Author's Note

“May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.”

• J.R.R. Tolkien.

Starlight, Starbright.

The more that I think about it. . .

WHAM! Daring and I hit the ground at the same time, both of us groaning.

Trying to fight Rin and the rest of Daring's crew certainly is a bad idea, even for us.

''Guys, come on!'' Daring hopped up to avoid Blank trying to cave her skull in with her hooves. ''This ain't you, and while I love the fire in your eyes, I'd appreciate it be directed somewhere else!'' the look of fear was genuine in my leader as we dodged onslaughts of punches, kicks, bites and attacks from the local town as we ran to the Optiquest.

''Where's that bitch?!'' I cursed, skipping back and forth on my feet, weaving in and out as best I could of Rin's punches and kicks. Charging at me, she leaped in the air, spinning before throwing a punch and two quick spinning kicks in almost a fraction of a second, the force pushing me back as I blocked with both my arms. My arms were stinging, even when she's not serious, Rin can cause some damage. ''Red, snap out of it!'' I shook my head, meeting her in the middle with a few punches; torso, head, arm, repeat, though she landed more than me before I reeled back and threw a decent hay-maker, the smirk on her face making me frown as she easily dodged it and socked me dead in the gut as I flew back, clutching my stomach in pain.

I slid back a bit, panting, and beginning to see red in my eyes, damn she must have burst a blood vessel. I don't think I can win, even with the element of surprise. I pushed past my body yelling no and ran back again, throwing my own spinning kick that she ducked low behind and caught with my leg with one hand, her hand on my chest as she hurled me to the ground quick.

''. . .Ouch,' I whined, Rin looking at me at the ground as she smiled even more, channeling her own Life Drive and starting Fusion.

Oh shit.

48 Hours Earlier. . .

After going through the trouble of Daring and the girls not being paid, we had just landed the Optiquest again, our eyes were set upon a desert town, filled with nothing but rocks, cacti, and the blazing hot sun. What did stand out that we were all informed of ahead of time was the town that would be there where this Starlight resided. According to Graceful, she's probably the only one who is available that can help with us getting paid and me and Rin heading home. And even though it's past us now, I still wonder about the Alicorn Amulet as a way out. . .

I don't know anymore. I just want to get home.

And this was not just my own conflict to deal with, I'm sure of it.

I looked at the guys walking off board the ship, Rin, as usual, taking her time as she told Daring she wanted us to talk before we headed into town, but I was curious if we could have the time to ourselves with nobody listening, and I'm talking about Blank.

But I wonder if she's actually ok, but I'm sure it would be dumb to not ask after all this time.

''Hey, you ok?'' I asked, her stopping and looking at me, a glint of something in her bright red eyes, yet I couldn't quite tell what it was. Now that we had a second, I looked at us, being that our clothes were crude, barely looking like they were before we left Central. Our hoodies were tattered, the hood on Rin's pretty much gone now, both were littered with patches of of mud, grass stains and blood. Her hair was in shambles, but knowing the kind of girl she is, Rin doesn't really care. We needed some new clothes. ''If you're not ok. . .you can tell me, you know? Just wanna make sure you're-''

Rin smiled, giving me a hug and burying her head in my neck before I finished.

''-straight.'' I said, not rejecting the friendly gesture. ''What''s up? You ok?''

''Yea,'' Rin chuckled a little, rubbing my back a little and sighing. ''It's just a little different then what we deal with. But as long as we got each other, we'll be ok. We'll be ok and go back to Detroit before we know it,'' Rin somewhat assured me with the tone in her voice, but even I could tell that she was playing herself just to a degree. She kept the smile on her face as she let me go and walked towards everyone else. ''Not to say this place is bad, but I know we both would rather not be here if we could help it.''

And isn't that preaching to the choir on that, Red?

In any case, we had to be quick about this, and hopefully, we can find something worth our journey here, or I was going to be mad.

''This doesn't look like the brochure,'' Rin joked, Echo giggling a little bit, seeming to be a little more comfortable with us being with us. Well, we did kinda help these guys out and even talked to them about us a little, I never would have thought you could find some sort of humanity in someone. . .not human. A lot has happened when we got here, so my mind is open to a few things seeming more close to home then I thought. ''So what part of this is gonna happen again before we go on another chase for something else, and so on?'' Rin asked, kicking a few rocks out of her way.

Daring stopped flying and dropped to the ground, turning around and stomping her hoof. ''It won't happen again, Rin, cause if it does, then. . .I will. . .I. . .-''

''How bout you eat your hat?'' Grass offered, me looking at her like a crazy person. ''I mean, we have had a pretty shotty track record, and we've all be looking like sitting ducks, so why not? Plus you'd be setting a good example for all of us as a leader.'' Daring chuckled, backing away from Grass who seemed serious about her offer. I didn't know if I wanted to help or help her see it through.

You can see my predicament. See someone eat a hat and laugh about it, or see someone eat a hat and laugh about it. I think I know what I'm gonna pick.

''I second that,'' as we stopped and looked at each other. ''I give it to the end of this day before we're somehow running back to the ship. maybe less than that.'' I said as Daring looked a bit miffed at me.

''Well I say the opposite,'' Rin stood with Daring, her smirk making mine turn into a frown. ''Oh really? What happened to being on my side, Red?'' I asked in a snarky way, nudging her in the chest, the glint in her eyes and teeth showing let me know what I wanted.

''Well, how about this?'' Rin asked, looking at Blank and Echo and asking their side, and when Blank came to see things my way but Echo come to her, she huffed and summoned Hanabi, Ko, and Taki. ''It's you, Blank and Grass so far, bring out Ai, Yuu and Snow and let's get their opinions,'' Rin said, looking at our Fairies appear in a fantastic display of light and energy.

''AI! Master, how can we assist you?/Ma'am, how can we help?'' Ai and Takiko asked at the same time, me and Rin smirking and folding our arms.

''Well,'' I said, catching all of their attention. ''Rin here seems to think that we won't be chased out of this here town looking for Starlight by day's end. I say we will, cause even before coming here, we've had our share of being chased when things went south, but we're all putting it to a vote,'' I smiled, Ai raising her hand and speaking once I called on her.

''Master, how?''

''Well, me, Echo and Daring so far think that it won't happen, but that's why we need you guys, to make it fair since Jamir has Blank and Grass Song.'' Rin said. ''So you guys can pick a side.''

''Will we get into trouble if we pick the wrong side?'' Yuu asked, looking legitimately worried.

''No, Yuu,'' Daring said, coming over and rubbing her hair to which she meowed like a kitten. ''This is all in fun. Kinda stupid if you ask me, but still in fun.''

''So what will it be, guys?'' Grass asked, eager to hear the answers.

''We always will side with our Master!~'' Ai and Yuu cheered.

''Snow!'' Snow chirped, sounding like a yes to me.

''That's 6 to 3 so far, Red, time for you guys,'' I looked to Taki, Ko and Hanabi.

''I will never abandon Lady Rin,'' Hanabi proclaimed, drawing her sword in the air and holding it high, laughing a mighty laugh. ''I know my comrade Ko feels the same, do you not?''

''Ko!~'' Ko seemed to agree.

''That's 5 to 6, all that's left is Takiko,'' I said, looking at her deep in thought and her eyes closed as she floated in the air, quiet as the wind. Could she. . .actually be thinking about thinking seeing it my way? Not to say she would be wrong, but to me this just doesn't seem all that right.

But it would be all the more sweeter if she did.

Taki fumbled with the bottom of her skirt, worry in her blue eyes and her face crinkling and contorting every which way before she settled down and slowly floated over to me and rested on my shoulder. Wow. . .she really didn't side with Rin, even over something so small.

I'm shocked.

''Sorry, Ma'am, but I think Jamir's right. . .for once.''

''Hey!'' my pride was somehow able to be hurt by a Fairy, but this was in a joking way. ''That settles it, Red. And since you and your group seems so sure about this being a cakewalk, you all can eat from Daring's hat when we get safely in the sky from running for our lives after finding out what we need to here.'' I said, continuing my walk as Blank took the initiative and blasted ahead of us, sending sand, dirt and rocks in our faces.

Ugh.

''You say that as if it'll happen in the next hour or something,'' Rin frowned and stormed off to the town with Blank and Grass Song.

''Well, what do you think will happen this time?'' Daring asked, flying lazily in the air. ''I know Graceful enough to know she wouldn't lead us astray, but I wonder why this Starlight decided to be all the way out here away from any real civilization.''

I had the same thought in the back of my mind, too, they've already been duped once, and a second time would make anyone sour.

But the time for guessing was over as we entered the small town in a few minutes, the buildings following the same almost to a dull shade of grey yellow with the same height and devoid of any trinkets. The only remote thing to stand out was a small church at the end.

"Anybody notice the look of. . .well, stuff here?" Rin asked, her walk getting slower. "And also if you think about it, the way these buildings are setup, don't it look like a equal sign?'

Blank and I agreed after looking at it from a different perspective. "Maybe they wanted to save money." Daring and Rin looked unimpressed. "Or maybe it was already this way when they got here," Blank chuckled nervously.

We continued on for another minute or so, the crunch of the dry land beneath our feet being the only sound until we approached the stairs of the church, me and Rin staring with a curious eye. I wondy what higher power they believe in.

I have the feeling I'll find out sooner or later.

"So who's knocking?" I whispered. Everyone else had still faces, barely any emotion in their flat smile, to the even neutral look of their eyes. They looked at each other, then to me, then back to themselves, then back to me with their hooves pointed at me. Oh wow what a great idea, have the new guy do it. "Great, why not?" I muttered, knocking six times before stopping and waiting.

"Coming!~" a female voice sung with glee before hearing the clip clop of hooves approach. No going back now. The door swung open with a field of magic. "Can I help you?~"

Oh. My. Goodness.

Detroit, Michigan.

The sun beamed today, covering the entire city with warmth and peace. It was a very nice day for pretty much anything. The vibration of the road echoed back barely into the cabin of the car as it sped along the highway.

The paint stood out just like the sun, both were hot and bright. The red and black stripes called out to the road as the car, low to the ground and somewhat noisy curved around a bend, his speed increasing from 55 to 70. The wind whipped into the cabin, almost slapping the drivers face as he weaved in and out of traffic, intent of being seen as the best.

Another shift of the gears and a tap on the gas brought the engine to life, buildings and people only a blur as the noise outclassed that of a police siren. It was a shame everyone couldn't have a Lamborghini, but-

Boom!

A loud explosion rocked the downtown area, windows shattering, cars screening and people taking cover as plumes of smoke rose in the sky. The sound was too close for comfort for anyone not to have their ears ringing.

Before anyone could gather their bearings, small buildings began to fall and implode, dust and the pained screams of people lighting off like firecrackers. The sky began to darken with the smoke, ambulance, police and firefighters began to swarm with the addition of medical drones.

The car dropped its speed down to 40 and began to maneuver through the traffic, glass and people unfortunate enough to be fairly close to death. The world around was shaking and falling apart faster than anyone could have forseen.

Swerve to the left, swerve to the right, hard brake, peel out, try not to fishtail, glass, metal, missing mirror, tires screeching.

And then. . .THUMP! A person landed on the windshield, forcing the car to brake and turn sharp, the wheels and axles straining from the constant abuse. The body flew a few hundred feet, head first, then rolling and thumping, bits of blood and skin coming off as the person stopped in a patch of grass.

His heart was pounding, never ending, the feeling was in the air, as well as the smell, the numbers would only increase.

A second wave of explosions came and rumbled, the city being as loud as it's ever been.

The car was put in park, the butterfly door opened, almost with hesitation before out stepped a man, roughly in his 30's with dark curly hair and skin of bronze, he was frightened, confused, looking for answers as to why this happened but instead he found a bullet lodged in his chest from a man with a black and red suit with a black trenchcoat and glasses holding a pistol.

"W-W-Why?~"the man groaned and clutched his white shirt, now stained with dust and dirt and his own blood. He stumbled back, hitting the door of his car before somehow managing to put the car in drive and creep a few feet away before the car hit a concrete border and the blared, male more than likely hitting his head on the steering wheel from dying from the gunshot.

The other man with the gun simply walked on, picking off anyone wasn't already dead, the lack of remorse not even able to be seen in his eyes due to his shades. "This is what Lady Junko commands of us, it is as she says; we are merely an extension of her very will."

The city continued to fall, bit by bit. In the air, the blades of a helicopter spun, providing lift and a bird's eye view of the carnage below.

"Things are going according to your plan, Ma' am," Chloe announced, smiling and observing from her place, right beside Junko. She felt so excited to be this close.
"What are your orders now?"

"Instruct squads 1, 5, 7, and 9 to divert their efforts to The Witch Hunt. We need to find those two before they try anything. . . especially him. Either he will serve will me as my equal," Chloe grit her teeth at that thought. The brat was not going to take her spot as Right Hand anytime soon, or at all. "Or he will be my loyal slave, who sits and wait for me to guide him."

"My lady?" Chloe looked confused, Junko undoing her seatbelt, standing up and straighting out her white and blue trimmed dress and overly sized hat.

"I'm going for a closer look. Don't wait up," Junko swan dove out after opening the door and soaring down to the city below, Chloe catching a glimpse of her white lace panties before her departure. She didn't mean to look, it was just there.

Her face a little flush, the pilot asked for the next place to head, when she told him he was relieved for the day, she followed suit, the wind forcing her eyes shut for a moment. Putting on some googles, her vision improved to see the downtown rapidly approaching.

'Let the Witch Hunt begin,' Chloe thought.