The only thing that could be seen between dancing golden flames and solar flares was darkness. That was the only thing Starlight Glimmer saw in the red that encompassed her vision. It was the only thing Starlight had seen for the past 17 years.
The only thing Starlight felt anymore was pain. Horrible, awful, excruciating, burning pain that made her nearly want to scream. It made her burn, made her writhe, made her wish for every second of life that she had spent sulking and planning revenge to turn back, to be as if they never existed.
But Starlight knew that could not be so. She had tried already to change time, both to her advantage and to others’ disadvantage. Both times she’d failed. Both times she only ended up angrier than before. And now, she was burning for it. But she still did not feel regret.
The only thought going through Starlight’s mind was this: I won’t let myself die. It was the one thing keeping her from going insane on this ball of excruciating pain known as the sun. It was the one thing keeping her from canceling her Life spell and letting herself disappear into the void. This thought, this single repeating phrase, was the only will she had left. If not for that, Starlight would’ve been dead already.
But she could not allow herself to die. She had too much to do, too many things to take care of. Too much hatred for Twilight to let her live. But Starlight knew she could not leave this fiery sphere. Not unless Twilight released her or the Elements of Harmony freed her. Still, Starlight couldn’t help but dream of revenge against Twilight.
Starlight knew she had been foolish in trying to change time. It had only been a matter of time before Twilight had gotten fed up and banished her here. This time, she would be smart. She would plan her revenge carefully. She would make each and every step carefully concocted, firmly planted in forethought and reason.
And the first step was to escape the sun. But Starlight had yet to figure out that step. In the beginning, she had tried every spell she could think of to escape. All had failed.
All except the Dark Spells. Starlight dared not cast those spells. They were remnants of an ancient time, a time when unicorns were much more powerful. They twisted the mind of the user, corrupting them, turning their mind to the blackness in all things. Starlight had not cast any of them since she had run away from the village. But that was not something she liked to think about anymore.
But with each and every minute that passed, Starlight became more desperate, and the spells became more appealing. They called to her like a siren, whispering in her ear to try again. But she couldn’t let herself fall down again. Not for a third time. Not again. So Starlight waited. She waited for… well, she didn’t know what she was waiting for anymore. But she was waiting for something.
The thing was elusive, hidden, always avoiding her attempts to remember it. It was as if her own mind did not want her to remember this thing, whatever it was. Starlight still tried to remember in spite of herself. She knew it was likely hopeless, and more than likely would not get her to remember, but still, she tried.
It was the last little drop of her will again, driving her forward. That little drop of will had gotten her past the last 17 years of the sun. It had driven her past her best friend leaving her. Past the loss of Equality. Past the failure to change time. And now, it was driving her toward a future in which she did not reside on the sun.
And so, Starlight continued trying to escape. Every step she took on this sphere was bringing her closer to escape. Every spell she cast weakened the barrier between her and Equestria. Every thought she thought strengthened her resolve.
But still, something whispered in her ear, at the back of her mind, telling her to use the only spell she knew would work, and the only spell she had not cast for fear of corruption. Starlight tried her best to ignore it.
But the more she ignored, the louder it became. The more spells she cast, the more prominent and appealing it seemed. The more steps she took, the more desperate for a solution she became.
Eventually, the thought pounded in her mind, screaming at her to use the spell. But still, Starlight knew she had to resist. Starlight knew the consequences for using this spell.
…She knew what would happen to those she loved. But… it could have been the only way. It could be her last chance to escape. She had tried nearly all of her spells by now and things were getting desperate.
Starlight shook her head. She couldn’t risk her family’s lives like that again. But there were still the whispers. They were breaking down her resolve not to use the spell. Starlight sighed. She knew eventually she would use the spell, whether she wanted to or not. That was how this sort of thing worked.
It would twist her, corrupt her, use her desperation to its advantage and make her cast the spell. But Starlight wouldn’t let herself be coerced. So, instead of resisting, she started to cast the spell.
Starlight felt the blackness that was already in her soul bubble up into her mind. It encased her, fueling her hatred, her pain, everything she had used to her advantage these past 17 years.
Starlight’s eyes went black. They dripped gooey magical substance down her cheeks and onto her coat. Starlight could feel the barrier that held her here breaking under the pressure.
It would only take a few more minutes…
Twilight Sparkle stared up at the sky. She stared at the sun. Starlight’s image was imprinted on it, reminding Twilight of the horrible thing she’d done to save her friends. Twilight sighed. She looked down at the floor.
“M-maybe I should release her…” Twilight sighed. “But…” Twilight shook her head again. It was just too dangerous. But then again…
“There’s no guarantee that Starlight’s truly gone, or that she isn’t feeling any pain. I should get her out of there.” Twilight lit her horn to release Starlight. Before she could, a sharp pain ignited in her soul. The barrier had been shattered. Her soul had healed. Starlight was free. Twilight stood up in shock. She looked at the sun. it no longer had Starlight’s image imprinted on it.
Before Twilight could do anything, she heard an all-too-familiar voice.
“Hello, Twilight Sparkle.” Starlight Glimmer now stood in the doorway. Twilight smiled.
“Hello, Starlight. I was just about to free you.”
Author's Note
yay i made a sequel to something yaaaay
hehe. this was fun to make. hope you all enjoyed.
