My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Starlight, Starbright

Chapter 26

Time to Reflect

Ice, ice, and ice.

That’s all Marian saw when she woke up. Seemed like such a bad dream. Hard to believe it was reality. A single tear ran down her face and hit the icy floor below. Geez, is there anyplace where something isn’t made out of ice?

She heard inhaling and exhaling coming beside her. She looked to her left and saw Windancer fast asleep. Beside her was Marian’s cape and hat given to her by her mommy Trixie. She tried to use her magic to pull it over but her magic faltered. She sighed in defeat. “no surprise there.”

She reached over to grab them, accidentally waking Windancer up. “oh… ah…” she gave a long yawn and looked up to see Marian up. “Marian!” she happily gasped. She hugged the mare, who winced in pain. Windancer remembered that Marian had a few broken ribs from her fall and quickly let go. “sorry.”

“it’s okay.” Marian groaned.

Windancer grabbed and gave Marian her effects. “I saved these for you.”

“Thanks, Windancer.” Marian took them and looked at them. They had noticeable burn marks where they lit up. Her expression became one of sorrow and she closed her eyes.

“Marian?”

“I… I know what I did, Windancer. I harmed Bass, I harmed Glade, I attacked my sister. And I let Nightmare Moon take control of me.”

“Marian… nobody knew Nightmare Moon was in that amulet, not even Luna. You had no way of knowing she was in there. This wasn’t your fault.”

“yes, it was.”

“no, it wasn’t.”

Marian wanted to believe that, but with all she did… she wanted to change the subject. She remembered all those she injured. “How… how’s Glade? And Goldie? And Bass? And Woona?”

“Woona’s fine. Yo-- Nightmare Moon never hit her. Glade took one in the chest while saving Screw Loose. Fortunately, it’s just cosmetic; big ol‘ scorch mark on the chest. Same with Bass; scorch mark on the back.” Windancer grew silent.

That moment of silence filled Marian with dread. “no… no, don’t tell me she’s…” Windancer still kept quiet. “Windancer, what happened to Goldie?!”

After the battle with the unexpected but short-lived return of Nightmare Moon, Chaos Gun took them all to the village of the leopards. These Snow Leopards made a living up in the cold, having established a sizeable presence. Anyway, with everyone wounded and tired, and him having saved them, they didn’t argue when Chaos Gun lead them to the village. At first, they didn’t want to go with him, but… they saw that something was different with her, like he changed. Sweet Song, who came with him, is keeping quiet why.

And the blizzard? It quickly cleared up. Turns out the Wendigos who attacked them were the cause of the blizzard and Starlight doing… whatever she did to them made it disappear.

The wounded members of the group, or rather the serious ones, were quickly healed by the local shaman. To the best of her abilities. There are some wounds even magic can’t heal.

“she could’ve at least gotten rid of the pangs of pain.” Glade commented. He sat in a private tent set up by his troops, which had turned into the gangs home while in this village. It was barely big enough for all of them but they’re making do.

“Some things just can’t be healed with magic.” Screw Loose said as she bandaged Glades chest. The scorch mark from where Nightmare hit him is clearly visible and won’t be fading away sometime soon.

Glade’s expression turned somber. “that I know.” he sighed.

…

“This is the second time.”

“Huh?”

“This is the second time you saved my life, Glade. It’s starting to become hazardous to your health.”

She accidentally hit a sore spot on his chest, making him wince in pain. “no argument.” her bandages fell short, not even close to finishing. “out of bandages.” she got up. “be right back.” she went to the first aid kit to grab some more. “Starlight must be taking this hard, what happened to Goldie.”

“I don’t blame her. I’d be secluded from everyone if something like that happened to my sister. Times like this make my glad I’m a only child.”

“Same here.” Screw found it and pulled out the bandages needed to finish. “still, hard to keep going when something like that happens.”

“no argument here.” Screw started back to him when she slipped on the ice. Glade quickly got up and caught her. “thanks.”

“it’s no problem.” she tried to let go but slipped again. Damn ice under her feet must’ve melted. That’s when Glade realized that this was the first time he held her. “huh… I never knew your fur was so soft.”

Screw Loose was surprised to hear him say that. She looked up at his eyes and got completely lost in them. She didn’t expect to see loving, gentle eyes behind such a hard exterior. “G-glade… did anyone tell you how… pretty your eyes are?”

“no. I… I think you’re the first…” now he was getting lost in her eyes.

The two leaned in close to each other, eyes slowly closing. “is what about to happen… really going to happen?” Screw whispered. “is it really… such a good idea?”

“let this be… my answer.”

The both of them closed their eyes and kissed each other.

The guards, who had been watching the entire time, smiled for their captain and closed the tent flaps. About time he found that special someone.

Goldie labored in her sleep as she tried to breath. The scuffle left her worse for the ware. All Marian could do was see what she had done.

“This…” she fell to her knees, not wanting to believe this. “this is all my fault.”

All Windancer could do was offer a sympathetic expression. “Marian…”

“IT IS! If it had just…” she choked up as tears fell. “if I had just…”

Windancer walked over to Marian and helped her up. “Marian… this was Nightmare Moon’s fault. Not yours.”

“Yrs it is! I wore the amulet, it was my body she used!” she broke down and cried her heart out. “Chaos Gun should’ve killed me.”

Without warning, Windancer slapped her across the cheek, leaving a noticeable bruise. “Are you hearing yourself right now?!” Windancer exclaimed. “ ’it’s all my fault. It’s all my fault.’ so what if it is? The best thing you can do is try your best to make up for it the best way you can!”

A shocked Marian touched where Windancer slapped her. Instead of confronting her about it, or even trying to talk, she broke down into tears. Windancer grabbed her out of sympathy and caressed her. “Marian… it’s gonna be okay.”

“No, it won’t!”

“Yes, it will. You’ll see.”

… “no, it won’t.” the depressing moment was ruined when Chaos Gun walked in, as foreboding as ever. “you injured your friends. You injured your family. And worst of all, you injured yourself.” Marian didn’t want to argue. She just wants this to stop. “you let yourself get possessed by Nightmare Moon. You let this happen.”

“Chaos, stop this.” Windancer insisted.

“Why? She knows what she did and she deserves to know the price for such stupidity.”

“Chaos Gun!”

“he’s right…” a distant Marian said. “I… did this.”

“oh, for the love of pete…” Windancer grabbed her by the shoulders. “Listen to me: THIS wasn’t your doing! This was Nightmare Moon’s! nobody knew a part of her was hiding inside the Amulet. This! Wasn’t! Your! Fault!”

It seemed like a eternity before Marian replied. She took Windancer’s hooves off her shoulders and headed for the exit. “just… just leave me alone, Windancer. It’s the best thing you can do. What anyone can do.”

Windancer sighed. Still nothing could get though her mind. “Marian…”

“when I’m better… I’m heading back to Ponyville… thought I can’t promise I’ll actually head back home. Everyone would be better off if they just forgot about me.”

Marian walked out of the hospice where Goldie was resting and headed for the exit. Windancer ran out after her. “Marian!”

“Leave me alone before you get hurt, Windancer.”

Windancer spread her wings and flew in front of the depressed unicorn. “No!” she landed and stood her ground. “you can keep beating yourself up all you like but that doesn’t change the facts: Nightmare Moon did this. NOT you!”

“but I was the one who…”

“You and Trixie and Luna and Celestia, and even the long gone humans had no idea that Nightmare Moon was inside that accursed Amulet.”

“but I…”

“stop beating yourself up over this! So you were a host to a madwoman. So what? That shouldn’t change who you are. I know it doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

That last part, Marian didn’t suspect. “feel about me?”

“Yes! Dammit, Marian, if you think one incident is going to change how people feel about you, then you’re just being stupid.”

Marian sadly looked away. “I… I know what your saying, Windancer, but I can’t just ignore it! I have to go before you or anyone else gets hurt.”

“just shut up!” Windancer yelled, on the verge of crying. “You can’t leave!”

“And why not?” Marian asked with tears falling. Windancer’s reply came in a form Marian was not expecting.

She kissed her, full on the lips. Marian went wide-eyed for a moment, then closed her eyes and kissed back.

Well… maybe things weren’t so bad… for her at this moment, anyway… there are others who aren’t feeling so fortunate.

“Starlight!” Bass called out. He spent the better part of the day searching for her. “Starlight!” when she didn’t reply, she got worried. “oh, Star. Where did you go?” he wishes he waited until he found her before sending that update letter via Filigree to Canterlot.

Peewee came flying out of the air and towards him. He landed on Bass’s back and squawked. “You found her?” Bass asked. The phoenix nodded and looked up. The earth pony looked in the same direction to a small park hanging above the town. “there.”

he ran up towards it, and hopefully Starlight.

Begin Song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldmOHlnTCAU

Holding On by Ellie Goulding

Bass ran up the path leading up to the park, passing leopards who were walking down. He had a bad feeling down in his gut. When he reached the top, that feeling proved to be a reality.

Using her magic, Starlight held a knife up to her throat.

“STARLIGHT!” Bass quickly ran over and rammed into her, cutting off her magic and making the knife fall.

Starlight kicked him off and picked up the knife again. Quickly moving, Bass bucked the knife into a nearby tree.

“ARE YOU F*&KING INSANE!!?” Bass yelled. Starlight looked away, not wanting to look him in the eyes. “Well?”

“I just… I just can’t take it anymore, Bass.”

“what?”

Starlight looked up at him with tear filled eyes. “All of this! It’s driving me to the brink!”

He didn’t know that. “Star…”

“When I set out, all I wanted was to find my real dad and learn why I’m a Alicorn. I never expected the rest of this to happen; my friends coming, that corrupt cop in Baltimare, Chaos Gun, the Wyrm, the Cave-in, the Blizzard, the Wendigos, and… and Marian…” tears streamed down her face and splattered on the ground. “if I never set out… none of my friends would be put in danger and… and Goldie wouldn’t be…”

“Starlight…”

The wounded mare fell to her knees and kept crying. “Why… why do I exist? I shouldn’t be here. I… I should’ve be alive.”

“Don’t talk like that!” Bass yelled. “there’s a reason for you to be alive, Star! Just because a few things go wrong, doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world! If you never existed, the whole mess with Nightmare Moon would still happen, except Chaos Gun wouldn’t intervene and the princess’ would probably be dead!”

Starlight didn’t hear him and kept on crying. “You don’t understand. I shouldn’t be here. I’m just putting my friends in mortal danger.”

Bass yelled and kicked a rock over the edge. Why are people in distress always the hardest to pacify?

A moment passed before Bass spoke. “Starlight… look up…” she did just that and saw him holding the knife. He lifted it and cut his hoof. Blood fell from it and splattered on the ground. He must’ve cut deeper then he intended cause it hurt like hell.

“Bass!” she quickly used her magic to heal it. “Why did you…”

“See… if you didn’t exist… then this could’ve gone bad.”

“but Bass…”

Once it was fully healed, Bass got up. “Listen, Starlight. My mother taught me that every dark cloud has some silver lining; sometimes major, sometimes light, always good. You may have a large dark cloud hanging over you, but there’s something good just around the corner. And maybe you’re not supposed to exist, maybe you are. But offing yourself isn’t the answer! You have to tough it though and find it!”

Tears fell down Starlight’s face at a rapid pace. He was right. She hated it but he’s right. She hiccupped as more tears filled her eyes. She broke down and fell into Bass’s embrace. He let her cry into his shoulder and didn’t say a word.

“My… my chest hurts, Bass. It feels like a thousand knifes are… piercing my heart. Knifes that want me dead. And… and I’m inclined to agree.”

Bass sighed out of mercy. Poor girl. There must be a way to cheer her up. And there is. He pushed her off his chest but didn’t let go. She hiccupped still as she temporarily wiped her eyes of tears. “What are you doing?”

he brushed her fire-like hair out of her eyes and just looked at her watery eyes. “Showing you that your life has value… by doing something I wanted to do for a long time…”

Starlight was nervous by what he meant by that and just looked at him. He looked at her with such compassion, it was almost scary. What was even more scary as that he leaned in and whispered into her ear,

“I love you, Starlight…”

He kissed her on the lips before she could respond. Though she was initially surprised, she accepted it. she closed her eyes and kissed back.

Ignoring what lead it to it, this was the best moment of her life.

“I love you too, Bass…”

2:43. End Song.

Author's Notes:

damn... such raw emotion... anyone else cry?