Magna Tenebris (Great 'Power')
Author's Note
This is my first one-shot, and I would love some feedback!
Magna Tenebris (Great 'Power')
"Et superius labrum radit? Definitely not that one. Spiritus draconis? Not that one, either. Pegasus alas? Getting closer... Aha! Magna Tenebris! 'Great power!' This is the one! It has to be!" Starlight thought aloud in the dark library, while paging through the book she had 'borrowed' from Twilight. The book was titled Starswirl's Spells, and it contained just that: dozens of spells Starswirl the Bearded had left unfinished when he disappeared.
Starlight stood and guided the ominously dark halls of Twilight's castle by nothing but the dim blue light cast by her horn. At this hour, everypony else would be asleep. She, herself should have been asleep, but couldn't risk passing up the opportunity of getting her hooves on this book. It always sat on Twilight's nightstand, where she would notice if it was missing during the day. Because of this, Starlight had waited until she was absolutely certain that Twilight was sound asleep before snagging the book. Now she had to face the dilemma of getting it back in place.
When she reached the princess' bedroom door, she doused her horn, and silently twisted the golden doorknob. peering through the crack that had been created, she glimpsed nothing but pitch-black darkness. She pulled the door open entirely, allowing the little moonlight from the hall to seep into the room, which cast Starlight's shadow across the floor. The light entering the room was just enough to display the lump in the covers where Twilight slept. Creeping to the bedside, book in hoof, Starlight held her breath. She could have simply levitated the book to the nightstand, but it was evident that she was too tired to pull that off without running the risk of bumping Twilight with it. Starlight placed the book back where she had found it, and turned to leave. That was when a groggy-voiced mare spoke up, freezing her in her tracks.
"Starlight?" Yawned the Princess of Friendship.
"Yes?" Starlight responded, not knowing what else to do.
"Wh- what are you-" She yawned again. "What're you doing?" She barely managed to get out, heavily slurring her words with the unintentional accent of sleep.
"Definitely not borrowing the book you told me not to touch."
"Oh, okay." Another yawn. It was as if her body was yelling at her to go back to sleep. "You could use the extra reading." She stated in the nonsensical language of sleep. "Goodnight, Starlight." It couldn't have been thirty seconds before Twilight was snoring heavily.
Starlight finally allowed herself to let out the breath she was holding in, and quickly ushered herself out of the room, lest there be another sleep-induced conversation. As the door glided shut just as silently as it had opened, Starlight grabbed the solitary page hovering beside her in a teal aura. This happened to be the same page that Starlight had pulled from the book, just before she gave it back to Twilight. She retreated to the desk in her own bedroom, and lit a single candle to use as light while she worked. Laying out the page, she grabbed a quill with that same teal glow, and dipped the point in a bottle of ink. Her hornwriting was even worse than usual, due to the sleep depravation she was experiencing, but she wasn't about to let that stop her. This could be her big break, and she would work all night if she had to. By the time the sun began to peek over the horizon, she would have redefined her future.
Something felt off to Twilight when she clambered out from under her covers. The sun had yet to crest the hills in the distance, but the deep-sapphire sky was beginning to take on a lighter hue. Dark grey clouds loomed ominously in the background, promising a heavy storm later in the day.
Twilight struck the candle wick on her nightstand to illuminate the room, and immediately noticed what was different. The book written by Starswirl that she kept at her bedside had been moved slightly. She had a very neat method of organizing things, so it wasn't difficult to see that the book was no longer lined up with everything else that she kept there.
Quickly snatching up the book in her purple grasp, Twilight skimmed through the pages, looking to see if anything was taken. Her worst fears were brought to life when she noticed a page had indeed been torn from the book. Worse yet: it was a page containing a very dark and powerful spell. Magna tenebris, or 'great darkness,' was not a spell to be messed with. Whoever took this page didn't know what they were getting themselves into. A new memory was slowly returning to Twilight, as well. Hadn't she seen somepony in here with that book last night?
"Starlight." She mumbled under her breath. "Starlight!"
Magna tenebras: non receperint vos. That was the final copy of Starlight's spell. The spell that would finally earn her the wings she had waited so long for. She briefly contemplated if this was cheating, but eventually decided that the deserved this. Besides, this was all Twilight had to do, so why couldn't it be just as simple for her? She seized the page from the desk, and made her way outside. This would be a big spell, and she felt it necessary to avoid collateral damage. She couldn't have her big moment ruined because she messed up Twilight's castle.
Starlight stepped outside an noticed the grey sky was making preparations to trade the moon for the sun, as it did on a diurnal basis, discounting the times when Nightmare Moon had attempted to make eternal night, and when Discord raised the sun and moon simultaneously. What was it with villains that made them want to ruin a perfectly good sunrise?
Levitating the paper containing her masterpiece of a spell a few feet in front of her, Starlight readied her magic. Her horn lit with a pleasant aqua-blue glow, illuminating her surroundings. Just as she made to cast her spell, she heard a familiar voice call her name from somewhere behind her. Upon turning, she instantly recognized the purple mare.
"Twilight? What are you doing here?" Starlight asked.
"You can't use that spell! It's not what you think it is!" Twilight called back, the urgency in her voice far surpassing the tiredness of morning. Starlight hesitated, thinking over what Twilight had said.
"How do I know you're not just trying to stop me from jumping ahead in my destiny? Trying to keep me on the path you want me to take?"
"That page holds the Magna tenebris root, which translates to 'Great Darkness.' Whatever you're trying to do, that's not the spell you want to use. Trust me." Again, this made Starlight pause. Twilight made a move in an attempt to get closer, but Starlight backed away, still unsure. Eventually, her eyes steeled with her decision.
"I don't believe you." She turned back, blasting the page with a burst of teal light.
"NO!" Twilight called in vain. The page hovered into the air, spinning rapidly. They both stared in awe, anticipating what it would do next. Unfortunately, neither of them could have predicted the spell's next move. The teal glow darkened to a deep grey, almost black- the same color as the approaching storm clouds. A tendril of the blackness surrounding the page shot out, catching Starlight, and enveloping her within. The page then disintegrated, and the darkness vanished. Starlight dropped to the ground, unconscious. Twilight sprinted to her side, not wasting a moment.
"Starlight! Are you okay?!" She nudged the unmoving mare, getting only a displeased groan in response. Twilight relaxed slightly at this, hoping that the spell hadn't worked. However, she discovered all too quickly that this wasn't the case. Starlight's eyelids flashed open, but the eyes behind them weren't her own. They were blood red, and filled with an anger and menace that struck a never-before-felt fear into Twilight. More than that, it was a sense of pure terror; that feeling that one gets upon realizing that their life is at stake. For Twilight, that may very well have been true at this moment. Starlight was on her feet in a split second, staring down the princess with that horrifying glare.
"Starlight?" Twilight tried, doubting she would get the answer she hoped for.
"Starlight Glimmer is gone. I am Blacklight, the Princess of Shadows." She unfolded a newfound pair of wings from her sides to emphasize her point. "And you- Princess of Friendship- shall not be allowed to stand in my way." Without warning, Starlight blasted Twilight with her horn, knocking her several feet back, before skidding to a halt on her side. There was a new, searing pain coming from the side that hadn't touched the ground. Twilight grimaced from the hit, but managed to get back on her hooves.
"I was hoping you wouldn't stay down. It's more fun this way." The thing that was once Starlight laughed a maniacal laugh, readying for another attack.
"I'm not going to fight you, Starlight." Twilight stated defiantly.
"My name is Blacklight." She let loose another bolt of magic, striking Twilight square in the chest. She tumbled back again, but still struggled to her feet.
"This isn't you talking, Starlight. Don't let the darkness take control." The princess gasped. For a brief moment, the purple in this thing's eyes became visible. Starlight was in there still, fighting to break free. She closed her eyes and shook her head. When they reopened, they were that vicious and evil shade of red again.
"My name isn't Starlight!" Spat the monster controlling her friend, once again blasting Twilight, who simply took the hit. It hurt even more than the last, but Twilight refused to be pitted against her friend like this. It was getting increasingly difficult to stand again, but she did it anyway, ignoring the building pains in the places where she had been struck.
"Do something, you imbecile! Fight back!" Screamed Starlight.
"By letting you get taken by this evil, I have already failed you. I have already hurt you. I'm not going to do it again."
The thing yelled in frustration, wanting more of a battle than an execution. However, that wasn't enough to stop it from blasting Twilight again, catching her in the ribs. The pain shot through her entire body, knocking her down again. Blacklight stood over Twilight, readying one last shot. The killing blow.
"Pitiful; you couldn't even put up a fight. What a shame." It spat.
"I'm not hurting my friend, so you may as well finish me off. Just do me one favor: look me in the eyes when you do it."
"Ah, the dying wish of a princess. Sure, I'll look you in the eyes. I'll make sure the last thing you see is pure hatred." She wound back, her horn emitting a bizarre and foreign black light- if you could even call it a light. As she brought down her horn for the final attack, she froze. After a brief moment, she had a slight seizure, letting out a screech of pain an agony. Purple fought red within her eyes, as darkness fought light in her mind. Starlight had come, kicking and clawing, in an attempt to regain control, rather than sit idly by as this monster murdered her friend. Upon realizing the mental war, Twilight did everything in her power to assist Starlight from the outside.
"Don't let that thing control you, Starlight! Fight it!" Twilight offered words of support, while wracking her brain for any potential spells that could evict the darkness. If Magna Tenebris had caused this, then perhaps the polar opposite- Lux Splendida- could save her. Twilight thought rapidly to piece together a reversal spell, while Starlight struggled for control of her own body. Then Twilight figured it out. [iMagna tenebras, non receperint vos! That must have been the spell that Starlight used. Substituting one root for the other would then give her the solution.
"Lux splendida, non receperint vos!" Twilight yelled aloud while casting the spell. A beam of purple light shot from her horn, causing Starlight to topple over. In the struggle for possession, one last bolt of mana left the mentally-split mare's horn, striking Twilight at the base of her own horn. Though there were only two ponies present, three screams of agony could be heard. Then the action was over. Both mares lay unconscious, only feet from each other. That was when the thunder started.
Starlight awoke to raindrops tapping her eyelids. Judging from how she was drenched and freezing, she guessed that it must have been raining for several hours. She clamored her way onto her hooves, groaning from the soreness and stiffness that ached in her muscles. Once upright, she noticed another pony laying not far from where she had been. A familiar pony, at that...
"Twilight!" Starlight gasped as the memories of what happened came flooding back. She closed the gap between them near-instantaneously, concern overriding anything and everything else within her. Kneeling by her friend's side, she gave the purple mare a gentle nudge.
"Twilight? Twilight, wake up." When she didn't receive a response, Starlight looked to the princess' chest. What she saw were burn marks, where Twilight had defiantly taken her magical beating without wavering; a feat of remarkable honor and discipline. She did not see, however, the usual rise-and-fall pattern- the telltale sign of life. Starlight bent over, placing her face millimeters from Twilight's. She should have felt and heard a rhythmic breathing, but instead found nothing. Tears welled up in Starlight's eyes, mixing with the rainwater in an attempt to blot out her vision. Starlight didn't even blink them away. If her vision were blocked, she wouldn't need to see Twilight's fate, which came as a result of Starlight meddling with her own destiny.
It was ironic, in a way: not more than two years ago, Starlight had messed with the timeline to disturb Twilight's destiny, maybe even kill her. Now, here that same mare was, lifeless in the rain- exactly what Starlight would have wanted. But now, the only thing she wanted was to see her get back up again.
Filled with total despair, Starlight laid down next to her friend's static body, and wept. She hated herself for her inability to save Twilight. She hated herself for casting that spell. She hated herself for not listening to her friend. She hated herself for thinking that this was a good idea. She hated herself just for existing. That was when Twilight let out a faint groan.
"Twilight?" Starlight whispered, thinking it was only her mind playing tricks; reliving old memories.
"Ugh... W-what h-happened? D-did we do it?" She barely managed to get out, teeth chattering from the freezing rain. Now the tears of sorrow in Starlight's eyes turned to tears of joy. She caught the princess in a sudden, tight embrace.
"No, Twilight. You did it."
Author's Note
Because I loved writing it, and you guys (apparently) loved reading it, here's a part two.
Invictus (Undefeated)
The Princess of Friendship lay in her bed, with her entire midsection wrapped like that of a mummy, minus the exception of her wings, which were folded awkwardly beneath her. Going on five years of being accompanied by those darn things, and she still couldn't find a way to sleep with them comfortably. She would never understand how a pegasus could live with them, though the thought had crossed her mind that maybe growing up with them provided an advantage. It must be like growing up with a horn: just an extension of one's body, not some new addition.
Twilight tossed and turned in the nearly-nonexistent light. The rainclouds blocked out most of the moonlight, leaving only a dim glow for illumination. Until the occasional blinding flash of blue lightning struck.
Crack! Thunder roared around and through the castle, and Twilight bolted upright, only to be viciously reminded of the pain in her gut. Rather than flinging herself back onto the mattress to writhe, Twilight pushed herself back, propping herself on the crystal headboard. In a chair beside the bed, Starlight stirred, brought back to consciousness by the rustling of blankets.
"Another nightmare?" Starlight spoke up, reaching a hoof onto the nightstand in search of the unlit candle that sat in wait. When she found her mark, she lit the wick with a thought and a momentary teal glow.
"The same one." Twilight stated, shielding her eyes with a hoof while they slowly adjusted to the new light. "You know you don't have to stay with me, right?"
"I want to. It's my fault you're here, so I might as well be here with you." Starlight justified.
"Well, you're not unwelcome, if I came off that way." Twilight added, sensing how her previous statement was pronounced. "Actually, I'm quite glad you're here." They both sat quietly, lost in thought.
"You should really go back to sleep." Starlight pointed out.
"There's no way I'm falling asleep again after that."
"You should try. 'Your body needs rest.' You heard the doctor." Starlight mimicked the stallion in white.
"If I need to fall asleep, I'll usually read a book or two." Twilight offered.
"Of course you do." Starlight mumbled. "I'll go get one."
"No offense, but you don't know what books I like. Just help me out of bed." Twilight started edging toward the end of the mattress."
"Nonsense. You like any book."
"True, but I can only fall asleep to a few, now get over here."
Starlight huffed and rolled her eyes, but still allowed Twilight to drape a hoof over her back for support. They shuffled down the hall with a single candle wrapped in a teal aura leading the way from a few feet off the ground. Twilight noticed the expression in Starlight's expression was of an all-too-familiar self-disappointment.
"You can't hate yourself forever." She warned.
"I can try." Starlight responded.
"No, you can't. It's not healthy, nor is it necessary. You made a mistake, and you were forgiven. It's not like this is anything new for you." Twilight didn't catch the sting in her words until they had left her mouth.
"That's exactly my point. I won't- can't let that happen again." They entered the library, and the vaulted ceilings added a slight echo to their conversation.
"I know you won't. Now, help me look for a book called- Ah!" Twilight yelled in agony as she collapsed to the floor, almost taking Starlight with her. She pressed her hooves into her temples, attempting to alleviate the sudden migraine.
"Twilight!" Starlight cried, stooping in front of the princess, unsure of what to do.
"I- I'm fine. It was just a headache." Twilight reassured her once the pain started to subside.
"That didn't seem like just a headache." Starlight speculated. "Has that ever happened before?"
"Don't worry about it." Twilight shot.
"Are you sure, because-"
"I said don't worry about it!" Twilight demanded, looking directly into Starlight's eyes as she did so, and showing the red that had replaced her usually purple irises. That was when Starlight understood what was going on. Her own eyes widened at the horrifying realization. 'Twilight' picked up on this, and pounced on Starlight, knocking her to the ground and pinning her down.
"You really thought you could get rid of me?!" The thing jived.
"We were kinda hoping." Starlight shot back.
"Pathetic." It stared into Starlight, showing only hatred and anger in it's eyes. It seem surprised when it couldn't catch a glimpse of fear from Starlight.
"You're not afraid of me?"
"Never."
"You should be. I am fear itself." Starlight stared back, returning the expression of anger with a rage of equal magnitude. She almost saw fear in her opponent's eyes. It's uncertainty grew with her confidence, but it was easily pushed aside.
"No matter. I'll still dispose of you quickly." It's horn lit with the blackness of a dark and evil magic. Just as it wound it's head back to strike, Starlight kicked, knocking it off of her. She bolted upright and wracked her brain for the spell Twilight had used to free her. Lux... something. Lux... lux what?! What did she use?! Her mind raced to remember the spell.
"You think you can stop me? I'll just keep coming back." It reared for a follow-up strike.
"Lux splendida, non receperint vos!" Starlight called as her own horn lit with the spell. An aqua bolt of light struck the monster, and Twilight limply dropped to the ground. Starlight trotted over and nuzzled her friend, who moaned in response.
"Starlight, I just had the craziest dream." She mumbled.
"You have no idea."
"Wait..." She the princess looked around, regaining her bearing. "It wasn't a dream, was it?"
"It's back." Starlight shook her head, helping Twilight to her hooves. They stared into each other's eyes for a full five minutes while the depth of Starlight's words took their toll. Eventually, Twilight broke the silence.
"If it came back once, it'll come back again. We need a plan."
"It seems that the spell we're using won't get rid of this darkness, but rather will only eject it from the pony it's occupying to buy us more time. We're going to need a spell that will obliterate the darkness entirely without harming the affected pony." Starlight explained, trotting toward the section of the library that contained most of the spellbooks and magic-related information.
"The darkness came after me this time, so I would imagine that it just jumps to the closest pony it can. That may even be all it's capable of." Twilight added, following closely behind.
"So who's next in proximity to the castle?" Starlight questioned.
"Well the closest residential building to the castle belongs to-"
"What's all the commotion?" yawned a small, purple and green dragon as he half-walked, half-stumbled into the room, clearly having just woken up. Twilight and Starlight exchanged horrified glances.
"Nothing, Spike. We're just looking for a book that'll help Twilight go back to sleep." Starlight lied for the speechless purple mare.
"Why was there yelling and things banging around? You scared me right put of bed!" Spike complained.
"Oh, uh... Twilight bumped into a bookshelf and it toppled right on me, but it's fine. We cleaned it up. You can go back to bed." Starlight gestured to the door with one hoof while franticly paging through books with her other hoof and her horn. She paused on a page that she thought had what she needed. She levitated it over to Twilight, who took it numbly, but continued staring into space. Spike sleep-walked his way out of the room, and Starlight shook Twilight to snap her out of the shock she was in.
"It's going to take Spike." She mumbled to Starlight.
"Not if we have anything to say about it. Now read that middle paragraph and tell me if we can use it or not." Twilight's eyes flicked over the page and she nodded.
"Yes, but we're going to need more. We've got the Magna Tenebris and Lux Splendida roots already, but that won't be enough..." Twilight trailed.
"Twilight, I know you're afraid for Spike- he's like your filly- but you can't help him unless you help me. You're knowledge of the Old Ponish spells is far more expansive than mine, so I need you to help me piece together a spell to fix this. If we can't make this spell, Spike will be in a lot more danger than he is right now. Do you understand me?"
"Uh, yeah, right. Make the spell to save Spike. Got it."
"Good. Now, how about this one?" Starlight sent a red spellbook to Twilight, who shook her head in disapproval.
"No, that spell is directed more towards the transfer of magic. We're trying to get rid of it entirely. You'd want to look more for energy or magic removal or disposal: something like this, but not quite as simple." Twilight explained, passing a cyan book to Starlight, who glanced over it before turning back to the lines of bookshelves.
"What about something like this?" Starlight pulled a purple book from the top shelf with her magic, sending it straight to Twilight, who flipped through the pages, stopping on a particular section of interest.
"Yes, that's it! We should have all the pieces, now we just need to jigsaw them into something we can use." Twilight laid the book she held among four others that she and Starlight had found. That was when Spike entered the library archway for the second time. Both mares stopped to look up at him when they realized he had walked in.
"I think I forgot something in here." He stated.
"That can't be." Starlight called his bluff.
"How so?" He played innocent.
"You didn't come in here with anything to leave behind. Spike, why did you really come back?" Starlight pushed.
"I just wanna see what you're doing. That's all." He took a step forward.
"Stop." Starlight ordered.
"How come?" Spike took another step, deliberately avoiding eye contact.
"Spike, stop." Starlight stiffened. Only an intimidating coldness was audible in her voice. He tried to keep a cool expression, but he stopped his approach.
"What, you don't trust me?" Spike tried. He received only two cold stares in response. "C'mon guys... It's me... It's Spike." He carried nothing but innocence and desperation, but neither mare faltered. He bowed his head.
"So I guess that's it then." He said in a new, chilling voice. A voice that didn't belong to the tiny dragon it seemed to come from. A voice of evil that had become all-too-familiar. "Fine. I prefer the hard way anyways. It's more fun." He said, raising his claw, which was wrapped in a black aura. From that claw originated a bolt of mana, which was aimed to hit Starlight square in the head. It would have struck, too, had Starlight not ducked behind the desk. She then reached her hoof up, and pulled Twilight down beside her.
"I'll keep him busy. You stay hidden and finish the spell." Starlight whispered to Twilight, who then began pulling books from the desk to the floor, where she could work in relative safety. Starlight rose, staring down the drake that had once been her friend. There wasn't even a trace of her old friend left in it's reddened eyes.
"You just don't give up, do you?" The thing jived, sizing up it's opponent. Starlight spotted a standing mirror, and began forming a plan. She slowly crept her way towards it, keeping the shadow busy with conversation.
"I'm not afraid of you. I never was, and I never will be." She shot.
"Fear is the body's natural response to danger, therefore, you must be afraid of me. It's your primal instinct."
"The body only fears threats, and you are no threat. You're just a spell that was miscast, and you will be dealt with accordingly." Starlight had expected this to get through to him, but it merely made him smirk.
"You really don't know what I am, do you? You may have brought me here with that little spell of yours, but I have existed for millennia. I am the very definition of fear. The only thing you did was give me a chance to manifest in a mortal body. Though, I suppose I should thank you, for without your lust for power, I wouldn't have the opportunity to destroy you." He let another blast of darkness fly from his claw, but Starlight was ready. She kicked the mirror into the path of the projectile, which ricocheted off and retraced its path, directly into the one that had fired it. The thing that was once Spike was knocked back with the impact, and let out a cry of pain. Strangely, the cry sounded like it belonged to Spike, not the thing controlling him.
"If you hurt me, you hurt him too." The thing laughed while pulling itself to its feet.
"Then I'll just have to beat you without firing a shot." Starlight remarked.
"Don't you get it? I'll just keep coming back. You can't win." Starlight glanced over to the desk Twilight was hiding behind, and saw a purple hoof waving to her: Twilight's signal that she was ready.
I must admit, though, you have proven a decent adversary. Maybe I shouldn't kill you. You'd make a great second-in-command. Once I brainwashed you, of course. Your friend, however, doesn't deserve that honor. A real warrior would come out an fight me, but she simply hides behind a desk. Perhaps I should provide her with some motivation." He turned his attention to the desk that Twilight sat behind. With a wave of his claw, the desk was sent careening into the wall, smashing into pieces on impact. Outside, the storm raged on, wind howling at the castle walls. Thunder crashed, but nopony paid it any mind. The newly uncovered Twilight rose to her hooves, staring down the darkness.
"Strange: you don't seem as afraid as you were when we met last."
"That's because I'm not. I know your deepest fear now." Twilight retorted.
"I didn't realize I had one. Please, inform me. It jived.
"You're afraid of not being feared. Well, guess what? Nopony is going to fear you anymore." Twilight's voice became cold and dark with her final sentence. It took the thing only a few seconds to fully comprehend what she was saying, but that was all she needed. There was a purple bolt in the air, and then there was a blinding flash. Outside, the storm cell died out entirely, leaving nothing but puddles and fallen branches to be remembered by. When the light faded, she shadows were visibly being ripped out of Spike's body by force, and then disintegrating into the air. When there wasn't a trace of darkness left, the drake went limp, but Twilight was there to catch him on her back before he could hit the ground. Starlight couldn't argue that Twilight had motherly instincts toward the dragon. He wasn't blood, but he was family anyway. She chuckled at the princess.
"What's so funny?" She asked, turning to Starlight.
"It wouldn't be physically possible for you to love him any more, would it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, he's family, and you're always there for him."
"I'd do the same for you if I had to." Twilight glanced around the room, cringing when she noticed the broken desk with a few ruined books. "Do you think it's actually over this time?"
"Without a doubt. What spell did you use, anyway?"
"Eicientur in tenebras: lucem accipere."
"And that's why I had you make the spell. I only understood about half of that." Starlight joked.
"You'll get there one day. I know you will."
"But until then, let's get some sleep. I trust that this one will wind up sleeping in your room tonight?" Starlight gestured to Spike.
"I think all three of us should stay in my room. We could have a makeshift slumber party."
"I think it'll be all slumber and no party. I'm exhausted." Starlight mused as they entered the bedroom.
"You have no idea." Spike mumbled. Twilight and Starlight shared a laugh before crawling into bed. Spike and the princess were unconscious the moment they hit the mattress. Starlight looked over at the other two, smiled, and joined them in their slumbers.