I apologize for the length of this chapter. There's a lot to cover in this entry though. Hey, at least now you know I'm serious about being back, right?

*Not to be confused with the Persona 5 character of the same name.

Starlight remembered this song… but where…? So sad… yet empowering too…

Right… when she was in that room… with…

Starlight opened her eyes suddenly, and found that she was in a familiar place, one that she’d been waiting to come back to. Just like 6 months ago, she was in a large dark blue office/elevator, and just as it was then two figures were before her. A man with long silver hair and yellow eyes, and the other being a man in a nice suit with a balding head, blood shot eyes, the longest nose ever (she wondered if it would hurt his feelings if she noticed it) and the creepiest smile that was somehow reassuring at the same time.

“Welcome, to the Velvet Room,” Igor said to Starlight, just like when they met the first time. At first she wondered if he remembered her, but he then gave a light hearted chuckle, “You took a much more typical means of coming here this time, but most reserve this for their first trip, not their second. How have you been, Miss Glimmer?”

He… remembered her? Starlight was overcome with emotion that she didn’t even understand. All of a sudden, she couldn’t hold in her tears. She remembered that this place was safe, and suddenly she felt that this might have been the safest place in the whole world.

“You came…” Starlight sobbed, eyes down toward her lap, “Just like you said… you came to help me.”

“Of course I did,” Igor said, “You signed the contract, thus you and I are now partners. Besides, you are still the most intriguing guest I’ve seen in a long time.”

“Master, may I?” Victor said, Igor nodding to him, “We felt you close by, and the Master requested that I bring you to this space so you could gather yourself. He has truly taken an invested interest in you.”

Starlight was really touched to hear that. While she did get the sense she wasn’t the first person to be in this room, nor would she be the last, from what Victor said it sounded like Igor was taking a much more hands on approach to her than his other guests. Was she special or something? Also, what did they mean that she was close by?

“How close to this place was I?” Starlight asked after calming down.

“Do you remember what I told you before?” Igor asked, “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Most of my guests enter this room either from special places I designate for safe entry, or from within their dreams. The latter is easier, and is how I typically summon someone when I have need to.

“You have learned how to enter and exit the dreamscape at will, through the use of your Channeling Ring. It’s highly possible you would have eventually found this place again on your own had you searched the dream realm enough,” Igor gave another jovial chuckle, “That would have been truly interesting to see.”

He must really find humans fascinating, Starlight thought to herself. It was like nothing phased him at all. Anything that would have essentially “rocked the boat” was counted as yet another new experience to learn from. That was a mindset that a lot of people could learn from.

“Thank you for saving me again…” Starlight said looking down, her thoughts now going to her roommate. On instinct she tightened her fists on her lap, and felt another wave of tears forming, this time not of relief or happiness though.

“You’re worried about your friend, aren’t you?” Igor said, his voice gentle and understanding, “You have nothing to regret. That situation caught you off guard. Anyone would have run away had they been in the same position.”

He was talking about Beatrix. They weren’t exactly friends yet, and Beatrix was determined to push her away, but that didn’t matter to Starlight too much right now.

“Is she… going to be okay?” Starlight asked Igor. The way he closed his eyes and looked down, his hands completely covered his mouth, which gave him a shockingly grave expression.

“For the time being, yes, she will live. But I will not mince words with you, Miss Glimmer. If nothing is done for her soon, she will die.”

Starlight’s eyes widened in horror. Her heart was racing at the thought of her roommate dying due to-

Due to a dream…

“Oh no…” Starlight said, breathing a bit heavier as the realization came over her, accompanied by a truly existential fear, “She’s… she can’t be…”

“Your friend’s heart is trapped in a nightmare of her own making, one that she doesn’t have the strength to escape from alone,” Igor explained, “These prisons of the heart we’ve taken to calling them “Dungeons”.”

Dungeons? That sounded really ominous from the name alone.

“The heart is the source of all dreams,” Victor explained, “Most believe that they come from the mind, but in reality it is the state of one’s heart and emotions that give form to their dreams.”

“Naturally, this is also where nightmares come from,” Igor added, “When one’s heart is in turmoil, it is reflected in their dreams as such. One could say that dreams reflect the way one views their reality.”

Starlight nodded, somehow making sense of all of this.

“So from there,” Igor continued, “What do you think would happen to someone who’s reality has become more of a prison? One that they truly have accepted they can’t escape from.”

If someone viewed their reality as a prison, one that they had no escape from, then that would manifest in their dreams as well. Probably as a terrible nightmare also with no escape. But… would that be enough for them to become literally trapped in their own dream?

“Your confusion is understandable,” Igor continued, “While nightmares are common, and at times necessary, what’s happening to your friend is not natural. Her life is truly in grave danger.”

HELP ME! PLEASE!

NO! DON’T LET ME LEAVE! YOU HAVE TO STOP ME!

Starlight started trembling. She didn’t know for sure, but she had this terrible feeling. Like… like Beatrix’s heart was screaming for help, and that she had been the one to hear it.

Possibly the only one too…

“She wants me to save her…” Starlight said, looking down at her lap.

“Do you wish to save your friend?” Igor asked.

She nodded, saying that she did want to save Beatrix. But… what could she do? She didn’t have any power! Yes, she had a few magic abilities, but none of them were good for fighting, and there was an entire army of monsters in there! She was just one girl! What could she…?

“It’s okay that you’re afraid,” Igor said comfortingly, “Acknowledging one’s fear is the first step to overcoming it. However… I’m afraid that you’re wrong about not having any power.”

Wait… what?

“I’ve seen many guests in my time, young men and women much like yourself. They find themselves in a situation where they need power, and call on the strength of their own heart. When they do, that power answers their call and takes form,” Igor adjusted his hands, “The fact that you’re here in this room is evidence enough that you have the same power.”

“Master, if I may?” Victor asked before speaking, “When you saw the state of your friends heart, did you hear a voice that sounded much like your own?”

Starlight nodded, remembering that dark, almost hate filled voice. It sounded almost exactly like her own voice, but she’d never say or think anything like that… would she?

“You have nothing to fear,” Victor continued, “That voice was your inner self. A side of you that you lock away, but still you fundamentally.”

“The power is within you,” Igor continued, “When you need it, it will be available to you. When you call for it, It will answer you. For now though, return to the waking world. Do not fret, and do not let the worry of your friend weigh you down. Take this day to decide what you will do. The answer you seek may come from an unlikely source, but it will fill you with the courage you need to face your inner self. Until then.”

With that, Starlight’s vision became wavy, and the Velvet Room faded away, as if it was never there to begin with.

end song

September 3^rd, 2019
Monday
Sunny

Morning

Starlight opened her eyes again, this time in a soft bed. She sat up and stretched, thinking back to the dream that she had last night. To call it a dream wasn’t entirely accurate though. It was a nightmare. Beatrix’s nightmare.

Beatrix…

Starlight turned to the other bed, where she saw her roommate stir a bit before slowly opening her eyes. As Beatrix sat up in her bed, Starlight’s eyes fell to her back, which had red marks on it. She gasped before she could stop herself, catching her standoffish roommate’s attention.

“What are you looking at?” Beatrix asked harshly. As usual, Starlight lost her voice whenever Beatrix took that tone, “God, you’re so fucking weird.”

“Um!” Starlight called out as Beatrix rose from her bed, “Y-you’re back… it’s um…”

Beatrix gasped ant turned back to Starlight, glaring at her angrily, “Mind your own damn business!” with that she rushed out of the room, rushing into the bathroom. Starlight looked down at her lap biting her lip. Maybe she could have done something back there. Instead, she just ran away and abandoned her.

She felt like a terrible person.

play song

Beatrix finished her shower first, but then rushed out of the dorm before anyone could say anything. As such, Starlight probably wouldn’t see her again till later. As she trudged downstairs into the living room however, she saw Pinkie Pie standing by the couch with another girl. This girl had straight rainbow colored hair that fell down to her waist, piercing magenta eyes, and a more lean and athletic build. She was wearing a denim jacket, rainbow colored blouse, denim skirt, black leggings, white socks, and red and white sneakers. She wore a touch of lip gloss, but that was it for make-up.

“Starlight! Perfect timing!” Pinkie Pie called to her, “This is my bestie and roommate, Rainbow Dash. Dashie, this is the girl I told you about, Starlight Glimmer.”

“Nice to meet ya,” Rainbow Dash said, walking over to Starlight and holding out her hand. Starlight shook it, internally relieved to not get any strange energies from her. She seemed perfectly normal. Realizing that, she relaxed as much as she could.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Starlight said with a somber smile, hoping it would hide how down she was. No such luck, sadly.

“Let me guess, roommate’s being a cunt?” Rainbow Dash asked with a sigh, “Yeah, I’m not surprised. Shame too, because she used to be really nice.”

“I told her yesterday,” Pinkie Pie said joining them, “She really changed after she and Blueblood started going out. Hey Dashie, do you think the rumors are true?”

“About her and Blueblood? I dunno. She keeps insisting they’re not, and I don’t see her staying with him if they were.”

Rumors? What rumors? And who was Blueblood? Before Starlight could ask them, Rainbow Dash looked at her phone.

“Shit, we gotta jet if we’re going to make it on time. Hey, let’s meet up after school to get to know each other. Sound good?” she asked Starlight, who nodded with a smile, “Great. Let’s go Pinkie Pie.”

“See ya Starlight,” Pinkie Pie said walking to the door. She then stopped and turned to Starlight, “Oh, Ms. Tia wanted to see you you in the dining room before taking you to school herself. It’s through the door on the right in the kitchen.”

Starlight thanked Pinkie Pie before she left, and began making her way to the kitchen. She wasn’t expecting to see Celestia so soon, but when she went into the kitchen, she saw the mysterious woman sitting at the table, once again as if waiting for her.

Why did she always feel like crying when she saw this woman?

play song

“Hello again, Starlight,” Celestia said smiling right at Starlight, “Did you sleep well?”

Starlight tried to brush it off, but something about this woman made Starlight feel like she should be honest with her, at least a little.

“I… did have a strange dream, but it’s okay,” Starlight said looking away from Celestia. Celestia then rose from her chair, walked over to Starlight, and wrapped her arms around her in a truly maternal embrace.

“Remember what I told you yesterday,” Celestia said gently, “Don’t just think of me as your homeroom teacher. I’m here for you, so if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to talk to me.”

Starlight nodded, and found herself wrapping her arms around Celestia much like she would have her own mother. She didn’t know why she did that, but with how Celestia tightened the embrace, she got the feeling she didn’t mind.

It was almost like she was actually trying to comfort her.

“I’ve made breakfast,” Celestia said looking at Starlight with a comforting smile and stroking her face lovingly, “Would you like to eat something before we go to school?”

Starlight nodded wordlessly. Celestia released Starlight and began walking toward the dining room. Starlight placed a hand on her heart, unsure why this woman affected her so much. Then again, it had been a while since she had that maternal embrace. Maybe that’s all this was.

Still, Celestia felt so much like her mother it hurt.

When she went into the dining room, she was greeted with an assortment of different breakfast dishes, way more than Starlight thought she’d see. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns, sausages, anything you could think of what there. Did Celestia cook all of this herself?

“You seem surprised,” Celestia said mirthfully, “I know it’s a lot, but once I get started in the kitchen I just can’t stop myself. I find it relaxing,” she then placed a hand on Starlight’s back, making the teen suck in a breath, “Don’t be shy. Take as much or as little as you want. Anything else you don’t eat will be donated to a nearby homeless shelter, so nothing will go to waste.”

“Thank you,” Starlight said, walking over to the table and filling the plate with a bit of everything. As she sat down and tried the eggs, she was amazed by how vibrant the taste was. It was like she was eating the food of the Gods.

Pinkie Pie wasn’t lying when she said that Celestia was a fantastic cook.

As Starlight began eating, Celestia sat down next to her. For a few seconds to a minute she just looked at Starlight both curiously and comfortingly. She broke the silence before Starlight could ask her if something was wrong.

“Your records said that you were in the hospital till a few days ago,” Celestia said, “It’s up to you if you want to tell me, but I am curious what sent you there”

Starlight swallowed the mouthful of food and looked down silently. She figured it was only fair that she know, being her homeroom teacher and headmistress of her dorm, after all.

“I… Six months ago I tried to take my own life,” Starlight said softly, “My mother was in an accident. She died almost immediately. I was so broken that I lost all will to live. If… someone hadn’t come to my aid right then and there, I would have given up on everything.”

“You found the will to live, something strong enough to pull you back from the abyss,” Celestia reasoned, placing a hand over her heart.

“Y-yeah…” Starlight turned away blushing in embarrassment, “It’s kind of embarrassing, but…”

“I assure you, there’s nothing you could say that would turn me away,” Celestia said, taking Starlight’s hand and squeezing it, “Tell me. What was it that you held onto?”

She could tell her. Somehow Starlight just knew, she could trust Celestia with her dream.

“It… was magic,” Starlight answered, “My dream is to become a witch, and well, on that day… I learned that magic is real.”

Whereas most laughed at Starlight when she said that, Celestia’s smile widened, as if she were proud of her.

“That it is,” Celestia said, “Your belief must be really strong if it kept you alive when most would have died. You have nothing to be ashamed of, honey. If you believe that strongly, you should embrace it.”

Embrace it? Suddenly her thoughts went back to what Igor and Victor told her in the Velvet Room. She had a great power within her. Did that mean… she already had magic? Sure, she believed in magic as much as she believed in oxygen and gravity, but had she truly embraced that belief?

And if she did, would she have been able to save Beatrix?

Starlight continued eating her breakfast, thinking hard about what Celestia told her. All the while, Celestia stayed by her side, looking at her adoringly. Oddly, the more she was there, the less Starlight minded.

end song

Day time

Celestia took Starlight to her car, where they rode in silence to her new school. She thought about asking Celestia about Beatrix, but until she knew more about the situation she didn’t want to put her roommate’s business out there. Honestly, she still didn’t even know what she could say to her?

After a short car ride, Starlight saw their destination in the distance. It was a large white building shaped almost like a castle, with blue roofs, fancy windows, and a large courtyard. Starlight couldn’t help herself. She smiled brightly looking up at the magnificent building.

Celestia giggled, “I take it you like what you see?” she asked, Starlight nodding as a response. She never let her eyes leave the building before her. When the car was parked, Starlight stepped out of the car and looked up at the large castle shaped building before her.

She finally came home.

“Welcome Starlight Glimmer, to Canterlot Academy,” Celestia said, placing her hands on Starlight’s shoulders and smiling lovingly. It was almost like this was a gift to her. It might has well have been.

As Starlight walked into the building, she felt like she was walking into Hogwarts or some other magical school.

play song

The interior was such a typical high school, with walls lined with purple lockers, plenty of classrooms and other offices, yet that didn’t take away from the magical feel of the school. In fact, it almost felt more magical. Maybe it was the red and golden carpet on the floor that gave it that magical feel though.

This place had to have been expensive to build.

“This is known as the best school in the city,” Celestia said, clearly proud to work here, “It’s not perfect, but for many of the students here, it’s home. Tell me, do you feel that yourself?”

Starlight nodded, looking around at the different pictures and banners. She had read somewhere that this was a very sought out school for many people. Starlight felt truly blessed to be going to this school.

“Come with me,” Celestia said pressing her hand to Starlight’s back again, “We have to meet… Principal Cinch to get your schedule and free pass, then we can head to homeroom,” she almost groaned when she said Principal Cinch’s name. Did she not like her?

What kind of person did you have to be for this woman to dislike you?

As they walked, Starlight’s eyes landed on one student in particular standing by her locker. She was tall, with super long light pink hair, and was wearing a yellow and white sailor styled uniform straight out of a Japanese high school. The skirt was pretty short, and there was a pink bow tied in the front of her uniform, and a white one at the back of the skirt right on the waist. She wore white socks, and brown shoes.

What struck Starlight as odd was how she really did not look like she belonged in school. Her figure made her look less like a teenager and more like a young woman. That and the air she gave off.

The student turned to Starlight as she walked past her locker, actually hiding behind the door a bit as she gazed at her with her big, cyan eyes. Yet, Starlight could tell she was smiling at her.

Starlight smiled at the student, who was probably just an upper classman, and waved to her. The pink haired student waved to Starlight lightly, picked out the rest of her books, and then closed her locker before running upstairs to her class.

Starlight hoped to become good friends with that girl.

When they arrived at the principal’s office, Starlight felt a chill run up her spine. She did not like the energy this room was giving her.

play song

“Let’s get this over with,” Celestia sighed, opening the door and escorting Starlight inside. The office somehow felt cold, despite the windows being closed. The room itself was really dark too, but that also might have been a psychological effect.

Sitting in the desk in front of her was a woman with purple hair, sharp features, and a long nose that wasn’t as appealing to look at as Igor’s nose. She also wore a purple blazer and skirt ensemble, red glasses resting on her nose, and her thin mouth was made up with purple lipstick. She narrowed her eyes looking at either Starlight or Celestia.

“So, this is her?” Principal Cinch said, her voice high and grating.

“Yes, this is Starlight Glimmer, the student I told you about. She’s staying in my dorm,” Celestia said, her smile seeming much more forced than usual.

“Hmph, I don’t care where she’s staying. Honestly, I’d rather someone with her reputation not taint the walls of this school, but you insisted that we include her.”

Her reputation? Was she talking about how she tried to kill herself? Also, how many strings did Celestia have to pull for her to come to this school?

“I assure you, she’s perfectly balanced,” Celestia said, placing a hand on Starlight’s shoulder, “She’s one of my children, and I can vouch for her mental health.”

“Don’t think I’m going to go easy on her just because you have her under your protection. You can run your dorm however you please, but this is my school, and she’ll abide by my rules, otherwise I will expel her without a second thought. Is that clear, Celestia.”

“Crystal,” Celestia said, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips. Starlight could feel the tension between these two.

Starlight walked over to the desk, where Principal Cinch threw two things in front of her. One being a piece of paper showing her where her classes were. The other one was a small green card with a chip embedded on the top.

“This is your free pass and schedule,” Principal Cinch said dismissively, “I don’t want there to be any drama from you, young lady. If you cause any sort of trouble in my school, I will expel you, understand?”

“Yes, I understand,” Starlight forced out. She quickly ran back over to Celestia, who placed a hand on her almost protecting her.

“If that’s all, we’ll be heading to class now,” Celestia said, quickly escorting Starlight out of the office and shutting the door behind them, “Well, that was dreadful as always.”

“What happened between the two of you?” Starlight asked Celestia, who sighed rubbing her eyes.

“I came to this school under unusual circumstances,” Celestia admitted, “Ever since I joined the faculty here six months ago, she’s doubted my abilities as a teacher, as I’m a tad unconventional.”

Yeah, Starlight could tell. Just the way Celestia dressed was out there, and Principal Cinch struck Starlight as more straight laced and narrow minded. These two were essentially just fire and ice.

“But enough about her,” Celestia said with her usual smile again, “Now that you have your schedule, you’re a true student at Canterlot Academy. My homeroom is in room 3-D. Shall we?”

As they walked toward the stairs, Starlight thought about something that Principal Cinch had said, “Um, she mentioned I have a reputation. Is that true…?”

Celestia stopped and was silent for a few seconds before she spoke, “Sadly word does travel fast here, and your suicide attempt might have given you a bit of a reputation here,” Celestia gave Starlight a reassuring smile, “But I promise you it’ll be okay. Just be true to yourself and everything will fall into place, alright?”

Starlight took a deep breath and nodded. Hopefully things wouldn’t be too bad.

play song

Starlight waited outside of the classroom as Celestia went into talk to her students. Based on how animated she was as she spoke, it was clear she was pretty open and honest with her students. Starlight was really beginning to admire Celestia. She was sensitive, maternal, and seemed to radiate the light of the rising sun almost constantly.

Starlight wanted to be just like her.

Celestia turned to Starlight and nodded to her. That was the signal. Starlight took a deep breath, opened the door, and entered the classroom. She was greeted with students of all kinds, everyone colorful and expressing themselves in some manner through their at times outrageous styles.

Oh yeah, Starlight was right where she needed to be.

She looked around to see if she recognized anyone, and two students caught her attention immediately. One was Pinkie Pie, who waved to Starlight animatedly. God, she really was just like an anime character. The other student however, refused to meet eyes with Starlight, and actually turned away covering her face slightly with her hand, looking either pained, annoyed, or some mixture of the two.

Beatrix…

“Everyone, this is Starlight Glimmer. As many of you know, she’s been in the hospital for six months, but as of today she’s a member of our family here, so I want all of you to treat her with the same respect you’d treat each other,” she turned to Starlight and smiled, “Why don’t you say something to the class?”

Starlight turned to all of them and bowed elegantly, “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you. I look forward to getting to know everyone.”

“Oh damn! She’s kinda hot,” one student said.

“A nice goth? You don’t see that anymore.” another boy said.

“She looked all doom and gloom, but she actually seems really approachable,” a girl next to him said.

“Think the rumors are true, that she tried to kill herself?” another girl asked.

“Ooooh, I hope not! If she did though, I’m going to give her a big hug after school,” the girl next to her said.

“Let’s see, where can we place you…” Celestia said looking around a bit, “Oh! Look at that. The seat next to Beatrix is vacant. Why don’t you sit there?”

Seriously? Was that the only vacant seat? Sure enough, after quickly scanning the room, Beatrix’s seat was the only one with a vacant spot, right to the left of her. That would have placed her closer to the back of the classroom, right next to the windows.

If there was a God up there, he or she must have been cracking up at the irony of this situation.

Starlight walked over to the vacant seat, and sat down. Immediately Beatrix sucked her teeth in irritation turning away from Starlight.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” she groaned, “Why is this happening to me…?”

Starlight briefly looked at Beatrix, but then turned to Celestia, who was giving Starlight and Beatrix a knowing expression. If she didn’t know better, Starlight would have thought she planned this.

“Today’s a half day, so you’ll all be staying here for the day,” Celestia said, immediately perking up, “Now, before we get started, I believe the Student Body President’s going to make an announcement.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the loud speaker chimed, as if she predicted it.

“Greetings, students of Canterlot High,” an extremely feminine, cultured, and graceful voice greeted. One of the female students sighed wistfully.

“Miss Rarity… oh how I wish I had your grace…”

“I’m glad I voted for her,” a boy in the back said, “She’s going to be a great president!”

“I’d first like to thank each and every one of you who gave me a chance and voted for me in last year’s election,” the Student Body President, Rarity apparently, spoke, “I truly don’t deserve all of the admiration you’ve given me, but I promise to live up to your expectations to the best of my ability.

“This school was founded under the philosophy of spreading virtues of Generosity, Laughter, Loyalty, Kindness, Honesty, and finally Magic. While some may laugh at the notion of magic being one of our virtues, I believe that true magic comes from within. When one opens their heart to another in genuine love and acceptance, true magic is felt between both parties.

“It is for that reason I urge all of you to try and reach out to someone new today. This is the first day of school, and there are plenty of new students joining us. Do not let things like gender or grade stand between you. At our cores, we are all simply one consciousness broken into smaller fragments of individuality. Never forget this.”

Starlight placed a hand over her heart hearing that. She could feel the sincerity of the girl speaking, even through the intercom.

“Concerning the Nightmare Epidemic, I’m aware that many of you are concerned for your safety, and the safety of your loved ones,” Rarity continued, “I urge all of you to not despair. As long as we stand together, and stay focused on what’s important in our lives, we will be safe. Whenever you feel weak, think hard about the dreams you wish to achieve, and failing that, know that there’s no shame in turning to someone close to you for comfort. As I expressed before, you’re not alone.”

Beatrix bit her lip, whimpering softly and looking downcast. Starlight took note.

“If any trouble arises, do not hesitate to turn to the Student Council for aid. Applejack as assured me that the Defense Committee will do everything they can to ensure the safety of all the students,” Rarity continued, which oddly earned groans from some of the students.

“Goddamn it…” one boy in the front said, “I forgot she was friends with Applejack…”

“She was doing just fine until she mentioned No Fun Jackie,” another boy groaned, “Kiss freedom goodbye, everyone.”

“And with that, I hope all of you have a wonderful first day of school,” Rarity concluded, “I love all of you immensely. Take care~”

As the line went dead, Celestia addressed the class with a sincere expression of her own.

“Remember those words as you go about your days my students,” Celestia said, “We are all one life, that exists as separate individuals. When you’re afraid, confused, or just unable to find your way, remember that there are people who can help you. You just have to trust them.”

She briefly turned to look in Starlight and Beatrix’s direction, and Starlight could have sworn that Celestia winked at Starlight. Just how much did this woman know? Who was Celestia?

And why did Starlight get the feeling she was somehow talking directly to her and Beatrix just now?

After School

Classes ended early, like Celestia said, which was nice because it gave Starlight enough time to adjust to her new school. Shortly after class ended, Pinkie Pie rushed over to Starlight’s desk, standing in front of it beaming.

“So, how do you like it here?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Think you’ll fit in?”

“Feels like I was always meant to come here,” Starlight said honestly. Pinkie Pie jumped up and down clapping her hands.

“I knew you’d feel that! This place is the school for misfits and outcasts! You heard the President’s speech, right?” Pinkie Pie asked, “Our school believes in spreading six virtues: generosity to our fellow students, spreading joy and laughter, loyalty to one’s friends and dreams, kindness even to those who close themselves off,” she glanced at Beatrix when she said that, who once again flipped her the finger, “honesty to ones self, and the magic of friendship.”

“That last one really hit me,” Starlight admitted, “Before six months ago, I didn’t have a single friend besides my Mom. I did have one friend, but he and I…” she cut herself off, not wanting to think about Sunburst. Their falling out still hurt to this day.

Another student tapped Starlight on the shoulder and got her attention. She looked up and saw two girls, one wearing a green top and shorts with short neon green hair, and another girl with blue and pink hair wearing more formal and conservative clothes.

“Hey! I’m Lyra, and this is my girlfriend Bon Bon,” the girl in the green introduced, “We’re sorry if this is personal, but we were wondering, is it true that you were in the hospital for…”

Starlight sighed and nodded, looking down. Immediately Bon Bon hugged her.

“I said I was going to do this when I got the chance,” Bon Bon said, “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened, but your life is precious, okay? So don’t take it for granted, ever.”

“I won’t. Thank you,” Starlight said, returning the hug and smiling softly. Seems that Celestia was right, and she’d have nothing to worry about.

“Hey, you’re her roommate, right Beatrix?” Lyra asked as Bon Bon released Starlight, “I bet the two of you could be great friends.”

“Why? Because she and I are both freaks of nature?” Beatrix asked harshly, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have interest in befriending someone like that. I like being normal, thank you very much.”

“Really? Because you kind of seem miserable to me,” Bon Bon said. Beatrix stood up and glared at Bon Bon.

play song

“You wanna run that by me again?” Beatrix seethed.

“Oh boy…” Pinkie Pie sighed, as if she expected this. Poor Bon Bon was backing away from Trixie.

“I-I was just saying-”

“You don’t understand anything!” Beatrix fussed, tightening her fists, “So mind your own damn business!”

Starlight shot up and got in between her and Bon Bon before things got ugly, “Stop it! You’re right, we don’t understand what’s wrong, but clearly something is. Maybe… you could…”

“I could what?” Beatrix asked narrowing her eyes and getting in Starlight’s face, “Go to the Defense Committee? Talk to Ms. Tia? Or maybe you’re going to do something, is that it? Going to try and “save” me? Maybe I already tried all of-”

“There you are.”

At the sound of that voice, something within Beatrix changed immediately. She stepped back, and all of the anger was sucked out of her, replaced with what Starlight could only describe as fear.

Where had she heard that voice before?

She looked by the door and saw a young man, clearly a senior, wearing a white and golden flannel shirt, blue jeans, and black boots. His blond hair and arrogant disposition seemed way too familiar to Starlight, but she couldn’t remember where she saw him.

“I was looking for you,” the boy said, walking over to Beatrix and standing behind her, rubbing her shoulders affectionately, “I thought we agreed to meet in the courtyard after school.”

“I’m sorry!” Beatrix cried, breathing heavily as he ran his hands up and down her arm, “I was on my way, I just… had a disagreement with a student, and…!”

“Well, that’s not good, now is it?” Blueblood asked, “Why don’t you apologize to them. Go on,” he lightly commanded. Seriously, where had Starlight seen this before? It was driving her crazy.

“I… I’m sorry…” Beatrix said, her voice much softer and lacking any strength at all, “I was out of line…”

“That’s a good girl,” Blueblood said, now wrapping his arms around Beatrix almost possessively, “See, that wasn’t so hard, now was it, my love?”

When Beatrix looked down at the floor weakly, Starlight saw it. In a flash, the Beatrix before her turned into the one wearing that skimpy leotard ensemble, who had the same defeated look on her face. And then she recognized the boy behind her.

The ring leader.

“Let’s go, honey,” Blueblood said, “Grab your books, and come with me to my place. We’ll spend some time there before curfew.”

Beatrix nodded wordlessly, and walked over to her desk, grabbed her books, and then followed Blueblood out of the classroom. On the way, she briefly met eyes with Starlight, who for a split second saw the dream version of Beatrix give her a pleading expression before being escorted away.

Starlight had a feeling she knew what was going on now. She didn’t know for sure, as she only had her intuition to go off of, but so far everything was lining up a bit too accurately for her comfort.

“Are you okay, Bon Bon?” Lyra said caressing Bon Bon’s cheek.

“I’m fine, but poor Beatrix,” Bon Bon said, “I really think those rumors about them are true.”

Starlight remembered that. She turned to Pinkie Pie and asked her what the rumors were surrounding them.

“Well, some student’s believe that Blueblood is really rough with Beatrix,” Pinkie Pie explained, “Thing is though, every time she’s approached about it, she insists that nothing is actually wrong. No one actually sees them do anything on school grounds either, so there’s no real proof.”

And until she came out and said something no one could really do anything to help her. But why didn’t she say something? Multiple sources mentioned that she used to be friendlier, so were they all just projecting what they wanted it to be? Or was there more going on here?

Based on what Starlight’s dream showed her last night, it might actually have been the latter.

play song

Before she could say anything else, Rainbow Dash walked in and waved to both Pinkie Pie and Starlight, “Sup?”

“Dashie!” Pinkie Pie perked up immediately, running into Rainbow Dash’s arms and hugging her, “I missed you!”

“I missed you too, Pinkie. Sucks we don’t have the same homeroom this year. I have Harshwhinny. UGH!” Rainbow Dash groaned, “I don’t know who’s worse. Her, Principal Cinch, or No Fun Jackie.”

“Aw, my cousin isn’t that bad,” Pinkie Pie defended with a smile, “Okay, so she’s a tad strict, but she’s really nice when you get to know her.”

“Tell that to myself in detention last year,” Rainbow Dash groaned, “Seriously, it was one prank, and she acted like I killed her cat or something.”

“To be fair, those feathers did look like a hassle to get out of her hair,” Lyra said.

“Who’s side are you on, anyway?!” Rainbow Dash asked. Lyra raised her hands in defense.

“Hey hey, I’m not saying it wasn’t funny, okay? It was hilarious. I think the whole school was laughing at that one.”

“Exactly! It was a joke! I was spreading the virtue of Laughter to all of my fellow classmates. So what if she was the punchline.”

That got laughter from everyone there. Hell, even Starlight couldn’t help but laugh, if for no other reason than the absurdity of it. Seriously, what did she do to this “Applejack” girl?

“Hey, we still up for hanging out? Pinkie Pie and I wanted to show you around town a bit,” Rainbow Dash asked Starlight.

Starlight was still really worried about Beatrix, but there wasn’t much she could do at the moment. Besides, she did need to know the layout of the town. After a second of thinking, Starlight nodded with a smile, one that Rainbow Dash returned.

“Sweet!” Rainbow Dash wrapped an arm around Starlight smirking at Lyra and Bon Bon, “Sorry, but I already claimed this one.”

“That’s okay,” Lyra said, wrapping her arms around Bon Bon in a similar manner, “I’ve got my own.”

Bon Bon giggled, “Have fun, Starlight. And welcome to Canterlot Academy.”

Starlight thanked her, and after seeing them off, followed Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie out of the school.

play song

The walk was more animated than Starlight was used to. It had been a while since she spent time with girls her age, so at first she didn’t know if she’d fit in. She then remembered what Celestia told her to do, and just decided to be herself. As such, she didn’t talk much herself, but she did enjoy the company of the other two girls with her. She started feeling like they were actually friends.

The town itself was really lively. There was a shopping mall that a lot of students went to, a cafe called Sugar Cube Corner that Pinkie Pie said was owned by friends of her family, a church that also had a charity that Pinkie Pie volunteered at (Starlight wondered if that was where the leftover food from this morning went) and a really nice park near a lake.

There was also a section of town called “South Street, where Rainbow Dash said all the “fun” shops were. Starlight really wanted to know what she meant by “fun”. Considering how Rainbow Dash was raising her eyebrows up and down though…

When they finished their tour through town, they stopped at the park, where they had a great view of the setting sun. It was here that Starlight told both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie how she ended up in the hospital, since they were also curious.

“Geez,” Rainbow Dash said, “And here I thought I had it rough.”

“You never got to apologize to her, either?” Pinkie Pie asked, rubbing Starlight’s back.

Starlight shook her head, “I’d like to believe that Mom forgave me in the end. She did go searching for me, after all. But… sometimes I do wonder since I never gave up on my dream…” she said gripping the key around her neck.

“That have something to do with that weird key you carry around?” Rainbow Dash asked, “What does it open, anyway?”

“No clue,” Starlight admitted, “It’s the reason I still believe in magic though, even after what happened to my Mother. It’s kind of a crazy story, but…”

“You wanna hear crazy?” Rainbow Dash asked, “Did Pinkie Pie tell you what her dream is?”

Starlight shook her head. Pinkie Pie blushed looking down sheepishly.

“Way to put me on the spot, Dashie…”

“Come on, Pinkie Pie. We got a girl here who wants to be a real live witch. Do you really think anyone here’s going to judge you?”

Pinkie Pie took a deep breath, “Okay, but you can’t laugh, alright?” Pinkie Pie said. Starlight nodded, letting Pinkie Pie continue, “Okay, so… remember that manga I showed you, and how I said I idolized the main character?” Starlight nodded slowly, “Well… the truth is… I want to be a Magical Girl!” she blurted out wincing, clearly waiting for the laughter that never came.

“So… you want to be just like Sailor Moon?” Starlight asked.

“Well… she’s a lot like me,” Pinkie Pie continued, twirling her hair around her finger, “She’s clumsy, sensitive, not really good at school, but she’s really kind, and uses her magical powers to help people. Even though she’s not very good at anything else, she does her best with what she can do, and most importantly, she never runs away from a fight, even when she’s afraid.”

Never runs away, huh? Unlike Starlight, who ran away and abandoned Beatrix in that dream world. It still hurt thinking about that.

“So, now that you know that we’re all absolutely batshit insane,” Rainbow Dash said jovially, “Where’d you get the key?”

Starlight recounted the events of her attempted suicide. How she felt that she was “curing the illness that was her life”, how she had completely given up hope, and how she had for all intensive purposes actually succeeded. She then went into how she ended up in that strange dark blue room that was both an office and an elevator at the same time, she described Igor and Victor, and how they convinced her not to give up her life yet. Finally, she told them about the contract she signed, the simple yet powerful terms of the contract, and how when she finished signing her name, the elevator clicked to life, and continued to rise for the rest of her time in the room.

When she was done, both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were wide eyed, and deathly silent. She thought she’d ruined two potential friendships at first, and that they really did think she was crazy.

“You… are the most badass person I’ve ever met in my life…” Pinkie Pie said honestly.

“Sick…” Rainbow Dash added, “And when you woke up, the key was actually in the room with you?”

Starlight nodded, completely in disbelief. They actually believed her, didn’t they?

“That’s so terrifying, yet awesome at the same time,” Pinkie Pie leaned back on the bench, “You’re like the main hero of an anime or something.”

“You… actually believe me?” Starlight asked.

“Makes sense to me,” Rainbow Dash said with a thoughtful expression, “The thing that got me was the elevator itself, and how it didn’t start moving until you decided to actually live again. I think that’s important.”

“Why do you think the elevator moved?” Starlight asked, looking at the key intently.

“Probably symbolic of something,” Rainbow Dash said, “All that stuff he said about the Fool Arcana is true, so the fact that elevator started moving when you signed the contract is probably symbolic of the new direction of your life or something. I dunno. I’m into that sort of deep stuff, so you peaked my interest,” she turned to Starlight and smiled, “Yep. I’ve decided. I’m going to keep an eye on you. Maybe you’ll show me something fun.”

“You know I’m sticking around,” Pinkie Pie said with an even bigger grin, “You’re just like me, except actually doing the thing I wanna be doing with my life! This means maybe I can become a Magical Girl!”

Starlight didn’t know how to take this. She was worried that others would think she was crazy for believing in the things she did, but here were two girls who not only believed her, but now seemed to view her as a sign that their dreams could come true. This was slowly turning into one of the happiest days of her life.

“Here,” Pinkie Pie handed Starlight the manga she was reading last night, “You can borrow this. I have the entire collection in my room, and I just finished reading through that one again. I think this will really help you on your way.”

“T-thank you…” Starlight said taking the book, really touched that Pinkie Pie would share something so precious to her.

“Let’s head back to the dorms,” Rainbow Dash said, rising up and stretching, “Don’t wanna miss curfew, ya know?”

“It is getting late,” Pinkie Pie said getting up, “Let’s go Starlight.”

Starlight nodded to her new friends and rose up too. As they walked off however, she lingered for a second to look at the lake. Hugging the book close to her chest, Starlight felt just a bit better about everything. Maybe she could get something from this manga.

Either way, it felt nice to have real friends. Friends she could trust with her dream.

end song

Evening

When Starlight got back to the dorm, she immediately plopped down on the couch and opened the manga Pinkie Pie loaned her. She planned on only reading a few pages, but by the time she was halfway through, she knew she was hooked. The story was a tad cheesy, but the main protagonist was extremely likable. She really put Starlight in the mind of Pinkie Pie, so much she could practically hear Pinkie Pie’s voice whenever she spoke. Like Pinkie Pie said, she was really nice, but clumsy, a bit of a crybaby honestly, and based on the grade she got on the first part of the manga, she was in fact terrible at school.

But if there was one thing that she did right, she had a lot of courage and heart.

She did whine a lot about not wanting to fight, and she had a habit of running helplessly in the beginning, but like Pinkie Pie said, she never actually ran from the fight. She always found the strength inside to keep fighting, even when she was too afraid to stand up. Starlight only stopped briefly to take a dinner break, but afterward went right back to the couch and continued reading. She was definitely asking Pinkie Pie if she could read the rest of these.

It was really late when Starlight finished the manga. She actually felt a bit more courageous herself after finishing. Now done, she let her attention go to the stairs. Beatrix came in sometime during dinner, but claimed that she ate before coming back so she could just go back upstairs and be alone.

Starlight laid back on the couch and sighed. By now, she was probably asleep. If she was suffering the Nightmare Epidemic, then she’d probably be back in that demonic circus again. The thought of her being objectified, humiliated, and tortured in her dreams made Starlight sick to her stomach. If she went to sleep, would she end up back there? Even if she didn’t, she could probably easily find that door in the Akashic Records to take her there.

She hadn’t seen Blueblood before today, but she was certain that the ring leader in that circus was the same person. That did make all of this seem a lot more plausible. She also remember Igor’s words: that if nothing was done for her, she’d probably die.

Starlight yawned, realizing that she was really tired. If she went to bed now, she’d probably drift off in a matter of minutes, if that. If she was going to go back there, now was the time. But when she got there, what was she going to do? How was she going to rescue Beatrix? She didn’t have any-

The power is within you. When you need it, it will be available. When you call for it, it will answer you.

Those were the words Igor spoke to her. She had power. She just needed to believe in it.

Resolving to do something, anything, she stood up and stretched with another yawn. It was a bit late, but not too. She could take a shower first, that would help her get comfortable for this. She turned to the stairs, but stopped when she heard someone exit their room and start walking down the stairs.

Starlight hid behind the couch and peaked out to see who it was. She saw a girl about her age, maybe a tad younger, with long straight purple hair with pink highlights, purple circular glasses, and the cutest pajamas Starlight had ever seen. They were pink, and had brown teddy bears on them. She was also wearing white bunny shaped slippers.

She was honestly the cutest thing Starlight had ever seen.

Once she reached to first floor, she gave the most adorable yawn and oddly walked into the kitchen. That had to be Twilight Sparkle, who was the only person at the dorm Starlight hadn’t met yet. Curious too see what she was doing, Starlight slowly walked over to the kitchen and peaked inside. What she saw didn’t answer any real questions as much as it sprung up more.

She was making coffee.

After turning on the coffee machine, the mysterious girl sat down at the kitchen table and pulled out a newspaper. Despite how childish her PJs looked, she carried herself almost like an adult.

She turned the page of her newspaper, but then sighed, “I see you over there.”

“Ahh!” Starlight screamed, accidentally opening the door, all the way.

“It’s okay, I’m not faculty or anything. I won’t tattle on you for staying up so late, but you probably should be getting to bed soon,” the girl said. Her voice… it sounded familiar to Starlight.

“Are you… Twilight Sparkle?” Starlight asked the girl, who nodded.

“Yep, that’s me. I keep weird hours, in case you’re wondering why I’m up so late.”

Keeping weird hours was an understatement. Starlight was going to bed and it seemed like Twilight was getting ready to start her day.

Starlight nodded, and told Twilight that she was heading to bed. Not even looking up from her newspaper, Twilight waved to Starlight in an almost dismissive “please leave me alone now” manner. She didn’t seem as standoffish as Beatrix though. At least, not for the same reason.

Maybe one day they could become friends too. Assuming Starlight could stay up late enough to talk to her.

It had started raining around the time Starlight had finished the manga, which added to the tense and ominous atmosphere. Starlight slowly entered her and Beatrix’s room, both relieved and concerned that she was already asleep. She needed to test something, so she walked over to Beatrix’s side and knelt down next to her. She then placed a hand on her forehead to feel her.

Despite still breathing, her entire body was cold and stiff. She almost looked like a corpse.

“Nightmare Epidemic…” Starlight whimpered. Biting her lip, she thought hard about what she was about to do. Whether she could free her or not, she had to try something. She’d apparently made contact with her dream before, so perhaps she could get in again. Maybe this was what her own Akashic Records meant when they said her destiny was in Canterlot Academy.

She didn’t know why she did it, but she leaned forward and kissed Beatrix on the forehead, “I’ll save you, somehow.”

It looked like something within Beatrix relaxed a bit, either from her words or the contact. Finding her resolve, she took a quick shower, changed into her purple nightgown, and laid in her bed, putting the ring on her finger.

Time to get to work.

play song

At first things were fuzzy, but they quickly came into view. Just like last time, Starlight found herself in a black forest before a demonic carnival. This confirmed a few things: 1) that she could enter people’s dreams, 2) that Beatrix was in fact suffering the Nightmare Epidemic, and 3) she was supposed to do something here.

This time, she wasn’t leaving until she did it.

Gathering her courage, Starlight ran toward the circus as fast as her legs could carry her. Hopefully she wouldn’t have too look too hard to find Beatrix.

“Ms. Tia, are you here?” Twilight asked, now dressed in a fancy white and purple top, purple skirt, white socks, and black shoes. She saw the older woman looking at a monitor on a very complicated computer, “She’s in Lulamoon’s dream again, isn’t she?”

“She is,” Celestia said, “Before coming here, I briefly checked on both Starlight and Beatrix. From the victim, I sensed a calmness in the torment. She’s not renewed yet, but she seems to have some sense of hope.”

“What about the one you think has the potential?” Twilight asked folding her arms.

“I sensed more resolve. I think this might be the night, Twilight,” Celestia said with a confident smile, one that was also relieved.

“I seriously have my doubt about her, Ms. Tia. I got to see her before she went to sleep. She doesn’t strike me as that impressive,” Twilight sighed.

“That doesn’t mean her inner self mirrors that,” Celestia said, “Remember, that’s just a mask she believes is her true self. When she awakens to her Persona, you’ll see.”

“You really have faith in these Persona Users, don’t you?”

“I have seen many miracles achieved through the power of Persona. Three times the world has been saved by that power. I have more faith in them than I do myself.”

“But you’re amazing, Ms. Tia,” Twilight said, clearly confused, “How can you doubt your own abilities?”

“Because I can’t summon a Persona,” Celestia admitted, rubbing her arm looking pained, “If I could… I wouldn’t be…” she shook it off, interrupting her thought, “Observe her, but like last time do not intervene unless necessary.”

“Yes, Ms. Tia,” Twilight said sitting at her chair in front of the computer, “Let’s see this “miracle” in action.”

If Starlight didn’t know better, the carnival looked darker than it did the last time. She didn’t know if the dream would recognize her, so she decided not to test it. As such, while she explored the demonic circus, she tried to stay hidden as much as possible.

While exploring, she passed by a game being played by a few masked children. From this angle it looked like just a normal water gun game. However, Starlight had a feeling there was a lot more going on here than that. She carefully moved behind stands, maneuvering until she could get a better angle of what they were playing.

She almost threw up in her mouth when she saw it.

It was a game where the goal was to fill balloons with water, and the first one to completely fill their balloons won. However, these balloons were embedded in a picture of a screaming Beatrix, right where her breasts would be. The balloons themselves were flesh colored as well, making it look like they were inflating her actual breasts. All the while, Starlight heard recordings that sounded like Beatrix moaning, and the bigger the balloons got, the louder and more urgent her moans were, until she was practically screaming.

Seeing that made Starlight feel really funny. She was essentially being made into a spectacle for everyone’s entertainment here. Putting herself in this situation, Starlight could understand how Beatrix would feel trapped here.

When everyone around you is enjoying your suffering, what hope do you have of finding peace?

Starlight continued her search through the carnival. She was starting to get worried. She hadn’t found any sign of Beatrix anywhere. Maybe she should head back to the stage.

Only, where was it again?

“Hey, the ring leader’s having another show!”

That caught her attention. She peaked out to listen to the two masked kids talk among themselves.

“Really? I hear his last show got interrupted by another dreamer.”

“Not this time, though. This time he plans on putting on a show that’s really going to test his pet’s limits. Even if that dreamer shows up again, the show’s still going to go on.”

“Let’s go! I gotta see this!”

The two children ran off. That sounded really ominous. It also sounded like the dream did remember her. She’d have to be careful this time. If only she had a weapon or something. Starlight looked around a bit, eventually finding a large stone hammer. The kind one used to hammer in nails on a tent.

She ran over to pick it up. Since it was a dream, it wasn’t too heavy. In fact, since it was a dream, Starlight tested something, and allowed herself to know how to swing the hammer like a pro. Sure enough, her swings were faster, and stronger.

Good. This meant she could abuse dream logic here. As long as she remembered this was a dream, she’d be fine. More or less at least.

She poked her head out to see if she could spot those kids that ran off. They were further down, but she could clearly see where they were, and when they turned. Being careful to stay hidden, Starlight followed them. When she saw where they turned, she saw a large crowd, and a lot of cheering.

Good news, she found Beatrix.

Bad news, the show had already started.

She made her way to the show as carefully as she could. Since this time she needed to stay out of sight, she couldn’t get too close yet. Hiding under the bleachers, she managed to somewhat see what was happening.

play song

It looked like Beatrix was in a container filled with water, and she was struggling. Starlight moved a bit to see better, and had to fight back a scream. Beatrix was trapped inside the glass container, which was filled with water. Her wrists were bound behind her, her ankles were not only bound together by golden shackles, but said shackles were chained to the bottom of the container. She also had a black band around her mouth gagging her, and while she was struggling, it was clear that she was trying her best to hold her breath.

“What’s the matter, Beatrix?” the evil Blueblood taunted, pacing around the metal box, “My, if only you had the key, right? Then you’d be able to escape,” he reached into his pocket and feigned shock, “Oh dear! It seems I forgot to give that to you,” he pulled a golden key out of his pocket. Both Beatrix and Starlight looked at that in horror.

There was no way she was getting out of there alone. Not unless she were a master magician, and even then Starlight was sure there was always a trick to it. Starlight didn’t see a way out of this for her.

There’s one way out of this…

You have a weapon, don’t you?

I say, it’s time to use it.

“Time… to use it…” Starlight gripped the hammer tightly around the rim, close to her chest. Her heart was racing, and her chest felt like it was on fire.

Starlight stepped out, careful so no one could see her, but so she could get a better view of the action, and spring into action if she needed to.

“It’s such a shame the dreamer isn’t here,” Ring Leader Blueblood taunted, “I imagine the only way you’d get free would be if she got this key,” he then turned to the crowd and tossed the key into the audience. Inside the water container, poor Beatrix paled before struggling against her bindings a bit more.

Starlight looked around frantically in the crowd, trying to find the one with the key. Sadly, the crowd was starting to meld together since they all looked so similar. And there had to have been hundreds of people there. Apart from fighting all of them…

Ring Leader Blueblood gave a sinister laugh filled with arrogance, “Do you see? This is what happens when you put your faith in other people! Remember, that dreamer ran away and abandoned you! There’s no way she’d show herself now! Even if she did, what could she do?” he placed his hands on the glass and peered right into her eyes, “There’s no such thing as hope. Light is for the special ones, the “chosen few”. The people who aren’t you. You’re not special, nor will you ever be special.”

Beatrix was beginning to falter in the water tank. Her eyes were beginning to close, either from weakness, needing oxygen, or the more likely case, a combination of the two.

Starlight was starting to get frantic herself. If she did nothing right now, Beatrix was clearly going to die! But… he was clearly doing this to draw her out! If she ran over there, she might not get out of here alive!

But if she did nothing… then Beatrix was definitely not getting out of here alive.

The choice is obvious, isn’t it?!

You can’t just do nothing! You can’t just sit there and watch this, can you?!

“I… can’t…!” Starlight said, tears streaming down her cheeks watching this in horror. She was trembling, torn between running away, and running toward Beatrix.

Would you run away again?!

Would you truly leave her to die?!

“No…! I wouldn’t… but…!”

Then fight back!

She is lost in the darkness! She has lost sight of the light!

But you have the power to be that light! Right now!

Be the savior that she’s begging for!

“But… but I…!” Starlight looked around at the crowd surrounding them. She was beyond scared. She was terrified right now. If she ran out there, she’d get ambushed for sure, and then she might die, or possibly even get stuck here herself…!

play song

Starlight looked at Beatrix, who managed to locate where she was standing. Even from a distance, Starlight could see it. Her eyes were pleading. She was just as terrified as her. No, she was even more terrified. Starlight’s life could be in danger, but Beatrix’s life…

Her life was in danger now.

Help me… Please…

I… I don’t want to die…

That did it. With the tears still flowing freely from her eyes, Starlight rushed toward the stage, screaming at the top of her lungs, and as fast as she could.

play song

“What the?!” Ring Leader Blueblood shouted, turning to her. He turned too late though, as the first thing Starlight did was whack Blueblood away with the hammer as hard as she could, actually knocking him off the stage. The entire crowd gasped at this action. No one was ready for what came next though.

Starlight spun around, and slammed the hammer into the glass container, shattering it and sending water everywhere. Now emptied, Beatrix fell to the ground limp.

“BEATRIX!” Starlight screamed, kneeling down and taking the ball gag out as quickly as she could, relieved when her roommate coughed, “Are you okay, Beatrix?!”

Beatrix looked up at Starlight weakly, “I’m… sorry I’m so weak…”

Starlight shook her head and caressed Beatrix’s face lovingly, almost like Celestia did for her.

“You… bitch!” Ring Leader Blueblood said, catching Starlight’s attention, “You’re going to pay for that! Guards, show her who the real master of this dream is!”

Starlight looked around and saw the bouncers from before surrounding them.

“You… can’t’ beat them…” Beatrix said through a few more coughs, “Leave me… I’ll be…” Starlight rose up and stood in front of Beatrix, surprising the still shackled teen, “S-Starlight…?”

Starlight held her arms out, glaring daggers at the masked bouncers. This time, she wasn’t going to abandon her friend. She wasn’t going to just run away. Not when there was still something she could do.

Something she had to do.

“Ms. Tia! The subject is surrounded by Shadows!” Twilight cried, looking on her monitor. On the screen she saw a blue arrow defending another blue arrow, and they were both surrounded by yellow arrows, all of this on a virtual representation of the stage, “If we don’t get her out of there, she’s going to die!”

“Hold on Twilight,” Celestia said putting a hand on Twilight’s shoulder, “Look at Starlight. Something is changing within her.”

Twilight looked, and sure enough she saw something that didn’t make sense. The arrow representing Starlight was changing color, shifting from blue to yellow, as if the system couldn’t tell if it was looking at a human or a Shadow.

“What’s happening to her?” Twilight asked. She tried adjusting the signal, but it wasn’t changing, “I’m switching to the remote viewing system! I need to see this first hand!”

Twilight pulled out a headset from underneath the desk and put it on. From here, she could see more directly what was happening in the Phase. Celestia on the other hand, just closed her eyes and held her hands together close to her mouth in silent prayer that what she hoped was about to happen was happening.

The bouncers rushed up to Starlight, but the first one to reach her was whacked away by that hammer, just like his master. Two more rushed up to the stage, and Starlight whacked both of them back too. Anyone that got close to where Starlight and Beatrix was was knocked back off the stage. She didn’t know if this was going to make a difference, but she wasn’t going to just leave Beatrix here. Not like this. She had to figure out a way out of this!

Something! Anything!

Behind her, Beatrix was looking up at her in awe. Slowly, strength was returning to her eyes.

“Damn it!” Ring Leader Blueblood shouted, “You’re all useless! If the hammer’s the problem,” he pulled out his whip, “Then you remove the problem first!” he then threw the whip out, which wrapped itself around the hammer. He then yanked it out of Starlight’s hands.

play song

“No!” she cried! The bouncers then all jumped on top of her, wrestling her to the ground. She fought them the whole time, mustering up as much strength as she could, but it felt almost like the dream itself was becoming stronger to compensate. It was adapting to her.

Before long, the bouncers had Starlight on her knees, gripping her arms tightly. She struggled to get free of their grips, but it was no use. They were too strong. Seeing this, Beatrix closed her eyes and turned away, fighting back tears of anguish.

“This is what you get for being a hero,” Ring Leader Blueblood said, walking back onto the stage and getting in front of Beatrix and yanking her to her feet, “Take a good look, slut! This is what a hero looks like!”

“No…!” Beatrix cried helplessly. Ring Leader Blueblood grabbed Beatrix from behind and started groping her left breast right in front of Starlight.

“Go on, dreamer. Stop me,” he taunted, poor Beatrix moaning the entire time, “You can’t, can you? That’s because you’re just as weak as she is. You can’t save yourself, let alone her.”

“Go to hell!” Starlight shouted. She didn’t know where that came from, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t tell the difference between her thoughts, or the thoughts of that darker self from before, and right now, she didn’t care.

All that did however was make the demonic ring leader laugh, “Even now, you still have such fire! Oooh, I’m starting to like you!” he squeezed Beatrix’s breast, making the helpless teen cry out in pain.

“Stop it!” Starlight shouted, one again trying to pull her wrists free, but to no avail. In fact, they just tightened their hold on her.

“You hate me right now, don’t you?” Ring Leader Blueblood said, continuing to grope the helpless teen, “That fire in your eyes? You know she used to have it too. I beat that right out of her though, to the point where she’ll do whatever I tell her to. Isn’t that right?” to emphasize this, he twisted her nipple through the fabric of her leotard, making Beatrix scream before she answered.

“Y-yes…!” Beatrix cried.

“Tell her how much you love me! Go on!” he commanded.

“I… I love my master… more than anything…!” Beatrix broke down after she finished the sentence.

“Show her how much you love me,” Ring Leader Blueblood commanded. He then turned Beatrix around to face him, gripped her by the hair, and forcibly kissed her on the mouth.

And much to Starlight’s disgust, Beatrix was kissing him back!

She met eyes with Starlight, and shed a single tear. It looked like she was beginning to surrender. She was giving up! Was this hopeless? Was there really nothing that she could do…? Starlight looked down, eyes clenched shut. She was trembling she was so angry. Angry at Blueblood for breaking her will so much. Angry at Beatrix for allowing him to do so.

And most of all, she was angry at herself for being unable to stop this.

You’re not done yet, are you?

You hate him so much that you want him to pay… right?

“Yes…!” Starlight seethed.

What would you do right now for power?

“I’d do anything…!” Starlight cried, feeling her temperature rise, “I don’t care… what it is…! I want… to save my friend…!”

That voice in her head gave a chilling laughter. One filled with darkness, hatred, but at the same time power. Somehow though, that laughter still felt like it was her laughing.

Oh how I’ve waited for this!

If it’s power that you want, then release me!

Set me free, and I will grant you the power that you seek!

Starlight could feel something consume her and become one. Something dark, and violent. Something that while still against her character, felt so much like who she was that she couldn’t ignore it any longer.

So, she decided not to ignore it, or deny it anymore. She glared hatefully at the ring leader, and let out a low, enraged growl, almost like a beast.

end song

“LET HER GO!” Starlight screamed at the top of her lungs. There was so much power in her voice that everyone went silent and turned to look at her. Ring Leader Blueblood released Beatrix’s lips and turned to face Starlight incredulous.

“Excuse me? What did you say to me?” he asked.

“I said… let her go!” Starlight said, her breathing becoming a bit labored as her temperature rose to almost fever level.

“You dare command me?!” Ring Leader Blueblood shouted, walking over to her as his men lifted her to her feet. Above all of this, a purple wisp appeared above the action watching this.

“What’s happening to her?” Twilight’s voice asked from the wisp, “It’s like she’s become… a completely different person.”

“Sluts like you need to learn their place!” he shouted, slapping Starlight on the face hard. Yet to his surprise though, she didn’t falter. Her face didn’t even turn that much, nor did she say anything. She merely continued to glare at the ring leader, letting her hatred build, to the point where she was consumed by it. She got it now. That hatred she was feeling, it wasn't foreign. It was her the whole time. Knowing that Blueblood had probably done something like this in real life…

She genuinely hated him… and she knew it.

play song

Suddenly there was a surge of power from within Starlight. Her heart pulsed, so much that she felt an intense pain in her chest. She felt it again, this time hunching forward from the pain. It was unbearable, like she was about to explode, yet somehow, she wasn’t afraid.

The ring leader on the other hand, was getting a bit concerned. So much that she stepped back a bit in shock, “No… no, you can’t be… Not… one of them…!”

“Starlight… what’s happening to you…?” Beatrix asked, concern etched on her face as she stared intently at her roommate. Above all of this, the purple wisp continued to watch this from a distance.

“No way… Ms. Tia, is this what… you were talking about…?” Twilight asked.

Back in the computer room, Celestia was on her knees praying earnestly as she could.

“Please awaken, Starlight…! Please…!”

Suddenly, the men holding Starlight’s wrists were forced to release her. They their hands to shake away the pain, but then looked at their palms. There were scorch marks on their hands.

Starlight began walking toward Ring Leader Blueblood, who was backing away from her with a terrified expression on his face. She couldn’t help herself. She let out a dark, sinister chuckle as she smiled at him demonically. His fear… it was intoxicating!

“What are you!?” he shouted, “Men, don’t just stand there! Attack her now!”

The bouncers rushed at Starlight, but she then exploded in a ferocious blaze. Normally being this close to fire would have killed someone, but not Starlight. No, because the flame wasn’t engulfing her at all.

She was the flame!

All of a sudden, a word was etched in her mind. Something she felt compelled to say, like her very life depended on her saying these words. Though it was getting hard to breathe, she gathered all of her strength to say that one simple three syllable word.

“Per… so… na!”

As soon as she finished speaking the words, her entire body was swallowed by the flame, which forced all of the masked bouncers to fall back. Ring Leader Blueblood had the audacity to hide behind Beatrix he was so terrified, who was just mesmerized by what she was seeing.

“Ms. Tia, something is happening to her!” Twilight cried urgently, “Her body! It’s-”

“This is good, Twilight! Don’t stop her! Let her release this flame!” Celestia said from the real world.

Inside the flame, Starlight’s entire body exploded with energy and power. Her purple dress was burned away, replaced with another dress. This one was black and purple, more Victorian in style, and had a red gemstone on the front in between her breasts. The dress came up high in the front to the length of a mini-skirt, but fell longer in the back to the length of a standard gown. Black fishnet stockings appeared on her legs, and her boots were replaced with red high heels. Her make-up changed, as her lipstick darkened to look more blood red, and her eye-shadow was joined with black eye-liner that made her eyes look sharpened. Finally on her head, was a large, true to form witch’s hat. She held her hands out in front of her almost sensually as her Channeling Ring glowed, and some of the flames around took form as a large sinister looking scythe. She spun the scythe above her elegantly before slashing with it, partially dispersing the flames and revealing her new form.

Behind her, the remaining flames converged into something just as terrifying, if not more terrifying. It was a spirit of some sort. The spirit looked like a metallic doll with raven black hair, wearing a red and black dress that while elegant and flowing, left very little to the imagination, showing off her voluptuous figure. The doll’s shapely legs extended to form dangerous looking blades, and both of her hands were long, dangerous looking claws. Finally, on the doll’s back was a pair of black feathery wings, and her red eyes had a hateful glare as they gazed at the now terrified ring leader. Seeing that, and possibly drunk on the power running through her, Starlight looked at Ring Leader Blueblood with a truly terrifying smirk. One that was both alluring, and demonic.

play song

“I am thou, thou art I! I am Morgana, your inner self! Now that you’ve finally released me, it’s my turn to return the favor! So, what say you, my pupil? Shall we make this filth pay?”

“With pleasure!” Starlight said with sinister glee.

The bouncers all pulsated as if in pain, and their bodies melted away, replaced with different creatures. These creatures looked like tiny ghosts with pumpkin heads, a single white hand holding a lantern, black cloak, and a black and white hat similar to Starlight’s witch hat, but smaller. Starlight turned to face them, noting the lack of fear now. She knew she could kill them now.

“They seriously think changing forms will deter us? They truly are scum. Hate them with all of your might, my pupil! Let your hatred guide your blade!”

Starlight rushed at them screaming in rage, and began slashing at the new monsters with her scythe. Her moves were elegant, almost like a dance. Each slash led into the next, and she even spun around with her weapon, letting the weight of it guide her.

It was like she’d done this her entire life!

Three of the pumpkin monsters flew to the side and stood in a triangle formation. They began charging up magic, and shot three fireballs at Starlight. Not afraid in the slightest though, she spun her scythe in front of her and blocked their attacks with no effort.

“Yes! Yes! Very good! Now, allow your hatred to become power! Let it take form, and cast your first true spell!”

Starlight held the hand that wore her Channeling Ring to her face, covering most of it with her hand and revealing her right eye, which was now glowing red. Another blaze formed around her, and Morgana manifested behind her in the same position. The word “Bufu” was etched in her head. Focusing on that word, she willed Morgana to hold her hand forward. Morgana held one clawed hand toward the enemies and fired a blast of ice at one, instantly killing it. She had to admit, the amount of power she was feeling was orgasmic.

“W-what?!” Ring Leader Blueblood cried, “How is this possible?!”

“Hey! Starlight, right?” Twilight asked, the wisp flying down to Starlight’s side, “Don’t worry, I’m on your side! Listen, when you hit an enemy with a spell that their weak against, that gives you an opening to cast another one immediately! Use that and take out the remaining two!”

Starlight nodded, and summoned Morgana again. Like last time, she focused on the word “Bufu”, and cast another ice spell, killing another one of the lantern holding monsters. The remaining one looked around panicked. As he was completely open, Starlight charged up her spell again.

“OUT OF MY SIGHT!” Starlight shouted at the enemy before casting her spell, obliterating the final lantern carrying monster there.

“Very good, my pupil. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me. This power is now yours. Use this gift as you see fit.” Morgana’s voice echoed around Starlight. She wondered if anyone else could hear her. Probably not. Oddly, she felt more like she was talking to herself.

The spirit vanished, once again becoming one with Starlight, but she knew she could easily summon her again. Starlight had faced her other self. She attained the facade to face life’s darkest times, the Persona Morgana.*

play song

“No…! NO!” the ring leader shouted stomping his foot, “A Persona User! But… but how?! You were weak and helpless just a second ago! Now all of a sudden you’re… you’re… ARGH!”

Starlight turned to Ring Leader Blueblood and pointed her scythe at him, “Let Beatrix go, NOW!” Starlight commanded.

“Sorry, but I’m not done playing with her yet,” he snapped his finger, and suddenly more bouncers surrounded them, “Good luck fighting off all of these men! I have hundreds more where this came from!”

“Starlight, we have to retreat!” Twilight urged. Starlight turned to Twilight incredulous, telling her she couldn’t just leave Beatrix, “I know how you feel, but you just awakened! You can’t handle this many Shadows!”

The bouncers rushed at Starlight, but she began fighting them off in an attempt to prove Twilight wrong. She wasn’t going to run away again! She had to save Beatrix!

“She’s right, my pupil. Your power is still in it’s infant stage. Worry not, your light has bought your friend more time this day.”

Starlight looked at Beatrix, who stood there in the ring leaders arms looking at her pleadingly. It looked like she was both praying she’d retreat, but wishing she’d stay too. Starlight looked around at the situation. She hated this so much. But this wasn’t her running away this time.

“I won’t abandon you!” Starlight shouted to Beatrix, “I swear, I’ll come back!”

“I believe you…!” Beatrix said, sobbing helplessly, “Thank you…! Thank you for keeping me alive…!”

Starlight nodded to her, and rushed off the stage, the purple wisp following her closely. The two of them stopped in a clearing in the carnival. Somehow, Starlight felt like she was able to see her way around more clearly.

“Come on!” Twilight urged, “You can’t wake up until you get out of the Dungeon!”

Starlight began running through the carnival, slashing through any of the masked figures that got in her way. This time some of the civilians were even trying to attack her. Up ahead she saw four bouncers running toward her.

“Turn left! I think that’s a short cut!”

She thought?! Well, it was better than nothing. Starlight ran toward the left. Sure enough, she could see the door from where she was. She could use this to escape much quicker.

Two more bouncers appeared in her way and tried to grab her, but she ducked out of the way and did a sweeping kick knocking them to the ground. She used that opening to rush past them.

As she looked behind, she saw four more bouncers chasing after her. She then had a creative idea, and held up her Channeling Ring.

“MORGANA! FREEZE THE GROUND!” Starlight commanded. Morgana manifested and shot Bufu on the ground, freezing it. Starlight then allowed herself to know she could ice skate, and simply slid on the ice elegantly, at one point even jumping up into the air and spinning over a bouncer as he tried to grab her, causing him to slip and slide into the ones chasing her. She was pretty sure she heard a sound akin to bowling pins when they collided.

“You’ve already mastered moving through the Phase this much?!” Twilight asked. Starlight looked at the wisp confused. What did she mean by “the Phase”? “Wait, you don’t even know where you are, do you? What you’re actually doing here, how any of this is possible?”

Starlight shook her head saying no. She knew how to get here, but she didn’t quite know what “here” actually was. She was just doing what felt right to her.

“How is this possible…? Don’t tell me you just stumbled upon this place on your own…” Twilight sounded like she was having a really hard time with this apparently. Starlight looked and saw another bouncer standing between her and the door. He was the last one in her way, so she felt like showing off a bit. As such, she lowered herself doing a split, and bent forward all the way, still sliding forward. The end result had her slide underneath him, going straight to the exit.

The bouncer looked down in between his legs at Starlight, but ended up falling over. Starlight wasted no time running through the exit, vanishing from Beatrix’s Dungeon.

play song

Starlight and her new wisp friend emerged in the Akashic Records. Although her scythe vanished, Starlight’s clothes were still that of a witch’s attire. She didn’t know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

She looked back at the door leading to Beatrix’s nightmare. She hated leaving her behind in there again. She finally had power, but she still couldn’t get her free. Finally having a second to breath, she looked down at her clothes and did a double take. The dress, the hat, she became a real live witch!

“Okay, now that you’re out of there, I need some answers!” Twilight said, her wisp form flying right in Starlight’s face, “Just who are you?! How did you enter the Phase if you don’t know what it is?! How did you summon a Persona?!”

Starlight had a bunch of questions herself, like why her clothes changed? What that spirit was? And what was this wisp talking about with this “Phase” thing? In fact, who was even talking to her?! She wanted to ask these questions, but found that everything was starting to get hazy. Before she knew it, the ground was getting closer and closer, until her world went dark.

“Hey! Did you just faint?! Are you okay?! Say something!”