go home for a moment to take care of something."

Derpy stared at Sparkler, her eyes rotating momentarily before she gave a hearty laugh "Oh, you're such a riot, Sparkler. You know Lily and Dinky have the toolbox already." She said as she pointed at the toolbox in Lilynette's grasp "Besides, we can't make any stops while we're busy rebuilding the town."

Sparkler looked troubled "You mean..."

The amethyst unicorn found herself wrapped around grey hooves as Derpy smiled "That's right! We're gonna stick together and work as a family. Nopony's gonna separate until we're done with our job."

Sparkler forced a grin "How sweet..." 'Confound it all! Now I'll have to wait for another opportunity away from these dullards!'

Lilynette frowned "Wait, then we'll need Starrk, too. We can't finish without him!"

Derpy gave a small gasp "You're right, Lily. Why don't we find him so we can get all of this work finished?" She asked Lilynette with her innocent smile.

Sparkler stared at Derpy in disappointment "Do you even know where he is?"

Lilynette smirked at the two mares "Why bother looking for him?" She asked mischievously as she distanced herself from Derpy, Dinky, and Sparkler. Once she was at an acceptable distance, she hung her head before turning to the heavens.

"STAAAAAAAARK!!"

Derpy, Dinky, and Sparkler gritted their teeth and covered their ears as Lilynette shouted the former espada's name. Sparkler peered at Lilynette once she was finished 'Since when was a unicorn filly capable of channeling the Royal Canterlot Voice?'
_____

On the trail to Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack took point in leading Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Starrk back to her homestead. Pinkie had already explained the reason for everypony singing earlier, already impressed "Well, don't that beat all. We needed so much help an' th' newest pony in town happened t' give it t' us." She looked back at Starrk with a smile "Thank ya kindly fer yer help, sugarcube."

Starrk traveled stoically with Pinkie and Rianbow Dash next to him "I already told you that it wasn't my idea; it was Pinkie's. I didn't know that singing would make the work go faster."

Rainbow Dash looked at Starrk "Well, maybe you should try to look into it sometime. You know, since you're gonna be living here and junk. I'm sure you got a good singing voice behind that rough exterior of yours." She said as she closed her eyes and laid a hoof on her chest with a prideful smirk "Yours truly happens to be an expert singer, if you couldn't tell earlier."

Starrk gave Rainbow Dash an unamused stare "I can see that..." He muttered.

Pinkie inched her head near Starrk "You can't SEE singers, silly. You hear them!"

Rainbow Dash noticed Pinkie's move and cleared her throat loudly "Yeah, what Pinkie said, but you get the idea." She said as she smiled "You should give singing a chance now and then."

Applejack looked ahead as she voiced herself "Pardonin' Rainbow strokin' her ego, she's got a point; T'ain't no harm in singin' a few notes when it feels right to." She said in encouragement.

Starrk rolled his eyes "I think I'll pass...I don't have any rhythm."

Rainbow Dash snorted "Not with that attitude. All we gotta do is show you the basics, and you'll work your way around it in no time. After all, you are number one, right?" She said teasingly with a smirk to match.

Starrk sighed "Can we leave my number out of this?"

Rainbow Dash frowned "I don't get it, Starrk. I know you led a rough life before coming here, but how can you NOT like being at the top of your game?"

"Because it's lonely at the top and you can only find satisfaction amongst the lower ranks?" Pinkie answered with a question, earning the stares of the ponies around her "Just a hunch." She quipped as she grinned obliviously.

Applejack shook her head at Pinkie's words before she noticed they were near her home "Alrighty then, y'all. We'll get th' supplies an' be back at Town hall in two shakes of a lamb's tail. Won't take but a minute."

"STAAAAAAAARK!!"

The group stopped their pace and looked up at the booming voice heard over the horizon, the mares darting their heads about in confusion; Starrk identified it easily as he held a bored glance "I'll be right back. Lilynette's calling..." He said as he blurred out with his Sonido.

Applejack noticed and sighed in disappointment "Consarn it. Looks like we're loadin' ourselves until Coyote's finished with Lilynette."

Pinkie giggled "Then it'll only take a second since Starrky's the fastest flier alive."

Rainbow Dash looked up at the clouds "Yeah, I suppose I can't hold that title forever." She looked away "As much as that leaves a bad taste in my mouth..." She murmured bitterly.

Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash "Yer takin' this a whole lot better than expected." She arched an eyebrow towards the cyan pegasus "Come t' think of it, ya have been actin' mighty strange lately."

Rainbow Dash shrugged "Well, what can I do? We're talking about somepony from another world that could take down Cerberus with some trick we don't even know about."

Pinkie tilted her head "So does that make Starrky an alien?"

Rainbow Dash was silent, contemplating over Pinkie's question as she thought back to Starrk's story; She wondered what Starrk would look like with a hole in his chest, or what he would look like before he became a pony.

Applejack piped up, stopping Rainbow Dash from thinking "Ah'm about as curious as both o' y'all, but we got ourselves a town t' fix. Let's shake a leg an' round up our supplies; We'll start at my tool shed." She said as the three mares trotted away.
_____

Starrk appeared before Lilynette and Derpy's family with his usual expression of boredom. He looked down at the filly that summoned him "What's wrong, Lilynette?" Starrk asked, annoyed with being called at the wrong time.

Lilynette pointed a hoof at the family behind her "We were gonna work together and rebuild Ponyville as a family, but we needed you so we could make it complete."

Starrk looked over at Derpy and Dinky smiling innocently while Sparkler rubbed her ears as if they were in pain. He sighed and turned away "Give me a minute, okay? I'm already tasked with bringing back supplies from Sweet Apple Acres..."

Derpy blinked "You're helping Applejack?" She smiled warmly "You can be so kind sometimes."

Lilynette scowled "What? You can't just ignore us like this, Starrk!" She snapped irritably at his reply.

Starrk looked back at the others "I'm just hauling back supplies. Meet me back at Town hall and we'll work from there." He requested in a laidback tone.

Dinky nodded "Okay, Mr. Starrk. It's a promise." She grinned cheerfully.

Derpy gave a nod as well before turning to the others "Well, girls, you heard the stallion. Once Starrky reaches Town hall, we're working together!"

Sparkler forced another smile "Got it." 'Perhaps I could get creative with the townsfolk if I cannot easily separate myself from these peons...'

Lilynette pointed a hoof at Starrk with narrowed eyes "We'll be waiting for you, alright? You better not take your time." She warned.

Starrk shook his head at Lilynette's bossy behavior and blurred out with his Sonido once more, leaving his pseudo family to make for their next destination.
_____

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were trotting towards a large tool shed. Close by, they noticed a large red stallion with a yoke over his neck headed towards the same destination. Applejack waved over at him "Hey there, Big Macintosh. We were just about t' borrow th' supplies and head back into town. Ya here t' do th' same?"

Big Macintosh turned to Applejack with a relaxed look on his face, a straw of wheat in his mouth. He nodded to her with a simple "Eeyup." in reply.

Pinkie hummed to herself "I wonder where Starrky is...He should've been here by no-" A blur out of the corner of her eye beckoned her to quickly turn around and spot Starrk a few feet away "There you are! You really know how to move around." She complimented.

Rainbow Dash noticed Starrk and waved "Took ya long enough. You gonna help us or what?" She said jokingly.

Starrk approached the others by the tool shed "I'm gonna be moving the supplies before I go back to Derpy and her family. How much are we moving."

Applejack looked over at Starrk "Basically this whole thing followed by some wood. We got some carts fer it an' stuff, so it won't be but a trip." She stole a glance at Big Mac before she smiled "Oh, an' Ah haven't properly introduced my family to ya. This here's my older brother, Big Macintosh; Big Mac for short."

The two stallions looked at each other in silence, their laidback stares speaking to each other rather than their mouths. After the small staring contest, they shared a nod, and Big Mac had a thin smile on his face. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were busy trying to comprehend what had went on between them beyond their session of staring, each donning their own expressions of intrigue and confusion.

Applejack shifted her glance between the two stallions before grinning awkwardly "Well, okay then. What say we get t' movin', huh?"

Big Macintosh turned to Applejack "Eeyup."

Starrk nodded "Okay." He replied cooly.

Applejack opened the tool shed's doors and stepped inside to see several tools from hammers to saws, and enough lumber to build an extra barn if she ever saw fit. The others made their way inside as well to have a look for themselves. Applejack gave each item a courtesy check before turning to Starrk and Big Macintosh "What say ya two go grab th' carts while me an' th' girls gather everythin' here?"

The two stallions wordlessly complied, and Big Macintosh turned to Starrk, nodding his head out of the shed as a signal to follow him. Just like their encounter, the trek was silent, much to their pleasure. Starrk was lead towards a barn nearby that held empty wooden baskets and some carts. Big Macintosh made his way to one of them, easily attaching himself to the cart he chose and trotted a few steps forward as he pulled it out of the barn.

Starrk followed suit and eventually caught up with him, the two stallions not even saying one word to each other. When they got back to the tool shed, the mares were seen with their supplies ready to be loaded "Good timin', y'all. Now t' load everythin' and vamoose."

The two stallions dislodged themselves to help with loading the two carts with ease. As Starrk loaded some lumber onto his cart, he was occupied with Pinkie talking with him "So, Starrk, do you like Big Mac at all? Because something tells me you don't since you two didn't even say hi. Me and Dashie were just lost on what to think of you both after Applejack introduced him to you!"

Starrk stifled a groan of irritation towards Pinkie wanting to talk with him "We respect each other."

Pinkie smiled "So you do like him? That's neat." She tilted her head "But why not at least make some conversation with him? You know, to show that you do respect him?"

Starrk loaded another bundle of lumber while trying to be patient with Pinkie "Because sometimes I don't feel like talking constantly. He knows I respect him and vice versa, so that's pretty much it."

As if his troubles didn't end there, Rainbow Dash was found next to Pinkie, inviting herself into the conversation "So you're just like Big Mac? The strong and silent type?"

Starrk drooped his ears as he finished loading his cart 'Why must I put up with this?' He thought to himself, feeling as if his spirits were crumbling. He looked over at how Big Macintosh happened to hold his own in loading his cart without no mare bothering him. Soon enough, the red stallion looked back at him and gave him another silent nod. Starrk stared for a moment until he realized the significance behind it, nodding back to him in gratitude before facing Rainbow Dash "Essentially. Not that it matters a whole lot."

Rainbow Dash approached Starrk "Well, seeing as how you're not alone anymore, I'd figure you would be quite the chatterbox." She smiled "After all, what's the point in having company when you don't feel like talking to anypony?"

Starrk stared at Rainbow Dash, but gave a light scoff "Touche. But my point still stands; I'm not much for talking."

Pinkie frowned "Awww, but what's the point not talking too much when somepony WANTS to talk to you?"

Starrk grunted "Then I suppose it can't be helped. Just because I'm not much for talking a lot doesn't mean I'll shut everyone away."

Pinkie instantly grinned "That's great. So does that mean I'll be able to reach you anytime I wanna talk with you?"

Rainbow Dash felt a tinge of anxiety before she huddled up next to Pinkie, glancing at Starrk with expectant eyes "And me, too, right?"

Starrk craned his neck back as he stared back at the two mares crowding together while trying to get close to him. He looked over at a certain orange mare pulling them both back by their tails until they were at an acceptable distance away from the former espada. She spat out their tails and spoke up with a frown "Hold yer horses, girls. Ya know y'all can talk t' Starrk anytime, but right now we have a town t' fix."

Pinkie turned to Applejack before she smiled "Okie Dokie Loki! Ponyville first, then we can talk to Starrky."

Rainbow Dash cursed under her breath before she waved a hoof "Alright, no need to get assertive about this." She defended herself brashly.

Applejack huffed before she smiled and winked at Starrk - who was silently grateful for her intervention - then turned away to hold her hat with a hoof while staring at Ponyville in the distance "Alright, everypony. Let's move this gear up int' town!" She said in determination.

Pinkie snapped a salute "Aye aye, Captain Jack!" She said as she pronked next to Applejack while the others simply trotted out of Sweet Apple Acres.

Rainbow Dash trotted next to Starrk and Big Macintosh on the trail back to Ponyville. She slowly shifted her eyes towards the former espada while he looked ahead "So..." Rainbow Dash whispered to Starrk "You will talk to me whenever, right?" She asked curiously.

Starrk merely furrowed his brow while not acknowledging Rainbow Dash "Yes." He muttered back quickly.

Rainbow Dash smiled contently and trotted up with her friends ahead of Starrk and Big Macintosh. Starrk observed them beginning to converse with each other, much to his hidden chagrin as he sighed quietly "Women..." He muttered in a tired tone.

Big Macintosh shared a curt nod as he looked ahead stoically "Eeyup..."

To be continued...

Capitulo Veinte

View Online

Capitulo Veinte

Beware the Primera Espada

Lilynette tapped her hoof impatiently while waiting with Derpy and her family at Town hall. She grumbled to herself before speaking "What's taking him so long? I thought he was hauling supplies not taking a nap somewhere."

Derpy lightly nuzzled Lilynette with a warm smile "Now now, Lily, maybe Starrk has to be extra careful with what he's bringing back with him. After all, there could be a lot of stuff that needs to be carried."

Sparkler huffed "I'm with Lilynette on this. Starrk is stronger and faster than he looks, yet he's taking his time; It's only a bunch of supplies he's carrying, isn't it?"

Dinky looked around at the ponyfolk starting their repairs and hummed to herself "I wonder if Mr. Starrk would work faster than everypony in town once we get started."

Lilynette rolled his eyes "I doubt he'd work so well with a hammer in his mouth." She snarked as she observed how some of the ponies were actually handling some of their tools with their mouths "They all make it look so easy..."

Derpy's eyes rotated while she beamed at the red filly "Oh, Lily, if I can teach you how to hold a spoon with your hoof, I can teach you how to use a hammer with your mouth. This'll be another fun experience!"

Dinky smiled and cheered "Yeah." She continued to observe the scenery until she noticed an approaching group of ponies nearing Town hall, two of which were pulling their own respective carts. Dinky squinted her eyes before she distinguished one of the ponies in the group "Hey, Mr. Starrk is back with more supplies."

Lilynette followed Dinky's gaze "Really? Well it's about time!" She snapped impatiently as she looked at Derpy "What are we waiting for?"

Derpy giggled "I told you we were waiting for Starrky." She looked ahead and noticed the former espada stopping with Big Macintosh "Oh, there he is!" She grinned.

Lilynette stared blankly at Derpy before she trotted away towards Starrk, with the Hooves family following after. They reached Starrk as he dislodged himself from the cart, and Derpy spoke up "Welcome back. You ready to get started?"

Starrk shrugged at Derpy "As I'll ever be. Where do we start?"

Derpy waved a hoof across her surroundings "Everypony's working their flanks off around here, so we'll travel around Ponyville and make our own path to recovery." She leaned her head towards Starrk with a bright smile "Isn't this great? Ponyville will be good as new with your help!"

Pinkie was found next to Starrk on his left as she held a bright smile of her own "I know, right? We should throw another party once this is all over!"

Starrk groaned in protest, and he found Rainbow Dash swooping to land on his left side "Maybe tomorrow if these repairs take too long. Besides, I think we both know that Starrk here would rather sleep it off once everything's done." She said with a smirk.

Starrk grunted "I'd rather not...As long as everything's repaired, it's good enough for me." He trotted next to Derpy, distancing himself from Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. Starrk noticed Big Macintosh giving him his signature stare, and they both shared a silent nod towards one another before the former espada turned to Derpy "Let's go. The sooner we get this done, the better..."

Derpy nodded "You got it. Let's move!" She said as the Hooves family, now with Starrk and Lilynette searched for a vacant area that needed repairs.

Rainbow Dash watched them leave and went to follow before she was stopped by Pinkie "Hey, Dashie, shouldn't we help out Applejack? I'd say Starrky's got more than enough help on his end." Pinkie said matter-of-factly.

With a subtle sigh, she rolled her eyes "Alright." Rainbow Dash replied abruptly, following her hyperactive friend along with Applejack to fish out the supplies while Big Macintosh unloaded the lumber. While she pulled out a hammer, she stole a glance at Starrk leaving with his group before following Applejack and Pinkie Pie towards a vacant spot of their own.
_____

Rarity and Fluttershy were found repairing a wall belonging to the their favorite day spa with the help of the employees that worked there; Aloe, Lotus, and Vera were tending to other parts of the spa's exterior. Rarity sighed while she worked "I'm glad that this fine establishment hasn't suffered much like the other places around Ponyville, but now how am I going to spend my free time pampering myself until this place is properly finished?" She asked herself with a pout as she levitated a nail towards one end of a plank of wood on the wall.

Fluttershy stopped hammering on the other end and turned to Rarity "Um...You could always take a bath at your boutique. Wouldn't that work?"

Rarity levitated a hammer towards the plank that rested on the wall and hammered the nail "Well, yes, but you and I are well aware of the elegant charms the spa has. We're going to need some help with this job." She heard humming and looked around to find the source until she spotted a group behind her nearing the spa.

Derpy hummed an offkey tune while moving ahead in a brisk trot, Dinky following after her and mimicking her mother's actions; Sparkler, Starrk, and Lilynette were the only ones who traveled unenthusiastically.

Rarity spotted the former espada and gasped with glimmering eyes "Of course! Who else to speed things along than our newest hero?"

Fluttershy watched as well "You mean Coyote Starrk? Would he be willing to help us here?"

Rarity turned to Fluttershy with a confident smile "I don't see why he would turn us down in our time of need." She waved a hoof towards Derpy and her group "Yoohoo~! Coyote Starrk~!" Rarity called out enthusiastically. From out of the other side of the spa, the three spa ponies peered their heads to peek at Starrk after hearing Rarity call his name; A purple dragon was also seen exiting the front door of the spa to look as well.

Starrk heard Rarity's call and noticed her waving, then returned her wave with a brief one of his own. Derpy perked up "Looks like Rarity wants to see you for something, Starrky." She looked at him with a smile "Why don't we start at the spa?" Starrk merely responded with a shrug, to which Derpy's smile widened "Okay, spa it is!"

The group made a beeline towards the spa and stopped near Rarity and Fluttershy, the former quickly approaching them, namely Starrk, and bowed "Hello there, darling. Could we ask a favor from you?"

Starrk looked behind Rarity at the wrecked spa and the many faces staring at him before responding "You want help with the repairs?" He asked.

Rarity placed a hoof over her mouth as she giggled "Well, aren't you perceptive? Yes, we could use a few more hooves to see that the spa would shine back to its former glory. We would greatly appreciate your assistance." She said in a feigned pleading tone, looking up at Starrk and batting her eyes at him.

Starrk arched an eyebrow at Rarity's gesture, and he found Derpy coming between him and the fashionista with a grin "Can do, Rarity. The Hooves family repair group will see this job through!" She paused "...That is until we find another spot to fix." Derpy added sheepishly.

Rarity cleared her throat and smiled awkwardly "Thank you so much, Derpy." She looked back and pointed at the purple dragon waddling up to the group "Spike over there could use more help inside with the repairs."

Dinky marched up to Rarity "Me and Lily can do it." She said cheerfully.

Lilynette looked over at Spike and then back at Rarity "He's doing that all by himself? Is he that good?"

Rarity looked down at Lilynette "Well, Spike IS rather dedicated to his duties, but sometimes he'll need an extra hoof with any tedious task given to him."

Lilynette huffed "Looks like me and my sister will have to pick up the slack..."

Spike looked taken aback before narrowing his eyes at Lilynette "Hey! I can handle this job well, thank you very much."

Lilynette frowned "So why aren't you-" A hoof on her head silenced her.

Starrk looked down at the red filly "Not now, Lilynette. We're here to work, not argue..." He ignored Lilynette grumbling bitterly.

Spike stared up at Starrk "So you're Coyote Starrk, huh? We haven't exactly met before." He placed a claw on his chest "The name's Spike, as this beautiful mare already told you." Spike said admirably as he pointed a second claw at Rarity.

Starrk blinked at Spike's introduction, or rather his compliment towards the white mare in front of him, but then nodded back to him "Nice to meet you." He responded curtly.

Dinky neared Spike with a small smile "Where do you want me and Lily to start in the spa, Spike?"

Spike waved a claw towards him as he waddled back towards the entrance, beckoning for the fillies to follow him "I'm working on the lobby at the moment, but I think you two will do well in helping me out."

Lilynette rolled her eyes away from Spike, but she stifled a gasp when she caught two distant figures trotting along town with their own set of tools: Vinyl Scratch and Pipsqueak. Her eyes were glued to the colt with his cheerful expression while she trotted her own way. Despite her many insults towards him, she felt like she could look at Pipsqueak all day.

Up until she bumped into a wall.

Lilynette backed up and shook her head, not paying attention to the awkward glances from Spike and Dinky. When she turned to them, she frowned "What?" She asked defensively.

Dinky looked away in embarrassment "Um, sis, me and Spike tried to warn you not to walk into the wall next to the front door, but you didn't listen to us."

Lilynette stared, but decided not to say anything in lieu of having them find out that she somehow found Pipsqueak close by for a split second; she simply huffed and followed the others inside.

Derpy watched the trio go in the spa, then focused her attention on Starrk, Rarity, and Sparkler "Looks like it's just us adults now."

Rarity nodded "Indeed." She focused on Starrk with a pleasant smile, almost similar to what he saw on Cloudchaser earlier "So, Coyote, are you much accustomed to manual labor?"

Starrk stared back at Rarity "Not exactly. I haven't exactly repaired anything in my life...ever." He closed his eyes "I suppose this would make me an outcast, since I'm not familiar with this sort of thing."

Rarity craned her head back in shock "An outcast? Heavens, dear, you shouldn't label yourself as such!" She donned a compassionate smile "Everypony is appreciative of your care towards us. Who would ever wish to think of you like that?"

Sparkler bit back her urge to smile deviously as she piped up "I think I'll go help with the others around the spa, if that's alright."

Derpy grinned "That's my Sparkler; always working hard!" She proclaimed proudly as she patted the amethyst unicorn on the back "Go ahead and do your thing, sweetie. Me and Starrky will help Rarity and Fluttershy out."

Fluttershy, who remained quiet throughout the duration of the conversation finally spoke up "We really appreciate this. I could use some help on the upper levels." She said as she turned to Starrk "If you don't mind, that is."

As Sparkler trotted behind the spa to join the others, Derpy held up a hoof "Leave that to me! Starrk can help Rarity on the bottom level."

Rarity and Fluttershy felt troubled by Derpy's eager response, much to Starrk's confusion, and they both grinned awkwardly as Rarity replied "Erm, Derpy? Perhaps you could help oversee our work as we go on? You've done so well the past few times that we couldn't find a better candidate."

Derpy stared, and her eyes rotated slowly until she snapped a salute with a determined glance, her tongue stuck out on the left corner of her lips "You can count on me!"

Starrk watched the whole thing in confusion until he was lightly scooted away by Derpy "Well, what are you silly fillies standing around for? We got a town to fix!" She said authoritively as Starrk, Rarity, and Fluttershy got back to work.

When they were a good distance away from Derpy, Starrk was presented with a hammer being levitated in front of him, courtesy of Rarity "There you are, darling. Fluttershy and I will gladly show you the ropes since you're willing to help us." She said warmly.

Starrk grabbed the hammer with a forehoof and looked back at the two mares "Why can't Derpy help us out with this? I'd figure you'd want her effort as well." The two mares frowned after Starrk's statement.

Fluttershy pawed at the ground shyly "Umm, you see, Coyote Starrk...It's not that we don't want Derpy to help. It's just that..." She whispered something inaudible, cringing slightly while doing so.

Starrk blinked at Fluttershy until Rarity cut in "It really is no offense to Derpy, but when it comes to repairing damages, she has a bit of an..." Rarity winced "...accidental streak..." She finished reluctantly.

The former espada stole a glance at Derpy, who watched the three vigilantly, until he focused on Rarity again "You mean she isn't cut out for this kind of thing? Is it because of her sight?"

Rarity frowned "Please understand that we don't wish to ostracize her; We all know she means well, but there are times when we need to give her a different job in order to make it feel like she actually helped us instead of making things worse."

"She already does an excellent job as a mailmare, but that's pretty much it. We don't want to hurt her feelings by telling her no." Fluttershy added in a sad tone.

Starrk stared at the two mares and took a deep breath "I see where you're coming from, but I don't see how I'll be any different from her."

Rarity smiled and placed a hoof on his shoulder "You just need to be guided in the right direction, just like her. Besides, seeing as how you're living under her roof, I'd say she already has a large responsibility keeping an eye on you as well." She giggled at her own joke.

"I don't hear any hammers~!" Derpy called out impatiently.

Rarity perked up and flailed a hoof "I'll give you the nails. All you have to do is tap them into the position I put them in." She hissed quickly as the trio went back to work at a better pace.
_____

Sparkler was found nonchalantly trotting on the other side of the spa, watching how the spa sisters were working at an acceptable pace as they patched up the walls; They were focused on repairs and nothing else. This was a golden opportunity for Sparkler to enact her own plans. Making sure that nopony was around, she leered at the distracted ponies in front of her as purple smoke began to trail from her eyes, her horn being wrapped in an entirely different aura of magic.

The magic that enveloped her horn was a disturbing mixture of stagnant green and jet black that bubbled as if it were in a hot cauldron. As she took count of her targets, Sparkler's schlera glew green as she squinted her eyes 'Now to turn their hope into fear...' A magical orb bearing the same colors grew from the aura, and it stretched out into a line that curved about in the air like a serpentine wisp.

As it quietly swerved towards the three ponies, the magic wisp started at the left end with Lotus, and it went into her left ear as she instantly froze with widened eyes; The wisp was then found coming out of her right ear and repeating the process with Aloe and Vera. Soon enough, they were like statues until they rubbed their heads and inspected themselves, unaware that the wisp distanced itself from them and faded from existence.

Wanting to see if her plan was a success, Sparkler feigned innocence and spoke to them "Are you girls alright? What caused you all to stop?"

"I-" Lotus stammered after she had finished "I have no idea. One moment I was working and the next moment I felt a sensation. But what happened?" She asked Sparkler with a curious, but anxious glance.

Sparkler poked her chin with a hoof "Maybe we can talk to the others about it? I'll bet they've been met with this thing, too."

Aloe looked at Sparkler "Are you sure?" She pointed at the amethyst unicorn "Have you experienced it, too?"

Sparkler shook her head "Not really. You three surprised me with your reactions. Why don't we catch a quick break and gather with everypony else?"

Vera sighed "Knowing that this could be serious, it's for the best...Let's take a break for now, girls." She and her sisters decided to follow Sparkler around the spa, where they spotted Starrk, Rarity, and Fluttershy patching up their own side while Derpy monitored their progress.

Sparkler looked over at Starrk and a devious glint was in her eye until she called to the group "Hey, everypony. Can I speak with you all for a moment?"

Starrk and the others ceased their work to notice Sparkler with the spa sisters. Derpy glided over and stopped near her, tilting her head "What seems to be the problem, Sparkler? Need more supplies?"

Sparkler shook her head "Not at all." She pointed her hoof back at the trio behind her "Aloe, Lotus, and Vera have been met with some kind of tingling sensation, and we wanted to check if you felt it as well."

Fluttershy blinked "A sensation? Could it have been from over-exerting themselves with their work?"

Lotus frowned "You could possibly be right, since it happened while we were working." She looked at the others "I think we may have been wrong about you all going through what we have felt earlier, but perhaps-" Lotus gasped, and her eyes widened when they landed on Starrk. Her eyes gradually changed as she stared; her schlera became green and her irises red. Her sisters followed her gazes and they ended up mimicking her actions, earning the bewildered glances from the ponies around them.

In the triplets' eyes, Starrk was seen not with a working hammer, but with a large, bloodied warhammer slung over his shoulder and a malicious grin on his muzzle; A killer look in his lidded eyes pierced at their very souls as quiet and throated laughter escaped from his teeth. Around him, the buildings in town were in a condition much worse than before. The former espada took a step forward as he filled the triplets with more fear "...You're all going to die..."

To be continued...

Capitulo Veintiuno

View Online

Capitulo Veinte y Uno

Spreading the Plague

Aloe, Lotus, and Vera all backed away from Starrk, whimpering feebly as their pinpricked pupils trembled along with their bodies.

Rarity was dumbstruck at the sudden gesture "Girls? What's wrong? Why are you acting so timid around Coyote Starrk all of the sudden?" She asked the spa triplets.

Aloe pointed a shaky hoof "He's going to kill us...He's going to kill us all!" She shouted fearfully.

Lotus chimed in "We made a mistake considering him to be a hero!"

Starrk himself was confused, and he took a step forward "What are you getting at? What did I do to you other than wrecking part of your town?" He asked, ignoring how the trio of frightened ponies gasped and quickly distanced themselves when he advanced.

Fluttershy looked at Starrk for a moment before responding to Aloe "But he isn't even that scary. Was it because he ruined your spa?"

The trio of ponies shrieked before they turned around and bolted away, screaming in terror while leaving behind confused ponies in their wake. Rarity turned to her friends "I don't know what has gotten into them, but we can't let them run around Ponyville like this. We have to do something."

Sparkler faced the direction where the spa sisters fled "We could split up and find them; They couldn't have gone far." She turned to Starrk with a frown "No offense to you, but if we sent you after them, we'll end up facing more problems."

Starrk stared back at Sparkler and felt something eerie when he looked into her eyes; He thought he felt a second presence lurking inside of her. He grunted "Alright, but what about the rest of you?" He asked the mares.

Derpy neared the group and placed a hoof on Starrk's shoulder with a serious glance "Just watch the kids while we take care of this. I don't know why they're acting so scared around you, but we'll find out!"

Rarity nodded to Starrk "Don't worry, we shall sort out this little problem before it grows out of proportion. In the meantime, just stay right here." The four mares then sped off in search of the spa triplets, leaving Starrk to stand next to the spa.

The spa's front door opened to reveal Dinky, Lilynette, and Spike looking out with curious glances "Mr. Starrk? Where's Mommy and her friends?" Dinky asked.

Starrk looked back at Dinky "Apparently they're tracking down some ponies that fear me for some reason..."

Spike shot a quizzical glance the former espada's way "Huh? Why would they be afraid of you after you saved them from disaster?"

Starrk faced away from the children without an answer and looked at the mares running off, suspicion tinted on his stoic face '...Unless they fear my power, I think there's something going on...'
_____

Rarity took point in galloping through town looking for the spa triplets with Sparkler following close behind; Derpy and Fluttershy flew above them at the same pace. Rarity looked back at the mares behind her "I'll seek out Aloe. Can I trust the rest of you to go your own way?"

Sparkler nodded to Rarity "I'll go find Lotus."

Derpy narrowed her eyes "Then that leaves me with Vera." She turned to Fluttershy "Who do you want to go for, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy glided with Derpy, looking around "I'll go help Rarity, or maybe I should warn everypony about what's going on." Up ahead, she noticed Aloe galloping in a panicked frenzy "There! I see Aloe!" She blurted out.

Rarity noticed as well with a smirk "Nicely done, Fluttershy."

Sparkler frowned, but changed her expression to mock determination "I'll find Lotus on a different route. I'll catch up with you all later." She said as she turned right and distanced herself from the group.

Derpy looked towards her left "I better follow my daughter's example. I'm going my own way, too, girls." She flew off northwest from her position and left Flutterhy and Rarity alone to close in on Aloe.

Rarity squinted her eyes as she picked up her pace "Fluttershy, this may be unbecoming for us both, but we'll have to pin her down; it's the only way to keep her from running off. Are you ready?"

Fluttershy gulped and nodded reluctantly, not feeling keen about tackling somepony innocent. She caught up to Rarity as they neared Aloe, and the two mares pounced on her and ended up tumbling a few feet before slowing to a stop. Rarity and Fluttershy were atop of a struggling Aloe, who grunted while she shifted under their grasp "Let me go! I have to warn everypony!" She cried.

Rarity had trouble trying to hold Aloe steady "About what? You still haven't told us why you and your sisters have acted so strange around Coyote!"

Aloe looked Rarity in the eyes, tears forming in her eyes "He's a killer; a murderer! You saw what he did to Cerberus and Ponyville! We could be next!"

Fluttershy frowned "But Starrk didn't kill Cerberus, and he wished to help mend the damage he had done to Ponyville. Please don't strain yourself."

Aloe continued to struggle despite Fluttershy's plea "You don't understand! We're all in danger! I need to warn everypony in town!" She shouted through her fear.

Rarity and Fluttershy felt that reasoning with Aloe in her current mental state proved to be a fruitless endeavor, and they glanced at each other nervously, wondering how to deal with this situation.
_____

Sparkler looked around as she galloped ahead on her own trail in town, trying to distinguish Lotus' presence while breezing past other ponies hard at work 'Now where could she be? We've given Lotus and her sisters a good headstart back there, so she should be able to reach somepony by now...'

"I'm telling you, we have to do something!"

Sparkler's ears perked up, and she spotted the targetted pony speaking with a confused crowd at the clinic to her right, smiling deviously at the sight "There you are..." She whispered menacingly as she stopped her galloping and quietly snuck towards the crowd, finding a way around them as they paid attention to Lotus.

Lotus continued "We have to warn everypony about the danger we're facing; the princesses as well!" She exclaimed frightfully as she shifted her eyes "If we don't act fast, he may reach us and end our lives!"

Colgate, one of the ponies in the crowd, looked at Lotus skeptically "What makes you think he would even do such a thing when he saved us from Cerberus?"

"He only destroyed a couple buildings, but he didn't hit any of us." Another mare added in the same skeptical manner.

Lotus' gaze became more desperate "You have to believe me! Ponyville will be lost if we let him stay here!" She pleaded to the crowd.

Berry Punch, who was beside Colgate, looked troubled as she listened "You know, I'm kinda with Lotus on this. Sure he says he means well, but did you see what he did back there? Just imagine if anypony was caught in the crossfire." She shuddered from the mental image of seeing somepony eradicated by Starrk's cero.

Some of the other ponies in the crowd murmured in agreement to the mare's response and began to feel nervous themselves.

Lotus pointed a forehoof at Berry Punch "So you agree with me then? We shouldn't be standing around here when everypony must protect themselves from Starrk."

Meanwhile, Sparkler managed to hide behind a tree while the crowd was facing away from her. She grinned in darkened delight as her eyes changed and her horn glew "And thus the fear shall spread..." She whispered as she used the same spell from before, the magical wisp quietly floating towards the crowd and passing through their heads one-by-one. Soon after the wisp vanished, the crowd had fallen under her spell, though haven't shown it yet.

A stallion in the crowd shook his head before placing a hoof to his temple "Did anypony else feel that? It's like something was just inside of me for a short time..." He said in bewilderment.

Lotus gasped "It's happened to me and my sisters. Somehow through that feeling, we were able to see Coyote Starrk and his true colors."

"Excuse me."

The crowd turned to see Sparkler innocently trot up to them "I believe I can solve your problem if you're willing to lend an ear..." She said in a persuasive tone and a hollow smile.
_____

Derpy flew across the sky in search of Vera, her mind reeling with the question of why there were ponies that feared Starrk despite what he's done for them so far. As much as she wished to linger on the subject, she knew that there was one of three paranoid ponies roaming the town that needed to be stopped.

She squinted her rotating eyes while she accelerated, trying to make out any sign of Vera below her; They widened when Derpy spotted a pony screaming for help while approaching Town hall. She grunted as she narrowed her eyes 'Sorry, Vera, but you left me no other option!'

Derpy closed her eyes and took a split second to make out the distance she and Vera were currently traveling. Normally, she wasn't so good at calculations, but she was one to work under pressure, especially when it involved her job. After taking a deep breath, the mailmare had bolted diagonally downward towards Vera at a well-aimed angle towards where she was about to end up.

"Pony Justice Tackle!" She blurted randomly.

Vera was unable to make out the grey blur above her that had managed to bring her into a short tumble before she stopped on her stomach, being held down by Derpy "Okay, missy. Just stay right where you are." She said authoritively as she examined Vera, who had her eyes closed. Derpy prodded her forehead with a hoof "Uh oh...I think I might've knocked her out." She thought aloud in an awkward manner; The awkwardness turned to intrigue when Derpy noticed a black mist trailing from Vera's closed eyes that vanished after blowing away a few inches.

"Derpy? What did you do!?"

Derpy perked up and noticed Twilight gallop towards her in shock over what had just happened. She examined Vera's unconscious state and focused on Derpy with a stern glance "What drove you into knocking out Vera? Was she screaming for help because of you?"

The mailmare's eyes straightened "Me? No way!" She pointed a hoof at the unconscious body under her "We were repairing the spa building when all of the sudden Vera and her sisters flipped their lid after they saw Starrky; They labeled him as a killer and ran off."

Twilight craned her head back "Really? But-"

Derpy instantly carried a deadpan expression before Twilight could finish "Please don't say 'How is that possible?', Twilight. It's too cliche."

Twilight blinked at Derpy's foresight before she shook her head "Well, we can't just leave her unattended if what you're saying is true. Let's just get her to Town hall so she can rest up."

Derpy hopped off of Vera and allowed Twilight to lift her up using her magic. They both trotted back to Town hall, though Twilight was uneasy about what Derpy had explained "You said Vera and her sisters have been affected by this? Where could Aloe and Lotus be?"

"Rarity and Fluttershy are tracking down Aloe, and my daughter Sparkler's finding Lotus. They should've taken care of it by now." Derpy answered nonchalantly while she trotted next to Twilight, though frowned in concern "But this isn't good at all. One moment, he saves us, but now we know there are ponies who still don't trust him." Her eyes furrowed in worry "I don't wanna end up losing him. He and Lily have nowhere to go!"

Twilight sighed "I don't want to sound opposing, but their fear is justified. Even I was surprised when I saw how Starrk was able to just blast a giant beam out of a cloud." Her eyes flickered with interest "If only I could just study his magical properties for myself."

Derpy turned to Twilight as her eyes rotated "Wait, are you planning to hit on Starrky?" She asked innocently.

Twilight blushed furiously, almost losing her hold on Vera "Wh-What!? No!" She quickly responded, calming herself "I don't share any romantic feelings for Starrk, Derpy; Only the interest to study his stature and the magic he holds inside of him." She noticed how Derpy appeared unconvinced and scowled at her "Conducting experiments?" The mailmare's features were unchanged "Delving into Starrk's abilities?" Still nothing "Just spending time and gathering data?"

Derpy donned a lewd smile at each of Twilight's attempts at rephrasing her intentions "You can try and dodge me all you want, Twilight, but I see you wanna piece of Starrk for yourself." She said teasingly, ignoring the frustrated groan from Twilight "I COULD tell him to see you once he has some free time."

Twilight's frustration instantly vanished as she stared at Derpy "You can?" She asked hopefully.

Derpy nodded "Sure can. You seem adamant in wanting to get to know him, so maybe I can coax him into going out with you." She chirped with a smile, ignoring another groan from Twilight.
_____

Starrk sat on the ground as he grew more bored by each passing second, not enjoying his current job of watching Dinky, Lilynette, and Spike, especially when they stopped working and conversed over how and why the spa sisters were afraid of him "Do you think it's because Mr. Starrk looks intimidating?" Dinky asked the others.

Spike stole a glance at the bored stallion a few feet away from him before waving a dismissive claw "I dunno about him LOOKING intimidating, but that blast of his was pretty scary." He turned to Lilynette "How is Coyote even able to do that?"

Lilynette huffed "Why ask me when the answer is obvious?" She held up a hoof in a lecture "He channeled his spiritual energy into that cloud and managed to fire a cero at that stupid dog; Nothing more than that."

Spike raised an eyebrow "Spiritual energy? You mean his magic?"

Lilynette frowned "No, I meant spiritual energy. Aren't you paying attention?" She chided.

Spike shrugged "I'm just saying it's magic because how else would he be able to pull of that trick using a cloud? Pegasi are good with weather magic and junk, so it's obvious."

Lilynette went to retort until she glanced down pensively over Spike's explanation 'Wait...If that's true, then where does that leave me since I have a horn and no wings? And what if me and Starrk have magic instead of spiritual energy?' She sighed "Okay fine, you win this round, but I'm with my sister: Starrk is intimidating, so it's obvious whoever ran off knew that as well."

Dinky frowned "But Mr. Starrk hasn't told us who exactly ran off."

Spike pointed a claw "It could've been the spa ponies. I mean, I thought I heard their voices while we were working inside."

Lilynette hummed "We should probably go look for them and remind them that Starrk actually feels like looking out for them."

"No can do..."

The trio turned to see the former espada still sitting down in boredom "I don't like how things are going myself, but we can't go anywhere until this matter's been solved." Starrk looked back at them "Derpy wanted me to look after you all while they're gone."

Lilynette scowled at Starrk "Seriously? They're afraid of you, not us, so it should be okay for us to go."

Dinky frowned "But, sis, what if we get in trouble? I think we should stay with Mr. Starrk."

Spike stood up with a smug smile "Well, I'm not exactly a kid, and Twilight's the one who tells me what to do, so I'm not obligated to stick around."

Lilynette stared dumbfoundedly at Spike "What? That's not fair! Take us with you!"

Spike waved a mocking claw "Sorry, girls, but this dragon's gotta know what's going down, so maybe I'll get back to you once I've ga-" He noticed Lilynette's horn glowing, his eyes widening and his ears drooping.

"Take us with you or I'll show you a real cero up close!" Lilynette threatened with clenched teeth.

Starrk looked back and narrowed his eyes "Cut it out, Lilynette. We're already reparing damages, and I'm not in the mood for having to deal with more."

Lilynette ceased her horn and growled "Well, what can we do since we're just standing around!?" She complained.

Starrk went to respond until he heard hoofsteps. He turned around to see Sparkler trotting up to him "Hey, everypony. I just wanna let you know that you're needed at Town hall. Mom's already there waiting for you." She said in a straight tone.

Dinky smiled "Did Mommy and her friends help Aloe, Lotus, and Vera?"

Sparkler shifted her eyes away "I don't know, but I found Lotus. She should be feeling better by now."

Starrk rose from his sitting position "Looks like we're moving again..."

Dinky ran up to Starrk with a grin "Can we move with your Sonido, Mr. Starrk?"

Starrk looked down at Dinky and nodded, allowing her to hop on his back with a cheer; Lilynette climbed up as well, sitting next to her. Spike waddled up "Sonido? Is it that good?"

Sparkler frowned "You can't expect to just transport a couple of fillies with your speed and expect them to survive, can you?"

Lilynette pointed at Sparkler "Why don't you grab Starrk and see for yourself, Ms. Know-it-all?"

Sparkler brushed off Lilynette's insult and rolled her eyes as she laid a hoof on Starrk.

Spike watched the scene blankly until he waddled over towards the group "Okay, now I'm curious. Mind if I tag along, too?"

Starrk felt silly with everyone crowding him, but he was willing to grab Spike and Sparkler in his forehooves before he blurred out of existence with intense speed.
_____

Aloe whimpered and constantly shifted her eyes at different directions as she traveled with Rarity and Fluttershy on both of her sides. Rarity smiled "We're almost there, darling. There's no need for you to be upset."

Fluttershy smiled as well "You're safe now, and you'll be even more safe once we get you to Town hall."

Aloe murmured "He's not around, is he?"

Rarity shook her head "No, not at all. Just stick with us and we'll be out of his radar."

Fluttershy smiled, but it faded as she slowed her pace. Rarity caught on and she quickly flashed a smile at Aloe "We're with you the whole way. Just remain calm." She said as she tailed back with Fluttershy, frowning at her "I know your upset, but we had no other option." Rarity whispered.

The timid pegasus gave Rarity a penitent glance "But do we really have to hide the fact that Coyote is still around?" She whispered back.

Rarity glanced at Aloe to make sure she wasn't listening in before focusing on Fluttershy with a resolved stare "You know we had no other option; It was either this or knocking her out, and I'm most certain neither of us wished to go that route."

Fluttershy shivered and whimpered "Y-You're right...But what would happen if we end up running into Coyote again?"

Rarity donned a reassuring smile "We'll be fine. It won't happen since Starrk is busy with Spike and the fillies. I doubt we'll be seeing him at Town hall anytime soon."

To be continued...

Capitulo Veintidos

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Capitulo Veintidos

Fanning the Flames

Back near Town Hall, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were hard at work with their repairs around the area. However, the cyan pegasus slowed her pace as she felt a sensation up her spine "Whoa..."

Pinkie Pie stopped and looked at Rainbow Dash "Something wrong, Dashie?" She asked inquisitively.

Rainbow Dash ceased her own work and shook her head with a groan "I dunno why, but I get the feeling something really bad's gonna happen soon..."

Pinkie blinked "You got your own Rainbow sense?" She asked obliviously.

Rainbow Dash turned to Pinkie "Wha-No! This is just instinct!" She corrected irritably, sighing shortly after as she calmed herself "You ever get the feeling that some ponies would want Starrk gone despite him saving everypony in Ponyville?"

Pinkie nodded "Because he's super strong, right?"

Rainbow Dash nodded back "That and because he's from a different world where everypony dies just from being around him." She grimaced "I'm glad we don't have to go through that ourselves..." The cyan pegasus quickly shifted back to her former expression "But despite that, he's really a nice stallion who's just wanting company."

Pinkie giggled "You don't have to tell me that, Dashie; I heard him talk, too." She blinked "Wait a minute, do you mean company or company? Because I'm starting to feel something from my short stalking time with Starrk."

Rainbow Dash stared blankly at the pink pony "What?"

"My short time with Starrk." Pinkie grinned innocently "So, which is it?"

Rainbow Dash tilted her head "What does your question involving the same word have to deal with-" Her eyes widened when she made the connection and her cheeks flushed lightly before she frantically shook it off, narrowing her eyes at Pinkie "You know what I mean, Pinkie. He was alone before, but now he has us and everypony else."

Pinkie gave a knowing nod "Ooooooooh~, okay!"

Applejack noticed her two friends stopping and frowned "C'mon, girls. No time fer lollygaggin'!" She chided as she went back to work.

Rainbow Dash snorted "Alright, MOM! Sheesh..." She said as she picked up her hammer and went to resume her work. Before she could take the first swing, Rainbow Dash saw Rarity and Fluttershy close by with a skittish Aloe trailing behind them 'What the...?'
_____

Lotus trotted towards Town Hall, taking point in the small crowd that she spoke with earlier. They were all directed to head to the determined destination in order to remain safe from the dreaded Coyote Starrk. While the others did not feel it, Lotus was apprehensive as she shifted her eyes in several directions, making sure that the former espada was nowhere to be found.

She noticed her sister Aloe being escorted towards the same place by Fluttershy and Rarity from another part of Ponyville. In her heart, she felt that she needed to be near her sisters for comfort. Breaking away from the group, she galloped towards Aloe with distress in her eyes, calling her name as she did so.

Aloe noticed Lotus approach her and had instinctively mimicked her sister's actions, the two clinging to one another once they had closed the distance between them. Rarity and Fluttershy caught up with them and comforted them both, hoping to lift their spirits and distract them from their sudden fears "Don't worry, girls, you'll be fine. All we ask is that you just keep calm and move on." Rarity advised comfortingly, a gentle smile on her face.

Fluttershy nodded "We'll be right beside you until you feel better." She chimed in, hoping the two would hear them out.

Before they expected a response, Aloe and Lotus perked up while they clung to each other "Vera!" They shouted simultaneously.

Rarity and Fluttershy grew worried that they would jump to the conclusion that Starrk had gotten to their sister, and Rarity quickly held up her forelegs in a placating motion with a nervous smile "Not to worry, not to worry! We're certain that Vera is safe and sound." She turned to the timid mare next to her "Isn't she, Fluttershy?" Rarity asked expectantly.

Fluttershy paused before nodding "O-Oh, yes! Vera couldn't possibly be in any trouble at all." She grinned hopefully, inwardly disappointed with herself about lying to the spa ponies about their missing sister.

Aloe and Lotus stared before they took deep breaths "Maybe you're right...Vera is tougher than she looks." The former said, trying to muster confidence in her words.

Rarity nodded in satisfaction "Splendid. Now why don't we make our way to Town Hall where it's safe?" After receiving a nod of confirmation towards both sisters, the group resumed their trot towards Town Hall.

When they reached their destination along with the rallied crowd, they noticed Twilight and Derpy trot out of the doors, both of which were surprised by the sudden increase of ponies in front of the building "Erm...Is there something wrong, everypony?" Twilight asked quizzically as she gazed upon the gathered ponies in front of her.

Colgate spoke up from the crowd "Sparkler wanted us to come here so we can solve an issue involving Coyote Starrk. Perhaps you can help us as well?"

Twilight craned her head back "Issue? What issue? Has he done something to upset you all?"

Rarity and Fluttershy approached Twilight, the former holding up a hoof "You don't even know the half of it, darling. One moment, Derpy's family helped us with repairing the spa, and all of the sudden Aloe, Lotus, and Vera grew terrified of Starrk."

Derpy nodded "It's true. That's why I was chasing down Vera until you showed up."

Twilight blinked before looking down pensively "This is just too odd for words...Who or what could've caused this sudden happening?"

Derpy frowned "Beats the heck out of me. At least Starrky's not around to rile them up, though..."

On cue, a group of ponies and one dragon blurred into existence near Town Hall. Starrk released his grip on Spike and Sparkler, both of which were wide-eyed and dazed from their fast trip as they stumbled about. When they shook off their dizziness, they noticed they were at Town Hall. Spike grinned in excitement "That was amazing!" He turned to Starrk and brought up a clawed thumb "You're really something, Coyote!"

At the sound of his name, Aloe and Lotus quickly turned their heads towards the newest group with fear in their eyes "Coyote Starrk is here!?" They said simultaneously. The small crowd looked over as well, following their gazes until they stopped on the former espada staring back at them in boredom. Their eyes widened and went through the same change as the spa ponies as they gasped in terror and backed away, murmuring amongst themselves in fright.

Spike stared back at them before pointing a claw "Okay, that's not weird or anything..." He quipped with a raised eyebrow.

Starrk looked around at the crowd in front of him and his frown deepened 'This isn't good...Why are they all acting like this after cheering for me earlier?'

Dinky hopped off of Starrk and looked for her mother, who was found at Town Hall with some of her friends. She quickly galloped towards her with Sparkler following close behind, though the sight of the frightened group of ponies caught Dinky's attention once she approached her "Mommy, what's wrong with those ponies?" She asked curiously, not finding comfort in seeing several ponies staring at Starrk.

Derpy patted Dinky's mane with a superficial smile "They're a little shaken about Starrky, muffin. But don't worry; we'll sort this out."

Twilight and her friends noticed this change in surprise "Wait a minute. So they're afraid of Coyote, too?" She asked incredulously.

Rarity winced "This is all becoming too hectic. If too many ponies fear Coyote Starrk..."

Fluttershy frowned sadly "Then they might want him to leave Ponyville." Her expression deepened "Or worse..."

Sparkler looked worried at the sight of other ponies growing fearful around Starrk "What do we do? We gotta let everypony know that Starrky's not some crazed killer or they'll throw him out of town!" Unbeknownst to them, she inwardly beamed at the success of her plan 'Preferably the latter...'

Twilight nodded and bolted inside the Town Hall building. While inside the lobby, she galloped towards the supply closet and opened the door to reveal several items resting on different shelves. When she spotted the desired item, she levitated it with her magic and stared at it in determination.

"Twilight?"

The lavender bookworm perked up and looked to her left to see an awakened Mayor Mare with a quizzical glance "Why are you raiding through the supply closet in such a hasty manner? Is there something I should know about?"

Twilight faced Mayor Mare with a nod, a serious gaze in her eyes "Some of the ponyfolk are all riled up over Starrk for some unexplainable reason. They could possibly be driven to force him out of Ponyville. I'm going to see if I can't calm them down through reason."

Mayor Mare stifled a gasp "Is this true? Well, I don't see a reason to just cast away a pony who would be willing to protect us all." She said with resolve in her voice "Come on, Twilight. I'll assist you with this little problem." The two ponies then made their way out of the building, back out in front of the entrance.

Twilight levitated her item - a megaphone - in front of her, and shouted into it "Everypony calm down!" To her satisfaction, the trembling party had given her their undivided attention as she continued "I don't know what's gotten into you all, but it won't do you any good to get worked up over Coyote Starrk! Just because he's powerful doesn't mean he's out to get you all! Please, come to your senses and fight the fear inside of you!" She urged the crowd.

Mayor Mare held her hoof out to Twilight, silently asking for the megaphone. When the latter complied, Mayor Mare voiced herself to the public with words of her own "I'm aware that many of you have witnessed what Starrk was capable of; I myself was overwhelmed by his brute strength. But we're talking about a pony who has lived a life of loneliness out and wished for good company from all of us!"

Derpy saw what Twilight and the Mayor were doing and eagerly trotted up next to them, smiling at Mayor Mare with her hoof held out. When she understood the gesture, the mayor gave Derpy the megaphone with a warm smile. The mailmare cleared her throat before she projected her voice in the megaphone "Please, everypony, listen to them! My name is Derpy Hooves, who most of you know as the current caretaker of both Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerback! I'm here to say that Starrk is most definitely NOT a killer!"

One of the mares in the crowd pointed an accusing hoof "Liar! He probably made you say it to lull us into a false sense of security!"

Derpy puffed her cheeks before shooting back at the speaking mare "He did not!"

Next to Starrk, Lilynette stared at the scared crowd of ponies and huffed with a scowl "What a bunch of jerks!" She went to march towards them, only to be stopped by an amber hoof. Lilynette looked up at Starrk, who stared ahead in silence with an unreadable glance.
_____

From where they stood, Rainbow Dash and the others stopped what they were doing after they heard three voices on a megaphone. Each pony was dumbstruck to see a rallied group of ponies who were showing visible signs of fear towards Starrk while him and Lilynette simply stood by with his usual expression. Rainbow Dash dreaded this moment and at the same time was irritated by it. She narrowed her eyes and dropped the hammer, turning to her friends "I think repairs can wait, don't you all?"

Applejack stared over at the commotion with a disapproving frown "Fer once, Ah agree with ya. What's happenin' right now just ain't right."

Big Macintosh nodded with the same expression as his sister "Eeyup."

Pinkie Pie shot a hoof in the air "C'mon, gang! Let's go help Starrky out of his jelly!"

Rainbow Dash shot a deadpan look at Pinkie "Jam, Pinkie..."

"That, too!" The pink pony quickly added. The small group of ponies made their way to Town Hall to try and help their friends with the issue over Starrk, although a certain cyan pegasus made a detour towards Starrk, Lilynette, and Spike.

When she approached them, Rainbow Dash hovered in front of them "Can you believe what's going on right now?"

Spike crossed his arms "You took the words right out of my mouth. First the spa ponies, and now them?" He looked over at Starrk "Are you really that menacing?"

He quickly hopped away when Lilynette stormed up to him "You're seriously gonna ask that stupid question right now?" She snapped, staring at Spike's startled eyes.

Rainbow Dash arched an eyebrow at Lilynette before smiling at Starrk "Don't worry, Starrk; we got your back! Leave this to us, alright?" She asked before zipping away, not even paying attention to the fact that Starrk had barely reacted to anything she had said. Right now, he was busy thinking to himself while gazing upon the group of ponies that are suddenly afraid of him.

Back at Town Hall, Pinkie, Applejack, and Big Macintosh trotted up the steps leading to the entrance at their friends' side. Pinkie grinned at Derpy as she stood next to her "Need a hoof, sister?"

Derpy's eyes straightened momentarily before beaming at the pink pony "Please and thank you!" She said as she lent Pinkie the megaphone in her hoof.

Pinkie held up the megaphone and tapped at it with a skeptical glance, receiving a high pitched feedback noise "Is this thing on?" She said into it before she smiled in satisfaction "Okay, let's get something straight, everypony. Since when has Starrky ever killed anypony while he was in Ponyville?"

A stallion in the crowd voiced himself "He hasn't yet, but who's to say he won't kill us now!?" He answered.

Pinkie rolled her eyes "Oh, come on, killing's not his hobby or anything." She continued with an innocent smile "Besides, I'm pretty sure he likes other things, like sports or family!" She looked down "Well, something other than sleeping at least. He's quite the sleeper, am I right?" She chuckled, though received no positive feedback whatsoever from her question.

Rainbow Dash facehoofed before gliding to Pinkie's side, taking the megaphone from her and speaking into it "Listen up, everypony! I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're overreacting!" She spat at the audience "Who the hay would even fill your head with the possibility that Starrk would just up and kill you all?"

Sparkler hid a devious smirk after Rainbow Dash's question 'Normally, I'd stand on ceremony, but I'll just continue to watch...'

Rainbow bared her teeth as her anger rose "He'd rather sleep through a snowstorm than do whatever you're thinking right now, and I know some of you cheered for him when he took down Cerberus! Have some sense before I knock it into you, alright!?"

Twilight and the others were surprised at their friend's brash speech, and Applejack trotted up and gently brought Rainbow Dash town "Simmer down, sugarcube. No need to go overboard. We're tryin' t' convince 'em, not threaten 'em." She advised calmly.

Rainbow Dash growled "Well, this is all just stupid! Why would they even go from 'Hooray' to 'Oh no' in so little time like that?" She demanded angrily.

Applejack frowned "That's what we're tryin' t' find out, an' y'all gettin' yer feathers in a twist ain't helpin' this none!" She placed a hoof on her shoulder "Just try an' ease up a bit."

Rainbow Dash was close to hyperventilating before she took a deep breath, hanging her head in shame "Yeah, you're right. They got me all worked up is all."

Rarity smiled at Rainbow Dash "You did your best getting a word in edgewise, darling." She said in an effort to comfort the cyan pegasus.

From where they stood away from Town Hall, Spike shuddered after hearing Rainbow Dash's speech "Talk about hostile. I know she's trying to defend Starrk and all, but is she willing to make a bunch of enemies like that?"

Lilynette looked away "I don't blame her in wanting to beat those ponies senseless for acting that way around us. I'd say we let her do it just to see if it works." She heard hoofsteps, and Lilynette looked ahead to see Starrk trotting towards Town Hall in silence "Huh? Hey, wait up!" The red filly called as she chased after him.

Spike followed suit and caught up to Starrk's leisurely pace, examining his stoic expression "Hey, what's the deal? If you go over there, you're gonna make it worse on yourself." He received no response while matching his pace "C'mon, Coyote; why not let Twilight handle this?"

Lilynette looked up at Starrk's expression and a thought crossed her mind before she could snap at him. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked up at Starrk 'Wait...'

Twilight spoke into the megaphone again "Just hear me out, everypony! If it bothers you that much, we could-Coyote?" She looked over to see the former espada place a foreleg on the first step, causing the crowd to quickly scamper away from him as they watching him, Lilynette, and Spike ascend the stairs, meeting with the group on the entrance. He reached Twilight and stared at her before holding out a hoof towards her.

Derpy blinked at the gesture "You wanna hold Twilight's hoof?" She then remembered what was taking place before smiling sheepishly "Oh, right, megaphone..."

Twilight looked at Derpy before giving Starrk the megaphone, a curious and unsettled look on her face. She watched the lazy pegasus face the crowd with the megaphone in front of him, his expression remaining the same. The ponies below him were ready to run away once they hear any death threat or spine-chilling words come out of his mouth. He took a deep breath, and Starrk uttered two words into the megaphone.

"...I'm leaving."

To be continued...

Capitulo Veintitres

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Capitulo Veintitres

A Lone Wolf Once More

Everypony around Starrk, including the terrified crowd, did not expect those particular words come out of his mouth; he showed no sign of hesitation nor regret when he made his brief statement. The silence was broken by both Lilynette and Rainbow Dash "What!?" They said simultaneously.

Starrk looked back at his friends behind him "Yeah, you heard right. I'm gonna leave this place for a bit until something else happens..."

Rainbow Dash stammered "B-But, you'd actually give them what they want just like that? We're trying to convince them not to make you leave!"

Derpy stared pleadingly at the former espada "Starrk, please don't do this. We don't want you to leave. You're our friend..." She said in a sorrowful whimper.

Starrk stared at Rainbow Dash and Derpy, then towards the other mares, all of which looked just as worried about his statement "I know this bothers you all, but I don't think it's right for me to be here with these people being afraid of me all the time; it'll only complicate things for the rest of you. If there was a way for them to ignore their fear of me, maybe I'll come back."

A strike to his left foreleg made him grunt as he looked down at an irate Lilynette "Are you stupid or something? Why would you just think about leaving this place when you have nowhere else to go? More importantly, you'll just leave everyone behind as well?"

Starrk looked down at Lilynette and patted her on the head "You don't have to come with me, you know. In fact, I haven't planned on it. You have a family now, and it's not in my right to just take that away from you."

Sparkler hid the urge to gag at the unexpected sentiment in Starrk's explanation to Lilynette 'Just get on with it, you lazy lout!'

Lilynette snarled as she swatted away Starrk's hoof "Listen to yourself! You act like it's so easy to be pushed around just because some stupid ponies are afraid of you!"

Dinky frowned at Lilynette while she went off on Starrk "Lily..."

"These idiots were cheering you on earlier and you know it! Don't ignore that just because they're afraid of your power now! Use your brain for once and stay here!" Lilynette finished as she hyperventilated.

Starrk and those around him were able to see the hurt in Lilynette's eyes. It wasn't a pleasant sight for him, but he knew what he had to do. He trotted past the red filly and went down the stairs, leaving her to hang her head and grit her teeth while Dinky comforted her with a nuzzle. Derpy, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie galloped after him "Coyote, wait." Twilight said, making the former espada stop and look back at four mares.

Twilight approached him, her frown deepening "Where will you go?" She asked calmly.

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes "Yeah. If you're actually gonna leave us behind, the least you could do is tell us where you'll be so we can be in touch with you!"

Starrk stared before he looked away in thought. Perhaps he could travel a short distance away from Ponyville since these ponies in particular were more attached to him than the ones that feared him. He looked back at the group of mares with faint curiousity "Is there another forest besides Whitetail Woods?"

Pinkie nodded "Yeah, the Everfree Forest. But that place is dangerous!" She paused before she giggled "Nevermind. I know that somepony like you wouldn't be scared." There was a pause, and Pinkie gave a low gasp with widened eyes "Wait a minute..." She grinned brightly as she hatched an idea "Zecora!"

Starrk blinked "Who?"

"Zecora! She's a zebra that lives in the Everfree Forest. Maybe you can live with her for a little bit until we make sure that everypony can get used to you. When that happens, you'll be able to come back and it'll be like nothing happened!" Pinkie explained.

Derpy perked up with a smile "That's a great idea, Pinkie!" She looked at Starrk with her eyes slightly rotating "Maybe Zecora can let you stay at her place, and she might be able to help us out with this problem if she could!"

Starrk hummed at the idea before he nodded "Okay, I guess I'll go with that, then. Where can I find her?"

Twilight held up a hoof "She's not too deep in the forest, but be sure to keep an eye out for a hut with masks and flasks." She smiled "One of us could lead you there while the rest of us-"

"I'll do it." Rainbow Dash interrupted as she trotted to Starrk's side "Leave this job to me. Meanwhile, you and the others try to figure out this situation. I'll be sure to come back and help if nothing happens."

Twilight nodded to Rainbow Dash "Alright, Rainbow. Be sure to run the situation by Zecora once you reach her."

Rainbow Dash smirked "Got it. Good luck, everypony."

Pinkie quickly closed the distance between her and Starrk to wrap her forelegs around him in a crushing hug "I know you won't be too far, but I'm gonna miss you, Starrky!" The pink pony cried. Rainbow Dash quickly looked away while Starrk grunted in Pinkie's grip.

After Pinkie broke the embrace, Derpy was next to give Starrk a hug with the same intensity, much to his dismay; he was beginning to hate the tradition of hugging other people or being hugged without warning. She looked into his eyes with a smile "You be careful, okay? Come back soon."

Starrk simply nodded to Derpy, then noticed Twilight nearing him "You, too? I'm not gonna be far." He said in mild exasperation.

Twilight looked down as she pawed at the ground "Well, I'm just as downcast as everypony else, since you're just gonna leave us like this for the time being." She gazed at Starrk with a frown "I never got the chance to know you better." Her stare became blank before she stammered "Th-That is, study your properties through experimentation..." Twilight quickly recovered with a faint blush.

Starrk rolled his eyes before he focused on Twilight again "Well, you might get your chance someday, just not now. I'm sure this'll blow over sooner than expected, but right now, I want to put this behind me." He looked at Derpy with a hardened gaze "While I'm gone, take care of Lilynette. Make sure she won't cause any problems."

Derpy snapped a mock salute "You can count on me, Starrky." She said eagerly.

Rainbow Dash groaned lightly as she looked at the group "C'mon, everypony, we don't need to make this too much of a sappy moment, do we?"

Starrk turned to Rainbow Dash "I agree. Why don't we go and spare these folks the trouble of having me around?"

Rainbow Dash frowned at Starrk's choice of words. To her, it was as if he was too mellow for his own good, even in the worst situations. Sure, Starrk was powerful, but she didn't like his response too much. She hovered in the air and glided away a few inches "Just follow me, okay? It won't be too long."

Starrk wordlessly complied and left the other mares behind. Once they were out of sight, Twilight sighed and turned to her friends "Okay, girls. Let's try and reason with those ponies some more. Maybe they'll cooperate better now that Starrk's not with us."

Pinkie grinned "Okie Dokie Loki!" She said as she followed Twilight and Derpy back up to the stairs leading to the hall's entrance. She looked over at a bitter Lilynette and found the opportunity to cheer her up "Heya, Lily! Guess what?"

Lilynette growled "What?"

Pinkie patted her on the head "Starrky will be back soon once we find a way to bring Ponyville to their senses!"

Lilynette looked up at Pinkie with a skeptical glance "How long will that be?"

Pinkie stared at Lilynette until she shrugged "I dunno, but it might not be long!" She scooped up and hugged the red filly "And the best part is you'll be able to visit him if you feel like it!" Pinkie was oblivious to Lilynette struggling and trying to break out of her hug.

Sparkler trotted up to Lilynette "I wouldn't worry too much, Lilynette. Starrk's able to handle himself and he might be back depending on what happens." She inwardly grinned 'Of course he wouldn't have the mind to, considering the power of my fear spell. This is all too easy!' She glanced at the crowd 'This is only the beginning. Once my power has returned completely, I'll drive Equestria into an era of fear...' She looked down at Aloe and Lotus in the crowd, then craned her head 'Wait a minute...Where is the third one?'

Twilight brought up the megaphone with her magic and spoke to the crowd "Look, everypony. You've got what you wanted; Coyote Starrk is gone. There's no reason for you all to harbor any more signs of paranoia now. But can you all explain how or why you chose to act like this while we were busy repairing our town?"

Berry Punch shook her head "We don't know...We just spoke with Lotus, and it was as if her words sunk in."

Colgate raised a hoof "That Coyote Starrk is a menace! We should contact Princess Celestia and have him apprehended quickly!"

Twilight scowled at Colgate "Would you cut that out? He's not gonna bother us anymore!" She sighed "Now let's try this again. How did you grow so fearful of somepony that saved you all earlier, and why would it matter even now? Were you all unaware that he was willing to help mend the damage that was done to Ponyville?"

The crowd fell silent, until some faint murmurs were heard. Twilight huffed and went to speak until Sparkler trotted up next to her "I don't think it'd be right to continue with this, Twilight. There isn't much we can do if we can't change their minds so easily. Maybe we should give them time and they can come around eventually." She said with a reassuring smile.

Twilight frowned at Sparkler until she glanced at the crowd with a sigh "Maybe you're right. If their fear is genuine, then there's no point in making them dwell on it right now. We'll just have to wait them out."

"Umm, Twilight?" came Fluttershy's voice. Twilight looked back, and she noticed Vera standing next to the timid pegasus with a perplexed glance "Vera just woke up and she's very confused. Do you think you could explain to her what's going on right now?" Fluttershy asked.
_____

Starrk and Rainbow Dash found themselves in a forest more dark and treacherous in appearance rather than that of Whitetail Woods. The latter navigated ahead while the two pegasi glided in the air. She looked back at the unchanged look on Starrk's face, then quickly looked ahead as she kept track of her trail 'Darn it. Should I even make a move now while all of this is happening? I can't believe this guy's so quick to throw away his well-earned life like that. Seriously, who does that!?'

"Thanks." Rainbow Dash's ears flickered when the silence was broken, and she looked back at Starrk "For guiding me out here, I mean. I should also apologize for the trouble I've somehow caused, but I doubt they could care less about that."

Rainbow Dash scoffed "Obviously because you're sounding like such a downer. Do you even listen to yourself talk?" When she got no response, she continued "And for the love of Celestia, all of this wasn't your fault! You didn't cause any trouble, and you know it."

Starrk easily kept up with Rainbow Dash while they veered across each tree "They seem to think a lot differently..." He said before raising an eyebrow "Do you think they would have a chance convincing the ponies that fear me to stop?"

Rainbow Dash cast a sideways glance at Starrk, smirking at him "You really are new to Equestria to even ask that question." She said before quickly looking forward. When she spotted a hut in the distance, the cyan pegasus looked down at it "Okay, we're here." Rainbow Dash descended towards the location with Starrk following suit.

When they reached it, the two pegasi looked up at the exotic background the hut was giving off. Like Twilight had said, there were some masks and some potion flasks hanging from vines from branches around the tree where the hut was built. Starrk observed the masks and was almost certain that they reminded him of masks commonly seen on hollows.

He saw Rainbow Dash trot towards the door, then stopped to look back at him "You coming or what?"

Starrk shook off his thoughts and trotted up next to Rainbow Dash, staring at the front door "This Zecora...Would she really understand my position?"

Rainbow Dash rapped at the door three times "If it's any consolation, she was like you once; an outsider that everypony feared and spread rumors about."

Starrk arched an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash, curiosity looming in his eyes "Was she strong?"

Rainbow Dash stared blankly at Starrk before she scratched the back of her head "Well...I don't think she is..." She then smiled "But she's about as smart as Twilight when it comes to magic."

Starrk and Rainbow Dash turned to the door and expected it to open. So far there was no response. Feeling as if nopony heard her knock, Rainbow Dash rapped on the door again once more. She then turned to see Starrk stare ahead with a wistful glance. No doubt he was thinking to himself. Rainbow Dash felt that she should at least savor her time with Starrk if the situation in Ponyville would possibly take long "Hey, Starrk. I know I said that I didn't want any sappy moments, but I gotta tell you something..."

Starrk looked over at Rainbow Dash with his gaze softer than usual "Yeah?"

The cyan pegasus didn't expect Starrk to answer that way. She felt her heart quiver just from the way he looked and sounded 'Snap out of it, stupid! Just let it out and head back to Ponyville...' She took a deep breath "I..." In her pause, Rainbow Dash's eyes shifted in different directions "Well, I really shouldn't while we're dealing with so much right now, but...I..." She scrunched her face and looked at him with narrowed eyes "I still haven't heard from you if you wanna work with me on weather duty yet!" A faint blush was seen on her face.

Luckily for her, Starrk failed to notice it as he blinked "You're still on about that?"

Rainbow Dash looked away "Well, we don't know how long it might take, and I said I can't keep an opening forever. So will you join me once we get you back or not?"

Starrk stared at Rainbow Dash while she found a sudden interest in a nearby bush. He wasn't too keen on deciding on a job position while he was standing in the middle of a dangerous forest, but the world he was residing in had enough craziness to send Hueco Mundo into chaos. He may as well get his decision over with while the offer was still there. Starrk nodded to Rainbow Dash "I accept." He saw her eyes widen "I'll be sure to get through to you once this whole thing blows over..." He looked away himself "If it blows over..."

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked with hope and happiness before she cleared her throat "I-I mean, cool." She smiled "Don't worry, we'll get you back home sooner than you think. Just mellow out around here and wait for us." Her heart sunk despite the happiness she felt from his response. She knew that waiting for Starrk's decision for her offer on weather duty wasn't the true intention.

Starrk noticed both the disappointment in Rainbow Dash's eyes as they trailed off, and the curse she uttered under her breath "What's wrong? I'd figure you'd be happy with my decision to join."

Rainbow Dash flinched before she sighed "It's not that..." She looked up at Starrk, a faint glimmer in her eyes. She was unaware that the feeling building up inside of her was slowly taking over "There's something else I wanna do before I go back..."

Starrk blinked before he inched closer to Rainbow Dash, causing her spine to shiver "Yeah?" He asked while looking back in her eyes, though didn't show any feeling of his own.

Rainbow Dash knew what she had to do. She inched her face towards Starrk, much to his confusion as their muzzles where inches away "Starrk, I..." She uttered as she was about to close the distance.

"This is a most unexpected surprise.
May I ask what is going on before my eyes?"

Starrk and Rainbow Dash turned to see a zebra mare decorated in golden bands and earrings, a seasoned and patient expression seen in her turquoise eyes. Starrk tilted his head at her appearance, seeing how she was entirely different from the ponies he had seen in Ponyville.

Rainbow Dash was surprisingly calm as she stared at Zecora "Nothing...I was wondering if you'd be doing a favor for me and my friends." The zebra mare looked over at Starrk, humming as she examined his features.

"Your favor involves this pegasus, yes?
Has he caused your town a lot of stress?"

Starrk was now befuddled to realize that she was speaking in rhymes. He scratched his head "Actually, yes. I was gonna leave Ponyville, and Pinkie and her friends proposed me to come here."

Rainbow Dash's ominous calm had not subsided "Yeah, some of the ponies in Ponyville are afraid of him and haven't exactly accepted him yet. That's pretty much it." Zecora craned her head back with a quizzical glance.

"Is what you're telling me actually true?
This must be a case of deja vu!"

"Tell me about it." Rainbow Dash replied tersely "We apologize for the trouble, but could you lend us a hoof while we take care of this problem?" Starrk looked over at Rainbow Dash and her sudden poker face. He was getting some sort of bad vibe just from looking at her. Meanwhile, Zecora smiled warmly at the cyan pegasus.

"If what you're going through is an arduous trial,
Then I'll let your friend stay with me for a while."

Zecora looked over at Starrk, who stared back at her with hesitation in his eyes. She merely chuckled at his reluctant expression.

"There's no need to be shy; I'm quite tame.
May I ask you for your name?"

"It's Coyote Starrk." The former espada replied "Thanks for letting me stay with you. I didn't anticipate this all happening." Zecora closed her eyes as she nodded sagely.

"Nopony can grasp fate's true form.
Uncertainty is a profound norm."

Starrk blinked at Zecora's versed advice while Rainbow Dash continued to maintain her calm "Well, I'll leave you two alone, I guess. See you later." She said in a nearly monotonous tone before she took flight.

Zecora and Starrk watched Rainbow Dash leave, then stared at each other. Before one of them could speak, a loud and raspy yell echoed through the forest.

Starrk turned to where the sound came from with a grimace "Aw man...Don't tell me she's in trouble..." He looked over at Zecora, who had a knowing look on her face.

"She is rarely in trouble when she's able to fly.
T'was a yell of frustration, though I know not why..."

Starrk looked back at where Rainbow Dash flew off to. What could she possibly be frustrated about? He decided to ignore it and turned back to Zecora "I'm not gonna go in just yet. I think I might wander this forest a little before I do." Zecora stared at Starrk as if he grew another head.

"You're mistaken to find a peaceful path.
The Everfree Forest holds unforgiving wrath."

Starrk shook his head "Trust me when I say there's not much to worry about. I was feared because of my power. I'm not one to brag, but I can handle myself out here." Zecora frowned at the response.

"You know not of the dangers that lie in wait.
If you're careless, you'll suffer a cruel fate."

Starrk looked away, wistfulness seen in his eyes "Trust me...I've been through worse..." After a moment of silence, he looked back at Zecora "Look, don't worry about me. I'm happy you care about me, but I'll be back here in one piece." Zecora stared at Starrk until she relented with a sigh.

"If there is truth to your words, then go ahead.
You're to call for me when suffering dread.
Be sure not to wander off too far,
Or else your path will grow bizarre."

With a curt nod, Starrk wordlessly trotted away from the hut and chose to explore the forest on his own. Zecora watched him go with a concerned gaze before she turned away and went back inside of her hut.

Coyote Starrk was now by himself once again; no company for him to confide in. He knew it was temporary given the current situation, but a part of him felt an uncomfortable chilling sensation when he was welcomed with the familiar feeling of loneliness. It was so bad that the former espada even missed traveling with Lilynette. He sighed to himself as he trotted on his own and looked ahead at the winding forest in front of him.

When he thought about Zecora's mention of danger, he realized that he could only perform his cero with the use of a cloud, and that he would end up demolishing most of the forest if he wished to do so. He made a mental note to rely on his brute strength if the situation ever called for it.

He wandered for what felt like hours, though he could still see rays of sunlight hanging above the trees. Starrk then directed his attention back towards the forest, looking around at the seemingly threatening environment that surrounded him. Finding his way back to Zecora's hut would be an easy feat with his Sonido, but he wasn't ready to go back just yet despite his current feelings.

The sound of a rustling bush caught Starrk's ears as he turned to his left to see a creature appear from the foliage. He wasn't exactly threatened because of two small details: 1. It was nothing but a wolf 2. It was a wolf made of wood.

Although the creature appeared mundane to the former espada, he was somewhat satisfied to be around another living creature, especially one that reminded him of his power's supposed theme. The wolf growled and salivated, slowly advancing towards him while he simply stood by and stared back.

When the wolf got close, Starrk narrowed his eyes at the wolf, and it somehow abandoned its predatory background as it felt a chill through its body. The wooden creature stared up at Starrk, then slowly inched towards him and sniffed at him until it froze with widened eyes.

From the wolf's point of view, it was as if it stood in the presence of the largest wolf pack in existence despite it being one lone stallion. It inched away and gave off a whimper, causing Starrk's gaze to soften.

Starrk was more curious about the wolf after its change of demeanor. Was the beast able to feel his power unlike the ponies in Ponyville? He held out a hoof towards it and saw how it inched away further. Feeling as if the wolf didn't get the message, Starrk motioned his hoof for the wolf to approach him. He was pleased when the wooden creature complied to his request and reluctantly rested its head beneath Starrk's hoof.

The former espada gently pet the wolf and sighed to himself once again. The Everfree Forest was adept at reminding him of the unforgiving landscape that was once his own home. The only difference was that he was able to interact with other creatures without them getting killed '...If only there was a pack here...'

As if a divine force answered his prayers, several bushes rustled and revealed more wooden wolves that surrounded Starrk and the one he was petting. He looked around to see them growling, but they eventually stopped and stared at him neutrally as he continued to pet the wolf next to him. After making a count of the wolves around him, Starrk cracked a ghost of a smile.

Maybe this world wasn't so bad after all.

To be continued...

Capitulo Veinticuatro

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Capitulo Veinticuatro

Moving On

Back at Town Hall, Twilight was surprised to see Vera wake up from her small coma courtesy of Derpy. She ignored the crowd in front of the entrance and approached her "Vera, are you alright?"

Vera moaned lightly as she rubbed her head "A little; my head still hurts from when I woke up."

Derpy chuckled awkwardly "Yeah, that was my bad. Sorry..." She said as her ears drooped.

Vera blinked at Derpy "That was you?" She asked as she tilted her head "I never knew that..."

"Wait a minute..." Twilight said before she herself looked confused "You mean you don't remember Derpy chasing after you and knocking you out?"

Vera stared at Twilight "I was being chased? The last thing I remembered was working with my sisters, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike at the spa. Derpy and her family were helping us when they arrived, and that was all that I can remember."

Twilight rubbed her chin "But how can that be possible when you and your sisters were afraid of Starrk?"

Vera craned her head with an incredulous glance "What? Sure, he damaged Ponyville, but what reason do I have to be afraid of Starrk?" She defended.

Applejack huffed at Vera with skeptical eyes "That sure as hay was th' way yer sisters acted when they came here." She said pointedly.

Big Macintosh nodded in agreement "Eeyup."

Sparkler widened her eyes 'Impossible! My spell wore off?' She looked over at Derpy and snuck a glare 'So that cross-eyed buffoon is responsible for this...'

Rarity frowned "You and your sisters acted in such a way and ran off shortly after! Which reminds me..." She looked down at the crowd and spotted Aloe and Lotus looking up, fear still lingering in their eyes "We should probably consult with them as well."

Lilynette, who broke away from Pinkie's grip, looked over at Aloe and Lotus as well with a suspicious glance "Hey, you're right!" She pointed an accusing hoof "Get up here, you two!" Lilynette barked authoritively.

Aloe and Lotus cautiously went up the stairs up to where their sister stood with the group, and Lilynette squinted her eyes at them "If your sister's not afraid of Starrk anymore, then why are you two still acting cowardly?"

Lotus shook her head "We're not acting! We're terrified of his presence." She gasped when she remembered Lilynette "And you're a part of him! He must've planned to leave and let you finish us off!"

Lilynette growled "Are you stupid!? Yeah, maybe I don't like you or the other ponies around here, but why would I wanna kill you?"

Derpy, Dinky, and Sparkler trotted up behind the red filly, the former looking threatened "Okay, that's enough. It's one thing to drive Starrky out of town, but Lily had nothing to do with the way you're acting!" Derpy snapped.

Twilight narrowed her eyes at Aloe and Lotus "She's right. But what also strikes me as suspicious is how you two are still acting this way, while Vera is oblivious to this whole situation after she woke up."

Lilynette hummed after she heard Twilight before she grinned deviously "Only one way to find out..." She said before she hopped up and punched Lotus square on the head, causing her to fly back from the stairs and tumble across the ground until she laid knocked out from Lilynette's hit. The crowd gasped and murmured tentatively at the scene.

Vera watched with widened eyes "Lotus!" She called out before galloping to her sister's side.

The others stared dumbfounded at the sudden action, and Rarity pointed a hoof "Lilynette, are you out of your mind!?"

Lilynette cast a sideways glare at Rarity "Of course not. I'm just trying to test something out is all!" She looked over at Lotus as she laid down, the crowd next to her growing more concerned and fearful of the red filly.

Aloe shrieked and backed away from Lilynette "My sister was right! Lilynette is just as destructive as Starrk!" She said as she galloped towards Lotus with Vera.

Derpy was just as surprised, until she looked over at Vera and gave a low gasp before turning to her friends "Wait a minute, everypony! Lilynette might be onto something!" She said as she moved to join Aloe at Lotus' side. While Aloe and Vera stared with tearful and worried eyes, Derpy's eyes rotated while they squinted. After a small moment, black mist began to trail out of Lotus' closed eyes, causing Derpy to perk up "It happened again!"

Twilight was curious at Derpy's shift of behavior and trotted towards her and Aloe "What happened? What's going on?" She said as she inspected Lotus for any head injuries.

Derpy quickly turned her head to Twilight "When I knocked out Vera after tackling her, some black stuff just seeped out of her eyes and she was back to normal after she woke up. I think the same thing might happen to Lotus as well!"

Vera looked over at Derpy with hope in her eyes "Are you certain? She's not dead?"

Derpy smiled cheerfully at Aloe "Of course not. She'll wake up and act like she was never afraid of Starrky to begin with; just like you!"

Pinkie hopped in the air jubilantly "Yes! I knew Starrky wasn't a cold-blooded killer!" She stopped to point at the crowd with a stern expression on her face "You folks need to get a hold of yourselves." Pinkie said firmly.

Sparkler broke into a light sweat that - luckily for her - went undetected by the other ponies 'Unfathomable. They were able to undo my plan that quickly!? I need to find a way to make sure their fear stays intact...' She bolted towards the trio surrounding Derpy, earning the attention of Dinky and Lilynette, who followed after her with curious expressions; Pinkie hopped over as well with her own curiosity.

When Lilynette gathered with the others, she inspected Lotus as well with an impatient glance and nudged at her "C'mon, get up already."

She was lightly shoved away by Twilight "Easy, Lilynette." She said as she looked at the ponies surrounding Lotus "C'mon, everypony. Let's give her some room."

Sparkler stifled a grunt and broke the silence when Lotus showed no response "I think we're acting a bit hasty on this situation. We could be lucky if she's alive, but how can we be sure she won't change her mindset?"

Lilynette scoffed "If it worked for Vera, then it should work for Lotus." She turned to Dinky "Don't you believe me, Dinky?"

Dinky stared before looking over at Vera "Well, if it did work on Ms. Vera, then maybe we could be lucky if it worked on Ms. Lotus, too." She said as she smiled at Lilynette "I think you might've helped her, sis."

Lilynette shared smile with Dinky before staring intently at Lotus' body. When a murmur was heard, Twilight perked up "She's waking up. Now to see what happens..."

Lotus shifted her body to a proper laying position and rubbed her temple with a hoof before she got up while her eyes were closed. Everypony around her stared with varying levels of anticipation until Lotus opened her eyes to blink, then looked around "Wha-...Where am I? This isn't the spa."

Derpy grinned "Morning, Lotus. Can I ask you a question?" She said as she grabbed the blue mare's attention "Are you afraid of Coyote Starrk at all?"

Lotus blinked again before frowning "Absolutely not. He saved from Cerberus, after all. We're lucky to have Ponyville still standing thanks to his help."

Derpy gasped "It worked! She's okay!" She cheered. Her and Pinkie then hugged each other to hop up and down while they squealed in delight.

Twilight stared in awe "So it's true. But why did this happen all of the sudden?"

Vera smiled and hugged Lotus "Oh, thank goodness you're alright, Lotus. I was worried you weren't going to wake up."

Lotus returned the embrace, though was confused "I was asleep? But how? Were we not repairing the spa?"

Vera stopped her hug to stare at Lotus "I felt the same way as well. I woke up at Town Hall on a couch in Mayor Mare's office." She looked down despondently "I have no recollection as to what had happened."

Lotus stared at Vera before looking at Aloe "Aloe, do you feel the same way about us?"

Aloe backed away "What do you mean? Are you saying you're not actually afraid of Coyote Starrk? He'll kill us!"

Vera and Lotus stared at their sister in shock "Aloe, that's insane." Vera chided "What caused you to act this way?"

"The same thing that happened to the two of you."

The spa sisters focused their attention on Twilight, who donned a calculating gaze "All three of you were once afraid of Coyote, though Aloe currently feels the same way. After Lilynette tested her theory on Lotus as far as Vera's fear vanishing, I've come to a conclusion..." She narrowed her eyes "Somepony's been practicing dark magic!"

Pinkie and Derpy stopped cheering "Dark magic?" Pinkie parroted "But that's bad magic. Who could possibly practice dark magic in Ponyville?"

Dinky shivered in fear "Dark magic? But who would do such a thing?"

Lilynette gritted her teeth "Whoever it was is gonna deal with me once I find them." She stomped a hoof "I'll destroy them for making Starrk leave!"

It took all the energy inside of Sparkler to hide her rage over Twilight's declaration 'Curses! I have to find a way to draw them away from any claims they could make...' She grunted and spoke up "I'm just as curious as Pinkie, but whoever did so could've possibly expected us to figure it out sooner. If we continue to act upon this, we'll only give them what they want."

Twilight hummed after hearing Sparkler out "But it doesn't make any sense other than the goal of driving Starrk out of town. Why would anypony go so far as to practice dark magic for that reason?" She looked over at Sparkler "Also, why were the spa sisters the first target?"

Sparkler froze as Twilight and everypony else looked at her. She was ready to think of a lie, but she had to choose her words carefully. Before a lie could be properly thought, however, a loud and raspy yell was heard near the Everfree Forest, drawing everypony away from the current matter. Sparkler, for her part, was both confused and relieved 'Well, there's my opportunity to think of another plan...' She thought to herself as she watched a prismatic blur near Town Hall.

Everypony present noticed Rainbow Dash land on the ground and trot towards the entrance with an unexpected look of irritation on her face "Hey..." She greeted halfheartedly.

Twilight galloped to her friend and inspected her "Rainbow Dash, that was you, wasn't it? What happened?"

"I fell." Rainbow Dash replied instantly before shaking off her anger "So, what'd I miss while I was away?"

Twilight stared blankly at Rainbow Dash "You fell? In what?"

Rainbow Dash grunted and flailed a foreleg "It was just a tree or something. Can you just tell me what's going on?"

Twilight arched an eyebrow before looking back at Aloe, Lotus, and Vera "Well, Lilynette was able to shed some light on the situation in the form of knocking out Lotus." She winced "I'm glad she's not hurt too bad after that happened."

Rainbow Dash tilted her head in curiosity "Really? So what did you find?" She asked inquisitively.

Twilight looked back at Rainbow Dash with a serious gaze "I've come to the conclusion that somepony used dark magic to warp the minds of some of the ponyfolk. Lotus was back to normal with no memory of her acting paranoid around Starrk after she woke up."

Rainbow Dash widened her eyes "What? That's just-...but-" She shook her head "What the hay is going on? We only know one pony who's able to do dark magic, and he's gone!"

Twilight sighed "Be that as it may, we know that anypony could learn dark magic if they put their mind to it." She looked back at the spa sisters "Though, I don't know if knocking out everypony that fears Coyote would be a good idea."

Rainbow Dash snorted "What else can we do? Wait them out? They'll probably keep acting like this if we continue to ignore them!"

Sparkler saw her chance and piped up once more "I'm with Rainbow Dash. Perhaps the pony using dark magic is biding their time by having us struggle with each victim involved with their plan." She said as she looked over at the terrified crowd "Besides, we'd only become the new threat if we go after them all at once and we'll have to chase them around..."

Rainbow Dash scoffed as she stared down the ponies "That's a risk I'm willing to take; anything to get Starrk back!" She said as she stomped towards them, only to be stopped in a telekinetic hold "Hey!"

Twilight kept her hold on Rainbow Dash, though looked regretful in doing so "No, Rainbow. Sparkler's right. Besides, we're already suffering damage around town that's lucky to even be repaired. If we choose to tackle this now, we'll only slow things down."

Lilynette trotted towards Twilight "Then let me do it. I'm one for repairing this place, but I also want these idiots to remember who saved them from disaster."

Rainbow Dash smirked at Lilynette and looked over at Twilight "C'mon, Twilight; let me and Lilynette here handle this. We'll get them back to normal in no time at all. Besides, they won't even remember anything once we're through with them."

Twilight bit her lower lip as she mulled over on how to handle the situation between bringing Ponyville back to its better condition and neutralizing the fear that resides in some of the ponyfolk that once respected Starrk. She clenched her eyes shut until she shook her head "No...We can't."

Rainbow Dash and Lilynette scowled "Why not?" The two asked simultaneously.

Twilight sighed as she looked down "I know it sounds ill-favored to you, but our hooves our tied here. We're already busy with repairs, but if we go through with this, what if we end up playing a part in some grand plan and invite more danger towards Ponyville shortly after?" She looked over at Rainbow Dash "Starrk's already gone, and we were lucky to survive with his help. For all we know, this could end up being a ruse for something bigger."

Lilynette snorted defiantly 'Yeah right! As if there's another Aizen lurking around in Ponyville!'

Rainbow Dash stared until she sighed in defeat "Fine. We won't hurt them, but it's only because half of Ponyville's already in shambles. First we repair, THEN we'll knock some sense into them." She said with a determined gaze.

Twilight nodded "Of course. But first we'll have to convince them that there's nothing to fear, since their source is already gone." She released her hold on Rainbow Dash and the group headed back towards the entrance and onto the podium.

Lilynette was utterly displeased with the choice that Twilight decided to go with; she missed Starrk more than anypony in Ponyville, even if he is a slacker at times.

"Lily?"

Lilynette turned to see Dinky with a comforting smile "I know we'll see Mr. Starrk again once we're finished. Mommy says that usually good things come to those who wait."

The red filly stared at Dinky until she sighed "I hope your mom's right about that..." She said as she looked away. Lilynette received another warm nuzzle from Dinky that slightly lifted her spirits.

Twilight raised the megaphone with her magic and spoke into it "Attention, everypony. We're aware of how you feel, and we understand that we housed a powerful pony in our town, but he's gone now. As long as he's out of your sight, I'm sure he won't cause us any trouble at all."

The crowd murmured amongst themselves until a stallion pointed at Lilynette "What about her? She's a part of Starrk, so she shouldn't be left unattended. In fact, she could possibly be as dangerous as him!"

Lilynette growled "Why don't you shut u-" She was stopped by a red hoof belonging to Big Macintosh. She looked up to see him simple shake his head at her.

Derpy puffed her cheeks and effortlessly nabbed the megaphone out of Twilight's grasp to speak "Then consider her a member of the Hooves family until something happens!" She shouted "Lily's nothing like Starrk, and we'll prove it by moving on and fixing our town! Maybe then, every single one of you ponies can get over that stupid fear of yours!" Her defensive words drove the crowd to silence.

Lilynette looked up at Derpy, amazed at how she projected her anger in defending somepony like herself. She stared in mild admiration "She really cares about Coyote and I, huh?"

Dinky giggled "That's Mommy for ya." She quipped.

Fluttershy shivered at Derpy's volume "Oh my...Maybe we should do what she says. I don't think it's a good idea to keep this going."

Applejack sighed dejectedly "Guess we ain't got much of a choice. Ah'd probably side with Rainbow an' Lilynette iffin' we didn't have so much on our plates."

Twilight nodded to her friends "Okay, everypony. The reparation of Ponyville comes first, and then we'll get to the bottom of things." She held an encouraging smile "I'm sure we can follow Coyote's example and be quick about this."

Lilynette perked up and grinned "Then what are we waiting for? I wanna hurry up and find out whoever's messing with us!"

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash chimed in "The sooner we get done with this thing, the sooner we can get my Starr-I-I mean get Starrk back!" She said with a faint blush. Lilynette raised her eyebrow at the cyan pegasus and her slip-up.

Pinkie grinned cheerfully "Alright, everypony! Back to work!" The party pony said as everypony went back to their areas of repairs.

Sparkler kept silent while she traveled with her family 'Well, at least I get to keep the fear I've snuck into those simpletons...Not only do they ward off that pesky espada, but they also act as a secondary source for my regeneration...' She smirked to herself 'All I have to do is bide my time and wait for my recovery to be complete...Then I can show these fools who is the rightful ruler of them all.'

To be continued...

Capitulo Veinticinco

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Capitulo Veinticinco

Silver Lining

The Hooves family went their own way to repair other parts of Ponyville after they separated from the gathered crowd at Town Hall. Derpy walked more focused than usual, her crossed eyes in a hardened stare as she still felt sore about the sudden fear over Starrk and Lilynette; the red filly was wearing a stoic expression while she trotted next to her adoptive sisters; Dinky was slightly downcast at the fact that Starrk was going to be gone for a while until things clear up, but she was more focused on making sure Lilynette was happy.

The only pony that felt no sorrow from this turn of events was Sparkler, who was deep in thought as she traveled with her family 'So now that I've cast aside a formidable obstacle, there only remains the time where I'll rise again once my powers have returned completely...' She shifted her eyes towards Lilynette, giving off a light glare 'To think that a simple filly like her is actually a part of Coyote Starrk...it wouldn't have been wise to send her off with him knowing there could be a large connection between them other than their stagnant familial relationship.' She hid a smirk 'I just have to keep an eye on her and make sure she won't do anything that will upset my goals...'

In their search for areas in need of repairs, the Hooves family stumbled upon a gaggle of ponies tending to the shambles in the market square including many merchants tending to their respective stalls. In Lilynette's eyes, the familiar faces distinguished in the clean-up crew were Cheerilee, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Snips and Snails, Vinyl Scratch and-

Her eye widened slightly when she caught Pipsqueak working alongside her sister, and she felt her heart quiver. She shook it off and grunted to herself in anger 'Why does that keep happening? I don't even like him that much!' Before she could grow used to the strange feeling in her heart, she also spotted the last two fillies she wanted to see; Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. She noticed they were reluctantly working next to Cheerilee. The very sight of them made Lilynette's ire steadily grow.

Oblivious to the red filly's rage, Derpy's spirits lifted at the sight of more friendly ponies hard at work rebuilding the square and turned to her daughters "C'mon, girls. We got a town to fix. Maybe we can visit Starrky once we're done with everything." She waved over at Cheerilee "Hey there, Cheerilee! Need some more help around here?"

Cheerilee turned to the approaching family and smiled warmly "That would be appreciated. The ponies that work around here are all downcast about their supplies getting ruined." She watched over the other depressed ponies cleaning their own areas with a sympathetic gaze "Not only is it taking a toll on their business, but this could very well eat away at their earnings." Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon managed to roll their eyes in unison without getting caught, but then they both wore apprehensive expressions when they caught the sight of Lilynette leering at them.

Derpy frowned as she watched alongside Cheerilee "I can't believe Cerberus just came along without warning again." She then smiled again "But on the bright side, nopony was hurt, right? That counts for something, doesn't it?"

Cheerilee sighed before sharing a smile with Derpy "You're right. All that matters now is rebuilding our town." She looked at the mailmare and her family before realizing what was missing "Wait a minute...Where's Coyote Starrk?" She said as she looked around.

Derpy looked down with a miffed expression "He's in the Everfree Forest thanks to some ponies being afraid of him!" She said angrily "I dunno what's gotten into them all of the sudden, but they certainly weren't afraid of Starrk before!" She turned to Lilynette "They were about to do the same to Lily, but I stood my ground that time." She stated triumphantly.

Cheerilee was surprised at the news and looked down at Lilynette "I'm so sorry about this happening to you so quickly, Lilynette. I hope this doesn't bother you too much." She said in a comforting tone.

Lilynette turned to Cheerilee after hearing her call her name, her leer refusing to soften "It doesn't. And I don't want your pity, neither." She said as she trotted past Cheerilee, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon "I'm gonna go talk to my sister's friends now...C'mon, Dinky." Dinky frowned at her adoptive sister's attitude, but decided to let it go in hopes of her cheering up later. She followed Lilynette as they went to talk to the crusaders.

Sparkler watched Lilynette leave with Dinky and hummed "Such bitterness. And I thought she was a hoofful before..." She murmured innocently.

Cheerilee was downcast at Lilynette's cold response and turned to Derpy "She must be taking this so hard. How long do you think it would be before they see each other again?"

Derpy huffed "I know it won't be long, once we put a stop to this. It turns out that the ponies afraid of Starrky have been hit with dark magic somehow."

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon widened their eyes "Dark magic?" They nervously parroted in unison.

Cheerilee gasped "Are you sure?" She asked in surprise.

Derpy nodded "Twilight brought it to our attention earlier, but we're gonna do something about it soon." She looked down with a sigh "A good friend to Ponyville leaving because of some powerful and forbidden magic; it's the Alicorn Amulet all over again."

Sparkler was lost to the world for a short moment after hearing those words. If what Derpy said was true, then it could very well be the only thing needed to boost her power to incredibly higher levels. She turned to the mailmare "We're talking about that amulet?" She said with feigned innocence.

Derpy smiled at Sparkler "Of course we are! You know, the same amulet Trixie wore one time that made her go all batty banana bonkers on us and made Twilight leave Ponyville?" She rubbed her head with a pensive glance in her rotating eyes "I wonder how she's doing right now. Maybe she has a better career now that she isn't such a meanie anymore..."

Cheerilee shook her head "Wherever she is, I'm sure she's learned her lesson by now." She smiled "But I digress. Why don't we get back to work?"

Sparkler flinched before voicing herself "You know, I'm actually curious about where the amulet is right now. Is it back in hiding?"

Derpy shrugged "I thought the same thing, but I think Zecora has it in the Everfree Forest. Maybe she's using it as one of her doorsteps." She said absentmindedly before giggling "That'd be funny, wouldn't it?" She patted Sparkler on the back "But we shouldn't worry about that now. Let's get to work, Sparkler!" Derpy said as she and the amethyst unicorn followed Cheerilee, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon to another part of the market square.

Sparkler could barely contain her excitement as she wore a grin on her face 'I cannot believe it! The very item that can grant my ascension to power is closer than I thought!' A second thought dampened her good mood 'Of course...I've sent that lazy stallion into that same forest. Coupled with the fact that another pony takes residence in there, acquiring it will be tough...' Sparkler started to think of a brilliant plan to acquire the amulet for herself.
_____

Meanwhile, Dinky and Lilynette ran into Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo attempting to repair a tomato stall. Scootaloo was the first to notice and grinned "Hey, girls. How's it going?" She greeted brightly.

Dinky waved at Scootaloo "Hi there, Scootaloo. We're doing fine right now." She looked over at Lilynette "We just followed Mommy to this place and we managed to find you all here."

Lilynette stole a glance at Pipsqueak working next to Vinyl Scratch a few feet away from them before she shook her head "So, you girls are just as busy as us, huh?"

Applebloom grinned "Sure are! Everypony's givin' it their all t' take care o' all these damages; we can't just sit around and do nothing."

Sweetie Belle tilted her head at Lilynette after noticing her bad mood "Something wrong, Lilynette? Is all of this bothering you?"

Lilynette looked away towards Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon "Not exactly, but what I wanna know is what those two morons are doing here." She said venomously.

Sweetie Belle followed Lilynette's gaze and gave a knowing nod "Oh, them? Well, Diamond Tiara's dad was away on a business trip, so she's being watched by Ms. Cheerilee. I think Silver Spoon's with her just because they're friends."

Scootaloo frowned "Ms. Cheerilee's the only reason they're not giving us trouble right now, but we're not really happy to have them around us like this, even if everypony in Ponyville's involved." She stated roughly.

Lilynette averted her gaze and turned to Scootaloo "Preaching to the choir on that one..." She murmured. The red filly raised her eyebrow at the crusaders "Say, why aren't you two with your sisters like Dinky and I?" Lilynette asked inquisitively.

Applebloom scratched the back of her head "Well, we planned to before an' stuff, but we kinda wanted t' work together as friends."

Sweetie Belle shrugged "Besides, if we ended up working with them, they'd probably have us doing smaller jobs like watching the equipment." She said flatly.

Scootaloo stared with a frown "I don't have a sister..." She then grinned brightly "But I'm tight with Rainbow Dash!" The orange filly waved a hoof to her fellow crusaders "As for the reason, I'm with them; we're repairing Ponyville as friends."

Dinky smiled "Then why don't we join you? We can make things easier if we work together. Maybe we can be as fast as Mr. Starrk." She instantly regretted bringing up Starrk when she remembered being next to Lilynette. Dinky looked over at her sister's restored bitterness and frowned penitantly.

Scootaloo gave a wistful sigh "I wish! I wonder if him and Rainbow Dash would ever challenge each other again." She voiced her thought eagerly. Scootaloo perked up after the mention of Starrk and blinked at Dinky and Lilynette "Isn't Coyote Starrk with you right now?"

Lilynette growled "He isn't...And I don't wanna talk about it. Why don't we just get back to rebuilding everything?"

Scootaloo's ears folded as she craned her head back from Lilynette's response "Did something happen?"

Dinky sighed "A group of ponies across town were afraid of Mr. Starrk and he left because he didn't want them to feel worse. Ms. Sparkle says that it's because somepony was using dark magic."

The crusaders' jaws dropped simultaneously at the news "That's awful!" Applebloom blurted out "But who could be doing that sorta thing here in Ponyville without gettin' caught?"

Lilynette gritted her teeth "Whoever it was is gonna get their's soon enough." She said threateningly "But I don't wanna focus on that, okay!? Just drop it already!" The red filly snapped at the others.

"Hey, kids, what's going on over there?"

The group of fillies noticed Vinyl Scratch and Pipsqueak drawing near them, the former having an eyebrow raised behind her glasses "You fillies having a disagreement or something?"

Dinky shook her head "No, not at all. We were just about to help our friends."

Scootaloo frowned "But what about the pony doing dark magic? Shouldn't we try looking for them before they do something evil again?" She asked.

Vinyl Scratch gave a chuckle, passing off Scootaloo's question as a childish game "Oh, I get it; you're all getting bored. I don't blame you for wanting to just stop what you're doing and go have fun, but you know how it is right now." She then noticed Lilynette and grinned "Hey there, Lilynette! How's it going?" The DJ greeted vigorously.

Pipsqueak smiled and waved at Lilynette "'Ello!"

Lilynette turned to Pipsqueak and wanted to lash out at him, but as she stared at his bright smile, it was as if her own anger was fading slightly. She took a deep breath and looked away with an irritated huff "Hi, Pip..." She murmured.

Vinyl tilted her head with a smirk "What, no 'Hi, Vinyl' for me?" She then examined Lilynette's face and hummed "You know, you kinda remind me of Octavia with that angry look on your face."

Lilynette blinked and turned to Vinyl Scratch "Octavia? Wait, did you mean Octava?" The red filly couldn't really handle dealing with the same espada she was referring to living in Ponyville. A part of her wondered if he was responsible for driving away Starrk if he was even around.

Vinyl laughed "No, kid, I know what I said; Octavia's my marefriend, you see. You were just a spitting image of her a second ago with that look in your eyes. Something on your mind right now?"

Lilynette shook her head "No, nothing." She looked towards Pipsqueak and instantly turned away with puffed cheeks and a light blush on her face "Nothing at all..." Dinky and the crusaders watched Lilynette before trading glances amongst themselves.

Vinyl Scratch just stared at Lilynette in silence until a gleam of light flashed across her shades while she gave a wide grin 'Oh, that's just cute. She's definitely like Octavia, but I never thought she'd have the hots for my little bro...' The DJ looked down at Pipsqueak "Hey, Pipsqueak. Now that we've taken care of that popsicle stand back there, I think you should try and mingle with these girls and help them out while I go find Cheerilee and the others. "

Pipsqueak looked up at Vinyl in confusion "Huh? But why, sis? Can't I jus' come with you?"

The DJ tussled her brother's mane with a confident smile "Trust me, it's good to at least socialize with some ponies your age, even if they're girls. You just play nice and I'm sure you'll do just fine around them."

Pipsqueak rubbed his head before he returned his sister's smile "Okay." He looked over at Lilynette "Maybe we can talk more while we work since we're friends and stuff." He stated in a chipper tone.

Lilynette growled and instantly turned away as her blush became nearly visible to her friends. She hated the way he was talking to him like that, yet somehow, he's making the feeling inside of her grow "Just don't get carried away..." Lilynette stated firmly.

Pipsqueak blinked at Lilynette and tilted his head in confusion "What's wrong? Aren't you happy we're working together?"

Vinyl leaned down to whisper in Pipsqueak's ear "Trust me, Pip; it might not show on her face, but she's happy. You just gotta give her time to open up." She then lifted her head to grin at the fillies "So, gals, can I trust you to be nice to my little bro?"

The crusaders snapped a salute while Dinky gave a polite bow "You can count on us!" They said in unison. Lilynette merely huffed as her blush faded.

Vinyl nodded "Awesome." She looked down at Pipsqueak and patted him on the back "I'll come back to pick you up later, Pipsqueak. Have fun, okay?" She trotted away to find the other mares, leaving the children by themselves.

Applebloom turned to her hammer "Well, we better get back t' work, y'all." She picked it up with her teeth and turned to the tomato stall with renewed vigor "Mrr's grt tr rt!"

Dinky stared at Applebloom before cocking her head to the side "What did you say, Applebloom?"

Applebloom drooped her ears before spitting out her hammer "Ah said let's get to it!" She said with a confident smile as she picked it up again.

Sweetie Belle faced Dinky and pointed at the stall "We got some nails set up on the other side if you three wanna help out. Why not go there?" Her and Scootaloo picked up their own hammers and joined Applebloom as they continued their work.

Dinky nodded and turned to Lilynette and Pipsqueak "Okay! It's time to help our friends, everypony." She nudged her toolbox near them "Let's make this stall better than the last one!" The purple filly said as she grabbed a hammer with her mouth

Pipsqueak grinned eagerly "Alright then. Let's get started." He said before he followed suit with Dinky

Lilynette watched how they grabbed their own tools and hummed to herself before reaching into her own toolbox to pull out a hammer with her foreleg. She felt it was a lot better than carrying one in her mouth. The three made their way to the other side of the tomato stall, with Lilynette trailing behind as she walked with three legs.

When they reached the other side, Dinky and Pipsqueak studied the nails that stuck out in a vertical line along the planks before hammering some on the left part, leaving Lilynette to decide on one for herself at the right side. The red filly squinted her eye when she found one and reared onto her hind legs as she reeled back her foreleg containing her hammer and swung it at the nail.

However, she swung it too hard and ended up cracking the wooden support on her side in two, startling her, Dinky and Pipsqueak into distancing themselves as the stand began to topple from its damage. This also shocked the crusaders as they drew themselves back from the collapsing stand. They stared at the pile of wood until all eyes were on Lilynette, who shifted her glance between them "Don't look at me! I thought I'd be able to get the nail in with one strike!"

Scootaloo sighed dejectedly as she faced what was once the tomato stall "Well, there goes another one."

Applebloom huffed "An' here Ah thought we coulda repaired at least one stand."

Lilynette blinked "Wait a minute...You mean to tell me you haven't repaired anything yet?"

Sweetie Belle nodded to Lilynette "We tried a few times, but we've had better luck repairing Fluttershy's table way back when." She gave a wry smile "You don't have to feel bad about this, since this is your first time helping and all."

Lilynette dropped her hammer before she landed on all fours. Were these fillies as easygoing as Starrk? Dinky approached the red filly with a comforting smile "You don't have to feel so bad about this, Lily. All you have to do is keep trying until you get better; it's what Mommy usually tells me whenever I mess up sometimes."

Pipsqueak was next to be near Lilynette with a comforting smile of his own "I can relate to messin' up sometimes myself. My sister is usually nice to me about it." His smile widened "But now I see how you're so strong! That was pretty cool!" He praised wholeheartedly.

Lilynette backed away from Pipsqueak slightly, her pupils trembling "Really?" She whispered before perking up and turning her head away with an angry expression "I-I mean, of course I am! I came from Starrk, after all! What, you didn't believe me before or something?" She said rashly, making Pipsqueak's smile waver as he craned his head back and blinked at Lilynette.

Scootaloo tilted her head with her ears folded back "Is it just me, or is she hiding something from us?" She whispered to her friends.

Sweetie Belle leaned towards Scootaloo while staring at Lilynette and Pipsqueak with a smile "That's what I was talking about yesterday. I think Lilynette likes Pipsqueak." She whispered back.

Applebloom grouped with her friends as she shared Sweetie Belle's gaze "But when do ya think she'll come out with it? Y'all don't think this'll be one of those 'I-like-you-but-don't-like-you' relationships, will it?" She asked.

Sweetie Belle kept a careful eye on Lilynette "We'll just have to see how this plays out..." She and the crusaders neared Dinky, Pipsqueak, and Lilynette with their own chipper expressions "Say, why don't we try repairing another spot? Maybe we'll get it right next time." Sweetie Belle offered innocently.

Lilynette sighed "I don't know if I'll be of any help, since I'll only break things." She grumbled bitterly.

Sweetie Belle waved her hooves at Lilynette "You don't have to if you don't want to Lily, in fact, maybe you can watch while Dinky works with us."

Dinky was surprised by the sudden plan "Huh? But I wanna work with-" She was interrupted by Sweetie Belle quickly whispering into her ear. The white filly winked at her and Dinky paused before the message sunk in "I mean...that sounds like a good idea, don't it, sis?" She said to Lilynette with a reassuring smile.

Lilynette frowned "What's so good about you working while I can't?"

Pipsqueak shared Lilynette's frown "That does seem a bit unfair..." He perked up when he had an idea "Maybe I can keep Lilynette company while you're working?"

Lilynette felt her spine tingle as she froze in position "D-Do what now!?"

Pipsqueak pawed at the ground "Well, I don't think it would be fun for you to just watch everypony repair Ponyville by yourself, so maybe I could stand by you so you won't feel left out."

Lilynette stayed frozen before turning away from Pipsqueak, her expression unreadable to him "I never asked for you to do that, you know..." She said in a low tone.

Pipsqueak tilted his head before he donned a friendly smile "I don't mind it, really. Nopony should be by themselves, you know." There was silence before Lilynette's head hung down a little; Pipsqueak could've sworn he heard the word 'Thanks' coming from the red filly.

Sweetie Belle grinned in a fashion similar to Pinkie at the scene "Then it's settled! Let's try and repair the cabbage stall next."

Scootaloo shook her head "I know he had a business and all, but that cabbage owner was so melodramatic about his loss." She smirked "I think he'll feel better with our help."

Dinky stared at the shambles that was once the tomato stall "What about the tomato seller? I don't think she'll be happy..."

Scootaloo stared at the pile of shambles before waving a dismissive hoof "I'm sure she'll be fine. Let's go!" She said as she and her friends set off for the next stall.
_____

Dinky and the crusaders were pouring serious effort into their repairs while Lilynette and Pipsqueak sat by themselves and watched. As they did so, Pipsqueak turned to Lilynette "Say, Lilynette. Can I ask you a question?"

Lilynette glanced at Pipsqueak from the corner of her eye before turning her head away "What is it?" She said calmly, albeit defensively.

Pipsqueak scratched his head "How come you always act so tough when you're already stronger than everypony else at school? And why do you act so cold around me?"

There was silence, until Pipsqueak was rewarded with a response "Because I feel like it. What's it to you?" Lilynette asked roughly.

Pipsqueak fidgeted his forehooves with an unsure frown "Well, do you not like me at all? I thought you would be happy if we were friends."

Lilynette grunted "I said I was okay with being your friend, alright? There's no need to prod me for useless information." She snapped irritably.

Pipsqueak stared at Lilynette facing away from him and hummed to himself before an idea came to his mind "Say, do you like music?"

Lilynette shifted her head slightly towards Pipsqueak "I never really listened to any music other than the last two parties we had, and that song that everypony sang for some stupid reason. Why are you asking me this?" She asked calmly again.

Pipsqueak waved a hoof "My sister says that music's one way to cheer somepony up or make them feel much better around anypony they meet. Maybe you'd like t' listen to some more music sometime?"

Lilynette shifted her head closer to where she made slight eye contact with Pipsqueak, an inquisitive gaze seen on her face "What makes you think music would even make me feel better?" She asked skeptically.

Pipsqueak smiled "Well, it would never hurt to try at least; you can even whistle a tune if you feel up to it, like this." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and Pipsqueak began to whistle a tune that caught Lilynette's attention.

She was still skeptical at first, but she had to admit that the rhythm and sound were kind of catchy. Lilynette watched how happy Pipsqueak appeared as he continued to whistle, and was almost curious if she could do the same. When Pipsqueak stopped, he pointed at Lilynette "Go on. You try it." He said encouragingly.

Lilynette took a deep breath and then puckered her lips as she attempted to whistle. So far, she only succeeded in blowing without any whistling sounding from her mouth. She tried again with the same results and scowled "Great, so much for that..." She said angrily.

Pipsqueak held up a hoof "Not to worry, Lilynette, I can help. Try closing your lips more next time. You jus' gotta keep practicin' til ya get it right."

Lilynette huffed, but tried to follow Pipsqueak's advice as she puckered her lips more and blew from her mouth. There was no results the first couple of seconds, but then a sharp whistle was heard that startled Lilynette as she stared at the air with a perplexed gaze "Huh? Did I just-?"

Pipsqueak grinned "Yeah, that's it! Keep goin'!" He said with vigor.

Lilynette was hesitant, but she tried again, and she managed to whistle much better than her first attempt. She tried to whistle different notes, but messed up easily, to which she stomped at the ground "Come on!"

Pipsqueak shook his head "Don't stop now. You almost got it!" Lilynette went to retort, but the colt continued before she could speak "I know you can do it, Lilynette! If anypony can do it, so can you!" He said in a spirited tone.

Lilynette growled at Pipsqueak's persistence, but decided to comply to his words; there was something about the way he talked that managed to convince her to continue. She hesitantly whistled again, and when she tried a different note, she made sure to do so carefully. The red filly slowly tried to mimic Pipsqueak's song by ear when she felt confident in her actions.

Pipsqueak listened while lightly bobbing his head, a bright grin on his face. When she stopped, she looked down while Pipsqueak applauded "Wonderful, Lilynette! You'll do much better in no time!"

Lilynette puffed her cheeks as a light blush was seen on her face "It was dumb to try it..." She muttered.

Pipsqueak frowned "Huh? But why? You were doing so well earlier."

Lilynette looked away as her blush grew slightly "N-No I wasn't! Don't patronize me!" She growled.

Pipsqueak shook his head "I'm not, I promise." He smiled at Lilynette as he drew closer "You did pretty good for your first time. I dunno where you lived before to feel so bad, but at least you can try and keep yourself happy with some music."

Lilynette remained silent until she sighed "Maybe..." She stole a glance at Pipsqueak "...Thanks..." She murmured.

Pipsqueak nodded in reply "No problem." He then paused before frowning "Can I ask you a question?"

Lilynette raised an eyebrow at Pipsqueak "What is it?"

Pipsqueak placed a hoof under his chin "Does Mr. Starrk know how to whistle?"

Lilynette narrowed her eye at the question "Why does that matter to you?" She said angrily.

Pipsqueak was intimidated by Lilynette's sudden mood shift before he felt confident to speak "I mean, if he doesn't, then maybe you can teach him to whistle, too. Maybe he'd appreciate it once he tried it himself."

Lilynette's anger faded at Pipsqueak's explanation. She couldn't really imagine Starrk whistling, let alone acting as energetic as her, but perhaps she could take it upon herself to teach him how to whistle and see if he would be willing to learn.

That is, if she didn't have to resort to forcing him to.

She hummed to herself before she spoke up "That would be good. Maybe I could when he comes back."

Pipsqueak blinked "Huh? Where did Mr. Starrk go?"

Lilynette grunted "It's nothing, okay?" She paused before she looked away again "But...Thanks..."

Pipsqueak smiled again "Well, I already said 'You're Welcome', didn't I? I'm glad t' teach you to whistle."

Lilynette growled "No, you idiot. I meant for keeping me company..." She sighed "You're right about one thing, nopony shouldn't be by themselves...Thanks for staying by my side. I feel a little better..."

Pipsqueak's smile widened "Well, it was my pleasure!"

"Oh, and Pipsqueak?"

Pipsqueak blinked "Yea-WHOA!"

The colt didn't expect to be forcefully pulled forward and be held by his chest with one hoof. He was nose-to-nose with what appeared to be a scary-looking Lilynette; her uncovered eye was narrowed to a slit, already causing him to break into a light sweat "You tell ANYPONY I said that, and you're dead meat..." She hissed threateningly.

Pipsqueak gulped and nodded "O-Okay..." Lilynette gently released her hold on the colt and looked away again. Pipsqueak frowned at the sudden action, not expecting that kind of contact from Lilynette after he taught her how to whistle. He looked away himself as he rubbed the area where the red filly grabbed him, wondering if he had to act better around her.

While he did so, he was unaware that Lilynette lightly scooted closer to him.

To be continued...

Capitulo Veintiseis

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Capitulo Veintiseis

Too Much To Bear

Time flew by as everypony in town mended all they could around Ponyville. Thankfully, they were nearly done with making the town good as new by the end of the day. As they went to retire, Dinky and Lilynette said their goodbyes to their friends before they all retired to their respective homes.

Derpy opened the door to the Hooves' household and let her daughters inside as she took a deep breath, an accomplished look in her criss-crossed eyes "Doesn't it feel nice to get Ponyville looking great again?"

"We weren't even done yet." Lilynette and Sparkler deadpanned.

Dinky smiled "We did work hard though, didn't we, Mommy?"

Derpy giggled and nuzzled Dinky "We sure did, my little muffin! We'll be sure to do it just as much by tomorrow." She rose her head and went towards the fridge, sifting through its contents while her daughters sat at the table "It's a good thing Mayor Mare and Twilight worked out sleeping arrangements for the ponies that lost their homes. I feel bad for them, but at least they'll have more spiffier homes to live in."

Sparkler resisted the urge to gag at Derpy's optimism 'Spare me the heartfelt banter...' She smiled to herself as she rubbed her chin 'The Alicorn Amulet...So close, and yet so far from my reach. There must be a way for me to acquire it without any trouble from those worthless hicks. First thing's first though...' Sparkler turned to Derpy, who began fishing out some leftovers, including daisy salad and hay fries "Say, why don't we go visit Starrk tomorrow and see how he's doing?"

Derpy beamed at Sparkler "That's a great idea! We owe him that much after what he's been through." She turned to Lilynette, who appeared to be deep in thought "What do you say, Lily? Wanna go visit Starrky in the Everfree Forest tomorrow?"

Lilynette snapped out of her thoughts and turned to Derpy "Huh? Oh, sure..." She mumbled before thinking to herself again. The red filly ignored the food being placed on the table by Derpy.

Dinky blinked at Lilynette before she thought back to her time with Pipsqueak. She smiled when she caught her sister sitting closer to Pipsqueak, but felt that their interaction overall could've went better. Dinky looked at her mother with a smile "Do you think he's doing okay at the Everfree Forest, Mommy?"

Derpy nodded "Of course. He's the same pony that saved the town!" She took a seat at the table with the others "We can do it first thing tomorrow. In the meantime, eat up, everypony." She said as the Hooves' family dug into their food.

Little did they know that Sparkler inwardly smiled to herself when she had an idea.
_____

Later that night, the ponies went to bed in their own rooms, each one sleeping contently while tucked in their blankets. However, while all of Ponyville rested, there was only one pony who managed to stay up all night. She made sure to observe her family's activity while she was wide awake.

"What luck...They're asleep." Sparkler whispered to herself with a devious grin. She carefully tiptoed towards the front door and slowly opened it, exiting the house before closing it afterwards. The evening air was chilling her fur, but she didn't mind it when her objective was clear.

Sparkler trotted at a leisurely pace towards the edge of town near Fluttershy's cottage, where the Everfree Forest lied straight ahead. The amethyst unicorn grinned evilly as she continued to trot, stepping past the entrance into the dangerous woods. She looked around at the unending darkness that covered the forest, finding nostalgic comfort from its appearance. But now wasn't the time to dwell on the matter.

Stepping further inside, Sparkler carefully peered her eyes around for anything useful 'If I'm going to acquire the amulet without anypony noticing, I'll need another distraction in the form of a giant monster. But by going in deeper into this forest, I'll only risk both my host's condition and my discovery. Therefore, I'll need to implement a mind control spell to give me a worthy distraction that could provoke said monster...'

Before she could decide, a light was seen in the corner of her eye, and Sparkler noticed what appeared to be a pair of green lights at a far distance on her left shining ahead at a pack of sleeping timberwolves curled up in their own resting positions; there was another figure amongst the timberwolves, but it was hard for her to distinguish it.

She shook her head at the thought of controlling timberwolves; Sparkler needed something smaller and more agile that could do the trick. If there was anything she had learned, it was that the tiniest insect can pose the biggest problem to a massive beast. She rubbed her head until she heard the sound of screeching above her. Looking up, she noticed a set of bats flying around her in a group. They had a good appearance and were always agile hunters despite their small size.

Small and agile.

Sparkler grinned at the sight of her targets as she planted her hooves and pointed her horn up at them 'They're perfect...the best part is that I won't have to worry about straining myself with their puny minds..' Her horn charged and let off another black and green aura that shot up and engulfed the entire group of bats, making them stop and hover in one spot.

Their eyes were all glowing green as they looked down in a somnambulistic fashion. Sparkler chuckled quietly as she looked up, channeling her horn as she communicated with her new pets telepathically 'Hear me, my servants...I've a task suited for your tastes, but you're to obey my command when the time comes. I want you all to find me...' Sparkler hesitated in her thoughts, thinking of a good choice for a monster. Then she remembered the terror that was the Ursa Major, grinning at the prospect of such a massive beast giving her the distraction she desired. Looking back up at the group of hypnotized bats, she resumed her telepathy 'An Ursa Major...You're to seek out one of their caves and antagonize them into a state of pure ire. When I give the signal, you will perform this task for me. Understand?' She was rewarded with a simultaneous nod from her servants before she grinned ear-to-ear 'Wonderful...You may disperse...'

When the bats flew away, Sparkler tried not to laugh diabolically as she galloped out of the forest and made a beeline to her house, making sure to enter as quietly as she left. After doing so, she went to her room and tucked herself in, sleeping contently with a smile on her face.
_____

The next day, the sun shined through the window in Derpy's bedroom, the sunlight hitting her head and waking her from her slumber as she rubbed her eyes and mumbled groggily. She slunk off of her bed and stretched her limbs before she trotted out of her room to wake the children.

Once she quietly entered their room, Derpy lightly nudged Dinky and Lilynette from their sleep, the latter grumbling in protest before she woke up. When they made their way out of the room, they noticed Sparkler was trotting out of her own room wide awake, a thin smile on her face and a pink and white striped scarf wrapped over her neck "Good morning." She said to the others.

Derpy smiled back at Sparkler as her eyes rotated slowly "Morning, Sparkler. I see you slept well..." She finally caught on to the piece of clothing on her daughter's body and pointed a foreleg "What's with the scarf? It's the middle of spring."

Sparkler innocently looked down at the scarf "Oh, this? Well, I decided that I should try something new today, and I haven't worn this scarf in so long..."

Dinky tilted her head with a puzzled expression "Are you actually taking Ms. Rarity's fashion advice? I thought you barely listen to what she says sometimes."

Sparkler cleared her throat "Well, if you must know, I've decided to wear this scarf of my own accord; Rarity had nothing to do with this. Besides, doesn't anypony else usually wear scarves during the spring?"

Derpy hummed pensively with her tongue stuck out before she nodded in agreement "Good point." She then smiled "The look suits you actually."

Lilynette rubbed her uncovered eye "So, when are we gonna eat? I wanna get some food before we go see Starrk." She murmured.

Derpy patted Lilynette's head as she trotted away from her daughters "Don't you worry, girls, leave breakfast to me. Do eggs sound good to you all?"

Dinky grinned "Yes please." She replied happily "Can we have toast and jam with them as well?"

Derpy looked back at Dinky as she trotted "Sure thing, sweetie. That's also go-" She was cut off as she bumped into a wall, rubbing her head as her eyes rotated slightly faster. The mailmare giggled before she looked ahead and resumed her trail "Clumsy me..." She said jokingly.

Lilynette blinked at Derpy's sudden blunder, but said nothing since she was eager to fix her and her sisters a meal. They were led to the dining room table, where Derpy fired up the stove and cooked their morning meal with ease.

As they finished their breakfast, the Hooves family rose from their seats and exited the house from the front door with Derpy taking the lead with a bright smile on her face "Alright, family, time to go see-"

"Princess Luna!"

"Princess Lu-Hey, wait a minute!" Derpy said with her muzzle scrunched in irritation "We were gonna see Starrky!" She looked over at a murmuring crowd gathering a small distance from her house. The family traded glances before they decided to swim through the crowd and grab a better look at what was grabbing the ponies' attention.

After they reached the front, they saw that at the center was yet another alicorn, only she was smaller than Princess Celestia and had a darker blue in contrast to her pure white coat. Her mane and tail were similar to the solar princess, but they were all covered in stars and her regalia made up of an onyx breastplate and tiara with ice blue shoes. She was seen standing next to a small platoon of batlike ponies with grey coats and black armor, their eyes yellow and catlike, reminding them of a certain espada; the element bearers were seen as well, though they were as nervous as the rest of the crowd.

She regarded the crowd with a serious gaze, namely towards the ponies that supposedly drove Starrk into leaving "Be not afraid, dear subjects. We only wish to find the location of the one pony known as 'Coyote Starrk'." She said in a leveled tone "Once we find them we'll sort out this matter ourselves."

One of the ponies in the crowd, an acne-ridden stallion with glasses and a robot cutie mark frowned nervously "But we don't know where he is right now. We never really remembered him leaving Ponyville." He quickly bowed submissively and shivered, his eyes clenched shut as if he were about to be struck "Please don't be angry with us!"

Twilight held up a hoof "Princess Luna, there's no need to worry about this. We can lead you to him and clear this whole issue up. We're telling you he isn't directly responsible for this situation."

Luna directed her serious gaze down at Twilight "I cannot simply ignore somepony who was the source of fear for other ponies, dreams or otherwise." She looked down at the ground as her eyes narrowed "Especially if it was triggered through dark magic...Dispelling their fear was the first step, but we must seize him at once if he is as strong as my sister claims..."

With her family, Sparkler almost shown her displeasure, but was quick to hide it 'Curses! I've grown careless in the past thousand years! Of course I've forgotten about that wench's ability to peer into ponies dreams and detect magical presences.' She held a thin smile 'No matter...My prize is just within reach. All I have to do is bide my time and expect the next opportunity to present itself.'

Pinkie spread her forelegs "Of course he's strong, but Starrky would never hurt a fly!" She then gestured her forehooves "Well, he DID beat up Cerberus with his cero thingy, but that was it." She grinned despite the situation.

Rainbow Dash nodded "That's right!" She pointed at the crowd Luna faced earlier, her eyes narrowed "We know it was these jerks that made him leave because they were suddenly afraid of him."

Luna frowned "I'm aware; Be that as it may, I cannot take any chances and leave this Coyote Starrk unattended. Will you take me to him?"

"Wait, Princess!"

The group of ponies looked over to see the Hooves family approach them, Derpy bowing quickly before looking at Luna with her crossed eyes "We were just about to go see him, too. He really isn't as bad as you think. Right now, he's staying with Zecora in the Everfree forest."

Lilynette looked up at Luna "You're Princess Luna? Does that mean you're the one that moves the moon?"

Luna looked down at Lilynette with a calculating eye "Indeed. I've heard about you as well, Lilynette Gingerback. You seem to be rather brash for a filly so powerful. I wonder why you're not with your other half at the moment..."

Lilynette growled, feeling that Luna had touched on a vital issue "That's none of your business. Stuff happened is all, so I don't wanna hear it from you right now." The ponies in the crowd gasped at Lilynette's harsh response.

Luna's eyes narrowed at the red filly's defiant behavior "I must warn you to be more mindful of what you say next time, child. I'm already on edge with this Coyote Starrk character causing unrest upon my subjects, and you would only worsen the matter." She said in a low tone.

Lilynette snorted "Big whoop! You know he wasn't the real reason everypony made him leave! They forced him into leaving on his own while they just continued to shake in their boots! If I would've done something about this, I'd probably knock those losers sensele-" She was swooped up by a prismatic blur and struggled in the grasp of Rainbow Dash, who clasped a hoof over the red filly's mouth.

Rainbow Dash looked at Luna with a frown "Sorry, princess. I know she can talk trash, but she's right. This situation's affected her the most since her and Starrk are like two of the same pony."

Derpy looked saddened "I didn't wanna see him go, but we were lucky to leave him with Zecora. You came at a good time, since we were gonna bring him back to us once all of this blew over."

Applejack trotted up next to Derpy and nodded to Luna "Her story checks out, yer majesty. Coyote's been livin' with them fer a couple o' days now an' he ain't no enemy. We can take ya to 'im so y'all can see fer yerself."

Luna hummed before looking around "If I can place my trust in you, then we can pursue Coyote Starrk together. However..." She turned to her guards, who instantly saluted when they were noticed "I wish for you all to stay here and protect Ponyville while we're gone. Patrol the town at your leisure, and be sure to remain vigilant for any threats that would show themselves."

After a resounding 'Yes, your majesty!' from her guards, Luna turned to Derpy expectantly, and the mailmare decided to lead her family, the Elements of Harmony, and Princess Luna into the Everfree Forest. Lilynette broke away from Rainbow Dash in a huff as she joined the group herself, agitated by the cyan pegasus' effort to break her rant.

As they trotted inside, Derpy trotted up next to Twilight and leaned her head close to her "Hey, Twilight. Did Princess Luna really get rid of the dark magic in those ponies back there?"

Twilight nodded "It's true, but you're aware that she sees Coyote as a threat from what was gathered in their dreams." She whispered back "I'm sure her opinion will change once she sees him up close for herself."

Derpy sighed in relief "I'm counting on that myself. This is all becoming so crazy. First Cerberus leveling Ponyville, now dark magic..." She gave a quiet gasp "You don't think the same thing could've possibly happened with Cerberus...could it?"

Twilight was silent; Derpy had a point with Cerberus' unusual behavior, especially when the guardian of Tartarus saw fit to not only wreck buildings, but even try to harm innocent ponies as well. It was only after Starrk defeated Cerberus that they were more docile and unlike their previously aggresive state. She let off a sigh "I'm not sure, but you may be onto something. If somepony out there has studied dark magic as well and has caused this much problems for us so far, we'll need to be ready for anything."

In her trot, Rarity looked over at Sparkler and perked up when she noticed the article of clothing on her neck "Why Sparkler, you're wearing the scarf I made for you last year." She said as she inched over and examined it up close "But as I recall, I've specifically made that for winter. Whatever compelled you to wear it now of all times? Do you want to look more presentable when you wished to visit Starrk?" She asked curiously.

Sparkler looked away from Rarity "Well, essentially. I decided to wear this simply because I felt like it. I don't really have much else to work with, as you can tell." She said flatly.

Rarity huffed at the statement "Well, I can't let you just make a fashion faux pas when you're reuniting with somepony close to you. Perhaps you can stop by my boutique sometime and I can whip you up a more season-appropriate scarf."

Sparkler gave Rarity a fixed smile "I'll look into it when I have the time." She replied with feigned sincerity.

Next to Rarity, Fluttershy looked back at Lilynette's angered expression "I hope Lilynette feels better once she's around Starrk again. I feel bad that she had to go through with all of this."

When the group reached Zecora's hut, Derpy felt obligated to rap on the door and wait for a response. The door opened to reveal the same zebra mare regarding the group with a surprised glance when she noticed Princess Luna.

"So many ponies, and one happens to be
Princess Luna herself. But why come to me?"

Luna approached Zecora with regal poise and cleared her throat "Miss Zecora, I've been informed that a Coyote Starrk has taken refuge in your abode. Would you have him come out and converse with us?" Zecora blinked before she shook her head.

"Coyote left from my hut just a moment ago.
He barely stops by as he moves to and fro."

Twilight approached Zecora with a baffled look in her eyes "What? But we specifically wanted him to stay with you for the time being. Why would he just leave you like that?" Zecora merely smiled at Twilight's question.

"He did not forsake my hospitality,
Instead he wanders, and often visits me.
He's more attuned to the forest than I,
And finds refuge there beneath the open sky."

Lilynette was next to approach Zecora "Wait a minute. You mean that idiot's just somewhere in this stupid forest and we have to find him?" She said angrily "As if he had to make things more complicated." The red filly snarled.

Pinkie raised a hoof "Oh! Oh! I think I know where he is!" Everypony turned to the party pony as she smiled "I can try and lead us to Starrky if he's anywhere near Zecora's hut."

Rainbow Dash stared at Pinkie and pointed a foreleg at her "Wait a minute...How exactly do you know where Starrk is?"

Pinkie shifted her eyes "Ummm...Another hunch?" She said with a shrug and a wide toothy grin.

Luna nodded "If it means finding Coyote Starrk without too much problems, then I propose we follow Pinkie Pie and seek him out with her guidance. Shall we be off?"

Twilight shook her head at the random turn of events, but nonetheless bowed to Zecora politely "Thank you for letting us know about Coyote, Zecora. It's very important that we find him." Zecora nodded solemnly and waved a hoof.

"In that case, I leave the search to you,
I hope you may see his problem through."

Rainbow Dash smirked "We will. There's nothing we can't do!" She said as she puffed her chest out. Zecora shook her head in amusement before she retired back into her hut and shut the door behind her.

Sparkler saw a small snippet of a chest inside of Zecora's home and felt a surge of power radiate from inside. The very sensation led her to visibly shudder; the location of her desired item was indeed confirmed. All she had to do was linger with these cretins for a while longer until their backs are turned, and everything will come to fruition.

"Umm...Sparkler?"

The amethyst unicorn turned to a confused Fluttershy "Are you cold? I just noticed you shivering."

Before Sparkler could reply, Pinkie zipped in between the mares "Ponyfeathers! We know Sparkler's not cold since she's wearing a scarf!" She turned to Sparkler with a smile "Smart thinking, by the way." Pinkie then trotted away "We gotta go find Starrky and fast. Onward!" She commanded as she took point with a determined gaze in her eyes.

Rainbow Dash shook her head as she followed "Pinkie Pie, you are so random..." She murmured.

While everypony else were focused on following Pinkie, Sparkler lagged behind, seeing this as a quick chance to enact her plan. She quickly channeled dark energy and closed her eyes 'Now. Go now and seek out an Ursa Major at once!' Sparkler then canceled her magic and caught up with the rest of the group.

In her wake, a collective of green eyes were found high in the trees.
_____

The path that Pinkie had taken turned out to be shrouded with brushes which were lucky to be moved thanks to the help of Twilight, Rarity, and Luna. Up ahead was an uninhabited clearing. Pinkie sniffed at the ground until she grinned "Yup! This is the place!"

Derpy looked around "But Starrky's nowhere to be found. You think he left again?"

Dinky frowned "He probably left again. Where could he have gone now?" She noticed a bush rustling ahead and squealed as she hid behind Derpy. Lilynette instantly trotted ahead and took a defensive stance after seeing her sister cower in fear, her horn glowing "Come out and show yourself!"

From the bush, a wolf made of wood jumped out and growled at the group of ponies. Soon enough, more began to show themselves as well, causing some the group to feel uneasy. Luna stared down the creatures "This is unfortunate. We've only come across a pack of timberwolves."

Fluttershy hid behind her friends as she shivered "Oh no...What do we do now?"

Pinkie smiled, not bothered by the fearsome creatures in front of her and remained silent. The timberwolves continued to growl, but their aggressiveness lessened as they backed away. Some of them moved away to show a path that was being traveled by a certain pegasus stallion, his usual laidback stare bringing comfort to the ponies in front of him. Pinkie instantly grinned "Starrky! We found you!"

Lilynette was surprised before she looked annoyed again "There you are! We almost thought we were running in circles!" She said as she neared Starrk.

Starrk's eyes widened slightly "You're all here?" He looked over at Luna, her solemn gaze catching his attention "Who are you?"

Luna placed a hoof on her chest "I am Princess Luna, and I've heard a great deal of you from my sister, Coyote Starrk."

Twilight approached Starrk and Lilynette, sighing in relief "Thank Celestia we found you. We found out what caused the spontaneous fear that made you leave town the other day; somepony's been using dark magic to manipulate their minds and make you seem like a threat to Equestria." She looked over at Luna "Princess Luna was able to dispel the magic, so everypony that was affected is back to normal now."

Starrk looked over at Luna's turquoise eyes and hummed to himself before trotting up and giving a curt bow "Thanks for your help back there. I only left because I didn't wanna make things worse on them."

Luna rubbed her chin "I see...Forgive me for considering you as a threat earlier; the many nightmares I've witnessed combined with my sister's explanation on how you handled Cerberus made me wonder if it were right to just leave you unchecked."

Starrk scratched his mane "Well, yesterday's situation wasn't all bad for me." Everypony's curious glances beckoned for an answer as he looked back at the timberwolves "Thanks to my leave, I was able to make another pack. These wolves have kept me company for the time being."

Fluttershy's eyes were instantly full of wonder "You mean...you're able to communicate with them?" She asked in a hushed and awed voice.

Starrk waved a hoof as he closed his eyes "Sort of; I've made more friends while I was out-" He opened his eyes and found himself face-to-face with Fluttershy, who was smiling widely as Pinkie "...here..." He finished flatly, already feeling uncomfortable with the timid pegasus' sudden mood shift. Are all mares like this?

Rainbow Dash stared slackjawed at the next mare that happened to have fallen for Starrk. She facehooved at the unexpected turn of events.

Twilight grunted at Fluttershy's advancement before she forced a smile "Why don't we go back into town so we can try to figure this out?"

Starrk sighed "It kinda sucks leaving my new pack behind like this, but I guess I can visit them now and then." He looked back at the timberwolves, who continued to act tame in his presence "Then again, I wonder if I can bring them with m-"

"Nononononononono, that won't be necessary." Twilight quickly said with a nervous smile "You're gonna leave a genuinely bad impression by bringing back a pack of timberwolves."

Applejack nodded "Yeah, an' besides, these critters 're already home here. We jus' wanted t' bring ya back with us." She said matter-of-factly.

Lilynette scowled up at Starrk "You heard her. Let's go home, Starrk!"

Starrk sighed as he went to follow the others. What stopped them was a deafening roar that was heard deeper in the forest. Rarity shivered "What in Equestria was that!?" She asked in shock.

Luna saw fit to fly up into the air past the gnarling branches in the forest's trees and flew over the Everfree forest to catch a glimpse of what was headed towards them. Her eyes widened and her heart buckled when she caught the form of a creature larger than Cerberus that happened to look ethereal as her mane in appearance, albeit a shade of luminescent purple. It gave off another angered roar as she hovered "This isn't good..."

To be continued...

Capitulo Veintisiete

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Capitulo Veintisiete

Reunited Once More

Luna swooped down from the sky and faced the group with eyes of worry "Vacate the forest at once! An Ursa Major is headed this way!" She warned, causing the mares to gasp.

Rarity froze before an uneasy grin was on her face "Surely you don't actually MEAN that, princess..." She giggled nervously, but her smile faded when she noted Luna's serious gaze, causing her to scream, with her friends and the Hooves family following suit. The timberwolves donned terrified looks and instantly fled deeper into the woods after they heard another roar.

Starrk and Lilynette were the only ponies that didn't scream "What's an Ursa Major?" The former espada asked inquisitively, oblivious to the fear that was shown on the other ponies' faces.

Twilight turned to Starrk with a face of terror "An Ursa Major is a giant creature semblant to a bear; they're very ferocious when provoked, be it some other animal attacking their young or antagonizing them head-on. We have to get out of here and warn Ponyville!"

Applejack frowned "But we can't jus' cause a panic an' let an Ursa Major destroy our town! We were lucky t' recover from Cerberus th' other day!"

Pinkie stopped her panicking and gasped before grinning "Wait a minute..." She murmured before she pointed to Starrk "We got Starrky on our side!"

Rainbow Dash was next to stop as her eyes widened in realization "Hey, yeah!" She smiled down at Starrk "He took down Cerberus without even trying. All he needs is a cloud and that Ursa Major's finished!"

Lilynette scoffed "It took you all long enough to realize that..." She muttered, baffled by the fact that these mares have forgotten who was the strongest being at the moment.

Luna was stumped by the aspect of Starrk actually using a mere cloud to fend off a fearsome monster that was seventeen stories tall. But she was willing to see Starrk's power for herself as she looked at him, conviction in her eyes "Well, Coyote Starrk? If their praise rings true, are you willing to assist me in battle?"

Starrk nodded "We can't afford any more problems, can't we? Let's make this short and sweet." He blurred out of sight with his sonido, startling Luna as she looked around.

Rainbow Dash sped to her side and pointed upward "He went up to the sky, Princess; you'll find him there. We'll clear out of here while you handle this."

Luna snapped out of her shock and followed Rainbow Dash's words as she took flight and soared past the top of the forest, where she noticed the Ursa Major even closer than before, swiping at the air with its massive paws; she could've sworn she had seen some bats flying around its face. However, there was no sign of Starrk as she looked around "Where did he-" She yelped when she caught the desired stallion appear with a cloud in his possession, his eyes locked on the Ursa Major drawing closer "Did you fly back to Ponyville to acquire that cloud?"

Starrk merely nodded and turned away from the cloud as he reared back his hindlegs "Here we go..." He kicked at the cloud, which caused the fluffy mound to produce a large blue beam that trailed across the sky and struck the Ursa Major in its chest, causing it to stumble back in its path after giving off a painful roar; the bats quickly flew down into the forest after the hit had connected.

Luna was in awe at the spectacle, the very feat confirming the information Celestia had shared with her. Who was this stallion and where did he come from? She looked over at the Ursa Major, who had recovered from their hit before giving off an enraged roar "Coyote Starrk, beware the beast before you! Your attack has only given it pause!" Luna warned as she lit up her horn, conviction clear in her eyes "I shall buy you time for a second attack if need be!"

Starrk reared his hindlegs back again "That won't be necessary, princess." He said as he struck the cloud again, eliciting another cero that struck the approaching Ursa Major in the same spot on its chest, causing it to stumble once more. Starrk looked back to see that he only further enraged the ethereal beast and provoked it into running towards him on all fours, ravaging the forest below "Damn...This thing's stronger than I thought..." He said nonchalantly.

Luna narrowed her eyes at Starrk "An Ursa Major is no ordinary creature, Coyote Starrk. Not only are they formidable in the wild, but their very body is capable of sustaining magic energies being thrown at them. You may seem powerful at first glance, but it will take more than your beams to best this monster."

Starrk stared at the oncoming monster, then the forest below him, causing him to grunt as he focused back on the Ursa Major "Maybe I should take it head-on instead of relying on my cero then..." He said to himself before blurring out of existence and appearing directly in front of the Ursa Major, landing a kick from his right hindleg directly into the center of its eyes and causing it to skid backwards a few meters. Starrk felt a bit embarrassed to resort to weaponless combat, already missing his zanpakuto.

From below, Rainbow Dash flew up just in time to see the feat for herself, excitement clear on her face 'Sweet Celestia! Seeing him lift so much junk was one thing, but did he actually just land a hit on an Ursa Major!?' She stared before she grinned mischievously to herself 'Trixie, eat your heart out.' Remembering her duty, however, she quickly flew down with her group and supervised their safety.

Starrk sped foward and struck the Ursa Major in the chest, hoping to add more damage after his two previous ceros, but only succeeded in pushing it back a few more meters. He drew back slightly and repeated the process a few times, drowning out the pained roars his strikes had caused.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was busy leading the group through the forest, until Sparkler skidded to a halt and earned the attention of the other mares "I'm sorry, it's just..." She looked towards another route in the forest "I should probably warn Zecora about this whole thing before she ends up on the receiving end of it all."

Twilight looked up at the trees warily "I don't think it'd be a good idea with that Ursa Major running around."

Sparkler frowned "We're lucky to have Starrk even hold the Ursa Major back with Luna's help. His efforts should buy me some time and reach her before any harm comes her way. Just trust me on this!"

Lilynette pointed a hoof at Sparkler, her eye narrowed "If it means saving her life, then I don't have a problem with it. Just hurry back with us as soon as you can, okay?"

"Just be careful..." Derpy and Fluttershy said in unison, both of whom were highly concerned for Sparkler's safety.

Rainbow Dash tilted her head "Why don't I go warn her instead? It'll save you the trip."

Sparkler held back her irritation towards Rainbow Dash's intervention "Because you already have a job making sure my family and your friends get back safe and sound! Just leave this to me!" She barked before she broke off into a gallop down the route, ignoring Rainbow Dash calling out to her.

Twilight watched Sparkler leave before she looked up at Rainbow Dash "Rainbow, you can make sure she travels safely while the rest of us get back to Ponyville. Don't worry about us."

Rainbow Dash snapped a salute with determination in her eyes "Got it. You girls stay out of trouble, alright?"

Pinkie giggled "Since when were we ever in trouble?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at Pinkie's absentminded response before flying off in pursuit of Sparkler while the others made for Ponyville on their own.
_____

After being separated from the group, Sparkler stopped again and caught her breath before leering up at a patch of trees showing a good clearing of the sky. She could easily hear the sound of the Ursa Major being drove back by Starrk 'He's making this too difficult for me...I'll need to even out this little fight...' She clenched her eyes shut and activated her horn 'Go my servants...distract that miserable stallion and further my goals...'

The sound of a pegasus flying towards Sparkler drove her to quickly stop her telepathy spell quickly after giving the order. She looked over to see Rainbow Dash flying towards her and huffed "You didn't have to follow me, Rainbow Dash. I said I'd take care of it!"

Rainbow Dash frowned "And I said I'd save you the trip, but now I'm just here to look out for you and make sure no danger comes your way."

Sparkler sighed "It's appreciated, really..." She looked up at the sky "But something tells me that Starrk might need your help more than I do."

Rainbow Dash snorted "You're kidding right? Him AND Luna are up there right now, so I doubt they'd need me around."
_____

Starrk continued his physical onslaught and drove back the Ursa Major while Luna continued to watch in disbelief at his display of strength. The former espada drew back at a greater distance than his usual hits while the Ursa Major was slightly fazed and grunted "Now to step it up..." He said to himself as he proceeded to fly towards the beast and deliver another hit.

Only to have a group of screeching bats fly around his face and obstruct his vision.

He quickly stopped and tried swatting away the bats that refused to relent on their diversion "Argh, dammit." Starrk grunted.

Luna, noticing the bats, quickly flew down towards Starrk and wrapped the bats in a magical aura, drawing them away from him. When she did, however, she noticed the Ursa Major had recovered and went to strike, causing her eyes to widen.

Starrk noticed and quickly sidechecked Luna away before he took the Ursa's paw, getting swatted away at bullet speed. He passed over the clearing Sparkler and Rainbow Dash stood over, and earned the undivided attention of the latter pony "Starrk!" She shouted before she bolted up and flew after him.

Sparkler grinned deviously "Excellent..." She hissed to herself before she made her trip towards Zecora's hut.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was able to fly faster than the speed Starrk was being launched, managing to fly up and block his path in an attempt to save him, only to be bombarded by him and causing the two to fall down into the forest.

Crashing through the trees and onto the ground, Rainbow Dash gave off a pained moan before the air escaped from her body. Unlike her, however, Starrk looked as if he had barely taken any damage, facial expression and all "That didn't hurt as much as I thought it would..." The former espada said nonchalantly. He paused before he raised an eyebrow "But how was my landing so cushioned?" Starrk looked below himself and his eyes widened when he noticed Rainbow Dash groaning, hopping off of her and looking down "What are you doing here?" He asked in befuddlement.

Rainbow Dash got up and scowled "Saving you!" She snapped defensively until she winced and rubbed her head "Or trying to, at least...Ouch...." She looked at Starrk "You're a lot heavier than you look, you know that?"

Starrk did not wish to dignify that with a response. He turned away from Rainbow Dash and looked up "Just go back with the others and make sure they're safe. I gotta stop this damn thing before it destroys all your hard work."

Rainbow Dash grunted "My friends are on their way to Ponyville right now, and you're gonna need all the help you can get! I'm not gonna get in your way or anything." She said, offended by Starrk brushing her off. They both felt the ground shaking and were uneased by the very sensation.

Starrk gave a tired sigh without facing the cyan pegasus "Fine. Do as you please...Just don't get hurt, okay?" He said before he flew back up into the sky past the trees, Rainbow Dash following suit.

They both got back up and saw Luna keeping the Ursa Major at bay while simultaneously keeping the bats from earlier in her magical hold. However, the beast had gained a good amount of distance that was made from Starrk's offensive and was much closer than before. Rainbow Dash looked terrified as she looked back at Ponyville "We gotta hurry this up before somepony gets hurt! Any idea on how to push back that thing?"

Starrk frowned before a thought crossed his mind; a risky move in itself, but it would prove useful in a situation like this. He looked over at Rainbow Dash with a serious gaze "Listen...I want you to go find your friends, but bring Lilynette back to me, okay?"

Rainbow Dash was pixelated by Starrk's request "How's Lilynette gonna help this thing? No offense, but she's a lot weaker than you!"

Starrk narrowed his eyes "Just trust me on this." He said in a low tone "I'll help Luna out, but you have to be quick about this, alright? This could be our only chance..."

Rainbow Dash felt a chill run down her spine from Starrk's tone, but she nodded to him with a serious gaze of her own"Alright, but I hope you know what you're doing. Be careful!" She flew away towards Ponyville while Starrk sped towards the Ursa Major and to Luna's aid.
_____

Sparkler galloped through the forest with the destination clear in her mind. She stumbled when she felt the ground beneath her shake violently, but instead of fear, exhiliration was coursing through her veins as she barely contained her grin 'Closer than I had hoped for! This may end in my favor after all...' She noticed the hut up ahead, and Sparkler's eyes gleamed red briefly before she bolted towards Zecora's home. She quickly composed herself and feigned a worried expression before she knocked on the door frantically. The amethyst unicorn was rewarded with Zecora looking slightly flustered "Thank Celestia I found you! We gotta get out of here and quickly!" She pointed to her left "There's an Ursa Major coming this way!" Zecora looked down with a grave expression on her face.

"I should've known I've heard its roar...
We should hurry away and leave before-"

A tremor more powerful than before had both Sparkler and Zecora trying to regain their footing. From where the former had directed earlier, both mares noticed a small sight of a translucent purple that nicked a tree and somehow caused it to fall near them. Zecora yelled something in her native language and galloped away from her home while Sparkler thoughtlessly dove inside the hut, the tree falling over and sealing her inside. The zebra mare noticed this and called out to her.

"Sparkler, do not be afraid!
I'll think of a way to lend you aid!"

"Don't worry about me!" Sparkler said from inside "I'll find my own way out, but you should head to Ponyville!" Zecora could not believe what she had heard. Before she could argue, Sparkler continued "Just go! If it makes you feel better, Starrk and Princess Luna are holding off the Ursa Major, so I'm sure I'll have time to get out!"

Zecora wished to question how Starrk was even managing such a feat, but nodded to Sparkler and made a hasty retreat towards Ponyville. She glanced back at her barricaded hut before she rushed further into the forest in search of its entrance.

Her ears twitched when heard the faint sounds of Twilight and the others, following their voices as she finally ran into the group. Applejack was the first to notice "Zecora? Don't tell me th' Ursa Major destroyed yer home, did it?" Zecora shook her head with a dreadful glance.

"My home is fine, but Sparkler is not with me.
She is trapped inside my hut because of a tree."

Derpy and Dinky gasped "Sparkler!" They chorused with fright.

Lilynette growled "That idiot! Now we gotta go back and save Sparkler if that Ursa Major's that close to her." She heard another roar, but then noticed a prismatic blur headed her way. When it stopped to reveal Rainbow Dash, Lilynette scowled at her "A lot of good you did! Sparkler's trapped and you were supposed to watch her!"

Twilight was equally shocked "You left Sparkler behind? What were you thinking, Rainbow Dash!?"

The cyan pegasus grunted before looking down at the group "Look, I might've fouled up back there, but Starrk's in a jam and he sent for me to bring Lilynette to him."

Lilynette perked up "Seriously? It can't be THAT bad...can it?"

Rainbow Dash regarded Lilynette with a determined gaze "Not only did he say it could be his only chance, but that thing's getting closer to Ponyville than we think! We gotta push it back!"

Fluttershy whimpered "Why does this have to involve Lilynette? She's just a filly." She was unaware of the hateful glare she received from the red filly.

Twilight pondered on the concept herself until a look of realization hit her "This could have something to do with his explanation at the party regarding him and Lilynette."

Rainbow Dash nodded "Whatever it is, this might be it." She held out her forelegs to Lilynette "C'mon, kid! We don't have much time!"

Lilynette was hesitant at first, looking back at Derpy and Dinky before she swallowed her pride and looked up at Rainbow Dash with a determined gaze of her own, hopping into her legs as the two took off.

Twilight turned to the others "We gotta let everypony know that Coyote and Princess Luna have this under control. Let's hurry!"

"But what about Sparkler?" Derpy mewled as tears welled up in her eyes "I can't risk my daughter being trapped!" Zecora laid a hoof on the mailmare's back.

"I apologize for causing you so much stress
But she made her decision nonetheless.
She believes that Coyote and Luna will prevail,
And ensured she will escape without fail."

Applejack gave a comforting smile to Derpy "Zecora's got a point; Ah think Starrk can save 'er before any harm can come her way, sugarcube. It's tough, but we jus' gotta have a little faith. Ah know Coyote can pull through fer us again like last time." She said encouragingly.

Derpy wiped her eyes and sniffled before she donned a hopeful smile "M-Maybe you're right..." She looked at the deeper parts of the forest "She is a very smart mare, after all."

Dinky held a smile of her own "Yeah. Sparkler's good like that." She said optimistically.

Pinkie wrapped both Derpy and Dinky in a hug "That's the spirit! We know Starrky's got this!" She said with her usually cheerful grin.

Twilight nodded "And it's up to us to let Ponyville know that. We got no time to lose!" She said as she led the group in a rush, each of them galloping fervently out of the entrance.
_____

Luna growled as she fired another magic beam that was lucky to give the Ursa Major pause before it tried swatting at her with a massive paw. She gave herself a wide berth away from the beast as Starrk came in and pushed it further back with his physical attacks. Luna looked over at the bats in her hold and squinted her eyes as she noticed their glowing eyes 'More dark magic? Who could be responsible for this? Unless...' While Starrk handled the Ursa Major, Luna looked over to see what appeared to be Rainbow Dash carrying Lilynette. She quickly flew towards her while the cyan pegasus was drawing closer.

As she flew, Rainbow Dash looked down at the red filly in her grasp 'I really hope Starrk knows what he's doing...What's he gonna do with Lilynette?' Rainbow Dash noticed Luna up ahead and ceased her flight "Hey, Princess Luna. I know this looks pretty crazy, but Starrk needs Lilynette here." She looked over at Luna's side and arched an eyebrow "Are those bats?" She asked quizzically.

Lilynette flailed her hooves at Luna "Would you move? Starrk needs me right now!"

Luna scrunched her face at Lilynette's rude remark before looking over her shoulder "I know not of what Coyote Starrk wants with you, but I'll make haste and contact him while I keep the Ursa Major at bay. Hopefully he'll be able to drive it back."

Lilynette pointed a hoof "Less talking, more moving!" She snapped.

Luna briefly glared at Lilynette before flying towards Starrk, stopping at a safe distance while he foguht off the Ursa Major "Coyote Starrk! Rainbow Dash has arrived with Lilynette Gingerback! What is your plan that involves that filly?"

Starrk perked up and looked back "Finally..." He blurred out with his Sonido, narrowly avoiding another claw from the enraged bear as Luna moved in to distract it. The former espada appeared in front of Rainbow Dash and held out his own hooves "Thanks. We'll take it from here."

Rainbow Dash gave Lilynette to Starrk and tilted his head "What's the plan? Do you two have an ace up your sleeve?"

Starrk nodded "Something like that..." He stared at Rainbow Dash and looked away, uncertainty seen in his hardened features "...You should go..." He said reluctantly.

Rainbow Dash craned her head back "What? Why?"

Starrk knitted his brow, though did not seem angry "Trust me on this...It's for the best..." He replied with mild wistfulness in his voice.

Lilynette frowned, but surprisingly did not appear angry "Just listen to him, will ya? This is kind of a difficult thing for us."

This was shocking, even for Rainbow Dash; sure, the situation was critical, but the two seemed entirely different from their usual selves as opposed to how they acted earlir. The cyan pegasus shifted her gaze between the two before she slowly inched herself away from them, then bolted away after she had stared at them for too long.

The two former arrancar remained in the air with silence. Lilynette looked up at Starrk with narrowed eyes, an otherworldly gleam seen from them "So...You gonna do it or not? We don't have all day, you know."

Starrk was silent until he let off a sigh "Yeah...This was my idea after all. You ready?"

Lilynette nodded "As I'll ever be." She smirked confidently "Let's kick that bear's ass!"

Starrk nodded and placed a hoof on Lilynette's head while he took a deep breath 'Time to see if this works...' He said as he looked down at Lilynette intently.

Lilynette paused before she closed her eyes 'Alright...Now we become one...' There was a moment of silence before the red filly was surrounded by a blue aura that enveloped her body and towered over Starrk slightly. More power surged from the filly's body until she suddenly disappeared from existence along with her aura. Starrk narrowed his eyes with conviction; he knew the last thing he needed to do as he took a stalwart stance while he hovered in the air.

"Kick about! Los Lobos!"

After his barked command, he was instantly enveloped by a pillar of blue light more powerful and radiant than Lilynette's that had a wider radius and towered high into the sky as if it were an ominous beacon. All activity had ceased upon seeing both the large beacon's light and the intense force it was exerting; even the Ursa Major could not help but look at the sight. The force was so great that the magic that controlled the bats had vanished, and they screeched in fright as they struggled to break free and flee from the light.

At the forest's edge, Rainbow's eyes widened at the light, mouthing 'No way' as she was enraptured by the light.

Back in Ponyville, the town's residents gasped and murmured as they looked upon the massive beacon for themselves. Twilight and her group were also overtaken by the sight before they could even warn the citizens about the Ursa Major.

The beacon had increased in brightness and force before finally giving way to a large plume of light blue smoke. Luna felt a stronger presence behind that smoke, and she gasped when she got a look at what was dwelling within as the smoke subsided.

In place of both Starrk and Lilynette was a tall amber colored alicorn with a horn and a set of wings in a majestic appearance similar to Celestia and Luna, wearing a gray fur-lined white jacket over a double-breasted vest with his forehooves slightly hidden beneath his fur legbands, his lower torso left bare despite being covered by his jacket; two black, ribbon-covered bandoleers were seen from the back of his jacket reaching towards his forelegs; His brown mane was flowing, and had managed to cover his left eye as it blew in the breeze; underneath the end of his jacket, Luna was able to distinguish the stallion's cutie mark, which contained three small, blue wolf heads underneath the number 1 seen on Starrk with two pistols crossed that beared resemblance similar to Lilynette's cutie mark.

The alicorn appeared stoic as ever, and it looked over at the Ursa Major, slightly narrowing his eyes "...As much as I hate to do this...I'll have to take you down..."

To be continued...

Capitulo Veintiocho

View Online

Capitulo Veintiocho

Crisis Averted

Luna was practically speechless, lucky to keep a grip on the struggling bats with her magic. No doubt that the alicorn in her sights was obviously Starrk despite his altered appearance, but never did she think that him and Lilynette were capable of becoming one pony with such a powerful form. She watched the new alicorn, adorned in his grey coat, stare down the Ursa Major as his horn began to glow with a vibrant blue aura.

"Before I go through with my idea, I want to make sure I won't have to push myself..." He said before his horn shot out a large blue beam that instantly connected with the Ursa Major's chest, who roared in a mixture of pain and surprise as it skidded farther than usual. Starrk narrowed his eyes and shot another beam, pushing the beast even farther. One last beam had successfully distanced the Ursa Major away from Ponyville and deeper into the forest, as if it had never moved from its spot.

"Incredible..." Luna whispered as she saw the stunned Ursa Major shaking itself out of its daze while smoke trailed from its chest. She looked over at her bats, who were still struggling, and - much to her befuddlement - have lost all detectable traits of dark magic. She released them, allowing them to seek refuge in the forest below as she glided towards Starrk, though felt a small twinge in her heart when she drew closer to him 'What in Equestria?'

"Not enough, huh?" Starrk said lazily as he watched the Ursa Major recover "Guess that means I'll have to go all out..."

"Of course you do! Why didn't you act sooner?"A familiar voice drove Starrk to look up at his horn, to which the sound of Lilynette's voice was heard "Let's just finish the job and see if we can't get back with the others! We've wasted enough time as it is!"

"No need to get testy. I know what I'm doing." Starrk said tersely as he looked up at his horn. Unbeknownst to him, Luna hovered near him, her jaw hung open as a stupefied look was on her face.

The small twinge she felt was one thing, but Luna couldn't believe that Starrk, a now powerful alicorn, possessed a talking horn that she easily deduced was Lilynette, judging by the impatience in her voice.

"Coyote Starrk, is that you and Lilynette as one pony?" She asked, grabbing Starrk's attention.

"Yeah, it's me. I'd talk more about it, but I have to wrap this up." Starrk replied as he focused on the Ursa Major, who roared in anger before charging at the two alicorns on all fours, ravaging most of the forest's trees. Starrk's horn glew again, but it was more vibrant than usual as the Ursa Major was very close to him and Luna.

"Cero Metralleta..."

The Ursa Major did not have time to view the attack that had transpired around its upper region. Both its face and chest were bombarded by a volley of magical beams fired in rapid succession, all of which were just as powerful as his first three shots. The beast was unable to roar as it was pushed back at a dangerous speed by the several beams that collided against its body. Starrk only stared stoically as his ceros continued to fly.

Rainbow Dash, who remained at her position far from the fight with her jaw hanging down in the air, was too stupefied to act between joining up with Starrk up close or going back to her friends in Ponyville.

'So...awesome...' Were the only words that had coursed through her head as she beheld the sight of Starrk triumphing over a massive creature with ease.

When it was at an acceptable distance, Starrk had ceased his attack and beheld the smoldering form of a wounded Ursa Major standing with its head facing the sky. There was a pause before the Ursa Major lightly swayed, then fell down on its back, leaving an impact on the forest behind it while causing a massive shake. Starrk let off a sigh of relief as he shut his eyes.

"Alright! That'll learn that stupid beast! No one messes with the Primera Espada!" Lilynette's voice shouted triumphantly from Starrk's horn.

"Unbelievable..." Luna said breathlessly, overtaken by Starrk's previous attack "You've felled an Ursa Major without batting an eye." She looked down at the widely ravaged forest, several trees either uprooted, hacked to pieces, or both "Although it came at the cost of the Everfree Forest's wilderness." Starrk followed Luna's gaze downward.

"That does suck...Never thought I'd even fight something that'd give me so much trouble. That thing reminded me of a Menos Grande." Starrk said as he surveyed the damages. Luna looked up at Starrk and raised an eyebrow.

"What matter of pony are you to become an alicorn just by joining your former pegasus form with Lilynette, who is a unicorn? I'm aware you're not of this world, from what I've heard from my sister, but how are you capable of such a feat?" She asked inquisitively. Now that she was finished with fending off a threat with help from Starrk, she could finally know more about him and his mysterious background. The former espada looked over at Luna, a reluctant frown on his face.

"It'd be a drag to explain it all, so I'll just say that I can split myself apart with ease..." He looked down "At least back then. I hope it can be done again right now..." He said with faint unease.

Luna huffed before she collected herself.

"I suppose it would be inappropriate to press on this matter when there are more important points to be discussed." She said in a serious tone "We should notify the safety of the villagers before we search for more leads on this issue with dark magic."

"That was WICKED!"

Luna and Starrk looked over at an approaching prismatic blur, and noticed that it was an overly-excited Rainbow Dash flying their way. When she got close to Starrk, she could barely contain herself.

"Oh my gosh, I don't even know where to start with this! I can't believe that's what you look like when you're-...you're..."

For reasons that she could barely comprehend, Rainbow Dash was beginning to feel heavy. Her vision was blurring as she tried keeping herself up in flight, moaning in pain as she did so.

"Wha-...What is this?" She weakly uttered as she held her chest with one foreleg, and her head with the other.

She could barely make out the look of dread on Starrk's face.

Luna was baffled by Rainbow Dash's sudden change of demeanor, but she then noticed how Starrk darted his head towards her, his eyes narrowed.

"Get her out of here!" He shouted.

As curious as she was about Starrk's outburst, Luna was quick to agree with his request; she could not leave one of her subjects in pain, let alone an element bearer. The princess of the night quickly scooped up Rainbow Dash in a magical hold and flew out of Starrk's space at a remarkable speed towards Ponyville, leaving the former espada behind.

'When I approached Starrk, I felt a slight prick in my chest, but when Rainbow Dash had done so, she looked to be on the verge of coma...' She contemplated over the effect of how Rainbow Dash and herself felt different around Starrk's presence as an alicorn and compared it to what Celestia had told her, then remembered what was said: Starrk wasn't just powerful in his form. His power was oozing out of his body and encompassing around his form, giving him the impression that he was indeed stronger than he looks. Luna looked back at the distant alicorn hovering in the air as she neared Ponyville.

'I remember Tia sharing with me that Coyote Starrk had suffered a period of loneliness due to his immense power...He must've led such a troubled life back then...' Luna thought morosely.

"Princess?"

Luna looked up at Rainbow Dash, who had a foreleg to her temple as she groaned.

"What happened? I felt like some kind of boulder that was ready to crack back there..." Rainbow quipped weakly as she rubbed her head.

"You merely fell victim to Starrk's power when you were in his range. It seems that you were more susceptible to it than myself." Luna explained as she glided across the air "Are you able to fly?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think I can manage now, but..." She looked down "What about Starrk? Now that he's an alicorn with so much power, how can he even come back to us in town with everypony waiting?" Luna released her hold on Rainbow Dash as she sighed.

"All we can hope for is if Coyote Starrk is capable of splitting himself apart once again. We'll have to give him time until that happens." Luna replied "Until then, let us inform Ponyville of his success." Rainbow Dash was able to smile after the idea.

"Yeah, looks like Pinkie's gonna have to throw yet another party today. This is gonna make the third one since Starrk arrived in Ponyville!" She giggled at the thought.

"As much as I would like to enjoy one of Pinkie's parties myself, there is still much to discuss as far as the matter at hoof." Luna said, causing Rainbow Dash's spirits to damper.

"Right, the dark magic..." She said as she groaned "I keep forgetting that some random jerk is giving us trouble in the shadows!"

"And it is up to us to uncover them and bring them to justice." Luna replied with determination."

Meanwhile, Starrk hovered in the air with a somber gaze, silently lamenting the fact that he nearly got one of his own killed. He was satisfied with the fact that he had saved Ponyville from certain doom, but knowing that his own power had become an issue once again, he was reluctant in going back to Ponyville without exiting his alicorn form.

"That idiot! Didn't she hear about your power the other day?" Lilynette's voice snapped in irritation.

"We were lucky to get her away in time, but I'm not worried about that." Starrk said as he examined a foreleg "We have to try and split apart again."

"What's stopping you? You did it before, haven't you? It should be a snap." Lilynette said in encouragement, to which Starrk looked annoyed.

"It was easy back then because I wasn't a pony...I don't know how I can pull off the same feat in my current form." Starrk said. Lilynette huffed.

"You always gotta keep making excuses, don't you?" She asked dryly.

*smack*

"Ow!" Starrk was seen striking his own horn with a hoof, looking more annoyed than before "Hey, that hurt!"

*smack*

"Ouch! Cut it out, will ya? I'm sorry!" Starrk brought down his hoof as he continued to hover "All I'm saying is that you should stop moping and start thinking. We'd be lucky to get back if you weren't just lingering here in the air doing nothing."

"Guess you're right." Starrk looked up at his horn "Magic seems to be commonplace here. Maybe I can perform my soul separation technique in the form of a spell."

"There's an idea. Give it a shot." Lilynette said eagerly. Starrk took a deep breath and closed his eyes as his horn began to glow. His glow began to spread from his horn to all across his body. In a few seconds, Starrk's entire body was coated in a blue aura, his features unseen.

It lingered for a small amount of time until the light instantly vanished to reveal a befuddled pair of ponies that consisted of Starrk and Lilynette in their regular forms. They both hung in the air until the latter began to fall, letting off a yelp and flailing as she fell. Starrk was quick to act as he burst down with his sonido and caught Lilynette before she reached the forest. The red filly glared at Starrk while in his hold.

"It's not fair. How come you get to fly and I don't?" Lilynette asked in complaint.

"You think I'm not envious of the fact that you can perform a cero without a cloud?" Starrk shot back, albeit lazily. Lilynette's features softened before a sly grin crept on her face.

"I guess you got a point there." She looked over at Ponyville in the horizon "Let's go home, Starrk...I'm happy you're gonna be back with us again..." She said in an uncharacteristically soft tone. Starrk looked down at Lilynette before nodding and setting his sights on Ponyville.

"Yeah, back to our pack..." Starrk said before he blurred out of existence with his sonido.

_____

"You girls should've been there! It was just AMAZING! Starrk not only looks awesome as an alicorn, he's also super good with magic!" Rainbow Dash rambled on in her praise of Starrk, shuddering in excitement after thinking about Starrk's earlier attack "I saw it with my own eyes! He was firing magic beams like Twilight when Pinkie used her as a weapon during Shining Armor's wedding!"

"That fast? No way!" Pinkie replied with the same enthusiasm as the cyan pegasus as she quickly trotted in place.

"We're aware of that, Rainbow. Us and the rest of Ponyville could spot Starrk's cero from a mile away." Twilight said, slightly irritated with how Rainbow Dash was acting like Pinkie Pie on a good day. Although, she felt rewarded with more information on Starrk's capabilities. She smiled "Still, it's nice to know that Coyote managed to defeat the Ursa Major before it could reach Ponyville." Twilight looked back at the crowd of ponies murmuring in awe "It was already an ordeal to keep everypony calm until we mentioned the words 'Starrk' and 'Princess Luna' with our explanation." Zecora nodded sagely.

"Calming all of Ponyville was much to ask.
To be the voice of reason is a trying task."

"That poor Ursa Major..." Fluttershy lamented quietly with a sad expression "If only he wasn't bothered by whoever was responsible for all this dark magic..."

"Whomever the culprit, I'd say we were lucky to be safe with the help of Coyote." Rarity said with relief.

"I, too, feel accomplished about this situation running it's course, but we're far from safe." Luna said matter-of-factly "It's sad to say, but from this day forward, Ponyville shall remain on high alert. To further solidify this decree, I shall share the details with my sister and request for more royal guards once I return home."

"Yer not gonna help us, princess?" Applejack asked with mild disappointment. Luna hung her head in resignation.

"Trust me when I say that I would stop whatever I was doing back in Canterlot and gladly aid you all in rooting out whoever is responsible for this bedlam. Regrettably, I cannot further complicate things by remaining here for too long and ignoring our royal duties. Ponyville is one thing, but we cannot risk all of Equestria being flung into a panic over this situation due to my prolonged absence from the throne. After informing my sister of this turn of events, we both shall do all that we can from our castle in order to ensure your town's protection."

"With all due respect, Princess, We can take whatever that mystery kook throws at us with Starrk at our side. You saw what he did back there." Rainbow Dash said cockily. Her expression faltered when Luna's gaze met hers.

"That's hardly the point. Coyote could either be susceptible to the dark magic as well, lured away by a clever ruse, or could very well be exhausted of all energy the moment the shaded fiend chooses to reveal itself to us." She closed her eyes "But that's not to say I do not doubt his power. I'm personally impressed at what he is capable of."

The sound of booming static was heard behind Luna, and she turned around to see Starrk hovering in the air with Lilynette in his forelegs, then heard the many cheers from the crowd.

"Hi, Starrky! Welcome back!" Pinkie waved to Starrk as he set Lilynette on the ground "Ready for another party?"

"Truthfully, I just want to sleep right now." Starrk said as he rubbed his head "They were good company, but it was hard to sleep with the timberwolves."

"But what about Sparkler? She's still trapped at Zecora's!" Derpy exclaimed in worry. Starrk looked over at Derpy's saddened face, then back at the forest's entrance in the distance.

"I'll go grab her then. It won't take but a minu-" He grunted when he felt his neck being wrapped around by a certain mailmare, who was nuzzling his cheek with her own.

"Oh, thank you, Starrk! Just hurry back with Sparkler and make sure she's fine, okay?" She nearly bawled with joy. Lilynette looked up at Derpy, then over at Dinky.

"You think she worries too much?" Lilynette asked her adoptive sister curiously.

"Sometimes. But she does it because she cares about our family and everypony she loves. Mommy's nice that way." Dinky replied with a chipper smile. Lilynette looked up at Derpy, who continued to nuzzle Starrk until he lightly nudged her away from him, the mailmare smiling sheepishly.

'We never had folks who'd care that much for us, let alone anyone else. Not even Lord Aizen was this compassionate...' Lilynette thought to herself.

"I'll be right back." Starrk said before blurring out once again. Zecora flinched at the sight, blinking at what had happened.

"That was a fright I did not need.
I've never witnessed such blinding speed!"

"Heh, yeah, Starrk's awesome like that." Rainbow Dash said with a smirk "Surprised he didn't show you sooner." Rarity gave the cyan pegasus a deadpan look.

"Well, I myself doubt he would've had an opportunity to use his super speed in the middle of a winding forest, especially when he made friends with," Rarity shuddered "timberwolves..."

"I know." Fluttershy said before she smiled brightly "Isn't it amazing? I wonder if he were able to teach me how he did that." Rarity smiled nervously.

"No offense, darling, but I'd rather he didn't..." She said in a leveled tone, with the other mares voicing their agreement. Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment after hearing the others.

_____

Starrk was lucky to know the way to Zecora's hut, and while there were several ravaged trees, it was much easier to track down. For the many trees that blocked his path, he could simply move them out of the way as if they were mere bushes.

When he spotted the hut up ahead blocked off by a fallen tree, the former espada silently made his way over and lifted the tree up, chucking it away a few feet before he made his way inside the hut.

Starrk winced at the scenery. Many different potions and masks were scattered across the floor, some of which were broken; the contents from the broken flasks were lucky not to touch each other. No doubt this was from dealing with all the tremors caused by the Ursa Major's fury. One thing was for certain, Zecora is not going to be happy once she goes back home.

However, amidst the messy room, two things remained intact; Zecora's black cauldron that rested in the middle of the room, and a sleeping Sparkler a couple of feet to the left of it. Starrk could make out that she was still wearing the scarf she had brought along the trip to see her, which he found very strange, even for a level-headed mare like her.

Starrk walked over and nudged Sparkler awake, causing her to murmur and stir from her rest as she rubbed her eyes and looked up at the former espada.

"Oh, it's you...Hey, Starrk." Sparkler murmured as she got up and stifled a yawn.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Your mom's worried sick about you, so we should get you back to Ponyville." Starrk said nonchalantly. Sparkler looked ashamed, shifting her eyes away from Starrk as she pawed at the ground.

"I should be the one to apologize. I didn't know what I was thinking when I wanted to warn Zecora about the Ursa Major, only to end up trapped in her own home." She looked up at Starrk with a penitent glance "I was full of adrenaline at the time that I was confident in getting myself out of here, but that went up in smoke since I wasn't strong enough to move the tree. So I basically stayed here, praying for my own safety until I felt drained, then fell asleep to regain my energy." She smiled at Starrk "Thanks for coming to my rescue. Let's go home."

Starrk nodded in agreement before the two ponies trotted out of the hut. The former espada stopped for a moment and looked back at Sparkler, somehow making her feel nervous.

"What's wrong?" Sparkler asked inquisitively. Starrk remained silent before he sighed and waved a hoof.

"I was thinking about bringing us both back to Ponyville with my sonido, but I'd figure you would be against it when you just woke up." Sparkler smiled again after Starrk's response.

"That's considerate of you. I am still a little tired." Sparkler rubbed her eyes again to punctuate her statement. The two ponies then made their way back to Ponyville through the Everfree Forest.

When they were halfway there, Starrk heard a rustling in a nearby bush to his right, then noticed a timberwolf hop out and examine him and Sparkler. The timberwolf sniffed at Starrk and let of a small bark, then wagged its tail when the former espada patted its head. The timberwolf then looked over at Sparkler and sniffed at her. However, instead of barking, it growled threateningly and got into a stance, to which Sparkler felt wary. Starrk gazed sternly at the timberwolf.

"Knock it off. She's with me." He said, making the timberwolf fold its ears back and whimper "Just go back with your pack now. I'll be sure to visit you all sometime in the near future."

The timberwolf paused, then barked again before turning away and running off deeper into the forest. Sparkler grimaced after it had left.

"I still can't believe you're friends with those things..." Sparkler said with mild disgust.

"They see me less as a friend and more as a leader." Starrk explained briefly "It's funny how they feared me at first, only to accept me. At least they're not dead..." He said wistfully.

"Well, as long as you're happy, I guess." Sparkler said with a fixed smile. As they neared the forest's entrance, Sparkler adjusted her scarf. She was lucky that Starrk did not care to notice, and hid a grin that was both devious and triumphant.

Her plan was a resounding success. All she had to do now was wait for the opportune moment to bring Equestria to its knees...

To be continued...

Capitulo Veintinueve

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Capitulo Veintinueve

Keeping the Peace

"There they are!" Twilight said as she noticed Starrk and Sparkler trotting into view. More cheers rang into Starrk's ears - much to his chagrin - as the two ponies neared the crowd. They then found themselves in a group hug courtesy of Derpy, Dinky, and Pinkie Pie. Lilynette merely trotted up and joined in unenthusiastically.

"Thank you so much, Starrky." Derpy said with a tear rolling down her face as she smiled up at the former espada "Whether or not you do find your own home, you're always welcome in ours!" Starrk merely stared before nodding back.

'I've never seen this much compassion in my life.' Starrk thought to himself as he looked over at Luna, who approached him with a neutral expression.

"Coyote Starrk, let it be said that I've never expected such a feat with my own eyes. You have mine and all of Ponyville's gratitude for protecting their town from disaster." Luna stated regally before a thin smile graced her lips "It is nice to know that Ponyville is safe under capable hooves."

"That poor Ursa Major..." Fluttershy murmured sadly with her head hung down.

"My pleasure." Starrk replied curtly before looking back at the forest "It's too bad that the forest is messed up along with Zecora's home. Not to mention we still have a situation to deal with regarding this whole 'dark magic' thing."

"Indeed." Luna nodded "Which is why I shall have my guards scour all of Ponyville in search of the fiend responsible for all of this turmoil. From this point on, they shall be stationed as sentries."

"My thoughts exactly! Where should we start?" Rainbow Dash asked vigorously as he hovered in the air. She looked back at the rest of Ponyville's citizens murmuring amongst themselves, frowning at their unease "Guess everypony else isn't as happy about this."

"Considerin' we're dealin' with some type o' evil wizard, Ah wouldn't put it past 'em. But what bugs me is that it could be anypony here, since it all started with th' spa sisters." Applejack said.

"An interrogation with everypony present would be in bad taste..." Twilight said before she groaned in frustration "What could we do about this whole thing?" Zecora shook her head as she closed her eyes.

"Surely, this isn't our finest hour,
Being played with by an evil power."

"Mom..." Sparkler said as she neared Derpy with a troubled expression "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm scared." She found herself embraced by her mother.

"It's okay, sweetie. It'll all work out in the end with everypony on the case." Derpy comforted in a soothing tone. She thought for a moment that she had felt something on Sparkler's neck while she was hugging her, but she merely passed it off as the scarf she was wearing.

Meanwhile, Starrk was looking at Sparkler and contemplated over the time he escorted Sparkler out of the Everfree Forest. When the timberwolf growled at her, he was quick to silence it before making it retreat in the woods. A part of him wondered if the wolf was onto something as he looked back in the forest.

"Maybe it's in our best interest to leave it to the Night Guard for now while we hurry along Ponyville's reconstruction." Twilight said after she regained her composure "It wouldn't do much good to get in their way. If we're lucky, either them or us will come across the mastermind at work if the town's security remains tight."

"Then I leave this town in your hooves whilst I return to my sister." Luna said as she gave a disappointed frown "Were I not too bothered by my status as princess, I, too, would lend more assistance than this."

"You've done plenty for us, princess." Rarity said with a smile "If anything, we appreciate your help in all of this."

"I would gladly lay down my life for the sake of Equestria." Luna said proudly with a hoof on her chest before she noticed a intimidating black chariot being drawn her way by two night guards. When it stopped near her, she stepped onto it and looked down at the group "We shall meet again soon enough. With the help of my sister, we shall lend further aid to your cause." She said gallantly.

"Thanks for the guards, Princess Luna!" Derpy thanked heartily as she waved. The crowd of ponies gave Luna and her chariot some room to take off as it soared into the sky and back towards Canterlot. The citizens, feeling safe with the guards Luna had left them with, decided to go back to their own activities, although they carried mild anxiety over when the next attack may occur.

Twilight watched the princess of the night leave before turning to her friends, consisting of her fellow element bearers, the Hooves family, and Zecora.

"Then it's settled with the guards. It may seem lackluster, but it's better than rushing in headfirst into trouble." Twilight explained.

"I dunno, Twilight." Rainbow Dash said skeptically with her forehooves folded "The Night Guard's good and all, but do we even know how smart the guy we're looking for is? We gotta be as vigilant as them, you know."

"I couldn't agree more." Twilight said confidently "Which is why we're going to make it an effort to keep tabs on everypony and be on the lookout for any suspicious behavior or activity in Ponyville while going about our business." She frowned "It's going to be tough having to rely on ourselves to figure out who the real culprit is, but we can't just trust everypony else at the drop of a hat right now."

"At least we have the princesses' support. It's too bad they're busy with problems of their own, though." Fluttershy said.

"What could they possibly be busy with?" Lilynette asked with an arched eyebrow "Shouldn't they be here with us and finding the jerk?"

"Lilynette, dear, you don't realize how hard it is to be a princess." Rarity said "They have royal duties that require their attention and theirs alone; most of which depend on Equestria's stability."

"That's stupid! Their home's in danger, and royal duties matter more?" Lilynette complained.

"I know it's hard, Lilynette, especially for us, but that's how it is." Twilight said with a frown "We'll have to accept their help in small portions in order to see this through."

"Whatever the case, I'm satisfied with what we have." Starrk said as he looked at the town "At least we won't have to put up with any more monsters coming this way. All we have to deal with is being on high alert, as much of a drag as it is." Applejack chuckled.

"At least ya ain't that lazy, sugarcube." Applejack said before turning to her friends "Guess that about wraps up this conversation. Let's do what we can with Ponyville!" With a chorus of agreement, the group dispersed into Ponyville, the exception being Zecora retreating into the forest to tend to her home.

Starrk trotted along until he noticed Rainbow Dash floating above him, and Pinkie on his right, feeling uncomfortable with both mares so close to him. Pinkie was justified, but he had a strange feeling about Rainbow Dash until he remembered something.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash." Starrk said as he looked up at the cyan pegasus "You still have that opening for weather duty, right?"

"Yeah, why? You wanna join already?" Rainbow Dash said.

"I'll do it tomorrow. Thanks for the offer." Starrk said.

"Awwww, you're not gonna be a mailpony anymore?" Derpy moaned pitifully, to which Starrk sighed.

"It's nothing personal. I don't find much enjoyment in the job anyways, and this weather duty seems to be more tempting." Starrk responded indifferently.

"And you won't be wrong neither!" Starrk stopped in his tracks to see Rainbow Dash hanging upside down in front of his face with a chipper grin "There's some boring stuff, like sitting through meetings, but the job's a cinch. Just move some clouds here and there, and you can have all the breaks you want since you're so fast!" She said encouragingly.

"That easy, huh?" Starrk said as he tilted his head before shrugging "Can't argue with that." He noticed how Rainbow Dash's features brightened after his answer.

"Well, I guess whatever makes you happy, Starrky." Derpy said with a renewed smile "I'll let Crafty Crate know about your two weeks notice."

"Alright! Starrk saved Ponyvillle again and got a new job! This is a good day so far!" Pinkie chirped proudly before the group resumed their pace into Ponyville.

'Indeed it is, my little pony...' Sparkler thought with a smile that hid malice 'Indeed it is...'
_____

Luna had just arrived back to the castle, where her chariot had been taken towards the balcony outside of her room. She hopped off of the chariot and trotted inside while her guards had swooped down to land and park it themselves. Her mind was wandering back to when Starrk had fused with Lilynette. She never thought it would be possible for two ponies to fuse together, let alone becoming an alicorn.

'I must inform this to my sister at once.' She thought to herself as she trotted out of her room and into the halls, in search of Celestia. While the topic of Starrk's transformation was one thing, the news about dark magic being used in Ponyville was another pressing matter.

Looking inside the throne room, Luna was lucky to find Celestia on her throne with two guards at her side. She made her way inside with a serious expression, earning the attention of her sister and the guards.

"Luna, is something the matter?" Celestia asked in concern.

"More than you know, sister. As it turns out, Ponyville is in more peril than we've realized." Luna said as she stopped in front of Celestia "From what I've witnessed with my own eyes, there is a mysterious being at work who was tapping into dark magic. I've noticed some bats under a spell antagonize an Ursa Major into attacking us before Coyote Starrk had subdued it. My guards are currently searching around for any suspicious activity."

"I see..." Celestia said with a solemn frown "This could be very troublesome if it were ignored. It's good that you've left Ponyville in the hooves of your guards." She then donned a warm smile "I'd say Starrk might need more help despite his power."

"About that..." Luna interrupted "During my time in Ponyville, I've beheld a grand spectacle in the form of both Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerback fusing into one pony of incredible strength; an alicorn!" Celestia's eyes widened.

"You're certain?" The solar princess asked before looking down "So it's true then..." She murmured to herself.

"Quite so." Luna replied evenly "However, while I do place Coyote Starrk's power in high regard, I decided to take the liberty of leaving my Night Guard under Ponyville's protection. We'll be certain to find ways to assist the citizens further."

"A good move on your part. We could be in for something big if we're ill prepared." Celestia rose from her throne and trotted down the carpet at her sister's side "This is most unexpected...Dark magic in Ponyville is highly abnormal. And that's not to say the fact that Cerberus had attacked Ponyville twice was an understatement." The two sisters trotted out of the throne room and into the halls.

"But the first time Cerberus had strayed from their duty, it was merely out of inconceivable boredom. It was wise for Twilight Sparkle to give them a ball." Luna stated.

"And from what I've seen, Cerberus had reeked havoc on Ponyville and had placed them in a state of reconstruction, all while Tartarus was left unattended. If both situations we've witnessed recently are probably connected with one another..." Celestia trailed off with mild dread.

"You don't think...?" Luna asked anxiously.

"We may just have to invite Cadence and Shining Armor for a conference and discuss how to approach the situation carefully. I'll dispatch a courier en route to the Crystal Empire in order to reach them." Celestia replied.

"A wise decision, sister. We may need all the help we can get out of this sudden predicament." Luna said as she turned to head downstairs while Celestia made for her study.

"Oh, and Luna?" Luna looked back at Celestia, who had a thin smile on her face "I'll need you to do me a favor later on tonight, if you don't mind."

"What is it you desire, Tia?" Luna asked with her head cocked to the side. Celestia looked away and stared off into space.

"I'll let you know eventually. Until then, we'll need to act upon this accordingly." The solar princess replied before trotting away, leaving a confused Luna behind.
_____

Later in the evening, Ponyville was seen with several night guards patrolling the town with glowing yellow eyes, scanning their surroundings as they even stretched as far as the town's limits. While they remained vigilant, Ponyville was able to be nearly finished with their reparations, being able to undo the damage by tomorrow afternoon.

In the Hooves household, Derpy held up a mug of root beer with a bright grin towards the rest of her family.

"A toast to Starrky and Lily!" Derpy cheered "They really made an impact on Ponyville! " She paused before smiling sheepishly "In a good way."

"Yay!" Dinky cheered as she raised her own mug. Sparkler raised her own as well, although cheered with less enthusiasm than her family.

Starrk and Lilynette simply sat in their seats while staring at the Hooves family before looking at their own respective mugs sitting on the table.

"So you mean you usually celebrate with root beer in this house?" Starrk asked inquisitively.

"Of course, silly. I thought it'd be appropriate and all, since you were so adamant about not wanting Pinkie Pie to plan a party. Give it a try!" Derpy said before drinking from her mug. Dinky happily sipped from her own while Sparkler sipped hers calmly.

Lilynette inspected her mug before taking an experimental sip before recoiling. It was cold and fizzy, and the flavor was unusual to her. She tried another drink before she felt that she had acquired a taste for it.

"Not bad. I guess I can see why you guys drink this on special occasions." Lilynette said as she stared at her drink before looking at her family "But I'm still angry that we're doing nothing while some creep is mucking about around here. Why can't we just sniff them out and be done with it?"

"You heard Twilight, Lilynette." Starrk said as he sipped his own glass "We can't go in blind unless we're asking for trouble. Wouldn't want to be held responsible for any more unnecessary damages on our part..."

"Oh, Starrky, don't be like that." Derpy said with a comforting smile "Take it from somepony who's made mistakes of her own: it's never easy. But we have each other to make things better."

"Yeah, like our song!" Dinky chimed in encouragingly.

"If you ask me, you should probably focus less on the damge done and more on what's to come." Sparkler stated pointedly before she took another drink "There's no way we're gonna be walking out of this without any problems."

"Good point..." Starrk said as he looked at Sparkler "But I want to make sure none of you are harmed when that time comes..." He looked at his half-empty mug before pushing it near Lilynette and raising from his seat "I'm gonna go sleep now. There's not much else for me to do at this point."

"Are you that tired, Mr. Starrk?" Dinky asked "Why not spend more time with us?"

"I'd love to, but I should probably be ready for that new job Rainbow Dash offered me." Starrk replied before he trotted to the front door and opened it as he went outside 'Besides, I have some thinking to do...' After Starrk had shut the front door behind him, Lilynette regarded the front door with a calculating stare while the Hooves family accepted the fact that Starrk wanted to sleep early.

Outside, Starrk was on a cloud above the house he had exited, laying back and staring into the night sky with his stoic expression. He looked down to see the Night Guard remaining awake and alert as they looked around. The former espada had to commend their dedication; it was almost nostalgic to him. Sadly, his mind was in other places.

'This whole thing's starting to become a real drag. But that time with Sparkler's starting to bug me more than usual...' Starrk remembered back when he escorted Sparkler out of the Everfree Forest.
_____

"The timberwolf sniffed at Starrk and let of a small bark, then wagged its tail when the former espada patted its head. The timberwolf then looked over at Sparkler and sniffed at her. However, instead of barking, it growled threateningly and got into a stance, to which Sparkler felt wary. "
_____

'They weren't as hostile the first time, and yet the one I saw was hostile around Sparkler...What could this mean?' As relevant as it was, Starrk really hated overthinking the situation involving dark magic and how Sparkler may or may not be connected to it. It was then he had an idea.

'Maybe that Twilight girl knows something. I should remember to talk to her sometime tomorrow.' With his future objective set, he felt he deserved his rest as he shifted into a more comfortable position on his cloud and slept contentedly.
_____

The pitch black sky.

The pale moon.

The white sands.

Everything was as he remembered, much like the body that was currently sitting in the environment. Primera Espada Coyote Starrk sat down comfortably in the desert while the sand around him was being carried by whistling winds. His white hakama was able to keep him warm along with the gloves he wore on his hands. Sadly, while he was sitting comfortably, he was all alone in what he would consider the best memory of his previous life, or lack thereof; not even Lilynette was around him.

"So this is what dreaming feels like...Can't say I enjoy it too much." Starrk droned as he stared at the endless horizon with his bored, but wistless eyes. He was much more content with dreamless slumber, but he couldn't for the life of him fathom how he was capable of doing so just now, and in his old hollow form. Starrk looked down at the zanpaktou resting in the sand along his waist and felt the scabbard with a gloved hand. After silently registering the feeling, he sighed lazily.

"I don't really see the point of this if I'm just gonna sit here and revel in this little dream rather than just sleep..." Starrk said dryly as he looked back at the endless horizon.

"Looks like you could use some company. Mind if I join you?"

Starrk perked up at the voice that came from behind, and shifted his head to look at what appeared to be a female wearing a white dress similar to that of that orange-haired girl he brought back into Las Noches. Only this one didn't have orange hair; she had three colors instead of one, and she appeared to be smiling at Starrk as her hair flowed beneath her golden tiara.

"Wait a minute...Princess Celestia?" Starrk said in a moment of realization "How did you-..." Celestia chuckled in amusement at the espada's surprise.

"Don't be alarmed, I should be lucky to see you like this. Luna merely tapped into her magic so that we were capable of seeing one another in the dreamscape." She pointed to him "Hence your current form. I take it this is what you looked like before your arrival in Equestria?"

"Yeah..." Starrk said as he looked at his gloved hand before staring back at Celestia "But I'm also surprised you assumed that form of yours. I figured you'd still be a pony." The solar princess shrugged innocently.

"I suppose I adapted to your dream's atmosphere somehow; not that it matters. I merely wished to speak with you, and I felt this was an appropriate approach, since we were both busy at the time." Celestia stated. Starrk stared before he shrugged himself.

"You came this far, so why not? Feel free to sit down." Starrk said, to which Celestia gave a friendly smile before joining the espada down on the white sands next to him. She sat on her knees, which were covered by her flowing skirt. Starrk stared out into the blackened horizon with a stoic gaze tinged with a hint of wistfulness. Celestia looked over at him and recognized the loneliness portrayed in his eyes.

'You poor thing...' Celestia thought to herself with a frown before she gently laid a hand on his shoulder "Coyote, before I begin, let me tell you that I empathize with your pain..." Starrk shifted his head to Celestia with a raised eyebrow.

"How so?" He asked curiously "The way I see it, you're surrounded by all those ponies and you practically lead them alongside your sister."

"Luna and I have been around longer than you realize...We've had our own periods of isolation, of course." Celestia explained briefly, wanting to leave something out. Starrk caught onto the solar princess' explanation and nodded to her.

"I see..." Starrk said as he looked over at the hand that rested on his shoulder. He felt a warmth that was not only foreign to his background, but was also soothing to him. Remembering that Celestia wanted to talk, he faced her again "So, what is it you wish to talk about?"

"I've heard word of your recent act of heroism, and I wanted to thank you personally, although that was part of the reason for this meeting." Celestia said as she drew back her hand as Starrk felt the warmth fade away "I wanted to talk to you about how you handled the Ursa Major with Lilynette."

"Ah, Luna brought that to your attention? Yeah, it turns out we're able to fuse again. Don't worry about Ponyville; we only damaged part of the Everfree Forest pushing it back. That, and we can separate at will. But I'm still bothered by the fact that we're dealing with something that can't be seen. This is a real pain..."

"Remember, Coyote Starrk, that you're not alone anymore. You have many friends who not only share your concern, but are ready to stand at your side in the face of adversity." Celestia said as she looked at Starrk with hope in her eyes "I want you to be ready as well. It may be a lot to ask, given your laidback nature, but I must know that we can trust you not only as a friend, but as a protector. You may have arrived here for something other than mere coincidence..." Starrk stared into Celestia's eyes before he closed his own.

"Well, I was lucky enough to be welcomed by you ponies without any problems, and I should be willing to protect my pack at all costs. You don't need to tell me twice." He opened his eyes to see a warm smile on Celestia's face. He then felt both of her hands on his shoulders as she stared, feeling more warmth than usual.

"I'm glad to hear that. Hopefully, you'll learn more about friendship once this is over." Celestia said, then noticed that her right hand was being covered by Starrk's left. His head was hung, his gaze hidden beneath his hair "Is something wrong, Coyote?"

"Nothing. It's just..." He raised his head to face Celestia with a soft gaze "This might sound weird coming from me...but you're pretty warm. It feels nice." Celestia stared at Starrk for a moment before she smiled again.

"I take it you want me to give you more warmth?" She asked expectantly, to which Starrk nodded.

"Yeah. I didn't like this dreaming at first, but somehow, you're making the experience more worthwhile. I've never felt this kind of warmth in my life." Starrk explained. Celestia gently wrapped her arms around the espada, who hesitantly did the same as they enjoyed their embrace.

"Then I shall keep you warm through the night, if it makes you happy..." Celestia said softly while Starrk rested his head against her shoulder, feeling more relaxed than usual.

The crescent moon above them somehow turned into a full moon that cast a shadowy silhouette of a familiar pony, who was seen smiling down at the pair that sat in the chilling sands, embracing each other with the feeling of loneliness as a fleeting afterthought.
_____

Later that night, while everypony was sleeping, quiet chuckling was heard in the Hooves household, namely from Sparkler's room.

Inside of her room, Sparkler's scarf laid on the end of her bed as she stood triumphantly, her horn glowing with a powerful red aura that continuously seeped into her body with the help of a silver trinket that was locked onto her neck. The front part of it was an emblem resembling a unicorn's head with wings, with a glowing ruby at the center.

'At last...The Alicorn Amulet returns to its true master. These fools saved me the trouble of actually having to resort through time-consuming tactics to get my revenge. With this, I shall be invincible! It won't be long now...Not even that indolent oaf Coyote Starrk will be enough to stop me!' Sparkler thought with a wide and evil grin as more magic worked its way inside of her.

End of Chapter 29

Capitulo Treinta

View Online

Capitulo Treinta

Book Smarts

The sun rose across the horizon, signalling another morning in Ponyville. Sadly, it wasn't as peaceful as any morning with night guards positioned around certain areas of Ponyville. Despite the scenery, the townsfolk woke up feeling secure by the sentries Luna bestowed upon their home.

In the sky, Rainbow Dash's home floated along Ponyville, and the cyan pegasus inside stirred from her slumber. She slumped out of her bed and proceeded to stretch her limbs as she let out a yawn. Rainbow Dash knew that she had to wake up early and carry out her duties as a weather pony, but she felt more energized when she remembered Starrk accepting her offer.

With a smile on her face, she performed her morning stretches and then to go into the kitchen and prepared some coffee. While waiting, she snacked on a cupcake and thought to herself on how to approach today as far as where to catch the best nap after breezing through her work. Of course, now that she'll be employing a pegasus that happened to be faster than her - as much as she hated to admit - perhaps this could be much easier on her and her coworkers.

When her coffee was finished, she took her sweet time and savored a cup, then proceeded with the rest of her morning routine before leaving her house. Gliding along the morning sky, she decided to pursue Starrk so she could formally introduce him to her coworkers.

'Alright, Starrk, where are you?' She thought to herself as she peered along the clouds. Even she knew that he enjoyed clouds more than the average bed. When she spotted his form resting on one of the clouds outside, she grinned to herself before flying towards him, descending onto his resting area.

"Yo, Starrk. Wake up! You got weather duty today, remember?" Rainbow Dash said as she nudged Starrk's sleeping form. When she was rewarded with more snoring, she frowned "Seriously? Up and at 'em!" She huffed when she remembered how much of a hard sleeper the former espada is. Rainbow Dash perked up when she remembered what Derpy said to her a couple of days ago...

"You gotta lay a wet one on him!"

Rainbow Dash tried not to blush at the fact that it was Derpy's way of waking him up. She couldn't bear herself to just go out of her way and do that while Starrk was asleep. She stared down at the sleeping stallion with a wince before she grunted in frustration.

"This stinks! It'll just feel weird to do it to him like this." She said to herself before she took a deep breath "But, he's gotta wake up somehow." Swallowing her pride, Rainbow Dash carefully leaned towards Starrk's face, slowly pursing her lips and dipping her eyelids...
_____

"Sorry, Coyote Starrk, but I'm afraid this is where we must part for now." Celestia said as she relinquished her hold on Starrk, who was reluctant to do the same after growing used to the solar princess' warmth.

"Figures. I guess I have to wake up from this dream, won't I?" Starrk asked as he rested his arms on his knees. Meanwhile, Celestia rose from the sands and looked down at Starrk with her hand held out.

"Well, if you really enjoyed our time together in here, perhaps I can join you the next night?" Celestia asked "You seemed rather attached to me for the entirety of your slumber." She added playfully. Starrk scoffed lightly before taking the offered hand as he rose himelf.

"Only because you're so warm. Is it because you control the sun?" Starrk asked. Celestia covered her mouth with a hand as she giggled.

"I suppose you could say that. In the meantime, you should probably wake up. I have my own job to do, you know." She said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, I guess. It beats getting kissed in my sleep again..." Celestia blinked at Starrk's answer before he waved a dismissive hand "Nevermind. I might as well try and get into the habit of it, since I have a new job and all."

"That's wonderful news." Celestia said with a smile "I suppose we mustn't keep each other too long now. Until next time, Coyote." Celestia said warmly before walking away, fading out of existence as a gale began to pick up, causing Starrk's garb to billow profusely as the sands around him shifted. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes.

"Well...Time to wake up..."
_____

Starrk murmured before he began to stir. He blearily cracked open his eyes and caught a blurry image of something blue slowly descending upon his face. When his gaze focused, he noticed what appeared to be Rainbow Dash's face descending upon him with her eyes shut and her lips puckered.

Of course, one of her eyes opened when she heard murmuring, and the two pegasi froze in their positions with widened eyes. Neither Starrk nor Rainbow Dash said nothing, and the latter began to blush the more she lingered near the stallion's face. Thinking quickly, she pulled herself back to a proper sitting position and forced an expression of calm.

"Cool, you're up. Was gonna stop by and take you with me to work today, since...you know...you kinda took my offer the other day." Rainbow Dash said. Lucky for her, Starrk managed to forget what could have been another rude awakening.

"Oh yeah. I didn't oversleep, did I?" Starrk asked.

"No, you're fine. I was just...well..." Rainbow Dash looked away and scratched the back of her head with a forehoof awkwardly 'Darn it!! Bad enough he had to wake up like this, but this is so embarrassing!'

Before Starrk could pry more answers out of Rainbow Dash, a door was heard opening from below. They both looked down to see Derpy smiling up at the two and waving a hoof.

"Morning, Starrky! Come inside for some breakfast." Her eyes rotated a little when she noticed Rainbow Dash and waved to her as well "Oh hey, Rainbow Dash!"

"Hey, Derpy." Rainbow Dash waved back before facing Starrk "Okay, we're making good time, so I'll let you grab some food before we head out. Don't take too long, alright?"

"Got it." Starrk replied as he descended from his favorite cloud and went inside the house.

"You're free to join us, you know." Derpy offered up to Rainbow Dash, who shook her head.

"No thanks, I just ate. I'll just wait here for Starrk." The cyan pegasus replied. After shrugging to the response, Derpy went inside her home and shut the door, leaving Rainbow Dash to wait patiently on Starrk's cloud.

She couldn't help but feel like she should've been quicker with her actions.
_____

In the Hooves household, only Derpy, Dinky, Lilynette, and Starrk were sitting at the dining room table, eating their own respective breakfasts; the fillies both had cereal while Derpy and Starrk had her own breakfast muffins.

"I can't wait to go back to school today!" Dinky said happily "I'm glad everypony managed to rebuild Ponyville, too." She looked over at Lilynette, who was nibbling on a spoonful of cereal "How about you, Lilynette?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm doing fine." Lilynette said as she grabbed her glass of orange juice "If you're happy, then I'm happy; simple as that." She added as she sipped her glass. Dinky giggled before giving Lilynette a brief nuzzle, catching her off-guard.

"You're so nice, sis." Dinky said cheerfully.

"It's good to see you two bonding so well." Derpy chirped before shifting her head towards the hallway, her eyes rotating slightly "I wonder what's keeping Sparkler? She's never late for breakfast."

"Maybe she's following Starrk's example and oversleeping." Lilynette said with a huff before looking over the hallway as well "I think I just might give her a wake-up call..."

"Agh! That won't be necessary!" Derpy and Dinky chorused nervously.

"M-Maybe Sparkler's just taking her time getting ready today?" Dinky added with a forced smile. Lilynette rolled her eyes before facing her food again.

"Fine, I'll give her some more time, but she should at least be up by now, shouldn't she?" The red filly asked Derpy.

"Of course. Wonder what's keeping her." Derpy said pensively before turning to Starrk "So, Starrky. Excited for your new job today?"

"Not really excited. I have other stuff on my mind." Starrk said as he took another bite of his muffin.

"Like what?" Lilynette asked "What could you possibly be thinking about other than wanting to take a nap?"

"Dark magic."

Silence hung in the dining room as the three ponies stared at Starrk after he finished his bite. He stared back at the many perplexed gazes as he set down his muffin.

"Don't act so surprised. Even you folks know we're under watch because of all this dark magic business. There's not much I can do at the moment other than approach the problem my own way." Starrk said coolly.

"How are you gonna do that, Mr. Starrk?" Dinky asked inquisitively.

"I'm gonna go see Twilight the moment I earn myself a break. I'm sure she'll help me out a little with this whole ordeal." Starrk explained briefly.

'So that's why you left for bed so early last night...' Lilynette thought as she stared at Starrk "I doubt you'll have much luck seeking her out for help, since she's just as helpless as the rest of us, but you're free to do as you please."

"Lily, that was kinda mean." Dinky said with a frown.

"I'm just stating the obvious. Who in here could possibly weed out some shady coward waiting to strike us all while our backs are turned?" Lilynette asked rhetorically.

"What are you fillies talking about now?"

All eyes faced the hallway as Sparkler trotted out with her scarf from the other day. She was seen with a raised eyebrow towards the group as they all stared.

"Sorry I'm late for breakfast. Was I late for a family meeting?"

"Well, you kinda did miss breakfast, but good morning, Sparkler." Derpy said with a smile.

"Morning, sis!" Dinky chimed in before going back to eat her breakfast.

All Starrk could do was continue to stare at Sparkler in silence as he thought to himself. He couldn't shake off what had happened the other day with the timberwolf. This hadn't gone unnoticed by the amethyst unicorn as she directed her gaze at him.

"Something wrong, Starrk? You're awfully quiet."

"...It's nothing." Starrk said as he left his unfinished muffin on the table and proceeded to head for the front door "I'm going with Rainbow Dash now. I'll see you all later today."

"But you didn't finish breakfast." Derpy pointed out.

"I had my fill." Starrk replied as he looked back at the others "Have a nice day." He said before opening the door and leaving. Sparkler narrowed her eyes slightly at the gesture.

'He seemed rather intent with his eye contact. He couldn't possibly have known something, could he?' Sparkler decided to make her way towards a vacant seat at the dining room table "Well, that was rude of him." She said as she sat down with the others "One would think he'd spare enough time for the ones who took him in."

"He is pretty active, isn't he?" Derpy said in amusement "This isn't like Starrky at all. Then again, I can't blame him. We're all a bit shaken up by all of this happening right now." She said before she finished her muffin.

"I swear, once I see that coward, I'm gonna deck him hard!" Lilynette said, taking a good swing at the air, causing Dinky to flinch.

"Well, we all have places to be, so I guess we should finish up." Derpy said as she got up from her seat and approached Sparkler, Dinky, and Lilynette, giving each of them a peck on the cheek "I better get going, so I'll see you kids later. Dinky and Lily, you two be sure to behave when Sparkler sends you to school." She said affectionately, then went to the front door and opened it up, looking outside to see some of the night guard patrolling the town both in the air and on the ground. The mailmare took a deep breath before she made her way to the post office, leaving Sparkler and the fillies behind.

"I'll take care of your dishes for you before guiding you to school." Sparkler said as she got up.

"Okay. Thanks, sis." Dinky said politely before she and Lilynette got up from their seats.

"Wait a minute. Aren't you going to eat?" Lilynette asked in befuddlement.

"I'm not hungry." Sparkler responded instantly as she grabbed the two bowls with her magic. They, along with Sparkler's horn, were covered in a red magic aura, instantly grabbing Dinky's attention. She watched her older sister take the bowls to the sink, cleaning them with a dish rag in silence.

When she finished, Sparkler left the bowls in the sink and faced the two fillies.

"Let's go. Neither of you can afford to be late." Sparkler said in a nearly dispassionate tone.

While Lilynette nonchalantly complied and followed Sparkler out the door, Dinky found herself wondering why Sparkler's magic had suddenly changed color when she was familiar with her sister's previous magic aura.
_____

Clouds were disappearing left and right in Ponyville's sky in certain areas. Some of the ponies on the ground, including the sentries, looked up in surprise at how quickly each cloud was disappearing.

In a clear gap, Starrk blurred into existence with his eyes closed, opening them up to see his progress. He looked around to see that most of the clouds were cleared up.

"Way to go, Starrk!" The former espada looked behind him to see Rainbow Dash fly towards him with an elated smile "You just took care of this morning's work in no time at all. Good thing you had time to memorize the map of which clouds to clear, huh?"

"Yeah, it's fine." Starrk replied dryly before looking at the ground "Tell me, does this much work warrant a break?"

"Sure does. You looking to nap already?" Rainbow Dash asked with a tilted head "If anything, you've been pretty tense when you left Derpy's house. What's bugging you?"

"It's nothing." Starrk replied instantly.

"The hay it is. What, is it because a few of our coworkers happen to be Cloudchaser, Flitter, and Blossomforth?" Rainbow Dash quipped sarcastically. Starrk sighed.

"You didn't have to remind me about that...No, I'm just a little bothered about the situation."

"With the dark magic? I don't blame you, but it is what it is." Rainbow Dash said "No reason to fret too much about it. You gotta keep your cool, like me."

"I plan to." Starrk said as he spotted Twilight's library at a short distance before he blurred out with his Sonido, startling Rainbow Dash.

"Hey!" The cyan pegasus noticed Starrk appearing into view at Twilight's home and decided to follow him there. She managed to land next to him before he could knock "The least you could do was just tell me you were gonna come here."

"Sorry. I just wanted to make every second count." Starrk said as he shifted his head to face Rainbow Dash "Didn't think you'd wanna follow me here."

"Hey, Twilight's a friend of mine; a bestie, too. Besides, there's no shame in hanging out since we're both on break." Rainbow Dash said with a shrug.

"I wasn't exactly shooting for 'hanging out', but do as you please." Starrk said as he rapped at the door. Rainbow Dash snickered at his gesture, earning his attention "What is it?"

"It's a library, dude. You don't exactly have to knock at the door." Rainbow Dash said after a couple of giggles. Starrk paused for a moment before he opened the door. He caught a glimpse of the interior and noticed many shelved books, as well as a wooden bust of a pony's head in the middle of the lobby.

"Hello?"

Rainbow Dash and Starrk looked up a flight of stairs to see Spike treading down and looking back at them.

"Hey, Dash. Hey, Starrk. Anything I can help you with?" Spike asked.

"Yes, actually." Starrk responded instantly "I need to see Twilight. Is she here?"

"Wait a minute, you wanna see Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously "What for?" She asked, feeling slightly nervous.

"I'm kinda curious, too. You looking to find a book to read?" Spike said as he looked up at Starrk, who shook his head.

"I wanna see her personally to know more about dark magic. I'm not much for reading." Starrk explained briefly. He was unaware of Rainbow Dash's faint anxiety fading.

"You came to the right place, if that's what you're looking for. Twi's up in her study right now. I can take you to her if you want, but I doubt you'd be able to grab her attention, since she's looking into it more than anypony."

"That's Twilight for you." Rainbow Dash said with a smirk "Always ready to look for a solution to our problems."

"Then I guess I can just extract whatever information she has and see if I can't use it to my own benefit somehow." Starrk looked down at Spike "Can you take me to her, please? I don't know how long my break's gonna last." He then felt a hoof on his back and looked over at Rainbow Dash.

"Chill, Starrk. You've practically done a majority of today's work. Take it from somepony's who's been doing this for a few years: You've got plenty of time to spare." She reassured.

"Alright, just follow me, then. It's just up the stairs and into the next room." Spike said as he began climbing the stairs with Starrk and Rainbow Dash following after him. A short trek lead them into another room on the next floor, where Twilight is seen sitting on a cushion at a desk next to a stack of books, diligently reading one in front of her.

"She's been up here since she woke up." Spike said "Right now, she's trying to figure out a way to counter the dark magic." He crossed his arms with as he watched Twilight "Good luck trying to get her to notice you."

"Allow me." Spike and Starrk turned to a smirking Rainbow Dash "AJ taught me how to do this a while back." She casually trotted up to an unattended desk, where three yellow inwells sat in a straight line. Extending a hoof, the cyan pegasus nudged the middle one out of place, eliciting a small scream of shock as they looked over at Twilight, who merely narrowed her eyes at the trio, Rainbow Dash especially.

"You know I hate when you do that, right?" Twilight said to Rainbow Dash, who merely rolled her eyes.

"It beats having to call to you every time with no response." The cyan pegasus shot back before tapping Starrk's chest "Starrk wanted to see you for some knowledge about dark magic." Twilight's expression instantly shifted to surprise.

"Really?" She looked over at Starrk, whose stoic expression didn't falter "I never expected you to come to me like this on such short notice. What exactly do you want to know?"

"Anything useful, so I can at least be more focused on our little problem. Normally, I don't enjoy fighting, but I can't just ignore something like this. It's pretty troublesome." Starrk held up a hoof "I'll even settle for a brief history lesson, so long as it helps."

"Well, I suppose I could use a small break from my studies. I haven't picked up any useful counter spells for dark magic so we won't have to resort to violence if somepony were met with another attack." Twilight said as she bookmarked the page she was on and closed her book. She then turned around to face the trio while she sat on her cushion "In fact, there's not much to say about dark magic other than it being a dangerous practice for ponies everywhere. It revolves around negative emotions such as fear and hatred, and a unicorn possessing such feelings are capable of learning the dark arts for themselves."

"Perhaps there's any famous culprits who could possibly be responsible?" Starrk asked, to which Twilight looked down with a grave expression.

"Only one..." She said in a serious tone before facing Starrk again "It was a unicorn named King Sombra, an evil tyrant who ruled the Crystal Empire one thousand years ago. He was the only known unicorn who not only championed dark magic, but was unmatched in his power."

"One thousand years? Is he still alive?" Starrk asked.

"It's like this, Coyote: Sombra, back then, was so powerful that he even rivaled the princesses. Of course, they managed to defeat him and banished him into the frozen tundra, only for him to curse the empire with the same fate. After a millenium of frozen stasis, the Crystal Empire came back, although Sombra did as well." Twilight explained.

"That's where my friends and I came in. I was tested by Princess Celestia with the task of liberating the empire with the help of my friends." She smiled over at Spike "Spike over there managed to get us all out of a crisis with Cadence's help."

"Man, was that fight hairy." Spike shuddered "I still remember falling from the tower before I was caught."

"What about Sombra? I wanna know if he's around or not." Starrk piped up inquisitively, to which Twilight looked away awkwardly.

"You see, Coyote, after Spike and Cadence secured the Crystal Heart, the empire found its light again, although Sombra had perished, due to his magic rendering him susceptible to the heart's overwhelming power." Twilight finished her explanation "He's been deceased ever since."

"I say he had that coming for a while for all he's done." Rainbow Dash said "I'm just glad that fight was over."

"I see..." Starrk paused for a moment before asking another question "Who's this Cadence you speak of? I never seen her around here."

"Oh! Right, you're not entirely familiar with Equestria." Twilight said before chuckling in embarrassment "Cadence is short for Mi Amore Cadenza. She's the princess of love, co-ruler of the Crystal Empire, my old foalsitter, and recently my sister-in-law."

"Twilight's brother, Shining Armor, used to be the captain of Princess Celestia's royal guard." Spike said proudly "Him and Cadence just married a few months ago." Starrk nodded to himself from the added information.

"Alright. As interesting as that was, I think I digressed too far from the current matter. Anything else I should know about as far as dark magic?" Starrk asked, hoping to draw his visit to a close.

"I'm afraid that's all I have to tell you, Coyote. The rest of us are just as bothered about this as you. All we can hope to do is try to prepare for what comes next. Although, now that you're here..." Twilight said as she rose from her seat and trotted up to Starrk, smiling at him after stopping in front of him "Do you think you have enough time for me to study your power? I promise you it'll be worth your while."

Starrk did recall Twilight mentioning the same request a few days ago. Considering the information glossed from Twilight, he chalked up his visit to the library to be nearly a waste, since there weren't much leads for him to act upon. Moreso, it would seem like she'd just beg him if he were to decline.

"Fine. Just make sure you don't take too long, though. I have a job to do, after all." Starrk said, causing Twilight to grin ear-to-ear.

"Great! Just follow me downstairs and we'll get started!" She said as she breezed past Starrk and Rainbow Dash and down the stairs. After she left, Rainbow Dash and Spike regarded Starrk with their own amused smirks.

"Now you did it. Never thought I'd see Twilight this happy." Spike said as he waddled down the stairs "Hope you'll last with her."

"Huh? What are you getting at?" Starrk asked as Spike descended the stairs.

"What Spike's trying to say is that you'll have to kiss your break time goodbye." Rainbow Dash said as she followed Spike "Try not to fall asleep, okay?" She said jokingly as she went down the stairs. There was a moment of silence before Rainbow Dash zoomed back up, pointing a hoof at Starrk with a slightly panicked expression "But seriously, don't fall asleep." She then went back downstairs.

Being the last pony to follow the others downstairs, Starrk was beginning to have second thoughts on being polite to his new friends as he contemplated on what he got himself into.

To be continued...

Capitulo Treinta y Uno

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Capitulo Treinta y Uno

Careful Planning

Starrk felt his second thoughts were warranted when he looked at the contraption his forelegs were strapped onto, as with the weird helmet resting on his head. He had to count himself lucky the position he was in wasn't entirely uncomfortable. He looked over at a snickering Rainbow Dash standing next to Spike, who looked rather curious for his own part as they all stood in Twilight's basement, which basically doubled as a laboratory with many working machines surrounding them.

Twilight was busy connecting wires to both the helmet Starrk was wearing and the contraption he was resting on. She then proceeded to turn on another machine the former espada had no knowledge of.

"Okay, now we can begin." Twilight said as she watched some paper roll out with a red line in a varying zigzag pattern. Starrk deduced that the line represented the intensity of his power. Twilight scanned the readings so far for herself, and was shocked "Wow! I just connected you to my magic reader and you're already showing intense magic power in the results!"

Loathe as he was to admit, Starrk still had trouble coping with the fact that his reiatsu was now being referred to as magic in his new home.

"Doesn't surprise me, what with Starrk taking down Cerberus with that cero of his." Rainbow Dash said.

"I keep missing those battles because of Twilight wanting me to stay inside the library." Spike pouted "What does a cero look like anyways?"

"Just this awesome blue beam that's super huge!" Rainbow Dash explained ecstatically.

"This is amazing. According to these readings..." Twilight scanned the paper diligently as it collected in a tray "Coyote just might be as powerful, if not moreso than the princesses!"

"Are you done yet?" Starrk asked unenthusiastically "I figured you have all the data you need."

"Not exactly." Twilight said as she approached Starrk "I at least need to get a good reading on Lilynette, since she's technically a part of you."

"That'd be hard to do unless Starrk coaxes her into it. You know that, right?" Spike said "Besides, that filly can be kinda scary." He flinched when he remembered Starrk was in the laboratory as well "No offense."

"None taken. Lilynette can be rambunctious if left unchecked." Starrk said nonchalantly "I'm sure she'll behave around Dinky." He looked over at Twilight "You might as well let it slide, since she basically is less powerful than me."

"But I can't just ignore a proper study like this. You understand, don't you?" Twilight asked.

"Not really. I'm not all for this science stuff." Starrk said as he tried to shift in a more comfortable position from where he stood. He decided to rest his chin on the machine, which was expectedly cold to the touch.

"Well, if you must know, Coyote, science can be very serious business if one looks into it well enough..." Much to Starrk's chagrin, he was now forced to listen to a lecture deemed entirely unimportant to him. As Twilight continued talking with her eyes closed, the former espada had trouble following what she was saying. He looked over at Rainbow Dash and Spike to see tired expressions of their own.

'Dammit...' Starrk was tempted to break the cuffs on his hooves so he could move around, but between Twilight's rambling and the position he was in, he found himself gradually willing himself to take a cat nap. It wasn't long until his own eyes were closed and sleep took over him as he snored lightly. Spike noticed Starrk's disregard towards Twilight's lecture and decidedly stopped her by nudging her side.

"Twilight, as much as I don't mind you expressing your passion for science, you kind of lost Starrk." He pointed at his sleeping form, which shocked Twilight. A part of her was cross with Starrk for actually sleeping during her lecture, but then she realized that she was possibly lost in her own words.

"Great. Now he's asleep again." Rainbow Dash said bitterly. Though she wasn't happy on the outside, she inwardly thought about being granted a second chance somehow and tried to act calm "Don't worry. I'll try to wake him up."

"U-Um, actually, I-..." Twilight said, appearing oddly shy and embarrassed, much to Rainbow Dash's and Spike's confusion "I do recall Derpy telling me how to wake Coyote up while we were repairing Ponyville, but, perhaps we can give him a couple of minutes?" She offered with a grin.

"I say just go ahead and wake him up, rather than wait for him." Spike said "How do you do it, anyways?" He asked curiously. Twilight gulped before she looked over at Starrk, a light blush forming on her cheeks.

'I really shouldn't do this...' Twilight thought to herself, but then she took a deep breath and approached Starrk and stared at his sleeping form for a small moment before she clenched her eyes and neared her face towards him and met her muzzle with his in a soft kiss. Needless to say, Rainbow Dash and Spike were slackjawed.

Twilight found the task to be difficult at first, but she slowly eased into it as she persisted. She rarely ever kissed anypony other than her parents, brother, or Spike, but those were all on the cheek. Her clenched eyes eased up to a more content expression as they remained closed. Twilight's left ear twitched when she heard a soft moan from Starrk's mouth.

Both Twilight's and Starrk's eyes slowly opened to view each other before shooting wide open, the former's face becoming red as a cherry. Twilight instantly pulled away and retreated towards Rainbow Dash and Spike.

"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" Was all that came out of her mouth as she faced away from Starrk and hid her face with a hoof.

"Well, that happened." Spike said as he waddled over to Starrk and undid the cuffs on his forehooves "You should probably go. I think Twilight's day's been made from this."

"Good enough for me." Starrk replied bitterly after he rubbed his lips with a foreleg. He caught a brief look at Twilight, who kept her face hidden "Is she gonna be alright?"

"Eh, give it some time. She'll come around eventually, but I doubt she'd forget this." Spike said with a chuckle. He was unaware of the scowl Rainbow Dash wore as she looked away from her friends.

"In that case, we'll take our leave." Starrk looked over at Rainbow Dash "Hey, Rainbow Dash. Are you coming?"

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash said, brought out of her sulking "Oh yeah, sure..." Starrk and Rainbow Dash proceeded up the stairs and out of the basement door into the lobby, where they exited to the front door and took to the skies.

Spike waddled up to the open door with Twilight following behind him, both looking up at the pegasi leaving the library, although the latter was slightly unsettled with her earlier action.

"I'm kinda jealous of Starrk actually having to wake up to that." Spike said before rubbing his chin with a pensive smile "I wonder if I could get Rarity to do that to me..." He murmured to himself.

"Spike..." The purple dragon flinched, thinking Twilight had heard him and was about to reprimand him for his thoughts, hanging his head in shame.

"Is it bad if-..." Twilight continued neutrally, then looked away in embarrassment as she rubbed her left foreleg with her right hoof "Is it bad if I liked waking up Starrk like that?"

Spike perked up, surprised by both the question and the fact that it came out of nowhere. He looked over at Twilight, almost at a loss for an answer. Before he could speak to her, he heard approaching hoofbeats and looked away from her to see somepony approach the library "Hey, isn't that Zecora?"

Both Twilight and Spike looked over to see that it was indeed Zecora, although her expression was one of shock and dread as galloped forward as if her life depended on it. When she reached the library, she skidded to a halt and caught her breath.

"Zecora? What's wrong? It isn't like you to be this frantic." Twilight said, growing unsettled by Zecora's sudden appearance as she faced her and Spike.

"The guards around Ponyville have slowed my pace,
But that's not important, now that I'm at your place.
Our worries have risen. There's no time left.
I've been a victim of a heinous theft."

"Wait, seriously? Who could possibly steal from you of all ponies?" Spike asked "Unless somepony were desperate for one of your potions, I don't see a reason why."

"What exactly has been stolen from your hut, Zecora?" Twilight asked. Zecora's eyes furrowed as she bore a serious gaze.

"It's worse than the troubles we've already met.
I'm without the Alicorn Amulet."

Spike and Twilight gasped as their eyes widened. If there was an item that they remembered, the Alicorn Amulet was one of incredible power.

"But we kept it hidden ever since Twilight saved Ponyville from Trixie! Who would do such a thing?" Spike hissed, growing nervous as he looked out into town at the many passing ponies.

"I don't know, but now we know that the situation's grown worse." Twilight said, growing serious herself as she looked down at Spike "Spike, I need you to go inside and contact Princess Celestia immediately. Tell her about the situation at hoof." Twilight shifted her head towards Zecora "You might as well come inside with us, Zecora. We're gonna have to give it all we got with some careful planning." Zecora nodded.

"A sound strategy would make for an excellent boon
That would save us all from certain doom."

After Zecora was invited into the library, Twilight shut the door, but not without looking around outside first.
_____

"I thank you both for coming here on such short notice." Celestia said politely as she sat at her chair in a conference room "As you already know from our letter, we wished to discuss a matter of utmost importance with you two."

The two guests smiled politely at Celestia and Luna as they stood inside the throne room.There was a light pink alicorn that was smaller than both Celestia and Luna. Her mane was multicolored with purple, magenta, and yellow strands, and she had a cutie mark resembling a crystallized heart. Next to her was a white and muscular unicorn stallion with a blue mane and tail, as well as a shield cutie mark.

"It's no trouble at all, Celestia. Everypony at the Crystal Empire is doing well enough for Shining Armor and I to come see you." The alicorn replied "But what is it you wished to talk with us about?"

"Cadence. Shining Armor. You're both aware of the dangers of dark magic, correct?" Luna spoke up, grabbing their attention. Shining Armor shuddered as he rubbed his horn.

"Do we ever. It's a good thing Twilight and her friends came by just in time." Shining Armor stopped rubbing his horn and tilted his head "Is this a matter related to it?"

"Correct." Celestia nodded "I don't know if this may concern you entirely, but for the past couple of days, Ponyville has been met with three different attacks based around dark magic, one of which involved possessing Cerberus and damaging the town." Cadence and Shining Armor grew tense.

"Is this true? Was anypony hurt?" Cadence asked out of concern.

"If that fiend harmed Twilight..." Shining Armor muttered dangerously.

"Thankfully, no, but that doesn't change the fact that we're met with a dangerous enemy capable of throwing all of Ponyville into disarray through dark magic." Celestia said before giving a thin smile "What eases our current situation is a new pair of ponies that have recently been welcomed by Ponyville, both of which incredibly strong."

"Really?" Cadence said as she smiled as well "That's wonderful. Who are they?"

"Believe it or not, these two ponies are actually one being split a part." Luna said "What adds to this abnormality is that they're not even from this world."

"So where are they from exactly? Did they tell you?" Shining Armor asked "And did you actually see them for yourself?"

"Indeed, both Luna and I have, although we visited them at different times." Celestia replied "Luna had the opportunity to see them fuse together into an alicorn."

"They are known as Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerback respectively, hailing from a foreign realm known as Hueco Mundo. They were responsible for saving Ponyville twice in the time they spent there." Luna said "But now that we've briefed you on that matter, we must focus on the matter at hoof: How to approach this mysterious assailant."

"Right. But what can we do right now? We barely have much information on this mystery foe other than when they attacked Ponyville." Shining Armor said matter-of-factly "What else is there to point out?" Celestia looked to the white unicorn.

"Well, from what we know, Cerberus' attack on Ponyville was the first out of the three. Luna made sure to round up her night guards and survey the gates of Tartarus."

"The next was an attack on the townsfolk later on that day, and then some wildlife the day after." Luna added "I currently have my night guard patrolling Ponyville, but there hasn't been any activity since."

"If that were true, then could this whole thing have possibly started from Tartarus?" Cadence asked before looking down pensively "There was no problems prior to that day, and Cerberus being possessed out of the blue seems too suspicious for words."

"I doubt any secondary surveillance around the gates would prove beneficial to us." Luna said as she joined Cadence in thinking "Although, Cadence does raise a point on the matter. Could our foe perhaps be an escapee from Tartarus?"

"But then that would mean we could be in more danger than we realize." Celestia said grimly. Before she could address the problem further, a green flame appeared in front of the solar princess, followed by a wrapped scroll. Taking it with her magic, she unraveled the parchment and read its contents to herself before she widened her eyes, stifling a gasp.

"Sister, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Luna asked, catching onto Celestia's reaction to the letter. Celestia faced the other royal figures with a frown.

"Apparently, the situation has grown worse under our noses. There is word that the Alicorn Amulet has been stolen." Celestia informed. Luna herself was shocked while Cadence and Shining Armor were confused.

"That malevolent relic still exists!? If it were to get into the wrong hooves..." Luna said as she silently contemplated a plethora of dreadful scenarios involving the amulet.

"Sorry if I sound slow, but what's the Alicorn Amulet?" Shining Armor asked "I haven't really heard much about it in my time."

"It is an artifact of an evil sort, capable of granting a pony incredible and growing power at the cost of their mind giving way to corruption." Celestia explained "We'll have to act quickly; we need to give Twilight and her friends the Elements of Harmony quickly."

"I'll go acquire them and depart for Ponyville post haste." Luna said in determination.

"Actually, do you think we could join you?" Cadence asked "As serious as this situation is, I wish to see Coyote and Lilynette for myself."

"If Cadence is going, then so am I." Shining Armor added before smiling "I wanna see them, too, and it'd be nice to catch up with Twilight while keeping an eye out."

"Very well, but I must warn you two to be careful. Remember, this isn't so much a social call as it is delivering much needed assistance." Celestia said "Exercise caution when you reach Ponyville." Shining Armor saluted the solar princess.

"You have my word as a royal guard, Princess." He responded valiantly.

"I'll be sure to do so as well." Cadence said with a firm nod.

"Good. Between these attacks and what awaits us in the future, there's no telling what could happen were we to make the wrong move." Celestia said as she watched Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor leave the throne room.

'Could it be...? No...' Celestia thought to herself as she shook her head and trotted over towards the balcony, looking down at Canterlot and its posh citizens. She could only dread another harsh battle in the future. Celestia decided to write back to Twilight as she levitated a parchment and quill to her side.
_____

Later that day, Dinky and Lilynette sat together outside with their lunches. They were at least content with the fact that Sparkler made them both food before they left, but despite that, Dinky couldn't help but feel troubled as she finished a bite of her sandwich. Lilynette looked over at her with an uncovered eye.

"What's bothering you right now? Is the lunch not that good or something?" She asked.

"No, the lunch is fine..." Dinky replied, albeit downcast.

"So what's wrong? You've been acting like this since we left, and I wanna know why." Lilynette said sternly "We're sisters, remember? We can't keep stuff away from each other."

"Y-Yeah, you're right." Dinky said, feeling slightly guilty before she took a deep breath "I'm kinda worried about Sparkler."

"Why? She seemed fine to me." Lilynette said.

"But she's acted so differently this morning, and even her magic is different, too." Dinky replied.

"Wait, that actually matters? What's so different about Sparkler's magic anyhow?"

"Sparkler taught me that whenever a unicorn does magic, they produce an aura with a familiar color." Dinky placed a hoof near her eye "Sometimes, it's the color of somepony's eyes, their coat, or their cutie mark." She then frowned "But Sparkler's magic wasn't familiar at all. Her magic is purple, but today, it was red."

"Huh...When you put it like that, it does sound kind of weird." Lilynette pondered for a moment before she perked up "Wait a second...You think some kind of imposter might've kidnapped Sparkler while we weren't looking?"

"Umm...I don't think that's it, but-"

"I'll bet it's that stupid dark magic user!" Lilynette said, hopping up on all fours with an angry gaze as her horn lit up, startling Dinky "I swear, if I ever see that coward's face, they're dead meat!"

"Ew, what's all this talk about meat?"

Lilynette's anger was lessened when he heard a voice speak up, and both her and Dinky noticed the Cutie Mark Crusaders approaching them with their own lunches. Scootaloo was seen with a grimace.

"Seriously, what's up with you today, Lilynette?" Scootaloo asked.

"I hope you're not still sore about getting that answer wrong in math class today." Sweetie Belle said "It happens with the best of us. Nopony's perfect."

"No, it's not that." Lilynette said, calming down as she sat herself down next to Dinky "I'm just angry about that dark magic user skulking about..." Lilynette raised her forehooves and hit them together "I wanna destroy whoever's responsible for kidnapping Sparkler."

"But sis, I said I don't think that's it." Dinky spoke up before smiling "But I'm glad you care about Sparkler as much as I do."

"Ah don't blame ya about not bein' able t' do somethin' about this." Applebloom said as she and her friends sat down with the two other fillies and opened their lunches "If only we had powers like th' Elements o' Harmony."

"I know, right? Then we'd give whoever's scaring everypony a run for their money!" Scootaloo cheered before she bit down on a sandwich of her own.

"Hey, Lilynette!"

Lilynette perked up at the call of her name, and looked behind her to see Pipsqueak carrying a lunchbox on his back, a chipper smile on his face. She stifled a flinch as she tried not to get worked up by his sudden appearance.

"Is it alright if I eat with you?" Pipsqueak asked "I figured you wanna hang out more." Lilynette stared before she scowled and looked down at her food.

"Fine, but try not to make it weird, okay? We're just eating lunch..." Lilynette responded harshly. Pipsqueak recoiled before smiling sheepishly.

"Thanks." He said as he set down his lunchbox and sat around with the other fillies. The crusaders traded looks before grinning at Pipsqueak and Lilynette sitting together. Dinky only smiled kindly at the newest addition to their group.

"So, about the whole dark magic thing..." Sweetie Belle piped up "Do you really think our sisters, the princesses, or Starrk will stop whoever's doing it in time?"

"Why wouldn't they? They've saved Equestria plenty of times!" Scootaloo said proudly "Besides, I'll bet whoever's behind all those attacks won't know what hit them once that happens!"
_____

Sparkler trotted along the town, carefully scanning her surroundings and the many night guards in her vision. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the current disadvantage in her plan.

Considering the amount of power drawn from last night at the cost of some sleep, she could handle this easily if need be, but it would mean drawing unwanted attention to herself in the mix. She needed more time before her plan would come to fruition.

'There's barely an open area for me to sap more magic from the amulet unless I'm to coop myself up back at that austere den.' Sparkler thought to herself as she continued to trot 'I need to find myself another distraction worthy of their attention, but what?' Sparkler then looked over to the distant image of Canterlot, squinting her eyes at at the castle hanging from the mountains.

'Once I'm at full power, I'll make sure to return the favor to those so-called princesses before taking back my throne. I'm nearly done with my power absorption, but it's not enough...' Sparkler's gaze then spotted a speck in the air near the castle that was growing in size and headed towards Ponyville. After catching a better glimpse at what was approaching, Sparkler could only grin deviously at the oncoming sight.

"Perfect..."

To be continued...

Capitulo Treinta y Dos

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Capitulo Treinta y Dos

Stoking the Fire

Starrk and Rainbow Dash decided to lounge on a large cloud in the sky, although the latter was still upset about Twilight's actions. She was lucky that Starrk didn't notice, as he lazily glanced down at the town below him. As Rainbow Dash looked over at the lazy pegasus, she noticed that Starrk's wings started to look frazzled.

"Hey, uh, Starrk? When's the last time you took care of your wings?" Rainbow Dash asked, to which Starrk looked over at the cyan pegasus.

"What do you mean? I don't recall having trouble flying as of late. Why did you bring this up?" Starrk asked.

"Well, it's just...I know you're from another world and junk, but you need a serious preening right now, buddy. Those wings of yours are starting to look pretty messy." Rainbow Dash said as she pointed at his wings "Seriously, they look like they've seen better days." Starrk decided to examine his own wings, and realized where his fellow pegasus was coming from.

"I suppose. But how do you expect me to preen?" Starrk asked lazily "I never exactly preened before." Rainbow Dash stared before chuckling.

"Yeah, I forgot." Rainbow Dash calmed herself down and inched towards Starrk "I can help you if you want." Starrk stared at her, and the cyan pegasus thought she was making it weird as she began to blush "I-I mean, unless you wanna preen yourself, that is!"

"...I don't mind." Starrk looked away "Go ahead." Rainbow Dash blinked at both the unexpected answer and its delivery. Truly, Coyote Starrk is the most lax of ponies.

"Okay, but you're gonna have to spread 'em out for this one. Can't exactly preen your wings while they're folded." Starrk wordlessly complied to her request, and the cyan pegasus took a deep breath before she examined Starrk's wings and lightly grasped his left wing, slowly inching her muzzle towards his feathers. Starrk's head perked up as he gave a light shudder when he felt Rainbow Dash's lips on his wing.

"That felt weird..." Starrk looked over at Rainbow Dash "Are these wings that sensitive to touch?"

"This is your first preening, so it'll feel like that." Rainbow Dash giggled when she momentarily paused "You'll get used to it over time. Just hold still and let me do the work." She said as she continued preening '...Oh geez, that sounded so wrong...'

Starrk gradually eased into Rainbow Dash's ministrations as he laid contently on the cloud. It wasn't too long until she was finished with the former espada's left wing, and then proceeded to do the same with the right with delicate grace. Starrk had to admit that it felt nice for his wings to get preened like this, although he couldn't imagine doing this kind of thing to himself for the rest of his life.

"There we go. What do you think?" Rainbow Dash said after she finished. Starrk inspected his wings and noticed how they were much more smoother and neat than before. He raised an eyebrow before he nodded with respect and approval.

"Not bad. You're really good at this preening stuff." Starrk said gratefully, albeit in a dull tone.

"Well, obviously. I'm a pegasus, remember?" Rainbow Dash said before pointing a hoof at Starrk "Just remember that you gotta preen your wings at least once a day."

"Got it. Thanks for the help." Starrk said as he flexed his wings before he stretched his limbs "I think I'm gonna take another nap..."

"Wow. You really do love naps more than me, and that's saying something." Rainbow Dash said in amusement.

"Rainbow! Coyote!"

Starrk and Rainbow Dash looked down to see Twilight, Spike, and Zecora below them. Confused by the new addition with the former two, the two pegasi traded glances before descending towards the trio.

"What's going on, Twilight? I mean, Starrk and I just left your place a few minutes ago." Rainbow Dash said.

"The situation's changed greatly. It turns out our mysterious enemy has stolen the Alicorn Amulet." Rainbow Dash's eyes widened while Starrk just raised an eyebrow "I need you both to spread out, gather our friends, and have them meet at the outskirts of town." Twilight said seriously "The elements are being delivered to us right now." Rainbow Dash perked up before saluting in determination.

"Got it." Rainbow Dash replied before turning to Starrk "You think you can get AJ and Fluttershy while I round up Pinkie Pie and Rarity?"

"Yeah, I can do it." Starrk replied before turning to Twilight "You know where exactly we can find you all?" Twilight pointed over at the distant image of Canterlot.

"There's an exit in town that shows a route to Canterlot. No doubt they'll make the delivery there." Twilight explained before facing her friends "We gotta hurry. Every second counts!"

With a nod from both pegasi, Rainbow Dash flew off, leaving a prismatic trail while Starrk blurred out of sight with his Sonido. Twilight, Spike, and Zecora decidedly made for the desired town exit while keeping a wary eye on their surroundings.

"I can't believe somepony would actually steal the Alicorn Amulet." Twilight whispered as she peered left and right for any suspicious activity "Are they not aware of its corruptive influence on the mind?"

"Maybe they found a way around it? Or the culprit's just desperate." Spike offered as he nervously scanned the area. Zecora walked with a solemn glance.

"We mustn't make the time to assume.
If we're not careful, we'll face certain doom."

"This is getting ridiculous. Why can't whoever's responsible just show themselves already? I mean, anypony with the amulet would do that, wouldn't they?" Spike asked Twilight.

"While that may be true, Spike, we have to remember that the amulet's corruption is a steady process. Anypony can still have their wits after just putting it on." Twilight replied.
_____

An apple tree shook and dropped its fruit after Applejack bucked it with her hindlegs, watching her produce fall into some strategically placed buckets. Big Macintosh did the same next to her, albeit with more relative ease. They continued the same exercise with each tree they came across as they were completing their work at a satisfactory pace.

Before they could buck their next tree, they heard the sound of static behind them, and noticed Starrk standing with his look of disinterest. He then looked over at Applejack.

"Twilight sent me. You're needed outside of town." Starrk stated.

"Fer what exactly? Ah don't mean t' sound rude, but Big Mac an' Ah are kinda busy here." Applejack said with slight impatience.

"They said something about an alicorn amulet, and that the elements being delivered there. Apparently, our situation's growing worse. If you want, I can take you there myself."

"Th' Alicorn Amulet's been stolen!?" Applejack gasped, starting to feel uneasy "What in th' hay's goin' on?"

"I don't really know. I just came here because we have to be quick about this." Starrk then looked over to Big Macintosh and they stared at each other in silence.

Big Macintosh recognized the seriousness that belied Starrk's lethargic gaze and nodded to him in confirmation, to which Starrk returned before looking back at Applejack, a hoof held out to her.

"Let's go. We're not making any progress just standing around." Starrk said, while Applejack looked at the former espada's hoof warily.

"Ah dunno about yer method o' travel, but if what we're dealin' with is gettin' worse..." Applejack trailed off before she tentatively stretched out a hoof of her own to make contact with Starrk's, and he gently pulled her into an embrace before they both blurred out, leaving a surprised Big Macintosh behind.
_____

"C'mon, hurry up!" Rainbow Dash said as she was flying ahead of a galloping Rarity and a pronking Pinkie Pie, the latter of whom was merely humming without a care in the world.

"While I recognize the severity of your news, you realize it's an endeavor to match your speed, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity shot back as she tried catching up to her friends.

"Sorry if I'm rushing you like this, but we gotta get a move on! Who knows what'll happen next!" Rainbow Dash said without facing Rarity.

"Well, if we can manage to stop the baddie with the elements, then what do we have to worry about?" Pinkie asked nonchalantly as she hopped with her friends.

"Considering that the ruffian plaguing our peace is in possession of the Alicorn Amulet, we have quite a lot to worry about." Rarity said pointedly as the three neared the town exit, where they saw Twilight, Spike, Zecora, and an approaching chariot in the sky. The lavender unicorn breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at her friends.

"I'm glad you made it, girls." Twilight said as she looked up at the large chariot "Good timing, too." She squinted her eyes and got a better look at the passengers, widening her eyes when she noticed two ponies traveling with Princess Luna "Wait, is that Shining Armor and Cadence?"

"What's your brother doing here? Does he know about this whole thing?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously. The sound of static coaxed the group to look behind and see Starrk standing with two frazzled and dizzied mares that staggered in their steps.

"Whoa nelly..." Applejack said as she held her hat "Ah knew it was a rush th' first time, but the second time didn't help." Fluttershy only muttered unintelligible things as her eyes spun around before falling over.

"We're here." Starrk said nonchalantly, as if Applejack or Fluttershy weren't phased by their fast travel. He then looked up at the chariot drawing close to the ponies.

The guards pulling the chariot descended, allowing for Luna, Shining Armor, and Cadence to get off and approach the group. Luna was seen with a jeweled chest wrapped in her magic. Twilight beamed at Shining Armor and Cadence and approached the latter.

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clop your hooves and do a little shake!" Twilight and Cadence chorused as they performed a dance that Starrk could only find silly.

"It's nice to see you again, Twily. We heard about your situation and thought it'd be best to come by and see for ourselves." Shining Armor explained.

"You, too, Shiny." Twilight said amiably before facing Luna "I take it those are the Elements of Harmony?"

"Indeed." Luna said as she opened the case to present them " It is wise for you all to keep them on at all times to prepare for any sudden danger." Applejack managed to snap herself out of her daze before joining her friends in gathering around the elements and putting them on, save for Fluttershy, who was being lifted up by Starrk.

"Oh my..." Fluttershy said as she came to and looked over at Starrk "I never knew you would be so fast, Coyote." Starrk didn't respond as he accompanied her over to her friends and let her put on her own element. Shining Armor caught a glimpse of the lone stallion of the group and hummed as he laid a calculating eye on Starrk.

"So you must be this Coyote Starrk I heard so much about." Shining Armor said neutrally as he noticed the former espada glancing back at him.

"Oh, right!" Twilight said before looking to Starrk while directing a hoof to Shining Armor "Coyote, this is my older brother, Shining Armor. He used to be captain of Celestia's Royal Guard, and now rules the Crystal Empire with my sister-in-law Cadence."

"It's nice to meet you." Cadence said with a warm smile "We heard how you saved Ponyville not once, but twice."

"I know!" Pinkie said, wrapping her forelegs around Starrk's neck, much to his chagrin "Isn't he awesome?" Rainbow Dash tried to ignore Pinkie's sudden display of affection. Meanwhile, Cadence examined the group before looking around

"Is Lilynette Gingerback around?" She asked curiously.

"She's at school, not that it matters." Starrk said as he looked at the group "So what's the deal about this Alicorn Amulet you keep talking about?" He saw how he received several looks of dread.

"Coyote, the Alicorn Amulet is an old artifact that can cause great pain not only to many ponies, but the one wearing it." Twilight explained "One pony named Trixie had found its whereabouts and used it to defeat me in a magic duel and take over Ponyville."

"And I'm guessing you won with the help of the Elements of Harmony?" Starrk asked.

"Actually, no." Twilight shook her head "It was a gamble, but with the help of my friends in Ponyville, we managed to defeat Trixie by tricking her into taking off the amulet. It's the only way the curse can be lifted."

"Then why bother using the elements? If whoever's wearing it can be easily tricked, then all we have to do is find them and do so again, right?" Starrk pointed out.

"We can't exactly perform the same trick twice, Coyote." Twilight said as she put on her tiara "And even if that were possible, it'll be hard to track down the thief in time and try to do it again."

"Besides, the elements are our ticket to an easy win." Rainbow Dash said with a confident smile "We took down Discord with them, not to mention Nightmare Mo-" She instantly stopped when she remembered she was in the presence of Luna and smiled sheepishly "Sorry..."

"You needn't apologize, Rainbow Dash. I acknowledged my past faults and moved on from them with the help of my sister and all of you." Luna said before looking over at Ponyville, her eyes narrowed "We mustn't stick around for too long if it means trying to figure out our enemy's next move."

"But are we really going to look around in Ponyville?" Spike asked "Wouldn't they expect that as part of their plan?"

"Spike's got a point." Starrk piped up "I worked under a meticulous planner myself before coming here..."

"Really? Who?" Pinkie Pie asked "Is this planner a party planner like me?"

"No." Starrk answered flatly "He's actually the only one I know that's stronger than me, but he really didn't care for my friends and I in the end. But I digress. What's our next move?"

"I'd try going back into town separately so you won't come off as suspicious to your enemy." Shining Armor said "But don't be too far from one another. Not only will that heighten your chances to come together when the time comes, but you'll need the element of surprise for yourself even though whoever's hiding from us is waiting for an opportune moment to strike."

"Not bad." Twilight said respectfully "I think we can work with that plan for the time being."

A scream was heard back in Ponyville, and Starrk decided to use his sonido to go back into town, leaving behind the group. When he was at the center of town, he shifted his eyes left and right and kept his ears open for the source of the commotion. He blurred out again, and then stumbled upon a scene near Town Hall, where two guards were fighting with each other roughly, with more of their fellow guards gathering near them.

"Hey!" One soldier in particular, donning battle scars along his eyes, shouted "Cut it out at once! You're both on duty!" He watched both of his guards comply, only for them to glare at their superior with red eyes before tackling him, shocking the other guards before they began swarming the rogue soldiers, only to be knocked away. Starrk was easily confused by this activity, wondering what their reason for fighting could be.

The former espada decided to intervene as he blurred out of existence before appearing behind the rogue soldiers and pinning each of them down with his forelegs, watching them struggle and growl indignantly. The other guards, although still shocked by the sudden display of hostility in their ranks, were grateful that the rogue guards had been pacified. The guard captain recovered and approached the pinned guards in irritation "What in the name of Luna compelled you two idiots to act like foals all of the sudden!?" His answer came in the form of snarling, as if the guards never listened to their superior.

'They're like animals...' Starrk thought as he looked down at his apprehended ponies. Despite his towering strength, they still lashed out without pause, anger and hate clear in their red eyes. The gathered guards stared uneasily at how berserk the two were acting, when they could have sworn they were so stoic and disciplined before.

"How did this happen?" Starrk asked the group of guards.

"We don't really know." One guard said "Last we checked, those two were stationed around here by themselves. Then moments later, we just stumble upon them fighting each other like they had a major dispute." "We noticed because their skiff startled one of the civilians and caused them to flee." He winced as he noticed how neither guard under Starrk relented in their barbaric display of ire.

"This is getting ridiculous. Can you hold them down for me?" Starrk asked the guards, to which they complied as they struggled to keep the angry ponies on the ground, wondering how Starrk was able to do so with relative ease. The former espada stared down at the both of them before giving the ponies a good jab on the head, knocking them both out "That should hold them off. Sorry, but it was for the-" Starrk noticed some red static in the downed ponies' eyes before it dissipated "What the...?" Starrk stared at the unconscious pair, as with the guards as they traded glances amongst themselves over the sudden reaction.

Another scream was heard, and Starrk decided to ponder the issue later. Leaving behind the guards and moving with his Sonido, he traced the scream near the refurbished joke shop, where he saw two night guards cornering Sparkler near a wall. Starrk quickly swooped in and knocked out the guards before they could come closer to Sparkler and looked over at the amethyst pony that stood by with mild fright in her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Starrk asked, to which Sparkler nodded.

"I'll be fine. One moment I was minding my own business, then suddenly, these two just decided to team up on me for no reason. They had that crazed look in their eyes." Sparkler visibly shuddered as she cringed.

"Whatever it was, I think they were being manipulated. I'm not sure it's safe for you to be out here like this." Starrk said pointedly.

"Sparkler!"

Starrk and Sparkler looked up to see Derpy rushing towards them with her mail satchel hanging from her body, descending near the latter and hovering over her with concern in her lopsided eyes.

"Are you okay? Did anypony hurt you?" Derpy asked Sparkler as she inspected her body from different angles. Sparkler reflexively bent down a little while she looked up at her mother.

"Yes, I'm fine." She looked over at the two guards "I just merely avoided a crisis was all." There was the sound of thundering hoofsteps and the three ponies noticed a group of night guards showing up. The guard captain noticed the two downed guards and stammered "What in Equestria is going on here!?"

"Those two were going to attack my daughter!" Derpy shouted indignantly, taking some of the guards by surprise "I thought the Night Guard was supposed to protect everypony, not hurt them!"

"They are." Starrk's voice instantly calmed Derpy down "Those two I just knocked out were possibly under some kind of control. I dealt with two other ponies earlier that fought each other and their allies."

"Really?" Derpy's eyes straightened for a moment before she frowned "So it's not even safe outdoors..." She then looked over at Sparkler "C'mon, Sparkler. Mommy's gonna take you home, where it's safe." She approached the amethyst unicorn, only for her to move away slightly and lightly grip her scarf.

"What? But what about you?" Sparkler asked. Derpy only smiled.

"You know your mother's made of tougher stuff. Now let's get you home. I'll come back for you after I finish my shift and pick up Dinky and Lily."

"Actually, you may leave that job to us, ma'am." The guard captain spoke up as he approached Derpy with a curt, but formal bow "We were unaware of this entire situation in our ranks, and we have strict orders to protect the civilians." He looked at Sparkler "I, myself, am responsible for this sudden happening, and wish to make up for it by personally escorting you home while the rest of my team returns to their duties."

"Well, I'm coming with her whether you like it or not!" Derpy said firmly as she stood by Sparkler "I want to keep doing my job knowing my daughter's safe." The night guard stared at Derpy's narrowed eyes before he sighed.

"Fair enough." He then turned to his guards "Go back to your stations, but stay in larger groups and be more vigilant! Am I clear?" The captain barked to the guards, eliciting an instant salute from each of them before they marched back to their own designated areas. The guard captain then nodded to Derpy and Sparkler before the three trotted away. Before their distance grew, Derpy looked back and waved at Starrk with a smile.

"Keep up the good work, Starrky!" She called out.

Starrk watched them go and hummed to himself as he looked down at the ground. He was starting to get frustrated over the fact that he was being constantly eluded by this mystery threat. It was ironic to him that he felt powerless despite how much power he possessed within himself.

'This would be a whole lot easier with my pesquisa...' He thought to himself before he decidedly bolted into the air to spot the element bearers, the royals, Spike, and Zecora. It seems they had indeed stuck to their plan to re-enter Ponyville separately, with Zecora going in first, and taking their time so they wouldn't draw too much attention. He then blurred out with his sonido and quickly reached the group, startling Shining Armor and Cadence as he blurred into existence near them.

"Wha-!? Coyote!?" Cadence stammered after she noticed Starrk appear out of thin air.

"How did you do that?" Shining Armor asked in shock and bemusement.

"Oh, that's right." Twilight said sheepishly "It turns out Coyote is faster than Rainbow Dash."

"Stronger, too!" Pinkie said as she stood next to Starrk, while the former espada shimmied away from her slightly.

"As much as Ah'd love t' stay an' chat, Ah gotta get back t' my house and let my family know about this." Applejack said as she began trotting "It's been nice catchin' up with y'all, Shinin' an' Cadence." Shining Armor and Cadence waved as she left.

"I'll go next, if that's alright with everypony." Fluttershy said as she looked back "The animals are probably worried about me being swept away by Coyote." She then smiled at Starrk "Not that it's a bad thing. Thanks for bringing me here. Maybe when this is all over, you can show me how you communicate with the timberwolves?" Starrk rubbed his chin before nodding.

"I don't mind that. It'll be nice to catch up with my pack." Starrk responded.

"You communicate with timberwolves? That's amazing!" Cadence exclaimed as she grinned at Starrk.

"I know." Fluttershy replied cheerfully "I can't wait to communicate with them myself someday."

"You seem like a jack-of-all-trades kind of pony, Starrk." Shining Armor said before looking at his cutie mark "Then again, I wouldn't be wrong."

"I wouldn't go that far." Starrk replied "So you're Twilight's brother? Are you as smart as she is?" Shining Armor snorted before he laughed.

"I wish. Then I wouldn't deal with too many problems. She's the smarter one out of both of us." He briefly smiled over at his sister, who blushed in embarrassment "But anyways, from what I've heard, you seem pretty powerful; that you and Lilynette fused into an alicorn." Starrk stared, then nodded.

"It's true. But it's only for hairy situations only." He pointed out before Pinkie Pie came between them.

"And even without it, Starrk's pretty good on his own!" Pinkie grinned "It's too bad he sleeps too much, and I mean way too much." She then looked at Shining Armor "And if you ever have trouble waking him up, Lilynette could wake him up herself, or you can just kiss him to wake up!" Luna, Shining Armor, and Cadence stared blankly at Pinkie's expression, to which Spike waddled up and nodded.

"It's true. After all, Twilight did it herself." The purple dragon pointed out.

"Spike!" Twilight blurted out as her face became red.

"Wait a minute, so you kissed my sister?" Shining Armor asked, his eyes narrowing a bit.

"She kissed me." Starrk corrected before he looked at Twilight's blushing form "She apologized for it, though, so I'm not bothered." He paid no mind to Shining Armor's light glare. Meanwhile, Cadence giggled at the news.

"You know, Twilight, if you liked Coyote Starrk that much, you could've just said so." She teased.

"Not you, too." Twilight moaned as she hid her face in her hooves.

"Oh my...Well, I really should be going now. Goodbye for now, everypony." Fluttershy said before trotting into Ponyville.

"Twilight actually kissed Coyote Starrk?" Rarity asked incredulously, placing a hoof on her cheek "And this was just to wake him up as well? How..." She then swooned "Enchanting."

"...That's enchanting to you?" Starrk asked dryly while staring at Rarity in exasperation.

"Yes, well, in spite of this news regarding Twilight Sparkle kissing Coyote Starrk," Luna spoke up "I hope that the Elements of Harmony shall serve you all well when the time comes. Sadly, we must depart for now to ensure stability in Canterlot. The rest shall be up to you." She finished as she climbed onto the chariot, waiting for Shining Armor and Cadence, the latter of whom approaching Twilight.

"It really was nice to catch up with you again, Twilight. And for the record..." She leaned in to whisper into the lavender unicorn's ear "I wasn't merely teasing you back there. You can do it if you tried." This made Twilight flinch and blush again "I'm not forcing you, of course. Just take your time." Cadence said with a friendly smile before going to the chariot. Twilight merely scrunched her face in mild irritation towards Cadence. Meanwhile, Shining Armor kept a close eye on Starrk.

"Whether or not you're together, I'm counting on you to keep my sister safe." Shining Armor said firmly, earning a nod before he followed his wife to the chariot. He didn't really get why the white stallion had suddenly changed his tune upon mention of his sister kissing him when it wasn't even his fault. Not mostly, at least.

"Fare thee well, my little ponies! And good luck!" Luna called out before she flew off with Shining Armor and Cadence, leaving the remaining element bearers, Spike, and Starrk behind. Soon, the remaining ponies and dragon would make their way back into Ponyville and prepare themselves for the battle that was yet to come.

"Hey, Twilight." Spike asked Twilight "What did Cadence say to yo-"

"Nothing!" Twilight responded tersely, much to the confusion of Spike and the rest of the group.
_____

Derpy and Sparkler stood at the front door of their home after the guard captain had accompanied them. Although, most of the time, Derpy, for as long as she lived in Ponyville, had trouble with directions, and gave both Sparkler and the guard captain a hard time before she could remember their home's exact location. The mailmare gently placed a hoof on Sparkler's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Sparkler. Things might look bad now, but everything's going to be fine! Just stay inside this house and be safe, okay?" Derpy said before she took off "I'll see you later tonight!"

"Goodbye!" Sparkler replied before she went inside. She trailed through the living room and kitchen before finally reaching her own room, shutting the door, and closing the shades and curtains on her window. With a wicked grin, she channeled her magic as a malignant red aura was on her horn and - in conjunction with the Alicorn Amulet - began to siphon more of the trinket's limitless power into herself.

"That's right, my dear..." Sparkler said to herself ominously "Everything is going to be fine..." Her eyes lit up as her purple pupils temporarily became red and catlike before fading back to normal.

To be continued...

Capitulo Treinta y Tres (edited)

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Capitulo Treinta y Tres

The Ultimatum

After a small time, the element bearers, Spike, and Starrk had finally went back into town, making sure not to rouse any suspicion from anypony around them. Starrk, for his part, was lost on what to do himself. Normally, he would be happy to spend his time napping, since he didn't have much to do today other than managing the weather, but he was too bothered by the current situation to be entirely relaxed. He had half a mind to grab Lilynette from school if it meant nipping the problem in the bud.

Sadly, he couldn't take her away from Dinky, especially given their bond. He was at least happy that Lilynette had two sisters of her own now. It was at that moment that Starrk ground to a halt.

He remembered Sparkler and when she was being escorted back home. Combined with the weird thoughts he had of her for the last couple of days, he couldn't exactly leave her alone. For all he knew, the mysterious enemy could be targetting her next. Using his sonido, he made for the Hooves household and stopped at the front door.

Upon entering, Starrk noticed that the living room was empty, as was the kitchen. He looked around the house until he heard a faint noise from down the hall, near Sparkler's bedroom. The former espada inched towards the room and noticed the noise grow louder, then noticed a bright red light covering the bottom of the door.

Growing suspicious about this development, he opened the door, and widened his eyes to see Sparkler with her back turned, quietly laughing to herself as some red energy was coursing into her horn. Her scarf was on the floor and a silver necklace was seen on the amethyst unicorn's body.

"What are you doing?" He asked, snapping Sparkler out of her process as she instantly turned to see Starrk with a shocked expression. The former espada got a better look at what rested on Sparkler's neck before it was instantly covered by a hoof.

"S-Starrk? What are you doing in my room? Don't you know how to knock?" She asked innocently.

Starrk remained silent as he took in what he had witnessed: A red light, similar to what was seen on those brainwashed guards, a powerful aura coursing into Sparkler's horn, and the fact that she was wearing some kind of mysterious trinket which may or may not be what Twilight referred to as the Alicorn Amulet. She couldn't be the one, could she?

"Why are you doing this?" Starrk asked calmly "The town's going through enough chaos as it is."

"What could you be referring to, Starrk?" Sparkler chuckled "I'm just practicing my magic. Most unicorns do so to strengthen their reserves. Look at Twilight Sparkle."

"The only thing I've seen her done was run experiments. I don't know much about her. Even if that were true, I don't recall anyone practicing their magic like you." Starrk said flatly.

"Well...I'm different." Sparkler said with a fixed smile "Just because we all have horns doesn't mean we're the same." She noticed how Starrk narrowed his eyes.

"True enough. But I'm bothered by a couple of things, namely you taking all of this in stride with a smile on your face. If you were Pinkie Pie, I'd be very convinced, but this doesn't sit right at all." Starrk held out a hoof "If that amulet on your neck's the same one the others are talking about, then it's clear that you're the one behind that fight earlier, not to mention those other guards that swarmed you. How long have you been doing this?"

"Starrk, you wouldn't really think I'm the one responsible for all of this, would you?" Sparkler asked while feigning a hurt expression, eliciting a sneer from Starrk.

"Even I know Sparkler doesn't act like that, not even around me...Who are you?" Starrk asked firmly, feeling uncharacteristically tense. Sparkler stared at Starrk before she closed her eyes and began to chuckle. The chuckle turned into a laugh as the unicorn reared her head upward. She regained her composure before a malicious smile was seen on her face, her eyes narrowed back at Starrk.

"And here I thought you were as stupid as you were indolent. It appears I may have misjudged you, Coyote Starrk." She said in a cool tone.

"Who are you and why are you doing this?" Starrk asked evenly, his voice laced with faint hostility.

"My my, such questions that only a petulant foal could ask." 'Sparkler' said condescendingly as she rolled her eyes before looking back at Starrk "Neither are currently important, but you'll know in time. All I'm asking you is to be patient and wait for Equestria's true ruler to take hold."

"Fat chance. I'm putting a stop to this." Starrk said as he quickly went in front of Sparkler and grabbed her tightly as he reached for the amulet. Surprisingly, 'Sparkler' showed no resistance while she was being held. Meanwhile, Starrk got a grip on the amulet and tugged at it over and over, but with no results other than 'Sparkler's' constant grunts.

"I'd be careful if I were you." Starrk stopped and looked at 'Sparkler's' smug smirk "If you've done your homework, you'd know that the amulet can only be removed by its user, and even then, the chances are slim, due to its corruptive influence on mere mortals." She placed a hoof on her chest "Meanwhile, I've delved into enough corruption to gain a new awareness of my world and bask in the amulet's unlimited power." She looked at Starrk's hoof "Oh, but do keep trying, if your goal is to end this poor mare's life. It's not my problem, after all."

Starrk couldn't take anymore arrogance. He had a mind to inflict some pain, but he knew that it would be detrimental to Sparkler herself, since it was obvious the enemy appeared to be possessing her. He noticed Sparkler's horn glowing a malevolent red while she grinned evilly. A beam was shot into Starrk's eyes as he was temporarily blinded, but made sure to keep a grip on Sparkler. He rubbed his eyes, and when he went to glare back at Sparkler, he noticed two shocking details: One was that the Alicorn Amulet was not on Sparkler at all, and the other was that said unicorn looked lifeless while covered in several injuries, the redness of blood mixing with her amethyst coat.

"What?" Was all Starrk could say as he assessed his current sight. Was his mind playing tricks on him? All he did was stare at Sparkler's battered body in confusion.

"Starrk..."

The former espada perked up at the weak and sorrow-filled voice behind him and noticed Derpy, who looked heartbroken as tears streamed down her face.

"H-How could you? After we took you in?" Derpy whimpered pitifully as she looked at Starrk. He stood in silence before setting the body down and going over to her.

"Look, Derpy, it wasn't me. Somepony was possessing Sparkler and-"

"Stay back!!" Derpy shouted as she distanced herself, her expression a mixture of sorrow, anger, and fear "You monster!"

Starrk was once again silent as he stared at Derpy. He wanted to shrug this off as some misunderstanding, but upon looking at the broken mare in front of him, it was as if his supposed deed was all too real.

"I won't let you take the only daughter I have left! Get out of here!" Derpy shouted at Starrk, who remained stalwart.

"This is getting ridiculous. I'm telling you that I didn't do this." Starrk explained with conviction. His eyes widened when he saw the mailmare leap at him, prompting Starrk to move out of the way with his Sonido. Derpy stood in an aggressive stance in front of the corpse of her eldest daughter with her teeth bared and her eyes narrowed to slits.

"Get out of here now! I won't say it again!" She snarled, as if she lost semblance of her previously bubbly self.

Starrk stared at Derpy, knowing that convincing her about his innocence was a futile endeavor, he left the house in silence and thought it would be wise to find other ponies that would believe him. For the first time, Starrk carried a nostalgic feeling of dread upon exiting the Hooves household.

There were several bodies that littered the streets of Ponyville, all lifeless as the scent of death filled the air. Starrk was certain that this was impossible; that some other being was responsible for this sudden genocide. He looked at his forehooves to see that they were all stained in red.

'How is this possible?' The former espada thought to himself as he felt the foreign feeling of fear welling up inside of him. Looking down, he beheld the last thing he wanted to see: Both Lilynette and Dinky laying down before him. Starrk never thought his composure would be gradually chipping away while he was consumed by the grim spectacle.

"You did this..."

The new voice behind Starrk coaxed him out of his pause as he noticed Derpy now standing with the element bearers, all of whom glared daggers at him.

"To think you were actually on our side..." Twilight uttered with contempt.

"What ya did is just unforgivable!" Applejack growled as she leered at Starrk.

"It was only obvious that the pony that had beguiled all of Ponyville would be the same monster that sat under our noses this whole time." Rarity sneered.

"I never should've trusted you!" Rainbow Dash barked angrily.

"You're....awful..." was all Fluttershy could muster as tears welled up in her eyes.

"You're going to Tartarus in a box!!" Pinkie yelled as the element bearers got into position.

Starrk never witnessed the Elements of Harmony in action, but somehow he felt threatened when their light grew more brighter. He could actually feel the power coming from them growing to the point where it actually surpassed his own. Starrk had a mind to move out of the way, but it was as if his hooves were planted firmly to the ground. He looked down to see what appeared to be blackened crystals keeping him in place. He struggled, but for some reason, the crystals wouldn't break. Starrk looked up at the element bearers as the fear inside of him began to grow. Why was he feeling this fear? Why were Sparkler and Lilynette dead? Why did nearly all of Ponyville suffer the same fate?

He had no more time to contemplate as a large beam of bright light was shot towards him. Starrk, unable to do anything but struggle, was then engulfed as everything went white...
______

Starrk stood firm, although his eyes now consisted of red pupils with glowing green schlera. Sparkler watched his expression in amusement as she tested more of her power on the unfortunate pony. When she felt that she had her fun, she decided to utilize another spell, forcing more energy into Starrk's head before allowing him a small moment of mercy. Starrk grunted loudly and shook his head before he caught his breath.

'What the hell was that?' Starrk said as he stared at the wooden floor. Sparkler's taunting laughter prompted him to raise his head up at the offender.

"Surprised?" She asked rhetorically "That was merely only a taste of my power. You had the opportunity of witnessing it before anypony else. I'd gladly show you more, but I must prepare for the right time so that we may actually meet face-to-face." 'Sparkler' smirked at Starrk "I've yet to regain the entirety of my power and more, and I already have you on the ropes."

"Whoever you are, you won't get away with this. I'll see to that." Starrk said.

"Ever the daring hero, aren't you, Coyote Starrk? I will admit, I'm impressed with your feats, but even with all of your speed and strength, you would be disappointed to know that your efforts will be for naught..." 'Sparkler' winced before her face began to contort, her body being coated in red static as the items in her room were being blown by the force of power being exuded. Starrk remained stalwart and observed 'Sparkler' before he noticed a look of distress on her face directed at Starrk.

"Starrk! Get out of here! Warn everypony they're in danger!" 'Sparkler' shouted in panic. Starrk widened his eyes before recognizing the severity in her voice.

"Sparkler? What's going on? Who did this to you?" He said, feeling tension rise in his chest.

"There's no time! Just hurry up and go before..." 'Sparkler' trailed off before her face contorted again, then she hung her head as she breathed deeply.

"I underestimated her. Looks like the little dust mite had more spirit than I realized." 'Sparkler' said through her teeth vehemently while she regained her composure.

Starrk glared at 'Sparkler' and got behind her using his Sonido. While she was caught off-guard, he used a hoof to knock her out, sending her to the floor. While he was satisfied with incapacitating her, Starrk felt a warmth on his hoof and inspected it to see blood. He stared at his bloodied limb in bemusement.

"What? I don't recall her being so-..." Starrk then looked down to see Sparkler on the floor, with blood pooling from her head. He was certain that he laid a non-lethal blow to Sparkler's skull. While he tried to comprehend the strength of his strike and the condition of the pony beneath him, the amulet undid itself off of Sparkler's neck and a black smog escaped from her mouth, shrouding the amulet and scooping it up before floating up to Starrk's face as a malevolent fit of laughter was heard.

"Fool..." A deep male voice taunted. The collective of billowing smoke spawned a pair of red eyes with purple fumes escaping from the corners of each one "Your efforts were in vain the moment you came into contact with me. You've only delayed the inevitable, and you've costed your precious family a member for your blunder!" Starrk grunted as the smog laughed again "But don't worry...I'm sure there are more suitable hosts for me to choose from in this forsaken hamlet..."

Starrk instinctively leapt at the smog, only for it to vanish along with the Alicorn Amulet as more laughter echoed throughout the room. Starrk darted his head around, trying to locate the source before looking down and gritting his teeth. The laughter then shifted to Sparkler's as he looked up to see that she had not moved from her spot. Starrk noticed that he never left his own spot as well.

"Another illusion..." Starrk muttered bitterly.

"One that's bound to become a harsh reality for you..." Sparkler said as she sauntered up to Starrk "That is, unless you decide to cooperate."

"Why would I do that?" Starrk asked while glaring at his new enemy.

"Because as you've already noticed, I have you in my power. My illusions were peerless in my time, and right now, I have it to where if you were to confront me, or even think about me..." 'Sparkler' got into Starrk's face with a grim expression "You'll find yourself all alone, lost in a world of nightmares." She hissed threateningly. Starrk stared back at the amethyst unicorn, but considered holding back, knowing the curse that was now placed on him. All he could do was try and focus on Sparkler and not the one possessing her.

"So there you have it. Would you be so callous enough to risk your sanity or the lives of those you hold dear? Or will you be obedient and wait for the opportune moment to bask in my presence when the time is right? The choice is yours and yours alone, Coyote Starrk."

Starrk never thought he would be in the presence of someone who could possibly match wits with Sosuke Aizen. As he stared into that arrogant gaze, he felt his spirit depleting when he considered the scenario placed before him. He couldn't risk getting Sparkler killed, let alone the rest of Ponyville. Or even Equestria. The former espada had never felt this conflicted in his new life. Starrk steeled his body in an effort to keep himself from trembling over how pressured he was over this whole thing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, ignoring the expectant glance on 'Sparkler's' face.

"Fine..." He muttered "I'll keep silent if it means protecting my pack..."

"Good boy." 'Sparkler' said teasingly "Doesn't it feel wonderful to let sleeping dogs lie? Surely, you're familiar with the experience yourself." Sparkler grinned evilly as she relished the look of defeat on Starrk's face before waving a dismissive hoof "Now run along. You shouldn't be in a mare's room when she's undergoing 'private matters'." Starrk wordlessly complied as he turned and went to leave. "Oh! And before you leave..." 'Sparkler' stopped Starrk with a smile "I wouldn't recommend sharing this information with your friends. It would only heighten the chances of the worst possible outcome..." Starrk stood without facing his discovered enemy before he took leave of both Sparkler's room and the house, allowing 'Sparkler' to close the door and continue her siphoning.
_____

Lilynette perked her head up as she sat in class with her classmates. While they were busy reading their books, she couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. She looked down at her open book, deep in thought.

'Starrk, what's happening? Why do I feel...hopeless?' Lilynette thought to herself 'I don't like this. We never felt that way even in our previous life.'

Lilynette couldn't even read her book, now that she couldn't shake this sudden feeling.

"Lilynette." A whisper came from her right as she noticed a concerned Pipsqueak "Are you alright?"

"I-..." Lilynette looked down, a dispirited expression on her face "I don't really know." She whispered back. She ignored not only his concern, but Dinky's as well, when she took notice of her sister's apparent sadness.

Both ponies didn't know what caused Lilynette to act so down, but they hoped they would cheer her up once school was over.
_____

Starrk trotted out into town, feeling as empty as Ulquiorra Cifer as he just trekked further along the guard-ridden streets. He couldn't believe that his target was hiding in plain sight the whole time, or the fact that their plan was so effective that it left him completely powerless. He didn't know where to go right now. All he could do was wait for the mysterious villain to reveal themself to the public, whenever that would be.

He didn't want to end up sinking into despair, but he was out of options at this point. The former espada merely continued his walk, waiting for the day to end so he could at least enjoy a comfortable sleep before he was met with an inevitable showdown.

"Hey, Starrk!"

Starrk rarely paid attention to the raspy voice above him, nor the cyan pony in his vision looking at him in confusion as he continued walking.

"Huh? Are you feeling okay? What's wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked, only met with Starrk moving past her. Feeling irritated from being ignored, she flew into his vision again "Hey! What's the matter with you? Why are you acting like some kind of zombie pony?" Starrk stopped and looked up at Rainbow Dash before resuming his pace. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes before stopping him with a hoof in his chest "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

"I can't talk right now. I just need some time to myself." Starrk said to Rainbow Dash in a near monotonous drone.

"To do what? Wander aimlessly around town? That definitely isn't like you at all, Starrk." The cyan pegasus' expression softened "Seriously though, what's eating you? You weren't like this a moment ago. What happened?" Starrk stared before he looked down at the ground.

"Like I said, I really can't talk." Starrk replied.

"Why? What could you possibly be keeping from me or anypony else?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"It's nothing." Starrk replied instantly. While it was for the best, he really hated this kind of situation where he's sworn to silence. This is both humiliating and taxing on himself. He shook his head before moving past Rainbow Dash "You just need to leave me be. It doesn't matter now."

"The hay it doesn't!" Rainbow Dash barked before flying in front of Starrk once more, crossing her forelegs "I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me what's up. You can't just act this way and expect to keep quiet about it the whole time!" Rainbow Dash snapped at the former espada. Starrk grunted as he looked up at the angry pegasus.

'It's like dealing with Lilynette...' Starrk thought to himself. He sighed before trotting past Rainbow Dash "Fine. Might as well deal with the company." Starrk was now accompanied by a curious pegasus gliding after him, which would be slightly annoying if he wasn't too consumed in his current predicament.

"Is that coolness you got going on finally cracking after this whole thing got to you?" Rainbow Dash asked "Does it have something to do with Derpy and her kids?" She continued naming different questions, much to Starrk's chagrin.

Starrk had to put up with such an irritable display if it meant making sure that word of the enemy's presence doesn't get out. He couldn't risk any lives lost from this whole situation, no matter how bad the odds were against him. But no matter his patience and willpower, the questions just continued.

"Are you having second thoughts on your job? Because you already know how good you have it. Or is it because you haven't figured out who we're dealing with yet? Or maybe-"

"I just don't want to be alone again!" Starrk raised his voice for the first time in a while, startling Rainbow Dash out of her slew of questions. He noticed how irritated Starrk had looked - she wouldn't put it past him - but also the concern that belied said irritation. She cocked her head to the side as she examined his expression.

"Is that it?" Rainbow Dash asked before descending and placing a hoof on Starrk's left shoulder "You dork. You're not gonna be alone anytime soon. You have us, remember?" She said with a warm smile "Yeah, I know it's super lame right now, but there's no need to get so bent up about it. We got this, and don't you forget it." She said proudly. All Starrk could do was stare.

"I envy your optimism." He said before looking forward "If only I can borrow that tomorrow."

"You can borrow it now." Rainbow Dash said as she draped a hoof over his back "You're gonna need plenty of it to get by, that's for sure." She paused before she instantly withdrew her hoof and blushed lightly "U-Um, so what are you gonna do now, huh? Not much else to do today." Starrk looked down pensively before he looked up.

"I think I might go see if Lilynette and Dinky are out of school."

"Eh, that won't be for another few minutes, but we can hang there, I guess." Dash said as she and Starrk began trotting towards Ponyville Elementary.

Despite how dark his situation was, Starrk was mildly comforted with Rainbow Dash at his side and reminding him to remain positive no matter what.

To be continued...

Capitulo Treinta y Cuatro

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Capitulo Treinta y Cuatro

Preparing For The Worst

In Ponyville Elementary, Cheerilee watched over her students reading their books to themselves with a content smile. She personally was happy that her students were doing well with their studies in the midst of the terror plaguing Ponyville. But despite the notable progress they're making, she couldn't help but notice how sad Lilynette had appeared while she was reading. Cheerilee knew that the red filly had just now acted this way, but was surprised at how suddenly her mood shifted at the time.

She took solace in the fact that she was well-behaved throughout the school day, but Cheerilee couldn't let one of her students leave school on a somber note. It was when the school bell rang that she saw her chance.

"Okay, class. We'll cover more of the book on Monday. Have a nice weekend!" Cheerilee said to her students as they rushed out of the classroom, with Lilynette and Dinky lagging behind. Easily spotting the latter two, she spoke up "Excuse me, Lilynette. May I have a word with you, please?" She called out to the red filly, who looked back at her in confusion. Dinky looked over to Cheerilee as well before shifting her gaze to Lilynette.

"I'll wait for you outside the school, sis." Dinky said calmly with a brief nuzzle to Lilynette's cheek before she made her way out. Meanwhile, the red filly approached Cheerilee with a slightly impatient look in her eyes.

"Yeah? What is it?" Lilynette asked, trying to sound like her usual self. Cheerilee noticed this easily, inwardly downcast at her attempt to mask her apparent pain.

"I was wondering why you felt so sad all of the sudden near the end of class and hoped to help you out. Can you tell me what's bothering you?"

"I don't know." Lilynette murmured while looking away somberly. Cheerilee frowned at the brief and distant response.

"Are you sure you don't need any help? Are you bothered by the subjects that we've covered today?" Lilynette's eyes narrowed at the questions.

"I said I don't know, okay?" She snapped irritably "If I did figure out why I felt this way, I'd take care of it sooner...Or have Starrk do it, at least." She murmured the last sentence to herself. Cheerilee looked down at Lilynette before offering a sympathetic smile.

"Lilynette, you know you can always come to me if you're having trouble with something within school grounds. I may not know what's making you sad, unless it involves our current predicament, but know that as a teacher, I can try to make it better for you."

"I doubt it...I think this is something I gotta deal with for now." The red filly looked away, trying not to look depressed. Cheerilee noticed this and sighed at the answer.

"Well, whatever is bothering you, I'm sure it's bound to pass by tomorrow. In the meantime, I'd suggest confiding in Coyote Starrk about your mood when you get the time. Maybe it will work out." Cheerilee offered. Lilynette looked up at the magenta pony.

"I guess that could work, even if he's not much for talking." Lilynette responded before trotting away "Thanks, Ms. Cheerilee." She said halfheartedly as she went to find Dinky.

"You're welcome, Lilynette." She called back warmly. After the red filly exited the classroom, Cheerilee's spirit wavered before looking out one of the school windows 'Maybe this whole situation really is getting to the poor filly. Not that I can blame her. I hope things can work out in our favor in the future.'
_____

Starrk and Rainbow Dash flew to Ponyville Elementary and landed near the entrance, where they saw Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom trotting away. Both recognized them and the latter spoke up.

"Hey, Coyote Starrk an' Rainbow Dash. Here t' pick up Dinky an' Lilynette?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Basically." Starrk answered before looking over to Big Macintosh. They stared at each other before Big Macintosh frowned while Starrk's expression remained unchanged. After a period of silence, the large stallion trotted up to Starrk and patted him on the shoulder, nodding to him with a comforting smile, to which the former espada nodded back to him. Rainbow Dash and Apple Bloom stared at the exchange in confusion.

"You know what that's all about?" Rainbow Dash whispered to Apple Bloom.

"No idea. Ah can never tell with my brother sometimes." The yellow filly whispered back.

Drawing back his hoof from Starrk, Big Macintosh turned to Apple Bloom and jerked his head to a certain direction before trotting off, signalling his little sister to follow him. She understood the gesture and went to catch up to him before looking back at Starrk and Rainbow Dash.

"See ya both later!" Apple Bloom waved before taking off after Big Macintosh. Rainbow Dash returned the wave while Starrk merely watched them leave. They then made for the school, where Dinky and Scootaloo were seen sitting at the entrance. The two fillies noticed them approaching and stood up.

"Hello, Mr. Starrk and Rainbow Dash." Dinky said happily. Scootaloo grinned as Rainbow Dash drew near. Starrk looked around before looking down at Dinky.

"Why isn't Lilynette with you?" He asked inquisitively, to which Dinky perked up.

"Oh, Cheerilee wanted to speak with Lily after class, so I'm just waiting out here for her with Scootaloo." Dinky pointed at the mentioned filly.

"Where's Sweetie Belle? Did she go home, too?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Rarity wasn't here for her, so one of the guards around Ponyville escorted her home." Scootaloo explained briefly.

The sound of a door opening brought the group of ponies to see a certain red filly trotting out of the school with a neutral expression on her face before she noticed Starrk and Dinky.

"Oh hey, sis! How did it go with-" Dinky spoke, but stopped when Lilynette passed her and stopped in front of Starrk, looking up at him with narrowed eyes. Starrk already knew that he was going to be bothered for the rest of the day.

"I came to see if both of you are out of school." Starrk said to Dinky and Lilynette, ignoring the latter's glare. Meanwhile, Dinky smiled at the former espada.

"Oh, are you gonna take us home? That's usually Mommy's job." Dinky giggled. She then gasped before looking up at Starrk with sparkling eyes and a wide grin "Can we go super fast like when you took us to Sweet Apple Acres?" She asked in a giddy tone. Lilynette looked over at Dinky before turning back to Starrk.

"Well?" She asked impatiently. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash chuckled.

"I guess I'll talk with you later, Starrk. I'm gonna go take the little squirt home." Scootaloo gasped before grinning.

"Yes!" She squealed while Rainbow Dash merely smirked at the orange filly's enthusiasm. Rainbow Dash picked up Scootaloo with her forehooves before ascending into the air, looking down at the three ponies below. Scootaloo waved to them.

"Lilynette! Dinky! See you both tomorrow!" She said before cheering as Rainbow Dash flew off in a burst of speed.

"I guess we should get going, too." Starrk said before looking down at Dinky and Lilynette "Are you both ready?"

"Mhm!" Dinky responded before holding onto Starrk's left foreleg tightly, waiting to move at incredible speed. Lilynette gripped onto the former espada's other leg. It was then that the three blurred out of existence, leaving Ponyville Elementary behind.

The three found themselves in front of the Hooves household, with Dinky getting dizzy after another high speed trip. Thankfully, she recovered easier than the last time she traveled with Starrk and beamed up at him.

"Thank you, Mr. Starrk!" She chirped brightly. Meanwhile, Lilynette looked up at Starrk with the same glance from earlier.

"I'm gonna play with my sister, and then I wanna talk to you later." Lilynette said in a serious tone that caught Dinky's attention.

"What's wrong, sis?" Dinky asked in concern. Lilynette hesitated at Dinky's question, casting a small glance her way before before glaring back up at Starrk.

"I dunno, Dinky, but it definitely involves Starrk!" Lilynette snapped. Starrk looked down at Lilynette in silence before trotting to the door.

"Let's just go inside. This day's been hectic enough." Starrk said in a nearly apathetic tone. Dinky and Lilynette traded looks before following the former espada inside.
_____

'Sparkler' continued siphoning the Alicorn Amulet's magic with a triumphant grin on her face. Now she was capable of putting Starrk in his place, and with the amulet's endless supply of magic, she can go even further effortlessly soon enough. It is only a matter of time before the promised day...

She decided to take a break, confident that she would have more than enough energy tomorrow if she were to indulge in a final power meal before sleeping contently tonight. The amethyst unicorn levitated her scarf from the floor and wrapped it around her neck, covering the Alicorn Amulet before she decided to leave her room. She happened upon the entry of three ponies as she reached the kitchen.

"Well well, I see mom's gonna waste a trip upon seeing her children picked up from school. How was your day today?" Sparkler asked Lilynette and Dinky.

"It was great! We didn't have homework to do today." Dinky smiled before looking over at Lilynette staring neutrally at Sparkler, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"I see. Why don't you girls go play while I see what I can make us all for dinner later tonight?" Sparkler asked with a seemingly gentle smile. Starrk stared passively at the amethyst unicorn before looking away, trying to be careful and not set off any unwanted illusions.

"Okay. C'mon, sis." Dinky said encouragingly before galloping for her room. Lilynette looked at Sparkler and Starrk one last time before following Dinky herself. Starrk's eyes narrowed as he looked away from Sparkler. Realizing that all he would be doing is sitting in the same home as the enemy and biding his time for getting chewed out by Lilynette later on, he decided to step outside again, wanting to explore for a moment.

"I'm impressed. Normal ponies wouldn't have lasted this long under my power." Sparkler taunted quietly. Starrk froze in his position before he exited the house again, leaving a chuckling Sparkler to sift through the kitchen cupboards and cabinets. She frowned at what she found behind certain doors.

"What kind of mare favors these muffins to the point of obsession?"
_____

Starrk trotted out into Ponyville once more, taking a deep breath as he mulled over the decision of seeking out company or simply taking another nap to ease his worries. He decidedly wandered into Ponyville in silence while deep in thought.

Looking around, he took notice of the severe lack of ponies in the streets, wondering if they were aware of the guards' earlier display of fighting and were shaken up at their ferocity and conflict. He, himself, felt powerless due to his careless action and falling under his new enemy's power. Shaking off any potential thought that would incite another horrid illusion, he continued his pace until he remembered something comforting.

'The timberwolves. I haven't really seen them since I left this town a few days ago.' With his destination in mind, Starrk decided to make for Everfree Forest. He blurred out with his Sonido and found himself standing near the forest's entrance, nearby Fluttershy's cottage.

Looking over, he noticed that the yellow pegasus was seen feeding a large bear with some vegetables. He stared at the display blankly before he decided to trot into the Everfree forest. He effortlessly crossed each obstacle before he came across three of them approaching him dangerously before recognizing Starrk's appearance and scent.

"Oh, hey." He greeted calmly as the three wolves approached him amicably, wagging their tails. He petted the one that stood in front of him on its head "Where are the others?" He asked, to which the timberwolf he was petting leaned away from Starrk's hoof and turned away before looking back at the former espada, signalling him to follow.

Starrk was led to find more timberwolves sitting outside a nearby cave, and they all turned to the four newcomers before approaching them. Starrk regarded the gathered wolves with his stoic expression that belied a small feeling of warmth from seeing more of his wooden friends.

"At least I have you guys while dealing with this..." He said dryly as he petted another timberwolf as it leaned into his caress. One of the wolves perked their ears up and darted their head towards a nearby bush and bared its fangs with a growl. The other wolves caught on and followed suit, with Starrk raising an eyebrow at the bush himself. He trotted towards it while commanding the wolves to cease their aggression and peered inside to see a very peculiar sight staring back at him with a grin on her face.

"...Pinkie, what are you doing here? And how did you know where I was?" He asked the pink mare that looked up at him.

"Well, I didn't have much to do at Sugarcube Corner, what with business being slow, so I felt like keeping an eye on you, since I noticed you were heading for the Everfree Forest by yourself." Pinkie said with a blithe smile before it faded "You seemed kinda down, too. I know everypony's dealing with a lot right now, but I don't like that you of all ponies can feel so sad." She rested her forehooves under her chin as her smile returned "Why doncha tell your pal Pinkie Pie what's on your mind?" Pinkie asked encouragingly.

Starrk stared at Pinkie Pie and slightly narrowed his eyes before light grunt escaped his lips. He hung his head down, much to Pinkie Pie's curiosity "I can't..."

"Awwwww, why not? Is it a secret?" Pinkie pried inquisitively. She noticed how Starrk took two steps away from her while he didn't meet her gaze.

"Yes." Starrk responded. He felt that in a sense, he was telling the truth, knowing the consequences that would entail if he were to trigger the spell that bound him.

"You sure? Because, you won't have to worry about me telling everypony. I'd say I'm one of the best ponies when it comes to keeping secrets. I'll even Pinkie Promise not to tell!" Pinkie reassured with a bubbly grin.

"This secret's mine to keep, Pinkie. I'm fine..." Starrk shot back. He looked back at the timberwolves behind him, who stared awkwardly at their leader before trading glances amongst themselves. Starrk sighed to himself, realizing that this visit didn't exactly go his way.

"Oh come on, Starrky. You know it's my job to make ponies smile, even if you barely do at times. Won't you tell me what's bothering you?" She hopped out of the bushes and got in his face with shimmering eyes "Pretty pretty please with sugary lumps on top?"

"Look. This isn't a big deal." Starrk said as he gently pushed Pinkie out of his personal space "Trust me...I'll be fine, and to prove it, you-..." Starrk paused, thinking of a way to actually stave off Pinkie's advances. He had an idea, but grimaced before facing Pinkie "...you can...throw a party once we take down whoever's responsible for all of this."

"Oh, you silly!" Pinkie giggled as she hugged Starrk, much to his chagrin "That was already gonna be my plan. But now I'm looking forward to it even more." She faced Starrk with her bright demeanor "I believe in you, Starrky. I know you'll take down that meanie making everypony so sad, and my friends and I will help you!"

"Thanks. That does actually make me feel a little better." Starrk said genuinely. He personally hoped that these Elements of Harmony were as powerful as Twilight and the others claimed.

"Good!" Pinkie chirped "Since we're together here right now, maybe you'd like to talk to me about some stuff?" She looked up pensively as she poked her chin with a hoof "Maybe like when your birthday is? We never covered that. Your hobbies? Favorite foods? Or which pony you like? Don't worry about that last part; it's just a harmless-" The sound of booming static made Pinkie look over to where Starrk once stood, leaving a bunch of shocked timberwolves in his wake as they looked around with widened eyes. Pinkie pouted at this "Phooey!" She then proceeded to go back into Ponyville, not wanting to be near the timberwolves without Starrk around.
_____

Derpy flew above Ponyville, wanting to go home after another job well done. She needed some more food in her belly since she forgot to pack herself breakfast. Sometimes, she wished that she didn't overlook the little things so much, even if she fancied herself the most dutiful mare in her field of work.

She lowered her altitude when her home came into view, but her eyes straightened upon seeing Starrk appear in front of her door. Derpy's shock gave way to a smile before she landed behind the former espada.

"Hiya, Starrky. I noticed Dinky and Lily weren't at school. Did you pick them up for me?" Derpy asked. Starrk turned his head to look back at her.

"Oh, hey, Derpy. Yeah, I did. That's not a problem, is it?" Starrk asked.

"Nope! It's nice you went out of your way for me." Derpy said cheerfully, giving Starrk a small hug before opening the door and entering the house "Everypony! I'm home!"

"You don't have to shout, you know." Sparkler said as she was seen preparing food. She was adding vegetables to a salad before tossing it while some oats were baking in the oven "Dinner will be ready in about a half hour."

"Awwww, how sweet of you, Sparkler." Derpy grinned at her daughter "You went out of your way to make dinner for your family." Starrk eyed the food cautiously, wondering if Sparkler had possibly done anything shady with it while he was away."

"Mommy!" Dinky shouted as she galloped from out of the hall and stopped in front of Derpy, the two sharing an embrace. Lilynette casually trotted after her before looking up at Starrk with an irritated glance, the former espada staring back at her.

"It's good to see everypony's accounted for. We gotta stay together if it means getting through this mess." Derpy said as she glanced at everypony present before looking over at Starrk and Lilynette "And we have you two to thank for keeping Ponyvile in one piece. It's only been a few days and you're almost like family to us." Derpy said happily.

"Family? Us?" Lilynette asked before looking at a smiling Dinky. Derpy's words began to sink in the more she stared at her adoptive sister's expression, and a thin smile was seen on her lips as well.

"The sentiment's appreciated." Starrk said curtly before trotting to sit at the table "I suppose I'll wait for the food."

"Actually, Starrk," Lilynette piped up after looking away from Dinky "I think I wanna talk to you. In private." Lilynette said, emphasizing her last words as she glared at Starrk. The Hooves family blinked at this sudden request. Meanwhile, the former espada stared at his counterpart with a tired expression.

"Fine. Where at?" Starrk asked, wanting to get this ordeal out of the way.

"We'll talk in mine and Dinky's room. Now come on!" Lilynette trotted away, with Starrk reluctantly following, leaving a confused trio of ponies behind.

"Do you think they might talk about their relationship as two parts of the same pony?" Dinky asked her family.

"Now, Muffin, it's impolite to pry on private matters. We'll just let them have their chat while we set up the table.
_____

Starrk followed Lilynette into Dinky's room, where the two decidedly sat down on the floor and stared at each other. The red filly narrowed her eyes before she broke the silence.

"Okay, Starrk, you got some explaining to do." She said pointedly "I felt like dirt while I was at school, and somehow, I think it involves you. This never happened to me before, and you're the only one I know that can tell me why." Lilynette scowled at Starrk, waiting for an answer "So what happened, huh?"

Starrk stared at Lilynette, but was at a loss for words. He couldn't figure out how to explain his situation properly, or if he could be able to explain at all. 'Sparkler' told him about the spell and its effect, and he couldn't bring himself to bring the subject to light, even if it was to a part of himself.

"Lilynette, I'm sorry..." Starrk said, throwing off Lilynette as she craned her head back "You're possibly right that this is my fault, but chances are, you may know who to blame for it." Lilynette stared before she gasped.

"It was that shady coward, wasn't it!? Do you know where they are?" The red filly asked eagerly while staring intently at Starrk.

"I can't tell you..." Starrk responded instantly.

"What? Why not?" Lilynette asked, growing agitated by the unexpected answer. She couldn't believe that Starrk would go out of his way to keep information away from her "What's your game, Starrk?"

"There is no game." Starrk replied with his eyes closed, but opened them with a hardened gaze on Lilynette "But there is a risk involved. Lilynette...I want you to trust me that tomorrow we'll settle all of this. For us, and for our new pack. Even if it would cost us our life."

Lilynette stared at Starrk in silence, dumbfounded by his sudden change in demeanor. He rarely ever acted this determined unless she were the one to force him to grow a spine. She scoffed at this and glared back at Starrk.

"Where did this come from? In case you've forgotten, we were lucky to even live like this, even if these new forms kinda sucked at first. We may not be hollows no more, but that doesn't mean we can just give up everything we've gained and die again so easily. You picked the wrong time to act all cool when this place is so much better than Hueco Mundo!"

Starrk's gaze softened as Lilynette ranted at his words, but it wasn't long until she, too, looked back at him with a soft glance of her own.

"If this enemy's got you talking like this, then it's obvious we have to take action soon, right? Well, I'm not gonna let the jerk take our new life away so easily." She narrowed her eyes with a proud smirk "We'll take 'em down together, because you're the Primera Espada, and I'm a part of you." Starrk stared down at Lilynette before closing his eyes as a sigh escaped his lips.

"I did pick the wrong time to act like this..." He felt a strong jab at his chest and looked down at Lilynette grinning widely.

"There's the lazy bum I remember. You better get some sleep after dinner, because when you wake up tomorrow, we're doing this!" She proclaimed proudly.

To be continued...

Capitulo Treinta y Cinco

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Capitulo Treinta y Cinco
You're Not Alone

Starrk and Lilynette, with their private conversation finished, went their separate ways in the house. Starrk decided to kill some time on the couch while Lilynette and Dinky played with each other some more. Afterwards, they decidedly joined the Hooves family for an early supper. To Sparkler's credit, the food that she had prepared was delicious. The family enjoyed their meal in silence, with only the sound of a ticking clock breaking the silence. Derpy, feeling off-put by this, felt it was prudent to start a conversation.

"So, Dinky, Lily, how was school today?" Derpy asked in a cheerful manner.

"It was okay." Lilynette responded instantly while prodding at her salad. Dinky spared a glance at her sister before looking at Derpy with her bright smile.

"It was pretty good. Though, Lily stayed with Cheerilee for a minute. I think it was because she felt sad earlier." Lilynette instantly perked up and shushed Derpy.

"Dinky! Don't tell her that!" The red filly hissed, not wanting to deal with whatever form of sympathy her surrogate mother had to give her.

"Awww, what happened at school that made you sad, Lily? Were you getting picked on again?" Derpy asked with a sad look in her crossed eyes.

"It's nothing to worry about. I already talked it over with Starrk earlier." Lilynette responded tersely, hoping it would be enough for Derpy to relent her unnecessary concern. Much to her relief, Derpy appeared to be content with the small explanation.

"Oh, okay then. If it was that much of a private matter, I won't bug you at all." Derpy smiled before looking over at Starrk, who gingerly ate his food "What's up with you, Starrky? I figured you would've been hungry today, since you sort of skipped breakfast."

"Hm?" Starrk lifted his head up to face Derpy after swallowing his latest bite "Oh, don't mind me. I'm just...thinking."

"About what?" Starrk remained still after hearing the sound of Sparkler's voice, willing himself not to face her as she feigned curiosity, silently relishing the former espada's tension. Lilynette noticed how Starrk was acting, switching her glances between him and Sparkler before stopping on the silent pony.

"Well, aren't you gonna answer?" Lilynette asked.

"I'm just thinking about what will happen tomorrow...Not that it's a big deal." Starrk managed to get out tentatively while staring at his food. He took another bite of his salad after answering.

"I don't blame you." Derpy chuckled before she ate her food, swallowing a bite "Anything can happen in a day, especially in a situation like this."

'Don't remind me...' Starrk thought to himself. He spared a small glance at Sparkler, who casually ate her her meal. He then went to go eat more of the skull on his plate.

'What?'

Starrk stared into a skull that rested on his plate in place of his oats and salad, wondering how it got there. He shook his head before noticing that his previous meal was back in his sights. The former espada then inwardly cursed himself for his carelessness, and even moreso when he gained the attention of the Hooves family, namely Derpy.

"What's the matter, Starrky? Don't you like Sparkler's cooking?" She asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"No, I do. I-..." He shifted his gaze away from the others "I just need to finish up and go back outside. I realized how long of a break I've taken from weather duty..." Derpy perked up and grinned.

"Oh yeah! How do you like weather duty so far? I'll bet you did just as good as when you were working with me in the postal service." Derpy said gleefully.

"All I did was clear and move some clouds, but I can't complain on how easy it is." Starrk replied. It was good that he remembered his job, especially since it gave him a reason to distance himself from Sparkler, or rather, the one possessing her. He finished his meal and left small bits on his plate, pushing it away before raising from his seat and making for the front door "I'll come back later tonight. All of you take care of yourselves." He exited the house again, leaving the others to finish their meals. Lilynette stared at the front door before cautiously returning to her meal, sometimes glancing at Sparkler as she did so.

The red filly figured she may have been right with her assumption earlier today...
_____

Starrk flew into the sky and surveyed the many clouds over the town while the sun was setting. He growled to himself as he thought about what had happened earlier. This curse was beginning to be a nuisance and he has only had for a brief moment. It was hard enough not to look at Sparkler, but was even harder to make sure she wasn't inside his head, thus triggering more hallucinations.

He had also realized how many times he went in and out of the Hooves household.

Starrk continued to fly, spying every cloud in his sights until he decided to stop on one. It was more than tempting to just rest right then and there until he noticed a certain cyan pegasus napping on a nearby cloud, still with her element on her neck. He flew towards her and nudged her awake.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash." Starrk continued nudging, and the cyan pegasus stirred from her slumber with an irritated moan. When she rubbed her eyes and got a better look at Starrk, she woke up more.

"Oh, hey there, Starrk. What's up?" Rainbow Dash asked as she laid on her cloud, her irritation vanished.

"Do we got any more work to cover for today?" Starrk asked with slight apathy "I'd like to at least fill my quota so I don't have much to worry about."

"Oh, the weather?" Rainbow Dash looked around at the clouds and shrugged "Well, all we gotta do is clear and realign some clouds for the evening and that'll be it for the day. This week's been pretty slow with all the clear weather." She then donned a carefree smile "Not that it's a problem, of course. I'm liking that I can get to nap more often."

"Can't argue with that. I at least want to get it over with, though." Starrk replied "So where do we start?"

"Just gimme a minute." Rainbow Dash stretched her limbs before flaring her wings and hovering up with a prideful smirk "Okay, let's finish the job. Follow my lead!" She said as she flew past Starrk, who followed suit as they began clearing and moving the clouds in the sky.

The job was easy enough, and it did well putting Starrk's mind at ease. With both him and Rainbow Dash being the fastest ponies in Ponyville and there only being a short amount of clouds to move opposed to the ones needing cleared, the job was easily handled in no less than a minute.

"Heh, we cleaned this place faster than anypony else on the team." Rainbow Dash boasted before smiling at Starrk "Not much else to do now. Got any plans?"

As much as Starrk was loathe to admit, he didn't want to go back to the Hooves household just yet, especially knowing who was waiting there. He mulled his options and figured out an alternative to kill some time.

"I think I'm gonna go around town some more." Starrk said, looking down at Ponyville below.

"Really? I figured you would've picked the nearest cloud and catch a few Z's like me." Rainbow Dash quipped before yawning "In fact, I think I'm gonna get back to it, since we're done for the day. Feel free to join me." She paused before widening her eyes and blushing "I-I mean, just to nap. Not nap with me, of course! That'd be-...That'd be weird." She looked away, realizing how awkard she made it.

"Tempting, but I'm gonna pass. I need to clear my mind before going back to Derpy and the others." Starrk replied.

"Don't tell me you're still on about that loneliness junk." Rainbow Dash said with mild exasperation before she sighed and smiled "Well, if it means actually getting your mind off of it, then I guess it's best to just walk it off. If you change your mind about taking a nap, you know where to find me." She said before gliding to a nearby cloud and laying on it, curling up before closing her eyes.

Knowing that the cyan pegasus was no longer interested with his personal business, Starrk decidedly descended onto Ponyville's streets, where he got a better look at the patrolling night guards. He began his trot and tried to figure out where to go, making sure not to let his eyes wander too much.

There was less activity than usual, as noted by the sun beginning to set and slowly make way for the evening. Starrk wondered if it would be prudent enough to talk to some ponies if it meant staving off any invasive illusions, but remembered he didn't have much to talk about.

'This predicament sucks...Maybe I should've taken a nap if it meant some form of comfort before tomorrow.' Starrk mused before realizing where he stood after trotting for so long. He found himself in front of Twilight's library, staring up at the large treehouse.

The former espada was hesitant on entering after what he had endured with Twilight, but he realized he had didn't have anywhere else to go to besides back home with Lilynette and the Hooves family. Taking a deep breath, he made his way inside and was greeted with the sight of Twilight, Spike and Zecora enjoying tea together. They all faced Starrk after hearing the door open, and the former widened her eyes and looked away with a blush.

"Hey there, Coyote." Spike waved, stealing a glance at Twilight before gesturing a thumb "Um, don't mind Twilight. She'll warm up eventually." Zecora nodded to Starrk with a smile as he approached the trio.

"It is good to see you, Coyote Starrk.
Why is it you wished to come here before dark?"

"I was just passing by." Starrk replied curtly before examining Twilight, seeing that she was without her element "I see you're not wearing your tiara. Why's that?"

"Twilight has it next to her for safe keeping." Spike pointed at the tiara on the opposite side of the lavender unicorn "She felt it wasn't the best idea to wear it so much without her friends by her side." He then smiled at Starrk "But who knows? Maybe we won't even need them, since we have you and Lilynette around!" The dragon said gleefully. Starrk stared at Spike before looking away.

"I hope you're right about that..." He said under his breath. Zecora noticed Starrk's distant expression and donned a calculating gaze in silence. Meanwhile, Twilight stole a glance at Starrk and was equally curious.

"Is everything alright, Starrk? You aren't usually this melancholy." Twilight asked inquisitively. The former espada looked back at her, to which she lightly blushed when their eyes met.

"I'm just trying to collect myself so I can at least sleep peacefully. Not much to worry about." Zecora gave a quiet hum at Starrk's words, looking askance at the way he answered. Twilight gave a small smile.

"Well, why not join us for some tea, if you're looking to relax." She offered.

"No thanks. I don't really drink tea that much." Starrk responded "Besides, I had dinner earlier."

"Oh, okay then." Twilight fidgeted her hooves before smiling awkwardly "Maybe you'd...like to stick around for a bit?"

"Sure, I guess." He noticed how Zecora was staring intently at him, growing mildly uncomfortable before turning to Twilight and Spike "So, I'm guessing you were all in the middle of a conversation?"

"If you could call it that." Twilight said with a sigh "Truthfully, we're just as bothered about this situation as you are. We're doing our best to stay calm, even if it seems like we're not even trying."

"I'm not worried, myself, actually." Spike piped up with a prideful smile as he patted Twilight's back "It wouldn't be the first time Twilight and her friends saved Equestria from evil."

"And you helped, as well, like you said earlier today, right?" Starrk pointed out.

"Of course!" He said brightly before his mood lessened "...Well, one time, at least."

"Technically two, if you count that time with Discord." Twilight giggled as she nuzzled Spike. Meanwhile, the purple dragon shuddered.

"That was horrible. It felt like my stomach was about to explode." He said with fear and displeasure while rubbing his stomach.

"Discord?" Starrk raised an eyebrow. Twilight perked up and looked at Starrk.

"Oh, that's right! You don't exactly know about Discord. Well, long story short, he's the spirit of chaos and disharmony; the antithesis of what we stand for.

"He can bend reality like it's nopony's business. And he almost won, too, if it weren't for Twilight gathering her friends again." Spike added.

"So it takes the strongest bond between other ponies to fight the strongest of opponents." He looked down pensively "How profound..."

"You were alone before, weren't you?" Twilight asked sympathetically.

"For a time. But even then, the folks I wound up with weren't exactly the best company in the end. I don't feel like recollecting on my past when I have other things to worry about." Starrk said flatly. Zecora nodded.

"It would seem your priorities are managed well,
But is there really something else that you won't tell?"

"Only that I don't know how strong this opponent is, or if I can actually beat them." Starrk looked up at the ceiling "I usually fight my battles alone, but even I know I'm not invincible..."

"What about Lilynette? I mean, sure, she's basically a part of you, but you're not really alone, right?" Spike asked.

"And whether or not that's true, you still won't be alone in the future." Twilight said happily "We're with you through and through. It's what friends are for."

"I still can't believe friendship is basically the key to winning nearly every battle." Starrk said dryly. Zecora smirked in amusement.

"You've yet to realize friendship's true potential.
To Twilight and company, it is most essential.
Where one would debunk what it stands for,
We know that it can mean so much more."

"Zecora's right, Coyote." Twilight said "I'm sure you can figure it out eventually, since you want to make sure you aren't lonely." She smiled "If you spend more time with Derpy and her family, or anypony else in Ponyville, you can perhaps broaden your horizons and change your outlook of Equestria. I'll even guide you, if you're interested."

"Sounds like too much of a hassle, but I'll think about it." Starrk quipped "Maybe I'll come to you for more friendship lessons sometime, since you seem to know so much about it."

"Well, I'm still learning, myself, but I don't like to brag." Twilight giggled bashfully as she looked away. Spike groaned as he facepalmed while Zecora chuckled. Starrk raised an eyebrow at the three respective reactions he gained before staring down at the wooden floor.

"I wonder if this next battle actually will be easy enough, with or without me..." Starrk thought aloud. While he looked down, he noticed how black mist began to collect in his vision, making him perk up and rub his eyes before noticing that nothing was there. A light grunt escaped his lips when he realized he was getting careless with his thoughts again.

"Coyote? Are you alright?" Starrk looked up at Twilight and Spike, the former concerned while the latter confused. He noticed how Zecora didn't look the slightest bit phased at his actions, but it didn't matter to him. It was clear he overstayed his welcome.

"I'm fine. I think I'll head back home for now. It is getting dark, after all." Starrk said pointedly.

"Yeah, that's true." Spike nodded in agreement before waving to Starrk "See you tomorrow."

"Try to get as much rest as possible, okay?" Twilight added with a small smile. Zecora rose from her seat and bowed to Twilight and Spike.

"While our time together was nice, I can tell
That it is time for me to leave, as well."

"Alright. Take care, you two." Twilight said "Be careful out there." As Starrk and Zecora nodded to Twilight's words, they made their leave, exiting the library and out into the gradually darkening town. Night guards were seen with their catlike eyes glowing. Starrk paid it no mind as he was about to sonido his way back to the Hooves household.

"Before you decide to get out of my sight,
Let it be said that I know of your plight."

Starrk stopped and looked over at Zecora, who was seen with a neutral, but friendly expression. He stared at how calm she seemed after speaking up, and thought if he was that transparent, or if the zebra mare was wiser than he had originally thought.

"You mean what everypony else is going through?" Zecora frowned and shook her head before placing a hoof on Starrk's left shoulder.

"You speak of the danger that we all face,
But something inside you is out of place.
Before you decide to retire for the night,
Perhaps you can bring your dilemma to light?"

'Are you kidding me right now?' Starrk was both impressed and irritated that Zecora was able to possibly recognize that something was off about himself and was willing to pry him for answers. He didn't need any more trouble for one day, but he took a deep breath before searching for an answer.

"Let's just say that I hope that the Elements of Harmony can be used without my help, or that I just have a lot to think about." Zecora raised an eyebrow at Starrk's answer before maintaining her previous neutral expression.

"There must be forces at work that impede your mind
If you won't give me the answers I seek to find."

"It's complicated, alright? I'm already catching enough concern and curiosity from other ponies. Friendship's good and all, and it's nice to have support here and there, but this is something I have to deal with on my own." Zecora sighed before smiling, drawing back her hoof and moving a few paces forward before looking back at Starrk.

"Whether it's true or not, it really depends,
On how you value all of your friends.
Though your heart is hardened like that of stone,
Just remember, Coyote: You're not alone."

Without another word, Zecora trekked back towards the forest in a contented trot, leaving Starrk to contemplate on what she had passed onto him. He was aware of the mutual feeling everypony in Ponyville had for their current crisis, though was not sure if they would help him out of his own problems, let alone each other. Can he actually win his battles with friendship and not his own strength? Before he could contemplate further on the matter, he decided to use his sonido to return home with Lilynette and the others.

He reached the front door to the Hooves household and made his way inside, seeing that Derpy, Dinky, and Lilynette were washing dishes, with Sparkler nowhere to be found. All three were using only there hooves, even Lilynette. The sight was odd for Starrk, to say the least. The three looked over at the former espada, and Derpy grinned.

"Look who's home again. I would've had you wash the dishes with me, but Dinky and Lily offered to help." Derpy stated as she cleaned a cup.

"I wanted Sparkler to join us, but she decided to go read in her room." Lilynette said with a roll of her eyes while scrubbing a dish of her own.

"Sparkler already cooked the meal, sis. It's only proper that we clean up." Dinky chided softly while she ran a dish under warm water.

"Yeah, but she would've made this a lot quicker. I don't know how to use my horn for all this, you know." Lilynette countered. Derpy and Dinky giggled.

"That is true, but we still owe it to Sparkler for cooking today. So let's keep at it." Derpy said. She then at Starrk again "So, Starrky, what are you gonna do for the rest of the evening? Do you have any plans?" A scoff escaped Lilynette's lips.

"Like Starrk ever has any plans at all! I have to be the one to motivate him into doing anything other than sleeping." Lilynette said with her nose in the air while cleaning a dish. Starrk looked back outside.

"Actually, I might do just that. There's not much else for me to do today, anyhow." Starrk said apathetically.

"Awwww, you sure? We could play a board game, maybe. You wanna try Battle Clouds?" Derpy offered. Dinky gasped after finishing a dish and grinned at Lilynette.

"Maybe we can play, sis!" Dinky said eagerly. Lilynette stared and hummed pensively before shrugging.

"If it's you, I can give it a try." She said coolly, silently enjoying Dinky's cheering while she hopped up and down.

"In that case, I'm retiring early. I'll see you all in the morning." Starrk said as he went back out.

"You should really try sleeping inside the house sometime, Starrky." Derpy said playfully.

"I would...But then that would mean having to deal with Lilynette waking me up." The former espada stated in deadpan.

"And I will, too." Lilynette said with a devilish smile.

"Well, in that case, sweet dreams!" Derpy chirped. Starrk exited the house and flew up to the nearest cloud, resting his body onto it and remembering how good it felt to do so. His worries had lessened as he grew more sleepy.
_____

Starrk sat in the same familiar desert as before in his arrancar form, only now the dark skies were bereft of its moonlight, causing the white sands to be nearly invisible in the darkness. He knew that the reason why his scenery has changed was because that he had nothing to think about but the curse that currently plagued his mind.

This curse made him miss the dreamless sleep sessions he was used to before he grew more familiar with Celestia in the dreamscape. The darkness that surrounded his vision was beginning to be troublesome as he sat by himself in the desert. What made it worse was how cold it was in the area he sat in. He stared into the abyss as a gale blew in from behind, carrying grains of sand that pelted his back.

"So much for a peaceful sleep...How am I gonna deal with this?" Starrk asked himself as he remained still.

"You won't have to."

In an instant before he could voice his confusion, a bright light shined in front of Starrk, causing him to instinctively close his eyes and hold up an arm to shield himself. He peered over his arms to catch a familiar silhouette sauntering up to him while carrying the same light that pierced the darkness.

"Celestia..." Starrk uttered as he gazed up at the incandescent princess in front of him. She knelt in front of him and reached out a hand to caress his cheek.

"Coyote...Can you tell me the reason for this scenery? This is rather unlike what we previously met in. Starrk stared at Celestia before looking away, gently covering the hand Celestia had on his cheek.

"I can't. Otherwise, I'll end up making things worse and possibly wake up." Starrk replied. Celestia frowned before a smile instantly graced her features.

"So you're having a nightmare, then? I think I know somepony who can help you..." Starrk looked at Celestia before several blue beams pierced at the darkness from several areas in the sky, revealing what appeared to be shadows that melded with the familiar sky. The shadows dissipated and revealed the pale moon, although another female figure was seen floating above, wearing the same white garments as Celestia but with an onyx tiara on her flowing hair that resembling the night sky. She descended towards Celestia and Starrk with a firm gaze.

"Luna, too, huh? Then again, I suppose that's obvious." Starrk said nonchalantly as he lowered his hand while Celestia drew hers back.

"That was no ordinary nightmare. You were under the influence of a spell; one similar to what half of Ponyville has dealt with, only more powerful than before. Tell us, Coyote Starrk: Have you encountered the foe we are looking for?" Starrk stared before nodding.

"Somewhat. They-" A grunt escaped his lips as he held his head, with dark winds collecting around the three. Celestia stood up with her sister and they both took a stance.

"The spell is more powerful than I realized!" Luna called out as the two sisters stood their ground against the shadowy gusts gathered and converged in front of Celestia and Luna and began to take form. It became a shadowed bipedal figure with what appeared to be a flowing kimono and a straw hat. It brandished two large falchion blades and took a stance with no readable expression on its face other than two glowing red eyes. The two sisters stared down at the new enemy until Luna looked over at Starrk, who picked himself up and got a better look at his opponent as well.

"...Aw, man..." Starrk groaned as he recognized the shadow's shape.

"Fret not, Coyote Starrk, this is merely the manifestation of what is left of the spell that's controlling you. If we end it here, you will be free."

"In that case, let's hurry this up." Starrk said calmly as he strode up and stopped in front of the shadowed being, pulling out his own katana and getting into a stance while Celestia and Luna stood behind him with their hands glowing.

There was a pause before the shadow lunged at the trio, namely Starrk, and their weapons clashed. They pushed against each other for a moment before the shadow quickly jumped back after two beams nearly struck him. Starrk appeared behind it and went to slash it, only for his opponent to spin around and block the strike with ease. Starrk stared the shadow, and they went to strike each other again...
Until the shadow was contained in a spherical shield, unable to move its body.

Starrk stopped his advance when he saw this sudden development as the shield was melded with blue and gold magic. He looked behind the shadow to see Celestia and Luna holding their glowing hands out with narrowed eyes.

"Hold them steady, sister, so that I may pour my effort into this." Luna said as she carefully relinquished her barrier power.

"Of course. Try not to exhaust yourself, Luna." Celestia said as she doubled her efforts in containing the malignent shadow. Starrk watched their teamwork in silence.

"Alright, on my mark..." Luna said as her hands glowed a brighter blue than usual, raising her hands as she glared at her target "Ready..." She clenched her fists as more energy was brimming from them while the shadow stared back at her without a change of expression. Luna widened her eyes and clenched her teeth as she held her arms outward."Now!"

In a simultaneous flash, Celestia had dropped her shield while Luna unleashed a massive beam of magic that engulfed the shadow and caused it to gradually dissipate. Starrk quickly moved out of the way as he watched the beam sail across the desert.

When the beam had vanished, all that remained of the enemy was a small, shadowy wisp. Luna glared down at it and raised a hand as she conjured an energy ball and launched it at what was left of the dark manifestation, completely destroying it as sand was picked up from the blast. Meanwhile, Starrk felt as if a weight was lifted on his shoulders, complete with a cooling sensation. With a huff of contentment, she looked over at Starrk with a smile.

"Rejoice, Coyote. The spell is no more." Luna proclaimed in relief. Starrk blinked at Luna before he hummed to himself.

"And here I thought it was gonna be a long fight. Guess you were stronger than I thought." Starrk quipped as he sheathed his katana and approached Celestia and Luna.

"It would have been, had it not been for my sister's aid." Luna said as Celestia gathered with her and Starrk, the two sisters sharing a smile "It is a good thing she wished to see you again this night." Luna's smile vanished "But at least now we can get down to business. Who was responsible for that spell?" The former espada crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"Apparently, something got inside Sparkler and possessed her body. She has the Alicorn Amulet you were talking about." The sisters widened their eyes.

"Unbelieveable. So the enemy was right under our noses this whole time!?" Luna said in outrage.

"Calm yourself, Luna." Celestia offered as she gently laid a hand on Luna's shoulder "We've yet to gloss the whole story from Coyote."

"Sadly, that's all I got, since I just found this out today." Starrk said as his eyebrows furrowed "She, or rather, the one controlling her, requested me to wait until tomorrow so I can 'bask in their presence when the time is right', so to speak. It's just cheesy dialogue, if you asked me."

"Indeed...And did they not give out their name?" Luna pried further, to which Starrk shook his head.

"No. It's still a mystery. But whoever they are, they're not getting off scot-free." Starrk said as he lowered his arms "When the enemy shows themself, I'll handle them while you focus on your subjects in Canterlot."

"Starrk, if whoever is responsible for this terror has the Alicorn Amulet in their possession, then it is possible that this battle may be more arduous than you realize." Celestia said in a serious tone "I'm sure you're aware of its endless power and corruptive influence on anypony that wields it."

"Great..." Starrk complained as he slumped lightly before recovering "So I guess that means there's gonna be a lot of collateral damage unless I think of something. It'd be stupid to fight in Ponyville again..."

"Regardless of the risks involved, we believe in you, Coyote Starrk." Celestia said with a warm smile "Your past efforts in defending Ponyville were certainly no fluke. And should the need arise, we shall be there to support you to the bitter end."

"Correct. That is what friends are for." Luna added with a smile of her own. Starrk shifted his gaze between the two sisters before a sigh escaped his lips.

"On one hand, all this friendship talk is getting repetitive and stale. But on the other hand." He closed his eyes "It beats being alone. Thanks, you two."

"Of course, Starrk. In fact, why not solidify that last fact by changing the scenery a little bit?" Celestia said with a secret wink to Luna, who smiled before twirling a glowing finger.

Starrk suddenly felt a hand on his back and looked behind him to see yet another female in a white gown, only she had blonde hair and crossed eyes. She smiled at Starrk while he stared wide-eyed.

"Derpy?" He then heard footsteps and looked behind her to see more females in white approaching, including Lilynette in her former arrancar form. He could easily recognize Dinky and Sparkler with their hair and eyes. Lilynette gave a smirk and a small wave at Starrk, who stared in befuddlement before he heard more footsteps all over the desert.

He saw more of what appeared to be Ponyville's residents resembling humans in white garbs approaching him with friendly smiles on their faces. Twilight and her friends stood in a group; Big Macintosh stood tall with his arms crossed beside Zecora, who appeared to be dark-skinned with her striped mohawk; Cheerilee, Vinyl Scratch, and Pipsqueak stood happily with the rest of the crowd; even the timberwolves, in their true form, stood with everyone present.

Starrk looked around as the once barren desert was now full of his new pack, and for the first time in his new life, felt genuine happiness. He then looked back at Celestia and Luna, the former approaching him to give him a small hug that he slowly returned, allowing him to relish the warmth he had felt the night before.

"Coyote Starrk, you will never be alone again."

To be continued...

Capitulo Treinta y Seis

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Capitulo Treinta y Seis
Step Into The Light

The sun rose over Ponyville, signalling for another tense morning as the night guards stationed in town continued their scheduled patrol shifts as the daylight grew. Up in the clouds, Starrk laid comfortably in his cloud more comfortably than usual; a ghost of a smile could even be seen on his sleeping form.

As he slept, Rainbow Dash flew towards him, already wide awake for her morning shift with Starrk. Upon reaching his cloud, she hovered over him with a curious glance at his slumbering visage.

'Man, he looks comfier than usual for some reason. Almost makes me feel bad for waking him up.' The cyan pegasus said as she slowly descended towards Starrk, carefully rolling him onto his back to get a better look at his face. She looked around, and down below at any possible prying eyes before she took a deep breath.

"Okay, nopony's watching. I'll just wake him up, if he says anything, it's not my fault." Rainbow Dash muttered to herself, feeling her heart race as she slowly leaned her head down towards the sleeping stallion's face, her lips quivering as she almost closed the distance entirely.

"Hi, Dashie!"

Rainbow Dash found herself quickly a few feet away from Starrk and what appeared to be a smiling Pinkie Pie next to him, unable to yelp due to hearing her friend's voice as well as feeling her own heart lodge itself into her throat.

"H-Hey, Pinkie Pie..." Rainbow Dash greeted halfheartedly before she perked up "Wait a minute, how did you get up here? Also, what are you doing up so early in the morning!?"

"Believe it or not, I had a huge doozy this morning that involved Starrky over here, so I had to go see him and warn him about it!" Pinkie explained briefly "I popped by Twilight's and had her give me a cloudwalking spell for this occasion. She blushed when I mentioned Starrk, though. Weird, right? It's like she really does like him!" She giggled before looking down at Starrk's sleeping form "Awwww, he's like a large puppy!" She cooed.

"That still doesn't explain how you got up here, Pinkie Pie." Rainbow Dash said irritably.

"Trampoline." Pinkie responded instantly, never breaking eye contact with Starrk. She hummed to herself before she gentle peck on Starrk's lips that lasted five seconds, oblivious to Rainbow Dash flinching at the sight "Huh, he's still asleep? Maybe I gotta try harder." The pink pony smiled before she closed her eyes and gave Starrk a deeper kiss, not aware in the slightest of her cyan friend's paled form and widened eyes.

Starrk felt the presence of the best dream he had in days fade away as everything went black. However, as he began to come to his senses, he felt something very sweet on his mouth; as if somepony tried feeding him confectionaries in his sleep. He groggily opened his eyes with a tired moan as the color pink flooded his blurred vision. The former espada blanched when he realized that it was none other than Pinkie Pie in his face.

With her mouth deeply pressed onto his.

Starrk instantly pushed Pinkie Pie off of him into the air, where she gave a surprised yelp as he flew upward. Rainbow Dash snapped out of her stunned state to gawk up at her friend before flying up to save her. She was unaware of Starrk blurring out while she carefully held a lightly dazed Pinkie in the air.

"Pinkie Pie! Are you alright?" Rainbow Dash asked urgently. Pinkie was in a pause before she shook off her daze, a grin seen on her face.

"Wow, that was a great way to wake Starrky up!" She said cheerfully, oblivious to the sour look on the cyan pegasus' face after her answer. They looked down to see that Starrk was out of sight, and the two slowly descended to the ground, where Rainbow Dash gently set Pinkie on the ground.

"Now we gotta go find him if it means warning him about your doozy, whatever it is." Rainbow Dash murmured bitterly. After Pinkie's spontaneous appearance this morning, she felt as if the universe had something against her.

"Okie dokie loki! Where should we start?" Pinkie asked as she looked around "Maybe he went inside Derpy's house?"

"This early in the morning? He'd wake everypony up!" Rainbow Dash shot back. A thought crossed her mind when she remembered how disgusted Starrk must have felt after realizing that Pinkie had kissed him, and figured out a place to start looking "I'll be in Town Square. Good luck, Pinkie Pie." She said as she flew off. The party pony waved frantically.

"Good luck to you, too, Dashie!" She called out before she pronked off to start her own search for Starrk
_____

Starrk was seen at Town Square, where he stood by the fountain as he caught his breath. Much to his chagrin, he found himself unable to take from the fountain's water to properly gargle his mouth with, and could only suffice with roughly rubbing his lips and tongue with a forehoof. Some guards noticed this and displayed varying reactions of confusion and amusement.

He groaned to himself as he sat down after dealing with yet another unnecessary wakeup call. Why must he be kissed by mares whenever he was asleep? Starrk shook his head before he calmed down and thought back to his lucid dream of Celestia and Luna coming to his rescue. Looking to the sky, he figured that he should at least be happy that the curse had been lifted from him, allowing him to freely think of the one responsible.

The former espada widened his eyes when he remembered what he had to do today. He unfurled his wings before he noticed a familiar cyan figure approach him from the skies, a knowing smile of amusement on her face.

"Heh, knew you'd be here." Rainbow Dash smiled as she touched the ground and trotted up to Starrk "Sorry about what happened with Pinkie Pie." She then pointed a hoof with a stern glance "But try to be more careful, next time? I know she can be a hoofful, but Pinkie didn't deserve that push." Starrk stared at Rainbow Dash with a light sigh.

"Can you blame me for being taken by surprise?" He mildly shook his head "Look, I just needed to get away from Pinkie at first, but now I gotta go back to Derpy's. I found the one responsible for casting all that dark magic." Rainbow Dash widened her eyes.

"Wait, seriously!?" A glare from Starrk made Rainbow Dash fold her ears back after realizing her volume. She then spoke in a whisper "Why didn't you tell us this sooner? We could've handled this easily!" The cyan pegasus hissed in frustration.

"Simply put, I ended up playing into their trap and had to keep silent this whole time, but I'll make sure to pay them back for it." Starrk whispered back as he took a few steps past Rainbow Dash "I suggest we go round up your friends so we can put an end to this. This has gone on long enough."

"You said it." Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement. She was about to take off before she remembered something "Oh, by the way, Pinkie said she felt a doozy involving you today with her Pinkie Sense. Considering what we learned, I think this might be it." She said with a chuckle. Meanwhile, Starrk looked back in befuddlement.

'Doozy? How crazy is this mare?' He thought to himself, although had to wonder if Pinkie was more powerful than she let on.

"Well, no point in sitting here, right? Let's go grab our friends and put a lid on this whole thing." Rainbow Dash declared proudly before she took to the skies. Meanwhile, Starrk blurred out and decided to go find the other elements.

A few minutes later, Pinkie was pronking into Town Square while looking around.

"Starrky~! Where are you~?" She asked blithely as she moved towards another part of town.
_____

Twilight found herself wide awake this morning after being woken up by Pinkie Pie and having to muster the strength to give her a cloudwalking spell after she brought up how she had a doozy this morning that involved Starrk. She silently hoped that it wasn't anything too dire that may befall him in the near future.

She sat in the kitchen with Spike, who took it upon himself to prepare their breakfast as they ate in silence. Spike, for his part, was slightly annoyed at the prospect of being woken up so early in the morning by Pinkie along with Twilight, but chose to let it slide from what he had heard.

They were halfway finished with their meals before they heard the door to the library fly open. Twilight and Spike perked up, and the former hopped from her seat to see a serious looking Starrk standing inside, causing her to widen her eyes.

"S-Starrk?" Twilight asked, surprised by his sudden appearance "What are you doing here? Is-"

"Grab your element and meet me at Derpy's house. We have our offender." Twilight and Spike surpressed a gasp as Starrk instantly saw himself out. Twilight - ignoring the food on her table - quickly made for her room upstair to grab her element, wearing it on her head and making for the door.

"Twilight! Wait up!"

The lavender unicorn's adrenaline lessened when she noticed Spike running up to her. It was obvious to Twilight that he wished to go with her.

"Spike, I understand how you're as involved with this as the rest of Ponyville, but I cannot abide putting you in danger when we're about to take care of the dark magic user for good!" Twilight pointed out urgently.

"I know that, but I at least wanna be there for you." Spike shot back "I don't care if this isn't my time to shine. That doesn't mean I'm gonna leave you alone forever!" Twilight stared at the resolve in Spike's eyes before sighing.

"Just promise me you won't get hurt, Spike. This may be more serious than we both realize." Twilight said as she allowed Spike to climb onto her back. The two then proceeded to exit the library and make for their next destination.
_____

Lilynette laid in bed with Dinky nestled next to her under the covers, stirring from her slumber without the help of the sunlight peering from the bedroom window. She stretched her limbs and gave a quiet yawn and rubbed her uncovered eye before gently prying herself away from Dinky and sitting up. She had an uneasy feeling in her heart, and she couldn't ignore how she felt about Sparkler as of late. The red filly turned to look at the bedroom door before quietly getting out of bed.

"Sis?" came Dinky's sleepy voice behind Lilynette as she turned around to see her surrogate sister waking up as well.

"Hey, Dinky." Lilynette whispered instantly, watching as Dinky joined her on the floor and stretched her limbs.

"I never thought you'd get up before me this time." She whispered groggily with a giggle before yawning.

"Neither did I..." Lilynette muttered under her breath as she looked back at the door. Her ears twitched as she thought she had heard a faint sound somewhere in the house.

"Well, let's go get some breakfast then? Mommy and Sparkler are probably awake right now, too." Dinky said as she trotted to the door and opened it up as she exited the bedroom with Lilynette following suit.

Outside in the halls, Lilynette stopped and looked over at the door to Sparkler's room and thought she saw what appeared to be a red light at the bottom of the door before it vanished. Catching a brief glance at Dinky moving ahead to the kitchen, she decided to go over to the door to Sparkler's room, quietly opening it and peering inside.

Lilynette caught a glimpse at what appeared to be Sparkler - with her back turned - levitating the scarf she had been wearing as of late towards her in her newfound red magic aura. What rested upon her neck, however, greatly piqued the red filly's interest: A silver choker was seen resting on the amethyst unicorn's neck, but she couldn't make out the front part of it as the scarf had been moved to wrap around and cover it.

Anger began building up inside of Lilynette upon her discovery, but despite her tempting desire to end it here, she couldn't risk acting so rashly for the sake of what could very well be her new family sitting inside of the house. Whether or not that was actually Sparkler in her room was a different story.

She quietly trotted away and silently hoped that Starrk would catch on and do something about this, or at least the Elements of Harmony. Taking a deep breath, the red filly joined up with Dinky and Derpy, who was seen sipping coffee while enjoying her morning muffin. The older mare spotted Lilynette coming in and waved with a tired smile.

"Heya, Lily. Did you sleep well?" Derpy asked. It was clear by her tone of voice that she was still waking up. Lilynette nodded with a forced smile.

"Yeah." She responded instantly. As it stood from what she had witnessed, Lilynette was trying her hardest to not lose her cool upon realizing her sworn enemy was right under her nose the whole time.

"Sis woke up before I did, Mommy. Can you believe that?" Dinky said as she sat at the table. Meanwhile, Derpy's eyes rolled slighty before she giggled.

"No, actually. Lilynette's usually the heavy sleeper out of the two of you." Derpy pointed out before sipping more coffee. The red filly envied the calm of both ponies in front of her. Even moreso when she heard a door opening followed by the sound of approaching hoofsteps.

"Good morning, everypony." Sparkler greeted nonchalantly as she went towards the fridge. Lilynette stood stock still as she was inches away from the amethyst unicorn. A cero was all it would take, she thought. But it was the part of her that cried out for both battle and the desired conclusion without paying attention to collateral damage. As much as she hated it, she needed to be as calm as possible.

"Morning, Sparkler." Derpy replied as she got up from her seat and stretched her limbs. Dinky herself wore a thin smile.

"Good morning, big sis." She said, trying to sound enthusiastic. Unfortunately for her, her halfhearted response earned Sparkler's full attention as she opened the fridge.

"What seems to be the problem, Dinky? Did you not sleep well?" Dinky flinched when she felt her older sister's eyes boring into her. It was hard for her to appear calm and friendly as she scratched the back of her head.

"No! I-I mean, yes, I have slept well. It's just, um..." , Dinky figured it would be wise to come up with a convincing lie. However, as scared as she was, Dinky couldn't possibly think of anything remotely convincing for her older sister.

"She was just bothered that I woke up before her!"

All eyes were on Lilynette, who donned an irritated glance aimed at a confused Sparkler.

"That's right, she's still just dumbfounded is all. Quit putting her on the spot, huh?" Lilynette snapped impatiently. Derpy was taken aback by the scene while Dinky took a deep breath to calm herself down.

'Thanks, sis...' She thought to herself as she smiled over at Lilynette, who stood her ground against Sparkler.

"I dunno what's gotten into you this morning, but do you think you could tone it down a little? You can clearly see that we're all trying to start the day properly-"

The front door swung open, startling everypony present, as Starrk stood in the doorway with a hardened gaze of resolve on his face. Behind him were Twilight and her friends, each with their elements equipped. Spike, for his part, stood on Twilight's side, but otherwise tried looking as brave as his friends.

"Starrk?" Derpy asked as her shock faded, though it gave way to confusion upon seeing the other guests behind him "Twilight? Applejack? Rainbow Dash? Rarity? Fluttershy? Pinkie Pie? What are you all doing here!?"

"I'm here, too, ya know..." Spike murmured with a pout.

"Starrk rounded us up and led us here!" Applejack answered, though shook her head "Still can't get used t' travellin' with that Sonido o' his, though..."

"We figured now would be a good time as ever to put a stop to this." Starrk pointed over at Sparkler, who perked up from the attention suddenly drawn to her "It was my fault for not saying so yesterday, but I found the one responsible for not only the dark magic around here, but the theft of the Alicorn Amulet, too." Starrk narrowed his eyes "Whoever it is, it's controlling Sparkler and needs to come out now..." Derpy's eyes straightened from the baffling news.

"What? But how could you possibly know that Sparkler is-" Derpy never got to finish as Lilynette quickly lunged towards Sparkler and ripped off the scarf with both of her forehooves, revealing the Alicorn Amulet in its soul-sucking malevolence. A collective of gasps from most of the ponies and dragon present rung in the house.

"He's right! The amulet is right there!" Rarity blurted out as she pointed at Sparkler.

"Sparkler? Why?" Derpy whispered with eyes wide open, unable to fathom what had just transpired. Sparkler, for her part, slowly shifted her head, looking at the many pairs of eyes that were focused on her with a neutral glance. She then closed her eyes and lightly hung her head before a chuckle escaped her lips, growing into laughter as she narrowed her eyes on Starrk and the element bearers.

"My, aren't we impatient? Very well, then. If I'm to make my grand entrance, I might as well let the rest of this town know that I have returned." 'Sparkler' stated arrogantly as her horn flashed a bright red aura "I'll meet with you all at Town Square. Do not keep me waiting." She said in a commanding tone before teleporting.

"Everypony! Hurry!" Twilight shouted. Spike hopped onto her back as she and her friends began to rush towards Town Square. Starrk went to follow before he looked back at Derpy, who stood frozen with an expression that meshed pure shock and despair. Dinky was seen hugging her mother tightly while Lilyenette stared with a stoic, albeit hurt glance.

"No...Not Sparkler. Not my daughter..." Derpy uttered as tears welled up in her eyes and proceeded to roll down her cheeks.

"Mommy, I'm so sorry..." Dinky whispered as she buried her head in Derpy's chest and proceeded to sob herself. Lilynette stared before glaring over at Starrk.

"Let's go." She said in a low growl as she galloped towards Starrk. With a nod, the former espada blurred out with his sonido, but not before looking back at Derpy and Dinky one last time.
_____

Night guards continued remaining vigilant out in Ponyville, shifting their eyes for any more suspicious activity. The ones stationed in Town Square felt especially vigorous upon seeing Starrk and Rainbow Dash leave so quickly earlier. Pinkie Pie was a different story. As they remained on high alert, they noticed how a flash of red light had spontaneously appeared near the fountain.

The light faded to reveal 'Sparkler', who leisurely towards the center with a smug smile on her face as she began drawing attention to those around her. The present guards - threatened by her sudden and ominous entrance - got into defensive stances. Two unicorn guards readied their horns for combat, eliciting a giggle from 'Sparkler'

"Please. I welcome you to try..." She uttered menacingly, watching as each guard only stayed in their positions and glared at their newest threat. Some of the citizens watched with curiousity that gave way into horror as they stared at the amulet resting on 'Sparkler's' neck. They began murmuring amongst themselves, struggling not to panic.

"Hold it!" A voice shouted from behind 'Sparkler'. She looked back to see Twilight and her friends rushing in with looks of determination on their faces. Starrk soon blurred in with Lilynette on his back as he glared at the unicorn. The guards, for their part, recognized the Elements of Harmony and carefully distanced themselves for their encounter.

"I don't know who you are, or your reasons to cause all of this mayhem, but you're not getting away with this!" Twilight called out indignantly. Sparkler only smiled.

"How adorable. You think your little act of heroism will work a second time, hm?" This question caught the element bearers and Spike off-guard.

"Wait, what does she mean by a second time?" Spike asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I don't remember Sparkler ever planning anything in secret while she lived in Ponyville." Pinkie Pie cocked her head to the side with a pensive glance.

"You're dragging this out and it's getting old..." Starrk piped up with narrowed eyes "You already got an audience, so why don't you show us who you really are?" 'Sparkler' scowled at Starrk momentarily before chuckling again.

"Very well, since you seem to be so eager..." There was a pause and a moment of silence before 'Sparkler' let off a scream of agony, with an expression to match as she faced the heavens, with her body surrounded in both red and purple static that arced sporadically. Everypony present watched intently as her head shakingly moved to face the group that confronted her.

"I have no further use of this body..." She said evenly in a warped tone before gently reached for the amulet and taking it off. Her mouth then opened wide as a pitch black smog poured out of it, covering the amulet as it then flew skyward. Echoing laughter was heard from the smog after it exited Sparkler, who flopped to the ground unconscious.

"Why does that smoke-no..." Twilight muttered "Why does that laughter sound familiar?" She said as the smog billowed in a spherical shape as the laughter escalated. A whirlwind was picking up around the square before the smog dispersed in a powerful gust. What it left behind shocked everypony present.

There was a large and muscular stallion with a black coat and a mane that covered all around his head like that of a lion's, although the mane itself billowed like a cloak of pure darkness. He wore silver boots that covered each of his legs, and a maroon cloak that had once looked regal, but was longer and more tattered near the ends, with the Alicorn Amulet keeping it together.

He had a long, curved red horn that stood out from his black form, as well as large black dragon wings that cast an enormous shadow over most of Town Square as he leered down at the cowering townsfolk with red eyes that glowed along with his green schlera. Red mist escaped along the corners of his eyes as he grinned his sharp teeth at his public. Twilight, for her part, widened her eyes as she somehow recognized the malevolent form above her.

"King Sombra!?"

To be continued...

Capitulo Treinta y Siete

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Capitulo Treinta y Siete
The King Has Returned

All of Ponyville looked up at the terrifying sight that cast a large shadow over Town Square with his menacing wings. The large stallion above continued to grin in dark amusement at their collective reactions. After having enough fun in the air, he slowly descended until he reached the ground next to Sparkler. As his hooves made contact, small dark crystals emerged from the soil.

"Rejoice, peasants..." King Sombra said in a deep and powerful voice laced with arrogance "Your king has returned." The crowd's murmuring grew in volume along with their fear. Sombra, for his part, relished in their newfound terror as he felt his power grow. Meanwhile, Twilight and her friends stood their ground.

"But it doesn't make sense! You were destroyed back in the Crystal Empire!" Sombra's eyes glowed bright red as he bared his fangs in a scowl at Twilight.

"Believe me, I remember." He replied venomously "And ever since you disposed of me back then, I was trapped in Tartarus ever since." the tyrant's scowl gave way to a grin "But it's funny how I was even sent there with an inkling of my power intact. Possessing that worthless mutt you call a guardian was one of the only obstacles towards my return. Everything beyond that was merely improvisation from Yours Truly."

"Well, reign in your success while you can, but we're ready to stop you this time!" Twilight declared gallantly before turning to her friends "Let's go, girls!" She shouted as the element bearers got into their places, with Spike clearing out of the way.

"Oh, spare me the theatrics, Twilight Sparkle. The elements will not save you this time." Sombra rolled his eyes defiantly before his red horn glowed along with the Alicorn Amulet. A thin beam quickly shot towards the six until it landed on Rainbow Dash's head. She wasn't knocked back, but she slumped to the ground like that of Sparkler, sound asleep.

"Rainbow Dash!" The other element bearers and Spike called before flocking over to her and inspecting her for any damage. Starrk and Lilynette felt uneasy themselves before they caught a glimpse of King Sombra chuckling at their concern.

"Don't flatter yourselves, my little ponies." The dark tyrant quipped "If I wanted to destroy her, you would've known. I merely incapacitated her with a sleep spell so strong that she may as well spend the rest of her life in the dreamscape!" He heard the sound of murmuring next to him, and Sombra looked down at Sparkler stirring from her unconsciousness "Ah, and I can't forget the one who had made all of this possible..." His horn glowed as he lifted Sparkler in a red aura, surprising her as she was raised at eye level to gawk at Sombra and his form.

"Wh-Who are you!?" Sparkler asked before realization dawned on her "Wait...you're-"

"Correct." Sombra cut off the amethyst unicorn before she could continue "And as the future king of all Equestria, let me be the first to express my gratitude for your usefulness..." A small ball of red energy, crackling with static, was seen above Sombra and Sparkler, and the latter looked up at it with widened eyes.

"What are you doing!?" Sparkler asked as she began to sweat bullets.

"Giving you your reward." Sombra said coolly before his eyes narrowed to slits, his toothy grin widening "Your eternal reward..." He added darkly as the energy ball grew in size. Sparkler silently hoped that her family was okay as she was about to embrace what was her final moment.

A pained groan escaped Sombra's lips as the energy ball dissipated and Sparkler fell to the ground. Sparkler's eyes widened when she saw Starrk shoot out a hoof with narrowed eyes towards Sombra's chest with plenty of strength behind his attack, although he only succeeded in making the dark king skid backwards a few feet as he kept his footing.

Sombra sneered contemptibly at first, not happy with the familiar feeling of being touched by those he deemed commoners, but it turned into a smirk when he recognized his assailant.

"Ah, yes, Coyote Starrk. Only you could manage to muster enough strength to possibly be considered my peer." He stated condescendingly "However, your chances have vanished entirely." A red aura was seen around Sombra as he grinned his sharp teeth menacingly "With my new and improved form, along with the Alicorn Amulet at my command, nopony will be able to match my ever-growing power." Starrk stood by with a serious glance.

'Can't believe this is actually happening.' He thought to himself 'Can I actually beat this guy by myself, or will I need to activate my resurrección?' Sombra's grin only widened as he stared at Starrk.

"I can only assume you're seeking a plan of attack? Normally, it would be poor form for one such as myself, but I invite you to try..." He said with grim amusement in his voice.

"Guess I got no other option." Starrk replied as he unfurled his wings and got in a stance.

"Give 'im hell, Starrk!" Lilynette cheered from a safe distance behind Starrk. Sparkler managed to pick herself up and stand by Lilynette's side as she glared at Sombra.

"What she said! You got this!" Sparkler called out to the former espada.

"Be careful, Starrk! The Alicorn Amulet is a dangerous artifact, especially in the hooves of King Sombra himself!" Twilight warned as she stood with her friends. Sombra saw fit to snort at her warning.

"Who do you think managed to create such a 'dangerous artifact', Twilight Sparkle?" Sombra asked, waiting for the realization to sink in for the lavender unicorn "I won't deny that my loss millennia ago was indeed scathing, but it was only because my precious amulet was out of my reach." He gave a flap of his dragon wings, sending a mighty gust around him, causing the onlookers to shield themselves and hold their ground "Now I can use it and conquer Equestria proper."

Starrk decidedly blurred out with his sonido, surrounding Sombra with several images of himself that faded in and out. Meanwhile, the former espada's opponent was all but phased as he stood by with only a smirk.

"Your little speed trick? Adorable..." There was a flicker from Sombra's horn before a large dome shield began to form around him and instantly expand, causing all of the images to disappear. As the shield dissipated, Sombra looked around for any sign of Starrk, as did the rest of Ponyville, noticing that their hero was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, a hoof lodged itself into Sombra's muzzle as he let out a pained snarl and had skid again from the impact, albeit to a lesser extent than the last hit he received. Starrk was found in front of Sombra again, this time with a surprisingly embarrassed wince on his face.

'This feels so much weirder without my sword...' A chuckle snapped Starrk out of his thoughts as he saw that rather than anger, Sombra was seen with building laughter despite getting hit.

"Your brute force may have helped you before, Coyote Starrk, but it's not going to help you now. Although..." Sombra trailed off before he brought up his left forehoof, laced with the amulet's red magic. He launched it into Starrk's chest, drawing out a pained grunt as Starrk's eyes widened from the pain he received before sending the former espada flying towards the Everfree Forest at bullet speed.

"Starrk!" Lilynette called out as he flew away.

"...perhaps I should show you just how powerless you are." Sombra quipped as his left forehoof was giving off smoke after the powerful attack. With another flap of his wings, he took flight after Starrk into the forest, which grew more ruined upon the pegasus' rough landing.

Starrk laid amongst a pile of bark with a neutral look on his face, and some small scratches from his impact. He was silent for a moment until he spoke up before Sombra's arrival.

"That actually hurt." The former espada picked himself up and brushed off the splinters that stuck onto his coat as Sombra descended from the sky.

"So you still stand. Very interesting." Sombra said as he landed and created more dark crystals on the ground. He trotted towards Starrk as he carried himself out of the pile of wrecked trees "Care to try your luck against me once more?"

"I really don't like arrogant folks like you." Starrk said as he shook off the pain from his last hit and stood his ground.

"It's not arrogance if I've the power to back it up, simpleton." Sombra shot back before noticing some silhouettes approaching from the shadows, followed by growling noises.

The timberwolves gathered and snarled at Sombra while gathering near Starrk. While endearing, Starrk realized what they were planning to do as he widened his eyes. Meanwhile, Sombra only sneered back at the timberwolves.

"No. Stop." Starrk softly commanded, only for his words to fall on deaf ears.

"Feh, impudent mongrels...I don't have time to deal with you all." Sombra muttered contempuously. He then noticed the apparent concern in Starrk's eyes in regard to the timberwolves before a wicken grin graced his features "And yet...Why not play with the one you hold dear for my amusement?" His horn, now emitting a black aura with red static, had let off a wave that passed through all the timberwolves present.

There was a pause before the timberwolves were revealed to be more feral than before, their eyes glowing red, as opposed to their natural green as they turned around and closed in on Starrk in a predatory stride.

"You didn't..." Starrk uttered, to which Sombra laughed in reply.

"Entertain me, Coyote Starrk. No doubt, these mongrels care about you, and you them. Show me how far you're willing to go to get to me..."

Starrk remained calm as the timberwolves advanced, but then he blurred out and appeared in front of Sombra, who was now found inside of another magical forcefield.

"Ah ah ah...This drops when you have finished your 'task'." Sombra taunted as he pointed back at the timberwolves, who grew more vicious upon noticing Starrk's relocation.

Starrk stared at each of the timberwolves before turning back to Sombra and his forcefield, decidedly thrashing at it with his forehooves, earning a bored look from the dark king.

"Your ignorance is painful, Coyote Starrk. Destroy the timberwolves, then I'll bring my shield down. A simple task, if I do say so, myself." Sombra stated condescendingly.

Starrk glared at Sombra for a moment until he looked back and noticed one of the timberwolves leaping at him with a snarl. He deftly avoided his attacker as the timberwolf slammed against the forcefield.

If there were a time Starrk wished he was weak, this was not one of those times. This wasn't a circumstance where his own power inadvertently killed those around him. He was being forced to literally end the same timberwolves he befriended with his own hooves, despite the small amount of time he spent with them.

Starrk mildly gritted his teeth as he noticed another one of the timberwolves leap up at him, their maw wide open and waiting to gnash upon the former espada's flesh. But before it could, Starrk threw a right hook that reduced his latest attacker to splinters.

"Not bad, but you seem to be missing some more." He heard Sombra's taunting voice as he focused his attention on the advancing timberwolves. He was unable to notice how the splinters from the last one were glowing before they formed back into the same timberwolf Starrk had countered before.

The former espada took a deep breath and tried to maintain his composure while acknowledging the fact that he was backed into a figurative corner; Sombra's shield wasn't wavering, and he couldn't bring himself to drag the others into his predicament. Starrk took one last look at what he thought was his own pack before diving down and making quick work of each one, all while feeling his heart gradually sink with each kill.

Not even the splinters that he acquired amounted to his internal pain as he looked at the pile of sticks that used to be his pack.

"Most impressive, Coyote Starrk." Starrk felt it prudent not to turn and face Sombra as he heard his voice "I expected no less from your remarkable speed to go with your strength, but the battle isn't over yet."

Before he could look back at the dark king in confusion, Starrk noticed the many sticks that belonged to the timberwolfs glow and tremble profusely before floating and merging along with some of the wrecked trees in the forest to form a giant timberwolf with glowing red eyes, letting out a bestial roar. Starrk's eyes widened before he decidedly took to the skies while Sombra watched in idle amusement.

Starrk knew what he had to do, and he didn't like it at all. Using his speed, he snatched one of the clouds that hung near the outskirts of Ponyville and brought it back before aiming at the wooden behemoth. He held back any more remorse before giving the cloud a mighty jab and activating his cero, engulfing the timberwolf and completely incinerating its body.

When the dust settled, Starrk almost felt a lump in his neck when he saw where his pack once stood. The area below was covered with scorch marks on the ground and some newly formed clearings coated with burnt wood and grass.

"Bravo!" A familiarly despised voice echoed around Starrk, making him perk up before Sombra appeared in front of him with a grin that oozed bloodlust.

"A promise is a promise..." He uttered darkly before rearing back a forehoof. Starrk quickly reacted by blurring out of existence the moment Sombra could throw his punch. A small growl escaped the tyrant's lips when he missed, and he then turned around to see Starrk holding a cloud and laying a mighty strike onto it.

Sombra snarled as he was engulfed by Starrk's Cero. Meanwhile, Starrk watched impassively as his attack petered out. His eyes widened when he saw Sombra shielding himself once again. There was a brief sneer on the evil alicorn's face before it turned into a smug grin.

"You never cease to amaze me with your skill. But it's still not enough." As he dropped his shield, Sombra's horn charged a ball of red magic above its tip "This is true magic!!" He exclaimed before firing a massive red beam, to which Starrk quickly moved out of the way as he watched it raze even more of the Everfree forest and part of Ponyville's meadows. Starrk gritted his teeth at the sight.

'Anymore damage and there won't be anything left to defend...' He looked back over at Sombra, who wasn't there, alarming Starrk as he darted his head around. He then looked down to see him flying upward with speed similar to Rainbow Dash, to which he was about to dodge, until Sombra turned into smog and seeped into Starrk's cloud, making it go from a pristine white to jet black as a set of red eyes opened on it.

Starrk distanced himself as the cloud transformed into Sombra once more, who relished in the former espada's morale diminishing with each attack.

"You're very reliant on clouds, I see. But do you think they will even save you now?" Sombra asked rhetorically. Starrk only stared back at Sombra before he decided to blur out with his Sonido once more, surrounding his opponent with more images of himself, much to Sombra's chagrin.

"This again? Have your mistakes taught you nothing?" Sombra asked irritably as he formed another forcefield around himself and making it expand, causing the many images to cease. He then noticed that once again, Starrk was nowhere to be seen as Sombra's shield dissipated.

"Honestly, this is nothing short of an embarrassment to rely on previously futile tactics if it means gaining the upper hoof in this fight!" Sombra darted his head around in annoyance, trying to spot Starrk. A whistling noise was then heard from above, causing Sombra to look up and see an amber blur travelling down at him with tremendous speed and force, impacting against his back and drawing out a roar of pain from the dark king as both Sombra and Starrk hurtled into the ground, making a small crater.

Starrk quickly carried himself out of the crater and let out a deep sigh as he shook off some of the dirt that got onto his coat and looked back at the crater. Even he knew that the battle was far from over despite getting a lucky shot in. He slowly turned around and braced himself for his opponent's recovery.

There was silence before a minor quake, followed by a large pillar of red energy prompted Starrk to jump back into the air as Sombra slowly ascended from the now-widened crater with an expression of tranquil fury on his face.

"Commendable, Coyote Starrk. Very commendable." He said in an even tone before his horn flashed, and Starrk soon found himself immobilized as he was trapped in a red aura. A bead of sweat rolled down his head when he tested his restrained movement, and then noticed how Sombra was now in front of him, his malevolent eyes boring into the former espada.

"As I've said before this futile struggle began: I'm going to show you just how powerless you are..." He uttered darkly as his forehooves lit up with red energy and static.
_____

Twilight and her friends still stood over the unconscious Rainbow Dash, silently hoping that Starrk would be triumphant in his battle with Sombra and that their friend would possibly wake up from ther forced slumber. Meanwhile, the rest of the town were torn between running around in a panic or retreating back into their homes. There were many loud sounds and flashing lights outside of town that caught their attention, but they stayed in Town Square for their own safety despite their curiosity.

"Oh, goodness. Whatever shall we do, everypony?" Rarity asked her friends.

"I'm not sure." Twilight replied instantly as she looked down at Rainbow Dash "If it weren't for our situation, I'd hurry back to the library and find a counterspell for this." She then heaved a sigh "Then again, Sombra casted his spell using the Alicorn Amulet. The last time I tried reversing a spell used by the amulet, it backfired on me."

"Oh yeah, back when Trixie wore th' dang thing." Applejack shook her head "This is a mess Ah never thought we'd be in, y'all. Unless Starrk comes out on top o' this, we could be in fer one hay of a battle ourselves."

"Of course he'll come out on top!" The mares and Spike looked over at Lilynette, who was seen with a glare "Starrk's not one to go down easily, and you all know it!" She kept her glare on the group before it wavered as she hung her head "I know, at least..." Spike stared before smiling at Lilynette.

"You know, Lilynette's right! We shouldn't be feeling so down just yet. Starrk saved us twice, didn't he? Then third time's the charm!" He said encouragingly.

"Where is Starrk?" came a slightly withered voice.

The group, as well as some of the townsfolk, looked over to see Derpy and Dinky approaching the massive crowd. Derpy was seen with some bags in her eyes; a clear indicator that she shed many tears back in her home. Dinky looked less worn, although frowned in worry herself. Lilynette instinctively dashed over and comforted Dinky with a brief nuzzle, which was eagerly returned.

"Is Starrk okay?" Derpy asked, looking around "Where is he?"

"Long story short:" Pinkie piped up "Sparkler was possessed by King Sombra, who managed to not only take the Alicorn Amulet from her, but made a monstrous form of his own, and now him and Starrk are duking it out outside of Ponyville." She summarized with a smile.

"I really hope Coyote's okay." Fluttershy whimpered "King Sombra can be very scary..."

A pillar of red light was seen outside of Ponyville, which brought everypony present to silence. With the faint sounds of strikes, anxiety began building up within the crowd, especially Lilynette.

There was a brief moment of pause before a red light expanded in the middle of Town Square, startling those that were close and driving them to backpedal away as Sombra reappeared with a terrible sight.

Starrk was seen floating in his magical grasp in a battered and prone form, much to the shock of his friends as he weakly glanced with an open eye. Sombra scowled before a toothy smirk graced his features.

"Take a good look, peasants! Bar your precious Elements of Harmony, this is your last sliver of hope you've so desperately clung to! Let this be a reminder to you all not to challenge me or my power!" He bellowed to all of Ponyville before dropping Starrk to the ground. He relished in the sight of terror seen by everypony around him.

Sombra spared one more glance at the many cowering faces surrounding him before noticing the distant image of Canterlot in the mountains. His eyes widened before he grinned maliciously.

"First, I shall make those princesses writhe for my imprisonment. Then I shall make haste to the Crystal Empire and reclaim my throne from those two meddlesome usurpers!" Sombra flapped his wings as he ascended into the sky, looking down at the ponies below "Let it be known that I shall make my dominion known throughout all of Equestria! You shall all bear witness to a new age!" He announced before he took off towards Canterlot, leaving Ponyville behind.

After his image gradually shrunk from view, the townsfolk looked over at Starrk's prone form, feeling saddened by his injuries. Derpy felt more tears welling up in her eyes while she, Sparkler, Dinky, and Lilynette approached him.

"Hey." Lilynette said quietly "Get up. You're better than this and you know it, Starrk." When she got no response, she growled in frustration "I said get up!"

"Starrk, no..." Derpy whimpered as she looked down.

"Mr. Starrk?" Dinky called out as she gently nudged the pegasus. She almost felt like crying with her mother when she was met with silence.

"C'mon, Starrk. You can't go out like this." Sparkler urged as she looked down at Starrk with her family "Everypony's worried about you. I'm worried about you!"

Twilight and her friends looked at Starrk from a distance, and the lavender unicorn hung her head.

"It really can't be the end, can it?" She asked "Are we really about to enter an age of darkness?"

"This battle of ours is not yet through!
There is still plenty for all of us to do!"

Twilight perked up at the sound of Zecora's voice, and she and the other ponies noticed Zecora galloping with saddlebags full of red potions.

"Zecora! Thank Celestia you're still around." Twilight said in relief before looking over at her saddlebags "What are those potions for exactly?" Zecora caught her breath before donning a serious expression.

"I felt the calamity that shook up my hut
And knew that I could not sit in a rut.
Beneath all the strife, I worked unafraid,
To brew many potions to lend you all aid!"

"You really are a sight for sore eyes!" Spike said in a slightly reinvigorated tone "Do you think a potion or two will be enough for Starrk?" The zebra looked over at the battered pegasus evenly before smiling.

"Without a doubt, they shall take effect.
He has a pack that he must protect."

Zecora approached Starrk alongside Derpy's family and inspected his injuries, wincing at each bruise and scar. She then felt two of her potions leave her saddlebag and noticed Sparkler grabbing them with her magic.

"I'm very sorry about this." Sparkler apologized with a concerned look on her face "It's just that he's done so much for my family and Ponyville, that it's just bad to see him like this." Zecora gave a curt nod with a knowing smile before Sparkler opened the potions. Applejack and Big Macintosh carefully lifted Starrk up as he gave a light moan of pain.

"Don't worry, sugarcube. Help is on th' way!" She said with a smile.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh chimed in.

Sparkler carefully poured the first bottle's contents in Starrk's mouth, making sure that he didn't miss a drop. When it was emptied, there was a pause before a sigh escaped Starrk's lips.

"I think it's working." Twilight said as she watched intently "Now let's give him the second one."

Sparkler nodded before preparing the second bottle and feeding it to Starrk with the same care as before. While the scars were still there, the bruises had lessened as Starrk's breathing became more normal. Before long, the former espada tried touching the ground with his legs, prompting Applejack and Big Macintosh to gently set him down.

The townsfolk watched as Starrk picked himself up and unfurled his wings, shaking his head a bit as he took a deep breath. He then brought his head up and opened his eyes at the ponies surrounding him.

"That's weird. I feel a little better." Starrk said calmly. He then noticed the jubilant faces on Derpy, Sparkler, and Dinky before they swarmed him with a group hug.

"You're okay!" They chorused. Starrk's eyes widened as they tightened their grip on him.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" Derpy as her tears rolled down her cheeks "We thought we lost you forever!"

"Please don't leave us, Mr. Starrk!" Dinky added as she nuzzled his chest. Sparkler broke the hug before she smiled as well.

"It really is good to have you back with us again, Starrk. I never got to thank you for saving my flank back there." She said before looking down and pawing at the ground "You really do come through for everypony in the end." While Starrk acknowledged Sparkler's gratitude, he looked around before asking a question.

"Where did he go?" His question prompted Derpy and Dinky to break the hug themselves.

"He said he was going to Canterlot." Lilynette said as she approached Starrk and looked up at him "The other princesses are gonna be toast if we don't get there in time."

Starrk went silent before hanging his head, mulling over his first loss since his battle with Shunsui Kyoraku in his past life. He then proceeded to trot away from Derpy's family, as well as passing the element bearers and Spike. After he distanced himself, he stood for a moment.

"LILYNETTE!!" He shouted for the first time, startling everypony around him, namely the one he called as she dashed over at his side.

"I was nearby the whole time, idiot! You don't have to shout!" The red filly shot back at Starrk before noticing the serious look on his face. It reminded her of the last time the former espada abandoned his reluctant nature and was ready to fight the good fight. She then found herself smiling before hopping onto his back.

"If he thought the you from before was weak, he's gonna be quaking in his shoes when he sees what we can do!" She boasted as she waited for Starrk to use his sonido. Starrk gave a thin smile at Lilynette before looking back at the rest of Ponyville.

"I'm gonna be gone for a while. I might return if things don't get too hairy, but I can't really make promises like this." Starrk said to everypony present.

"You're getting the party of a lifetime when you come back! I hope you know that, Starrky!" Pinkie called out with a grin.

Starrk grimaced slightly before a ghost of a chuckle escaped his lips. He then turned around before Starrk and Lilynette blurred out of existence. The two hollows-turned-ponies were now racing towards the fight of their life.

This time, however, they were ready.

To be continued...

Capitulo Treinta y Ocho

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Capitulo Treinta y Ocho
The Darkness Rises

King Sombra tore through the skies with his mighty wings as he made his flight towards Canterlot, his body coursing with equal amounts of power, and sadistic glee at the thought of not only getting his revenge on those that had wronged him, but taking his rightful place as ruler of Equestria. He never realized that in such a short time of planning, he had managed to regain so much power along with a stable body to contain it in.

A part of him wanted to fly straight to the castle and make the princesses squirm, but he also wanted to feed off of the fear of his future subjects and slaves and give them all a proper view of his terrifying appearance. He grinned menacingly when he noticed the many citizens instantly looking up at him descending into the heart of Canterlot, and they all stood frozen with fear as he laid his hooves onto the pavement. He looked around at the many widened eyes in his surroundings before silently making for the castle in a regal stride, leaving behind a trail of small dark crystals. He was pleased when the two noble ponies blocking his path quickly moved out of his way as he made his stroll.

Sombra kept his eyes forward as he passed by each civilian, then noticed that two guards stood up ahead, currently unaware of the tyrant's presence. The moment they turned to face him, their eyes widened before they pointed their spears at the dark stallion.

"Halt!" The one on the left said, with faint fear in his voice. Sombra only sneered at the one who spoke before passing them both. They gawked before they tried to appear intimidating again.

"He said halt, sir! Stay where you are!" The other one shouted as the two pointed their spears again. They flinched as Sombra's head slowly turned to look back at them from the side, his red eye giving off a baleful glow.

"I needn't deign to heed the demands of mongrels like you. Bother me again and you will regret it. This, I promise..." He finished grimly before facing away and continuing his trek towards the castle.

The guards behind him were frozen with fear and indecision on how to confront their new enemy. On one hoof, they could almost feel the power that exuded from his being, as well as noticing the crystals left in his wake, but they couldn't just let such a fiend reach the castle. Summoning all the courage they could muster, they let out a battlecry before galloping towards Sombra. They stopped instantly when his body was covered in red static.

"You have been warned...I shall use you two as an example for my rule." Sombra proclaimed without facing the guards as his horn glowed. The guards behind him screamed before they found themselves entrapped in large dark crystals, their faces paralyzed in fear. With his work done, Sombra continued towards the castle unabated as screams were heard behind him.
_____

Celestia sat on her throne with a stoic expression on her face while Luna paced back and forth in front of the steps leading to the dais. Shining Armor and Cadence stood together as they glanced at the other princesses, feeling concerned themselves. After a time, Luna grunted before stomping a hoof.

"This feels wrong! I know they're a formidable defense, but must we place our faith in the Elements of Harmony and nopony else? We haven't received word on their success or not ever since we delivered the elements as of yesterday. We must assist our friends at once!" Luna said with mild impatience and fury.

"Luna, while I share your sentiment on the matter, you do realize that it's out of our hooves." Celestia replied calmly before looking down at Luna "Just as Twilight and her friends have Ponyville, we have to protect Canterlot from any danger, as well. You know we cannot risk any widespread panic in our city."

"But this is far larger than we had realized! If our mysterious assailant hasn't already made their move, then there is still time to go back and aid our friends!" Luna shot back, feeling anxiety slowly take over her mind.

"We should just remember that Coyote Starrk is with them." Cadence piped up with a reassuring smile "If his past feats were any indication, then I would feel at ease knowing that Twilight and her friends shall be successful in their endeavor."

Just then, the throne room's doors burst open to reveal a galloping guard, who looked as if he had just escaped from a dragon's cave. His frightened appearance earned the rapt attention of the four rulers present.

"Your majesties! Terrible news!" He said before catching his breath "There is a powerful intruder at the castle gates! He-" The guard faltered before continuing "He claims to be King Sombra!" The name alone was enough to shock the other four ponies.

"Impossible..." Cadence uttered "We defeated him not too long ago at the Crystal Empire. How is it that he's still alive!?"

Celestia, herself, could not believe what was said, either. Recovering from her own shock, she narrowed her eyes and pointed at the guard.

"Go to your fellow guards and order them to fall back at once! Under no circumstances are any of you going to fight him!" Celestia shouted authoritatively. The guard instinctively bowed before he went to rush off.

"Wait!" All eyes were on Shining Armor, who donned a look of determination as he trotted up next to the guard "I'm going with you. I refuse to stand idly by if what you're saying is true."

"Shining Armor?" Cadence said incredulously before galloping to him and placing her forehooves on his shoulder "You can't! You know what happened last time, didn't you? You were lucky to still be with us..." Her husband stared back at her firmly

"Somepony's gotta make sure the guards are safe. Besides..." A smile graced his lips as his gaze softened "What kind of husband would I be if I didn't protect my wife?" He asked, to which Cadence tried to answer back until she realized how serious Shining Armor was about his decision. She stared into his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and then gave her husband a small kiss on the lips.

"Please be careful." She urged curtly, earning a nod from Shining Armor before he galloped off with the guard.

Shining Armor himself could not fathom the supposed claim that King Sombra had been revived. He knew how powerful his enemy was back then, but he also knew that as a soldier, a prince, and a husband, he had to do his part to protect the ponies in danger.

Upon reaching the vestibule with the guard next to him, they gazed upon several other guards backing away while trying to appear brave in the face of the large stallion that stood in front of the open doors. Shining Armor widened his eyes.

'So it's true. But he looks more different from last time.' He thought to himself. He gritted his teeth before he barked out to the other ponies "Fall back!" The guards instantly looked back to see Shining Armor taking command, murmuring to themselves until he shouted again "Fall back! This is an order from Princess Celestia!"

The gathered guards reflexively complied and retreated away from King Sombra, who appeared bored at first before getting a better look at the pony that commanded them. A malicious grin graced his features when he figured out who it was.

"Ah, one of the usurpers of my precious empire. If the other one is with you, then perhaps my dominion will spread quicker than I had previously thought..." He chuckled as he began trotting forward into the castle, causing more crystals to form on the floor. Meanwhile, Shining Armor got into a stance as his horn began to glow.

"Not another step, you monster! I don't know how you've managed to survive back at the Crystal Empire, but we'll see to it that you'll be stopped!" He called out valiantly, only to elicit a look of deadpan from Sombra.

"Must you always play the brave knight?" The dark king sniffed "If I recall, you've rarely measured up in our last encounter. Even then, leaving you alive that time was an act of mercy..."

"I'll make sure you regret that, along with showing your face here in Canterlot!" Shining Armor shot back as he leapt onto one of the railings from the stairs, sliding down before lunging at Sombra with a magic beam at the ready. When he got near, he was about to fire it, only to notice how dark, yet clear the environment around him became, along with his movement being halted instantly. He felt his energy receding as he glared at Sombra's bored expression, and noticed how he stepped past him.

Shining Armor tried to move, then shifted his eyes down at a small bank of crystals below him that stood in front of the large crystal that he found himself encased in. His heart sunk from not only his second loss with Sombra, but from the thought of the grim fate that awaited his beloved wife.
_____

Sombra moved along the marble floors, smiling at the thought of being so close towards the next step of his glorious conquest. His smile could only widen when he came across a pair of large and ornate doors that lead to his desired destination. With a touch of his magic, he swiftly flung the doors open and entered inside the throne room.

The princesses instantly recognized Sombra upon his entrance, and they got into stances as he approached them. The dark king could only snort at their display as the tension between them grew thick.

"It has been a while, Celestia, Luna." He cast a baleful glance upon the mentioned ponies before looking over at Cadence with a monstrous grin "And you have the other usurper with you. Splendid. I am pleased to have you all here right now..."

"King Sombra..." Celestia noted with hostility.

"Sister, he is very different than from when we last saw him." Luna said to Celestia while sizing up Sombra's appearance. Her eyes widened as she noticed the Alicorn Amulet that rested on his neck "It can't be! So it was you who caused all of this!?"

"And for good reason." Sombra replied instantly, before he was surrounded by an aura of his own power "I would have never gotten this body of mine without the help of the many ponies I've possessed up to this time. That short moment I spent in Tartarus was no different from the millennium that I spent in that icy prison you wenches cast me into!" He spat out his last sentence venomously.

"Even then, it was too good for a monster like you!" Luna shot back as her horn glowed along with Celestia's and Cadence's "We've banished you before, and with the help of our niece, we shall do so again!" This elicited a small chuckle from Sombra as his power slightly grew.

"By all means, try..." He uttered maliciously as he took a step forward with an evil smile. The princesses took to the air before simultaneously blasting beams of magic down at Sombra. A red forcefield instantly surrounded him as the beams collided, drawing a grunt from his lips as he recognized their respective power. His smile remained as he held his ground and simply looked back up at the princesses while they continued their attack.

With a growl, Sombra's forcefield expanded, forcing the three beams back at the princesses and temporarily stunning them before he cancelled his magic and took to the air. From there, he decided to target Cadence and slammed into her in a fierce aerial strike. Her breath escaped from her lungs as her back collided with one of the throne room's columns, causing several cracks to form behind her. Sombra kept a mighty hoof on the princess of love as she squirmed in his grasp.

"I'm certain you're dying to know what has become of your mate, yes?" Cadence's squirming stopped instantly as Sombra regarded her shock with dark amusement "He really was a valiant pony, if not foolish, thinking that he could stand in my way when my power can only grow." His horn began to glow brightly, and Cadence could feel the power radiating from it while he continued "Neither of you ingrates are even fit to rule the Crystal Empire when you can barely measure up to me-"

Sombra suddenly snarled in pain as he felt two beams tear through his cape and seer into his back. He glared behind him to see both Celestia and Luna recovered and glaring back at him, ready to continue their fight. The dark king then scoffed before he spared a taunting glance at Cadence.

"Feel free to check on your pathetic excuse for a husband." He said as he harsly tossed the shocked princess down to the floor before focusing his attention on Celestia and Luna "As for you two, I believe it is time for you both to receive proper comeuppance for your ancient misdeed..."

The two princesses rushed at the tyrant, who had met their assault with a large red beam, only for both of them to quickly dodge away as it tore through the castle walls. They then simultaneously fired more magic beams at Sombra, who took the full brunt of the combined attack in the chest. They both noticed with widened eyes at how there was a tiny, yet focused shield suddenly covering the Alicorn Amulet, then quickly nodded to each other before maneuvering about across the air while Sombra growled and tried hitting them with several arcs of magic.

Celestia and Luna narrowly dodged each attack before breaking off into two different directions, with Luna flying low as Celestia nearly reached the ceiling of the throne room. Both opted to conserve their magic not only in recognition of their enemy's power, but for biding their time before finding the opportune moment to strike. Luna quickly flew under Sombra and shot a quick beam under his belly, avoiding a red ball of magic that damaged the floor below. Meanwhile, Celestia circled the dark king from above, as if she were a vulture preying on their victim while he was distracted.

From what she had silently confirmed with Luna ever since their earlier attack, Celestia knew she only had one chance at a decisive attack on Sombra. She also knew that the Alicorn Amulet, while a wellspring of limitless power, was not indestructible, if the tyrant's earlier shield was anything to go by.

Quietly biding her time as Luna proved to be more of a hindrance to Sombra on her own, Celestia kept a keen vigil on her desired target as she gathered copious amounts of magic onto her horn. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead as she readied her attack while squinting her eyes at the amulet.

'This is it...It's now or never!' Celestia thought to herself before she shot a thin, yet focused beam of magic that travelled quicker than any of her previous attacks. It was hard to contain her excitement as she not only caught Sombra off-guard, but managed to connect her attack with the Alicorn Amulet. Celestia's beam carried Sombra down to the floor as his harsh landing kicked up a cloud of dust.

Celestia and Luna hovered over their enemy and steeled themselves for any and all surprises. As the dust settled, Sombra effortlessly got up from the floor and leered up at the princesses before grinning.

"Did you really think a shot of luck would be enough to tip the scales in your favor?" Sombra taunted as he brushed himself off "And here I thought you both grew wiser throughout the centuries we spent apart..."

Though Celestia and Luna expected such a quick recovery, they peered their eyes towards the Alicorn Amulet. Sombra was too arrogant to realize that between Luna's distraction and Celestia's attack, they had managed to make the tiniest crack in the amulet. It was no cause for celebration, however, as they knew that repeating the same maneuver would not only be tedious, but easily predictable.

"Perhaps it is best to cut to the chase..." Sombra grinned devilishly "You can either continue your suffering here or spare yourselves the humiliation and bend your knees to me. The decision is yours to make."

"We will never bow to you!" Celestia stated firmly with resolve. Luna nodded in agreement as she stood alongside her sister. Sombra, for his part, merely snorted at the meager display of bravado.

"Very well. Far be it from me to not finish what I've started. Though, perhaps I should go check on the usurpers and have them join in your pai-" He snarled as he suddenly felt another concentrated beam towards his chest, though it belonged to neither Celestia or Luna as they stared with widened eyes. Sombra looked down to see that the hardly noticable crack on his amulet became more visible, much to his surprise and fury. His baleful eyes met with an equally furious gaze as Cadence stood with her horn glowing, her previous shock replaced with conviction.

"For what you did to Shining Armor...For what you did to those close to me. I'll never forgive you!" Cadence said as she readied herself for another beam. Sombra let off a somewhat bestial growl at the princess.

"As if I seek the forgiveness of a pitiful wretch like you!" Sombra charged his horn and fired a beam at Cadence, prompting her to fly up with her aunts. The three alicorns were then joined by their enemy as he stared them all down "You all merely delay the inevitable outcome. It matters not if you've succeeded in attacking me, your efforts are meaningless." A red aura surrounded Sombra as his grin returned.

"In case you've forgotten, while your magic is in decline, my own continues to grow. My power has not only toppled your precious Elements of Harmony, but has crippled your celebrated champion Coyote Starrk!" All three princesses felt their hearts sink upon his boasting.

"No...Coyote Starrk has fallen?" Celestia uttered to herself.

"It cannot be!" Luna chimed in, not so quick to accept the cold truth.

"No way..." Cadence added before she tried to steel her resolve.

"There it is: The look of despair in your eyes I've longed to see." Sombra said as he relished his enemies' reactions "It is laughable that you rely on such flimsy defenses while you bask in your own decadence and preach this friendship nonsense to your subjects." His horn lit up as he stared death into the alicorns "But worry not...They shall be guided by a real ruler soon."

A mighty arc of red lightning shot out of Sombra's horn and instantly enveloped all of the princesses as they screamed in pain. He kept up his attack while he reveled in their anguish, wanting to draw out their suffering as long as possible.

To be continued...

Capitulo Treinta y Nueve

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Captiulo Treinta y Nueve
A Coyote and his Cub

Canterlot was in mass panic after Sombra's appearance had sunk in, combined with the ominous red light seen from the city. Every pony present either ran around screaming, or hid away in any available spot and waited for the worst possible outcome. Many colts and fillies cried as their families attempted to escort them to any safe haven they could find, while others considered evacuating the cities.

A sound of booming static was drowned out by the ensuing pandemonium as Starrk and Lilynette looked down at Canterlot from the sky. The former maintained his stoic expression, but was nevertheless unsettled by the image below him, while Lilynette was torn between anger and a faint sense of empathy.

"Normally, I wouldn't care about what's going on down there, but this is bad, Starrk..." Lilynette piped up in an uncharacteristically serious tone.

"Me neither." Starrk responded curtly "Let's just do what we came here to do and be done with it. The sooner we move past this mess, the better." Starrk scanned the city, until his eyes trailed over to the palace, where he caught red light trailing from the distant windows. He narrowed his eyes at the sight "Hang on, Lilynette. We're going in." The espada went to perform his sonido...

"Wait!"

Starrk arched eyebrow at Lilynette's sudden protest, to which the filly pointed towards a nearby cloud, a devious smirk on her face.

"If we're gonna fight this guy again, then why don't we make an entrance?"

Normally, Starrk would brush off such a suggestion, but after remembering just how strong his opponent was, and the severity of the situation overall, he figured that collateral damage won't be too much of an issue, so long as the job is done.
___

Celestia, Luna, and Cadence all continued to scream and writhe under King Sombra's overwhelming power, much to the latter's enjoyment. He wished to ensure that his enemies do not give out instantly, so that he may never grow bored of their torment. Their continued anguish served as music to his ears, and Sombra couldn't find more satisfaction aside from his impending domination of Equestria, giving off a triumphant laugh as he gradually increased his power over the princesses.

Despite the notable distress they were in, the princesses tried their best to endure the powerful magic that coursed through their bodies. Celestia cracked open an angry eye at Sombra as he stood tall over her.

"Y-...Y-You haven't won yet...So-..." Celestia uttered, trailing off after attempting to say the dark king's name. Her remark earned a grin of amusement from her tormentor.

"Defiant to the end, hm? Admirable, if not laughable. You fail to realize that your elements and your champion have fallen. And yet, you obviously do not approve of your current position..." He cast a spell on both Luna and Cadence that kept them in place on the ground while Celestia was freed from her suffering. Confused, she lifted herself up to stand, although bit back the pain she had accrued from Sombra, who stood tall over her with his nose in the air.

"What is the meaning of this, Sombra?" Celestia demanded with growing confusion at this sudden gesture.

"While your suffering brings me great joy, know that I'm not without mercy." He lowered his gaze to face Celestia with a grin "I can ease the torment of you and your peers, provided you do as I ask..." His grin widened "Bow to me..."

Celestia could not believe the unmitigated gall of the monster in front of her. One moment, she was suffering with her family under the cruel hoof of an ancient enemy, and now she was briefly spared from her fate to not only have said enemy gloat at her, but make a petty demand, as well.

She wouldn't have it. Celestia was undoubtedly aware of the burden placed on herself from both her failure as a ruler and her latest defeat in battle, but she refused to give Sombra the full satisfaction of his victory. She responded to Sombra in earnest with a proper glare.

"I will do no such thing." Celestia stated firmly "You are undeserving of reverence from myself or anypony else." Sombra's grin was slowly replaced with a snarl.

"You are clearly hard of hearing, so I shall repeat myself once more: Bow to me." Sombra said with waning patience.

"Never." Celestia spat back, unfazed by Sombra's intimidating appearance.

Baring his sharp teeth, Sombra drew his head back in an angry roar before siezing Celestia in a magical grip and flinging her into several walls around the audience chamber. Luna and Cadence watched in horror and silence as their fellow princess was tossed around, hearing her pained grunts wherever she had landed, until she was finally tossed onto the backrest of her throne, slumping onto her cushion as she gasped for air. She shakingly looked down to see an irate Sombra approach her with his horn growing a malignant red.

"I tire of your arrogance, Celestia! BOW TO ME!" His voice echoed in the chamber as he stomped a hoof onto the floor, causing a large indent.

Though pain was felt through her entire frame, Celestia wobbled onto her legs before standing tall in front of her throne, heedless of her current condition and the outcome that was to follow her action. The very sight both inspired Luna and Cadence and infuriated Sombra as he let off a growl.

"Though my subjects panic, though my sister and niece share my pain, on my honor as a princess, I will never bow to you!" Celestia proclaimed as she leered down at the tyrant in front of her. The glow on Sombra's horn grew brighter.

"Then know that your suffering shall be perpetual, and of the highest intensity possible." He uttered darkly as he readied a beam of magic. Before he could continue with his torment on the princesses, he noticed a glowing shade of blue to his left. He slowly looked over to see an approaching light behind a stained glass window, only for a wide blue beam to pierce through the wall and engulf Sombra, passing through the opposite wall on the other side. The very sight shocked all three princesses.

When the beam dissipated, the dust settled to reveal a familiar pegasus resting his hooves on a cloud with a red unicorn filly on his back, both with fierce looks in their eyes. Celestia looked on in shock before a small smile graced her muzzle.

"Starrk..." She whispered in awe and relief.

Despite the cero's power, Sombra stood unfazed by the blast and regarded his offender with a sneer.

"I crush you under my boot, only for you to recover and pester me once more? You're no more a stallion than you are a loathsome cockroach. You've no business here, Coyote Starrk."

"As far as I know, we're not finished." Starrk replied coolly "In fact, I've yet to show you my true power, as opposed to what you've witnessed of me earlier." Sombra arched an eyebrow before smirking at the former espada.

"Oh? And I'm to believe you would measure up to me if you're to give it your all?" Sombra asked tauntingly.

"He'll topple you and then some, you Barragan wannabe!!" Lilynette spat towards Sombra, who merely snorted at her outburst.

"And what if I were to humor your request to show me your power? Will you actually bring entertainment fit for a king?" He asked Starrk, who narrowed his eyes.

"Let's take this to the skies outside of this place, so no one can get in the way." Starrk requested curtly, to which Sombra grinned maliciously.

"Practical, and yet you must harbor a fondness to hide your shame from others." He quipped in amusement "Very well, I'll indulge you in your little request...But upon my second triumph, I'll bring back only your head, and your example - along with my rule - shall be absolute."

Starrk wordlessly nodded and stepped aside, gesturing Sombra to go first. With a quiet chuckle, Sombra merely trotted past Starrk and Lilynette, sparing them a brief glance before extending his large, tattered dragon wings. Lilynette stuck her tongue out at the tyrant before he flew out of the castle. After a period of time, the spells that bound Luna and Cadence had faded out, and both groaned in pain as they moved. Celestia moved to join the others, although her own pain eventually caught up with her.

The former espada watched the three of them with mild concern, despite his aloof expression. However, his worries towards the princesses vanished, as he was certain they would recover, provided he succeeded. Looking back towards the opening, he spread his own wings and went to follow Sombra.

"Starrk, wait!"

Celestia's voice managed to halt Starrk in his tracks as he and Lilynette looked back at the urgent faces behind him, notably the one who called for him.

"Sombra may be powerful, but it is only because of the Alicorn Amulet. By destroying it, you may gain the upper hoof, but it won't be easy." She took a deep breath before she gazed firmly at Starrk in determination "I know of the power that dwells inside of you. I beseech you on behalf of all of Equestria to put it to use and put an end to Sombra."

"Just leave it to us!" Lilynette said proudly before Starrk could even respond. He decided to leave on her words, since they were both thinking the same thing. Blurring out of existence with his sonido, Starrk made his way to Sombra.

"Starrk is alive...I cannot believe it!" Luna said in shock before biting back a groan of pain.

"Does this mean there may be a chance, after all?" Cadence asked her adoptive aunts. Celestia closed her eyes in a pause before turning to the first hole made by Starrk.

"If there is any chance whatsoever, it's all up to Starrk, Lilynette, and their combined efforts."
_____

Sombra patiently waited as he hovered in the air outside of Canterlot. He was inwardly annoyed that he had to be kept waiting after his opponent made a predictable request. After hearing a sound of booming static, however, he grinned eagerly, feeling his patience was rewarded.

Hovering a small distance away from Sombra was Starrk and Lilynette, both sporting the same fierce looks as before. There was a tense silence between the three before Sombra saw fit to break it.

"Well? You've already dug your own grave with this trifle of a request; show me your power, so that we may begin our battle." Sombra called out to them.

Starrk and Lilynette shared a look and nodded, the latter smirking before a hoof was placed on her head. She closed her eyes and surged with a blue aura before instantly teleporting, much to Sombra's mild surprise.

"What's this? Sending your filly away with teleportation? Very impressi-" Before he could finish his snark, his eyes widened as he felt a significant surge of power other than his own.

"Kick about! Los Lobos!"

Before his eyes, Stark was instantly engulfed in a large pillar of blue light. Sombra briefly shielded his eyes from the irritable brightness before managing to looking on in shock and confusion 'This light...Is this the same light I've witnessed from the apothecary's hut?'

The pillar gave way to smoke, which cleared to reveal Starrk in his alicorn form. Sombra's jaw dropped at the sight "What!? You were capable of a fusion spell this entire time?"

"Less of a fusion and more of becoming whole again." Starrk replied curtly before instantly appearing in front of Sombra, who felt the full brunt of the former espada's power just by basking in his presence. Sombra's confusion slowly turned into respect as he slowly distanced himself. Starrk managed to catch the Alicorn Amulet worn on Sombra's chest and noticed an unfamiliar crack on the gem. He deduced that the princesses may have been involved with the damage.

"I'm impressed, Coyote. Not many can hope to match my power with or without my precious amulet..." He complimented before his horn began to glow "However, you fail to realize that the power within my amulet is infinite. In time, I won't be just a king...I'll be a god." Starrk bore a flat expression upon Sombra's words.

"You really are like Barragan..." He said before closing the distance again and striking Sombra in the chest with a speed not even the king could fathom, sending him back more as he recovered with anger. Starrk noticed the crack on the amulet grow.

"I'll shall show you the ever-increasing gap in our strength, you worm. Perhaps you deserve more than just a taste of my dark magic!" He said before shooting a large beam at Starrk, who dodged with ease before his own horn glowed. The large beam traveled along the horizon before vanishing in the distance.

"Colmillo."

Two small blue orbs appeared on either side of Starrk before manifesting into blades of energy. He disappeared from sight, leading to Sombra quickly protecting himself with a magical forcefield. Copious slashes littered the shield from nearly all directions without pause. Starrk reappeared in front of Sombra with a patient glare on his face, while the latter sneered in contempt.

"It will take more than shoddy weaponry to faze me..." Sombra said before his shield and its energy gathered into a large orb in front of him. It grew in size before it became a vicious-looking death scythe floating next to him. "This is a weapon."

Starrk said nothing in response before he engaged Sombra again in earnest. The two alicorns repeatedly clashed with their respective magic weapons at a blinding speed, soaring across the skies in flashes of red and blue. Starrk felt mildly frustrated when he couldn't find a single opening to pierce at the amulet throughout his clash with Sombra, though he knew it was not going to be easy to begin with. Sombra growled as he went in for a sweep with his scythe, prompting Starrk to back away before quickly aiming a blade and lunging in at the tyrant's chest.

Only to strike a compact forcefield that surrounded the amulet.

A grunt escaped Starrk's lips before he effortlessly escaped another swipe of Sombra's scythe. There was a pause before Sombra scoffed at his opponent's subtle confusion.

"You think I'm a fool? That shot from earlier told me enough about your goal in this fight." Sombra leered before smirking "I should commend you for your brazen attempt at trying to gain the upper hoof, but I hope you realize now that your little challenge is nothing more than an exercise in futility..."

Starrk only glared back, thinking of the best way to distract Sombra long enough to lower his guard.

"Who cares what you think, you blowhard!?" Starrk and Sombra caught the voice of Lilynette coming from the former's horn "This isn't the first time we were met with a strong opponent! Keep talking big and see where that gets you!" While annoying in other situations, Starrk found himself invigorated by Lilynette's words.

"My, what a charming little parlor trick. Will that horn of yours keep talking if I were to rip it from your head?" Sombra asked jokingly.

"Do you ever stop talking?" Starrk shot back before getting in a stance. Laughter echoed into the sky as Sombra followed suit.

"You never cease to amuse me, dwindling power notwithstanding. Very well, let's continue..." Sombra grinned as the shield around his amulet continued to glow. The two resumed their battle, painting the skies with their clashing power. Their spectacle drew even the citizens of Canterlot, who looked up in a mixture of fear, awe, and confusion.

Starrk's frustration began to grow as he kept his eyes on Sombra and his amulet while trading off attacks with him, but then he realized something important as he remembered what was channeling the magic to begin with. He spared a mental facepalm as he drew back in the air from another scythe attack, and then aimed for Sombra's chest again with one of his Colmillo.

"Have your mistakes taught you nothing!?" Sombra asked aggressively before Starrk lunged in. After noticing his enemy was focused entirely on himself, Starrk brought up his other blade to quickly swipe at Sombra's horn, managing to not only leave a mark, but draw out a pained roar from him.

Upon seeing the shield on the Alicorn Amulet give out, Starrk took the opportunity to give two large slashes at the amulet, then gave himself a wide berth after avoiding a rage-filled attack. He was pleased to find the amulet with more noticeable damage, and to a lesser extent, a visible scar on Sombra's horn. Starrk watched as the dark king bared his fangs a bestial expression of anger.

"Very clever..." Sombra hissed vehemently after inspecting his scathed amulet "I'm certain you feel quite good about actually managing to get more attacks in."

"Damn right, we do! Even the strongest enemies have a weakness!" Lilynette piped up proudly. Sombra growled before he paused, then slowly showed a diabolical grin.

"Very true...Perhaps I should follow your example and exploit your own weakness, or rather...remind you of it." Sombra replied deviously before flying at Starrk with his scythe, which collided with Starrk's Colmillo as they were pushing at each other. As they were doing so, Sombra let off a laugh as both his horn and eyes glowed a malignant red.

Starrk's eyes widened briefly before he pushed Sombra back and went to slice him. However, the moment his blade connected, he noticed that Sombra had vanished into a black smoke. The former espada darted his head all around and noticed how the blue sky was slowly turning red while a familiar evil laugh resounded from all directions.

"As I thought..." Sombra's voice echoed as Starrk looked around slowly, trying to pinpoint his location "Though your power is commendable, it would seem you have already forgotten what I am capable of! Do you not remember our previous encounter back at that insignificant hamlet you call a home? That is, before I chose to abandon my vessel?" After the last question, Starrk cursed himself upon the realization.

'He's playing mind games again...' Starrk thought to himself 'What could he possibly do this time?' As he continued lookng around the reddened sky, he suddenly felt dirt and grass on his hooves. Looking down, Starrk noticed that he was now standing on the ground. He tried to keep his composure while he scoured his surroundings in anticipation of what was to come.

A collective of painful moans caught his ears, and Starrk looked back to see his friends from Ponyville within his radius laying on the ground and slowly dying. His eyes widened when he remembered that his power was overwhelming to average ponies and went to distance himself, only to find that his hooves remained planted to the ground. Starrk looked back down to see that his hooves were encased in what appeared to be dark crystals that held him in place.

"Starrk, what's happening!? Why is our pack here!? They're gonna die!" Lilynette's voice panicked as the scene played out. Starrk felt his heart sink when he realized that Lilynette wasn't privy to Sombra's dark illusions. He tried to channel magic to destroy the crystals, but his horn seemed inactive as he heard his friends dying.

The former espada resorted to struggle in his newfound bonds as he tried to keep his composure, and even desired to tell Lilynette to calm down, but it was hard between her continued panicking and the illusion appearing very convincing due to the reinforced magic behind it. Through desperation, Starrk managed to wrestle himself out of the crystals and quickly bolt to the sky. After reaching what he felt to be a safe altitude, Starrk looked below, only to find apparent whiteness. He could only wonder if he was free from Sombra's tricks.

However, Starrk's mind raced when he saw a familiar humanoid form in front of him, though he couldn't make out his eyes hidden in shadow.

"Black!"

It was all Starrk heard before he felt a deep cut on his arrancar form.
_____

Sombra cackled triumphantly as he watched his victim appear frozen with glowing and widened eyes. Starrk twitched sporadically with gritted teeth while Sombra kept him in the air with his magic.

"I must say that this battle was much more fun than our last one, despite the inevitable outcome." Sombra said to Starrk, despite his entranced state "It is rare for me to find an adversary that can last longer than anypony I have encountered prior to this moment. I'd think you'd even bring the princesses to heel, if ever the mood struck you. Nevertheless, I believe this little farce is at an end." Sombra's scythe floated dangerously towards Starrk's neck "Now, I believe I said that I would bring back only your head. I'm sure I'll find a good place for it on my wall..."

To be continued...