My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Starlight, Starbright

Chapter 35

My choice…

That was the best sleep she had in ages.

Being the daughter of the owner of this castle, and a Alicorn, Starlight got the best room in the house. High emphasis on best.

Starlight opened her eyes, waking up once again. She sat up and stretched. That was the comfiest bed she ever slept in; even better then the bed back home. She wonders if her friends had the same best night’s sleep.

They did.

Starlight pulled herself out of bed and opened the window in her room. The bright morning sun and fresh spring air came flowing in. she wasn’t expecting spring air to come in the middle of winter. Guess her father’s magic is quite powerful.

Her father…

Sombra is not what she expected for her father to look like. Or act like. She pictured him to be a regal but perverted pony who wanted a night with a mare but didn’t bother to try and ask someone out on a date. She didn’t expect him to be frightening and so dark.

She walked to the bathroom built right next to her bedroom and stopped in front of the mirror. She thought up the angriest thing she could think of; her friends betraying and leaving her. More sad then angry, it did the trick and her eyes changed color. The iris’ turned red, the whites turned green, and purple wisps came out the sides of her eyes.

Just like Sombra…

That’s the definitive proof that he is her father. It’s only in his family that that can be passed down. When one gets angry, their eyes turned into that.

“surprised my friends put up with it.” Starlight commented as she splashed her face with cold water, waking her up fully. Her face twitched as the call of nature hit. “Oh, boy!” she used her magic to close the door.

Sombra stood in the bottom basement of the castle, looking at the device he had received from his ‘allies’ back when they were still here.

“she’s finally here… now it can truly begin… now I just have to bide my time and wait for her friends to leave. Shouldn’t take more then a few weeks, a month at best. Doesn’t matter, I’m a patient man.”

A shadow, a shadow belonging to a leopard he found dead a few years ago, appeared behind him. “Master, Mistress Starlight and her friends are awake.”

He looked to the shadow and chuckled. “time for the fun to begin.” he said sinisterly. He looked to the ground. Shadows belonging to various species, mostly the Changelings he had so much fun with, came flowing in, heading for the device in the center. He chuckled evilly, then disappeared in a flash of dark fire.

Fully refreshed, Starlight walked out of her room and came face to face with a shadow of a leopard. “AH!” she yelped.

“my apologies, Mistress Starlight. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

The Alicorn calmed down and cleared her head. “Un… who are…”

“oh. Where are my manners? The name is Leopold. My master, Lord Sombra, found my deceased body out in the countryside. He used his magic to take my shadow and made me his…” actually, what did Sombra make him? First time in years he thought about it. “em… guess you could call me his advisor. Or maybe butler.”

“it doesn’t matter.” Starlight said, now having calmed down. “so, why are you here?”

“Ah. My master has invited you and your friends to the dining hall for a lovely breakfast. To commemorate your arrival and your return.”

“return?”

“Ah, sorry. Poor choice of words. He never thought he would see you. Having you here filled him with light. Something I never expected to see in him.”

Starlight’s heart warmed up. Maybe his callous exterior will finally melt. “so… which way to the dining hall?”

Leopold snapped his fingers, or what counts for fingers with a shadow. Starlight’s shadow stirred and walked off without her. “just follow your shadow and it’ll take you to the hall.”

Star still can’t get used to that. “t-thanks.” Starlight followed her shadow, leaving Leopold behind. The shadow snickered and melted into the walls. Long as nobody finds out he was a chronic liar, he’s good.

When Starlight arrived at the dining hall, she saw that her friends were already there, sitting down and waiting for the food. And their host. “he invited you all too?”

“Yep.” they all replied. Even Glade’s soldiers were sitting down. There were more then enough seats for all of them with room to spare for the Elements of Harmony.

“seems kinda overkill, don’tcha think?” Peppy commented, looking at the massive table.

“actually…” Leopold said as he suddenly appeared, scaring most of them. “… Sombra magically extended his table not long after you arrived.

“oh. Still, seems kinda overkill.”

“Sorry my table disagrees with you.” Sombra said as he appeared in dark fire. Like with Leopold, most of the group yelled out of surprise. “but I can’t please everyone.”

Peppy stammered out of fear. “a, ba, ba, ba. I-I-I-I-I was just making a observation. A comment. A not-to-be-taken seriously comment.”

Sombra ignored her. He used his magic to summon up breakfast. Should be called dinner because that’s how big and lavish it is. There’s enough food there to feed all of Ponyville for a entire day. And this was just breakfast. They can hardly wait what dinner would look like.

“this is quite the spread.” Glade said. “Thanks, Lord Sombra.”

“It’s the least I could do for those who took care of my darling Starlight.” he used his magic to summon up candles to better illuminate. “As you can see, there’s something for everyone; vegetables, fruit, meat for your carnivores and gems for the dragon’s.”

The only dragons, and carnivores in the group, were Chaos, Filigree, and Fire Ruby. And as they were the only ones, they dug in. Ruby was about to bite into a big sapphire when Filigree pulled it out. “hey hey hey. Mom could use this for her dresses.”

Right. Forgot that. “Save the big ones for her.” Ruby said, throwing a equally big emerald onto the floor. “The rest, dig in.”

“Conservative eaters?” Sombra asked.

“un, no. our mom is a designer and she uses gems for her dresses.” Filigree explained. “we’re saving the big ones for her. Or for Dad, if he gets to it first.”

“he does seem to be a glutton when it comes to gems.” Starlight commented.

“Look who’s talking, Ms. Hay Fry freak.” Fire Ruby retorted. Starlight squealed and shut her mouth. “I saw you eat 5 whole plates worth.”

Bass couldn’t help but laugh. “5 whole plates of Hay Fries? Really? Hahahahahahaha!”

“More like a platter!” Marian chuckled, trying to keep herself from laughing out loud.

Starlight exclaimed. “least I’m not the one obsessed with the circus!”

“that was a phase! And I lasted only a month!”

“Yet, we had to put up with crappy magic tricks.” Starlight cleared her throat and imitated her. “ ‘pick a card, any card.’ you always got it wrong!”

Marian exclaimed.

Everyone burst out laughing. This was probably the funniest breakfast they all had. Sombra watched them with cold eyes, wondering if her friends are just playing her or are really her friends. “So… you seem to be great friends with Starlight.”

“And why wouldn’t we?” Sym asked. “she’s our friend.”

“but she’s a Alicorn. Born with a Cutie Mark. Doesn’t that make it odd?”

“should it?” Golden Day asked. “she’s our friend. she helped us and we helped her. We can overlook that Alicorn nonsense.” everyone agreed with that.

Again, Sombra had trouble telling if that was the truth or not. “seems you have great friends, Starlight.”

Starlight chuckled with a smile. “the best.” she used her magic to pull Goldie over. “As well as the best little sister ever!” she brightly said, giving her a noogie. Goldie struggled to get her to stop while laughing.

Sombra sensed that Starlight really loved her friends. And they loved her genuinely. This could be a problem. But he can wait. He’s a patient man. He waited 20 years for this; what’s a few more weeks?

After breakfast, the group went their separate ways to explore the castle. Sombra had it all; a luxury pool, sport courts, beautiful botanical gardens, even a movie theater. In short, his castle is better then Celestia’s. WAY better.

While her friends are busy playing and exploring, Starlight is taking the opportunity to get to know her father better.

“So you were just like me?” Starlight asked as she walked though the halls with Sombra.

“Yes. Had a lot of good friends. They loved me like your friends love you. But, when I found my talent over shadows, they abandoned me. That’s where the similarities end. You still have your friends and I don’t have mine.”

Star felt sorry for him. He spent most of his life living alone in this dark, dank palace he found in the arctic. “but times have changed. ever since the Humans arrived, everyone’s more open, more willing to the unknown. Surely, Mom and Celestia will accept you.”

Sombra warmly chuckled. “I appreciate it, Starlight, but I don’t think it would be wise. I spent so much time alone, I’m having trouble adjusting to your friends.”

“Dad…”

“it’s okay, Starlight. It’s just my nature, that’s all.”

Starlight couldn’t agree with that. Her nature was always changing, always shifting and shuffling. Her father must be a stubborn stallion. Something they don’t have in common.

Sombra grumbled and scratched his head. “I got something to attend to.”

“what is it?”

“it’s nothing. Just a minor nuisance.” Sombra turned to go down the other way. “why don’t you go play with your friends? I’ll be awhile.”

“Okay.”

Starlight took a few steps when she was stopped by Sombra asking a question. “Starlight. Are you happy in Ponyville?”

That was a unexpected question. “what do you mean?”

“I mean… are you really happy in Ponyville? Do you enjoy it there?”

“o-of course I do. My family and friends are from there. I’m from there.”

“that doesn’t answer the question. Are you happy?”

Starlight isn’t sure what he wants her to say. “I… I…” she sighed in defeat. “I don’t know.”

Sombra summoned up a portal of dark fire behind him. “if Ponyville isn’t your cup of tea, maybe it’s time for a change of scenery?”

A change of scenery? Like… move? Here? Before she could ask what he meant, he entered the fire and disappeared.

“WAHOO!” Sym cheered as she cannon-balled into the 100 foot pool. Everyone had relocated themselves into the pool, which they missed. Despite this castle being in the arctic, the inside was surprisingly warm. Very warm. Warm enough to warrant a swim in the pool, which was just the right temperature.

“Oh, I needed this…” Sweet Song cooed. Chaos floated up next to her, eyes closed, enjoying the soak in the pool. The two bumped into each other, but they didn’t react. They just floated on.

“we all needed this.” Woona said. “nothing like a soak in a pool to wash all your stress away.”

Starlight stood at the entrance, watching her friends laughing and playing and just being lazy. “(If Ponyville isn’t your cup of tea, maybe it’s time for a change of scenery?)” Sombra’s words echoed though her mind.

“(does he mean… move here with him? But my mom is in Ponyville. My friends are in Ponyville. I… I can’t just leave them.)”

Bass laughed with his friends, almost busting a gut. Once he stopped, he looked and saw Starlight walk away from the pool, closing the door behind her.

“(why didn’t she come in?)”

A pair of white doves flew though the air, fighting over a itty-bitty worm. The larger dove got it and flew away with the smaller in hot pursuit.

Starlight watched them from the balcony from her room, envying their freedom. If only she can choose her route in life. Her background made it virtually impossible for her to go out for her own sake. Running away was the first thing she did that was her own big choice.

“are you okay?”

Starlight turned her head to see Bass enter the room. He closed the door behind him and headed to her. “no, I’m not Bass.”

“why? You finally found what you were looking for; your real father.”

“Yeah, but… but Mom’s letter from before we entered… got me thinking. And… there was something Dad just told me.”

He walked up next to her. “What?”

Starlight stayed quiet. She didn’t want to talk, but… “back in Ponyville… I was never allowed to do anything… overly magical.”

“Overly magical?”

She tapped her Cutie Mark. “time based. I was forced to do it in secret. Plus… I was never able to make any major decisions in my life. Going to the Canterlot Royal Academy, that was Mom’s choice for me. Becoming well-versed with spells not associated with time, that was Aunt Celestia and Luna. I was never able to make my own huge choice.” she looked to him. “Until I ran. That was the first major choice I made on my own. And now, I’m forced into another.”

“huh?”

Starlight looked up to the sky, back to the doves. “my dad… he wants me to move here.”

“move?”

“yeah. He asked if I was truly happy in Ponyville.”

“and were you?”

Starlight paused, not wanting to answer. “… no. I wasn’t. I honestly wasn’t. the one place where I was truly happy…” she turned to him with light in her eyes. “was with you.”

“me?” Bass asked in surprise.

“yeah. You… you helped me become something other then a yes-girl.” she held a hoof up to her heart. “and now… there’s another major decision I… I want to make.”

She walked into the bedroom, leaving Bass confused. “what?” Starlight used her magic to summon a barrier that covered the door and walls. Now he got really confused. “what are you doing?” he asked as he walked in. when he did, she closed the curtains and put a barrier over that, leaving only a little light seeping in though the cracks. “Starlight?”

Without warning, without any indication, Starlight kissed him full on the lips. Surprised, Bass pushed her off. “S-Starlight. What are you doing?”

“Bass… I… I want this. I want you. I am truly happy with you.” she slowly walked over to him. Bass gulped. He never had a girl do this before. She slowly put her fore-legs around him. “Please, Bass… I love you and you truly make me happy… please… for me…”

Though initially fearful at first, Bass succumbed and wrapped his fore-legs around her. “Starlight… I love you too… and I want you to be happy. So…”

Starlight looked up to him with happy, light filled eyes. “thank you so much, Bass.” she leaned in and kissed him. This time, he didn’t fight back. He kissed back.

The new couple fell back onto the bed. Starlight used her magic to fully close the curtains, enclosing them in darkness.

Hopefully, the sound-proof barriers she cast work.

Author's Notes:

Bow-Chicka-Bow-Wow