My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Starlight, Starbright

Chapter 31

Homestretch

In the aftermath of the battle against the Timberwolves and that fire monster, the village was in shambles. No one was hurt or killed, thank goodness, but they didn’t let the group leave until they helped fix up the place. It took them several hours to rebuild all the huts destroyed but they did it, and in shorter time then they realized. When that was done, and a proper night’s rest, they set out for the north to find the Necromancer.

2 new member’s joined the group that neither of them expected to get.

First was Chaos Gun, who had survived his bout with that fire monster but lost his memory in the process. He remembers Sweet Song, Starlight, and the others, but nothing about himself; not where he came from, not why he was pursuing them, or even what his name was. Well, it may have worked out for the best, cause Sweet Song kissed him and basically established their relationship. And it seems that was one thing he remembers; his love for her, and now she loves him back.

Second was Eris, the baby Draconequus Dash raised long before she had Soarin’ Cloud and Eris Shine. Glade, Pound, and Pumpkin have vague memories about her; after all, they were babies at the time, but they don’t remember her being this… talkative. During her time inside Erys, the Draconequus saw everything she saw and everything she felt. Neither the Alicorn or Pound are saying how Eris came back, leaving it to everyone’s imaginations to how she arrived. Some of them are… disturbing but hey, it’s anyone’s guess.

And thanks to Eris and her powers over chaos, the Draconequus used her powers to exorcise Nightmare Moon out of both Goldie and the Alicorn Amulet and finally rid the world of that boogey-mare for good. Eris fell asleep tired afterwards, which is why it took them a few hours to rebuild the village instead of a few minutes. She’s been asleep ever since.

Now, using directions from the village shaman, they’re heading north to find the Necromancer, someone who could help them find Starlight’s father.

Eris soundly slept on the back of her ‘big sister’, a little drool hanging out. Eris Shine looked at her with a warm smile. “So this was our long lost sister?” she asked as a joke. “I can see why Mom loved her; she’s so cute and innocent.”

“And I can see why she named you after her.” Soarin’ Cloud said.

Eris Shine chuckled, as did Peppy and Fire Ruby. “mom kept talking about a Eris when me and Soarin’ were young. I thought she was talking about a pony or a dragon. I never imagined a Draconequus was my ‘sister’.” she turned her attention to Glade, Pound, and Pumpkin. “You 3 were there. What else should I expect from her?”

“Really? We were babies at the time!” Pumpkin exclaimed. “and, we barely knew her. Glade knew her the most and he was only 3 days old.”

“hey, I told you all I knew when she came back.” Glade said. “Besides, she’s a Draconequus. That should answer your question.” it did. Somewhat.

Erys walked up beside Pound and lightly pecked him on the cheek. He felt it and turned a deep shade of red. “Un… what was that for?”

“For helping me back there. Thank you for that.” she kissed him again on the cheek, making him blush a deeper shade of red.

It was such a perfect situation, they couldn’t resist. “Princess Erys and Pound Cake, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” all the mares went. The guys just chuckled on. Erys’ eyes darted back and forth, herself feeling completely embarrassed. She draped a wing in front of her face. “s-stop it. I-it’s not funny.”

“it is too!” Chaos laughed. Thanks to the amnesia, he has become a completely different person. Most of them like it. Some, like Glade, find it… weird and disturbing.

“It is not!” Pound exclaimed out of embarrassment. “Speaking of which, let’s talk about your shipping with Sweet Song. It’s weird.”

“weird?” he asked with genuine confusion. He turned to Sweet Song. “how is it weird? He not like black stallions?”

Sweet chuckled. “it’s nothing, Chaos. Ignore her.”

“Oookay?”

That confused response made Goldie and Fire Ruby chuckle. Thanks to Eris’ powers over chaos, she was able to repair most of the bones in Goldie’s body. Most of them, being the key phrase. She wasn’t able to repair her wings, which were already dead before Eris saved her. Unless she uses one of Shadow’s mechanical wings, she’ll never fly again.

Feeling that she may have caused it made Starlight guilty. If she didn’t leave, then Goldie wouldn’t have come after her, then she wouldn’t have been attacked by Nightmare Moon, then she never would’ve been possessed or had her wings broken beyond repair. Her guilt showed on her face, not that she was trying to hide it.

Sombra watched them near his home on the screens and chuckled. “So close Starlight, and yet you’re still so far.” he tapped a button, changing half of the images on the screen to the tubes he has below his castle. He pressed another button, this time focusing on a massive tube bigger then the castle. How he fit that, we’ll never know.

“you still have some training to do, Starlight. You still have some powers lying dormant inside you. And this opponent- this terror from the past - will unleash them. I need you at full strength for my… Orochi’s plan to work.”

A pair of red eyes glowed from within the tube, followed by a guttural growl.

The group panted as they ascended what was hopefully the last hill on their trek. It had taken them weeks but they’re finally nearing it’s end. As it was her journey, Starlight took the lead. She took it mostly to hide her guilt. Woona saw it and scoffed.

“Come on, Star! Cheer up! We’re getting close to finding your daddy! Aren’t you excited?”

She was. After all this time and this long journey; Baltimare, the Wyrm Pass, the blizzard and the cabin, Nightmare Moon, and the Leopard Village… it’s been a long road and if she did it alone, she wouldn’t be here. She had her friends to thank, and her family… and Bass.

She has them to thank being this far. So… why does she feel guilty?

“You okay, Star?” Woona asked.

Golden Day flew on ahead to the top of the hill. Once she reached the top, she stopped and hovered there. What she saw on the other side made her smile. “Hey, Starlight! You’re gonna want to see this!”

Eager to see what’s on the other side, the group bounded up the hill. Starlight took it slow, feeling as depressed as ever. Woona rolled her eyes, flew behind Starlight, and pushed her up.

When the group reached the top, they whistled at the vista that spread out before them. When Woona reached with Starlight, she whistled as well. Even ms. Manic Depressive was impressed.

Instead of a snow covered valley void of animals, they got a pristine green vista filled with all sorts of life. In short, Shangri-la.

“I’d say that the Necromancer live’s here.” Bass said. Nobody argued; it would take someone with extraordinary powers to keep a forested valley pristine in such a cold and void environment.

“So where would he live?” Sym asked, looking around to find some sort of settlement. Everyone’s heads turned as well to find something that would resemble a house.

Marian, who is once again wearing her Alicorn Amulet, thanks to Eris exorcising Nightmare Moon out of it, was the one to find it. “There. Would that work?” she said, pointing out to it. Everyone looked in the direction she was pointing and saw it. Lying in the middle of the valley was a castle that couldn’t have been built by normal hands. It had to have built with magic.

Great place for a hermit Necromancer to live.

“Getting close to the end, huh Starlight?” Bass gladly asked.

The Alicorn looked to him and smiled. Bass… he’s the only one who truly wanted to help her. And the kiss back in the village, the confirmation of their love for each other… she is never going to forget that. Which makes what she’s going to ask a lot harder.

“Yeah… we are. Which is why…” she stopped short, finding it hard to even say.

“Which is why… what?” Marian asked.

Her heart aching, Starlight sighed. “Which is why I must go alone.”

“WHAT!?” they all yelled. She expected them to yell, but not that loudly.

“But we’ve been though so much to just let you go alone now!” Windancer exclaimed.

“I know!” she yelled, catching everyone off guard. “but I can’t risk putting you all in danger again! I almost got you all killed! … I almost got my sister killed! I just can‘t put you in danger again. Not again.”

Everyone just stood there, looking at her with sympathetic eyes. It’s not like they don’t know what she’s going though, they’re just surprised to hear her snap this far in; this close into the end.

Goldie walked up to her sister and hugged her. “Not a chance.”

“b-but Goldie…”

“No buts! We’ve been though hell together and I think we can survive a Necromancer, if he turns out to be bad.”

“But I don’t want to put you, or anyone, in harms way again. I almost lost you!”

“well, I almost lost you when you ran away. And Dash lost Eris long ago. And we almost lost Cotton to that bad flu season a few years back. Face it, Starlight, we’re with you till the end. When we go, we go. That’s fate’s design, not ours.”

To think that came from Goldie… even after she was at death’s door, she’s still willing to go head-long into danger. “Do you all… feel this way?” she asked her friends.

“you kidding? We’d follow you into Tartarus, if it sent us down there.” Peppy said. “we’ve been though so much in so short a time not to be encouraged. Plus, I’m curious about who this Necromancer looks like.”

“or who your dad is.” Soarin’ finished. Erys and Pumpkin nodded in agreement.

Bass chuckled and walked up beside her. “Face it, Star. You’re stuck with us.”

Starlight looked at her friends, adopting a tearful smile. Her friends are willing to risk their lives… for her. She wiped her eyes. “thanks, everyone. I needed that.” everyone smiled back at her.

“face it, you can’t get rid of family that easy. I know, I tried.” Marian said with a chuckle.

“Hey!” Woona exclaimed.

“not you, Glade.” Glade gave her a mean look. “I tried to get rid of him back when we were fillies. Came right back home 2 hours later.”

“well, that explains how I would up at Zecora’s!” Glade said. “And here I thought you were being nice.” Marian playfully shrugged and blushed, causing Woona and Windancer to chuckle.

A shadow suddenly draped over the land, slithering over them all. It disappearing as fast as it appeared.

“What the hell was that?” Chaos asked.

A orb of bright red light fell from the skies and crashed into the ground between them. The 4 Alicorns barely had enough time to cast barrier spells. The orb exploded and sent everyone flying in 4 groups in 4 directions.

“Who’s…”

Begin Song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tMqUYXe6VI

Hade’s Infernal Theme - Kid Icarus Uprising OST

A large black mass fell from the sky, spiraling like a corkscrew. The screw dove into the ground, creating a small hole. A tail came out and dug into the hole, stopping the mass from spinning.

Wings spread out far, revealing their draconic owner underneath.

“What in the world…?” Golden Day exclaimed.

“Dad?” Windancer softly said to herself.

eTu`nes, or rather Oscurita, opened his large mouth and roared loudly into the air. His demonic trumpet bellow echoed all the way back to Baltimare.

The force from the roar flattened them all to the ground. “This can’t be possible!” Glade yelled over the roar. “Oscurita was defeated long ago and turned back to eTu`nes! No way he could be here now!”

“Then why is he here?!” Screw Loose yelled back. That was a question Glade couldn’t answer.

“I wish he could stop roaring!” Fire Ruby exclaimed. As if on cue, Oscurita did just that. He looked down at them all with a sinister growl.

“D-dad….” Windancer shakingly said. She heard her father was a wild savage beast once upon a time but… she didn’t imagine anything like this.

“That’s not the real him, Win.” Marian said. “he’s still back in Ponyville.”

The ground shook as Oscurita took a step. With each booming step, the monster got closer and closer.

“H-how did the humans beat him?” Bass worriedly asked.

“from what we heard, a whole lot of luck!” Filigree said.

And they’re gonna need it. Oscurita reared his head back, powering up his beam attack. They all remember that part of the story. “RUN!” Glade yelled.

They did it too little, too late as the beam fired and hit the ground. Explosions crept up behind the group and sent them careening into the ground with the rubble from the explosion on top.

End Song.

Starlight opened her eyes to find herself floating in some black nexus. How did she get here? Is she dead? She gasped, went wide-eyed, and got up. “GOLDIE!” she called out. “BASS!” she called out again. Neither of them, or any of her friends, replied.

Starlight began to freak out. “No. no no no no no no. I can’t be dead! I can’t be dead! I can’t!” she broke down into tears. “I can’t leave them. I can’t leave my friends… I can’t leave Goldie…” she held her heart. “I can’t leave my Bass.”

A light shown behind her but she didn’t see it due to her tears. “You are not dead, my precious daughter.” daughter? No way this is Twilight. Starlight turned to look but the light shown bright enough to blind her eyes.

“you have a destiny to fulfill…”

Begin Song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qROQOpei73Q

Mirror Mirror - RWBY ‘White’ Trailer Song.

0:00.

Starlight snapped awake and saw a pile of flaming boulders over her. Thing is, they were hovering over her, held aloft by a pink mist. She sure as hell didn’t cast that.

“How did…” she used her magic to get them off. She got up and saw that she wasn’t hurt. No scars, no burns, no broken bones, no nothing. “a destiny…? What destiny…?”

Oscurita’s loud roar echoed though the day, knocking Starlight back to reality. She used her wings and got up to see her worst fear come true.

All her friends lay dead or dying beneath the piles of rubble blasted by that monster. Tears formed in her eyes and her heart broke into pieces. “No…. no… they can’t be dead…” she fell to her knees and fell forward, stopping herself from hitting the ground with her hooves. “No… Goldie… Bass…”

The ground shook as Oscurita shifted. Starlight was there and he had his master’s orders to fulfill.

Grief and guilt ravaged the mare’s soul. She didn’t want them to come but they insisted. Now they’re dead. The monster gave a guttural growl. At the same time, Starlight opened her eyes, angry as hell.

“You…” she looked up at the monster, which towered over her. Her tears evaporated as power surged though her body. “I’M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID!”

The clone scoffed. What could a little mare do?

Starlight spread her wings and powered up her magic. The monster scoffed again and spread his claws.

0:50.

He swiped down at the ground, missing Starlight. She teleported away and reappeared in front of it’s face. She powered up and fired a magic blast in it’s face. It hit but didn’t do much damage. She clearly forgot that part of history, that Oscurita is tough as hell.

Speaking of which, the monster’s ugly mug lunged at the mare, trying to bite her into two. Starlight moved as fast as Rainbow Dash and got out of the way.

She flapped her wings and streaked though the air to the beast’s back. She powered up the same spell and fired it like a machine gun, littering it’s back in explosions, hoping one would do something.

None of them did anything except put on dazzling displays.

Oscurita turned around, it’s right wing almost hitting the Alicorn in flight. She cut a hole in the leather on it’s wing and spun right though it unharmed. The monster growled, spotting the little irritant. It opened it’s mouth and fired it’s beam attack at her. It missed, hitting the ground beneath her. That went up in smoke and flames.

The heat and exhaust from the explosion propelled Starlight up into the air, right into Oscurita’s line of view. It roared and swiped his claws at her. It hit, sending her falling to the ground.

Star corrected herself in mid-flight and stopped herself in mid-air just as the monster swung it’s tail at her. It crashed down on her, sending her falling to the ground again, this time hitting it. The tail followed not far behind and crushed her.

The beast removed it’s appendage, hoping it didn’t kill her, otherwise it’s master is going to be furious.

1:39.

A heavily injured Starlight struggled to get up from the ground, not about to let this monster get the better of her. She felt that she had a lot of broken bones and a few collapsed organs.

“You…” she growled at the monster. Blood fell from her mouth as she said it. “You… you killed my friends… you killed my family…!”

Bass’ hoof twitched but she didn’t notice it. She was too angry to notice.

“I will…”

Her Cutie Mark began to glow, as did the ground below her. The blood and tears that came out of her fell up and evaporated.

The powered mare hovered above the ground, spreading her wings wide. Her eyes turned red, the whites turned green, and purple fire came out of the ends.

“I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER!!!! ARAHHHHH!!”

2:05.

A clock-faced glyph appeared underneath her and spread out. Unlike the last few times it appeared, this one was blood red and sparking with electricity.

Fearing it made a mistake, Oscurita backed up in fear.

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING!?!” Starlight yelled. 5 small beams of light shot out of the glyph. 2 wrapped around it’s legs, 2 wrapped around it’s arms, and one wrapped around it’s neck. The giant dragon struggled to get loose but he was stuck tight.

The glyph glowed again, this time sending sparkles floating up into the air. Starlight concentrated on a spell that will destroy that thing and make him suffer while doing so.

Bass gained rudimentary consciousness to see what is happening. Those eyes… they always appear whenever she’s angry. “s-starlight…” he struggled to say.

The sparkles spun around Starlight at speeds up to Mach 5. “You…” she growled. Oscurita tried to get loose again but couldn’t. the sparkles aimed at the dragon. A orb appeared between then and gained power. “DIE!!!”

The org fired a massive and powerful beam of light. It struck and engulfed the overgrown drake, causing it’s shackles to disappear.

Oscurita suffered every single pain imaginable to dragon-kind, even pains that aren’t supposed to happen to drakes. It roared in intense agony for as long as Starlight deemed fit.

Starlight felt… happy that this thing was suffering. It killed her friends, so she should respond in kind.

Right?

2:56. End Song.

“there. Done.” Twilight folded up the letter and got up from her stool. She started the letter when Dinky had just given birth to her twins and had just now finished. Now she just needs to find Spike so he can send it to Starlight and her friends. Today’s Thursday, which means he and Rarity are… eh… doing the deed.

“Maybe waiting 10 minutes wouldn’t hurt.” she commented. She headed for the door to get a snack from Sugarcube Corner when she felt a shiver go up her spine.

Something horrible just happened. She’s sure of it. She seems to be getting that a lot since Starlight left.

Sombra watched as Starlight put Oscurita though horrible agony. “seems her powers have now fully awakened.” he said. He got up off his throne. “which means it’s time for me to get ready for my part in this charade.”

Starlight cut off the attack, feeling that 10 minutes was enough for the monster. Oscurita stood as still as a statue, not moving, not making a sound. The glyph disappeared, as did the sparkles. Her eyes stayed the same, however.

“Be… gone…”

As if scripted, the monster disintegrated into snowflake shaped diamonds. The horde of jewels fell to the ground and spread out over a wide area.

The colors in her eyes went away and Starlight suddenly blacked out.

“..arlight. Starlight. Starlight.”

Goldie’s voice echoed though the Alicorn’s ears as she woke up. She painfully opened her eyes to see her sister, Bass, Glade, Woona, and Marian standing over her, looking at her with worried expressions. Their worried expressions changed to thankful when she woke up.

“Starlight! You okay!?” Goldie asked.

“ergh… uh… er…. Goldie?” Starlight snapped awake when she said it. “GOLDIE!” she suddenly hugged her. “Oh, you’re okay! I thought you were dead!”

Goldie chocked under her sister’s bear hug. “Agh! Starlight. You’re choking me! Stop!”

A pain in her head caused Star to stop. She let her go and held her head. “Agh!”

“You okay?” Marian asked.

“y-yeah. Just a… just a headache.” she replied. “what happened. I thought you were all dead.”

“guess we got lucky.” Woona said.

“and what happened to you?” Glade said, taking over. “we woke up and saw the monster disintegrate into crystals and you fall unconscious.”

“…unconscious?”

“…that was 15 hours ago.”

“15 hours?” she was out that long? Man. What did she do? “wow. 15 hours? I was out a whole day?” everyone nodded in confirmation. “ah.” she got another pain and scratched her head this time.

“So… what happened?” Bass asked.

Starlight remembered everything that happened. She caused that monster so much agony. She didn’t want to say anything. “I… I don’t know. It’s a blur.” Bass knew what had happened; he saw it all happen, but he kept silent. Better to stay silent about this then confront her.

Thankful that her friends are all right, Starlight laid her head down on a rock to rest. So much had happened, she deserves a break. She and her friends will go to the castle when they wake up. When, they don’t know. But this is Starlight’s journey; they’ll go when she goes.

Seems when they left the village, Bass forgot to pack a blanket and even though this was a green realm, that doesn’t mean it’s not cold as heck. Starlight saw him shivering and felt sorry. She got up, walked over, laid down beside him, and draped a wing over him.

He felt the sudden warmth and lightly opened his eyes to see the wing over him. Guess she wants to start a relationship after all. He turned around and wrapped a fore hoof around her back.

Goldie, who couldn’t get to sleep, saw this. Like most fillies, she is feeling ecstatic. She’s gonna get a brother-in-law, and a cool one at that.

Author's Notes:

yeah, it's meh. but who expected Oscurita, or rather a clone, to show up?