My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Starlight, Starbright

Chapter 39

Darkness Rising

Starlight couldn’t sleep, not after she had a bombshell like that dropped on her. After Sombra revealed what the world was supposed to be if the humans hadn’t come and she hadn’t been born, the broken Alicorn took away from that whole talk that… her whole existence screwed everything up. If she wasn’t conceived, then… then maybe the world wouldn’t been better off. That’s what she took from it.

And now, her father is offering to help her erase the fact that she can use time by using her power to travel back in time to change their fates. If he does it, that she’ll be free. No Mother or powerful Aunt riding down her neck, controlling her every move; being able to do what she wants. She’d still be a Alicorn, sure, but she’ll finally have a say in her life.

This is so hard… she can’t decide. Go back with her friends to Ponyville tomorrow… or stay with Sombra and go back in time… and leave Bass?

She can’t just abandon him. They’ve been though so much in so little time. And she can’t break up with him just after they started a relationship. It wouldn’t be fair to him. It would just break his poor heart.

Faust, why is this so hard? Her own happiness or the happiness of others? Change her life or change the lives of others? Her heart is aching under these decisions. Why is it so hard?

After finding a hidden door in one of the corridor walls, Fire Ruby, Goldie, and the Draconequus Eris descended down the stairs hiding behind it. After what seemed like forever, the trio found another door, not so hidden this time. Behind it, they heard the sound of a machine powering up, along with inhuman growls and hisses.

“…the heck?” Eris muttered, putting her ear to it to try and get a better listen. It didn’t help much. “there’s something behind there. But I can’t figure out what?”

“and there’s no keyhole.” Ruby pointed out. “so peeking in is out of the question.”

Goldie gulped out of fear. “don’t you think we should get out of here? I don’t think we’re supposed to be down here. Why else would Sombra hide this?”

They didn’t say it verbally but Ruby and Eris agreed. They started back up the stairs when a sudden appearance of dark fire appeared in front of them. Sombra had appeared. And he wasn’t expected to see the children. “What are you 3 doing?” he coldly asked.

The trio gulped out of fear. “n-n-nothing.” Ruby said nervously. “we just found the secret door and we were curious what’s down here.”

“y-y-y-y-y-yeah.” Eris stammered. “And we couldn’t open that door to see what’s behind it so… so no harm done.” Sombra looked at them with cold eyes, not buying it for a minute. The trio yelped then bolted up the stairs.

He left them go. They weren’t worth the effort. He looked at the door. They told the truth; the door wasn’t messed with. They may have heard the machine but with it closed, they wouldn’t have been able to figure what it was. He figures, with their imagination, it’s a powerful monster kept at bay by a machine.

Too bad they’ll never know what’s really in there.

When the sun rose, everyone was in the audience hall, getting ready for the trip home. Well, most of the group were. Starlight was having a hard time trying to figure out what to do.

She deeply sighed, having finally reached a difficult answer. “he’s not going to like this…” she said with a cracked voice. With a heavy heart, she got out of bed. She really didn’t want to do this. Not to him.

She stopped at the door, hoof just inches away from the handle. She couldn’t bring herself to go out. Her heart reached new depths of hopelessness and depression. She leaned her head on the door and silently sobbed.

“I’m so sorry…” she sobbed. She fell to her knees and sobbed harder.

The group gathered in the audience hall, getting ready for the return trip. Despite going over every conceivable route back but the only way is the Wyrm Pass. Guess they are going to fly over that.

Erys stopped her packing for a moment and looked around the hall. “You know… we’ve only been here for a few days… but I’m gonna miss this place.”

“Yeah.” Woona agreed. “The pool, the gardens….” her mouth drooled at the thought. “the fooohohohod. Oh, yummy food.”

Marian rolled her eyes and face-palmed. “Here we go again.” she said, irritated at her sister. Again.

Bass packed up his bag then flopped it onto his back. He then went to packing Starlight’s. she asked him to go and pack it for her. He didn’t ask, he just went. Though he senses that something is wrong with her. If only she would say what.

Sombra suddenly appeared before them, scaring half of the group, even more so to the kids. He ignored them. “so, I take it you’re all ready to go?”

“Yeah.” Glade said, heaving his pack onto his back. “just waiting for Starlight.”

Starlight… hopefully, she’ll make the right decision. HIS decision. He hit her with a number of bombshells that her life screwed up others. She has no choice. He didn’t show it externally, but internally, he was smiling evilly.

Starlight reached the entrance to the hall and stopped. She can’t. she just can’t go in and tell him. She just can’t. it’ll hurt him badly. It’ll hurt her. But… but she made her choice and she had to go though with it.

With a heavy heart, Starlight entered the hall.

Bass was the first to spot her. “Ah, Star!” he got up and headed to her. “got your pack packed.” he placed it on her back and went in to give her a peck on the cheek, but didn’t and instead gave her a friendly punch. “we’re getting ready to head out soon.”

Starlight looked at the pack, then to her father. She closed her eyes and made a single tear fall. he’s gonna hate her for this.

She grabbed her pack and tossed it to the floor. “I’m not going back. Not now. Not ever!”

None of her friends could believe what they heard. “What?” Goldie, Marian, and Windancer gasped.

Bass really couldn’t believe it. “Starlight… you can’t mean that.”

“I mean it!” she exclaimed, trying hard to hide her sadness with anger. “I am never, EVER, going back to Ponyville!”

“why?” Cotton asked, trying to understand her decision.

“Why?! Because my life is a abomination! I was never meant to exist! My entire life has thrown the world offbalance! I was just never supposed to exist! I was… I was never supposed to be…” Nobody could believe what they’re hearing. Not one word. “Mom would be better off if I wasn’t alive. Aunt Celestia would be better off if I wasn’t alive. Everyone would be better off if I wasn’t alive.”

This is complete bullcrap. Glade angrily frowned to her. “Are you serious? Everyone would be better off if you weren’t alive? Just what thoughts are going though your head?”

“Shut up, Glade!” Starlight yelled. “My whole life has been a complete disaster! And I messed up all of yours as well! If I wasn’t born, I wouldn’t have screwed everything up.”

What is she talking about? She never talked about this before. “S-sis…” Goldie said with a cracked voice.

“stop calling me that, Goldie! I’m not your sister! I was never meant to be your sister! Admit it, all of you. You all felt guilty for me being a Alicorn and just hung out with me to make me feel better! Admit it! And you all felt that I was never meant to be as well, didn‘t you?!”

Nobody answered. They never wanted to say anything to her but… they did feel guilty for her. Everyone but Goldie and Bass felt that way. Speaking of whom, Bass shook his head. “That’s not true!” he exclaimed. “I care about you too much for you to say stuff like that!”

“Shut up, Bass!” Starlight yelled. That caused cracks in both their hearts. “I know that’s not true!” she didn’t believe it but she doesn’t want Bass to be caught up in what her and Sombra have planned. “You only cared about me because I was a Alicorn. I didn’t believe Marian at first but it’s true! I can’t believe I couldn’t see it before!”

Bass’s heart sank. She can’t mean this. She just can’t mean any of it. “Starlight…”

She had to get them to leave and not come back to stop her. She had to do it. “just go away! Leave me alone!” her heart broke when she said that. And this added more hurt to it, “I don’t want to see you again! Ever!”

Starlight turned and quickly ran away, leaving everyone dumbstruck. For Bass, he was heartbroken. Why did she act like that? Why did she say that? Does she really hate her own life enough to forget everyone else who loves her? He held his heart, which hurt horribly.

Sombra kept up a calm face, despite what had just happened. “(good, Starlight. Good. You made the right choice.)” now, to keep up appearances, “I… I’m so sorry, I didn’t expect this to happen.” he said, pretending to be sympathetic. “I’ll try to talk to her.”

Glade picked up Starlight’s pack and sighed. “Don’t. she’s made up her mind.” he angrily said.

Nobody could believe this had happened. It didn’t seem possible. They had no idea Starlight felt that way. And… they did feel sorry for her for being a Alicorn. With heavy hearts, they all headed for the exit to make the long, and now arduous, journey home.

Bass and Goldie, however, didn’t want to believe this. They can’t believe this. They just can’t. Glade saw them still standing there. “Goldie! Bass! We’re going!” he yelled out.

Bass lament fully sighed. If he had seen this coming… he couldn’t done something to prevent it. And Goldie… having her own sister say that…

Bass walked over and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Goldie…”

the filly burst into tears and hugged Bass. “why did she say that?” she cried.

He didn’t know. And if he did, he doubts she’ll understand. “Come on. Let’s go home.” Goldie didn’t want to leave. She didn’t want to do anything. Bass knew what she was feeling. He put her on her back and slowly walked after the others.

Sombra watched them leave with cold, unfeeling eyes. When the door closed, it left a thundering boom in it’s wake.

“hm hm hm hm hm hm hm hm.”

Low, sinister laughter echoed though the hall, imitating from one dark unicorn. “he he he he he he he.” they were gone, they were finally gone. It seems too good to be true. It’s coming true. His plan is coming true.

“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

Starlight ran into her room and slammed the door behind her. She leaned back on the door and broke down. She told her friends to f*&k off. She told her sister to forget her… she told her coltfriend to leave her alone.

She broke down into tears. She ran to her bed, grabbed a pillow, and hugged it tightly as she cried. Hard.

“Goldie… Bass… I’m so sorry!!”

It took them 40 minutes to reach the edge of the valley. It felt like 40 years. Starlight’s outburst really got them down. For Goldie and Bass, it was heartbreak.

When he reached the edge, Bass looked back to the castle. Starlight would never say something like that… Starlight would never say anything like that. She may be weak willed but she wouldn’t break; she’s stronger then that. And why now; after 18 years?

“Something’s wrong.” he said. It got the group to stop and looked back to him. “there’s something wrong with this picture.”

He‘s grasping at straws. “Bass…” Golden Day whined.

“No. no no no. why would Starlight snap now? Why not a year earlier? Or 2 years?”

“Bass… it’s over.” Marian defeated said. “you heard her. She doesn’t want us. She doesn’t want to live anymore. She wants nothing to do with us anymore.”

“but it’s weird that she would snap now, just days after finding her dad. That spells suspicious in my book.”

“Bass, that’s enough.” Woona sternly said. “just… just give it up.”

“no. no, I’m not. Something is horribly wrong with Starlight. I just know it.”

“Give it up! Starlight doesn’t want us.” Cotton whined. “why won’t you accept that?”

“Because…” Bass paused there. This was hard to say, with his poor heart broken like this. “because…” might as well come right out and say it. “Because I love her. And… and I know that she wouldn’t just say this.”

He’s in love with her? A out of nowhere earth pony is in love with Starlight? “Called it! Sym exclaimed with great relish.” he chuckled. “Pay up!” the mares and stallions mumbled and pulled out what bits they have.

Wait, what? “Wait, what?”

“we’ve known this since the Leopard village.” Soarin’ said as Eris Shine paid both hers and Soarin’s bet to Sym. “we were betting when you or Star would come right out and say it.”

Bass’s mouth dropped. They knew and they betted on it? “you guys are mean. but that’s beside the point. There’s something wrong with Starlight and we have to go back and help.”

Glade sighed with a defeated sigh. “Bass… she’s made her choice. She doesn’t want to come back. She doesn’t want anything to do with us anymore. Just… just give it up.”

Glade headed up to the rim but Bass already had a good counter-argument. “What if it was Screw Loose?” Glade stopped in mid-step and slowly looked back. “What if Screw Loose was the one who snapped?”

Glade and Screw Loose exchanged looks. What if it was her? He loves her and she loves him so… if she said that to him… “Even if you’re right, what makes you so sure that Starlight even wants us to come back? Or if what she said was true?”

“Glade…” Marian softly said.

“face it, Bass. She won’t change her mind. She was always stubborn that way.” he unfurled his wings and took to the air. “you just have to accept that and move on.”

Whatever respect Bass had for Glade, it was replaced with anger. He’s a captain of the guard. He’s supposed to protect the people. He’s nothing but a coward. “Fine!” Bass tossed his bags to the ground. “but I’m going back whether you like it or not.” Bass turned and headed back to the castle.

“Glade!” Filigree insisted.

“leave him. If he wants to go back, that’s his problem.” he flapped his wings once, only to be caught on the receiving end of a tackle.

The Alicorn and his assailant rolled on the ground, passing a surprised Bass and crashing right into a pine tree. A clawed hand picked up Glade and pinned him onto the tree. Glade opened his eyes and saw the assailant was … a Gryphon? A surprised Gryphon, giving his eyes. “Glade?”

It took the captain a moment to recognize the Gryphon. “Silverbolt?” the Gryphon let him go. Glade flapped his wings and hovered. “what are…”

“Oh. Thank goodness. We made it.” Bolt’s companions panted.

“Aunt Daring?” Windancer said.

“Uncle Leon? Aunt Friction?” Golden Day and Season’s Edge said in confusion. “what are you all doing here?”

“Give us… give us a moment…” Daring panted. “WHOO! That’s the fastest I’ve ever flown. Whoo…”

“un… did we miss something?” Fire Ruby asked. The Draconequus shrugged.

Leon caught his breath and got up. “where’s Starlight?”

“Starlight?” Bass asked in confusion. “she’s in that castle with Sombra. She said she wasn’t coming back in… the most hurtful way possible.”

“well, believe us, the hurting is just about to start.” Friction said.

“Huh?”

Daring reached into her saddle bags and pulled out the letter Derpy had written her. “Read this. It’ll explain everything.”

Not really sure what’s going on, and a bit cautious about it, Glade took the letter and read it. His friends all leaned it to read it. And it wasn’t all friendly.

“WHAT!?!?!?!”

Starlight cried her heart out into the pillow she hugged tight. She never meant a word of it but she had to say it… to keep her friends… to keep her Bass from stopping her. She just can’t live like this… like a Alicorn anymore. She just wants a normal life.

Sombra appeared in her room via his usual way. He walked over and sat down beside her. “I understand that must’ve hurt, Starlight…”

“You have no idea.” a choked up Starlight cried.

Sombra glanced away, momentarily remembering the image in the picture. “You’d be surprised.”

“no. my heart feels like it’s been stabbed a million times by the sharpest blade… then shattered against a rock. I said all those hurtful things and… and I just…” Star broke down and started crying again.

Sombra placed a sympathetic hoof on her shoulder. “it’s going to be okay. We pull this off and you can have your friends and Bass back.”

Starlight sniffled. “I… I suppose.” she sniffled again and wiped her tear soaked eyes. “better--” she choked up, finding it hard to speak. One hard gulp later, she was able too. “Better get started.”

Sombra slowly nodded and got up. Starlight shuffled off her bed. She wiped her eyes yet again. “So… how do we get started?”

Sombra evilly smiled. “simple.” his eyes twinkled.

Starlight raised a eyebrow in confusion. Why would that--

Begin Song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXwz2IdsCsc

The Nightmare - Kingdom Hearts 3D: DreamDropDistance OST

All of a sudden, her vision blurred. She felt dizzy and tired at the same time, knees shaking beneath her. “D-dad…” she sleepily said.

Sombra just stood there, watching as his daughter futilely tried to stay awake. “pleasant dreams…” Starlight’s vision blurred completely, then went black. Her unconscious body slumped to the ground. “…for when you wake up, everything will have changed.” Leopold suddenly appeared beside him. “is it ready to go?”

“just needs the Staff of Jeria… and her.”

Sombra evilly chuckled. “well… we got both…” he used his magic to pick Starlight up and open a portal made out of dark fire. “have the shadows and the clones ready to move. We’re leaving this horrendous time period behind.”

“yes, sire…” Leopold bowed, then disappeared.

Sombra looked at his unconscious daughters face. So innocent… so serene. Too bad for her. The dark unicorn walked into the fire and disappeared.

Nobody in the ground could believe what they had just read. They were with him; they didn’t sense that he was evil. But, there it was, written in ink.

‘Daring, it’s Derpy. I don’t have a lot of time so I need to make this brief. These 2 Changelings, Leon and Friction, came in search of you because I told them too. They’re gonna need your help.

‘your niece Windancer left with her friends to the north to find Starlight’s real father, who they found. His name is Sombra and he’s bad news. He’s the one who forced the Changelings to do what they did both times. He’s also evil, decimating his village when he was 5.

‘please, go with these 2 and help out Windancer and her friends. They need help. Sombra is evil and the longer they stay with him, the more danger they’re in.’

“That son of a bitch lied to us!” Glade snarled as he ripped up the letter.

“I knew something was wrong with him.” Sweet Song snarled. “there never was such a thing as Ambrose- Bastard made the whole thing up.”

“He’s gotta be the one who created me.” Chaos Gun said with a cold snarl. “it makes so much sense. How could a being trapped in ice create me and the Oscurita clone, without having seen Oscurita to begin with?”

“that’s not the worst of it.” Leon said.

“there’s more?” Cotton whined.

“All over the planet, shadows are moving all on their own; some gobble others up while some just… disappear. Nobody knows why but everyone who had their shadows go missing become sick within the first few days.

So, it was Sombra all along. He must’ve planned all this from the beginning; made it so that Starlight had to go in search of her real father, and therefore come to him… and bring her powers over time with her. But why? And what do shadows have to do with this?

“He’s building a army.” Bass concluded.

“Huh?”

“that’s what he’s doing. He’s using his power over shadows to weaken us by making us sick by getting rid of our shadows; half our soul exists in shadows. And by using Starlight, a being who has powers over time, he can travel to the future, or to the past to a moment where the world was weak, and take control of Equestria in one fell swoop.”

“he must’ve planned this from the beginning.” Marian said. “He choose Twilight because of her magical prowess and knew that Starlight would get the same training. Then, once she was powerful enough, he would appear before her in a alternate form and seed the lies that would lead to all this.”

“that how would Starlight have gotten power over time? Or why is she a Alicorn?” Goldie asked.

“there must’ve been trial and error over the years. And Starlight must’ve been the finished product.”

Bass didn’t want to hear any more. His Marefriend is in danger and they’re standing around talking. “Who cares about that now? Starlight is in danger!”